Where I have been:
Los Angeles, CA - place of birth 12/31/52.Lived there a bunch and on and off with my grandma, 623 W 61st Street, worked there in the early 2000's. Hate the smog (makes my eyes water) but great place for Mexican food and cars.
San Pedro, CA - We lived there before Panama in the mid-60's in the Navy Housing when my father was stationed in Germany. Was a lot of fun, but I guess we never got enough rank to live on post in Ft Macarthur, the base in San Pedro. Later I was stationed at Ft Mac as a Captain and got great housing. i visited the old place, 106 North Armada Ct, a lot.
San Francisco, CA/Presidio, CA - My family got stationed there in the early 70's. I transferred from UH to USF because of that. It was a great time. I still could not drive so I drove a 10-speed to school, good for the legs. Once I got in the grove I got into campus politics and started doing art for the USF publications. I followed Dan O'Neill of Odd Bodkins fame as the illustrator for the SF Foghorn. I was so inspired by being one of the few artists at a school full of non-creative types that I was pushed to get out the first issue of No Sex. This was in between helping to edit the SF Quarterly. This was the school literary magazine and the editor, A Sakuda, gave me tons of tips on how to put a zine together. in fact the first zine i laid out was the Fall '73 Quarterly.
Reno, NV - Wooster High then Hug High in late 60's while my dad was in Viet Nam. All I can remember about these school is feeling out of place. I wasn't very social, so I drew a lot. Unlike panama where we had just come from, i did not show my art a lot so I did not get in the school newspapers or what have you I just felt out of place, so how the hell did i become president of the Library Club, the Science Club and the Chess Club at Hug High School?? I don't know, I didn't pay anyone off, I didn't have no money.
Las Vegas, NV - Can't live in Reno without going to Las Vegas, or Los Angeles, San Diego or Ontario for that matter.
Fontana, CA - While I was working at Chubb Insurance in the late 80's early 90's a co-worker talked me into renting her 2 bedroom on story in the far 'burbs of LA. nearer to San Bernardino (home of Patton) it was a sticky ride to LA to get to work. I joined a carpool and that meant getting up at 4 am and meeting a co-employee that had a convertible and a van (boy we loved when he brought the van, but his wife usually used it) and he drove the two hours it took to get to LA. I usually slept the whole ride, there was little talk about that early in the morning, we did that for two years or so. It was while living here that I started building computers on the side and found out I had diabetes. I changed jobs and commuted to San Diego on my motorcycle. I actually got to work quicker going the 112 miles to San Diego from Fontana than the 61 miles to LA to work. Great fun.
San Bruno/Pacifica, CA - We moved off post from The Presidio and bought a home, first we lived in Pacifica, then San Bruno. Both are suburbs in the south bay area. Near Candlestick Park. I was going to University of San Francisco and since i could not drive a car and it was too far for a 10-Speed, I hitch-hiked to school. I remember San Bruno because I had this cold dank room to myself downstairs near the garage. This is where I developed my love of Bode art and practiced the style. At the same time I worked on the beginnings of No Sex #1. Someone introduced me to a school teacher in The City (I think it was a lady who picked me up a lot and got me into school) and she turned out to have a need of an artist to work on the kids workbooks for the board of education, I had a part time job, I didn't have to work for MacDonald's, and it was in art!
Fremont, CA - My folks moved to the city across the bay, closer to The Raiders, so I visited there a lot. Where my mom and sister Angela lived seemed quiet if a bit artificial and thatr is all I have to say about that.
San Diego/El Cajon, CA - In 1984 I finally moved to San Diego into a condo to be closer to work at Golden Eagle. Instead of relaxing because I had such a short commute (15 minutes compared to 2-3 hours) I thought it meant I could work more and harder. I was made a supervisor. We actually ended up in El Cajon which is east and north of San Diego proper. My wife loved it so much that she stayed during my one year stay in Georgia (2001 - 2002) but I am back in SD now.
Tijuana, Mx - Me and the wife walked there from California, not as hard as it sounds. She was afraid to leave the country, I have been everywhere so no big deal. After a while she really got to like it, very 3rd world.
Honolulu/Schofield Barracks HI - We had two tours in Hawaii, there was a transfer from the Ft Sill elementary school to one on Oahu . We were in Hawaii when it became a state. Then we had a tour in the 70's where I graduated from high school in Leilehua and started college at University of Hawaii. Can't say enough about Hawaii, guess I get a lot of my laid back attitude from spending so much time there.
Lawton/Ft Sill, OK - don't remember much about this late 50's tour. Elementary school, not much money, becoming interested in art. Playing in the woods, watching my dad shoot a squirrel on the golf course (he carried a shot-gun in his bag).
Ft Davis/Balboa, CZ - being an army brat means never living anywhere over 3 years. The worse move was from San Pedro CA, to the Panama Canal Zone. My father was assigned as a snake-eater at the Jungle school. My brothers and sisters and I were torn away from mid-60's US culture and thrown into the isolationism of a foreign country. I remember the previews for TV series were the last thing we saw on TV before leaving the states, the ads for Star Trek and Mission Impossible looked good. I didn't get to watch the shows as they started, did get to see them in Panama on local TV, my father, an army linguist, translated from Spanish. I attended Christobal High school and that is where I started drawing for school newspapers. Panama later turned out to be a fun biological experience. I did meet Jim Gray there and we became fast friends. Sloths, snakes, giant insects, jungle. Lord how did we survive it?
