October 17, 2007
screwball time-traveling noir: the bay time detective
From the community, Just plain cool » [8] comments
An email showed up last week which I found impossible to overlook, beginning as it did with the words “Hail, Sparkletack!” Clearly a writer of taste and intelligence!
But wait — could a person of “taste and intelligence” be responsible for words like these?:
Here’s the tale of three typically offbeat San Franciscans who do just that. Bay Time Detective Mikki Bingo moonlights at Lusty Lady and volunteer cooks at Glide. Mikki’s sole employee is Pete Bingo, her inventively incompetent grandfather. Their client, Sharky Bate, is a gazillion year old hip-hop bottom fish who flip-flops from petrified to putrefied. Stumbling through epic timequakes, our titanic trio pits wits with nefarious foes in their unending quest for truth, “justice†and a truly affordable apartment.
Bay Time Detective
That email directed me to the website of the “Bay Time Detective“, a serial drama following an extravagant recipe: Blend equal proportions Dashiell Hammett with Rocky and Bullwinkle, toss with generous dollops of San Francisco history, and dress the melange with snappy dialogue a la the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Season lightly with conspiracy theory, and Bob’s your uncle.
Yes indeed, it’s nuttier than a bag of goobers buried under a king-size fruitcake. Hooray!
What can I say… I’m a sucker for every single one of those elements, and furthermore, there are more historical references per paragraph than you’d see anywhere outside of Gladys Hansen’s personal reference library.
But here’s the bad news:
It’s a serial, and right around episode #9 I developed the sinking feeling that the last cliffhanger was going to leave me with fingernails still embedded in the hillside… and so it did.
But there’s hope! Paul Potocky — whom some of you North Bay folks may know from his series of newspaper columns as the “Bay Time Reporter” — is a Tasmanian Devil of energy, and has a plethora, yes, a plethora of plans to move this story into just about every kind of medium imaginable. Negotiations have Begun, however, to focus on producing a Radio Play, and he has authorized me to ask, you, Dear Reader, to become part of the Story:
Writer? Radio actor? Technical sound wizard? Join the multidimensional time-hopping noir-party by contacting Paul at: ppotocky(@)msn.com.
Just don’t let Ambrose Bierce know what you’re up to — that guy’s in it up to his eyeballs…
October 17, 2007 at 10:18 am
If theres one thing that San Francisco inhabitants share in common, its a penchant for the outrageous, the unique, the bizarre. Sparkletack is the first door we open into the San Francisco Experience online and what do we find inside? All manner of SF treasures like this one, Bay Time Detective!
October 18, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I love the intermeshing of S.F. history with the screwball adventures of Pete Bingo. I’m getting to know more about San Francisco from The Bay Time Detective than from any other source out there. A great find, Bay Time Detective – keep on keepin’ on.
October 18, 2007 at 4:53 pm
The really interesting history of the SF area can be found intertwined among the adventures of Pete and his pals. What a great way to learn! More, please!
October 21, 2007 at 8:06 am
The offbeat angles are a great lead -in to some well researched history. Classic Bay area scenes and gossip with madcap humor, gotta have the whole series.
October 21, 2007 at 11:12 am
Paul Potocky writes in a zany, crazy, witty and intelligent way about our local history and someday soon will have a huge audience.
October 27, 2007 at 12:07 am
I just found this podcast. I love it! San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities. Your reports made me realize its been far too long since I visited. I have just booked a weekend in SF next month. See ya then!
Wwoootttt!!
October 30, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Thank you for bringing San Francisco alive for me. I arrived from Australia on Oct 12 after months of ‘study’ with your podcasts. Alas, I left my ipod on the plane and when I phoned to report it later that day, the airline (JAL) told me that there was no ipod found, they have no proof I even had an ipod and that passengers can make up anything!!! Not my best introduction to the city. My dreams of wandering around with the sound of your voice to guide my exploration evaporated. Thankfully, I was able to remember quite a bit of San Fran history and info (and was able to impress a few locals to boot!) I will continue to look forward to your podcasts, at least on the net until the ipod can be replaced- there is a holiday to pay for :-( Anyway, thanks again. I never thought that I’d find history, let alone American history, so interesting. Cheers and sunshine, Chris.
PS ipod serial no: YM6115K6TK2 4G black.
October 31, 2007 at 8:18 am
Chris – What a simultaneously awful and charming story! I’m so glad that you were able to salvage the visit despite the unfortunate beginning, and I’m honoured (and tickled!) to have earned a place inside your head as you rambled around our hills impressing the locals. Thanks for checking in…