"I hate an idealist. There's always something messy about them."
The Diogenes Club
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Buttons - Events - 1982
McCleary 2nd Growth & Bear Festival
24th Annual
July 16-17-18-1982
On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.
Buttons - Events - 1977
McCleary 2nd Growth & Bear Festival
19th Annual
July 15-16-17-1977
On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Morty Comix # 2447
George McGovern, 1922-2012
Come Home America
In many elections I hear voters say they have to choose between the lesser of evils. But in 1972 it was clearly a choice between Good and Evil. And America re-elected Evil in a landslide. Two years later it was hard to find anyone who admitted to voting for Nixon.
There was a bit of graffiti someone wrote on the restroom wall of McGovern HQ in Oly. I'll share it here, and as off-color as it was, it does sum up how us young volunteers felt about Dick Nixon: "Don't change Dicks in the middle of a screw, vote for Nixon in '72!"
When I balance the choices I made in my life, I count the experience of being a volunteer for McGovern in '72 as something I will never regret. I also supported him in my caucus when he ran in 1984 against Ron the Con. And I don't regret that either. Several issues considered radical in the 1970s-1980s are now embraced by many Republicans. So our side eventually won. George was a pioneer and a winner on the right side of history. But being a pioneer has a big price.
To quote McGovern, "You know, sometimes, when they say you're ahead of
your time, it's just a polite way of saying you have a real bad sense of
timing."
He also said something to the effect: "I wanted to run for President in worst way-- and I did!"
My fave was when his wife, Eleanor, came to Seattle and proclaimed the Nixon administration the "most corrupt in recent history." There was a big uproar. A few days later George arrived and apologized. He said Eleanor should have left out the word "recent."
McGovern was on the winning wide of history, at least on social issues and foreign policy. In this area obstructionist conservatives will always lose and progressives will always win. Economics has more of a universal pendulum.
Goodbye Sen. McGovern. And thank you for being a voice of reason on a national stage filled with haters shouting out messages of greed and fear. You were an inept politician, but you were a decent man. It was a miracle you were ever nominated. But working for you was the cleanest political experience I have ever had in my life, and I frequently revisit the idealism of that year if I need to recharge to keep up the Good Fight. Of course we all evolve, but at my core I still think of myself as a McGovernite. And a whole generation of us were inspired by your campaign. You were a WWII vet who worked hard to end war. I salute you for your service and your vision.
Come Home America
Favorite Movie Quotes: Dr. No
"Does the toppling of American missiles really compensate for having no hands?"
Buttons - Events - 1974
McCleary 2nd Growth & Bear Festival
16th Annual
July 19-20-21-1974
On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.
Morty Comix # 2446
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Phone photo 2009
"The Count Has a Posse"
Sticker found in an alley in Aberdeen, Washington. This is an image of Joe Towey in his role as The Count, an over-the-top vampire who introduced late night night horror films on KIRO TV in Seattle in the 1960s-1970s.
Joe also worked as the director of the J.P. Patches show. I met Joe when I interviewed J.P. back in 1975. Mr. Towey was a very mild mannered and almost shy man as he demonstrated how the control booth and cameras worked as the show was airing.
Buttons - Events - 1966
McCleary 2nd Growth & Bear Festival
8th Annual
July 15-16-17-1966
On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Morty Comix # 2445
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.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Favorite Movie Quotes: City of Angels
And really, believe me, that was the most exciting line in this bit of cinema art.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Morty Comix # 2444
Old, decaying strip malls, I must admit, do hold a certain fascination for me. They were the proto-malls of their time. This particular one predated the Oly area's first bonafide mall (South Sound Mall in Lacey) by a half dozen years. Both vacant holes pictured here hold many memories for me as the spaces have performed a variety of retail roles in their past.
In cartoonist terms, the left half of this image once housed a pharmacy/gift shop back when Tricky Dick was in office. They also sold LP albums, lots of them. The owner was a big fat Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives who used his girth as a campaign plus since he claimed it would make him be noticed when he stood up to talk. But in fact all he did was introduce bills to benefit pharmacists.
Anyway, when my parents would be shopping for groceries next door, I'd slip into this place and study the amazing album covers. I didn't really care about the music on the vinyl as much as I studied the big graphic images used to sell them. This was part of my education as a visual artist.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Favorite Movie Quotes: Captain Blood
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