Yeah Write Mark

Category: Local

  • Unida Clothing

    Unida Clothing

    United in style and culture

    When I was about 9 or 10 years old, my mom’s then boyfriend decided to take me on a bit of a field trip. This was 1980. I was living in LA with my dad, just getting into Dungeons and Dragons, and I was hoping that Odom (that was the boyfriend) was taking me to see Empire Strikes Back, even though I had seen it like 2 or 3 times already.

    “No this is much different”, he probably said. “But very cool. It is a different galaxy than you’re used to.”

    We drove from my comfy suburb of Glendale to the outskirts of Venice Beach, a place my dad warned me about seeing as at the time it was a space for weirdos, surf outlaws and beefy dudes working out in the sand. Last time I was there it still had all of those elements, but with more Starbucks.

    When we exited the car, I could hear the peal of booming bass all emitting from cars that I had never been witnessed to. These cars had style, all chromed out, some with images of Aztec gods or sexy ladies wearing clown makeup painted on the hoods. Odom had taken me to my first lowrider show.

    Here was a young black man taking a super white kid to a lowrider gathering and I immediately was hooked.

    Years later, my dad moved us to a central coast town called Salinas, as he wanted to be closer to the bay area. It was here that I dove headfirst into punk rock, metal and skateboarding. Now, my dad wasn’t making a lot of money and skate gear is expensive. A buddy of mine preferred to wear these curious shirts emblazed with a gorilla logo on one of the two big pockets that rested between a zipper that only went halfway down. He told me they were Ben Davis and wouldn’t rip if you fell, which I did often. My dad breathed a sigh of relief seeing as, at the time, they were only $10 at Sears. In the work wear section, I also discovered pants and shorts called Dickies which had this great side pocket. I would fall, often, but those shirts and pants endured.

    And I have been wearing Dickies and Ben Davis ever since.

    Cut to just about a month ago. The barista at my wife’s restaurant informed me of a new shop on St. Mary’s that specialized in Dickies and Ben Davis. When I looked them up, I was also happy to find that it was a lowrider focused shop. Dickies, Ben Davis and celebrated lowrider culture? Oh, I have got to go to there.

    Unida Clothing opened their doors February of this year (2026), and it is a straight up celebration of Chicano and Latina culture. When you walk in you are met with a table of flyers advertising all sorts of upcoming events, especially ones that Unida are either sponsoring or a part of, along with a pimped out bike and loads of photos and artwork on the walls. Recently there was a block party at St. Phillips Plaza equipped with djs, food vendors and, of course, lowrider cars. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend but seeing footage of the function made me jealous as all heck that I wasn’t there. Eating Mexican street food next to tricked out Chevy’s while listening to old school party music? That made the 10-year-old me bounce around like I did when I first attended that lowrider rally in Venice.

    Owners Maria and Jonathan Borquez have created a space that is wholly proud of who they are, where they came from and where we are going into the future with not just Chicano car culture but the style and swag of what it means to be a part of that. Yes, I am infuriatingly Caucasian, but Unida (which means united) invites anyone and everyone to come be a part of their familia. Not that I’m going to appropriate a culture I was not born into but seeing that I have been immersed in Latino and Latina culture most of, if not all, my life all I can do is admire it for what it is.

    Which is totally bad ass.

    When I was there the Borquez’ daughter Priscila was running the place, and she was super friendly and fun to talk to. I told her about my history of wearing Dickies and Ben Davis and how much I loved lowriders.

    “That’s awesome!”, she said. “You’ve got the spot now.”

    Outside of the vast amount of clothes, shoes and accessories, Unida also carry backpacks, hats and (this warms my heart) skate decks and Homies.

    Ah, Homies. One thing I miss about certain spots in LA and San Francisco was walking into a shop, plucking a quarter into a machine, turning that clackity knob and receiving a lil Homie of my own. Through the years and the shotgun move to Tucson, plus roommates with sticky fingers, I lost most of them. But, get this, I still have one and he is my favorite, mainly because it’s a breakdancing Homie, which I use as a character figure when I play D&D. He now sits proudly on a toy shelf among other relics of the 80s and 90s. Gracias breakdancing Homie!

    Clothing is, obviously, the official focus here. I mean, it’s in the name! T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, pants, you name it. Of course, I was thrilled to bear witness to whole section dedicated to Dickies and Ben Davis but also happy to see wear for kids of all ages. They even have baby jumpers. Get ‘em started rolling in style early I say.

