Phil 8.25″ Deck

Description

Hand screened as always, really small run – just had to run it again after we had so many requests.
8.5″ with a medium concave, slightly tapered nose (like a Baker shape) and a 14.5 wheelbase. BBS – the best wood possible.

*SHIPS BY APRIL 7th (I’m waiting on board bags and boxes to come on Tuesday)

Phil Edward Hartman – September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998

Phil Hartman was a Canadian actor known primarily for his work on Saturday Night Live. However, to many, his most recognizable role was actually merely that of his voice in an animated sitcom that became a cultural phenomenon in the 1990’s; one whose quality peaked and cratered with his presence and eventual lack thereof.

Many historians look back on the demise of the quality of the show through many lenses, but the general consensus is that it began some time in the late 90’s, around season 8 or so. The decline in quality is certainly attributable to a number of factors such as an everchanging writing staff and group of showrunners, but it’s this author’s humble opinion that the passing of Phil Hartman was one, if not the absolute, most significant ones. Hartman’s booming voice, reminiscent of radio announcers of the 1950’s, was always instantly recognizable. The vehicle of his voice was often characters with nefarious intentions who had a distracting charm that couldn’t be resisted, a la Lyle Lanley. Hartman’s most notable characters, headlined by Troy McClure, always brought levity to any situation while having deeper social commentary than one might take at face value. McClure’s existence as a washed up celebrity served as both commentary on Hollywood and ultimate cutaway character to introduce a new idea to the plot of each episode, and Lionel Hutz’s utterly pathetic inability to understand the legal system was the perfect archetype of a sleazy lawyer whose failures exposed the abundant problems of the American justice system. Whatever role he was playing, whether significant or inconsequential, Hartman’s voice stole the scene and filled many lines of dialogue through a plethora of episodes. His prescence in both voice acting and in real life roles was found all throughout television and cinema.

Cocaine fuckin’ sucks. When you get older, you might see your friends on it and see the absolute worst versions of themselves. Phil’s wife Brynn suffered from alcohol and cocaine addiction, and upon quitting SNL to work on his new sitcom Newsradio, the family relocated to California where her addiction spiraled out of control. On May 28th, 1998, the couple had an argument and Phil went to bed alone. At around 3 AM, Brynn, having freshly snorted cocaine and under the influence of alcohol, shot Phil three times and then took her own life in the same fashion. Phil’s death left a void in the Simpsons, Newsradio, and ultimately Hollywood itself that was never really filled. This skateboard deck is dedicated to Phil Hartman – a Canadian legend.