On one of those recent January days in Seattle when the rain torturously flies at you sideways and the wind cuts through however many layers you packed on your shivering frame, Kyle Kesterson and Kevin Leneway ducked into a corner coffee shop a block from TechStars. Kyle carried a giant plaster and fiberglass nose, a prop, he says, for a startup idea he has for an iPhone app that could record and evaluate different kinds of snoring.
TechStars Seattle officially ended months ago, and weeks have passed since Giant Thinkwell’s groundbreaking visit to Hollywood. Not a lot of investors have written them checks, but they have some verbal commitments, and they believe they’re well on their way to making their $500,000 investment goal.
But there’s a problem. The call with John Stamos wasn’t what they’d hoped. The actor was amused by Raising Uncle Jesse as an idea. And he was unbelievably nice on the phone. The thing is, John Stamos doesn’t want to be Uncle Jesse anymore. He’s focusing on a new phase of his career, which included a multiepisode arc on Glee last season. So his message was, essentially, Sorry guys, I can’t help you.
Can Giant Thinkwell survive the blow? “We knew it was a risk,” Kevin says. “We built it from the beginning to be a platform so that we can swap those images out really quickly.”
They have a list of other ’80s and ’90s celebrities to approach. Mr. T. The guy who played MacGyver. Urkel from Family Matters.
So, Giant Thinkwell is just about has-beens? No one who’s relevant now?
Kyle and Kevin both go rigid in their seats, stunned by the question. Haven’t you been paying attention? Kesterson cracks open his MacBook Pro and slowly turns it around like a Lazy Susan, as if offering a dinner guest a dish made from a near-extinct animal.
The illustration on the screen is classic Kesterson. Exaggerated features. Sinister eyes. A character imbued with the mischievous streak that scuttled the artist in and out of nearly a dozen schools.
Behold: Baby Lady Gaga.
Published: March 2011
WOW! What a great story! I can only hope some day I an get one of my own ideas off the ground!