Read my lips. One hundred. One huuundred big ones. It wouldn’t have been possible without youawful people. Thank you. It’s all your fault we live in mansions, eat at the finest restaurants,stumble around in clubs spending the money you gave us. That is the greatest gift to give inbusiness. We sure as hell need it.
Memories:
Issue number – “It almost didn’t make it!!!!!!!!!” – one comes out with a bang at the Val d’Or tournament. People, in one group, five, share a copy as many more sit muddy and wet on the floor. They’re either reading the Coon Come interview or the Brant Blackned hockey story. We head back early, staying in Val d’Or less than a day. We had created a monster and had to get back to keep it alive.
The first letter-to-the-editor arrives thrilling everyone and the staff votes to keep the stamp. A concerned mother writes. She hates the photo of an armed eight-year-old boy. Also in the mail, is a letter from Santa.
The still to be popular classifieds section is only five messages full. One of them says, classified will be free only until February 1994.
Ernie and Catherine are joined in holy wedlock.
The monster is attacked several issues later. Two computers are stolen and a prize collection of music. Oh, and the documents. And a camera or two. Send money to address on masthead. Please.
We’re on the road, and air, a lot. We head to Winneway to investigate bikers and dams. We drive through farm country and deep bush going 160 plus. Dams, always dams. .
A chief calls us long distance inviting us to a fight in a downtown location. The martial arts enthusiasts are amused.
Our first award is for an essay on the Mohawk pow wow.
Eleven more follow. Long live The Nation.
The triplets are born in Montreal. They’re a media sensation. People call for their copy but we have few to spare. Too bad.
Alex and Will scam a trip to the ends of the earth to see Metallica. Rhonda joins them miraculously a day later in Tuktoyaktuk. She won’t say how she did it to this day. God bless her.
The first color ad is sold. We celebrate our first color cover amid much discussion on photo. I don’t know, I think I stormed out. The printer screws up and the cover is a mess. The monster survives with its pride intact.
Around this time, volume two number 18, the first inter-office affair takes off. Call for details.
A grueling seven or eight day trip following the HQ sponsored Raid Des Braves race. They go on asickening power trip but we make the finish and I screw up the photo. I have to go up andrepresent my chief and community in front of hundreds of people with a black eye. Embarassing.
Reports trickle in of unidentified flying, glowing objects in James Bay skies. Get us the photos.Please.
A bay appear in seconds north of Great Whale. It’s a damn cover up. The Nation’s intrepid aredispatched but come back, more or less empty handed. The truth must be told.
The “100th” approaches. Planning begins in stops and starts.
It is here, the Monster cometh. Read my lips, fifty pages. Fiiifty big ones.