    Like said earlier, Unida puts on events all the time so it’s best to follow them on social media to see what’s coming up. I’m definitely going to be at the next car show at the shop, not just to se the cars and listen to the music but to eat the food! Unida is located right next door to a Food City which makes me doubly jealous because they bulldozed out neighborhood Food City nearly 15 years ago. Eating delicious vittles cooked in a parking lot next to a ’64 poppin’ hydraulics is literally my version of heaven.

    Social media is the only means to keep up as Unida does not have a website. They don’t need one! Priscila, along with her brother Jonathan jr., do a bang-up job at keeping us all posted with their posts, even featuring little sisters Jocelyn and Brielle. Todo queda en familia!

    Thank you Unida and I will definitely be back. I mean, St. Mary’s is one of the holy grail locations of Mexican food here in Tucson…and that is saying a lot. Getting a fresh pair of Dickies, a new half zip Ben Davis then grabbing some super dope spicy menudo with handmade tortillas?

    Perfección.

    Oh, and maybe a Homie or two as well.

    Cheers!

    Unida Clothing

    1223 W St Mary’s Rd, Tucson, AZ (in the Menlo Shopping Center)

    (520) 734-3361

    Tues – Saturday: 10am – 8pm

    Monday: 12pm – 8pm

    Closed Sundays

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  • A Sort Of Love Letter To Tucson (20 Years In The Making)

    A Sort Of Love Letter To Tucson (20 Years In The Making)

    I just realized that this February here in 2026 I have lived in Tucson for twenty years.

    Wow.

    It’s a long and sort of sordid tale of how I relocated here from the sunny/foggy shores of coastal California, and one that some have said is “legend” or “epic” or “you totally made that up you liar”, but here I am, and have been for two decades, and oh what a spin it has been.

    Look, if you want to hang out, I can go into detail my time in San Francisco, the place where I lived for about twelve years and moved from, but I won’t bore you with the long-winded yarn of what went on with me in that time. Although I did write a whole book about my last few years there. Now, I’m not going to provide a link to that ramble seeing as I want to keep my readership on this blog strong as there were, uh, “things” that I did and got caught up in that might lose me some possible future sponsorship. Thank you for your understanding.

    But I will say this, I met my now wife in December 2005. I was her and her friend’s bartender at this cavernous swill shambles on Fisherman’s Wharf, one that has mercifully shut down and hopefully imploded like that house at the end of ‘Poltergeist’. Two days later as their tour guide before they headed back to Arizona, I proposed to her that night. She said yes. We talked every day since and in January 2006, she visited me for a week to see if this thing was true and would work out. It was and it did.

    Two days after we met, the night I proposed

    After I put her on a plane, I immediately quit that muck of a bar gig, my semi regular DJ spots at a local radio station, bars and clubs along with all of the various music magazines and websites I contributed to.

    Sometime in February 2006, I drove a rental car nearly 14 hours to move to a city I had trouble spelling to live with a girl I met less than two months prior with only a few clothes, fewer cash, a fog machine, Mr. T doll, a couple of CDs, a bike and the Castle Grayskull playset I’ve had since I was 11. You know, the essentials.

    Best decision I have ever made.

    I basically fell in love with this town almost immediately. It’s weird, it’s kind of dangerous, it’s diverse and, best of all, the food is incredible. Like said earlier, back in San Francisco I was a music journalist and wrote for a bunch of publications, but after eating a Sonoran hot dog my perspective on things, like things, changed almost immediately. On paper that item should not work: a bacon wrapped hot dog smothered in beans, cheese, mayo, tomatoes and salsa served in something called a “bolillo roll”. But it works, almost as well as elote…but that’s a different story.

    Sonoran hot dog (I did not take this photo)

    So, I started a food blog, the Tucson Homeskillet, which got pretty popular and eventually landed me the food writing gig for the Tucson Weekly, among other platforms. Unfortunately, the Homeskilet got hacked and I had to move on although it still exists in this format.

    Sherra and I remained engaged for several years until one day in 2016 we decided to finally go for it and get hitched at the courthouse. Our witnesses were two friends that had just got off from their professional jobs, so they looked nice. Sherra was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and flip flops where I was done up in shorts, a Ben Davis half zip shirt and Vans. The judge thought our friends were the ones getting married and we were the two slobs who were available that day. Oh, and our officiate was one of the first LGBTQ judges in southern Arizona so that was a bonus.