Ft Knox, KY - This was my first true duty station a s an officer in the army. I believe I first got there in 1975 or 76, no I was In Germany by the Bi-Centennial and missed it all. I had a great time, because this was the first time I was on my own away from my family and had some money, I didn't know how to drive so I bought a cheap motorcycle (more on that somewhere else!) i was free to go to SF Conventions, comics conventions and it was in this phase of my life that I met Jerry Foley, George lane, Willie peppers and jerry Collins amongst others i also served in Knox in the early 1978 when I went tot he advanced course.
Baumholder FRG - my first real assignment in the army was in the Federal Republic of Germany 1/68 Armor of the 8th Infantry Division in Baumholder. In the Divisional reorganization in the 80's i think the 68 was retired. The unit was move to another casern. But I had great fun there from '75 - '78. We started a motorcycle club there, "the Bomb Holders MC" of which i was a founding member and a road captain. i wonder if the club still exists. I was a tank platoon leader and scout platoon leader in Germany.
Frankfurt, FRG - while I was stationed in Baumholder I spent a bit of time in Frankfurt. First because it was a neat town and secondly because my father was stationed there as the Sergeant Major of the 3rd Armored brigade.. He didn't know tanks at all, but he was a sergeant major.
Paris, France - In Germany we went to France a lot. Not as nice a country as Germany, but there is some history there. I saw the big tower the arch and all that. I took a couple motorcycle trips into France and of course visited the Normandy beach area for the war significance. I was entranced by the flea market at Metz, France a huge area in an open filed where you could literally buy anything from cars to Nazi regalia to people. I watched Star wars in France in a popular theater in Paris. It was in English with French sub-titles. It was great. the theater was popular because it was one of the few places in the city that had American style (sit-down) toilets.
Amsterdam, HOL - As member of The Bombholders MC, one of our tours was to Holland. What a trip that was. We were confronted by the Hells Angels Amsterdam and we checked out Canal Street.
Bad Tolz, FRG - In the mountains of central Germany is the Eagles Nest, Hitler's hide-away. I know it because my friends were constantly trying to get me to go there and ski. I have repelled off mountains, parachuted and been through Ranger survival school, but I did not take to skiing well.
Atlanta/Duluth, GA - I spent a year, most of 2001 working for Lyra Technology in Duluth. I was director of Business development. I was stationed in the south in the Army (Ft Benning GA). The weather has not changed, but there seems to be a different sense of things in the South, everybody is trying to start their own business, getting rich or buying a Lexus.
Washington, DC - My sister lives near there now in Maryland. We went to visit her from Georgia in 2001. It was a great trip, we drove and saw the white House, the big Obelisk and bummed around the mall.
Panama, CZ - you might say it started here in the mid-60's. My dad was stationed at the Jungle School and we were bored as hell. No American TV and nothing but Jungle. That became a hoot after a while but I spent most of my time reading SF, playing basketball and drawing cartoons, over an over again. I met Jim Gray, whose father worked on the canal so he was a damned civvie. He got me more interested in the mainstream aspect of drawing and such. A profound influence. I began to notice different art styles, especially that of Tom Eaton, Gary Morrow, Dan Akins and later V Bode.
Seattle/Ft Lewis, WA - Spent my Summer Camp for ROTC there. Also went to Vancouver BD from there.
Ft Ord, CA - Involved in training of Reserve and NG units in the early 80's there.
Camp Roberts, CA - Involved in training of Reserve and NG units in the early 80's there.
Ft Irwin, Barstow, CA - Involved in training of Reserve and NG units in the early 80's there.
Sedona, AZ - Family vacation in 1988, Grand Canyon and so on. My wife and sisters did not like the canyon roads or the way I drove them. Lucky I was not on the bike. We also visited the big crater, and some of the plateaus that are supposed to be spiritual vortexes.
Ft Huachuca, AZ - Involved in training of Reserve and NG units in the early 80's there.
Phoenix, AZ - Involved in training of Reserve and NG units in the early 80's there. Passed through several times on cross-country motorcycle trips 1978 - 1982.
Ft Benning, GA - I spent a bit of time at this post, usually too hot for comfort. this is the home of the infantry, but I was here in 1973 in Airborne School then later in 1974 for a very cold Ranger School course. The base town is Columbus GA, which is typical for a army post town.
Indianapolis, IN - Home of the Colts!! When I started going to the conventions a lot from Ft Knox, I developed this city as a stopping point on the way to Chicago. I Met Klaus Haisch, George Lane and Gary Barker up there. Great in the summer, only okay in the winter.
Chicago, IL - I spent a lot of time at the Chicagocons and other conventions in this great city. This was in the late 70's and early 80's was I was statione3d at Ft Knox the second time. I met so many folks. The Watson's in Champaign. Il, Earl Geier, Steve Streeter and so many others at those conventions.
Orem/Salt Lake City, UT - Summer of 1979 I was on my way to San Francisco from Ft Knox on my Yamaha XS 11. I got sunburned riding the great Salt Lake and broke down 50 miles south of Orem (home of Word Prefect). I was kind of afraid of the area (besides the desert) due to the rep from the Mormons, but the Yamaha dealer in Orem was great and my friend ken Meyers Jr. who was going to school in SLC made the adventure pleasurable for me. I also made a trip to Orem in the 80's at the expense of my employer, Price Savers Wholesale Warehouse for orientation.
Vancouver BC - Visited from Ft Lewis int eh summer of 1973. It was summer so the weather was excellent. Great Tourist town and the scenery is excellent. Second time I was out of the country after Panama and if you don't count being in Hawaii when it was not a state.