Remembering Gary "G-Mack" McCormack

Five years ago, Gary “G-Mack” McCormack was taken to Heaven. While I didn’t know him as a father, husband, or officer, I did know him as a close high school friend.

I met Gary in freshman English class, we talked, and he invited me to a lock-in at his church one evening. The details of that night are pretty vague, but I do remember playing basketball and not much sleep was had. Having taken a liking to the guy, I brought him into the group, which included my brother Kelly, Brad Kirk, Donald Piatt, Scott Gardner, and Larry Andrus. They were a bit apprehensive at first, since the rest of us had been hanging out since grade school, but he grew on them and quickly became part of The Crew.

There are many interesting stories about the Mavillac, which is what we called his Ford Maverick with a “borrowed” Cadillac hood ornament, and the things that happened in it’s confines. We were tight in high school, had sleepovers at his homestead (me, G, Grandma Imogene, and Uncle Joe), shot lots of hoops, built speaker boxes, and got into tons of mischief at the “bridge out” and “The Fly Spot.” Then, he started dating Donald’s sister, Stephanie. Having grown up with Steph, I always felt like she thought we were a bad influence on Gary (and her brother too), but I tried not to let that interfere with our shenanigans.

The fondest memories of our senior year were the ridiculous things we did for Journalism class (there is incriminating footage somewhere), but after high school, while Gary and I still remained friends, we never really hung out, other than when I need to use his computer or when making road trips to Rolla to see Kelly for St. Patrick’s Day. My sophomore year, I went away to Rolla too, and that’s pretty much when we lost touch, never gaining back what we had, even after I returned home to attend school the next year.

I think the last time I saw Gary was at Donald’s wedding and reception, where we shot a few hoops and made indefinite plans to get together in the future. From there, Gary went his way, living life with Stephanie and their two children, then getting into law enforcement. After doing a seven year stint with the Republic, MO force, he became a deputy sheriff, and four months into that, an accident happened while responding to a call and he was taken from us.

I’m not sure if Gary ever reminisced about the times he had with The Crew, either personally or with others, but I know we still do. I didn’t go to the funeral, because I felt I didn’t have a place, but did visit his grave shortly after and have returned on Memorial Day. I wish we would’ve kept in touch over the years, but sadly, neither of us made the effort.

While I didn’t know Gary in any of the roles he had later in life, I still considered him a great friend for the times we had together, and can't imagine how life would have been without him there. The memories are plentiful, and so I've asked The Crew to help us remember some of the great times we had and will never forget.

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Brad:

You know the number one thing that sticks out is the old Mavalack, he loved that thing. Hill topping in it, Boy oh boy. We were nuts. Then, we got the amazing Gary the magician. He never would show me how he did those tricks. But, there is one memory I have of him that plays over and over in my head. Gary showed me how true a friend he really was to me. I got pulled over in Republic, and I had just gotten out of jail that day, and they called him in because he was the sergeant at that time, right before he went to Greene County. He uncuffed me and took me back to his car and looked me in my eyes and asked me how I was doing, and if I was off the crap. Of course, I lied to him and told him I was clean, and I know he knew I was lying, just like you all did. But, he said I’m asking you as a friend, then went on about what it was doing to me. What really pisses me off was I couldn’t even go to his funeral because I was on the run and paranoid about all the cops that were there. My brother Wayne and I went to the viewing and talked to Steph. But, there are a lot of memories, I just can’t think of them, except the time we all did that [rap] gig at the Boys Club.

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Larry:

I wasn't as close to Gary as Kris and the others, I just know that he was a really nice guy and quite a talented magician. He was funny and loved to make people smile and laugh. I think he was a very smart man, but did some really crazy stuff like jumping the end of the world in an early 70's Ford Maverick. I know how thankful and smart he was when we had the 2 blowouts on the blue Chevelle coming back from Rolla. Knowing that the unilug wheels he had on his Ford Fairlane would fit on my Chevy. Gary had a huge heart and would help anyone.