    Sherra has always been dutifully employed, first as a manager for a popular corporate restaurant (that is until COVID hit) and is now the general manager for a popular long-standing restaurant. Me on the other hand? Yeeeah. My issues with mental health have led me down a path of oh so many endeavors, ranging from wedding DJ, Arizona travel writer, children’s science museum manager, cook, kitchen manager, library circulation clerk, kids’ art teacher, big box liquor store merchandiser, small business social media manager, bakery assistant and farmer’s market associate. At 55 I still struggle with real employment and if it wasn’t for my wife, I’d be living in a box down by the river. Yeah, can’t afford a van.

    That one time I was the unofficial face of the Pima County Public Library

    Our lives have become more and more very private through the years, and we love our little garden cabin just a stones throw from the restaurant she manages. Sure, we’ve gone through several pets, my parents’ deaths, friends coming and going, along with a few trips to the hospital but all in all the past 20 years have been a shining success. Mainly because this city has always been there for us. When things get too rough, just go hiking or visit the zoo. The library system here is fantastic, book and record stores abound, its extremely queer and native culture friendly and rich, there’s always some kind of festival going on, the dive bars are actually divey, there’s an actual video rental store and…did I mention the food? Yeah. It’s no wonder why Tucson was awarded the distinction of being the first US city to get the UNESCO nod back in 2015. That was also my first year with the Weekly, so things ramped up for me real quick as a food writer.

    Little did I know, or ever think, that I would end up in Tucson AZ. But I’m sure glad I did. Heck, when I met my now wife on that cold and dreary night in 2005, I hadn’t even heard of Tucson and if I did it was probably in passing like it being mentioned in a movie or that lyric in the Beatles “Get Back”. Now that I am here and married to my best friend, I even have a suspicion that I might just die here. That may sound morbid but unless some form of financial benefit comes our way and we end up in some idyllic hamlet I am perfectly okay with that outcome. Plus, I doubt they’ll have as decent food trucks as we do here.

    Note: do not be afraid of food trucks! They have to undergo stricter rules and regulations than actual restaurants. That whole “roach coach” moniker has to be eliminated. Trust me here, you want real street food from a truck parked on an actual street.

    One thing that astonishes me is how big our university, the U of A, has developed through the decades. When I first got here, student housing existed, sure, even the fraternity used in “Revenge of the Nerds”, as was the whole campus, but now it has grown to be its own thrusting Vegas-like cityscape. It’s huge. And still growing. Same goes for downtown. How many boutique hotels and craft coffee shops does one dusty trail town need? A lot it seems. Thing is I actually like craft coffee shops so I can’t complain too much I suspect.

    More music venues are opening up and we are finally getting some decent bands passing through. Not that I go out that much anymore because when a headlining band doesn’t hit the stage until close to midnight that’s not a fun prospect for a married 55-year-old shut in like me. Ten years of music journalism took care of that. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw midnight. Oh wait, it was when I had to use the bathroom the other night. Yeah. Eh. There will be other midnights.

    Oh yeah, those sunsets

    What I am saying here is – thank you Tucson. I had no idea you would be my home for all these years. For a kid growing up on the California coast I thought that would be my life and legacy. Nope. You’re my home now Old Pueblo and I couldn’t be happier about it. I don’t even mind the summers anymore. That just means the students and snowbirds are gone and shops, bars and restaurants normally run summer specials. Although when the students and snowbirds do return, that just means it’s time to bust out the holiday decorations and start enjoying some of the best weather on the planet. Monsoon sunsets are gorgeous, but have you seen a Tucson sunset around Halloween or Christmas? Oh man. You pair that with a fine Sonoran hot dog and a local beer, and my life 20 years ago seems like a distant, distant memory. Because that’s exactly what it is.

    Here’s to 20 more years (hopefully more) of living and loving Tucson.

    Cheers!

    Mark Whittaker

    July 2026

  • The Purple Penguin

    The Purple Penguin

    A Sweet Local Business That Needs Some Love Right Now

    Since what seems like forever now, Tucson has been a shining hot bed of road construction. Like the kind of intrusive breaking and building of asphalt and concrete that sends normal commuters into the wee stratospheres of quaint neighborhoods where you make ten right turns, roll over speed humps the size of sleeping giants, engage with a wizard high on meth to get the secret code to open the portal of “Oh god I just want to get to work/home…where the fxxk am I?” before you finally get on a stretch that resembles some form of safe thoroughfare only to find more road construction. In that case just park your rig, get out, meander into the desert, become one with the sand and saguaros, find peace with your imminent demise before making friends with a family of javalinas who take you in as one of theirs after you gain their trust living your last days naked and feral but happy because road construction does not exit out here in the wasteland.

