Dropping the Ampersand, by Arthur Tebbel & Chris Toia – Pop Art… and Chris #79

June 8, 2010 Arthur Tebbel & Chris Toia 0 Comments

Dear Art,

I never thought I’d be the one writing a letter.  After the last 78 weeks of receiving letters from some of the world’s most famous celebrities and politicians, I’m writing to let you know that this will be my final column.  You’ve always been the Paul to my John, the Diddy to my Biggie, the Gilbert to my Sullivan but there’s no doubt in my mind that you will continue to write a hilarious column every week with or without my help.  Since moving to Los Angeles you’ve been the closest thing I have to family and it’s difficult for me to say goodbye and move back to New York.  If it weren’t for Michael Davis giving us the opportunity to write this column I’m not sure I would’ve kept my sanity at all, plus he throws the best parties on the planet (seriously, if anyone reading hasn’t been to MOTU’s Comic-Con party ya’ll should be crazy jealous of my lucky ass right now).  Hopefully I haven’t protracted this goodbye too far, I just wanted to make sure that everyone who touched my life in Los Angeles, made it possible for me to grow as a person, and made Los Angeles feel like a home knows how grateful I am.  I guess my question is, what’s the best way I can show my appreciation to you, and everyone that helped made my LA experience so amazing?

-Chris Toia, amateur humorist

Dear Chris,

You are so lucky that I consider your need for advice to be important because I almost answered this letter instead:

Dear Art,

The new iPhone is so cool.  Do you want one?

The rest of the column would have been “YES”in a 72-point font.  I could be done right now but we’ve been through a lot together and I wanted to make sure you land all right.

What can you do to show your appreciation?  I think you could start by not comparing me to Diddy.  Our relationship was in no way me exploiting you, waiting for you to die, and then releasing a terrible tribute song.  That said I am working on a killer sample of “Message in a Bottle” you know, because you sell beer, it works on a lot of levels.

While on the subject I would also appreciate not being in the same set as your family.  For one, I supported you when you decided to move across the country, for another I understand the real estate market.

I will profoundly miss working with Chris every week.  The last six years have been an absolute delight.  The comedic sensibility and timing we cultivated together is such that I will certainly be comparing every comedic partner with him for the rest of my life.  This says nothing to the tremendous friend he has been to me.  When I decided that to fulfill myself creatively I needed to move to Los Angeles he was willing to put himself in potential financial peril to come out here and chase the Hollywood dream with me.  I will never forget that.  While he needed to put this chase aside to pursue other opportunities I wish him nothing but the absolute best.

—-
Art continues to chase his Hollywood dream by hosting The Scratch Show every Tuesday at Hollywood Billiards.  8-10pm 5750 Hollywood Billiards.