February
20th, 2006
One of the
best things about my job is working alongside some of the most
talented people you'll ever meet. The downside is that they
are frequently more talented than I am which, you'll agree,
is completely unacceptable. I'm not just talking about the creative
department, either. I'm talking about the Account Director who's
so damn funny that our meetings invariably devolve into attempts
to outperform each other, going to extremes that make The
Aristocrats (NSFW) seem like an exercise in restraint.
I'm talking about the woman who simultaneously holds three jobs
as a copywriter, account exec and fitness trainer. Mostly, I'm
talking about Chris Eaton.
Chris Eaton
is, bar none, the most talented human being I've ever met. At
everything. He learned to juggle from a professional
clown. He sings lead vocal, plays guitar and writes the songs
for Rock
Plaza Central. He's not Swedish, but he can speak
Swedish. Pick the single thing you do better than anyone else
– be it yodeling, translating cuneiform, or stimulating
yourself to climax – and Chris will shame you at it. He's
Jack-Jack from The Incredibles, with the combined powers of
the entire Justice
League.
It goes
without saying that Chris is also a writer.
His first
novel, the
inactivist, is already required reading at Canada's finer
universities. His latest book,
the grammar architect, doesn't suck either. Here's a review:
"The
Grammar Architect may well be the best Canadian novel
of the year. This is the new."
Now here's
one for Words & Pictures:
“I
felt sad/angry after reading it. Then I puked.”
Chris:
“Little did I know, this book would shake the foundation
of my ad-loving soul.”
Us:
“This
feeble excuse for a comic strip makes one long for the comparatively
witty days of 'Ziggy' and (shudder) 'Nancy.'”
If Chris
wasn't such a nice guy, he'd be completely unbearable. Also,
I'm at least a foot taller.
-Graham
