King of the Commode Book Release Party

As readers may recall from our cover story “Celebrating Barney Smith, the Norman Rockwell of Toilet Seat Art” (January 24, 2018), Alamo Heights folk artist and raconteur Barney Smith is ready to throw in the towel and sell the beloved Toilet Seat Art Museum he opened in 1992. Lovingly packed with 1,300-plus toilet seats Smith has craftily decorated in homage to everything from Fiesta and Pez Dispensers to the Challenger and the Berlin Wall, the nationally recognized roadside attraction and its inimitable proprietor are respectfully celebrated in King of the Commode, a Kickstarter-funded book hitting shelves May 24 courtesy of Austin-based micro-publisher Cattywampus Press (CWP). In celebration of both the book’s May 24 release, Barney Smith Day (an official Alamo Heights observance since 2017) and Smith’s 97th birthday (!), CWP invites friends old and new to “come visit with Barney, tour the museum, and enjoy one of Barney’s favorite snacks, milk and cookies!”