Okay, a couple of weeks ago I posted a Captain Jinks and Salty Sam photo to my facecrack page and I got this comment from Marianne Katus Kaak:
Which led me to this post last week right here on MBIP. Which then led me posting it on facecrack asking people to share the post and 74 people helped out and shared the link, social media at it's finest hour!
The following morning after posting that on facecrack, I got this email: “The picture of the kids you are talking about is me and my cousins.”
Unbelievable! We cracked the case of The Captains Kids in less than 24 hours! I emailed him back and his name is Robert Owens and he’s agreed to meet us at JR’s Mini Mall, the store that he owns and operates in Pekin, Illinois. Time for a road trip to meet one of the Captains Kids in person!
Okay, it's off we go in search of one of Captains Kids!
Aaaahhhh!
Shortly after a white-knuckled drive over the bridge here we are at JR's Mini Miall.
Wow, it's a big store, it doesn't look too "mini" to me!
It's open, let's go inside and see if Robert is around....
The face is a few decades older, but it looks familiar...
Yep, he just identified himself as Robert, one of the kids in this photo. Robert is the one in the center, his sister is just behind him and his cousins are on either side of him. Something needs to be corrected here though...
Okay, now we're talking! All is perfect now! The past has joined the present!
Robert's cousins live out of town, but his sister Robin still lives in Pekin, but she couldn't make it to the store this day, but her son Dylan was there. Here he is holding the infamous Captains Kids picture and pointing towards his mom.
The store is loaded with cool stuff Robert offered to give us a little tour and so away we go!
This framed picture of photos seemed an appropriate place to start seeing that I met Robert through a picture of him with local Peoria TV personalities...
It's photos from the Channel 19 TV Adventure Club.
Robert showed me this old Coke bottle...
It's hard to see in this photo, but the bottom of it is stamped with "Peoria" on it. Very cool!
If you like this vintage Pabst beer tray, you're going to love...
This "snap-cap" quart can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. It looks like an oil can!
Check out this Christmas Manger Set...
Because nothing says, "Christmas" like a paper Jesus! Look, there's the three Wise Guys with gifts of frankincense, myrrh and cardboard.
There's boxes of vinyl records in the back of the store.
Since this shop is located in Pekin, Robert told me he stocks a lot of Pekin collectible items and many of them are housed in this case over here.
Here's a whole binder of vintage Pekin postcards from years gone by.
Way before George Michael had Faith, Pekin did and here's memorial plate from 1979 to prove it!
Here's a yearbook from back in the days when Pekin sports teams had the decidedly politically incorrect name of "Pekin Chinks."
Aaaahhhhh!
Hey, Chip Joyce, are you seeing this over here? I think I found your Christmas present!
This may not be the creepiest painting in the world, but it's pretty fucking close! Yikes!
Set your phasers to stun, "very stunned," to quote The Rutles.
It was great to meet Robert and I thank him for the fun tour and now it's obvious who shot JR...it was me with the trusty MBIP camera! We'll see you all tomorrow!
JR's Mini Mall
712 Derby Street
Pekin, Illinois
309-620-8231
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Bonus Captain Jinks "Night of the Living Dead" Art by Jaws the Cabbie
Jaws the Cabbie sent in this artwork to add to his comment. Yikes, the Captain never looked scarier! Thanks, Jaws!
