Our best of Spring 2011 Issue featuring Coco Lectric celebrates it’s Issue Release at the third annual  Hot Rods and Heels May 21st at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas!

We are so proud of this issue!  See cover girl Coco Lectric do a full reveal in our  exclusive photos of Queen of Burlesque & Texas Performer of the Year Inside! Printed in full color from cover to cover, this full sized magazine is 44 pages of your favorite Pin Curl online features and articles as well as exclusive print only material you can only find here. Featuring cover girl Coco Lectric, and including exclusive interviews with Cora Vette, Midnite Martini, Red Hot Annie, Katherine Lashe, Ursula Undress, Courtney Crave, and many more! In addition to feature interviews, you’ll also find great articles including the coveted Tips for Building a Successful Portfolio & Shooting Successful Promo Images Guide, our exclusive Burlesque Haunts series, Herstory of Legends like Georgia Sothern and Mae West, and DIY projects including prop making, vintage beauty secrets and cocktail recipes.

Not going to make it down to Texas?  Buy the new issue online. (Ships out after May 21st).

Hot Rods and Heels 2011 Schedule:

1-6pm Workshops!  Take classes with the pros on pin-up modeling, make-up, and burlesque! Workshops must be purchased in advance.

6pm Doors open to the public!

6-8pm Vintage Shopping with tons of amazing  pin-up vendors indoors, and a classic car show (pre-1964 American hot rods) show outdoors. Mix and mingle over food & drinks.

8pm- Midnight Pin-Up Model Fashion show hosted by the amazing Jayme Foxx!

Awards ceremony that crowns the winners of the Texas [model, performer, make-up artist] of the Year titles.

Burlesque Show featuring some of the best performers from all over Texas! MC: The iconic and hilarious Cora Vette of Denver!

Live Music by rockabilly great Johnny Hootrock on Austin.

Meet Coco Lectric, Texas Performer of the Year 2010, at one of two meet and greets to be held at event: one during the day, and one in the evening.  Grab the new issue and get an autograph!

For more details, please visit HotRodsandHeels.com

Editor’s Note: This just a small part of the interview & photoshoot, for the full reveal (literally) get your hands on a copy of the Best of Spring 2011 online or at our Issue Release Party at Hot Rods and Heels 2011!

Miss Coco Lectric, crowned Texas Performer of the Year at Hot Rods and Heels 2010, talks titles as currency, travel, and the burlesque community evolving.

Interview: Divertida Divotchka. Photos: DallasPinUp.com

My goodness a lot has changed for you since Pin Curl last spoke to you.  You were crowned Queen of Burlesque in New Orleans last September.  How have titles changed things for you?

The biggest change is being held to a higher standard every time I hit the stage. When someone introduces you as the Queen of Burlesque, the audience sets their expectations a little bit higher. They’re expecting to be blown away. I don’t know if I’ve always been able to live up to this higher standard, but I’ve certainly tried.

Producers have also had a good excuse to hire me for their shows, since the New Orleans festival, which has given me the good fortune of making burlesque my full-time job. Having titles is like currency in this business and everyone wants to see for themselves what all the fuss is about. I’d become accustomed to performing for an unassuming audience, and these days they prepare themselves to see something spectacular. I have to bring it just a little bit harder every show to live up to their expectations.

Congratulations on being voted number 13 in 21^st Century Burlesque’s Top 50 for 2010! We’re so thrilled to hear the news, what’s your reaction?

I was thrilled! I didn’t lobby for votes and I really didn’t expect to see my name on the list at all. I don’t know what happened, to be honest. I was watching the list and cheering on my pals, for sure. After it got to the top twenty performers I figured that I didn’t have a chance. I feel truly honored that so many people even know that I exist, let alone like my work. I’m still sort of in shock about it and I thank 21st Century Burlesque for always having such kind words to say about me. They’re doing great work to get the word out about so many talented performers and promote burlesque around the globe, and that’s priceless.

