My first sketch of 2018. New York had two solid weeks of below-freezing temperatures, but it finally warmed up. Which was still in the 30's, but it felt downright balmy. Zoltar has been on my To-Draw list for a while.
This Zoltar Fortune Teller stands in front of Gem Spa at the corner of Second Ave. and St Mark's Place. Despite its name, the store has nothing to do with gems or spas. "Gem" supposedly is an anagram of Gladys, Etta, and Miriam, the wives of the store's previous owners. I don't know why it's called "Spa." It's a corner store/newsstand known for its egg creams, and was a counter-culture center for the Beats and then the hippies in the 50s and 60s.
Zoltar is probably most famous today from his appearance in the movie Big, but I was surprised to learn that there's been a long line of Zoltar (or Zoltan) machines. This is the last one in New York City. There used to be one at FAO Schwarz, and there was one at Coney Island that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. The store has been there since the 1920s, but Zoltar has only been there since 2012. He continually spouts those four phrases, beckoning the East Village passerby. I didn't spend the two dollars to get my fortune. From what I've read, Zoltar just spits out a ticket with a fortune cookie-type saying on it. People seem disappointed by this, but really, what were they expecting?
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