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Scott:

Gary Daniel McCormack was my friend...he was one of my closest very best friends. We shared so much together. Although he didn’t come into our clique until about 1990, we all instantly loved the dude. I had him in a couple classes, one of those was Biology II with Miss Smith. We dissected a cat together. I remember clearly one day when Gary was being particularly vocal in his frustration with the class. Specifically, he was cussing up a storm. Miss Smith sent him out of the class for the day. It was mad funny. He was the second of us to get his driver’s license and chauffeured all of us around in his blue Ford Maverick. We went cruising around town every Friday and Saturday night. He’d load like all 5 of us in his car and we’d be scraping the pavement cuz the car would dip so low with all of us in it. We spent a lot of time at Sonic drive-in.

He once brought us all together to do a rap show at the Boys and Girls Club on Springfield’s west side. He got the beats for us somehow. I don’t know how he found them. It was on an old cassette of beats by a rap group called “Preachers in Disguise” or “P.O.D.” What was so funny was that POD was a Christian rap group and we were...well...not so Christian.

When I got my first car...a 1974 Buick Apollo, Gary tirelessly went speaker shopping with me. He helped me pick out CD players and pull-out tape decks, and then he spent the entire summer between our sophomore and junior years helping me build speaker box after speaker box to fit my car. He stayed late into the night at my house, which was on the other side of town from his, installing stereos, amps and all kinds of stuff. In return, I spent a lot of time with him searching salvage yards for different parts that he needed to restore his Ford Fairlane to the point of being able to drive it.

We were constantly bonding over music and bowling. We used to go bowling all the time. He was with me when I got my first bowling ball. It had finger grips and my bowling team nick-name engraved on the ball. It said “Polo G”.

I could go on and on tirelessly, but I just want to say that I very much regret not staying in closer touch with him after I went away to college. And, I’ll always be sad about not being able to make it to his funeral. Even though I hadn’t seen or talked to him, I still feel a certain emptiness knowing he’s not out there somewhere...dedicated as hell to his job, fellow officers and his family.

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Donald:

Gary was the joke teller, magic trick extraordinaire. We went to play pool one time, played a couple games, and then he asked me to go to the bar and get a few things. With a glass of water, he was like the David Copperfield of Westside. I’ll never forget his laugh. He was the G Mac. Thanksgiving and Christmas will never be the same without him there.

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Kelly:

An Ode to Gary McCormack

In the grand scheme of things, Gary was a brief but very influencial part of my young life during those “impressionable years” where I was to choose whether I would be a contributing member of society or a raging hooligan. We did our share of amateur hooliganism, but never to the point of grand theft or felony damage. Go Westside Whities!

Gary slotted into a presumably impenetrable clique of Study Stars (Bubby and I, Brad, D, Scotty G, Lar) when we arrived at Central and became the vehicle (literally) to many of our hijinx. The noble 1974 Maverick nearly killed us on plenty of occasions, but it never failed to deliver us to our destination...which was usually nowhere in particular unless someone along the way had a splendid idea about heading to the Valley Water Mill or the End of the World. Mostly, though, it was a vesicle of youth and friendship, where a bunch of kids spent hours forming bonds that would last for either a while or forever. I will forever regret backing into that big, brown LTD and busting the back trim on the Maverick...apparently something that could not actually be replaced in Springfield. My first driving lesson...never operate a motor vehicle when there are a set of awesome bosoms in the back seat!

Gary was always keen to show you his new magic trick, and actually got pretty good at manipulating a deck of cards. I never got to see a whole act, though, as I’m sure we would not have appreciated the hours of practice it took to master the 15 or so tricks. The other thing Gary was always keen to have a crack at was cobbling together a speaker box and wiring up a stereo. Oh the number of times I saw him rip through a box of fuses trying to wire up an amp and cross-over by trial and error. And to this day, I’m convinced that every subwoofer box ever built should include 2 pounds of polyfill!

After high school was over, Gary and I drifted apart as many friends do. I had my head secured squarely up my own ass studying engineering and Gary went into law enforcement. The fact that we did not stay in contact as much as we should have did not diminish the fact that we were true friends when it mattered most. On the 5th anniversary of Gary’s death, I have but two things to say: Thank you for being my friend and tolerating the little assholes that we were, and that was truly the worst fake thumb I have ever seen in a magic act!

