Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, June 21, 2008.]
The naked and the tread
Nude cyclists say you too can do without pants
Over 50 used their bare bodies to protest petroleum dependency, body consciousness and the tyranny of pants last Saturday, as part of Toronto's sixth edition of the World Naked Bike Ride.
"The goal is to make awareness of the use of petroleum and try to convince people to go on a bicycle to save petroleum," said long-time rider Bob (who withheld his last name along with his clothing).
Riding a bike adorned with a sign stating, "This naked body burns calories not oil," Bob acted as a surrogate leader for a ride whose organizer was absent due to his daughter's wedding. The four bike cops that accompanied the official protest had no problems with the group. It was an eclectic crowd that included a cycle adorned with a surfboard instead of a set, an oddly large Ohio contingent and a rider dressed as a nude Ferengi, a Star Trek species.
"We came here on vacation, heard about it and thought, 'Let's live it up,'" explained Lauryn Campanell. "Trust me, this kind of thing would never happen in Dayton, Ohio."
The group departed from Coronation Park and as riders zipped past the Harbourfront Centre more than a few jaws dropped.
"This is a very strange thing," said David Umerah from the Harbourfront Community Centre's outdoor basketball courts. "But it's also a nice thing because it's good weather."
Although there were some yells of opposition, the riders were mainly greeted by cheers, honks and flashes from camera phones. Zipping up Yonge with detours through Church and Wellesley and Yorkville, the group caused a stir riding past the Four Seasons Hotel.
The near 10 kilometre bike ride ended as the riders rode down Spadina before stopping at Java House on Queen Street. For Campanell, who lost one of her friends from Ohio early in the bike ride when his rented bicycle fell apart on Bay Street, the experience was excellent.
"I turned around and it was a sea of nude," she reflected. "It was awesome."
Link to the National Post here.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Standing Engagement: Teach at the Beach flair bartending class
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, June 7, 2008.]
Serving up flair, on the rocks
It's not unusual for objects to be flying around at Woodbine Beach Park on a weekend afternoon. Stray Frisbees, volleyballs and footballs were just a few of the objects whizzing through the air last Saturday. However, once a month, you can add weighted bottles to that list of items.
The popular Teach at the Beach flair bartending course kicked off its summer session last Saturday. Now in its fourth year, the free program is run by Bartender One, a private bartending school co-founded by Gavin MacMillan.
"I'm not under the any illusion that if you stop giving back to the community that the community will continue to give to you," says MacMillan, who was anointed Top Canadian bartender in 2005 at the Legends of Bartending championships. "If we really want to grow the sport of flair, we have to give people an easy way to get started."
Displaying moves that Tom Cruise could only dream of in Cocktail, Teach at the Beach provides participants with an opportunity to learn nifty bar tricks, such as tossing a bottle behind your back, over your shoulder and into a mixer, or tossing a bottle, catching it on the top of your hand and then flipping the bottle to your arm.
Typically, between 20 and 50 participants attend each session. "We have about four or five instructors that go around," instructor David Jennings says. "We can't do much one-on-one but we do a little bit with everybody. You learn something new and the next time you come, we'll build on what you learned the first time."
The class is unstructured with participants learning a new trick from an instructor and then taking to practise the moves individually. It leads to a lot of dropped bottles, laughs and shouts of encouragement among participants.
"Basically you start off one trick at a time and then combine them," explains instructor Dimitri Kobrin. "Anybody can pick up one of these tricks if they put in a little bit of effort and like 15 minutes. The reward does come rather quickly and a lot of bartenders are missing that 15 minutes of patience."
Participant Ming Lee was happy for the chance to "enjoy the sun and learn how to flair-tend." Lee passed by the class two summers ago, and has returned for every session. He sagely warns: "Don't go bare feet because when you throw those bottles and they drop, it's not a good thing."
Watching MacMillan, Jennings and the other teachers, it's hard to imagine that they have dropped many bottles in their training. The instructors often freestyle a variety of movies in five-minute bursts that display a grace more related to Tai Chi than bartending. However, MacMillan says, "The biggest thrill I get is seeing how fast people pick up on the stuff we teach them. We went through way more frustration learning the stuff ourselves than we ever do teaching somebody new."
Teach at the Beach runs on the first Saturday afternoon of each month at Woodbine Beach Park. E-mail info@bartenderone.com to sign up for a session.
