As Che Underground: The Blog reported in May, San Diego’s extended arts family lost a member with the passing of the hugely talented costumer Todd Tomarrow in San Francisco. Now, a circle of friends plan to round out the Labor Day weekend at San Diego’s Casbah with a celebration of Todd’s life.
Catherine Pierson Waters, Kelsey Farris and Kristi Maddocks will host “The Todd Tomarrow (Todd Bundy) Memorial Celebration & Pot-luck BBQ” Sunday, Sept. 4, from 2pm to 6pm. (Since it’s in a bar, guests must be over 21.)
“The Memorial Celebration will begin with ‘An Hour of Remembrance,’ ” the Facebook event announcement reads, “followed by a pot-luck BBQ & dance in the Casbah’s back patio. The event will feature a no-host bar. … DJ Van Richter will be spinning music for your Dancing Pleasure (just as Todd would have wanted)!
Hair obsession: Girls (and boys) just wanna have fun!
“Please bring your blown-up photos of Todd (to hold or to display) and your favorite memories to share with his friends & family from 2:30-3:30 onwards. … The Pot-Luck/BBQ: Please bring an item of food to share with the group (with serving utensils). BBQ items such as: salads, side dishes, breads, fruits, veggies, chips, and baked goods are all welcome! … Please, dress with style and color!!”
Coincidentally, this event will occur almost exactly 26 years after the Go-Go Impossible event Kristi and Todd staged together on August 31, 1985. To evoke that era, Kristi has provided Todd’s artist statement from Go-Go Impossible, along with many of the images in this post:
Fashion is more than just clothes. It’s a way of life. When I design, I take everything into consideration. Music, art, films, video, clubs, bands, careers, lifestyles…..they’re all very important to what you wear. So when I wanted to show my new line, I decided a multimedia event would best show my clothes. I like having events where many things are included. Shows like this throw people into a new lifestyle they’ve never expected. Clothes are a wonderful way of expressing yourself. I never design too many pieces of one line; usually just a few of one style. I don’t like to tell people what to wear, just show them an idea of what they can wear. I’m really just a one-man show with my clothes. I like to see a piece through all the stages of making. Right now I sell to a few stores in San Diego and Los Angeles — but soon hope to get a backer so I can produce more and expand my outlets. I still get such a thrill when I see people wear my clothes. … I want to run up to them and say “Hey, I made that!” — Todd Bundy, August, 1985
Thank you, Matthew, for posting information here about Todd Tomarrow and his San Diego Memorial & Pot-luck BBQ; which Tim Maze is generously helping us make happen at the Casbah on Sunday, Sept. 4th from 2pm-6pm. Kelsey, Cathy, and I hope that this mixer will give a chance for Todd’s local friends, family and admirers to come together and remember what a special person he was. Todd was truly one of a kind—and in a league of his own. Some people may have only foggy memories off Todd, or may have only heard of him through the grapevine. He was unique in that he dared to be an artist and clothing designer in the Che Underground long before that was a chic thing to do or be. Plus, Todd was a wonderful person, a gentle soul, and a terrific friend to many. Anyone and everyone interested in attending this event is welcome to join us, if they are moved to do so.
Matthew, thank you for sharing Todd’s “Artists Biography” from Go-Go Impossible in this posting; as this gives us all a glimpse into Todd’s beautiful mind & spirit. Cathy Pierson, Todd and I first met on the campus of Torrey Pines High School in Del Mar, sometime around 1981 or 82. It was clear from the start that the three of us shared an affinity for “new wave” and post-punk music and the underground subculture related to it. Todd was sweet as pie, and had a style all his own. He looked like he was part elf and part English punk; with a little Pee Wee Herman thrown in for good measure! And Todd lived outside the box and became a part of San Diego’s Che underground & the Gay Community long before most people knew that either of them existed. He definitely was one of the most beloved young men who frequented many of San Diego’s early underground, gay-friendly haunts-such as Studio 9, Club ZU, The Flame, and various taverns and show halls previously mentioned here in the Che Blog.
Todd also loved seeing bands perform live; especially those of the new romantic & gothic-tinged variety. Like so many of us in the early 1980’s, he loved any music or band that was English or Bat-Cave related. He was very inspired by Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cure, Soft Cell, and the like. Todd’s obsession with the Bat Cave aesthetic was pretty serious and life-long. When I saw him last spring, after a separation of nearly twenty years, I was blown away to see that he had tattoos of spiders and webs all over his body, and he still wore the shoes and clothes to match! The ironic thing is that even though he wore dark sunglasses and gothic clothing up until the end of his days, Todd was not moody or effected in a negative way. Todd was one of the sweetest, most gentle souls on earth. He was very loving, and for the most part—quite harmless!
Todd and I were reunited in San Francisco early last spring, when I began writing a story on our 1985 break-out event-“Go Go Impossible”. Go-Go Impossible was a Multi Media Event & Happening that Todd and I co-produced together (with the help of many artistic friends). As I had begun to write the story for the Che Blog earlier in the year, it became clear to me that I needed Todd’s help with it (as my memory has been damaged by my AVM & stroke of 2005)*. Plus, I sensed that including Todd’s memories and point of view to the memoirs of GGIMP would bring balance and interest to the piece. What has developed as a result, is a piece far too complex to share on the Che Blog in just one posting (I am still trying to figure out how to best publish this massive piece…)! But, I am happy to say that Todd contributed a lot of juicy bits to our story (including some photos!). And he lived to see most of our “Go Go Impossible: Revisited!” manuscript drafted, along with many new photos unearthed from the vaults of Howard Gee. Coming soon to a blog near you…..
By the way, that bad name-drop was a big mistake on my part. Many of the newly uncovered, charming & cinematic photos of GGIMP that Todd and I had recently uncovered were taken by San Diego’s man about town with a camera--HAROLD Gee!! Ummm DOI!
Sorry Harold, for that most ingracious typooo y snafoo!!
Sooo, ladies and gents of the Che Underground, the GLBG Community, mates from Torrey Pines High school, Avanti Hair Shows, and City & Mesa Colleges…
EVERyONE & ANYONE (over 21) Please feel welcome to drop by The Casbah this Sunday, Sept 4th anytime between 2pm-6pm to share some time with old friends-and to pay respects to this very special man. We have decided to have fun and embrace Todd’s love of 1980’s London post-punk style & his infamous obsession with “The Bat Cave”, Siouxsie Sioux, and the like. Don your day-glow tees, dark sunglasses, and bust a move onto that back patio to share your famous photos with & infamous memories of Todd.
Don’t forget the fishnets and black lace(they’re back in style this season-no excuses)!