Tom Medley (20 March 1920[1] - 2 March 2014 [2]) was an American hot rodder and cartoonist, best known as creator of Stroker McGurk.

History

Medley was born in Lebanon, Oregon, 20 March 1920.[3] He became interested in auto racing at a young age, and would hitchhike up to 65 mi (105 km) to attend dirt track events.[4]

He served in the U.S. Army's 78th Infantry Division during World War II.[3] After the war ended, he enrolled at California's Art Center School, in Pasadena, California.[3] It was there, like many returning GIs, he became interested in hot rodding.[4]

Medley provided photographic coverage of the land speed racers at Bonneville Speed Weeks, and of the Indianapolis 500, from 1950 to 1964.[3] He began displaying his cartoon creations at a local rod shop, Blair's Speed Shop,[3] which helped get him a job at Hot Rod (when it was still called Honk!) with just its second issue, in February 1948.[5] Medley moved from humor editor to advertising in 1955, and stayed with Petersen Publishing until 1985.[6]

In December 1965, Medley was named publisher of Rod & Custom,[7] which he transformed from a general interest automotive and drag racing magazine (including coverage of karts) to a specialist custom car title. He ran contrary to the trend toward muscle cars and drag racing, and succeeded.[6] Taking that position led to a brief revival of the Stroker McGurk cartoons in the magazine.[3]

Stroker McGurk

Medley's famed creation, Stroker McGurk, debuted in the third issue of Hot Rod[4] (when it was still called Honk!), and continued in the magazine until 1955. He would reappear briefly in 1964 and 1965,[8] and occasionally in Rod & Custom in the 1980s.

Stroker (as he was always known) drove a trademark 1929 Ford roadster[9] in most of his appearances, but he also innovated a number of things later copied by real-life racers, including multiple-engine dragsters, traction bars, and parachutes.[7]

Medley would create an equivalent character, Flat Out Snodgrass, for Cycle.[3]

Rodding

After discussions with Tex Smith, Medley helped organize the first Street Rod Nationals in Peoria, Illinois, in summer 1970.[5]

Medley had a favorite 1940 Ford 5-window, which was destroyed in 2011 in a garage fire; family and friends raised US$30,000 to have the car restored, presenting it to him 10 months later.[7]

He was a long-time friend of customizer Dick "Magoo" Megugorac.[9]

Personal life

Medley had one son, Gary.[7]

He died in Los Angeles on 2 March 2014, after a brief illness, at 93.[10]

Notes

  1. ↑ Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  2. ↑ Vaughn, Mark, Crain News Service. "Cartoonist/creator of fictional hot rodder 'Stroker McGurk' dies", written 10 March 2014, at Tirebusiness.com (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vaughn, Mark, West Coast Editor. "Tom Medley 1920-2014", written 8 March 2014, at Autoweek online (retrieved 24 October 2018)
  4. 1 2 3 Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  5. 1 2 Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  6. 1 2 Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  7. 1 2 3 4 Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  8. ↑ Alverson, Brigid. "Stroker McGurk’ creator Tom Medley passes away", written 12 March 2014, at CBR.rom (retrieved 23 October 2018); Coonan, Steve. "Hot Rodding Legend Tom Medley Passes Away at 93", at Roddersjournal.com Archived 2018-10-24 at the Wayback Machine (retrieved 23 October 2018)
  9. 1 2 Medley, Gary (31 December 2017). "Dick Magoo Megugorac – Hot Rodding's Quiet Genius". Retrieved 16 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Vaughn, Mark, Crain News Service. "Cartoonist/creator of fictional hot rodder 'Stroker McGurk' dies", written 10 March 2014, at Tirebusiness.com (retrieved 23 October 2018); Tchekmedyian, Alene. "Hot rod legend, Tom Medley, 93, dies", written 7 March 2014, at Los Angeles Times online (retrieved 23 October 2018); Vaughn, Mark, West Coast Editor. "Tom Medley 1920-2014", written 8 March 2014, at Autoweek online (retrieved 24 October 2018)

 

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