Serving up flair, on the rocks
It's not unusual for objects to be flying around at Woodbine Beach Park on a weekend afternoon. Stray Frisbees, volleyballs and footballs were just a few of the objects whizzing through the air last Saturday. However, once a month, you can add weighted bottles to that list of items.
The popular Teach at the Beach flair bartending course kicked off its summer session last Saturday. Now in its fourth year, the free program is run by Bartender One, a private bartending school co-founded by Gavin MacMillan.
"I'm not under the any illusion that if you stop giving back to the community that the community will continue to give to you," says MacMillan, who was anointed Top Canadian bartender in 2005 at the Legends of Bartending championships. "If we really want to grow the sport of flair, we have to give people an easy way to get started."
Displaying moves that Tom Cruise could only dream of in Cocktail, Teach at the Beach provides participants with an opportunity to learn nifty bar tricks, such as tossing a bottle behind your back, over your shoulder and into a mixer, or tossing a bottle, catching it on the top of your hand and then flipping the bottle to your arm.
Typically, between 20 and 50 participants attend each session. "We have about four or five instructors that go around," instructor David Jennings says. "We can't do much one-on-one but we do a little bit with everybody. You learn something new and the next time you come, we'll build on what you learned the first time."
The class is unstructured with participants learning a new trick from an instructor and then taking to practise the moves individually. It leads to a lot of dropped bottles, laughs and shouts of encouragement among participants.
"Basically you start off one trick at a time and then combine them," explains instructor Dimitri Kobrin. "Anybody can pick up one of these tricks if they put in a little bit of effort and like 15 minutes. The reward does come rather quickly and a lot of bartenders are missing that 15 minutes of patience."
Participant Ming Lee was happy for the chance to "enjoy the sun and learn how to flair-tend." Lee passed by the class two summers ago, and has returned for every session. He sagely warns: "Don't go bare feet because when you throw those bottles and they drop, it's not a good thing."
Watching MacMillan, Jennings and the other teachers, it's hard to imagine that they have dropped many bottles in their training. The instructors often freestyle a variety of movies in five-minute bursts that display a grace more related to Tai Chi than bartending. However, MacMillan says, "The biggest thrill I get is seeing how fast people pick up on the stuff we teach them. We went through way more frustration learning the stuff ourselves than we ever do teaching somebody new."
Teach at the Beach runs on the first Saturday afternoon of each month at Woodbine Beach Park. E-mail info@bartenderone.com to sign up for a session.
News story: Toronto Criterium
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, June 7, 2008.]
We'll call it the Tour de Front!
For a day, competitive bike racing returns to T.O.
After a 17-year absence, competitive bike racing returned to Toronto last Friday. The Toronto Criterium was a short circuit race that attracted thousands of spectators to the Esplanade and St. Lawrence Market on a rainy day.
"I think this shows that Toronto can put on global events and it doesn't detract from what we do as a city," said Scarborough Southwest councillor Adrian Heaps, who also chairs the Toronto Cycling Committee. "It adds value to us."
In the works for more than six months, the Criterium is an attempt to reconnect with the city's long bike racing heritage. (The Dunlop Trophy Race, which attracted North America's top cyclists, was held here from 1894 to 1927.)
Heaps admitted that it was designed to encourage cycling as transportation. "You need a spectacle to sometimes raise the profile of an activity just at a moderate level."
While the racers who participated in the three events (a kids' race, an adult amateur race and a pro race) worked up a sweat, they weren't alone. Patios along Front Street East and the Esplanade were packed and one of the servers at Flat Iron and Firkin's patio, located near the finish line, conveniently remarked that while "it's usually busy here because it's patio season, this is crazy."
One person watching from that patio was Ian Howes, who sporadically rang a bell he brought from home whenever the racers past.
"I think it's awesome," Howes said. "I'd be very happy to trade the Indy for this race. If we lost the Indy, a bike race in the middle of the city is a wicked pick up."
The participants would agree. The 100 spots available for the pro and adult races filled quickly.
Prior to winning pro race, North Vancouver's Andrew Pinfold remarked, "It's amazing the turnout that you get with downtown races.
"In B.C. we have the Tour de Gastown and this looks on par with that kind of race. For us, you're racing in front of people and that's what we live to do."
We'll call it the Tour de Front!
For a day, competitive bike racing returns to T.O.
