RECORD STORE TALES MkII: Getting More Tale
#417: Tim-Toons! Brought to you by the makers of Brett-Lore!
Grade 10 was a great time – good music, good friends. In Grade 10 I witnessed Rob Szabo blow the school away with a lunchtime performance of “YYZ” by Rush. It was the talk of the school. I remember sitting up there in science class after, talking about the band with the teacher Mr. Marrow.
Mr. Marrow (“Joe”, for unknown reasons – his name was Paul) was awesome. Strict, but fascinating. Made science interesting. He did me a favour by appearing in my highschool music video for “Nothing But A Good Time”, as the pissed-off teacher. Marrow was a moon landing skeptic, but refused to elaborate on his beliefs when pressed. Like I said, a fascinating guy.
There was a kid in my science class named Tim, who quickly became known as “Pyro Tim” for turning on the gas for the Bunsen burners to see what would happen if you lit it directly from the tap. “Pyro Tim” and I later went to University together majoring in History, and we had more hijinks there.
In second year, Tim and I were hanging out a lot outside of class. We had a number of classes together including classic Greek and Roman history. It was us and a pair of really, really attractive blonde girls named Lee and someone else. (I can’t remember the other girl’s name — it was Lee I had a crush on.) We had become an inseparable quartet in class. We would study after class, or just hang out. One afternoon post-class, we watched Monty Python (The Life of Brian) and Star Trek (“The Trouble With Tribbles”), just like stereotypical University students in the 1990’s.
One thing that tended to irritate the three of us about Tim was his knack for missing classes (particularly Monday or Friday mornings), and then ask to borrow our notes afterwards. The ultimate moment of frustration was when he more or less copied an essay I wrote, and then got a better mark than me on it! I couldn’t believe it! He copied mine, made some changes and scored a better mark. How was it possible? Was he greasing the palms of the professors? He definitely liked to talk their ears off after class, all dressed up in his shirt and tie.
The frustration boiled in us, but mostly me! An old Klingon proverb says that “revenge is a dish best served cold.” It is very cold in Canadian winters.
Another Friday came and went, with Tim a no-show in class. So, we decided to sabotage him. With the encouragement of my two friends, I took two sets of notes that day – one for me, and one for him. I substituted the Greek names of historical figures with characters from the Beachcombers and Star Trek. I made events up and did absolutely nothing that would have helped him. He figured out my ruse and got someone else’s notes, and a better mark than me as usual!
All the rest of the guys from highschool that worked on Brett-Lore, our highschool rock-and-sci-fi comic book, had gone to different schools afterwards. I was the only one left to carry on the legacy. Enjoy these cartoons from my University days!*
* On the back of one sketch, I found music, lyrics, and titles that I was working on for song ideas. They include “The Seven Hills of Rome”, “Cypselus the Tyrant”, (gee, I wasn’t listening to Iron Maiden a lot, was I?), “National Anthem From Some Weird Planet Nearby” (instrumental), and “Hypnotize You”. For those last two, think Steve Vai and Skid Row respectively.
Thinking big on getting Vai and Skid Row for your songs…..Slid Row in its current flux would probably jump at your offer! Steve Vai dunno he’s somewhere installing a me whammy bar on his Geetar!
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I wasn’t gonna give those songs away. They were MINE!
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Geez this new wordpress is aweful on the ipad …meant to say Skid ..and new not me…you’d think I’m high!
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Hey Deke, are you high?
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“That was my skull” in my best Spicoli voice
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MMMM no …not yet! Hahahaha
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I want to see the next issue, Mike goes to the Disco.
Burn Baby Burn.
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Seconded!
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Sadly a sequel was never drawn :(
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Ha ha cool. I did the same thing in high school :)
I dont know if I still have it but I had a series of comic strips with highschool era friends. Included talking pies, a disco zombie, and Abbath from Immortal.
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That’s awesome. Everyone loves talking pie.
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It would have been awesome if the teacher with the MC Hammer pants did his dance while teaching.
U Can’t Touch This.
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Um… U Can’t Teach This?
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Science hits me so hard, makes me say, Oh My Lord!!
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“Thanks you for blessing me with a bunsen burner and chemistry!”
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Yo, sound the bell, school is in, sucka.
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Yeah, that’s how we learnin’ and you know…
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Haha these are awesome. So… did you do any actual work, in school? ;)
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He got 100% in The Rawk 101
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I must have, they ended up giving me my BA!
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Nice drawings! And I love the hockey hair!
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Thanks Sarca!! That hockey hair was my trademark. I cut my hair twice — 1993, and 1995. 1993 was because my dad hated my hair so much he said “I’d pay you $100 to cut that hair.” So, I said OK! Deal! 1995 was because of a girl.
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Nice Kiss t-shirt! Can I call you Mad Dog now?
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I haven’t gone by the name Mad Dog since the 90’s! Hahaha.
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Great Kiss t-shirt! Can I call you Mad Dog now?
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When I’m writing poetry, I’ll soemtimes doodle out what I’m trying to say. I’ll dig out my notebook and scan some in for you.
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