Usual Suspects - October 2001

Mike Nicks
Mike Nicks comes to us from across the pond. In a former life, Mike choreographed burlesque shows while pursuing his singing career. No stranger to the swinging London nightclub circuit, Nicks worked many of the same rooms that Tom Jones and Humperdinck once crowded with adoring fans. To his dying day, Nicks will claim that the "Welsh bastard" (Tom Jones) stole "Delilah" from him. Panties and hotel room keys thrown on stage? Those traditions began at a mid-'60s "Mike Nicks and the Squires" show. It all came crashing to an end at a cocktail party when he burned his throat on a scalding mini quiche, damaging the tenor tone so crucial to his crooning style. His '83 comeback cover single of "Brickhouse" went platinum in South Africa.

Stan at the Pantry
Stan works downstairs at "Ann's Pantry," the establishment that feeds us when we can't escape from the building to eat. When Stan's not busy seasoning his hot Korean beef, he's pushing M&M Rice Krispies treats on unwitting customers who just want to buy a pack of gum. Before Stan injected himself into a rewarding career in the food services, he toured with a traveling circus, blowing glass unicorns for annoying, awe-struck kids. Before that, Stan did a stint as a roadie for Rancid, but quit because he got tired and his piercings got infected.

Tyrone Rodriguez
Tyrone Rodriguez is close to getting a software company to make his dreamgame, Screwed, a reality. In this role-playing game, set in late '50s Las Vegas, gamers play the role of "Celeste," a cigarette girl at "The Flamingo" who witnesses a mafia-hit in a private poker room. The object of the game is to get "Celeste" to safety and make it to the Mexican border alive. Along the way, "Celeste" must dodge a gauntlet of hired contract killers, crooked cops, and mafia-loyal, drug-crazed pimps with stilettos. "Celeste" is armed only with a toothpick and a 38-24-36 figure. The game is for a mature audience and includes a handy bottle of lotion and a towel.

Ed Jaffe
Ed Jaffe has a million hobbies. Ed's particularly passionate about his music. Currently, he's managing a Devo cover band, "Mongoloid" that's playing dog and horse racetracks around the country. In December, "Mongoloid" goes to Macau to play the casino lounge circuit. Ed's looking forward to travelling to China because he wants to return with a suitcase full of silk and a genuine Shanghai Sharks basketball jersey. Buy some of Ed's courtroom renderings of famous scenes from history, which are available in the back of this magazine. His pencil sketch of a drunken Winston Churchill falling all over himself at Parliament is riveting art.