This Week: Secret Fun Spot

Kirk Demarais' Secret Fun Spot offers pure multimedia delight. Dedicated to the pop culture artifacts of his childhood, the Spot isn't just another tired exercise in nostalgia but rather an entertaining archeological dig for lost memories. The most arresting features on the site are two superb Flash movies starring Flip, a young boy seeking adventure in a landscape of novelties that don't always deliver on their promises. Demarais, a 29-year-old multimedia producer in Arkansas, lives in his own Secret Fun Spot crowded with collections that seep into his website: pranks and gags from the '50s, Frankenstein figurines from the '60s, gumball charms from the '70s, Atari cartridges from the '80s, and Simpsons stuff from the '90s. The Secret Fun Spot is as fun as it promises.

Is cartooning something you do for fun, or for your Life's Work?

I've always been into art, but about a year ago my job required me to learn how to use the program Flash. I work for dayspring.com (DaySpring Cards is a subsidiary of Hallmark that makes Christian-related products.) Flash blew me away! Suddenly, I could create these little movies. Now I make animated e-cards full time.

When did you start the site?

September of 1999. My friend Jon taught me how to build a web page, but I wasn't sure what I had to offer the cyberworld. It finally struck me that the web lacked a proper way to disguise Hugo, man of a thousand faces! So I learned just enough of a program called Director to slap together the Virtual Hugo that can still be found on the Secret Fun Spot.

How has it evolved?

To complement the Virtual Hugo, I started adding various galleries of stuff that I hadn't seen adequately represented on the Web like plastic celebrity dolls and images of pranks and gags. I didn't even realize I was creating a pop culture site until Yahoo placed me in that particular category. Last autumn, I decided it was time to use my new Flash abilities to create my first non-work-related cartoon, and Flip was born. Then in January of this year I pulled the whole site down and started designing version 2.0, and that's what you see now.

Your Flash movies appear to be based on childhood experiences–are they?

They are part real life, and part wishful thinking. I ruined many comic books by filling out the novelty order forms inside, but my parents never allowed me to mail them and in effect waste their money. They told me all about the deceptive product descriptions, but I really wanted to find out for myself. Part of me thought my parents were wrong, or even worse, that they wanted to prevent me from getting my hands on a money printing machine or a hypno-coin because such devices would enable me to overpower them.

As for the Phantasmagoria dark ride, I wasn't brave enough to actually go inside until I was about 17 years old. In the previous years I was fascinated with it to the point that I would waste hours of amusement park time just standing awestruck in front of its facade. I desperately tried to get a glimpse of the spooks inside, and I studied the faces of children, some younger than I, who had successfully survived the journey within.

What is it about those recollections that inspired you to make cartoons?

There are a number of reasons… Those subjects are deeply engrained in my psyche. I thought other people could relate to the story, as well as the coming of age/harsh reality theme. I thought the visuals would be naturally strong. And, they are not topics that are often covered by other forms of entertainment.

Why did you want to put your childhood memories online in gallery form?

For one thing, it is a way to utilize some of the junk I've saved throughout my life. It's like I've always hoped that a use for these items would eventually reveal itself, but I never suspected I'd be able to show it to anyone in the world who has access to a computer. I chose the gallery format because I often think in visual terms so that's what came naturally. I also like the idea of all these images floating around on a black page. It sort of mimics what I see in my mind.

What kinds of reactions have you gotten from visitors?

People get very excited when forgotten memories surface, so sometimes people are actually giddy when they write me. It's finding something wonderful that you forgot you'd ever lost. And a single pixilated image is often the key to a floodgate that unveils additional clusters of memories and feelings. Some people just thank me for the memories, and some want to know where they can buy the stuff (eBay is always my answer). I've also been able to meet people with very similar interests, and people who seem to have had a very similar childhood. It's neat that folks get such a kick out of it all, but really it's nothing compared to the response we get at work when some people are moved spiritually.

Why do you think people like childhood nostalgia so much?

My uncle once told me that after the year 1980 (or sometime around there) nobody made any more good music. Coincidentally, that was the year that he graduated high school. Maybe our youthful brains are so open and absorbent, that there's nothing there to tell us that Peter Frampton is just tragic. But once we grow older we are no longer able to blindly embrace, or be as profoundly affected by stuff in general. Okay, I don't really think that. I do think nostalgia by definition involves a longing for something that is irrecoverable. I think for some people it's not the stuff itself that's important. The stuff is just a tie to the lost world of childhood. And though childhood isn't necessarily better than adulthood, it's a huge part of who we are (and for a lot of us, it was a whole lot of fun). So the stuff out there now will be equally important tomorrow to the children of today.

Why do you personally like "retro culture"?

Even as a little kid in the late '70s, I enjoyed the wacky, multi-colored lettering from the '50s, and my parents' home decorating magazines from the '60s. There are just some elements of design from that era that I wish we would have held on to. And because my lifespan missed those decades, they hold a special mystique for me. For instance, I was born too late to experience toys when Marvin Glass was king of the biz, and now I want to know what that was like. Plus, all that I said about nostalgia applies to me as well.

How did you gather the material for the site?

Some images come from my own collection (i.e. the Goofy Gifts, Slush cups, Tourist Trap photos), and many images were plucked from online auctions and doctored (Most of the Marvin Glass.) In the Trick or Treat section, several pics are of me (Werewolf, Bugs Bunny, etc.) some came from my wife, some came from friends, and the rest are from eBay. I'd love to have more trick or treater pics, so if anyone has a cool vintage one, please send me a scan.

What do you hope to do next with the site?

I'm currently working on the next six galleries, which will include such marvels as Hostess brand "Wacky TV Cards," the art of plastic, and 1960s dime store toy packaging. Then I plan on making another Flip cartoon in which Flip will either A) get a visit from the ghost of Uncle Laff, B) Visit a toy factory, or C) Attend a spookshow. I haven't decided. After that, I hope to do another web 'toon in a completely different style, which will probably be about a man who strongly believes in urban myths. It's my hope that the Secret Fun Spot will continue to expand and evolve for many years to come.

Know of a cool pop culture website? Tell us all about it!

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