Happy New Year Tiki Talk Show family! Ryley and Ellie kick off 2026 with a chat spanning 10,000 miles. We were joined by Australia’s resident tiki power couple, Josh & Babz Collins. Originally from London, U.K., these two have left an indelible mark on tiki and vintage subcultures wherever they’ve gone.

Music drew both Josh and Babz to the wide world of vintage, mod, tiki, and more, and it has certainly been an integral part of their passion and recipe for success ever since. What started out as regularly hosting bands and club nights at some of London’s best underground clubs and venues eventually led to multi-day music festivals to highlight garage, surf, rockabilly, mod, ska, and more. These events not only promised amazing music but intricate decor, costuming, and theming thanks to Josh’s background in theatrical production and Babz’s passion for vintage fashion. Eventually, the Collinses were looking to spread their wings and make a change, a decision that would take them half-way around the world. A journey through several of the South Pacific’s islands provided a deeper insight and appreciation for all things tiki, tropical, and exotic. It also provided several great carvings and other genuine artifacts that the couple still holds dear. That journey around the pacific culminated in their move to the west coast of Australia. Here, they let their imaginations run wild with dreams of a theme park, The Zombie Zoo, which unfortunately never saw the light of day. However, they did open the Hula Bula Bar, a tropical paradise in an area unaccustomed to such intricate, escapist surroundings. From there, the Devilles Pad brought forth images of a 1960s Las Vegas cocktail bar, owned by the devil himself. Lastly, their bar, The LuWow, highlighted a technicolor, exotic dreamscape introducing tropical cocktails to a new audience. Beyond the bars, Josh and Babz also make “camp & colorful trash cinema” reminiscent of B-movies from the 50s and 60s. Josh & Babz truly understand the two most important parts of the tiki revival period: how to be artistic and build something new, and how to bring people together to have a great time. Their influence on the international tiki revival scene has been instrumental.

You can find Josh and Babz on Instagram @theluwow or at theluwow.com and thezombiezoo.com.

And here’s a link to buy their book, The Lore of the LuWow: https://a.co/d/6OAP9e1

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list.

It’s been good talking to you and we’re looking forward to a great new year with you!

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

Merry Christmas! This week, Ellie and Ryley sat down with the king of cool, Charles Phoenix, for a post-Christmas chat. Charles Phoenix is a mid-century expert, professional presenter, and writer who has written a number of books on the mid-century style we all love. Charles Phoenix is best known for his slide shows displaying mid-century Kodachrome photos, but he’s also an avid car enthusiast and a chef who’s known for the coolest kitchen creations. 

Charles Phoenix got a foundation of his love of style while going to his father’s car lot and seeing cars of the 1950s and 1960s. The chrome, fins, and dramatic changes between years drew a young Charles Phoenix into the mid-century style. By the 1980s, Charles was a thrift store connoisseur finding hosts of vintage clothes and forgotten treasures from years past. At this point, there was no term called “mid-century modern” or Googie, but Charles enjoyed driving around the San Fernando Valley finding old restaurants, coffee shops, bowling alleys, and anywhere else he could find mid-century eye candy. While he was doing this, he never let his love of cars fall out of sight so he regularly owned cars that he grew up idolizing. 

By the mid-1990s, Charles had collected a vast amount of vintage Kodachrome film slides depicting life in yesteryear. As his collection grew, he felt that he needed to share these photos with others so he could keep the spirit of post-war America alive. At first, he encountered mixed reviews from those who didn’t believe people would be interested in seeing these photos, but boy did he prove them wrong. His slide shows took off and eventually spread into a LA-based driving tour, visiting remaining Googie monuments. The attraction kept growing and eventually he began working of a number of books that he released throughout the late 90s and early-2000s. Never one to shy away from a new way to spread the mid-century style, he began using social media platforms to share his passion for the topic. Now, Charles does live presentations of his various slideshows across the country where you can watch his passion for uniqueness, creativity, and color feed the flames of nostalgia growing in your soul. But, if you can’t make it to the live shows, recorded versions of the presentations are available to watch on his website or YouTube. 

You can find Charles Phoenix on Instagram at @_charlesphoenix, on his website at charlesphoenix.com, or on his YouTube at www.youtube.com/@_charlesphoenix.

Thank you for joining us for The Tiki Talk Show’s last episode in 2025. We’re looking forward to 2026 and all of the amazing things that will come with the new year. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. 

It’s been good talking to you, and we’ll see you in 2026!

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week on The Tiki Talk Show Ellie and Ryley chat with Otto and Baby Doe von Stroheim for a second time. That’s right, it’s the first ever 2 part series for this show, though it’s sure not to be the last. If you haven’t seen part 1 yet, where we talk about the 80s-2001 be sure to check that out.

