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There is a gentleman by the name of Dan Stoner who used to be in the advertising business as an agency art director. One day, he told one and all "I'm leaving this profession to follow my heart's dream, to create and publish a magazine about the culture of cars." Many patted him on his back and wished him well but most mumbled, "loser" as he walked away.

Dan, who knew jack squat about publishing magazines when he went off to pursue his ambition, found the road harsh and unforgiving. But through many a trial and turmoil, he would prevail, self publishing one of the finest periodicals ever to grace a coffee table.

So distinctively unique and well done was his magazine (especially given the genre), that although it had a very small print run it found an audience of devout fans, among them celebrities such as Jay Leno and Jesse James. In the case of Mr. James he would eventually buy Dan's creation after its ninth issue and go on to publish his own version of the magazine.

"Garage Hoodlums" along with its sister piece, "Light The Car" were done for Dan before he sold his magazine. I will forever be moved by the way Mr. Stoner followed his deeply personal dream and made it a reality.

Client: Garage Magazine / Dan Stoner

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When Dan Stoner was the sole owner, publisher and editor in chief of Garage Magazine, he was living his dream of creating a periodical about the lifestyle associated with the world of hot rods and garage chic. It was unlike anything else on the rack at your local Borders. And what made it so special was completely attributable to it's quirky and one-of-a-kind creator, Mr. Stoner himself.

I suspected that he would make for the perfect on camera talent and when we started to film him conducting an interview for an upcoming issue, his naturalness and likability came through clear as day. I still believe that he'd make for a good host of a tv show or web series.

The man has "it", however you want to define "it" as, I'll leave that to others. Just know that he has some and it's probably best used before the freshness date is over.

Client: Garage Magazine / Dan Stoner

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"How would you like to take an all expenses paid trip to one of Utah's finest ski resorts?" was the question. "But ski season is just about over." was my response. Thus began the conversation between myself and one of the best creatives I know, Dan Madole who was talking to me about some "no money, cool idea" spots for his client, The Canyons Resort of Park City Utah.

As usual, Dan's pitch was passionate, "Who knows more about fun than toys? So, where do they go when they want to play on the slopes?" Okay, occasionally in this business you're hit with something where there is no middle ground. You either respond with a scrunched face "huh?" or you nod your head with a grin and a "yeah, that's cool".

Next thing I know, I'm standing in knee high snow on a slope in Utah playing with Ken and Barbie knock-offs. The fact that standing next to me in that snow were dp, Marc Blandori and producer, Federico Negri is a testament to their professionalism. Special thanks go to Tony Harding for gathering this stellar team by keeping scandalous polaroids under lock and key. The man knows how to exec produce.