L.A. Story   - Hollywood calls, Duct Tape King Answers

Below is what ran in my town newspaper 8/27/01.  They sent me this typed version, which is much easier to copy and paste on this page than to actually recount everything that happened to me in L.A and Hollywood!

America's answer to Red Green?

Well, not quite, at least yet.

But 20-year-old Carmian Keith Drone does have something in common with the Canadian comic whose "The New Red Green Show" is a staple on public television stations across the U.S.

Both like duct tape.

Drone, who recently earned an associate degree in computer networking from Southeastern Illinois College (and is looking for a job), didn't get interested in the humble, silvery, sticky substance by watching Green's shows, which generally include a segment on the comic use of duct tape.

Two summers ago, fresh out of Carmi-White County High School, Drone attended several rock concerts and noticed that some musicians used duct tape to mend their broken guitar straps.

"Why not make an entire strap from duct tape?" he asked himself. And he did. And wallets, hats and other creations--all made with duct tape--began to take shape. Friends Ben Arnold and Neil Endicott, who had assisted him in the beginning, got involved in other things, so Drone went it alone. He made a pair of shoes ("They're really very comfortable and feel a lot like moccasins"), complete with shoelaces made of the tape; and he made purses, visors, wallets and other items.  Drone figures he's created at least two dozen different kinds of products.

Eventually the hobby gained him notoriety outside southeastern Illinois. Paul Harvey broadcast a segment about him; The Associated Press Radio Network sent an interview out to about 700 stations; he was featured in stories on Chicago radio stations WGN and WLS; U.S. Art Magazine of America printed a feature about him last year.

And some of his products were included on "Duct Tape Forever," a made-for-TV movie produced by the Red Green people for public television (which, lamentably, no Tri-State stations have apparently picked up).

And that led to Drone's most recent coup--an appearance on "I've Got a Secret," a syndicated television program.

"They contacted me about two months ago," he said. "At first, I didn't believe it... But eventually, I said 'Sure, why not?'" The producers sent him tickets, and on Monday, Aug. 13, Drone flew from Evansville, Ind. to Chicago and then on to Los Angeles for the taping.

"There was a guy at the airport holding a sign with my name on it, like you see in the movies!" he said. "That was a big deal for me.!" A fancy limousine ("Everything was leather, right down to the cup holders") took him to a fancy hotel in West Hollywood, where he was to stay overnight before the next day's taping.

The young Carmian decided to take advantage of the lovely evening to tour Hollywood--on foot.

That turned out to be a mistake. Oh, he saw Sunset Strip, Santa Monica BLVD, Melrose AV and other famous streets and spots, but he had a tough time finding his way back to the motel. Five hours after embarking on his trip about town, Drone finally found his way back to the hotel--at 1:30 a.m. Pacific time (and 3:30 a.m., according to his Midwestern "body clock").

Undaunted, Drone did some more on-foot sight-seeing the next morning, then got ready for the taping. A stretch limousine was dispatched to ferry him and two other contestants who'd been lodged in the hotel to the studio for the show.

After the three contestants were briefed about what to expect, they got to watch a "feed" from another show which was being taped (Drone said seven shows are taped each day). The Carmian noticed that facial expressions exhibited by some contestants upon answering questions helped the celebrity panelists guess their identities. So he decided to use a "poker face" when answering, and his fellow contestants adopted the same strategy. It worked wonderfully.

"I've Got A Secret" is a TV game show in which each of four celebrity panelists attempts to deduce something about a guest. Each panelist has 45 seconds to bombard the guest with questions--but they must be the types of questions to elicit a "yes" or "no" response. Panelists include Teri Garr, a comedic actress whose recent TV credits includes "Friends;" Jason Kravits, who has been seen on "The Practice;" Jim J. Bullock, who has appeared in programs as diverse as "MAD TV" and "West Wing;" and Amy Yasbeck, star of the "Problem Child" movies, who was Maid Marian in "Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and a regular on 'Wings'"

The first contestant was a former Chicago Bear, Reevy Soary,  who now runs a major foundation and was the first guest on the first "Oprah" show. The panelists failed to guess his secret, and he won $1,000.

Next came a woman from Texas who works as a wing-walker. The celebrities got close--but again, the time allotted passed, and the contestant won $1,000.

Then it was Drone's turn.

The new contestants were seated, hostess Stephanie Miller made them comfortable and the taping (before a studio audience of about 70) began.

Before the questioning began, the panelists were told that "Keith designs something eye-catching. What is it?" And one by one, they quizzed and probed.

"I tried not to give them any hints," said Drone.

Teri Garr  got flustered. "Is it a toothbrush from Texas?" she asked as her 45 seconds expired in a panic.

The celebrities were able to learn that Drone designs accessories for men, women and children, and that they are unique. But that's as far as it went.  Jim J. Bullock even asked if it was piercing, or for a woman's breasts.

"They couldn't figure it out," he said.

And when he finally told them--after winning his $1,000--the panelists remained puzzled.

"They said, 'What?'" said Drone.

Drone took several of his duct tape products with him--including a dress, vest and a hat which a model hired by the producers modeled for the panelists after the questioning ended. And he gave a lot of products away.

"I have celebrities walking around Hollywood wearing my stuff!" he said.

Drone got a $1,000 check (plus $50 for meals), another night of lodging, a ticket home--and his 15 minutes of relative fame.

The show is syndicated on the Oxygen and Game Show networks, he said. It's generally shown between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. But he has no clue when the show he taped (No. 245) will be aired.

{Insert: Show airs November 14th 2001}

Home again, the young inventor is rebuilding his inventory (he gave a lot of it away in California), churning out wallets, purses, hats and other products. He does virtually all the work himself, and all of his products (with the exception of a car he decked out in duct tape for last year's Corn Day parade) are made entirely of the tape.

Some of the publicity he's received inspired copycats, but not everyone has the dexterity or persistence to make a go of it, Drone said. It takes an hour, for instance, just to make one wallet.

Wallets are his best sellers, and he makes them in four types. And he uses seven colors of tape to make his products.

Drone figures he's used several hundred rolls of duct tape in the past couple of years to create his products. He got a break recently when the manufacturer of new Tape donated 20 rolls to him.

Still, lowly duct tape has provided a lot of fun and a little bit of profit for him.

---------------The End.  ------------

Thanks for reading all that.  Quite a story eh?  Tell me your impression of it, whether you are amazed, bewildered, or just think it's kind of nutty.