Last time, we left off in 2001, where Tiki News had released its final (published) issue and come to an unofficial end. At the same time, the now renowned event, Tiki Oasis, was just beginning. We hear the stories about the first Tiki Oasis, how the event grew, changed, and developed over the years as well as the introduction of Tiki Oasis Arizona. But Otto and Baby Doe have been involved in so much more than this iconic celebration of the Polynesian Pop. We talk about Baby Doe’s involvement in the burlesque community and the Tease-O-Rama events, art and museum exhibitions, the Tiki Art Now! books, and more. We had a fantastic time listening to their passion and love for tiki and the community it draws together for a second time, and we hope you do too.

You can find Otto on Instagram @ottovs, Baby Doe @xoxobabydoe, and be sure to follow @tikioasis for all the fun and exciting updates and news.

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Stay tuned for part 2, coming out December 13. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list.

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ellie and Ryley have the first of a two-part series with Otto and Baby Doe von Stroheim, a Bay Area based tiki power couple. Best known for their world-renowned tiki weekender, Tiki Oasis, Otto and Baby Doe have poured so much time, love, passion, and effort into the tiki scene beyond this iconic event. This first part covers their beginnings in tiki, through the nineties, up to the first Tiki Oasis in 2001. Stayed tuned for part two to hear about the 2000s, 2010s, to now.

Otto first dipped his toes into tiki in the late 80s when he started hosting yearly backyard luaus with his roommates in Southern California. His tiki interest and involvement developed from associated music sub-genres like lounge and swing. Thrift store finds like aloha shirts and tiki mugs fueled these great gatherings that became more and more popular and grand year after year. Those backyard parties were just a glimpse into the future of event hosting and bringing people together to enjoy music, art, great company, and fun drinks. Baby Doe had a website in the 90s where she talked about anything and everything she found interesting, including anything midcentury and other people’s collections. Eventually, tiki piqued her interest and Baby Doe became one of the first “tiki” websites out there, sharing what she knew and found with anyone that had a computer and internet access.

Otto started Tiki News, a tiki fanzine (fan-created magazine), in 1995 and began spreading tiki interest and intrigue from coast to coast and beyond. For just a couple dollars, a Xerox copied, hand stapled, treasure trove of ads and information could connect a budding tiki revivalist to a whole wide world. At the end of that year, he hosted Exoticon at the Park Plaza Hotel as a tiki and lounge event that sold out and brought together people from across the subculture scenes at the time. From there, Otto moved up to the Bay Area to be with Baby Doe and combine their passion, creativity, and love of the midcentury. With DJ gigs, concerts, events, continuing Tiki News, and finding other ventures, Otto and Baby Doe became a big part of the Bay Area tiki revival scene. As Otto and Baby Doe make clear, it’s important to them to bring people together. We end this episode at the event that has brought so many of us together year after year; Tiki Oasis.

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Stay tuned for part 2, coming out December 13. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list.

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ellie and Ryley had the joy of hosting Marie King, internationally recognized rum and tropical cocktail expert and enthusiast. Marie’s foray into the bar world began when she got her first hosting job at 16 years old. She quickly found a passion for cocktails, spirits, and the easy conversation fostered between bartender and patron. Always a lover of all things mid-century, it was King’s relationship with her husband Jonpaul that launched her infectious interest in the plastic paradises of Polynesian Pop. Since the cocktail education provided by a fake ID and an old salty bartender, Marie has gone on to create and guide beverage programs at some of tiki’s greatest bars. From Don the Beachcomber’s in Long Beach to Tonga Hut in LA and Palm Springs, to the new Don the Beachcomber’s in Florida and beyond, Marie’s creativity and love has helped cultivated an environment of familiarity and intrigue for those that pass through their doors. 

One of the newer aspects of the of the Don the Beachcomber’s brand is the Gantt Reserve Collection. Bars in the Gantt Reserve Collection focus on immersive escapism and quality cocktails. The first of these bars is Morgan’s Cove in Tampa, Florida, with more planned for the future. Marie mentions how these bars offer the opportunity to create a unique bar experience that molds itself to the community. A great bar is nothing without a great community to support it. That’s one of the things that Morgan’s Cove does so well. They understand their community and their people. 

You can find Marie King on Instagram at @mariekingofdtb. And check out @donbeachcomber and @morganscovetampa to keep up with news and updates on Don the Beachcomber’s and the Gantt Reserve Collection. 

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. 

