Born here against my will
Yes, I’m a Canadian.
My parents were born in Budapest, Hungary. My dad was an only child and my mom was orphaned and raised by relatives. Mom was a fashion illustrator and loved Hollywood cinema. My Dad was a salesman (in the Tin Men mould) an indomitable optimist with too many schemes and too little money. Mom, was an indomitable pessimist. The glass was not half empty, it had fallen and smashed on the floor.
They both survived WWII, internment camps and then the Soviets. They came to Canada in 1946 to build a new life. They gave life to me and my brother.
I had a crazy aunt Monjo, pronounced Mon-Yo. She looked like one of those 1920s, skinny Flappers. She shaved her eyebrows and then pencilled them back in much higher so she always looked surprised. Manjo was also an actress/comedian in Budapest. (See playbill- Friss Margit) I loved her dearly. Probably where I got my comedy genes.
My Aunt Monjo’s Budapest playbill
Yes, I used to own this 1965 Chevy Impala SS convertible.
Me, I wanted to be a nuclear physicist while in high school. Instead I went to Ryerson for Radio TV Arts. Learned layout, design and newspaper writing at the eyeopener. Started a graphic design business. Quit to be a standup comedian with Rick Green (Red Green show, Prisoners of Gravity). Then joined up with Dan Redican and Peter Wildman to form the Frantics. After 10 years, 120 radio shows on CBC, a TV Series and thousands of live shows I went on to CBC to develop comedies for the network.
Spent a lot of time learning from the best sitcom people in Hollywood, Stan Daniels, Burt Metcalf, Bud Yorkin. Quit the CBC. Interviewed for a dev job at Paramount. Decided not to pursue it for personal reasons and started a new media game dev company. Produced the big hit, Jewels of the Oracle video game for which we were not paid our royalties.
Moved over to building websites in 1998 and have been doing that ever since. I have also suddenly found myself becoming a YouTube star. My ego thanks you. I hope that was suitably interesting for those of you who chose to read this drivel.
After 10 years, 120 radio shows on CBC, a TV Series and thousands of live shows I went on to CBC to develop comedies for the network. Spent a lot of time learning from the best sitcom people in Hollywood, Stan Daniels, Burt Metcalf, Bud Yorkin. Quit the CBC.
Interviewed for a dev job at Paramount. Decided not to pursue it for personal reasons and started a new media game dev company. Produced the big hit, Jewels of the Oracle video game for which we were not paid our royalties.
Moved over to building websites in 1998 and have been doing that ever since. I have also suddenly found myself becoming a YouTube star. My ego thanks you. I hope that was suitably interesting for those of you who chose to read this drivel.