My friend Jeff couldn't make it to the Obama fund raiser but got caught up in my Child of the Sixties meme and decided to Photoshop himself an "Obama and Me" pic. Which made me realize I didn't have to be satisfied with my somewhat startled expression. The caption almost writes itself.
If I had it to do over, I think I would have added a touch of "street" to my ensemble.
And if I'm going to doctor the photo, why not turn back the clock a few years?
Remember that kid that sat behind you grade school that was always drawing? Ever wonder what happened to him? Well, if he (or she) was as talented as Michael Spooner, he did okay.
Michael (we knew him as Mike back then) and I were classmates 45 years ago in Kennett, MO. Michael and I ran in different crowds but Kennett was a small place and everybody knew everybody.
In a previous post I mentioned that Michael stumbled across smays.com a few days ago and pinged me. He included some old snapshots and his resume, to let me know what he's been up to.
He got into animation as a Layout Artist with Ralph Bakshi’s feature production of Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings. He spent some years at Disney where he worked on --just to name a few-- Goof Troop, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Emperor's New Groove, Treasure Planet and Lilo and Stitch. He also assisted on early development design of Dreamworks' Shrek. And he Co-Art Directed Warner Brothers first full-length animated feature, Quest for Camelot. If you have kids or an appreciation for animation, check out his bio. He was also kind enough to share a dozen or so examples of his work.
I called Michael up this morning and asked him to share some of his adventures and we wound up talking for an hour. I've cut the interview into three segments about about 20 minutes each.
Today, Michael owns Spoonerville Animation Design, an independent visual development studio, providing both traditional and CGI design concepts and lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with his writer-wife Beverly, and son Philip. Michael is a visiting artist and lecturer, presenting in universities, art schools and animation studios throughout the United States.
A Google search led Mike Spooner (he goes by Michael these day) to this blog. I grew up with Mike, er, Michael, in Kennett, Missouri. He moved to Flint, Michigan, in 1964, did "some" college before getting drafted in 1969. Not a good year to get drafted. Following service he attended art college in Los Angeles and stayed for 28 years. From Michael's bio:
"Michael Spooner has worked in the animation industry for twenty-five years with such notable studios as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and DreamWorks. Michael’s professional career in art began in 1976, when he was invited to join the faculty at Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, after graduating with distinction. He taught for twelve years, simultaneously working as a freelance illustrator for clients that included the Public Broadcasting System, Zondervan Publishing House, Masda Motors, the National Football League, NBC Television, Paramount Pictures and Twentieth Century Fox."
This sounds like a Brush with Near Greatness to me and I've asked Michael for an interview. Stay tuned.
He got lost for a couple of hours in our Flickr photostream and shares some photos from his stash. A couple of his Cub Scout pack; one of the KHS swim team; and one of the KHS junior high track team.
The swim team photo brought back fond memories of Diane West (far left). We dated a few times. She was 16 --and could drive-- and I was still 15. She lived at the municipal swimming pool and exuded the intoxicating fragrance of chlorine.
It's nice to hear from Mike and see a few long, lost photos from my youth.
I really enjoyed the movie Million Dollar Baby... right up until I realized it was not going have a happy ending. I spent the last 15 or 20 minutes of the film in the lobby, watching some brats play air hockey. I didn't watch the ending of Old Yeller either.
I bring it up because I just discovered a connection between Maggie Fitzgerald (the Hillary Swank character) and Juli Crockett, the lead singer of the Evangenitals who dropped us a comment last week.
"Boxing trainer Jerry Boyd had never met Juli Crockett when he wrote the stories on which the film Million Dollar Baby is based. But when he did--at a bout in San Diego--he was convinced she was Maggie Fitzgerald, the tough and driven fighter of his fiction (played by Hilary Swank in the movie) come to life. Like Fitzgerald, Crockett came from the South, grew up without a father (but found one in the ring), and had a brief but stunning pro career (3-0, with 2 knockouts) cut short by injuries (though not nearly as severe as Fitzgerald's). Other parallels: ambition, boxing style, that smile. Crockett, now 29 and a grad student, saw Million Dollar Baby for the first time last week." [Interview in USNews]
Turns out Ms. Crockett is much more than a humble singer/songwriter. Her Wikipedia page has the dope.
Today's assignment... name three other female singers who can punch your lights out. Leave your answers on my desk as you leave.
It never ceases to amaze me how many of the people I mention here find my humble little notes and get in touch. I could mention a few but it would be the worst kind of name dropping. Okay, I'll mention one.
A week or so back I gushed about the song Fuck 'em All by the Evangenitals and how I had searched (unsuccessfully) for the lyrics. Well, guess who left a little comment love:
"I'll tell you what... I'm going to add Fuck 'em All to the Evangenitals website, and I'll put the lyrics up there just for you. :-) Give me a few days, and as you wish, so it shall be. Thanks for finding us, for listening, and for hearing."
Love, Rev Juli Crockett (lead singer/songwriter) - The Evangenitals
Like the lady in the DirecTV commercial (the redhead with the big ass) says, "How cool is that?"
Kay Henderson was back in the digital Green Room following ABC News' debate this morning in Des Moines. The "other guys" in the headline were: Actor Ron Livingston; the LA Times' Mark Barabak; ABC News Political Director David Chalian and ABC News senior political reporter and author of "The Note" Rick Klein.”
Livingston is an Iowa native who gained international stardom with his leading role in the movie “Office Space.” He was also one of Carrie’s boyfriends in “Sex & the City” plus he did a fine job in “Band of Brothers.”
At no time during the 9 minute video was Kay and Ron in the same frame.
Small-town radio guy...studio musician in Nashville...bright lights of Broadways... Ben Brogdon has kept busy doing what he loves: playing music. He's had his share of Brushes with Near Greatness and was kind enough to share a few of them. The interview runs almost 30 minutes (11 meg MP3) so you might want to drag it over to the iPod.
Seeing Wayne Newton perform at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at the height of his career...depressing. Seeing Wayne Newton perform at his theater in Branson, Missouri in the twilight of his career...real depressing. Going backstage with your grandmother to stand in line to meet Wayne Newton after the show...a Brush with Near Greatness for little 12-year-old Lane. AUDIO: BWNG #004
Long-time farm broadcaster Jerry Passer was working at WMT-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the mid-70's, when a young Mary Hart came over from South Dakota to do feature segments for the midday news-farm show. Jerry recalls those million dollar gams looked great in the mini-skirts that were popular at the time. AUDIO: BWNG #003
This week's BWNG is a...melange of brushes with near greatness. As a long-time radio guy, Jeff has met, interviewed or passed on the streett...a lot of famous (or once-famous) people. He sat down in the BWNG studios armed with a long list of brushes and we didn't get to them all. BWNG #002
We've all experienced brushes with near greatness. These pulse-pounding moments can range from a drunken limo ride with Courtney Love to an elevator ride with someone you're pretty sure plays for the Cubs. A brush with near greatness does not require that you actually speak to or with the great one, or that they even know you're in the room.
Today we debut what we hope will be a sustaining feature at smays.com. David --a friend and co-worker-- has had not one, but two brushes with near greatness and he was kind enough to share them here. You can download the MP3 file for now and we'll podcast as soon as I can figure out how to do that. BWNG #001 runs about 4 1/2 minutes.
Update: If you have a BWNG you'd like to share, email an MP3 (48kbps, 22khz mono) and keep it under 5 min. If you're feeling fragile, forget it. I might not use your brush.
