Here’s the skinny.

Well, OK. Here’s the skinny.
In the evenings I was teaching Adver­tising Design at the Academy of Art on Sutter Street. During the day I was Exec­u­tive Art Director at Young & Rubicam. A big time adver­tising agency now swal­lowed up into a bunch of letters.
Always looking out for young talent, I barely noticed Dave Sanchez and Mick Kita­gawa in my class. Raw, eager young kids with a modicum of talent. Slowly I molded them into poten­tial fodder for the adver­tising industry.
Our largest account at Y&R was Kaiser Indus­tries. And aside from “Mavrick” (our #1 hit star­ring James Garner), Kaiser had a long list of indus­trial prod­ucts. Each of these prod­ucts needed many trade ads and programs to help sell them. Perfect for raw,eager, young stupid kids. Bingo. What an oppor­tu­nity. What a chance to fill their little heads with the glory of working for a big time adver­tising agency. And right out of school too! I decided to give them their BIG break. I based their salaries on how long they had been out of diapers times two and added carfare. Dangling the bait in front of their starry eyes, I signed them up before their mouths closed. I gave them accounts the day they walked in the door and worked their little pink asses day and night until I walked out the door to become a photog­ra­pher a few years later. Now, there are insin­u­a­tions that I paid them “two for the price of one”.
These are scur­rilous lies. I took them off the street and put them into an exciting world. I set their names in lights.

The ungrateful curs.

Dave would have wound up selling ladies shoes if I hadn’t saved him and Mick was doomed for “B” movies every time a new one was shot in town. If there are any medals to be given they should be on my chest for paying more than they deserved. Hah! Two for one indeed.

Jack Allen