I’m told you’re focusing more on the education realm at the moment. As headmistress of the Austin Academy of Burlesque, do you mean teaching more, taking more classes/workshops, or both?

I love teaching and I love learning, so I plan on doing a lot of both. Learning from the legends and contemporary performers is key to keeping burlesque alive and well. It allows the community to grow and shape the art. Burlesque performers are like a family in a lot of ways, only we’re not born into it as much as we’re brought in by learning from the life and art of those who came before. I’m proud to be a part of this family, and by teaching I get to help other burlesque performers and students with the lessons I’ve learned from the greats.

In your last Pin Curl interview from July 2010, when asked about being the only Texan to perform at Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend in Las Vegas you said, “I was nervous that if my performance wasn’t so great, they really wouldn’t take Texas seriously. I’m hoping I made a big enough splash this year that they consider more Texas performers next year.” Considering that you’re performing in the Reigning Queen of Burlesque competition at this year’s BHOF weekend, it would be safe to say you made quite a splash, don’t you think?

I’m delighted to be performing in the competition this year. It seems as though the selection committee is looking a little harder at Texas performers, which is exciting to all of us in the Lone Star State. Congratulations in particular to my friend and colleague Ginger Valentine, who was chosen to perform in the debut category this year. I have high hopes that we’ll rock Saturday night and encourage performers from out of state to come to Texas and perform with us, too.

As always, you’re a remarkably busy woman. You said in your most recent Pin Curl interview that you were making festivals a priority, and boy did you ever! You’ve traveled all over the place this year, including Key West, LA, San Diego, Chicago, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Denver, New Orleans, Las Vegas, all over Texas, and plenty more that I likely missed. How do you manage to keep everything balanced?

This year I’ve had no choice but to take everything one step at a time. It’s wonderful that I get to do what I love, I wouldn’t change a thing, but I’ve had to remind myself more than a couple of times to breathe. I also remind myself that if I ever get tired of doing burlesque I can just stop, but I don’t think I’m in danger of that. It’s still the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing on my mind as I fall asleep. It’s my absolute dream job and I am so thankful that I can tour so much and make friends with performers all over the world. I suppose I manage to balance the craziness because this is my chosen profession and lifestyle and I’d like it to stay that way for as long as the universe allows.

The Jigglewatts, the Austin burlesque troupe you co-founded, was voted best burlesque troupe in Texas at Hot Rods and Heels last year and is also a finalist for the same award in this year’s event. How have the Jigglewatts evolved in recent years?

We’re constantly evolving because we recruit such great performers. Miss Ruby Joule and I love being solo performers, but having a group is so rewarding and allows us to reach more people. Selecting new Jigglewatts is a process, and in the five years we’ve been producing shows we realize how important it is to have a troupe full of headliners who all just happen to get along. We need to keep the cast small and everyone needs to be confident in their abilities and recognize how valuable their individual talents are to the group as a whole. This year we added Jolie Ampere Goodnight and Ruby Lamb to our cast and 2010 Jigglewatts Pearl Lux and Goldie Candela will be performing again with us very soon. We recognize that as a group we’re so much more powerful and entertaining than we are individually. The Jigglewatts mission has always been to support the beauty and talent in other women, and it might be a little hard to do that without showcasing as many different beautiful and talented performers as we can.

Anything you’d like to add?
The burlesque world changes and grows constantly, and with its increase in popularity there’s an opportunity for the community to come closer together and there’s also more potential for the genre to grow. It’s our responsibility as the current burlesque community to work together and help it become the best and most wonderful thing it can be. I understand that there’s been some concern about the recent increase in the popularity of burlesque and a lot of us are afraid that it will morph into something new and different and unappealing to those of us in the field now. I feel strongly that if we stay true to our studies and our roots and we keep our eyes open to the world around us, we will be able to help guide the art form as it develops. We just have to continue to support each other.

Oh, and I love Pin Curl! Thank you for all the great things you do in the community, and for working so hard to promote burlesque as the wonderful art form it is. See you May 21st!

