mock motivational poster using Our Blessed Elvis of South Main
Created with fd's Flickr Toys. I took this shot during "Tribute Week" in Memphis in August 2003. I was standing on the train overpass near Central Station (Amtrak) in the South Main District. The Elvis impersonator (or just some sidewalk-phobic Memphian headed for a Dead Elvis party) is walking west on G.E. Patterson Blvd. between Front St. and Main St., passing a trolley stop. I was photographing Power House, the contemporary art museum occupying the train stations old power plant outbuilding, when this vision materialized.
I love parodies of motivational posters, so i jumped at the chance to compose my own using on of FD's Flickr Toys. I wanted a quote that made sense with the image, and the red cape and "hero of the comic book" seemed to be the best connection. For the record, this Elvis Presley quote comes from his acceptance speech for the 1970 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Award. Here is the full quotation, courtesy of Wikiquote:
"When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times... I learned very early in life that: 'Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain’t got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song.' So I keep singing a song. Goodnight. Thank you."
Comments and faves
durhamcat2000 (70 months ago | reply)
YAY!!!! haha..............thanks, love this to death!! xx
Towboat Garage added this photo to her favorites. (57 months ago)
rondowling (53 months ago | reply)
This is AWESOME, do you have prints?
Gary Bridgman (52 months ago | reply)
No prints, sorry. It was produced using a fun little application that I got from here: flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/
But I don't know if it's still up and running
somanybooks added this photo to their favorites. (50 months ago)
booboo_babies (48 months ago | reply)
Love it! I had never seen the quote before, so I'll have to pass it on to my husband, who loves comic books!
victor castrejon added this photo to his favorites. (40 months ago)