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Gary, may you rest in peace and watch over us every day, and one day, we will see you again. We love and miss you homie!

-Scott “Polo G” Gardner
-Kelly “Kool Daddy K” Fleetwood
-Larry “LL Sound” Andrus
-Brad “MC Smooth” Kirk
-Donald “Big D” Piatt
-Kris “EMD” Fleetwood

Already reflecting on 2011...

WOW! It's been over a year since I visited this venting outlet, and I must say, it feels good to return, but it's sad to re-read my desperation. It's clear that one big thing keeping me from happiness was my job, or should I say, my inability to walk away from it, and putting it ahead of everything else and everyone. Sure, 10 years with a company is a long time, and you'd think that would account for something, but recently I was released of my duties. I won't go into the particulars, but after about $40 million in sales, $4 million in profits, and recently being the "Hero" of my district, it came down to them no longer wanting me as a part of their organization. Sure, I may have had a bad attitude sometimes, and been expressive about flaws in the company (only to make it stronger), but I continued to kill myself day-in, day-out, trying to improve and simplify processes, looking out for the best interest of my staff, and trying to grow our business, even when I wasn't sure how. I never intended to re-invent the wheel, but I was aware that it was loose, or maybe even broken at times, and really tried to find ways to fix it. In the end, it really didn't matter, because I was just another disposable employee, to a company who doesn't need "heroes" in their arsenal after all.

So, I'm now looking for other employment, with hopes of staying in the entertainment industry. At the turn of the new year, Heather said that 2011 was sure to bring change, as she moved to Coffeyville to pursue an HR generalist position. I knew my time in Hutchinson was long overdue, but I didn't have the cahones to move on. I can easily throw out the shoulda, woulda, coulda's, but a change is sure to come in the next couple months. Sure, I'll leave some great people and memories behind, but I hope to have left a legacy, or at least my stamp. Good or bad, people will remember me, the stories I told, the expectations I had, and the asshole boss I was, but also the caring friend I could be.

My buddy, Terrence recently said, "So life has moved you beyond the big green machine. The change will be fantastic for you."

I just really hope I don't make the same bad choices as I have in the past, and I can once again feel like an integral part of an organization who values my employment, and my opinion, so we can grow together. Cheesy, I know, but true. So, maybe 2011 will be the best thing since...

Reflections of 2009...and how much I suck

So, let's tally up the list of things I wanted to get accomplished last year to see how I rate.

Things I hope(d) to do in 2009:

-find another place to live (Done!! And I’m in the process of moving now). This was DONE long ago.

-work as a video buyer for my company or as a sales rep for an independent studio—this may not actually happen this year, but my interests will be known and networking will continue in order to make this happen.
NOT DONE, but networking still continues as many companies are consolidating and my contacts are dwindling.

-spend more time with friends, family, and away from my job, oh yeah, and get more sleep.
NOT DONE because I'm a loser who can't seem to leave work at a decent time.

-be more efficient at my job in order to work less hours, hold people accountable for their job functions, and tell them to contact me by phone, not text, if they need help (but only after they’ve utilized all other parties that are capable first).
NOT DONE because I'm a sucky manager

-exercise some, and be more active in sport-related activities (basketball, racquetball, softball, and sex are great).
NOT DONE because I can't get my ass out of work and therefore am too exhausted to do anything but sleep.

-get a pair of glasses I like, not ones that make me want to stomp them. Be less anal about my glasses…is that really possible??
NOT DONE, being less anal may be impossible, but I still have plans to get new frames.

-make it to Australia to see my bro???
DID NOT HAPPEN this year.

-go to Chicago in March for Fangoria’s Horror Convention and then to Dallas in May for my 3rd Texas Frightmare weekend.
DONE, and I had a great time with Heather and Lukas. And, Linda Blair is still a f-in bitch.

-spend less money on porno and sell some of the stuff I’ve been sitting on for years. Sorry, Mom, that you had to find out how much of a perv your son is.
SOMEWHAT DONE, I did buy less porno, but didn't really sell any of the stuff I had, nor did I watch much of it either.

-transform back into the Kris that moved to Hutch 7 years ago. Ask Heather if you need particulars on how I was different then.
DIDN'T HAPPEN cause I'm a weak, weak individual.