Find the full interview & photo shoot here!

Jolie Ampere Goodnight talks family, circus, music, relocating, regional burlesque scenes, and love.

Interview: Shoshana

Q: Although you were born and raised in Texas, you got your burlesque start with Hell on Heels in San Diego, performing for years in California before returning to Texas to perform.  How do the two scenes differ?

A lot of the difference between the two scenes is about aesthetic. The San Diego scene is mostly very traditional. I find that outside of San Diego people are using music and costumes from all decades. San Diego’s performers use mostly concepts, music, and costumes from decades no later than 1960.  This works well there though because I think San Diego audiences really want nostalgia more than anything, perhaps because of the military heavy audiences, perhaps because of the nostalgic nature of the history of California. San Diego performers tend to be more purists, while Texas seems to be constantly pushing boundaries. Personally I love both scenes because I love both attitudes.

Q: There was a short lull for you after the move in which you were finding it hard to make the connections necessary in Texas to start performing again, and now you gracing stages all over Texas.  Describe that experience for our readers and what advice would you give to performers who have recently relocated?

It was of course a bit of a struggle in the beginning. I had worked so hard in San Diego and when I found myself starting all over again I felt discouraged. However once I started auditioning more and making myself recognizable to the community, everything fell into place. Suddenly people really started to believe in me and support me. My advice is to never stop believing in your worth. Attend shows, audition, make connections, put yourself out there as much as possible, keep working hard! I put all of my goals up each week on a chalkboard and cross them off as I achieve them.

Q: Within a year, you went from “new kid in town” in Austin to winning “Best Tease” at Texas Burlesque Festival in April.  Tell us about the experience.

My first burlesque show in Texas was with Viva Dallas Burlesque at the Lakewood Theatre and for the first time I was really nervous and it showed in my performance. I walked away from that show so disappointed in myself that I decided to really take my performances to the next level. I’ve spent the past year challenging myself to be not only more sultry and dynamic but also to give as much of myself to the audience as possible. I firmly believe that the more you give to your audience the happier they are. But the most beautiful thing about it all is the phenomenal support I receive from The Jigglewatts and the rest of the community. I feel so blessed and grateful.

Q: You are known for your amazing sultry voice, paying homage to the jazz classics of your childhood. What are your current music projects?

The past few months have been interesting because what I’ve been working on is somewhat of a departure from my beloved jazz standards. I’m working with Fred Gras of The Lovers on an album that combines elements of lounge, trip hop, and jazz. I find it’s important to push your own boundaries, to submerge yourself in something outside of your comfort zone in order to grow. This project is different from anything else I’ve ever done and yet it’s teaching me new ways to approach my old material as well.

Q: You grew up in an interesting family with two parents touring for their various theater and music projects, as well as a grandfather who joined the circus as a young child.  What were your earliest experiences with art, theater and music?

I’ve been singing since the beginning of my life, I put my first pair of ballet shows on when I was four, I began acting in the 5^th grade, and I had my first job as a costumer at twelve years old. I’ve known since the very first moment I spent on stage that I was in love with performing. Something in me comes alive on stage, as if another part of me opens up that could not open up in another realm. I’ve always appreciated the vulnerability of being on stage, it’s refreshing and invigorating. Though really, the magic for me as a kid wasn’t just on stage. I loved the magic of behind the scenes too; watching the older ballerinas putting on their point shoes, the trill of a singer’s voice, the scurry caused by stage-hands, the last minute needle stitching a costume. As I child I loved the idea of people all coming together to great special moments together.

Q: You are close to your family, and your father’s cancer has come out of remission and he is once again fighting, staying in Houston to receive treatment with both chemo and radiation.  How have you managed to continue performing while you are spending so much time and energy caring for your family?