    Your family will understand.

    Here is where the fun begins

    Yes, the ever-present and never-ending street rehabilitation that goes on here in the Old Pueblo is staggering. So many businesses have suffered because of it. Heck my local health food store where I refill our water bottles is always under threat of it and the usual cool and calm hippies that run the shop scowl and have some choice words. Cursing and scowling hippies. It has come to that.

    They snap, they crackle and they, um…do something else too

    Right now, the 22nd street bridge that links so many avenues and, yes, local businesses, is closing for 3 YEARS which is, and already has, affected said avenues and businesses.

    In fact, one of my favorite shops in town has gotten the word out that it may in fact close its doors for good because of the bridge closure. This is absolutely rotten news if it comes to fruition because this place is not just unique but a necessity for a Gen X dork like me.

    Laffy Taffy, you my only freind

    The Purple Penguin is a candy shop that is unlike any other in town. Not only for its wide selection of treats and sweets but the fact that most of the variety it boasts is a throwback to golden ages of yesteryear delectables. What I mean is that you can find candy here that is from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s…you get the idea.

    That’s right.

    Not too sure if kids today would get this concept

    I haven’t had Big League Chew since I was a little boy, but Purple Penguin sure carries it. Whatchamacallits, Pop Rocks, Hubba Bubba, and, yes, Lik ‘Em Sticks, aka Fun Dips. You know that slightly flavored sugar that you, well, lick a stick and then you dip in packs of colored sucrose then get super high because this was basically cocaine lite for kids. Yeah. Awesome.

    Gotta catch, and eat, them all

    There are bins and bins of wrapped candy that you pay for by the pound, the perfect spot to load up for a birthday, Christmas and of course Halloween. There are shelves lined with delicious sodas and if you are a Harry Potter fan this is the place to visit since there are all sorts of treats and toys from that franchise.

    As a big D&D player and old school video game fan I was happy to see sweet nibbles locked inside polyhedron dice or tins with Donkey Kong or Link from the Legend of Zelda on them. Theres just so much here. Which is why it is our duty Tucson to keep the doors of the Purple Penguin open. We/you/I need this adventurous venue around.

    You work up a thirst eating all that candy

    The owner, Gigi Spinks, bought the Purple Penguin nearly two years ago from the original owner who opened the shop in 2019. Gigi herself has been a longtime customer and was thrilled to be handed the keys to a local legacy.

    *insert nerd cough here*

    But now, with all of that noise going on down her street and closures happening every hour on the hour it seems, the Purple Penguin is struggling to keep its doors open. Which totally sucks. Tell me where in Tucson can I go and get retro candy as well as socks, sarsaparilla, geeky merch, toys and stickers while being surrounded by classic games, memorabilia and rotary pay phones? Nope. Can’t think of a place. If you know of one, well, I don’t want to know. Because the Purple Penguin is my go to locale for such happy time bits and bites.

    Ah, a corner made just for me

    [For my younger readers out there, a rotary phone is, uh, oh never mind. You probably don’t know what a pay phone is either, so I’ll just stop here and continue to be middle aged.]

    Hey mom, what are those things?

    Like said in one of my all-time favorite movies, Back to the Future, “Save the clock tower! Save the clock tower!” Only this time we need to save the Purple Penguin. Okay, its still open but we need to make sure that it remains that way. In fact, when I was last there the shelves and bins were a little empty. Gigi said that with the help of local bloggers and a feature on KGUN9 news, there recently was a rush of folks coming in to see what was going on and to buy up as much as they could. That’s awesome. I wasn’t alone on that last visit as there was a decent crowd of new and regular customers looking around and filling their baskets.

    Sweet

    Let’s make sure it stays that way.

    There you have it Tucson: The Purple Penguin. You know what to do. Go now, load up, keep a local business alive and feel good about yourself. Well, unless you eat too many Laffy Taffys and Abba Zabbas. Then you gotta listen to the songs of the Oompa Loompas. You know what I’m talking about.

    “What do you get when you guzzle down sweets?”