After a 17-year absence, competitive bike racing returned to Toronto last Friday. The Toronto Criterium was a short circuit race that attracted thousands of spectators to the Esplanade and St. Lawrence Market on a rainy day.
"I think this shows that Toronto can put on global events and it doesn't detract from what we do as a city," said Scarborough Southwest councillor Adrian Heaps, who also chairs the Toronto Cycling Committee. "It adds value to us."
In the works for more than six months, the Criterium is an attempt to reconnect with the city's long bike racing heritage. (The Dunlop Trophy Race, which attracted North America's top cyclists, was held here from 1894 to 1927.)
Heaps admitted that it was designed to encourage cycling as transportation. "You need a spectacle to sometimes raise the profile of an activity just at a moderate level."
While the racers who participated in the three events (a kids' race, an adult amateur race and a pro race) worked up a sweat, they weren't alone. Patios along Front Street East and the Esplanade were packed and one of the servers at Flat Iron and Firkin's patio, located near the finish line, conveniently remarked that while "it's usually busy here because it's patio season, this is crazy."
One person watching from that patio was Ian Howes, who sporadically rang a bell he brought from home whenever the racers past.
"I think it's awesome," Howes said. "I'd be very happy to trade the Indy for this race. If we lost the Indy, a bike race in the middle of the city is a wicked pick up."
The participants would agree. The 100 spots available for the pro and adult races filled quickly.
Prior to winning pro race, North Vancouver's Andrew Pinfold remarked, "It's amazing the turnout that you get with downtown races.
"In B.C. we have the Tour de Gastown and this looks on par with that kind of race. For us, you're racing in front of people and that's what we live to do."
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Graduates: Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner
Published in North Toronto Post: June 2008.
Jessica Simpson and Kate Hudson covet their coats
High school friends join forces with jacket business
Report Card
Students: Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner
Graduated: Branksome Hall, 1990
Best Subject: Smythe, English; Lenczner, History
Worst Subject: Smythe and Lenczner, Math
Current Job: Clothing Designers
Since its 2004 launch, the clothing line Smythe has been a major success. Working exclusively in jackets and coats, its designers, Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner, have seen their products adorn such celebrities as Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson.
Although their clothes have gone Hollywood, the women behind Smythe trace the company's roots to the hallways of Branksome Hall high school in North Toronto.
"We bonded a lot over our love of fashion," says Lenczner. "We always dreamed of working together."
Although the school had a uniform policy, it didn't stop the two budding fashionistas from exploring their style. As Symthe says with authority, "Even though we wore a uniform, there's a way to wear it."
In those early years, the two would dream big about running their own store. However, after school, the two went on seperate paths in the fashion world. Smythe moved to New York where she worked as a designer at Gap. Lenczner stayed in Toronto where she worked as a buyer at Holt Renfrew. Over the years, they would catch up, and talk eventually turned back to their high school dream. One day that dream became a reality.
"Christie called me up in January 2004 to say that she was moving back," recounts Lenczner. "She said, 'Let's start a business,' and she had the idea of just doing jackets." Over five months, the two put together a sample collection that they sold immediately to Holt Renfrew.
However, there was a catch. "We sold it to them for that September, so we only had six weeks to do it," Lenczner explains. "It was a tight deadline."
The hard work and fast pace schedule paid immediate dividends as Smythe jackets quickly developed a buzz. Even though they were doing their own press, Smythe immediately found a home in the top Canadian fashion magazines. "The Canadian press were amazing," says Smythe. "Flair, Fashion, Elm Street - all of those people really got behind us."
It's no surprise, Smythe's line features classic coats that are both sophisticated without being over-the-top trendy.
Since that first year, Smythe has seen its products become available in America and Europe.
While the two are thrilled that they have international distribution and their products routinely appear in glossy fashion magazines, Smythe says that, "It's definitely exciting to see someone walking down the street wearing it."
With plans to extend into the winter coat market and a leather line waiting to be launched in the fall, Smythe is poised to continue their success. For Smythe, the key is "to not be trendy." Although they have done very well for themselves, the two continue to run all aspects of the show, which can lead to some issues.
"The hardest thing is having no tech support," admits Lenczner. "One of my pet peeves is that you have a computer problem, you have to fix it yourself."
