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Paul Gringle, Paul Norris, Jim Whiting, Karyl Miller under
SCCS Gallery at Grandma's Hilltop Hideaway in Oceanside
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April 24, 2007
Show and Tell: Advanced Edition
When I set out for Oceanside with a tank of gas and a Yahoo Map I had a pre-conceived
notion that a place called Hilltop Hideaway would be somehow like the fictional Hernando’s
Hideaway and be … sexy with a hilltop’s view of the city. But the place called Grandma’s
Hilltop Hideaway was more homey than Hernando. It was sexy only if you’re turned-on by large
and well-lit coffee shops with oilcloth tablecloths in floral patterns.
I knew Grandma’s had recently dedicated a wall for the SCCS art gallery and if I could find the
wall, I could find my compatriots. Sure enough, they were in the huge “back room” seated
around a round table. (More photos below) As promised there was Charlie, Paul Gringle, Jim
Whiting and the legendary Aquaman creator Paul Norris (who was about to celebrate his 93rd
birthday).
Everybody was friendly but after I sat down it got quiet. Everyone was smiling, really
smiling. “So …We’ve never had a woman come to breakfast,” said Gringle. The others
agreed. “You’re the first one, ever.” Ohmygosh was I inhibiting their private macho-talk where
men hatched their secret schemes to get us in bed and also make more money than us? I
wondered.
Just then Jim said, “Thanks for coming!” The others chimed in. “We like women.” “You said
it!” We all relaxed. The men went back to doing what they were doing before I got there:
Show and Tell - Advanced Version. Charlie Roberts (the baby of the group at age 61) brought
in a Bristol board advertising cartoon that featured a Betty Grable-ish pin-up. Paul Gringle
passed out a stack of his oldest original cartoons. They were wonderfully drawn and inked
and featured references to the 1940’s. Not to be outdone, Jim Whiting whipped out his piece
of nostalgia – an ancient comic book, “Tarzan” from 1939. There was no holding back. We
were all impressed and emitted an a collective “Ohhhh!”
As Jim proudly waved his memorabilia in the air, it released an unmistakable pungent eau
‘de mildew, which is mildew, but GOOD mildew. Comic book mildew. Mmmmmm. Then as if to
prove this was not just some recent Comic-Con purchase, he carefully turned to the inside
cover and showed us a child’s best fountain pen scrawl “Jimmy Whiting.”
As the men reminisced about the old days and chuckled about the ads in the back of the
comic it became obvious that it’s not the thing you saved as much as the story about the thing
that’s most interesting.
I thought about my old cool stuff – of which I have lots. In fact Jack and I have one entire
garage stuffed with our respective old cool stuffs. What are we saving it for?
One of my most prized possessions is my Shmoo pin. I’ve saved it for 50 years. I am the sum
total of my collectables. They define me and what I thought and still think is cool. Once I’m six
feet under, I bet the first thing my son unloads on EBay is my Shmoo. He doesn’t know from Al
Capp and Shmoos. Different generation.
And I realized when you take a walk down memory lane you want it to be with somebody who
“gets it,” somebody who’s old enough to appreciate this thing that you’ve saved all these
years. Had I known this breakfast included Advanced Show and Tell I most certainly would
have worn my Shmoo.
Our November meeting will be dinner at Grandma’s. Please bring your cartoon collectables
for Show and Tell, Advanced. I’ll bring my Shmoo.
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