    That’s on you though. You’re a grown-up. Thing is, the Purple Penguin makes us all feel like kids again. In times like these, we all need some sweet relief and good ‘ol timey fun.

    Cheers!

    See you here soon

    Purple Penguin

    3392 E 22nd St, Tucson, AZ

    Sunday & Monday: 11am – 6pm

    Tuesday – Thursday: 11am – 5pm

    Friday & Saturday: 10am – 8pm

    (520) 660-2511

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  • Mission Motor Collective

    Mission Motor Collective

    “I like it here. Its got a lot of space.”

    Get your motor runnin’

    When you think of a beer hall, what exactly comes to mind? Those vast ventures in Germany during Oktoberfest that are akin to open air circus arenas equipped with smiling ladies donning blonde twists and carrying, like, a dozen frosty mugs in each hand? Or maybe just the Pima County Fair, sans sad 80s band mewling in the distance, and if it actually served decent ales and lagers?

    Okay, Mission Motor Collective is not that big, but it’s pretty big.

    This space is the place

    We here in Tucson might be used to spacious locations to pull down yon frothy goodness, and we are fortunate to have a wide selection of said locations. We got the room, no doubt. But the moment I first stepped foot into Mission Motor Co. the first thing that came to mind was “Oh its like a picnic area, but with craft beer and no active hornets nests.”

    Opening just a few months ago here in the year 2025, Mission Motor Collective is the brainchild and passion piece of Nashville, TN native Jeremy London.

    “There’s a lot of motorcycle riders here in Tucson but there really isn’t a specific meeting place where they can get together and get to know one another,” he says. “We want Mission Motor to be that place.”

    Grab ‘n go…or stay

    A longtime rider and builder of bikes himself, Jeremy needed a creative endeavor for both him and his wife Britney as they both work corporate jobs that don’t really embrace creativity on this level. Plus they both totally love craft beer. Makes sense.

    “There’s really nothing like Mission Motor in this area,” notes Jeremy. Its true. Located on the corner of Grant and Stone with neighbors being Grant Stone market, a donut shop and veterinarian center, they do stand out quite easily as the go to destination for canned, bottled and on tap quality brews.

    Its easy to get lost in the Congress and 4th Ave pivot of bars and restaurants but the corner of Grant and Stone? Yeah. No. In fact, Mission Motor should be a stop for downtown folks going home after work, or before work if you’re pulling in a night shift seeing as Mission Motor opens regularly at 2pm. If that’s your thing.

    Remember kids, safety first

    Currently they have 12 taps of rotating hoppy malty greatness along with a line of fridges filled with cans and bottles of imported and domestic tipples along with non-alcoholic options as well. So grab a flavor of your choice and sit for a while. Or take a bunch home. Or take some home after you have stayed a bit. Up to you. Hey, you’re a grown up, you do you.

    Stick ’em if you got ’em

    In the tradition of said European mead marts, Mission Motor Co. has two British regulation dart boards. What I mean by that is they are the proper weight (aka heavy as fxxk), made with real cork and are at the exact height for UK competition level dart playing. That’s right, they don’t play around.

    “It took about three of us to mount those things,” Jeremy says with a laugh. “But it is so worth it as we plan to start a dart league real soon.”

    Motor isn’t in their name for nothing

    Another thing you will immediately notice as you walk in is the mural sized rendition of Rat Fink on the Stone side wall. Pained by a locally renown tattoo artist, ol’ RF is donning a MMC shirt and looks as if he is racing to get to those taps.

    Best part is, art is literally everywhere here. Mission Motor is currently on their 2nd art exhibition and will feature more in the future. Don’t just buy a pint or three, buy a painting or photograph from local artists as well. C’mon! Get some culture in your pad.

    Beer and art, always the perfect combo

    Mission Motor Co. is also host to various game nights such as Bingo and trivia but don’t be afraid to bring your own games because this is the place to do such activities. Heck I’m thinking of moving our D&D club over to Mission Motor.  They allow outside food and the beer selection is a lot better than what we usually provide. And the bathrooms actually work. That’s a plus.

    I sure hope they have a ‘one of each’ policy

    Speaking of food, you can find a new food truck parked outside most days and nights. Just check their Instagram to see what motorized vittles they are serving up. Trust me here, its always something grand and delicious.

    If you just need a snack, there’s a selection of nibbles for you to take on. Oh and they have a tight lineup of wine too. This place has it all!