-love myself, and quit beating myself up over stupid shit that doesn’t really matter in greater scheme of things.
SOMEWHAT DID THIS, but the first of the year was somewhat grueling, and in turn of loving myself, I've started hating everyone else, and also became more selfish.

-give more shit away—realistically, I can only watch so many movies and listen to so much music in this lifetime.
NOT DONE, my toys, my toys!!

-trash stuff I’ve been toting around for 10 years which haven’t seen the light of day since the 90’s.
NOT DONE because I've been too lazy to go through it.

-sell some of the crap I don’t use, won’t use, or keep asking myself why the hell I bought it.
I exchanged some standard def DVDs for Blu Rays, does that count?? But, I still have a ton of stuff to go through.

-by an HD TV no smaller than 42”, which I’m sure Lukas will help me pick out.
DONE, I'm rockin a 50" plasma and love it. Now, I'm just deciding what I want to watch in high def, and what will be sufficient with an upversion.


In all, I friggin suck, plain and simple. I maybe got 5% of my list accomplished, so this year I'm not making a list of resolutions, but a list of smart suggestions for the new year. Many of the things I intended to get done last year will also carry over to this one.

(Not a pic of me, just some other kid who didn't get his way)

Smart Suggestions for 2010:

-Work less. I've never been one to only work the minimum, so saying keep it to 40 hours is unrealistic, but keeping it to 10 hours a day or 12 at the very max (unless I do an overnight), IS a very realistic goal. Also, I can no longer be a babysitter, so my associates will either work, or I'll find someone else who will.

-Exercise/walk to work/get back on the basketball court. At this point, it's not a matter of I don't want to's, it's a matter of I have to because I've pretty much been sedentary the last 8 years and feel like crap most of the time.

-Eat better. Since Heather came into my life, I have eaten better, even took a liking to Lukas and Cassandra's guacamole, but still push away stuff that could improve my health, bowel movements, increase my lifespan, and maybe even taste decent. Just don't think I can do mushrooms though, they're slimy.

-Get more reviews posted on The Side Show. Even if I have to helm the entire ship, I gotta do it for me, and maybe few other loyal followers. Also, continue to be enlightened by fellow horror bloggers, which you can reference on the site.

-Help promote our indie film Fallout and try to get it into the Tallgrass Film Festival.

-Continue to increase my Blu Ray collection. Realistically, a new release Blu Ray should be around $20-22 max, since standard def are $15-17. I'll continue to look for the 9.99 and under deals and stock up!!

-Continue to look for other career ops in the industry and make my way out of Hutch.

-Attend at least two horror conventions. First will be Texas Frightmare with Jon and Lukas in May, and then possibly Cinema Wasteland or Scarefest in the Fall with Heather.

-Say goodbye to Farmville on Facebook. It was fun while it lasted, but has lost it's luster and is now a chore. Along with that, unfriend those who really aren't relevant to my circle of friends.

-Live it up while Kelly's in town in February. An 80's themed skating party with several of our friends from grade school and junior high should start it off right.

-A getaway weekend with Heather in March. This should take some stressors off the relationship.

-Say goodbye to the long goat. I can't get rid of it all together, cause clean shaven isn't me, but it's a must as I fulfill my agreement with Heather, and search for a better career.

-More time with friends and family and anything else I didn't complete off last year's list. And, more good converstaion with my buddy, Paul, who one day I may actually meet in person.



Okay, so this pic may be kind of gay (coming from me at least), but I like it, so piss off.

Like Joey Lawrence says, "Whoa!"

My boy, Scotty G pretty much sums it up:

"G.D. this guy is not human. His bike must be made of some space age shit. And I can't believe that his tires and rims, and just the welds on the bike hold up after some of those 15ft drops and landings."

Watch an be amazed.

