CLOWNING WITH BOND

Happy April Fools from Spy Vibe! Spy Vibers developed a taste for disguises from watching Martin Landau in Mission Impossible and seeing characters like John Drake assume cover roles- sometimes foolish ones- to observe and outwit the enemy. The cinematic Bond tended not to disguise himself beyond jackets and the occasional hat, but Roger Moore's 007 did dress as a clown in Octopussy (1983). In a story only loosely connected to Fleming's The Property of a Lady (and in-name only- Octopussy), Bond played the fool in order to get close enough to deactivate a bomb traveling by circus between East and West Germany. Images from Getty below. If you have a taste for traditional masks, you might also enjoy this bonus collage of Japanese Hyottoko masks. In my old area of Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan, the legendary Hyottoko character was thought to be a foolish looking boy who could pull gold from his belly button- Goldfinger would have adopted him! Hyottoko is most popular as a clownish character in traditional Kyogen theater. Enjoy! Check out recent posts: Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Ian Fleming letters mystery, 007 Birds of the West Indies exhibit, Trina Robbins interview, Batman '66/Green Hornet interview, Win Scott Eckert talks Honey West, T.H.E. Cat and U.N.C.L.E.

Spy Vibe is having a spring sale on eBay. New items added very few days and include rare Beatles, James Bond, books, music, and comics. Details here. 

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Fleming Letters Mystery, Appropriating Bond, Double 007 Book Designs,  Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.

Recent Spy Vibe posts: Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Sylvia Anderson, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton,  Solar & Bionic Man Return, The Saint Library Released, DC Fontana Prisoner Video, James Bond Comic Event, Turkish James Bond Design, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Batman Valentines cards, Saturday Cartoons: Marine Boy, Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.