Here are more images of Coney Island: the distinct style of this graphical wonderland speaks for itself... A few notes to help you understand perhaps the context of this fantastic playland...

MIXED STYLES OF CONEY ISLAND

Eldorado Auto Skooter
A strange blend of the disco era and the cowboy Western. Keith Haring's artwork is appropriated here beside crude illustrations of people in bumper cars. Coney Island's seedy undercurrent is exemplified beautifully by Eldorado.

CORPORATE VERNACULAR ON CONEY

McDonald's
The corporate vernacular of McDonald's meets Coney vernacular. It is interesting that the McDonald's style blended seamlessly into the concession stand dialect of Coney Island. The fast-food chain appears less slick and modest in this setting and uses its corporate colours, red and yellow, to full advantage. A hand-painted mural on the left fits into Coney style completely with its festive mood and emphasis on food. The front of McDonald's has been transformed from the generic glass doors of its stand alone buildings into concession-stand generic along the boardwalk on Coney.

Coca-Cola
Whereas McDonald's blends itself into Coney Island, the locals took Coca-Cola and adapted it into their own language. Here, Coca-Cola is hand-painted, and the style is rough with a lot of personality. It adds a certain dynamic to a well-known logo, and it still retains its corporate identity.

REFERENCES TO OLD CONEY

The vernacular of Coney Island also resonates with historicism. References to the old Coney can be identified in the old-fashioned fonts and scrolls on signs.

Gift Shop Sign
Imagery from the turn of the century is used liberally on this sign. From the style of the illustration, it is clear the sign was not painted in the late 1800s, but the women depicted under the umbrella are clothed in the fashions of that time period. The frame and the font used for "Souvenirs" are also from the styles of that era. This was an attempt to appeal to the public's sense of nostalgia. Novelty is also communicated by using old Coney imagery.

Painting found on a Trailer
The painting is framed in a cross between circus vernacular and 19th-century style.

Here, Coney is recalled as a colourful glow in the landscape, whereas Manhattan is monochromatic and dark.

Concession Stands
The dialect of concession stands is identified by its use and arrangement of colour, type, and images and by its clutter. It is clear that the beach culture has some influence on its style. The graphics are less aggressive than that of stores on Surf Avenue; the colours blue and yellow dominate the scene rather than red and orange, and the type and illustrations are drawn in Ô50's style (note the hair style on the children !!).

An illustration of the food being sold is almost always painted next to its name, and styles range from realism to the cartoonish. Nonetheless, as mentioned earlier, realism in paintings here usually fail, creating an abstract cartoonish feel instead.

Another interesting aspect of concession-stand language is the use of food as characters. In the "clam bar," clams are depicted as bar patrons, and one of them is even drunk. In the second photo, all the foods are dresssed up for a cheerful parade to the concession stands. It is high Camp in the sense that it exaggerates and it's artifical. But from my perspective, this sense of Camp is completely attractive and fun !

Amusement Parks
Amusement parks also use many of the bright colours seen in banner art and concession stands.

The Astroland Park logo implies the space age and the '50's.

The speed of Tilt-A Whirl is conveyed in the logo by the horizontal lines behind the type, and the whirling by the two circles on the edge of the sign. The image of a clown is a favorite in amusement-park graphics because it conveys a sense of Old World fun. The sign below the Wonder Wheel (which dates back to the '20s) shows the charm of Coney Island's old glory days.

The shooting galleries also employ the colour palette of Coney's system and use the image of clowns heavily, conveying the feeling of silly fun. Many of the signs are still hand-painted in the old style of shooting games, but the merchandise (slum or flash) has changed to reflect pop culture. Note Pooh Bear in the bottom photo.