For the two, taking care of the business and administration side of things is a small price to pay for living their dream. "We had visions of being 80 and 90 and looking through our scrapbooks. It's pretty thrilling," says Smythe.
It also helps that the two continue to be passionate about fashion. "All of our friends are fashionable," says Lenczner. "Whether they're lawyers, doctors or stay-at home moms, we're interested in style. We share that bond."
With a long history of fashion behind them, the two have impeccable sense of style. However, that doesn't mean that there weren't some fashion crimes that they committed in their past.
"I had the most heinous hot pink, velvet, tie-dyed, jacket," admits Smythe. "My husband still makes fun of it."
Jessica Simpson and Kate Hudson covet their coats
High school friends join forces with jacket business
Report Card
Students: Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner
Graduated: Branksome Hall, 1990
Best Subject: Smythe, English; Lenczner, History
Worst Subject: Smythe and Lenczner, Math
Current Job: Clothing Designers
Since its 2004 launch, the clothing line Smythe has been a major success. Working exclusively in jackets and coats, its designers, Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner, have seen their products adorn such celebrities as Kate Hudson and Jessica Simpson.
Although their clothes have gone Hollywood, the women behind Smythe trace the company's roots to the hallways of Branksome Hall high school in North Toronto.
"We bonded a lot over our love of fashion," says Lenczner. "We always dreamed of working together."
Although the school had a uniform policy, it didn't stop the two budding fashionistas from exploring their style. As Symthe says with authority, "Even though we wore a uniform, there's a way to wear it."
In those early years, the two would dream big about running their own store. However, after school, the two went on seperate paths in the fashion world. Smythe moved to New York where she worked as a designer at Gap. Lenczner stayed in Toronto where she worked as a buyer at Holt Renfrew. Over the years, they would catch up, and talk eventually turned back to their high school dream. One day that dream became a reality.
"Christie called me up in January 2004 to say that she was moving back," recounts Lenczner. "She said, 'Let's start a business,' and she had the idea of just doing jackets." Over five months, the two put together a sample collection that they sold immediately to Holt Renfrew.
However, there was a catch. "We sold it to them for that September, so we only had six weeks to do it," Lenczner explains. "It was a tight deadline."
The hard work and fast pace schedule paid immediate dividends as Smythe jackets quickly developed a buzz. Even though they were doing their own press, Smythe immediately found a home in the top Canadian fashion magazines. "The Canadian press were amazing," says Smythe. "Flair, Fashion, Elm Street - all of those people really got behind us."
It's no surprise, Smythe's line features classic coats that are both sophisticated without being over-the-top trendy.
Since that first year, Smythe has seen its products become available in America and Europe.
While the two are thrilled that they have international distribution and their products routinely appear in glossy fashion magazines, Smythe says that, "It's definitely exciting to see someone walking down the street wearing it."
With plans to extend into the winter coat market and a leather line waiting to be launched in the fall, Smythe is poised to continue their success. For Smythe, the key is "to not be trendy." Although they have done very well for themselves, the two continue to run all aspects of the show, which can lead to some issues.
"The hardest thing is having no tech support," admits Lenczner. "One of my pet peeves is that you have a computer problem, you have to fix it yourself."
For the two, taking care of the business and administration side of things is a small price to pay for living their dream. "We had visions of being 80 and 90 and looking through our scrapbooks. It's pretty thrilling," says Smythe.
It also helps that the two continue to be passionate about fashion. "All of our friends are fashionable," says Lenczner. "Whether they're lawyers, doctors or stay-at home moms, we're interested in style. We share that bond."
With a long history of fashion behind them, the two have impeccable sense of style. However, that doesn't mean that there weren't some fashion crimes that they committed in their past.
"I had the most heinous hot pink, velvet, tie-dyed, jacket," admits Smythe. "My husband still makes fun of it."
Graduates: Matthew Blackett
Published in North York Post: June 2008.
The urban defender
Publisher celebrates public space
Report Card
Student: Matthew Blackett
Graduated: Earl Haig, 1993
Best Subject: History
Worst Subject: Math
Current Job: Publisher of Spacing magazine.
Over the past decade, Matthew Blackett has been making a career of using downtown Toronto as his muse.
While working as art director at The Hockey News, Blackett self-published and drew "m@b," an autobiographical comic strip about life as a 20-something living downtown that ran in Eye for four years.
