After 15 years on the air and a thousand stories on everything from the Ancient Astronaut Society to Zoe the Barbie Doll collector, the extremely popular public television series "Wild Chicago" now has its own companion guidebook. Curious natives and intrepid tourists seeking a slightly skewed take on the Windy City and its surrounding communities need look no further than this irreverent yet authoritative guide. Host Will Clinger, producer Harvey Moshman, and correspondent Mindy Bell have collected their 500 favorite offbeat and unusual people and places that have been featured on the show. They know their viewers--people who will drive an hour to find that one artist who taxidermies the heads of turkeys and dresses them in doll clothes; who would rather see a sock puppet version of Titanic than a production of Macbeth at the Goodman; who love to explore and discover--and show off their knowledge to friends. They wrote this book for them and for countless others with a taste for the bizarre and unconventional. This indispensable tool reveals seldom seen corners and little known wonders of Chicago, such as: *American Pet Motel (more than just a place to board bowser) *Lava Lamp Factory (cosmic illumination on the northwest side) *Cut-rate Caskets (for sale to the public) *Foot polo (without the horses) *House of Whacks (latex & leather fashions) *Those Darn Accordions! (must see to believe) *Lee Watson's Reptile Swamp (need we say more?) *Perry's Deli (when you're hungry for food--and abuse) As they say on "Wild Chicago" , "to navigate the urban jungle, you need a wild guide!" After fifteen years on the air and a thousand stories on everything from the Ancient Astronaut Society to Zoe the Barbie Doll collector, the remarkably popular public television series Wild Chicago now has its own companion guidebook. Host Will Clinger, producer Harvey Moshman, and correspondent Mindy Bell have sifted through the show archives to offer up more than 300 of their favorite offbeat and unusual people and places the best of the best, the oddest of the odd. Explore seldom seen corners and little known wonders of the Windy City, such as: Poultry Personalities pick up a taxidermied turkey dressed to impress Cut-rate Caskets - buy one now before it's too late House of Whacks - latex duds for the daring Lee Watson's Reptile Swap - trade your creeper for a crawler Perry's Deli - colossal sandwiches with a side of attitude If you'd rather shop Maxwell Street than Michigan Avenue, if you'd rather see sock puppet theater than Macbeth at the Goodman, if your tastes run to the bizarre and unconventional, this is the book for you. Producer, writer, and actor Will Clinger is the host of the Wild Chicago television program, which airs on WTTW, Channel 11. Mindy Bell was a writer and performer at Chicago's Second City and is currently a correspondent on Wild Chicago . Harvey Moshman is the Emmy Award-winning producer of Wild Chicago . All three live in the Windy City. Cow Pie Bingo You can't beat fun down on the farm when betting on bovines. The local 4-H Club in Beecher, Illinois, puts a well-fed cow in a special pen so it can stand on a grid of numbered squares. Spectators buy squares for $10 a throw. When nature calls, and the cow makes his contribution to the fun, the bettor with the "decorated" square collects 50 percent of the pot (the other half goes to 4-H). In case of a cow pie tie, the mayor makes the call. The Beekeepers Picnic Sure, anyone can serve honey ice cream, but it takes a real man to wear a mask of live bees while doing it. Talk about your high entertainment value; apiary enthusiast John Wallanches has been delighting fellow beekeepers with his ultimate party trick for years. He encloses a queen bee in a tiny cage, straps the cage around his chin, has an assistant empty an entire hive of worker bees on top of his chest, and then the fun begins. All the bees try to climb as close as they can to the queen, forming an elongated beard of bees hanging from John's chin. Yes, they sting him, but he's used to it. Used Book in Good Condition