Entry No. 15 — the Los Angeles file — filed under: oddities
Wacko / Soap Plant & La Luz de Jesus Gallery
A 6,500-square-foot Los Feliz institution running since 1971, crammed with more than 10,000 items: tongue-in-cheek occult books, Godzilla figures, lowbrow art toys, and shelves of strange ephemera. The attached La Luz de Jesus Gallery, founded in 1986, is a landmark of the lowbrow and pop-surrealism art movements with rotating shows. It is one of the city's longest-surviving weird-retail landmarks, still owned by Billy Shire.
The story
Before 'lowbrow art' had an academic label or institutional validation, Billy Shire was peddling handmade soaps and underground counterculture ephemera back in 1971. In 1986, he launched La Luz de Jesus Gallery, effectively handing a megaphone to pop-surrealists, comic illustrators, and outsider painters whom mainstream Westside galleries routinely ignored.
In 1995, Shire consolidated WACKO, Soap Plant, and La Luz de Jesus into this sprawling 6,500-square-foot stronghold on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz. It functions less like a retail shop and more like an overgrown archive of subculture—holding over 10,000 items that range from tongue-in-cheek occult paperbacks and Godzilla figures to custom lowbrow art toys, tiki ephemera, and obscure counterculture monographs.
What it's like
Walk through the door at 4633 Hollywood Boulevard and you are instantly inside a dense, floor-to-ceiling labyrinth. The trick here is slow-scanning: a Japanese monster figurine sits directly beside an esoteric magic manual, and it takes deliberate hunting to spot the rarest finds. Follow the carpet deeper into the back to hit the white-walled La Luz de Jesus Gallery, where rotating underground art shows hang away from the shop noise. Weekend afternoons get crowded with neighborhood strollers, so aim for a weekday visit or drop in on the first Friday night of the month when they host show openings.
The move: Dig through the overstuffed shelves of oddball books and toys, then wander into the back gallery to see whatever surreal art show is currently hanging.
- 📍 Los Feliz, Los Angeles
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Tiki-Ti — After digging through pop-surrealist toys and art books, walk ten minutes down Sunset to grab a classic tropical drink inside this legendary twelve-seat hut.
- Philosophical Research Society — If Wacko's selection of occult and esoteric paperbacks caught your attention, head a mile north into Los Feliz to browse Manly P. Hall's historic research library.
Good to know
Where is La Luz de Jesus Gallery inside the building?
The gallery space is located right in the back section of the 6,500-square-foot retail floor—just walk straight through the main store.
When do new gallery exhibitions open?
La Luz de Jesus Gallery traditionally hosts its artist opening receptions on the first Friday of each month.
Who owns and runs Wacko / Soap Plant?
The venue was founded and is still owned by Billy Shire, a central figure in Los Angeles's underground art scene since the early 1970s.
What kind of merchandise will I find on the shelves?
The shop stocks over 10,000 items including occult books, pop-surrealist art books, Godzilla figures, lowbrow toys, esoteric ephemera, and novelty gifts.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Official site · Yelp · pbssocal.org · Reddit · californiathroughmylens.com
last checked: 2026-06-23