    First you hang ’em up then you rack ’em up

    What would a badass place such as Mission Motor be if they didn’t have live music as well? Because they totally do! I mean, hey, they have the space for it. By that I mean its bigger than most clubs here in town, or anywhere really. And the bathrooms actually work. Again, always a plus.

    Having a family function or need a place for your event? Look no further! You can rent out Mission Motor for a very reasonable rate. They don’t have pool tables and a fine collection of IPAs at those boring party halls with those dopey round fold tables and broken microphones do they? No they do not.

    Mission Motor even did a Goth clothing exchange recently. Like, who does that? Gothy places, sure, but not any tap house that I have been to. And believe me, I’ve been to my fair share of beer forts. Maybe they are on to something. Bring the pale kids to the pale ales. I’d be so down for that.

    Of course Rat Fink loves this bar, of course

    Seeing as Mission Motor shares a wall with a vet clinic, they are also pet friendly. After Mittens gets their checkup, bring ‘em in and sit for a spell. A cold glass, bottle or can of quality crafty awesomeness will take the sting out of any doctor bill.

    Its just great to know that a place such as Mission Motor Co. exists in our fine desert hamlet. We need more people such as Jeremy and Britney who rely on the goodness of our community. So get yourself and your buddies over to Mission Motor Co. In fact, that’s what I’m going to do right now. See you there.

    Cheers!

    Thank you Jeremy and Britney

    Mission Motor Collective

    2 W. Grant Rd. Tucson AZ

    Website

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    Words and photos

    Mark Whittaker

    yeahwritemark@gmail.com

  • Di Luna Candles

    Di Luna Candles

    Just a table full of goodness

    At the very heart of the situation I am a very simple man. That doesn’t mean I don’t like fancy things. Because I do. Sort of.

    Not like rings, watches, shoes and such, I’m talking about bath products baby. I may wear the same clothes nearly every day but, man, I do love me some handmade soaps and good smelling lotions and body potions.

    Well hello there

    Some say I get that bug from being raised by a gay man. Ha! My dad was as down to earth, rock ‘n roll loving, meat and potatoes sort of dude as they come. For me it was being not the most masculine kid on the row and fortunately was always surrounded by strong women that loved the same form of aesthetic affection.

    When Di Luna Candles opened up in their original location on the corner of Hedrick and Campbell, just a few short blocks from where I type blogs like this, I was totally intrigued.

    This place smells amazing

    Walking in I was immediately smitten by the whiff of high scented air, all coming from their handcrafted candles, amongst other shimmering objects they make on deck. Pretty sure I bought a candle with the smell handle of Morning Matcha. It just hit like a “you need this in your life” kind of baiting coo.

    Not gonna lie, that candle was too much for our lil cabin under the mesquite trees, so I took it outside where it properly belongs. That first aroma dumpling is long gone but currently a Yuzu Blossom varietal has taken its place on the patio and now that the weather is compliant to hanging outside here in Tucson, we spark up that redolence totem and bask in it as we clink glasses and watch blue skies turn to stars.

    For you DIY candle makers out there

    Di Luna recently moved from the small-ish space in the same run as Del Cielo Tamales and into a bigger and brighter place at 2700 Campbell, just across the street from Prep & Pastry.

    Good thing too, because these ladies have expanded their loot.

    Gotta support local

    Oh yeah, not only is Di Luna women owned and operated but it is also Latina owned and operated. Recognize.

    Owner Maria Jose and her crew hand make all of their candles from soy but it just doesn’t end with candles. Oh no. Sure its in their name, but aside from the legion of wicked up regalia, they also create wax melts, reed diffusers and bath salts. And if they don’t make in in house, they buy their other wares from small sustainable businesses that are in the very high percentages of also being women owned and operated. Again…recognize.

    Puzzle me this

    Di Luna sells pet treats. They don’t have the time nor space to make said pet treats so they wholesale them from independent businesses that do have the space and time. To make the treats. Because that’s what they do. They make pet treats. As a business. C’mon now.

    To a T

    As a guy that loves games and gets involved with problems such as jigsaw puzzles, Di Luna carries a fine selection of those time suckers with the impossibly tiny pieces that just drive you/me insane but, ugh!, you just have to finish it because I want to know what this painting of nocturnal animals looks like with squiggly line creases all over it.

    Deep breath. I’m good.