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This Halloween episode brings more treats than tricks as Ellie and Ryley share a peak behind the curtain into their research process. We walk through books, websites, music, movies, and other podcasts that have given us a jumping off point for the Tiki Revival period and the guests that we interview on this show. By no means is this an exhaustive list into tiki research materials, but hopefully it gives you a place to start if you’re looking. Feel free to share your favorite tiki resources in the comments below.

List of resources mentioned:

Books:

-Grog Log by Jeff Berry

-The Book of Tiki by Sven Kirsten

-Tiki Roadtrip by James Teitelbaum

-Ninety Years of Classic San Diego Tiki by Martin Lindsey

Websites:

-tikicentral.com

-slammie.com/atomicgrog

-swankpad.org

-ultimatemaitai.com

-digitiki.com

Music:

-Lahaina Sunset by Mark Riddle

-Creepxotica by Creepxotica

-Forbidden Isle of Demos by Combustible Edisons

Movies:

-Plastic Paradise: A Swingin’ Trip Through America’s Polynesian Obsession

-The DVD of Tiki Vol. 1: Paradise Lost

Podcast:

-Inside the Desert Oasis Room Podcast by Adrian Eustaquio

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. 

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, in continuation with a month of Mai-Kai love and appreciation, Ryley and Ellie host Tim “Swanky” Glazner on the podcast. Tim is a co-founder of the East Coast’s original tiki weekender, the Hukilau, historian for the Mai-Kai, and a Donn the Beachcomber expert. His interest in tiki comes from an appreciation for mid-century design, style, culture, and nostalgia. When the Hukilau found its home at the Mai-Kai, Swanky became entranced with the tiki palace of an era he had long admired. As he became closer with the Mai-Kai family he found himself asking questions, hearing stories, and incidentally, collecting an oral history of this iconic Florida tiki bar. Eventually, that quest for stories became intentional, and he sought out those who had been part of the Mai-Kai’s story, past or present, to preserve their stories for the future. In 2016, he compiled all of these stories and his knowledge of the Mai-Kai into a book. 

The Mai-Kai’s rich history is forever intertwined with that of Donn the Beachcomber. As Tim was researching the Mai-Kai and capturing its stories, he found himself fascinated with the tales of tiki’s mystic and mythical founder. After his first book, Glazner pivoted to collected stories and oral histories of Donn Beach before the people who knew him best were lost to the sands of time. Tim’s steady pursuit to separate fact from fiction on tiki’s man of mystery has led him to author another book, this one on the life of Donn the Beachcomber. He’s also been an associate producer on a recent film about Donn called The Donn of Tiki. His book is set to release early next year, and we are so excited to keep an eye out and jump on the pre-release wagon when it comes around. 

You can find Tim on Instagram @swankpad and online at swankpad.org. You can find his Mai-Kai book and more at maikaihistory.com. Check out Donn-beach.com to keep up with Swanky’s research into this iconic tiki figure and keep an eye on his book release. Visit thedonnoftiki.com to find showtimes, tickets, merch and more for the Donn Beach documentary that Tim helped produce. 

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. 

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ryley and Ellie chat with Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, author of The Atomic Grog blog and a fixture in the South Florida tiki scene. Hurricane Hayward has been into Midcentury culture and design for quite a while, but it was the Hukilau and the magic of the Mai Kai that launched his passion for all things Polynesian Pop. A few years later, he’s combining his professional work of journalism with his love for tiki. Hurricane Hayward’s blog, The Atomic Grog, features cocktails, events, art, music, and culture throughout the tiki scene. His events calendar is a comprehensive guide to any tiki, surf, or related gathering coming up. His cocktail guide includes authentic historical recipes, great new libations, and his tributes to the originals. Not to mention, his documentation of the Mai Kai’s history, sale, and restoration are some of the most detailed and complete. Outside of his entertaining and informative blog, Hurricane has been a presenter at several tiki events. We talk about his upcoming presentation at Inuhele which focuses on the tiki revival which is clearly near and dear to our hearts. Be sure to get tickets to the event and Atlanta to see Hurricane Hayward, and we will be there as well. Ryley and I are hoping to make it down to Florida soon to see the Mai Kai, and based on everything this video showed, we may have to move that timetable up. We had a fantastic time chatting with Jim “Hurricane” Hayward, and we appreciate his time and stories. 

You can find Hurricane on his website theatomicgrog.com. And be sure to show the Mai Kai some love! You can find them at Maikai.com. 

Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode. You can find us on Instagram @thetikitalkshow or @konacove_hometikibar. Be sure to click the link below to open our Linktree to find the show, connect with us on Facebook or Instagram, or join our postcard mailing list. Find Ryley’s second show on YouTube @tikitoday to see our summer recap. As always, it’s been great talking to you. 

