In high school I remember at parties while other kids were talking about the birds and the bees I was trying to impress with lame and nerdy jokes and puns. I attended Mumford High school on the northwest side of Detroit. Much later after moving to Lo Angeles I saw Mumford Physical Education t-shirts being sold at White Front (like Wal-Mart today). While at first confused about this, I later learned that Mumford was the high school that Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley attended in the movie Beverly Hills Cop that had just been released. Further, the connection to all this was that Jerry Bruckheimer who produced the movie was a graduate from Mumford High.

     I moved to Los Angeles in 1967. I had just graduated from Wayne State University with a Masters Degree in Social Work. I was quite introverted and aloof. But at our annual School of Social Work retreat I produced a comedy skit that was well received and my involvement and outgoing social skills in producing the skit may have helped me get my degree. The skit was largely based on Johnny Carson’s Carnack mindreading character. The only part I rembember was the answer is “Mary Richman” (A founder of modern social work). The question was: “how would you describe the capital of Virginia on New Year’s Eve”

    I worked for 34 years for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. I was a Children’s Services Worker handling children abuse and neglect cases, trying to reunite children with their parents after they went through the required counseling or therapy and reporting the their progress in recommendations to the Juvenile Court. It was a high pressured job and I think my sense of humor got me through the tough times.

    After retiring in 2001 I decided to become an entrepreneur, selling goods at convenience stors and swap meets. I didn’t do to well so I turned my attention to what I should have done in the first place. doing something humorous. In my 60’s and 70’s I entered many online daily cartoon caption contests like The Jokes On You and My Ugly Brother. I one my share of these, even one with the Boston Globe. This inspired me to think about writing a cartoon book. Oops, one problem. I had no artistic ability. So I hired an artist from a nearby college Dean Cameran, a great guy and wonderful cartoonist. Unfortunately he passed away after doing about 80 cartoons. I then hired Trent and he did well over a hundred, He left me for a full time job so I hired a third cartoonist, Germain Martinez.

     I now live in Woodland Hills, California with my girlfriend of 34 years. I work as a marshal at a nearby golf course and sometimes take my wonderful terrier, Sandy, with me.

     I also joined an improv comedy group, The Spring Chickens, in my 70’s. We preformed comedy skits, some songs and even juggling at convelescent homes for elderly and ill shut-ins

     Of course I hope this book does well. But regardless, the journey in creating it has already been worth the effort. And more importantly I hope it will put a few smiles on people who may really need it.