Morty Comix # 2676

Morty Comix # 2676 was placed behind the canvas of a painting in a pizza joint/sports bar where I enjoyed a great sub sandwich for lunch. Tumwater, Washington.

Apollo's, 1994-2013

Goodbye to Apollo's Pizza

One of my fave pizza places has closed up, I am sorry to say. Apollo's on Olympia's Westside made some of the best pizzas I have ever had. I even hid a couple Morty Comix there as well as phone photoed a discarded portable dental floss by their front door, so the joint had some history here on Morty the Blog.

This picture was taken a year ago when I hid a Morty Comix in that bench facing the camera.

Thanks for all the good memories, Apollo's. One of my best recollections was around 2007 when there was a bad storm and the power went out. Ian had a bicycle helmet headlamp he lent to you guys so you could continue working in the kitchen since the ovens remained hot and we all ate by candlelight.

Morty Comix # 2669

Morty Comix # 2669 was tucked under a corner table in a Tumwater, Washington pizza joint. Interesting the word "new" is written under the tabletop amid the wads of dried gum.

Phone photo 2635

Olympia, Washington

Morty Comix # 2584

Morty Comix # 2584 was placed inside a case of playing cards at a pizza place in Tumwater, Washington

Morty Comix # 2566

 

Morty Comix # 2566 was folded twice and placed between the leaves in a dessert/cocktail menu at a pizza place in Tumwater, Washington

Morty Comix # 2547

Morty Comix # 2547 was sort of a rush job. It was placed under a dining table at a Tumwater, Washington pizza joint at the peak of lunch hour.

Morty Comix # 2518

Morty Comix # 2518 was slipped into the dessert menu of a pizza joint in Tumwater, Washington

Morty Comix # 2455

Somehow the 4 pages of Morty Comix # 2455 escaped scanning, but I did record the distribution point. I was waiting for my to-go pizza at a joint in Oly's Westside, and stuffed the little guy into the waiting booth bench cushions.

Morty Comix # 2445

Morty Comix # 2445 was dropped into the mail slot of a long vacant storefront on Oly's Westside where a pizza place used to be.

Actually two different pizza places were there from the 1970s-2000s. Lots of good memories in both.

I think it was in this place I heard a good McGovern/Nixon story. Since George is in his last days I think it is appropriate to relay this tale.

Around 1976 a bunch of us guys taking a Constitutional law class at The Evergreen State College went here to share a pizza and beer. One among us was Vietnam War vet who was badly wounded on a gunboat, patched up, and then sent back to the U.S. for noncombat duty. He said he was then assigned to the White House.

According to this fellow, he stood at attention in a room where President Nixon came most evenings and studied papers. The President always wore glasses and had a beer with him as he did so. After a month of basically being ignored by Nixon, the Commander in Chief suddenly looked up at the soldier and asked, "Who did you vote for in the last election, son?"

"McGovern, SIR!" was the reply.

And the next day he was given a new assignment.

Goodbye George, and thank you.

Morty Comix # 2426

Morty Comix # 2426 was placed in an arcade area of a Tumwater, Washington pizza joint

Phone photo 1440

Phone photo 1351

This is "Chef Pizza Monster." Apparently the mascot of Noble Roman's Take-n-Bake Pizza, based somewhere not in the Pacific Northwest. I have never seen this promo out here on the NW Edge of America before today. Since this company has been around awhile, those of you in the Midwest might be more familiar with this image.

Some time, somewhere, some one thought this was a good advertising image.

Uh, OK.

I'm sure the pizza is good and the company has enjoyed success in other parts of the country, but, I'm sorry, this creature does not inspire me to purchase this product. It looks like a Muppet on an acid trip. Or perhaps they are using magic mushrooms as a topping.

In fact, this thing looks very much like the mythological creatures the native people of the Northwest Coast of North America used to carve into totems. And frankly, those images scare the Hell out of me. If you live out here where we have volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis and "extratropical cyclones" (Columbus Day 1962), surrounded by thick jungle-like rainforests where creatures like wild Russian boars (who have tusks like this guy) and Sasquatch roam in a dramatic landscape, the thought of a cryptozoological animal with a chef hat serving food is sort of unsettling.

And of course us old guys recall the Purple People Eater. This mascot reminds of us of that song.

I love pizza, and maybe next time I visit that store I'll try this offering. But it will be in spite of the creepy creature. 

Phone photo 1226

Pizza!