Luckily my family, being performers, understands that I would completely breakdown if I couldn’t perform. My parents taught me that no matter what is going on in your life, you absolutely have to continue to do what brings you joy. Of course it’s a balancing act both physically and emotionally, but that’s what the stage is for isn’t it? To turn sorrow into delight, to turn stress into decadence, to turn pain into joy? I treat every moment on stage as an opportunity to heal and to transform something negative into something positive.

Q: What does the future hold for Jolie Ampere Goodnight?

Quite literally the near future holds shows in California, Paris and hopefully New Orleans, a European and UK CD release, and blogging opportunities in New York. Hopefully between all of these cities and prospects there will be an abundance of health, happiness, champagne, Chanel perfume, and love.

Mata Hari, the Most Infamous Spy that Never Was

by: Femme Vivre LaRouge

Her greatest crime was her ambition; her foolish pride proved to be both her virtue and vice.  Mata Hari lived in an era when the world would be forever changed by ‘the war to end all wars.’  Parisians had been riding high on a wave of gaiety in the emerging modern age, intoxicated by opium and orientalism, the spider woman and the Salome craze, and the fervor of unbound flesh that came along with it.  But it was not to last; The Great War brought everyone back down to earth with startling disillusionment.  Unfortunately, Mata Hari was unwilling to let go of her dreams of grandeur and did not accept the sobriety of a new age, thus landing herself, inextricably, in a situation which was much direr than she ever realized.  The year 1917 found her not only arrested, but condemned to death by firing squad for crimes she most likely never committed.

Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, born in 1876, was always a proud and spirited girl who wished to bring attention to herself.  After a tumultuous marriage to the stormy Rudolph MacLeod, which caused her a good deal of humbling heartache, she hightailed it for Paris.  Due to the despicable circumstances of her marriage, she had little choice but to leave her daughter behind and was never allowed to see the girl again, though she did try.  Even the letter written to her child on the day of Margaretha’s execution remained sealed in her dossier, which was not scheduled to be opened for 100 years.

Margaretha made a bold move for a penniless woman when she arrived in Paris and checked in to one of the most expensive hotels in town.  She cleverly used what she had picked up while living with her military husband in Java and Sumatra to cloak herself in exoticism, creating a new identity as the Javanese temple dancer Mata Hari.  Belle Epoque Paris was more than willing to believe this charade and her love of men and military uniforms quickly made her not only a sensational performer, but an extremely successful courtesan, as well.  Meaning ‘eye of dawn,’ Mata Hari performed her stripteases in the homes of the wealthy, famous, and powerful all across Europe.  Depending upon her venue and audience, she would sometimes wear a nude bodysuit and sometimes nothing at all; however, she never removed her trademark bejeweled breast plate, not even for her lovers.  The truth is that she was displeased with her small breasts and large areolas, but she often claimed that it was because her violent husband had bitten off both of her nipples in a fit of rage.

Enjoying fully the freedoms of her existence as a fallen woman, Mata Hari took on lovers from all walks of life.  She claimed that in her ‘sacred dances,’ “I offer everything and finally myself to the god – which is symbolized by the slow loosening of my loincloth, the last piece of clothing I have on, and stand there…entirely naked.”  Surprisingly, she was never arrested for a lewd performance, only on trumped up espionage charges.  Initially, those who were suspicious of Mata Hari were merely offended by her insistence on continuing to represent herself ostentatiously in the midst of war and fearful of her influence with men of power and position.  Times were changing for women and the pendulum of patriarchy had swung back to once again condemn women who dared to live too largely, rather than admire them.

Sadly, Mata Hari was oblivious.  She seems to have lived in a dreamworld, perhaps convincing herself of the character history she had been selling the public for years.  Having no idea that the French and British were already keeping tabs on her, she was first approached by a German officer to pass along any useful information she might happen to pick up.  In need of money, she accepted the offer, without really intending to do anything but go on about her own business of self-promotion, as if it was nothing more serious than deceiving one of her many lovers.  Her worst mistake, though, was to fall in love, for the first time ever.  The young man, a Russian officer, was wounded in the war and, in desperation, Mata Hari also agreed to spy for France in order to earn enough money to end her career as a courtesan and marry her lover.

