A Few Questions For Ingrid Hart – July 8, 2010
Note: The story originally appeared in the Arcata Eye on April 3, 2007 – Ed.
What was involved with amassing the doodads Leoni’s wearing/holding?
Most of the items that Leoni was wearing belonged to me. There were some items I acquired from other people. I did not wear these items all at the same time.
Do you still have any of those items?
Yes. I have the porcupine quill earrings and the peace sign.
Was that a real reefer? Who rolled it?
Yes. It was real. My roommate (who shall remain unnamed) rolled it. During that time we enjoyed partaking of the herb. The mushrooms (liberty caps) in the little brown leather bag were real.
I’m sure they didn’t last long as we enjoyed tripping the lights fantastic – at that time.
What would you do different if you could do it over?
Taken more pictures with the Humboldt Honey doing silly stuff. I would have taken pictures of the photo session itself.
What’s the biggest flaw with the poster?
Some of the arrows pointing to various parts of her body were not straight. Although I must admit it gives the poster some homespun charm.
Everything was layed out by hand. Can you imagine that there was not a robust layout software program at that time?
What’s the funniest or most insightful detail?
I like Birkenstocks – the sole of Humboldt County.
Have you ever thought about what today’s HH might consist of?
No. I’m locked in a time warp.
What was the best thing anyone said about the poster or you, and the worst or most misguided?
The Best: The late, great, S.F. Chronicle columnist Herb Caen wrote me a note and told me I would make a good journalist.
The Worst: I don’t really focus on the negative – mostly because nothing stands out in my mind.
What physical process did you use to lay out the poster? Where was that done?
It was such a great learning process for me. Pioneer Graphics did the typesetting. A printing company in Santa Rosa did the press run. I did the layout by hand in my apartment at the “Colony Inn.”
What did this endeavor cost you, and what did you make off it?
I would say that it cost about $1,000 to make the poster and I must have made about $5,000… It taught me to be a business woman – it is what I do today. Here is a funny story:
I was selling all kinds of posters throughout the county. I received a phone call. Is this Ingrid da Silva, the creator of the Humboldt Honey poster? Why yes, I said. Gosh you sure have been selling a lot of posters, huh? Yes. Business is good. How can I help you? I am calling from the Franchise Tax Board and you don’t have a license to sell your poster. Did you know that you have to pay taxes on the sale of all your posters?
Did creation of this poster impair or enhance your personal life? How?
The poster definitely enhanced my personal life. It really was great being the belle of the ball. I got such much attention. However, it did impair my personal life in some ways because I was so overwhelmed with the negative backlash from the right-wing extremists.
At that time, it was my intention to please people. Now after a lot of therapy and personal work, I realize that everyone is entitled to their opinion. It really doesn’t have anything to do with me at all. The poster was simply a catalyst for expression of both the right and left wing factions.
