I am attempting to process this whole Manos experience
that has consumed my life and usually, I don’t stop and take stock, but
yesterday afternoon all that changed. Don't get me wrong. I work to remain present, express genuine thanks and do my best to recognize all the gifts, great and small that come my way.
In my normal life, I am a professional artist and all that
entails. I had a business creating faux
finishes for private and commercial clients for about 25 years, and in the
early days of that career, MST3K aired a movie I had been in as a child. My entire family had been heavily invested in
the making of Hal Warren’s film, Manos: The Hands of Fate and although it was
something that most wished to put behind them, for me, it was a bright beacon
of an otherwise often dark childhood. In January 1993, Joel Hodgson, creator of
Mystery Science Theater 3000 and his team showed Manos on television with great
trepidation and thinking that airing it might be too much, even for them. In the ensuing years, Manos has taken that
spark and created a life of it’s own, claiming the title of being “The Worst
Movie Ever Made” while building a loving and engaging fan base.
I’ve tagged along
since the beginning by chiming in on chat room discussions, Facebook and any
social media I could find time for. It
was always a fun hobby and I loved including my dad, The Master, whenever
possible and reminding him that the fans are always seeking his approval. He gets a big kick out of hearing about it
and Manos has been an opportunity for us to bond again.
I cherish everything about
Manos culture, the great people I’ve met and and all the opportunities I have
found cultivating my place as the only living cast or crew willing to talk
about it, and now I am thrilled to share that place with others who were there
in 1966. My whole philosophy on life is
that if it’s not for the greater good, it’s not something I want to do and Manos
has become a way for all my dreams to come to fruition because I invite people
to come play with me and they invite me to play and incredible projects are
born.
Along the way, I kept thinking about writing a book and
decided to see if I even had enough to say or if anyone might have an interest
in reading a book about Manos, so I began this blog. Turned out, there were quite a few people
interested so I began looking for someone with experience to help me through the
process. That’s when I found my
incredible co-author on Facebook. It
took 16 months and a ton of research while the story grew. One opening led to another as I discovered
people who weren’t listed in the credits and others who had all but forgotten about it. I made new friends and connected with others who remembered my family
and me as a little girl. I even connected with Joel Hodgson who wrote the foreword for me. All along, I just kept working and trying not to think too much about where all this was going.
We completed the book and sent it off to our publisher right
before Christmas and I immediately jumped into my next project of producing a
sequel to the original film, “Manos Returns”. (That’s a whole other story!) The Manos Returns team launched a successful kickstarter and filmed my dad’s scenes as The
Master. We are busy, busy. In the meantime, I’m teaching painting
classes to happy drinking people in bars to pay my bills and overall, having a
great time. It’s good to be me. I can’t think of anyone who is more suited to
being me than me. So yesterday, I’m
racing out the door to set up to teach a painting class to a group of 10 year
olds (who are drinking lemonade or milk) and check my email one last time. There is one from my publisher with a link to
my book on their website. WHAT?? I had no idea. I thought I had to look at a final final
final proof first. Suddenly I could
hardly breathe and I had to leave my house right now or be late for my appointment! There was no one to tell and no time to
tell. Truly one of the most surreal
experiences to date. I’m driving and
laughing and crying and pulling myself together. So, I get there, put it away in my head and
have a great class with cool kids. By
the time I get home, I’m emotionally wrung out and for some strange reason want
to hold onto this moment just a little longer and keep it close so I do. Last night, I posted in just a few of my
favorite places where they know me best and the response fills my heart with
joy. I thank you all for taking me as I
am and for all the love and support.
I hope you enjoy my
book...and please buy a lot of copies!
