There's a Muffler Man in Colorado Springs!

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that Pat and I are great fans of American kitsch, especially the kind of oddities and corny tourist attractions that you come across when criss-crossing this enormous country by car. You've seen what big detours we've made just to get a few pictures of these kinds of things -- especially Muffler Men!  These fiberglass giants are a distinctly American advertising icon.  Instead of going into a detailed explanation here, I urge you to click on this link to read a short (and fascinating) history of Muffler Men and their ilk.

A year ago we made a road trip to Kansas and Oklahoma in order to escape the smoke and heat of the Waldo Canyon fire, and on that trip we made sure to include a stop in tiny Aline, Oklahoma so we could photograph the giant Paul Bunyan that sits at the back of Bud's Salvage (to read that fun post, click HERE).  Not long after that trip, I made the happy discovery of our very own Muffler Man right here in Colorado Springs!  He proudly stands on Academy Boulevard, our main drag, in front of Copperhead Road Honky Tonk and Saloon.  I've been dying to photograph him, but it had to be the right lighting to do him justice, and I wanted it to be summertime.  Yesterday was the big day.  Since I had no weddings or portraits booked this weekend, I was finally able to get a few shots of the big guy.  As you can see, he's not brandishing a muffler but a cigar, a gigantic beer, and a guitar. He's awesome! I'm so glad I finally got a chance to photograph him in the right light!  I'm going to submit these photos to Roadside America so more people can bask in his magnificence!

 

July 3, 2013 edit:  One of my pictures and my brief write-up have been added to Roadside America! To see it, click here and scroll about halfway down the page:  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/37384