    Classin’ up the joint

    If you’re going to take notes or write that great novel you’ve been meaning to get behind, might as well do so with magnetized chili pepper pens on stationary featuring Pedro Pascal on it. Because they have those too. Plus a bunch of super adorbs kids’ books that I myself found to be far too entertaining. Give me a finger puppet board book and you have a grown azz man sitting in the corner giggling for a good half hour. If not longer. I said it.

    Tea lovers unite because Di Luna offers a great selection of teas and whimsical mugs and cups to steep and drink out of. Theres also margarita mixers on the shelves too and, yeah, don’t be ashamed to drink that margarita out of a mug shaped like an aliens head that you recently bought from them. Believe me when I say that I have tipped back many a tequila infused rocker in far more controversial vessels than a coffee mug. You do you boo boo.

    Feelin’ cute? Better get you an even cuter tee shirt. Or socks. Or hats. Or slippers. Its all here.

    You know you need Gucci bear in your life

    Thing is, if you wander in Di Luna and gander at all of the house created glory and wonder, hey, how do they make all of this gloriousness…wonder no more! Di Luna offers workshops and classes at a reasonable fee so check out their website or pop in to see what hands on tutorials they have coming up. As I type this the holidays are upon us and what better way to say “No clue what to get you so I made this” than a candle that you constructed and smells like a pineapple daiquiri in a pine forest. Grandma will be thrilled!

    Best part is that Di Luna hosts a Saturday community market from 9am – 5pm. Every. Saturday. Yes.

    Here you will find local vendors selling wares and offering services from baked goods to flash tattoos. Its fun for the whole family. Fun like, yeah its fun, but its also fun to come out and bolster small ventures while meeting new faces and possibly making some friends along the way.

    Diffusing the situation

    All I can say is that I am glad Di Luna Candles is a part of my neighborhood. Its nice to just walk in, get hit with that power waft of scented goodness, pick out the porch air flavor of the month and know that my small donation is going to such a worthy cause. Its easy to go downtown or some shopping stretch to find something in the ilk of Di Luna, but midtown Tucson on the corner of Campbell and Mitchell, that is a gift indeed.

    Speaking of which, Xmas is like in just a few weeks. Maybe I should take one of their workshops. Do you think Di Luna would let me make a SpaghettiOs and dill pickle potato chip scented candle for my wife? Better make a reservation and find out.

    Cheers!

    Thanks Di Luna

    Di Luna Candles

    2700 N Campbell Ave., Tucson AZ

    520.771.8047

    Website

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    Words and photos by

    Mark Whittaker

    yeahwritemark@gmail.com

  • Nexus Occult Books & Oddities

    Nexus Occult Books & Oddities

    We have Peter Venkman to thank for Nexus Occult Books and Oddities. Yes that Peter Venkman. From “Ghostbusters” C’mon.

    A 4 year old Andrew Cox saw that classic paranormal comedy and immediately wanted to be the character Bill Murray portrayed. He was enthralled about the whole subject matter of ghosts and demons being manifested in the material world, even as he was laughing the whole time.

    Thing is his very strict Catholic upbringing would halt any further curious excursion into that realm of possibilities.

    If you can’t find it here, you don’t need it

    Years later at the age of 9 he was finally privy to bare witness to “The Exorcist”. Yes, that “Exorcist”. The og “Exorcist”. Jeeze.

    “That movie completely broke my brain,” Cox says.

    This was also in the era of those Time Life Books with titles such as “Mysteries of the Unknown”, “Witches and Witchcraft” and “Ancient Wisdom and Secret Societies” being made available at local libraries. Not to mention TV shows like “Unsolved Mysteries”, “In Search Of…” and “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”, which further cracked Andrew’s young cranium.

    “It did not take long for me to get completely obsessed with the occult.”

    Basically my adolescence on a shelf

    This is when Andrew began to collect books on the subject. Like, a lot of books. At age 14 he performed his first spell and before long his book collecting became an obsession. That obsession earned him at one point three stacked to the racks storage units, all filled with books and tomes generally geared toward the underworld and the other worldly.

    Originally from Memphis, TN, Andrew Cox wound up in Tucson around 1992 before moving to Phoenix to study music. When that didn’t go as planned he basically moved around the US and at one point was managing metal bands and working for metal centered record labels before returning to Tucson and working in ad sales.

    “I made good money but I was miserable,” he admits.

    Oh yeah, they got that too

    We also have a serious illness to thank with the opening of Nexus. That sounds grim but, work with me here.

