LOOK AT THEM NOW

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LOOK AT THEM NOW

Assorted accomplishments and achievements by friends and relatives

by Michael Durand

New page: more entries coming soon...

Paul Anderson, MD, PhD - My "across the hall" neighbor and great friend from college at Stony Brook

Gil Christner - My roommate in San Francisco, 1979

V. Mark Durand, PhD - My one and only brother

Barry Hermanson - Speedway Class of 1978

Kevin Plagman - Speedway Class of 1978

John Reiner - College friend and internationally syndicated cartoonist

Jonathan Salant - Editor-in-Chief of Statesman, Stony Brook's student newspaper

I was the Feature/Arts Director

Jill Sayenga, United States Court of Appeals

My next door neighbor in Merrick, Long Island, New York

from when I was born in 1955 until I moved away in 1977

The Durand family lived at 220 Elsie Avenue, the Sayengas lived at 222

Nathan and Lois Vickers

(with Kevin Bacon and The Rolling Stones)

Jayson Wechter

1975: Fellow Editor and mischief maker at Statesman, the student newspaper for the

State University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York. Roommate in San Francisco 1978 - 1979

We lived at 918 Stanyan Street with Sue Kolb and, later, Gil Christner

more to come...

JOHN REINER

From my college journalist years. One of my earliest and still one of my favorite letters.

- Michael Durand

Dear Mike,

Just a personal note to let you know how much I enjoyed working with you on the April Fools issue. Never have I had more fun than working at the paper. This experience will remain a fond memory with me for many years to come and possibly be the most outstanding in my Stony Brook career.

I had always looked forward to working with you in some capacity and I want you to know I was not let down. Even during the ungodly hours of the morning I refused to leave as I was having too much fun. The final product was excellent and much of the credit goes to you. I hope to work with you again and invite you to create some cartoons so we both take credit.

- John Reiner, 1976

John Reiner has been a world-famous cartoonist for over 30 years. He draws "The Lockhorns," Parade magazine's "The Laugh Parade" and many other internationally syndicated comic strips. Here is a link to some of his work: http://www.lambiek.net/reiner_john.htm

The parents of a friend were like most couples in America - huge fans of "The Lockhorns" comics. In the late 1990's, when Diane's father, Bob was in ill health, John was kind enough to draw a Get Well note:

Back in the mid 1970's at Stony Brook, I was the Feature/Arts Director for Statesman, the student newspaper of the State University of New York at Stony Brook. I was responsible for the Feature and Arts departments as well as a four-page weekly magazine section called "Take Two." John Reiner was a contributing artist who took on an assignment to draw a graphic demonstrating the new pull-out calendar page. The instructions were a little complicated: Get two newspapers. Open to the centerfold and remove. Get a second newspaper. Take out the second centerfol. On one side of each centerfold is the top of a wall poster, the other side the bottom.

John Reiner drew the cover and featured me getting wrapped up in my own arms and legs trying to manipulate the wall poster. That year, hundreds of dorm room walls were decorated with the wall poster of campus photos plus important phone numbers and dates.