If you've lived in in Los Angeles, you've seen
dingbats. They're those boxy apartments that sprang up the 1950s and 1960s. You know the ones: Stucco blocks held up on poles (or walls) so you can park under them. Some are plain, but many are adorned with garish details- glittery tile, funky sconces, and often a name splashed across the front.
These names always suggested something far different than "Standard Issue Boxy Dwelling:"
The Capri!
The Monte Carlo!
Camelot!
Kona Kai!
The Argyle!
The Stardust!
Some great (and ugly, and so-tacky-they're-wonderful) examples can be seen
here,
here and
here.
And to think when I was a kid I thought
all apartments looked like this.
6 comments:
Cute drawing! I had never heard of these before; I guess we don't have them here. This one on link you posted is awesome:
http://begalke.com/tagged/dingbat/171/dingbat-apartment-building
Needless to say, I love these! (except for the beige ones).
p.s. to Stray: but you practically LIVED in a dingbat in Knoxville (one without the stilts).
p.s. to Namo: love the deck as teeth in your drawing.
Thanks stray.
Until recently I thought every city had these things. I drive by them every day.
Linda,
I agree the beige ones are pretty lackluster. I say break out the tiles, paint and kitsch!
I actually used a lot of geometry to shape and place his features (including his teeth). I'm afraid I lost some of the subtleties when I loosened him up into a cartoon pose- but at least he's lively.
p.s. He might appear in a new flash cartoon I'm working on.
I don't think I've ever seen these either. Were they designed for flood plains?
Pile Girl,
I think they were designed like that so there'd be plenty of parking spaces (first floor). It makes them vulnerable to quake damage, however.
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