Monday 22 April 2013

OT rides again (or draws)

Drawn for the student newspaper the "Retort" at Eastern Montana College circa late 1970's
I've been going through old news clippings and letters from my college days and from my earlier career(s) in broadcasting. This little gem brings back lots of memories and feelings of gratitude and humility.
My first year of college was taken at Eastern Montana College, now called Montana State University at Billings. I had quite a bit of fun there and people were incredibly supportive (tolerant?) whenever I'd want to try something....like writing for a student paper and drawing cartoons.

This particular paper already had excellent writers. Also, they had a cartoonist who did brilliant work with satire of events happening on campus. This cartoonist was very generous and kind with critique and was the first to say..."Yeah, you should draw that...let's have Robin publish it!". I saw some of the cartoons he did back then...the art and the writing were exceptional and it's a wonder he didn't become a syndicated columnist....wonder whatever happened to ol' Jeff.

Who was this "OT Fogelberg" anyway? I came up with a nom de plume because I thought if I used my own name as a byline and the story was about me (which happened once) or that the cartoon was also by me that might be a problem...so OT Fogelberg came to be. How this name got chosen was unclear to me then and now. I guess I liked the sound of it. The editor and the staff kind of liked it because around the office people called me "OT"...

In the end, this little nostalgia trip says more about the kindness of people than it does about my artistic prowess. Truth told...I think that makes a much better story anyway.
                            30 (any journalists out there remember this code?)

2 comments:

Gary's third pottery blog said...

you have DECADES of experience now, nice to look back at old work!

bartster said...

Decades....yes, I feel ....kind of old. Good thing I've had a few laughs along the way:)