Mata Hari’s grand scheme was anything but subtle; she set out at once to seduce an old lover, the crowned prince of Germany!  After that matters only became further convoluted when she was mistaken for an actual German spy, Clara Bendix.  Mata Hari was interrogated at Scotland Yard until she spilled the story of her agreement to spy for the French officer, Georges Ladoux.  British Intelligence, however, had been alerted by Ladoux himself, over a year previous, to keep an eye on Mata Hari!  Naturally, this made him look rather foolish and only furthered his distrust and distaste for Mata Hari, and he set out to bring about her ultimate demise.  Caught in the crossfire of wartimes, Mata Hari was made a sacrifice.  Her arrest and execution was touted by both Britain and France as a great success in the war effort, and by Germany as a great example of the folly of the Allies.  Her trial was anything but fair and the evidence given against her was circumstantial at best, yet she maintained her poise and dignity to the bitter end.

Living out the last months of her life in a filthy cell, Mata Hari’s letters went undelivered and her pleas unheard.  Her trial was a closed, fly by night procedure, with no press coverage permitted, and those who could have testified in her defense were not allowed to do so.  Destitute, imprisoned, and abandoned by her slew of admirers, she wrote, “I will defend myself and if I must fall it will be with a smile of profound contempt.”  Mata Hari held her head high and, when faced with a firing squad comprised of twelve soldiers, she refused the blindfold, choosing instead to look her executioners in the eye.  She did not flinch until hit by eleven bullets, as one of the men had fainted.  Whether it was just for good measure or just one final insult, an additional bullet was put in her head; no one claimed her body, and she has no grave.  Mata Hari may have come to an untimely and unjust end, but she lives in infamy, immortalized as the most famous spy seductress of all time.

Fetish model and performer Courtney Crave is a wiz in the kitchen- and she’s kind enough to share her amazing recipes (and their vegan counterparts) with us every month in Cooking with Courtney Crave!

Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

It’s May, and in Texas that means we’re already pulling out the sundresses and swimsuits and gearing up for fun in the sun at Hot Rods & Heels.  I have yet to bring you a cookie recipe so here’s my cooling cookie sandwich that you can enjoy as we near summer in the south. What does an ice cream cookie sandwich have to do with hot rods, pinup models, and burlesque babes? Nothing! But I like any excuse to eat ice cream and what better way than to pack it in between two delicious cookies and not have to worry about bowls and spoons?

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter*
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs*
• 2 cups (one 12oz package) chocolate chips
• Your favorite ice cream

*For a vegan option replace butter with 1 cup of Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread and replace the 2 large eggs with Ener-G Egg Replacer which can be found in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts.  Follow the instructions on the package and do not let the egg replacement mixture sit out long before putting it in the oven.

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375° F (190º C). In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy. You can use a mixer to do this or do it by hand. Slowly add the eggs or egg substitute and beat well. Gradually mix in the mixed dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed. Drop rounded tablespoons of the cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. You can leave them softer and gooey-er but it makes it more difficult to create a sandwich. Let them cool on a wire rack completely before introducing them to the ice cream. To make an ice cream sandwich with the cookies, let the ice cream soften enough that you can scoop it but not so much that it’s melting. Spoon ice cream onto the bottom of a cookie, about 1 inch thick, then place a second cookie on top. Voila, you have an ice cream cookie sandwich. Do this until all the cookies are gone. I suggest being adventurous and using ice cream flavors such as coffee, coconut, rocky road, or mint chocolate chip. To preserve, wrap each sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.

Black Russian

So now you’re probably thinking; “Courtney, your recipes are usually themed to a holiday or event during the month, what gives? How does a Black Russian tie into pinup and car culture?”  It doesn’t!  But it does go great with my ice cream cookie sandwich recipe. You can even dip it in your cocktail. Mmmmm. In an effort to relate this to the Hot Rods & Heels event I will say this: Don’t drink and drive!

