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Starving Iguanas Biography

Written by Ether

 Starvingiguanas.com has changed it's basis a few times in the past years. It was originally launched in 2005 as an online store for 2 Des Moines, IA kidz - Matthawk and myself (Ether) to sell our merchandise we made from the back of Matthawk's van (Rufus P. Rokkwell) as we traveled around the US. The website was created almost in full by Filthy, another DMI kid and a fellow Iguana as well (while I stood behind him and made sure his glass of rum never got warm or close to empty...) We (Matthawk and I) traveled through Chicago, Cleveland, Niagra Falls, Boston, Providence RI, NYC, Brooklyn, Philly, Baltimore, D.C., Pittsburgh and parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin as well. Making friends and telling people about our website. 

As time passed new themes and idea sharing became more and more appealing so when the anarchist rabbi (Sholom) became an Iguana it became more of an online zine of sorts that spoke about our travels (the rabbi and myself) it also showcased some of my photography as well. At this point the redesign was done by the rabbi and myself mainly in Brooklyn, NY at a 'radical Jewish safehouse' in Crown Heights and random coffee shops scattered around Williamsburg. The site gave up the merchandise idea as it was 'too consumeristic' and became more of a 'free information exchange' for any people interested enough to see what a couple crazy 'voluntarily homeless' kidz running around between Boston and NYC were doing instead of getting a job and living somewhere stable. 

Once the rabbi and I were no longer traveling together the website came to a stand still for almost half a year. Mainly because there was no laptop made available to work from. I traveled with a kid I had met in Boston named Dylan from NYC all the way to Miami, touring with some acoustic folk punks (Johnny Hobo and Brook Pridemore) from Philly to Florida. The website gathered cobwebs but the idea behind it never died and neither did telling people about it's existence. Ideas began stewing in some of the heads of those involved and new ideas about supporting artists seem to be a recurring theme. The idea to support them and showcase amazing artistic and writing talents across the US for absolutely FREE was enough to get us and a lot of others excited. But there was no website like this available yet and still no laptop to work from. This all changed when a homey in Boston walked up to me one day, handed me a laptop and said 'here... work on your website.' 

Going back to DMI for a visit, Filthy, Vosman (another DMI kid) and I started redesigning the site for the 3rd time. This time with the idea of registered users having the option to upload stories and art from THEIR computers and any visitors of the site to be able to find and browse through portfolios of all the artists involved, was the basis. (hopefully it will soon be able to help support musicians and film makers…someday…) It is still the attempt at an online zine of sorts but the idea of an 'online art community' was the most important aspect of it. So as I continue to travel the US and tell people of the website and those involved travel and tell people where to find their portfolio’s online, we will all support each other. Creating an artist community as well as an outlet for artists across the US and Canada (friend and fellow iguana... mac) and hopefully eventually the world. 

So… as of current, that is the basis of the website and a brief history thus far. Who knows what we hold in store for the future?