Charles Phoenix Speaker Biography
Charles Phoenix is a showman, tour guide, food crafter, and author. He is known for his live comedy slide show performances, madcap Test Kitchen videos, “field trip” tours, and colorful coffee table books, all celebrating classic and kitschy American life and style. On TV, Charles has appeared as a judge on Food Network’s Cake Wars: Christmas. He’s also guested on Storage Wars, Jay Leno’s Garage, Conan, and Martha Stewart, and is often heard on NPR. The Los Angeles Times says, “Call him the King of Retro,” and LA Weekly anointed him “the Kodachrome King.”
Growing up in Ontario, California, Charles was educated at theme parks, shopping malls, and his dad’s used car lots. As a teen, he discovered thrift shops, which led to a lifelong vintage shopping spree. He calls thrift shops “schools of style, museums of merchandise, and the perfect place to study the underbelly of our mass consumerism culture.”
After moving to Los Angeles and enjoying careers as a fashion designer and a classic car dealer, his life changed forever (in a thrift shop) when he discovered a shoebox full of vintage Kodachrome slides marked “Trip Across the United States, 1957.” Collecting orphaned vintage slide photography soon became an obsession that inspired his retro slide show performance career, beginning in 1998. He calls his found, vintage Kodachrome slides archive the “slibrary,” and he even employs a “slibrarian.”
Charles is the author of many colorful, collectible coffee table books celebrating mid-century Southern California, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Kodachrome road trips and his native Pomona Valley. His latest is Addicted to Americana!
ADDICTED TO AMERICANA
Live comedy performance celebrating classic and kitschy American life and style.
5-4-3-2-1 … BLAST-OFF! Prepare for your national pride to swell when Ambassador of Americana, Charles Phoenix, launches retro pop culture into the stratosphere. With his keen expertise, unbridled enthusiasm and eagle eye for oddball detail, Charles shares his rollicking road-trip discoveries and colorful kaleidoscope of found vintage Kodachrome slide images. This marvelous mid-century mashup of stories and glories of spectacular space-age style, amazing attractions, unsung landmarks, roadside wonders, festive foods, crazy car culture, and futuristic transportation will inspire your imagination and make your American spirit will soar!
CHARLES PHOENIX RETRO HOLIDAY JUBILEE
Celebrate the holidays like never before! Ambassador of Americana Charles Phoenix supercharges the classic living room slide show into laugh-out-loud roast and toast of mid-century New Years, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
With his quick wit, keen expertise, an eagle-eye for delightful detail, Charles tells stories and lavishes spirited commentary on vintage Kodachrome slides of decorating, dressing up, dining, drinking, gifting and glamming it up for the holidays in the fabulous 50s and swinging 60s.
Charles also shares eye-popping edible centerpieces from his Test Kitchen and guide to local holiday attractions.
This fun-filled, action-packed, crazy kaleidoscope of seasonal life and style is sure to get you on the mood to celebrate the holidays like NEVER before!