He also co-founded and publishes the National Magazine Award-winning urban social advocacy magazine Spacing, that evolved out of a downtown campaign against a city ban on postering. Despite this, Blackett still has his North York neighbourhood on his mind.
"I still has a really strong connection to the North York downtown area," Blackett says. "I really want to see that strip all the way up Yonge succeed. There are a lot of really good aspects in that downtown North York strip and all those condos there are adding a lot of vibrancy into that neighbourhood. It would be great to have wider sidewalks and more cycling up there. That seems to be lost from my time to some extent."
The proud Earl Haig graduate who still dismisses York Mills Collegiate as "full of rich kids" was an active student. While drawing a monthly comic for the student newspaper and editing the school's yearbook, Blackett played striker on the soccer team.
After graduating from Humber College's journalism program, he began working at The Hockey News, where he found himself taking passes from Wayne Gretzky.
"I got to do this media event where I represented The Hockey News for a shootout and it was during Wayne Gretzky's induction to the Hall of Fame," Blackett says. "I was actually getting passes from Gretzky. I was beside myself."
While hobnobbing with hockey stars, Blackett was also fully engaged with promoting his self-published comic.
"When I started my comic book in 1998, I wanted to share it with my friends and I wanted to share some of their talents as well," he says. "I was finding that everybody in the arts community was really interested in the other arts and that kind of harkens back to my days at Earl Haig where you would have gifted athletes being really good artists and vice versa."
Blackett threw popular release parties where he would team up with emerging indie rock bands like Broken Social Scene. He has since taken the same "cross-pollination marketing approach" to Spacing, where he has created enduring partnerships with community organizations like Wireless Toronto, Heritage Toronto and Toronto Society of Architects.
Initially intended to be an advocacy media, Spacing has turned into what Blackett describes as, "a somewhat decent, successful business." Now in its fourth year, Spacing continues to grow and Blackett clearly enjoys being his own boss.
The urban defender
Publisher celebrates public space
Report Card
Student: Matthew Blackett
Graduated: Earl Haig, 1993
Best Subject: History
Worst Subject: Math
Current Job: Publisher of Spacing magazine.
Over the past decade, Matthew Blackett has been making a career of using downtown Toronto as his muse.
While working as art director at The Hockey News, Blackett self-published and drew "m@b," an autobiographical comic strip about life as a 20-something living downtown that ran in Eye for four years.
He also co-founded and publishes the National Magazine Award-winning urban social advocacy magazine Spacing, that evolved out of a downtown campaign against a city ban on postering. Despite this, Blackett still has his North York neighbourhood on his mind.
"I still has a really strong connection to the North York downtown area," Blackett says. "I really want to see that strip all the way up Yonge succeed. There are a lot of really good aspects in that downtown North York strip and all those condos there are adding a lot of vibrancy into that neighbourhood. It would be great to have wider sidewalks and more cycling up there. That seems to be lost from my time to some extent."
The proud Earl Haig graduate who still dismisses York Mills Collegiate as "full of rich kids" was an active student. While drawing a monthly comic for the student newspaper and editing the school's yearbook, Blackett played striker on the soccer team.
After graduating from Humber College's journalism program, he began working at The Hockey News, where he found himself taking passes from Wayne Gretzky.
"I got to do this media event where I represented The Hockey News for a shootout and it was during Wayne Gretzky's induction to the Hall of Fame," Blackett says. "I was actually getting passes from Gretzky. I was beside myself."
While hobnobbing with hockey stars, Blackett was also fully engaged with promoting his self-published comic.
"When I started my comic book in 1998, I wanted to share it with my friends and I wanted to share some of their talents as well," he says. "I was finding that everybody in the arts community was really interested in the other arts and that kind of harkens back to my days at Earl Haig where you would have gifted athletes being really good artists and vice versa."
Blackett threw popular release parties where he would team up with emerging indie rock bands like Broken Social Scene. He has since taken the same "cross-pollination marketing approach" to Spacing, where he has created enduring partnerships with community organizations like Wireless Toronto, Heritage Toronto and Toronto Society of Architects.
Initially intended to be an advocacy media, Spacing has turned into what Blackett describes as, "a somewhat decent, successful business." Now in its fourth year, Spacing continues to grow and Blackett clearly enjoys being his own boss.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
News Story: TO Jam 3
Published in National Post. [Toronto magazine, May 17, 2008.]
<>Cheeseblaster Extreme?
