Thread by @MysteryCr8tve

For #ThrowbackThursday I want to tell a story about Aerosmith & @IamStevenT especially.

It was 1987 & I was working in the art department of a porn mag in LA. Miserable & broke, & at the end of my emotional rope.

John Caldwell gave me a ring & said "Hey what are you doing?"

I'd done storyboards for John on a feature, and he was working in music videos. Needed a storyboard artist immediately. Asked if I was interested. I was.

He told me it was for Aerosmith's new album and I kept my professional cool.

Just barely.

Aerosmith was the motherfucking shit. As Senior Class President I fought for... and won... having "Dream On" as our class song. The music, the style, the attitude... Aerosmith Got Me Through Some Shit.

So, getting to work on a video of theirs?

Hell. Fucking. Yes.

The song? Dude Looks Like A Lady.

I sat down with @Martycallner who was directing the video & we went through the shots and staging and talked about music and film and the shit that inspired the fuck out of us.

I spent a few days doing the boards, then it came time to shoot.

We were shooting the stage/performance sequences & I'm standing off to the side, watching it all. I'm not about to be That Guy, so I hang back & I do not say hi to Joe or Steven.

Steven's getting makeup done, & they are trying to set lights & Marty yells for me to get on stage

I'm about Steven's height, I'm (at the time) a skinny little fuck. I have long shaggy hair, so I become the lighting stand-in for Steven. I'm standing there, thinking how surreal this whole thing is...

when @IamStevenT yells from his chair "You look great kid, like you belong up there!"

Now, while I know that it was just Steven riffing in that moment, him yelling that... at a point where I'd been on the brink for months... that meant the goddamn world to me. It kept me going.

So 30 years later, I just want to say publicly... thank you @IamStevenT & thank you @Martycallner. You're both magnificent motherfuckers. #ThrowbackThursday