By now you've all heard the very sad news of Hot Rod Magazine legend Tom Medley passing away Sunday evening. I can't begin to express what a tremendous loss this is, and it was j... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
I'm proud to say I was fortunate enough to meet Tom in 1998 and got to share time with him via 40 Fords and vintage karts until his passing. I also have been collecting hot rod related Vinyl records and came across Saturday Night Drag Race, Hot Rod Harry, and Hot Cowboy on 78 RPM records. I had them transferred to CD, and, at a vintage kart meet in 2005 in Las Vegas, I pulled into the pits with Tom standing there. I put in the Saturday Night Drag Race CD and turned the volume in my truck way up. Soon he heard the music, and was singing "drag it out, drag it out" in the pits right with the music. Only one of many great memories of ol' T Med......
I was also fortunate to meet Tom at a street rod event years ago, We laughed about both being in Peoria in 1970 and how things have changed. He was quite a guy! Indy
Tom Medley will always be one of my heroes! ... He led a fascinating life and had a major impact on this hobby of ours! ... I first met him in the '70s (when I was "just a kid") ... Always a very gracious & humble man! ... Fortunately for us, he will continue to live-on through his cartoons, photographs, & words! Folks should also checkout the other H.A.M.B. threads regarding Mr. Medley's passing: * Tom Medley passed away. (started by lstwsh on March 2, 2014). * R.I.P. Stroker - Tom Medley (started by KIRK! on March 2, 2014). * R.I.P Tom Medley (started by Rich Venza on March 3, 2014). PS: Jive-Bomber Jay, although I was aware that HOT ROD Magazine produced those "HOT ROD" Jazz records (with lyrics by Medley), I've never actually heard them ... so thanks for posting the YouTube videos!
I posted up some personal memories in another thread but I'll add to it here. As many times as I talked to Tom over the years, evertime I talked to him I discovered another apsect or side to him I'd never known. He was such a multi-talented, multi-faceted individual...and he lived such a long and interesting life, that I'm certain there was still much more I'll never know. One thing some folks would probably not suspect is that not only was he a huge college basketball fan, but back in his youth he was a formidable player (back when players actually took set shots). His cartooning started long before Stroker..somewhere I have a SCTA program he drew the cover for while stationed in Germany...maybe '44 or '45. He had a character called Fearless Freddie Flash that appeared in the military publications..and he worked in the motor pool (where else?) He was an avid fisherman..often it would take me weeks to get ahold of him because he was off in Alaska somehwhere...dropped off by a sea plane and staying with friends there...he had friends everywhere. He always flew out of Burbank airport (now Bob Hope) which was originally the secret Lockheed plant during the war. He knew all about it's history and had all kinds of cool stories about it. He loved Doberman Pinchers...I rememebr him joking about how dumb the red one was he kept tipping over his own water bowl on the hottest summer day. He did all his own trim work on this ancient little sewing machine in the garage...I don't even think it had the fancy "walking foot". Did a lot of his own silk screen design and work. On Stroker... one time I asked him about the pantomime thing ...we talked about a cartoonist/illustrator named Roy Doty who worked for Poular Science and Poular Mechanics magazine. He also had a "silent" strip called the "Wordless Workshop". Tom admited how much more difficult it was to get a gag across without using word baloons. He had a little shelf in his kitchen that held one example of each of the "Stroker McGurk" model kits that were produced as a collaboration between Hot Rod Magazine and MPC model corp. There was an example of each model displayed next to the original box. If he mailed you a letter or package he would almost always doodle a little cartoon with a funny saying on it. When he was getting ready to draw, he would move his hand around as if he was drawing in the air...and then slowly lower his hand to the paper where the illustration would appear...it was like watching magic. He really did wear a "Stroker Hat" a lot of the time. In fact he sold them at one time back in the 70's-80's. Laughed at all of his own jokes..even before he finished telling them. I could go on and on really..I'm not even touching on his days at the dry lakes, or early karting..or as a beat reporter, photographer... Volksrods or Streetrods. So many interesting stories he told over the years. He was a great story teller.. the best ! Just some off the cuff remembrances about a man I will really miss. I'm sorry you had to go Tom...the world was a much better place with you in it.
R.I.P. Stroker.Truly a great Hot Rodder .My favorite panel cartoon is Bonneville.First panel Stroker arrives all fresh and ready.Next, maybe a hat and glasses.Next,a little burned,better do a towel.Next,skin is really getting bad.Last,a beat up Stroker says"always the same on trophy day".I'll look for my copy to post.If anyone has a copy please post.I think 50's little pages or Hot Rod.
Met Tom in the early sixties and did some free lance stuff for him at R&C. Had some medical issues and was short on cash. In those days, you got paid on publication. I tried to have a couple of stories on deck just in case. When Tom heard about my problems, he turned in the vouchers for immediate payment on stories yet to run. Lot's of stories about one on the finest man I've had the pleasure of knowing.
And still is a better place because he was in it. Not everyone can have that said about them. RIP Mr. Medley, you will be missed, and thanks for all you gave us.
[/URL][/IMG] OK, having trouble posting this picture, but wanted to share this cartoon, Tom did for my uncle Jerry's car club, in 1951. (North Florida Roadster Club) I have, what I believe is the original, in my archives. Unc' would always quote Tom..."go big or go home, if it don't fit get a bigger hammer" stuff like that. [/URL][/IMG] Awhile back, I mailed Tom a letter, telling him who I was and explaining, my connection. Also included a copy of the artwork and all the pictures I have of the car club. And mentioning how sorry I was, towards his car burning. Never did hear back from him. Glad I took the time to do so, because even though he did not respond, now would have been too late. If I read this thread correctly, he was the man behind the "Wordless Workshop"?????? WOW, growing up I used to spend countless hours, sitting at my Dad's workbench looking at Popular Mechanics. Learned SO much from those little cartoons. Rest in peace Tom!! JT
Man how cool is that to have Tom Medley draw your club's artwork....that's a treasure. That would look awesome chain stitched into an old jacket. Some years ago I offered to get ahold of Medley and have him do the T-shirt artwork for a big hot rod event up in New England. The guy who ran the show told me " We got our own guy who does it".. ........uhhhh, ok. No Roy Doty was the man behind Wordless Workshop...Tom and I were merely discussing his work because, like Stroker, it was "wordless". Last I knew Doty was still with us. .
Somehow I completely missed the news of Tom's passing. Godspeed, indeed, Stroker McGurk!May he rest in piece and his legend be remembered fondly.Prayers to his family and friends.
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