Nole,
I can’t tell you how exciting it was to hear from Jennifer R. – the granddaughter of the great Tampa Bay pitch man Tom Stimus! Please let her know that her father really meant the world to all of us late ‘70s/early ‘80s kids. I’d say out of the great pitch men, Stimus was probably the best, along with the “Unclaimed Freight” guy. Tom Stimus is the one I remember most, and there are many times when I think about him banging his fists against the hoods of conversion vans! Pitch men like Tom Stimus made growing up fun and wonderful. I’m amazed when I watch daytime TV nowadays and see ad after ad of dull lawyer commercials and run-of-the-mill, unimaginative car commercials. Not so back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s – Stimus and his imitators never failed to make the droning act of viewing commercial an unforgettable experience. Hell, forget “Hogan’s Heroes” – we kids wanted to see the next Tom Stimus commercial! I think the only survivors from that era have been the Bay City Plywood guys.
Jennifer’s update begs to ask: is there any chance of a return of the master? Or how about a “Best of Tom Stimus” video collection? Wouldn’t it be great to see all those great TV ads again? I think it’s high time for a retro-Stimus DVD, or perhaps one that covers all the great Tampa Bay-based pitch men (Stimus, “Mad Max”, Unclaimed Freight, Allied Discount Tires, T-Buff, etc.). That would be truly incredible indeed. Thanks to Will Moriaty for the great piece on the Florida pitch men (from PCR #74).
Also loved Ed’s encounter with Herschell Gordon Lewis. Great stuff!!!
- Andy Lalino
Graphic Designer, WUSF-TV
Thank you, sir! -- Nolan
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