It's not Grand Theft Auto and that's the point
Last weekend, in the secluded corner of Eastern Avenue and St. Lawrence, an eclectic mix of programmers, sound technicians and graphic artists attempted to break the world record for most participants at a video game jam.
Although it fell shy of its goal, TO Jam attracted more than 125 people, who took part in a unique challenge: to create a video game in three days. TO Jam began three years ago and attracts what organizer Rob Segal described as, "a mixture of industry people, students and people who are professionals but make video games on the side."
People filled the second-floor space of Innovation Toronto early Friday afternoon and by Sunday night had created 37 games, including Cheeseblaster Extreme 2500, Here Be Dragons and Lactose Intoler-ants! Although, it wasn't recommended, some participants, such as Shawn McGrath, pulled consecutive all-nighters to create their game.
"I had 17 energy drinks and three cups of coffee over the last two days and I'm surprisingly fine," he said.
For professionals like McGrath and Firetoad Software co-owner Nathan d'Obrenan, the event provided a welcome respite from their day jobs. According to d'Obrenan, the event also sends a welcome message to aspiring professionals.
"It challenges anyone that's thinking about making a video game in Toronto to make it now," d'Obrenan said.
Microsoft developer advisor and first-time participant Jean-Luc David was impressed by the proceedings. "The games are really amazing for the span of time that people spent on them," he said. "The variety out there and the creativity that people put into the games are impressive."
Volunteer Charlene Balldacchino was also enamoured. "Nerds are hot," she said. "It's the perfect balance of geekiness with innovation."
All TO Jam games will be available at tojam.ca. A public arcade, where all the games will be available, will take place at the Blue Moon Pub on Queen Street East on June 2.
<>Cheeseblaster Extreme?
It's not Grand Theft Auto and that's the point
Last weekend, in the secluded corner of Eastern Avenue and St. Lawrence, an eclectic mix of programmers, sound technicians and graphic artists attempted to break the world record for most participants at a video game jam.
Although it fell shy of its goal, TO Jam attracted more than 125 people, who took part in a unique challenge: to create a video game in three days. TO Jam began three years ago and attracts what organizer Rob Segal described as, "a mixture of industry people, students and people who are professionals but make video games on the side."
People filled the second-floor space of Innovation Toronto early Friday afternoon and by Sunday night had created 37 games, including Cheeseblaster Extreme 2500, Here Be Dragons and Lactose Intoler-ants! Although, it wasn't recommended, some participants, such as Shawn McGrath, pulled consecutive all-nighters to create their game.
"I had 17 energy drinks and three cups of coffee over the last two days and I'm surprisingly fine," he said.
For professionals like McGrath and Firetoad Software co-owner Nathan d'Obrenan, the event provided a welcome respite from their day jobs. According to d'Obrenan, the event also sends a welcome message to aspiring professionals.
"It challenges anyone that's thinking about making a video game in Toronto to make it now," d'Obrenan said.
Microsoft developer advisor and first-time participant Jean-Luc David was impressed by the proceedings. "The games are really amazing for the span of time that people spent on them," he said. "The variety out there and the creativity that people put into the games are impressive."
Volunteer Charlene Balldacchino was also enamoured. "Nerds are hot," she said. "It's the perfect balance of geekiness with innovation."
All TO Jam games will be available at tojam.ca. A public arcade, where all the games will be available, will take place at the Blue Moon Pub on Queen Street East on June 2.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Graduate: Jerry Levitan
Published in North York Post: May 2008.
He met 'the Walrus'
Oscar-nominated grad does it all
Report Card
Student: Jerry Levitan
Graduated: William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate, 1972
Best Subject: History
Worst Subject: Math
Current Job: Children's Entertainer/Lawyer
This year, when I Met the Walrus received an Oscar nomination, it reminded people of a simpler time when a 14-year-old could sneak into a rock star's hotel room to procure an intimate interview. For Jerry Levitan, who was that 14-year-old, the experience has been paying dividends since his high school days at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate.
"I was always seen as the guy who hung with John Lennon," the North York native says. "I wasn't a braggy kid, but it painted me as a person who's a little off the normal path early on. Girls started seeing me as more than 'funny Jerry.'"
Meeting Lennon didn't just change the two-year school president's social life, but his career path as well. The Lennon interview convinced him to emulate his hero, Pierre Trudeau, and enter politics. This meant leaving the stage behind for the constitutional courts.
