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Photo Album: First Snow of the Season in Coney Island by Bruce Handy

Posted in Photo Album, Photography, tagged amusement park, B&B Carousell, Coney Island, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, first snow. Bruce Handy, Luna Park, Scream Zone, snow, Wonder Wheel on December 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Coney First Snow: Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park. December 8, 2013. Photo Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

In past years, ATZ has posted Bruce Handy’s first snow of the season photos in December and January and once in October during the weather event known as Snowtober. On Sunday night, the Coney Island photographer went for his first snow of the season stroll on the Boardwalk and Pier. We selected images of the amusement parks and rides enveloped in the quietness of a snowfall. It couldn’t be more of a contrast to the boisterous days of summer. You can see the complete set in the photographer’s Coney Island Photo Diary.

Coney’s First Snow: Wonder Wheel Sign. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Coney’s First Snow: Wonder Wheel. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Coney’s First Snow: Cyclone Roller Coaster. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Coney’s First Snow: Luna Park’s Pinwheels. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Coney’s First Snow: Scream Zone. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Coney’s First Snow: B&B Carousell. December 8, 2013. Photo © Bruce Handy/Coney Island Photo Diary via flickr

Saturday Matinee: Bluto & Popeye, Kings of Coney’s Mardi Gras

Posted in video, tagged amusement park, Bluto, cartoon, Coney Island, James Taylor, Mardi Gras, Popeye, roller coaster, Shocked & Amazed!, sideshow on March 3, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Coney Island had a Mardi Gras celebration every September until 1954, but ATZ had no idea that Popeye the Sailor Man and his rival Bluto were once part of it! Many thanks to sideshow historian James Taylor, publisher of Shocked & Amazed! On and Off the Midway, for sharing this fun find.

In this 1935 cartoon, Popeye and Bluto perform duelling sideshow acts against the backdrop of Coney’s rides and amusements. “Oh, I’m King of the Mardi Gras, in fact I’m the whole bloomin’ show,” sings Bluto as he struts onstage in front of his awesome banner line.

I run the whole works here at Coney, What power supreme I enjoy!
Hey, speaking of kings,
I’m one of those things.
In fact I’m the real McCoy!

A few steps away, Popeye blusters on a makeshift stage and steals Bluto’s audience by resorting to dirty tricks.

“So the message is that, if you screw with a guy’s act, you’re the hero of this thing? Jeez,” writes Taylor on the Shocked & Amazed! Facebook page. “Still, how often you get to see Popeye AND sideshow together?” The sideshow acts and roller coaster climax are well worth the price of a ticket.

First Pieces of Zamperla Flying Coaster Arrive at Coney Island’s Future Scream Zone

Posted in Amusement ride, Redevelopment, tagged American Eagle, amusement park, Coney Island, flying coaster, Luna Park, Scream Zone, Volare, Zamperla on November 11, 2010| 3 Comments »

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

Over the weekend, the supports for Zamperla’s Flying Coaster (aka Volare) arrived in Coney Island and were unloaded on the lot behind Beer Island. The supports were the first pieces of equipment to arrive at the future Scream Zone, which will be built on City-owned parcels on Stillwell Avenue. As ATZ reported last month, the Flying Coaster from Denver’s Elitch Gardens was bought back by Zamperla with the intention of refurbishing it and installing it in Coney Island in 2011.

The Flying Coaster along with a Steeplechase-themed Moto Coaster, Sling Shot and Turbo Force will be set up on the east side of Stillwell behind the Boardwalk buildings occupied by Nathan’s, Cha Cha’s and Ruby’s. The entrance to Scream Zone is expected to be where Shoot the Freak is now.

Just Arrived: Supports for Zamperla's Volare Flying Coaster in Coney Island. November 7, 2010. Photo © Bruce Handy/Pablo 57 via flickr

In September, ATZ attended a panel discussion in which Zamperla USA’s CEO Valerio Ferrari unveiled a rendering of the flying coaster “American Eagle” aka the Volare in a presentation about new rides slated for Coney Island’s Scream Zone. On Zamperla’s website, the coaster is called Volare, which means “to fly” in Italian. You can watch a YouTube video of the coaster in action here.

Zamperla's American Eagle Coaster aka The Volare will be the second coaster in Coney Island's Scream Zone. Photo © Jim McDonnell via smugmug

The Elitch Gardens Flying Coaster was a prototype that made its debut in May 2002 and has been SBNO (standing but not operating) since 2008. The Coney Island Rumor Mill had been speculating for months that the Elitch Gardens coaster would come to Coney. Zamperla flying coasters can also be found at Rye Playland (“Super Flight”), Canada’s Wonderland (“Time Warp”), Vienna’s Wiener Prater, Genting Theme Park in Malaysia and Kaeson Youth Park in North Korea, among others.