-Ryley and Ellie

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

This week on The Tiki Talk Show, Ellie and Ryley talk to a legend in the tiki community and one of the OG tiki podcasters, Adrian Eustaquio, host of Inside the Desert Oasis Room Podcast. Adrian’s love for tiki dates back to the late 1980s when a family member renewed their vows at Don the Beachcombers in Southern California. Entranced by the eternal twilight, young Adrian had a chance to walk around the near empty restaurant that was once a vibrant establishment. Adrian caught the bug, and from then on, he was collecting bits and pieces from thrift stores over the next few years. In the mid-90s, a lot fell into place for Adrian to find his new passion. He discovered Oceanic Arts, met many new friends, and started getting involved. 

Over the last 30 years, Adrian has been at countless tiki events, collaborated on so many projects, and has been one of the most consistent advocates for the authentic, mid-century tiki style. His contributions to the tiki scene range far beyond his podcast (which has inspired our own) to include advising roles for a few movies and commercial bars. Adrian is an amazing person to talk to and an asset to the tiki community!

You can find Adrian on Instagram and YouTube @polynesianpop and wherever you get your podcasts as Inside the Desert Oasis Room.

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. Be sure to check out our other show, Tiki Today, to see what’s going on now in the tiki space, made possible by all of the revival efforts of the past. If you’re interested in being interviewed, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. 

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie

This week, Ellie and Ryley are joined by Gregorio Pantoja, owner of the Kon-tigo Tiki Bar, co-author of the new book Fassionola, professor, and historian. What began as a home tiki bar in Southern California has transformed into a preservation project for one of Tiki’s lesser known heroes. Most know the stories of Donn the Beachcomber, Trader Vic, and even Stephen Crane, but Harry Yee is a less frequently mentioned, yet just as influential figure from the Golden Age of Tiki. His contributions to the tiki world include Hawaiian cocktails, tropical drink garnishes, and a legacy at the Hawaiian Village. Gregorio was inspired by Harry Yee’s amazing contributions and sought to make them more widely known. He draws inspiration from the illustrations on Hawaiian Village’s vintage menu and brings those iconic mugs into the 21st century. He’s also resurrected hanging Chinese lantern drink garnishes and makes them widely available on his Etsy. Beyond his Harry Yee tribute projects, Gregorio has also co-authored a book on Fassionola, or as the original was known, Passionola. The book details the history of this cocktail ingredient, and offers the truth of its original flavor profile and color. Along with the book, Gregorio and co-author Martin Lindsey offer the Passionola product for purchase, so you too can get a taste of history. Beyond all of this, Gregorio is dedicated to giving back to Polynesian and Asian American communities and charities. You can learn more about his charitable contributions on his Kon-Tigo Tiki website. 

You can find Gregorio on Instagram @thekontigotikibar and @p.fassionola, on his website https://thekontigotikibar.com or on Etsy to purchase his products at https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheKonTigoTikiBar. You can learn more about Passionola, as well as purchase the book and syrup at https://passionola.com.

As mentioned at the end of this episode, we are no longer going to be doing artist spotlights at the end of our full-length episodes here on The Tiki Talk Show. When we started this show, we knew that focusing on the stories on the revival was our main mission, but Ryley and I have such a passion for art and artists that we wanted to use this new platform to highlight them as well. However, as we’ve grown over the last five months, we want to refocus the goal of this series back on the revival stories. Also, we want to offer artists the respect of having their own highlight not following a main interview. Enter Ryley’s new YouTube only series, Tiki Today. This visual platform will give artists the opportunity to show off their amazing creations and get the highlight attention they deserve. It will also allow those artists who have had an impact on the early-mid tiki revival period to talk about their experiences and history in a longer style interview here on this show. We hope you understand our reasoning behind splitting up these two segments of the show, and we want to emphasize again that the Artist Spotlight is not going away; it’s just moving homes. Most importantly, thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of the artists we have interviewed over these last months! You all are amazing and we love and value you! Let us know what you think of this change. You can comment on this show wherever you’re listening, message us on Instagram or Facebook, or send us an email. 

Thank you for joining us on this week’s episode of The Tiki Talk Show. If you’re interested in being interviewed about your revival stories and experiences, send us an email at [email protected]. Click the link below to see our link tree and find us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also fill out our Google Form to get on our postcard mailing list. Keep an eye out for Ryley’s new show Tiki Today on YouTube, and you can also find him on Instagram @tikitoday.

It’s been good talking to you.

Linktr.ee/thetikitalkshow

-Ryley and Ellie