Thursday, September 16, 2010

Searching for "Animal"

Can anyone help me get in touch with a guy who went to a Flint high school in the sixties. His nickname was "Animal" and he was missing a front tooth, possibly from football. He went to Ft. Lauderdale sometime in the mid to late sixties on spring break. It's a long story but I'd appreciate it if you can help. Thanks.

15 comments:

  1. Well, I'll start right off by saying I don't have a name for you -- but I do remember the dude. In '64 through '66, Kewpee's on South Saginaw (technically, Halo Burgers, but always known to us as Kewpee's) was one of the chief high school hangouts for the three Flint schools (Northwestern came on line in '65). My buds and I frequently saw the guy there and I'm taxing my brain to remember who he used to hang out with and from what school. If I get a flash of recollection I'll post it. Meanwhile, tell me -- was he also known as Caveman?

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  2. Wow, this was one of those posts I thought would get no response, but here we are. This is for an old friend trying to find another old friend, so I'll have to check on the Caveman name. I have to say, when you already have the nicname "Animal," is it fair to also claim the nicname "Caveman"?

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  3. No slam intended as to how individuals appear on cursory exam but as I recall for Caveman, his head shape harkened back to drawings of Neanderthal man -- long, backward sloping forehead -- thus, the name. (And I don't recall that he had a problem with the moniker.)

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  4. In all honesty, I think there was more than one kid called Animal. I seem to remember one at SW circa 1971.

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  5. I should have known there would be more than one!

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  6. If it's the 'Animal' who played hockey for Flint Northern, I can definitely get a name. He played when Brian Veenhuis was the coach. I wanna say mid 70's?

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  7. I remember what they looked like, but no names.

    There was also a TV show with a photographer character named Animal.

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  8. Ok, I talked to my aunt who went to school with Animal, his name was Jeff Klein. Same guy?

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  9. I bet the long story involves a now 40 something year old kid...

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  10. Peter, you may be on to something! But I think this is a little more innocent. And I attempt to confirm that this was not related to debt collection or anything like that. It's more a case of someone trying to track down an old friend.

    And I think Jeff Klein may be a bit too young to be our man.

    And I never suspected there would be more than one "Animal" in Flint. I should have known.

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  11. He may be a little too young to fit the bill, but "Animal" is exactly the word I would describe Jeff Klein.

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  12. My bad. Skim reading I totally missed the part about the 60's. lol.

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  13. The "Animal" photographer TV character was played by Daryl Anderson on Lou Grant.

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  14. There's been quite an update on this.
    Where's the information on "animal"?
    Who was he?

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Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.