Fun with fumetti: Celebrating the work of John Holmstrom and the legacy of Punk magazine — plus the recent acquisition of the Punk magazine archive by Yale University — Boo-Hooray is staging a show of the original artwork from Punk’s “Mutant Monster Beach Party.” Known as a fumetti, the comic starred the faces of the CBGB / Max’s Kansas City punk scene in a “cinematic narrative,” with photos shot out at Coney Island. Holmstrom directed the action and drew on the photos — voice bubbles, Debbie Harry “walking on air,” etc. — which were shot by Roberta Bayley. Appearances are also made by Legs McNeil, Joey Ramone, Andy Warhol, Chris Stein, Arturo Vega, Bob Gruen, John Cale, David Johansen and Joan Jett. In the end, it didn’t sell that well, but it was obviously a lot of fun to make. At the opening reception last Friday night at Boo-Hooray, at 265 Canal St., people were talking about the new CBGB movie. “I thought it was fun,” said the photographer Godlis, who documented the punk scene during its heyday. “There’ll be another, better CBGB movie down the line — and this is the one that’s out now. It’s just a movie. I endorse it — even though I’m not in it. Roberta Bayley should have been in it.” Everyone then left the gallery with Holmstrom to go watch “CBGB,” even though it seemed like most people had already seen it a couple of times already.
Penny mecca: Unfortunately, the former Barnes & Noble at the corner of Eighth St. and Sixth Ave. isn’t being replaced by another bookstore. (Hey, there’s always the guys out on the avenue with their tables of fine used literature.) The new tenant will be TD Bank, and if any bank is going to occupy the spot, TD has a strong point in its favor. Not only are they open seven days a week, but they have penny machines. Yes, you can take your tons of saved-up pennies and pour them into a special machine, after which you get a receipt you take to the teller, who gives you bills. And the machine even lets you guess beforehand how much money it will be. Cheap thrills!
