Tom Medley (20 March 1920[1] - 2 March 2014 [2]) was an American hot rodder and cartoonist, best known as creator of Stroker McGurk.
History
editMedley was born in Lebanon, Oregon, 20 March 1920.[3] He became interested in auto racing at a young age, and would hitchhike up to 65 mi (105 km) to attend dirt track events.[4]
He served in the U.S. Army's 78th Infantry Division during World War II.[3] After the war ended, he enrolled at California's Art Center School, in Pasadena, California.[3] It was there, like many returning GIs, he became interested in hot rodding.[4]
Medley provided photographic coverage of the land speed racers at Bonneville Speed Weeks, and of the Indianapolis 500, from 1950 to 1964.[3] He began displaying his cartoon creations at a local rod shop, Blair's Speed Shop,[3] which helped get him a job at Hot Rod (when it was still called Honk!) with just its second issue, in February 1948.[5] Medley moved from humor editor to advertising in 1955, and stayed with Petersen Publishing until 1985.[6]
In December 1965, Medley was named publisher of Rod & Custom,[7] which he transformed from a general interest automotive and drag racing magazine (including coverage of karts) to a specialist custom car title. He ran contrary to the trend toward muscle cars and drag racing, and succeeded.[6] Taking that position led to a brief revival of the Stroker McGurk cartoons in the magazine.[3]
Stroker McGurk
editMedley's famed creation, Stroker McGurk, debuted in the third issue of Hot Rod[4] (when it was still called Honk!), and continued in the magazine until 1955. He would reappear briefly in 1964 and 1965,[8] and occasionally in Rod & Custom in the 1980s.
Stroker (as he was always known) drove a trademark 1929 Ford roadster[9] in most of his appearances, but he also innovated a number of things later copied by real-life racers, including multiple-engine dragsters, traction bars, and parachutes.[7]
Medley would create an equivalent character, Flat Out Snodgrass, for Cycle.[3]
Rodding
editAfter discussions with Tex Smith, Medley helped organize the first Street Rod Nationals in Peoria, Illinois, in summer 1970.[5]
Medley had a favorite 1940 Ford 5-window, which was destroyed in 2011 in a garage fire; family and friends raised US$30,000 to have the car restored, presenting it to him 10 months later.[7]
He was a long-time friend of customizer Dick "Magoo" Megugorac.[9]
Personal life
editMedley had one son, Gary.[7]
He died in Los Angeles on 2 March 2014, after a brief illness, at 93.[10]
Notes
edit- ^ Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ Vaughn, Mark, Crain News Service. "Cartoonist/creator of fictional hot rodder 'Stroker McGurk' dies", written 10 March 2014, at Tirebusiness.com (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ a b c d e f g Vaughn, Mark, West Coast Editor. "Tom Medley 1920-2014", written 8 March 2014, at Autoweek online (retrieved 24 October 2018)
- ^ a b c Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ a b Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ a b Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ a b c d Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
- ^ a b Medley, Gary (31 December 2017). "Dick Magoo Megugorac – Hot Rodding's Quiet Genius". Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ Vaughn, Mark, Crain News Service. "Cartoonist/creator of fictional hot rodder 'Stroker McGurk' dies", written 10 March 2014, at Tirebusiness.com (retrieved 23 October 2018); Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018); Vaughn, Mark, West Coast Editor. "Tom Medley 1920-2014", written 8 March 2014, at Autoweek online (retrieved 24 October 2018)
External links
edit- Hot Rod online (obit)
- Facebook (memorial)
- Pressreader.com