It was a dark and stormy night as an Indian summer descended back into a soggy fall at Cigars and Stripes in Berwyn. <\/p>\n
A fine assemblage of costumed freaks had gathered to listen to a punky electric polka band and watch as a scantily-clad woman tossed around flaming torches. One man was kicked in his privates twice by two members of a Chicago roller derby team on purpose. <\/p>\n
The week-long Halloween celebration known as \"Freaktober Fest\" had begun at Cigars and Stripes, a bar and grill long known for its cast of colorful characters. <\/p>\n
And just when things couldn't get any weirder, owner Ronnie Lottz pulled the sheet off a 10-foot-tall statue of a mummified cyborg alien, complete with a rotating chicken wing in its stomach. <\/p>\n
The statue is named \"Sweet Pea,\" and tonight was his homecoming. <\/p>\n
Sweet Pea had greeted customers for more than 10 years when he disappeared six months ago. Unbeknownst to the eccentric bar owner, his sister and son had taken the mummy to be resurrected again by Harper College professor and artist Darryl Harris. <\/p>\n
While Lottz searched for Sweet Pea, he was being recreated through Harris' class, which takes recycled and found materials to make art. <\/p>\n
Although Lottz was angry at first, he was eventually let in on the prank. When he found out about the project, he was so pleased with what he saw that he ended up financing the rest of it. <\/p>\n
\"This looks like aliens came down and stole Sweet Pea, took him to Mars and shot him up with steroids and put him in a workout program. Then they gave him a bunch of guns and sent him back here,\" said Lottz. \"He's complete with light-up eyes, a light-up cigar, moans, groans and a rotating giant chicken wing in his gut.\" <\/p>\n
Sweet Pea's rebirth mirrors a looming change for the bar and restaurant he's become something of a mascot of. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Go here to read the rest:<\/p>\n
Berwyn 'Freaktober Fest' kicks off with unveiling of cyborg alien mummy<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It was a dark and stormy night as an Indian summer descended back into a soggy fall at Cigars and Stripes in Berwyn. A fine assemblage of costumed freaks had gathered to listen to a punky electric polka band and watch as a scantily-clad woman tossed around flaming torches. Continue reading