    Originally Andrew was going to wait to open his dream of an occult bookstore if and when some family money came his way. After defeating his illness, Andrew knew right then and there that life was too short and fragile. He threw caution to the billowy winds of the arcane arts and decided to manifest that dream of opening a space for said books and curiosities while developing a community for any and all people deep in or mildly interested in the occult.

    Of course they have candles, of course

    It took a while to find a place, mainly because most landlords and commercial space renters were pretty worried about being in cahoots with anything to do with “the occult”. Luckily Andrew found what is now the permanent spot for Nexus in a retail strip on Speedway just east of Swan.

    The doors of Nexus Occult Books & Oddities opened just over three years ago to both a round of appreciated applause and dubious dubiety.

    “People either come in here and are super excited, shopping, asking questions, filling their arms with products or they walk in, see what we are all about, make a quick round and are out before I can even say ‘thanks for coming in’.”

    Celts and Kreskin, oh my

    Nexus is for sure a specialty shop but the constraints of just an occult bookstore are very loose to say the least. Not to say that you’ll find the latest Danielle Steele novel on the shelves, although you never know!, but there is a fiction section, books on art, gender studies, world history, martial arts and even role playing games.

    That’s how I became a fan of Nexus.

    About two years ago I decided to, finally, check it out. When I walked in I was dazzled by the vast expanse of underground, hard to find and rare books dealing with mythology, religion, cryptozoology, witchcraft and magick. You know, the occult. I struck up a conversation with Andrew and his store manager Zach Myers and immediately felt welcome. It was then that I discovered a small section of role playing games on the shelves. In the tight folds I found a vintage Ravenloft module, a horror/vampire series for Dungeons and Dragons. Being a long time player of D&D I knew what that thing was worth. Then I saw the price tag of $3 and, yeah, I snatched it up. Thanks Nexus!

    Say hello to the Tarot

    At the time, there was an adjacent school next door called NAMES (Nexus Academy of Magick and Esoteric Sciences) which unfortunately was short lived.

    “An estate company based in San Francisco bought the property and raised our rent, so much we had to shut down NAMES,” states Andrew with a heavy sigh.

    They may not provide any classes at the moment but Nexus does offer Tarot readings and feel free to drop in anytime and ask questions. No seriously, these guys are really cool.

    You gotta support local

    Books? Oh yeah. Games? You betcha. Crazy neat stuff you didn’t know you needed but totally do? Duh!

    Nexus is also your place for incense, Tarot decks, jewelry, art, crystal balls, statues and my personal favorite, cauldrons.

    “I wanted Nexus to be not just about books and objects but a safe space and a resource for the occult community,” Cox notes. “People may not know it but Tucson has a huge and tight knit occult community.”

    Boasting some of the most haunted areas in the southwest, yeah. That tracks.

    So shiny, so pointy

    Nexus also does trade, consignment and will take donations. Regarding the donations point, please don’t go there and dump a bunch of Stephen King books you’ve been meaning to get rid of, because they have their fill of that. But if you have something in your or your cool aunt’s that recently passed, the one that always wore dark flowy clothes and thought “Practical Magic” was a Christmas movie, collection of books in good condition focused on witchcraft, astrology, divination, the paranormal, etc, they will most likely take it off your hands or cut you a deal.

    “When I was in advertising I made good money, but I was pretty miserable,” says Cox. “I literally make no money owning Nexus but I couldn’t be happier.”

    Amen to this place

    To those on the outside places like Nexus and the people that work there, visit and support it might seem a little scary to you. Fear not! Most if not all in the occult or metaphysical community are usually the nicest people you could meet. As a long/lifetime Metalhead and someone who is embracing their inner Goth at middle age, those that live and love on the darkside of this human wave take the slings and arrows of criticism and scorn with loving aplomb. Why? Because to quote Ron Weasly to Harry Potter after reading his tea leaves:

    “You’re going to suffer but you’re going to be happy about it.”

    Nexus and the occult community are happy in their own skins and are welcoming to everyone that accepts that.

    And if you cross over to their dark light, the more the merrier.

    Nexus manager Zach Myers and owner Andrew Cox

    Thank you Andrew Cox and Nexus! And thank you Peter Venkman. Without you who knows if we’d been bewitched with such a badass bookstore. That also sells something called “wet specimens”. Yeah, try getting that at Barnes and Noble.

    Cheers!

    Nexus Occult Books & Oddities

    4865 E. Speedway Blvd.

    520-334-0372

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