Brian Taylor loves the circus. Nearly as much as Tod Browning.
Browning lived the American dream: at the age of 16 he literally ran away with the circus. There he had his first exposure two things that would forever define his life: the sideshow performer, and the Nickelodeon. Later a disfiguring auto accident, Brownings fascination with "anomalous" humans grew deeper.
And so, in 1932, Freaks, the tale of a gold-digger who marries a circus dwarf, and is wholehearted accepted into his clan. But when her ulterior motives are discovered, it all goes horribly, horribly wrong.
Schlitzie the pinhead, in this volley, seems to be emerging from the book--a common enough occurrence in tales of horror. What was once just ink becomes flesh. The connection to the Zombi is tenuous, but, as noted, he wasn't given much to work with.
I've pegged Brian as the rebel in this match, with Jason generally trying to tie things together. In one sense this volley confirms my suspicions: it's a clear break from the narrative that was developing. But, on the other, look at the legend: BEHOLD THE FREAKS. To whom could this refer, if not Brian, Jason, and myself? We are the freaks. We are a family. We toil for your pleasure; you spectate, safe behind your browser window.
But there's always forums. Become one of us.
Play by play commentary for this match is provided, as it happens, by Matthew Baldwin.
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