Spring Loaded to the Ticked Off Position

By Aleta Vinas

For those of you who can't get enough of Klyde Morris, the most outspoken ant in aviation, ANN and Klyde creator, Wes Oleszewski, are please to present a jumbo fix of Klyde. It's a new book entitled, "Spring Loaded to the Ticked Off Position."

Initially scheduled to debut at Oshkosh EAA Air Venture, it seems there was no room for ants at the AirVenture picnic despite numerous requests placed by Aero News Editor in Chief, Jim Campbell. The book will instead make its debut at the AOPA Expo in Long Beach (CA), October 21-23, 2004. As a loyal ANN reader you'll get first crack at preordering and will be able to pick up your book at the AOPA Expo. Wes will even autograph it for you.

If you can't make the show, no worries. ANN will mail the book to you. Preordering information will soon be available on the Aero News and Klyde Morris website, so stay tuned.

While the full details are still being worked out, there will be a Klyde Morris booth in the exhibit hall. Other Klyde merchandise will be available as well. This anthology of Klyde favorites spans the decades, from Wes's freshman year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to present day. Some of the topics the Klyde strips will skewer includes Klyde's early years (at Embry-Riddle), airport security (and the oxymoron of such), Klyde trashing the airlines and NASA, Klyde's pager trashing him (if you're a fan you'll understand this) and Klyde trashing all manner of miscellaneous subjects. Included too, are the strips that landed Wes in the most trouble –- so far.

Having a comfortable home at ANN for nearly two years and enjoying the freedom of the press, it was time for the ant to do something big. The idea for the book had actually been hovering around since Wes joined ANN. ANN Editor in Chief Jim Campbell was all for it but day to day ANN took precedent. Campbell was actually somewhat of a Klyde neophyte when he hired on Wes and Klyde. As Campbell read some of the older Klydes he began to "get caught up with Klyde."

Campbell adds, "As a function of seeing the history I thought putting it in book form would be a hoot."

Wes puts it this way: "Jim made all of the connections and did all of the groundwork. All I did was send the cartoons". Great work if you can get it!

Many of Klyde's adventures or should we say mis-adventures are from Wes's observations of the crazy world around us, specifically the world of aviation. Does Wes still remember the events surrounding the strips? "Although I can not remember a phone number given to me 30 seconds before, I seem to easily recall events- that's just the way my twisted brain works. Thus I can normally recall, in detail, the circumstances behind every cartoon. Of course some cartoons still have people stalking me... so those are easy to remember". Seems like some people just can't take a joke.

Taking ten years to graduate from Embry-Riddle allowed a great deal of time to experience and comment on college life. Wes's graduation meant that the university would no longer be the primary target of Wes's commentaries. Wes and Klyde were now after the "real world" of aviation. Klyde was actually furloughed from 1989 – 1999 while creator Wes went through the aviation wringer, from CFI to Island hopping out of Ft. Lauderdale to Regional carrier to full fledged airline pilot. Wes's dream opportunity presented itself in 1997, a corporate position flying his dream plane, the Falcon 20, as well as the Falcon 10. Wes also worked as a mechanic on his beloved Falcons prior to his days at Embry-Riddle. This new corporate position gave Wes the ability to fulfill his dream flight; he flew the Falcon 20 into Daytona Beach Regional Airport, home of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With this life-long goal fulfilled, Wes stepped back and took stock.

Wes was through flying. Instead, he decided, "Aviation needs a voice to speak up for it." This was a job for Klyde Morris, aviation's only ant. Klyde was back on the job. Over the past several years, through Klyde, Wes has taken on injustice in every aspect of aviation, he's been there, friends have been there and Klyde tries to make sure someone sits up, takes notice and DOES something. Sometimes the objects of Wes's strips take too much notice – of him.

Wes explains, "Recently I wrote a cartoon about mechanics and a few weeks later at the AOPA fly-in, a fairly angry looking pair of mechanics showed up at the Klyde Morris booth all set to chew me up. When I told them I'd been a Falcon Jet mechanic, all was well again. My wife said later "I was amazed how those two lightened up when they heard that you'd worked as a mechanic under a shop certificate." Since I have experience in almost every area of aviation, from being an airline captain to mopping hangar floors, it makes me a tough customer to argue with."

Since retiring from "active duty," Wes lives a relatively quiet life with his wife, eight month old baby girl and Taz the cat. Wes's commute is now much shorter than some of his former commutes of a thousand miles. Now the flight path is across the living room carpet to the office. Working at home doesn't mean that Wes takes it easy. His days start around 0730 and often don't end until 2330. There are also the occasional times he'll bolt awake in the middle of the night with an idea for a Klyde strip and make the quick hop to the office to put the idea on paper. Although there may be more bolting awake from the baby these days. Aside from Klyde, Wes has many other irons in the fire.

One day a week is spent on his Diskovery Disk series. These discs are navigable, interactive CDs, hosted by Dr. Zooch, another ant (go figure). Some topics covered in the series include Lifting Bodies, Inside Cape Canaveral and the Saturn Rocket. Topics for future Diskovery Disks include Redstone Rockets and the Lunar Module.

One day is set aside for work on a project focusing on boats of the Great Lakes, research, cultivating contacts, interviews, phone calls and general "paper archeology". There is another side to Wes; he is a Lake Boat geek. As a youngster, he would create exact, small-scale replicas of the Lake freighters from scratch and sail them on the creeks in his neighborhood. This interest in Lake boats found a creative outlet in 1991 when Wes wrote Stormy Seas published by Avery Color Studios. He has currently authored or co-authored more than half a dozen books on the ships, shipwrecks and even lighthouses of the Great Lakes. Wes's most recent project on ghost story 'yarns', unproven but not dis-proved tales was published in April of this year.

Two days are reserved for Klyde Morris. About 88% of the strip is now done on the computer using the WACOM pad and pen that draws directly into the computer. Wes also has a font, which types in his own handwriting. This bodes well for readers but not so well for those that have to read anything handwritten by Wes. So long as he just signs the checks over to his wife.

The last day is for catching up. Weekends renew the creative juices and the process starts again on Monday. Support the hard-working cartoonist/author and pre-order your copy today or at least when the information becomes available. Remember, extra copies make great gifts for the aviation fan in your life.

FMI www.klydemorris.com www.DiskoveryDisks.com www.Lighthouses-Lakeboats.com www.aopa.org