Asher Roth: The Great White Hype

Although he may sound like a young Eminem, Asher Roth is no Slim Shady. But, despite the similarities, he's another white dude with mad lyrical skills and a raw/crude sense of humor who can hold his own, often poking fun at his nerdiness and upbringing. This video had me rolling. Warning kiddies: this has explicit lyrics, so please get your parents permission before viewing (or turn down the volume so they can't hear it). :) I posted the link off Loud.com, which has much better picture quality, but during playback on my site, it kept stopping and "loading," so if you have that problem, I added the one from You Tube. Side note: I had to use the link from You Tube to adjust the HTML embedding because the address off Loud's site was jacked up. I keep learning, so maybe one day I'll be able to program in HTML. Enjoy!

Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors aka Hunt for the Overzealous Cleavage and Camel Toe

First, a little explanation on the title of this. What started out as what I thought would be a normal, yet bigger horror convention, ended up being a cleavage and camel toe free for all. There were so many boobs popping out of tops, that it became a game between Heather and I on who could spot the most ridiculous. Not to mention, the chick policing the entry line had one of the biggest and most disgusting camel toes I'd seen, and I couldn't stop glancing at it. It's like her snapper was eating her pants, and this was the same all 3 days, in 3 different outfits. I told Heather maybe it was some type of security for her, or that she liked the feeling. (Heather, you have any pics I can add?) Anyway, I promised a recap of events from our jaunt to Chicago for Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, so here it is.

Nothing extremely exciting to mention about the convention itself, sure it was nice to see and meet Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust), Lamberto Bava (Demons 1&2), and Sergio Stivaletti (Cemetary Man), but since most of their panel was done through a translator (they’re Italian), it took away from the excitement. We got to hear from the ever-so entertaining Lloyd Kaufman, Troma president, but it was all about his latest movie, Poultrygeist, and his new DVD, Direct Your Own Damn Movie. I’d seen him, Romero, Savini, and Doug Bradley (Pinhead) before, so no big news there. And, although Tom Savini had been labelled as an asshole from a prior convention, and did have an air of arrogance surrounding him while signing autographs (I got the Friday the 13th Blu Ray and his first movie, The Burning signed), he was light-hearted and semi-entertaining during his panel, which I missed the bulk of due to haggling over some DVDs I’d been eyeing all weekend, but didn’t want to pay full price for. But, I did get them, and at the price I wanted.

We got pretty much everyone’s autograph except Romero, whose line was continually a mile long, and I wasn’t waiting. I did get a chance to meet with Jerry from Synapse/Impulse Films, and we had a good conversation. I bought a t-shirt, and he ended up giving Heather a free one and some logoed lip balm. He told me they’re working on a colored t-shirt of the movie cover of Thriller: A Cruel Picture, which is one I was going to buy in black and white, but they didn’t have my size. So, I got his e-mail, and vowed to keep in touch.


At another booth, I kept eyeing this Friday the 13th oil painting, and bought a $10 print of it, but they weren’t willing to sell the original for what I was willing to pay. AND, they acted as if they were making me some great deal by selling it to me for the price they quoted me the day before, even though it seemed to raise 100 bucks overnight. Granted, it was one-of-a-kind, and would’ve been a sweet addition to the new pad, but times are hard, and I just couldn’t shell out the extra $50 in fear that it might get destroyed on the plane ride home. I’m really proud of myself, though, for standing my ground and not giving in, but damn, it was nice. So, instead, I bought a piece from a different artist (image not available), and Heather got one too (see pic below). Sadly, the frame got broken in her luggage coming home. Blasted American Airlines!! This isn’t the first time they’ve been careless and broken our shit.



For more pics, visit www.darksartparlour.com. You may also get a complimentary psychoanalysis of your relationships with purchase. (Just ask Heather or I if you're curious what that means).

I spent a little time talking to a few of the independent filmmakers, and bought some of their movies (gotta support the indies!), while plugging my site, the Side Show Review. But, I had to pass on a movie called Stiff Jobs from some dudes from St. Louis who thought their movie was the best and funniest film ever, and turned up their noses when I mentioned Eric Stanze (Scrapbook, China White Serpentine, Deadwood Park), a fellow St. Louisan filmmaker. Their movie looked so friggin cheesy that I couldn’t justify spending the money only to turn around and watch something that made the worst Troma movie look good. See for yourself, and if you made it all the way through the trailer, much less a full-length feature, you're a more tolerable person than me.



