Part of the reason I got into automotive publishing is because I love custom trucks, hot rods and everything that shines, rumbles and sits low to ground. The other reason I dove head first into magazine work is because I have a deep passion for creative writing and photography, and I didn’t want to wear a suit and tie every day. Sure, I’ll clean up when a business meeting demands it, but most of the time a pair of denims and some sort of truck or hot rod T-shirt makes up my daily wardrobe, as I drive to work in my Chevy pickup and write about the best damn hobby on the planet. I consider myself very lucky to get to work in an industry that I truly enjoy with some of the finest gearheads around. My version of a board meeting is Mulligan and I talking trucks, cover options, tech stories, trends and the like over a couple of cheeseburgers; or planning an issue of Street Trucks at the workbench surrounded by tools, nuts and bolts, grease and oil as Hair Nation pumps out a little aural entertainment. This brings me to the point of my ramblings this month. Street Trucks has always been filled with badass trucks, the hottest shows and a combination of mild to wild tech stories, but the book has also had an overdose of humor and entertainment, too! Funny photos of guys from shows wearing dresses for club initiation, or a grown man who decided to sleep in a princess tent at the river, always make me crack a smile and chuckle. So, when it comes to photographic antics and humorous reporting don’t expect us to slow down one bit. In addition to attempting to make your sides split in between viewing low rolling art and spark-tossing tech stories, this also provides a little occupational therapy for us. Anytime we can turn just another story into a piece you continually revisit because it informed and entertained, then we have done our job.
From thrashing on a project to make a SEMA deadlines and the delirious humor that comes out of buffing freshly painted body panels at 3 a.m. to tossing on a hair metal wig as the lead shot for an audio install story, we are definitely not shy about goofing on ourselves to make these stories more fun and entertaining. Back in the day, Courtney was really the best at this with photos of people embarrassing themselves on the road, and he posed for some wacky staged photos to inject the book with even more humor. If it was fall down funny when he was clicking the photo, imagine how funny it was when it was inked on the pages and began hitting peoples’ mailboxes? This year we plan to put a lot of humor and entertainment in the book with creative lead shots for tech stories and funny show antics teamed with the “on the edge of your seat” features, tech and event coverage you have come to depend on from Street Trucks. It’s not just about trucks with us; it’s also about the lifestyle and the memories we build with all of you along the way.
Life is too short to be so serious all the time. Remember to laugh as much as possible and break away from the day-to-day stress when you can. If there is a moral to take away from this month’s “Pickup Lines,” I’d say its to joke with your buddies more, tease each other often and watch more Rodney Dangerfield movies. No matter how many times I watch Caddy Shack or Back to School my ribs still hurt when the movie’s over. If you are a movie guy, don’t be shy about running lines with me at the next show or hitting the karaoke bar for a few ballads. I’ll be the guy belting out some tired ‘80s tune, rocking a Street Trucks T-shirt the whole way.
Until next month, keep dragging the frame rails, cranking the hair metal and cruising until the fuel needle hits empty. TN
