BY JAKE JERELE
We’re not talking classic, mid-century Tiki here—this is all about “a certain type” of Tiki: the modern pop culture-influenced Tiki. Some people love it, others really, really hate it. That’s okay. We’re not here to solve that debate. But if the new pop culture style is something you’re looking for, then maybe comic-cons and fan conventions should be your next stop.
In recent years, various fan conventions have dipped their toes into Polynesian pop territory, featuring everything from officially-licensed tiki mugs, pop culture-influenced tropical shirts, mid-century furniture and pillows, and, of course, paintings of the Creature from the Black Lagoon and his Universal Monsters friends sipping umbrella drinks. Yup, Tiki has gone mainstream, and nowhere is that more evident than at Wondercon in Anaheim, and its big-brother convention, San Diego Comic-Con. It’s true—comic-cons are not just super heroes and spandex anymore—nope; these nerd-fests have transformed into so much more.
ATTENDING OUR FIRST SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON TIKI PANEL
Right as the Covid Pandemic was loosening its grip on the nation, we traveled to San Diego Comic-Con Special Edition during Thanksgiving weekend 2021. It was the organization’s first attempt at an in-person convention after two summers of online-only events due to Covid. It didn’t have all the razzle dazzle associated with normal years, but it did give us something special—one of our first big panels about all things Tiki.
I remember “Tiki James” moderating, and I remember a number of mug creators, historians, and Shag on the panel. And at the end, I asked the “best” question (as determined by the cheering crowd) and won an AWESOME exclusive Universal Monsters mug. It has 3 sides: the Creature, Frankenstein’s Monster, and the Mummy. Best of all, it was at that panel that we reconnected with our buddy, Bill Marsilli, and began our joint Tiki adventures together.
TIKI MERCHANDISE ON THE CONVENTION FLOOR
We have to admit — Tiki fever has not yet flooded the floors at these conventions, HOWEVER, it has taken root and is growing quickly. In addition to tons of cool pop-tiki shirts, there are all sorts of posters and artwork featuring The Creature from the Black Lagoon, along with Godzilla (Tiki adjacent), Mothra (it’s a giant moth that lives on a South Seas island!), and tons of Universal Monsters. A few years back, the Golden Girl tiki mug sets from ABC was all the rage!
One of the best spots to get cool tiki gear is Jeff Granito’s Tiki Hut. He’s got everything from pillows, blankets and posters, to cool tropical shirts. His designs are a cool cross between Shag’s mid-century design, and modern advertising graphics. (You’ll love these designs under a black light).
TIKI OFFSITES AND PARTIES
Of course, we tiki folk love to party with other tiki folk, and San Diego Comic-Con affords lots of poly-playtime. For 2 years running now, we’ve been invited to the BAD IDEA tiki party at the world-famous Bali Hai restaurant that sits out on the equally world-famous Shelter Island on the San Diego Bay.
Shelter Island is a tiki-lovers dream, from the strong drinks at Bali Hai (and that killer view!), to the luxurious surroundings of the Half Moon Inn, a resort designed in traditional tiki style. We stayed at the Half Moon Inn and somehow got an upgrade to one of the full suites, which featured separate bedrooms, living room, full kitchen, and two balconies overlooking the beautiful bay. Quite a site!
No visit to Shelter Island is complete, though, without first stopping into Trader Mort’s Liquor Store, established in 1975. It’s on the corner of Scott St. and Shelter Island Drive and is pretty well-known in the Tiki community as the go-to place for all your tropical drink ingredients and snacks. But also, Trader Mort’s is fully decked out as a tiki destination, complete with wood totems, shelves of tiki mugs, and palm trees swaying overhead.
FALSE IDOL TIKI BAR PARTY by GEEKY TIKIS
One of the hardest-to-get tickets each year at San Diego Comic-Con is the Tiki Party at the False Idol Tiki Bar. It’s organized by the fine folks at Geeki Tikis, and tickets go fast, because admission to the party comes with a cool swag bag worth over $50—it typically includes a Geeki Tiki mug! And speaking of Geeki Tikis…..
EMERGENCE OF GEEKI TIKIS
Another of the biggest sign posts of this mainstreaming of Tiki is the success of GEEKI TIKIS, a line of tiki mugs, apparel and accessories that draws inspiration from pop culture, such as Star Wars, Pixar, Disney, and animated characters—including Sonic the Hedgehog. From their website: “Beeline Creative invented this mesmerizing mash-up of tiki and pop culture and launched it on May the 4th, 2016 with its first license, Star Wars. A never-before-seen combination of two beloved genres, Geeki Tikis® is a ground-breaking concept that has grown to include over 250 licensed properties, with millions of clever, colorful and collectible mugs sold, all infusing key elements from the fandoms they are honoring.”
The Tiki Freaks Home Bar is stocked with Geeki Tiki mugs, rewards from many-a-treasure-hunt at both Wondercon and San Diego Comic-Con.
This list could go on and on, but I think this is enough to get the point across. And what’s the point? That Tiki has successfully crossed over into mainstream pop culture in a big way, and is influencing the way these major fan conventions are planning their schedules, their parties, and their vendors. As we said before, there’s lots of cross-over between the “nerds” at Comic-Con and the “Freaks” who love tiki. We love both. And we’re finding that Comic-Con attendees LOOOOVE their tiki!
WANNA GO?
San Diego Comic-Con is already completely sold out for this year, but Wondercon still has space. Here’s what you need to know:
- You must first get your free Member I.D.
- Registration has begun. To get a badge/ticket to Wondercon, go here:
- Wondercon has secured a block of discounted hotel rooms for the convention. To get yours today, go here.