I just unearthed a little fake magazine I put together during my tenure at Gottschalk's. Gottschalk's was a department store that was around since the very early days of Fresno up until about the 1990s. It got too big for its britches---expanded way too quickly and was publicly offered as a stock--and died. BUT, for a brief time--1985 until about 1987 (something like that)--I worked as a sales associate in the original Gottschalk's downtown on the (what used to be) Fulton Mall.
Gottschalk's had this quarterly magazine for the staff called "The Big G Retailer". SNORE. I don't even remember what was in it. Towards the end of my tenure (I left for a better paying job at Orchards Supply Hardware in Clovis, closer to home), I decided to make my own version of "The Big G Retailer" called "The Big G Enquirer".
"The Big G Enquirer" was filled with phony stories about my friends at the department store. I had planned on making more than one issue. In fact, I was actively working on the 2nd issue...but it never materialized. I lost interest and then took the other job. But I was amazed to find digital scans of this one issue. And yes, I really did "sell" the issues for a quarter each--secretly to my "friends" at the store. Had anyone in management seen it--despite it's obvious good nature and being a parody--I would have been fired, I'm sure.
I'm posting it below. My favorite story is the travel piece called "Vern's Childhood Tour of San Francisco". It is based on a real trip a co-worker (Maryann Sanchez) and I took with Vern Simmons as we went and stayed at his parents (? Some other relative?) in the city. He had grown up there and his non-stop patter about his childhood home was monotonous--and funny at the same time. The "article" is almost like being there. i didn't make any of the dialogue up. Ha!
Look or don't (Probably DON'T as you won't know who anyone is...):
CHEERS!
Gottschalk's had this quarterly magazine for the staff called "The Big G Retailer". SNORE. I don't even remember what was in it. Towards the end of my tenure (I left for a better paying job at Orchards Supply Hardware in Clovis, closer to home), I decided to make my own version of "The Big G Retailer" called "The Big G Enquirer".
"The Big G Enquirer" was filled with phony stories about my friends at the department store. I had planned on making more than one issue. In fact, I was actively working on the 2nd issue...but it never materialized. I lost interest and then took the other job. But I was amazed to find digital scans of this one issue. And yes, I really did "sell" the issues for a quarter each--secretly to my "friends" at the store. Had anyone in management seen it--despite it's obvious good nature and being a parody--I would have been fired, I'm sure.
I'm posting it below. My favorite story is the travel piece called "Vern's Childhood Tour of San Francisco". It is based on a real trip a co-worker (Maryann Sanchez) and I took with Vern Simmons as we went and stayed at his parents (? Some other relative?) in the city. He had grown up there and his non-stop patter about his childhood home was monotonous--and funny at the same time. The "article" is almost like being there. i didn't make any of the dialogue up. Ha!
Look or don't (Probably DON'T as you won't know who anyone is...):
CHEERS!
Comments
This is Vern, the tour guide on the SF Childhood Tour. Those were fun days and the article is "somewhat" accurate. I just went on that same tour with my current co-workers and they got a kick out of reading you news letter.