Hidden Findings discovered in Backspacer Cover (Updated)

pleatherman

From Life Magazine:


From Andy Warhol:

Now, I am intrigued as to the back stories on the other eight illustrations. Looks like the treasure hunt has just begun.

http://kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide
The most beautiful suicide
On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Photographer Robert Wiles took a photo of McHale a few minutes after her death.
The photo ran a couple of weeks later in Life magazine accompanied by the following caption:

On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. 'He is much better off without me ... I wouldn't make a good wife for anybody,' ... Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale's death Wiles got this picture of death's violence and its composure.

From McHale's NY Times obituary, Empire State Ends Life of Girl, 20:

At 10:40 A. M., Patrolman John Morrissey of Traffic C, directing traffic at Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, noticed a swirling white scarf floating down from the upper floors of the Empire State. A moment later he heard a crash that sounded like an explosion. He saw a crowd converge in Thirty-third Street.

Two hundred feet west of Fifth Avenue, Miss McHale's body landed atop the car. The impact stove in the metal roof and shattered the car's windows. The driver was in a near-by drug store, thereby escaping death or serious injury.

On the observation deck, Detective Frank Murray of the West Thirtieth Street station, found Miss McHale's gray cloth coat, her pocketbook with several dollars and the note, and a make-up kit filled with family pictures.

The serenity of McHale's body amidst the crumpled wreckage it caused is astounding. Years later, Andy Warhol appropriated Wiles' photography for a print called Suicide (Fallen Body).



EDIT 4-06-14: I decided to clean up the last edit of this post because it was rather convoluted and most of the links died anyway. Feel free to roam this thread for further concepts concerning the Sirens, Cosmic Drummer, Brain in a Jar theory, along with most of the other photo references Tom Tomorrow utilized. Here are some of them.

4Powers20

nice find!!

skyeriverwinter

pjsteelerfan

Nice find it willbe interesting to see what all the images are about and everyone's interpretations of them

NoelMichael

Can't wait to hear the story of the pimp on the tricycle with the giant women

pleatherman

I sure hope the next issue of DEEP scores an interview with Tom Tomorrow. And who knows what other vignettes await us in the booklet that comes with Backspacer.

pleatherman

This might be another one? If so, I am sensing a theme.




http://www.aversion.com/news/news_artic ... ws_id=4057
Bad Astronaut Drummer Commits Suicide
Mar 31, 2005
Bad Astronaut drummer Derrick Plourde was found dead yesterday (March 30), the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

IamMine

skyeriverwinter wrote:

pleatherman wrote:

I sure hope the next issue of DEEP scores an interview with Tom Tomorrow. And who knows what other vignettes await us in the booklet that comes with Backspacer.

That's a good idea! I'd love an interview with Tom Tomorrow in the next DEEP issue.

Wow... good job on finding the real story behind one of the illustrations.

Brony

theme = yikes

IamMine

Brony wrote:

theme = yikes

dreams and memories....

Plankton

That's awesome. The original photo is crazy, really amazing.

Poncier

How do Gilligan, the robot from Lost in Space and The Penguin fit in with a suicide theme?

Rearviewrelease

I think one of the girls standing directly behind him is Raquel Welch, in her famous pose from the movie One Million B.B.



And the other two girls outfits look strangely familiar as well.

pjsteelerfan

Rearviewrelease wrote:

I think one of the girls standing directly behind him is Raquel Welch, in her famous pose from the movie One Million B.B.



And the other two girls outfits look strangely familiar as well.

Now that you mention it, the one on the right is probaly ursula andress from "Dr. No"

Poncier

Rearviewrelease wrote:

I think one of the girls standing directly behind him is Raquel Welch, in her famous pose from the movie One Million B.B.



And the other two girls outfits look strangely familiar as well.

The right would be Ursula Andress in Dr. No

pouch15

Im loving this thread!!!

einatshaul

Wow, this thread revealed to me that Raquel Welch isn't dead...

Rearviewrelease

einatshaul wrote:

Wow, this thread revealed to me that Raquel Welch isn't dead...

That made your day didn't it

gndcd402

einatshaul wrote:

Wow, this thread revealed to me that Raquel Welch isn't dead...

oh that raquel welch, she's such a phony!

einatshaul

...And you guys know your thighs...

Valerio

And this is the robot from the bottom-left image:

Poncier

Valerio wrote:

And this is the robot from the bottom-left image:

I noted that already:

Poncier wrote:

How do Gilligan, the robot from Lost in Space and The Penguin fit in with a suicide theme?

Those of us old enough to remembr Lost in Space reruns picked that one up quickly..."Danger Will Robinson, danger!"

Valerio

Those of us old enough to remembr Lost in Space

i'm not old enough maybe

NoelMichael

Is Jessica Rabbit on the left?

Mrs.Vedder78

You guys are great! that's why I luv ya'll - lol
I had actually read an article some time back about that photograph (the beautiful suicide) but would have never made any connection...


I luv this thread

kiljoythemerciful

NoelMichael wrote:

Is Jessica Rabbit on the left?

Good guess, but I don't think so. Rabbit usually is depicted with a clubby dress on and red high heals.

TEEJAM11

craze finds people good Job.... :idea:

dimitrispearljam

TEEJAM11 wrote:

craze finds people good Job.... :idea:

+1 CRAZY BUT GOOD,,THANKS

einatshaul

Oh yeah,.. Summer of George...

So who's the guy on the bicycle?

justam

pleatherman wrote:

Now, I am intrigued as to the backstories on the other eight illustrations. Looks like the treasure hunt has just begun.



From Life Magazine:



From Andy Warhol:
http://www2.khm.de/audiolectures/audiol ... 17tif.html

http://kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide
The most beautiful suicide
On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Photographer Robert Wiles took a photo of McHale a few minutes after her death.
The photo ran a couple of weeks later in Life magazine accompanied by the following caption:

On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. 'He is much better off without me ... I wouldn't make a good wife for anybody,' ... Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale's death Wiles got this picture of death's violence and its composure.

From McHale's NY Times obituary, Empire State Ends Life of Girl, 20:

At 10:40 A. M., Patrolman John Morrissey of Traffic C, directing traffic at Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, noticed a swirling white scarf floating down from the upper floors of the Empire State. A moment later he heard a crash that sounded like an explosion. He saw a crowd converge in Thirty-third Street.

Two hundred feet west of Fifth Avenue, Miss McHale's body landed atop the car. The impact stove in the metal roof and shattered the car's windows. The driver was in a near-by drug store, thereby escaping death or serious injury.

On the observation deck, Detective Frank Murray of the West Thirtieth Street station, found Miss McHale's gray cloth coat, her pocketbook with several dollars and the note, and a make-up kit filled with family pictures.

The serenity of McHale's body amidst the crumpled wreckage it caused is astounding. Years later, Andy Warhol appropriated Wiles' photography for a print called Suicide (Fallen Body).

Wow. :shock:

That's very interesting. When I saw that colored picture, I got an entirely different idea because it did seem like such a peaceful pose.

RiotAct10

I am very impressed with those of you that have already found connections. I wonder if any of the art will be explained, as to why they chose a certain picture, or if it will all be up to our own interpretation and great sleuth work.