This turned out to be a fascinating story. Who knew?
You can find press about the history of the Skippy legal battle here. What ran as a short column in the SF Weekly could be a bigger story, I think….Check it out here.
The sad thing is: I really like both characters I interviewed. Mark O’Hara is a colorful, charismatic guy trying to make ends meet in the world. Among his other projects, he is starting a company to lease electric cars. Smart idea, since the cars require more maintenance, at first, than others. Hear his music here.
Joan Tibbetts is a classy woman, sharp as a tack, who went through the first depression and sees a lot of similarities to current times. Check her views at the aforementioned www.skippy.com. She owns the rights to the (comic strip) site, not the peanut butter company.
They are both passionate about their subject. Tibbetts has spent years fighting for the Skippy name; O’Hara has been a touring and recording musician with a 15-piece band, in an era when that means a lot more work than money.
(Drawing: the original Skippy, courtesy www.skippy.com)
Brad Kava was a print news reporter and syndicated media critic for the Mercury News for many years and has also had numerous works published in the New York Times, Kansas City Star and Rolling Stone magazine.
Brad has had front page stories about everything ranging from satellite radio, digital music rights and terrorist bombings to features on well known authors and profiles on technology luminaries and CEOs. He was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for covering the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and has done writing projects for the Los Angeles blues and rock record label, Delta Groove.
He has been a guest on “Nightline”, NPR’s “Morning Edition” and Howard Stern’s radio show, and is a regular media commentator for KCBS Radio, KGO radio and Fox TV affiliate KTVU in Oakland. His published interviews translated around the world have included musicians such as Keith Richards, James Cotton, Paul McCartney, Snoop Dogg, and U2.
Brad has won several awards for his writing, including second place for the Best Bay Area Columnist and Best Feature Story, and honorable mention for the Best Serious Feature Story. He was also part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Loma Preita earthquake.
