KPCC reporter Charles Phoenix recently got into the holiday spirit by engaging in the sugary Christmas tradition of making a gingerbread house. Straying from the usual proud post-creation display, Phoenix released his candy/cracker abode into the sky. more ›

There's cheese dip...and then there's Charles Phoenix's "Frosty the Cheeseball Man." From the twisted genius behind the perennial favorite "Cherpumple" comes this party-hearty food performance art involving a "Cheseball Man" made of three Velveeta balls slathered in winter-white cream cheese and studded with veggies. more ›

Tradition, schmadition. If you'll be damned if you'll concoct a boring ol' humdrum Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, you might be tempted to follow Charles Phoenix's lead and turn Turkey Day into Tiki Turkey Day. more ›

Inspired by the savory holiday wonder that is Turducken, the King of Kitsch, Charles Phoenix [LAist Interview] demonstrates how to make Cherpumple, a "Monster" Pie Cake. Maybe you'll give it a try to dazzle your friends and family over the holidays... more ›

Tonight at 7:30 pm, Zócalo and The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West present the program How Will Climate Change Transform L.A.? Moderated by Paul Wennberg, director, Linde Center for Global Environmental Science at the California Institute of Technology, the panel includes CalTech Professor of Environmental Science Tapio Schneider, UCLA Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Alex Hall, and Pulitzer Prize winning environmental writer Usha McFarling. The event takes place at The Huntington in San Marino. Free, but reservations are recommended. more ›

“Comedy is Dead 7” with Mary Lynn Rajskub, Aziz Ansari, Brent Weinbach, Matt Braunger, Natasha Leggero and Duncan Trussell takes place tonight at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. There’s also a screening of shorts by: Eric Wareheim, DJ Douggpound and Derek Waters. Cocktails are at 8 pm and the show starts at 9. Tickets are $10. Reservations recommended. more ›

Yesterday, the 32nd Occasional Doo Dah Parade--the anti-Rose Parade--took over the streets of Old Town Pasadena. Over 1,500 revelers were led by 2009 Grand Marshal Charles Phoenix (LAist Interview), who soaked in the glory in his hot pink suit and his Mickey Mouse ears. It was a 2-hour long "celebration of all things ridiculous in Old Pasadena, under blue skies and plentiful sunshine," according to the Pasadena Star-News. more ›

At 45 years old, Charles Phoenix has achieved a sort of legendary status in Southern California and beyond. Though he is well known for his Disneyland tours of Los Angeles, Phoenix has toured this country in search of the kitschiest cities and most vibrant offenders of class. His travels have brought him to Tulsa, Portland and Denver, which he calls the most kitschy city in the nation. But he calls Silver Lake home and has devoted extensive hours to documenting the history of Los Angeles and its environs in the most unique way one can. more ›

Walking through the Broadway Arcade mall near the Jewelry District, Charles Phoenix rued the changing face of Downtown. The mall, built in 1922 and billed as Los Angeles's oldest shopping center, was the fourth stop on what could be Phoenix's last tour of some of the oldest and grandest sites in a city long accused of lacking history. But it was in the mall, where naked upper floors could continue the loftization of Downtown, that Phoenix revealed his love/hate relationship with L.A.'s true city center. more ›

KITSCH: The Charles Phoenix Holiday Jubilee returns to REDCAT for the next four evenings. LA kitsch expert Charles Phoenix brings together an evening of live comedy, including the Bob Baker Marionettes, roller rink organist Dominic Cangelosi and a few other surprises. The entertainment's all in combination with his "Retro Holiday Slide Show," comprised of slides he found at area thrift shops and flea markets. more ›

The Ford Amphitheatre opened its 2007 season last weekend with local favorite Charles Phoenix and yet another one of his slide show presentations culled from thrift shops in and around Los Angeles. Locally famous for his "Disneyland Tour of Los Angeles," Charles Phoenix knows his way around a good number of the city's landmarks, past and present. Opening entertainment was provided by an original roller rink organist who was then followed by a world... more ›

While we were driving around the country we noticed that people rarely take tours of their own city. When we were in Chicago we had a hard time finding a local who had been up the Sears Tower, when we were in NYC we didn't meet anyone who had been up the Statue of Liberty, however when we were in Memphis we couldn't find anyone who hadn't been in Graceland. If one were to... more ›

“How will we ever recover?” showman Charles Phoenix asked the audience following the spellbinding presentation by master Bob Baker and his dazzling crew of puppets and marionette-iers. more ›

... I was invited to share some of my vintage Rose Parade slides on KTLA’s live Rose Parade pre-show. My segment was scheduled at 6:10am. Frankly, I’m not used to getting up that early and I was worried my 1977 SEARS alarm clock that I got while still in high school, wouldn’t go off. Sure enough it didn’t. Thankfully I managed to wake up just in the nick of time. Nearly in a panic, I raced in the dark to Pasadena and found my way to “the set,” on the front lawn of the Tournament of Roses Mansion, the Former Wrigley Chewing Gum Estate. Before I knew it the segment was over and I was free to go.

The side-splittingly hilarious narrated slide shows provide fascinating insights into our regional experience. They also serve as the best visual vehicle for learning the histories of those two hallowed Southern California institutions: the Rose Parade and Disneyland. While Charles's collection is heavily based on the lives and (mis)adventures of Californians, his Retro Vacation Slide Show Tour of the USA covers the rest of the nation. more ›

The West Hollywood "Fall Into Reading" Book Fair is this Sunday on October 3rd. Avid readers can visit with their favorite local and national authors at West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vincente Boulevard from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. more ›

During the past week since we posted about culinary legend Julia Child�s passing, LAist has been angrily stewing (so to speak) over a local issue related to the woman who transformed the way Americans perceive and experience food. more ›

Summer is getting into full swing, and what better way to celebrate than a night on the town? A hodgepodge of events awaits, dear readers, so get out there and have a good time. more ›