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka (or other coffee flavored vodka)
• 1 ounce Kahlua Original, Kahlua Mocha, or Kahlua Especial

Directions

• Fill a rocks glass 2/3 of the way with ice. Pour the 2 ounces of vodka into the glass followed by the 1 ounce of Kahlua. Finish with a stir straw. Grab ice cream cookie sandwich and enjoy!

Well tie me up, it’s Clara Bow
by: Hella Goode

This week it’s Anne Hathaway, the next week Natalie Portman and after that maybe Mila Kunis. Who is the new “it girl” in Hollywood? Reaching “it girl” status is great while it lasts, but there was only one original “it girl” and her name was Clara Bow. Women adored her for her spunkiness and free spirit. Yet she was gifted in attracting men as well. She had that unattainable and enviable spark that got her cast time and time again.

Bow began her career in silent film and was one of the few actors of the time that managed to successfully transition to “talkies.” Her voice was not the silky smooth one sought after by many actors of the time, but still a unique one that drew the ears of those who heard it. Yet what she was most known for was for being the first to hint at the existence of sex in film. Granted for today’s
standards it was still tame, but for the time, Clara’s flirtation was hot as a skillet.

Just as her star shot to the sky, she began to burn. Paramount began typecasting her as mostly a flapper, or a party girl. She displayed her acting abilities including her emotional range through other roles although not as plentiful sometimes as a jailbird and other times as a tomboy.

Strangely, for a person so desired as an adult, Clara was born unwanted. She was born in 1905 in Brooklyn to a mother who was mentally ill and her father had no interest in her. Her dreams were her escape.

That was until she won the 1921 Fame and Fortune contest looking for the next big thing by Motion Picture, Motion Picture Classic, and Shadowland Magazines. They reported that she had “a genuine spark of the divine fire.” She was cast in a small part in Beyond the Rainbow in 1922, but was disappointed to find that her scene was cut before release. However things changed when B.P.Schulberg got hold of Clara. Soon she had more work than had thought possible.

She was more versatile than given credit for by many film historians. Despite giving such brilliant dramatic performances, it was Clara’s flapper roles that increasingly drew the attentions of millions of American film-goers.

Riding on the successes of The Plastic Age, Dancing Mothers, and especially
Mantrap, Clara was fast becoming a major star. Men started to desire her voluptuous body and became completely mesmerized by her effervescent charm and breath-taking beauty. Clara even set fashion trends among women.

Yet a dispute with assistant Daisy DeVoe which lead to a court case took Clara into a downward spiral that she found nearly impossible to escape. Ms. DeVoe had difficulty getting along with Bow’s then husband, Rex Bell, who may have gotten the allegations going. In the trial, DeVoe alleged that Bow had a libido that wouldn’t stop. She claimed the actress had her way with countless men and even dipped a toe into bestiality. Clara found it hard to repolish her reputation and began having breakdowns. She became known as “Crisis-a-day Clara.” Studios and industry people distanced themselves from her.

She later moved to Nevada on hiatus from films, became the mother of two sons and began to recuperate mentally from all she had endured, not only in Hollywood, but from her life from day one.

Eventually she came back to movies in Call Her Savage (1932) and Hoopla (1933). However her party girl reputation was stuck like the gum to the back of her ear. In 1988 David Stenn wrote a biography about Clara called Runnin’ Wild in which his pen burned in his mission to clarify and rectify the wild rumors about her.

One might ask what good such an effort would do, over twenty years after herdeath, on September 26, 1965. As long as there are those who enjoyed Clara’s life and work, then setting the record straight would be worth it.

Who was Clara Bow, the “it girl”? It can be summed up in one of her personal
quotes. “All the time the flapper is laughin’ and dancin’, there’s a feelin’ of
tragedy underneath…”

In a pinch for time?  Check out this video tutorial for 30 sec victory rolls!