"I'm the guy who started the Sunday shopping challenge in the early 80s to challenge constitutionally the Sunday laws (that prevented Sunday shopping)," Levitan says. "So that started my career, and I started getting involved in politics."
Despite being asked several times by the Liberal Party, Levitan was never able to find the right time to enter the race. Eventually he decided to let go of his dream of being a politicians, which left him to contemplate a big question.
"So, what am I? Just a lawyer?" Levitan remembers asking himself. "I never enjoyed being a lawyer, and that I would be defined that way for the rest of my life was an upsetting thing to me."
At the age of 34, Levitan decided to cut back on his law practice and take acting classes. In addition to doing commercial work, Levitan became "a rather busy B actor."
His resume includes starring as former Governor Jesse Ventura's alien boss in Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, a pimp loan shark that cuts off people's fingers with garden shears in Little Devils: The Birth, and the head of the New Jersey FBI anti-terrorism unit that involved "running around with a gun."
While he would go on guest-star on The West Wing, Levitan had another re-evaluation of his life four years ago after his second divorce. He closed his praw practice, only taking on liquor law work for nightclubs like The Guvernment, and began writing songs, including one for his two-year-old daughter. One day, I Mother Earth manager Bob Luhtala heard the song and convinced Levitan to do a children's album.
"Literally that day, I left the studio and got an old 1920's top hat, an old bow tie, red rimmed glasses and I created 'Sir Jerry,'" Levitan says.
The Sir Jerry guise has been a big hit. It was while working on Sir Jerry's first music video that Levitan had the idea to make a short animated film about his interview with Lennon. He worked with animator Josh Raskin to produce I Met the Walrus.
He met 'the Walrus'
Oscar-nominated grad does it all
Report Card
Student: Jerry Levitan
Graduated: William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate, 1972
Best Subject: History
Worst Subject: Math
Current Job: Children's Entertainer/Lawyer
This year, when I Met the Walrus received an Oscar nomination, it reminded people of a simpler time when a 14-year-old could sneak into a rock star's hotel room to procure an intimate interview. For Jerry Levitan, who was that 14-year-old, the experience has been paying dividends since his high school days at William Lyon Mackenzie Collegiate.
"I was always seen as the guy who hung with John Lennon," the North York native says. "I wasn't a braggy kid, but it painted me as a person who's a little off the normal path early on. Girls started seeing me as more than 'funny Jerry.'"
Meeting Lennon didn't just change the two-year school president's social life, but his career path as well. The Lennon interview convinced him to emulate his hero, Pierre Trudeau, and enter politics. This meant leaving the stage behind for the constitutional courts.
"I'm the guy who started the Sunday shopping challenge in the early 80s to challenge constitutionally the Sunday laws (that prevented Sunday shopping)," Levitan says. "So that started my career, and I started getting involved in politics."
Despite being asked several times by the Liberal Party, Levitan was never able to find the right time to enter the race. Eventually he decided to let go of his dream of being a politicians, which left him to contemplate a big question.
"So, what am I? Just a lawyer?" Levitan remembers asking himself. "I never enjoyed being a lawyer, and that I would be defined that way for the rest of my life was an upsetting thing to me."
At the age of 34, Levitan decided to cut back on his law practice and take acting classes. In addition to doing commercial work, Levitan became "a rather busy B actor."
His resume includes starring as former Governor Jesse Ventura's alien boss in Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, a pimp loan shark that cuts off people's fingers with garden shears in Little Devils: The Birth, and the head of the New Jersey FBI anti-terrorism unit that involved "running around with a gun."
While he would go on guest-star on The West Wing, Levitan had another re-evaluation of his life four years ago after his second divorce. He closed his praw practice, only taking on liquor law work for nightclubs like The Guvernment, and began writing songs, including one for his two-year-old daughter. One day, I Mother Earth manager Bob Luhtala heard the song and convinced Levitan to do a children's album.
"Literally that day, I left the studio and got an old 1920's top hat, an old bow tie, red rimmed glasses and I created 'Sir Jerry,'" Levitan says.
The Sir Jerry guise has been a big hit. It was while working on Sir Jerry's first music video that Levitan had the idea to make a short animated film about his interview with Lennon. He worked with animator Josh Raskin to produce I Met the Walrus.
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