Just as I was cutting my teeth on a cartoon series featuring SOFREP’s own storied writer Alex Hollings, he pulls up anchor to move onto another publishing challenge — editor!

I affectionately remember the early days of Alex, A-Blast as I call him, working as a young apprentice for SOFREP delivering mail, shining shoes, and hammering out the occasional essay on Extra Terrestial Life:

“What’s yer name and where ya from, kid?”

“Alexander, Mr. Geo… from Georgia, Sir.”

“Georgia… well ain’t that peachy — HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“So… ya say ya wanna be a writer — eh, kid?”

“Yes Sir, Mr. Geo!”

“Kid… lemme tell ya something — WATCH IT YER GETTING POLISH ON MY SOCK, GODDAMNIT! Ok so anyway… writing is like building a brick cage around your self, kid — ya follow me?”

“I… I think so, Sir!”

“Yeah, well… writing is like building a brick cage around yourself; ya work and ya work, ya sweat and ya toil — you smash your fingers, skin your knees, scrape yourself all over! You pour your heart into it and give it all ya got and… finally, you’re finished with the cage. But it’s too late to realize that now you’re stuck — trapped! You’re all finished building but now you can’t go anywhere else or doing anything because you spent all your time and effort sealing yourself off in your brick cage!”

“You feel me, kid?”

“Nnnot really, Mr. Geo, Sir.”

“Damnit kid — you’ll never be a writer! Yooz worthless, ya hear me — WORTHLESS! Now get outta here; get outta my sight, ya… worthless… kid!!”

“But Sir… my tip?”

“I just gave you a tip, you little punk — you’ll never be a writer — NEVER!

And Alex went on to deliver nearly 3,000 articles to SOFREP over just a few short years. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, but clearly I lit the fuse that day that shocked Alex and sent him rocketing into the realm of success. But that’s what I do — I encourage the youngsters to stand up and take on the big challenges and make something of themselves! I mean, who am I if I’m not a role model — right?

But this isn’t about me — it’s about Alex. Much admiration and all the best to yooz, A-Blast – luv yuz madley!

By Almighty God and with honor,
geo sends