The weather was cold and rainy and the train rides were less than amusing, and as Heather pointed out, the blood-alcohol content of most Chicagoans must be pretty high, that is, at least for train riders, since several people wreaked of liqour or were drinking on there. I can’t fathom having to take that back and forth to work everyday, but hey, it’s a cheap and faster way of transpo, so pop in the headphones and away you go. We had Chicago-style pizza, which I think is actually deep dish, even though we had thin crust, and it sucked. I’d rather have had Papa Johns. A highlight was getting to hang out with my cousin, Susan, her husband, Aaron, their newborn, Lila, and dog, Sarah. It was a good time, even though I was a little perturbed when they wouldn’t watch the Lonely Island (Jizz In My Pants, Dick In a Box) and Jon Lajoie (Show Me Your Genitals) videos I brought up on You Tube.

We missed out on the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Jeffery Combs panels due to our flight, which ended up getting pushed back twice, and we didn’t leave until like 8:30pm (vs 6:45). But, we probably didn't miss much since I’d seen Combs before, and Marilyn Burns looked like dead woman walking. Heather was a little pissed that there wasn't a Cinnabons, even though signs said there was, and we ended up eating at Wolfgang Puck's before seeing Macaroni Grill. Maybe next time. And, we ended up settling for Subway (where I learned that price haggling in Chicago is not only okay, but expected), when we could have had Chili's upon our arrival. But, in all, it was a pretty good time, and I think Heather had fun too. Our adventures in the airport inspired me to think about writing a blog on airport courtesy, and even though Heather says noone will listen, I may write it anyway. So, thanks to my cuz for housing us for the weekend, and maybe I’ll make it back next year. Another horror convention said and done, and now it’s onto the Texas Frightmare Weekend in May.

Vacation coming to an end

Well, when I report to work tomorrow morning, vacation will be officially over. :( In all, I got to see my bro from Australia, Kembra from Bentonville, my cousin, Amy, and her dad, Frank, from KC, and pretty much the rest of my family that reside in Springfield. The trip was too short, but it was nice to get away and see everyone. I was able to get a few movies watched, but no reviews posted, and went to see the Friday the 13th remake again. There just wasn't near enough time to do the other things I wanted, and sleeping until 11 or noon everyday didn't help either, but was well-needed.

Heather and I will be heading to Chicago next weekend for Fangoria's horror convention, and to see and stay with my cousin, Susan (Amy's sister), and her new family. It should be a good time, and I'm really looking forward to the Italian panel with Lamberto Bava (Demons 1&2) and Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust). Knee-deep in nothing but horror movies, discussion, fans, and memorabilia for three days, oh, the life. And, I already bought tickets for the Texas Frightmare Weekend in May, which Lukas will be accompanying me again.


I'm also working again with the guys I did a local movie with (Undead on Arrival) a few years back on their next feature, which is a vampire flick. I'm not a big fan of the genre, so it should be challenging. Working on UoA was a great experience, so I'm sure this will be too. The new one seems a little far-fetched and high-hoped, but hey, isn't that what dreams are made of? Here's the website that will detail our progress:

http://moonlightfilmsinc.com/

After a 2nd watch of FT13th, I'm still not impressed. The Jason I like is a slow-mover, but ends up where you are, no matter how fast you're moving. And, since Michael Bay did this one too, it seemed to reek of the TCM remake, which I liked, but didn't need to see again in another movie. There were a few boobs (Willa Ford), and a couple of decent kill scenes, but I don't feel like it really brought anything new to the series. Lukas and I tried watching FT13th Part 3 in 3D and it sucked! That red/blue 3D technology is so archaic. But, I've always been a fan of Part 3, and not just because that's when Jason get's his mask, and am looking forward to the Blu Ray, even though I still don't have a high def TV, but keep looking.


So, I put some feelers out for some new screeners, and have two coming (Zombie Cheerleading Camp and Mindflesh). This will force me to get off my ass and post some new reviews for my diligent fan-base of five. So, as my vacation comes to a close, I can't stress enough how I need to get a better grip on my job. More time off just makes for better living. And, if I have time when I get back, I'll try to give a breakdown of the greats (and not-so-greats) from the convention. Maybe Tom Savini won't be an asshole this time around.