Awesome Dude Series: No. 6 - Naugles Restaurants (Bring Them Back!)

                                                      

Naugles Run!!!!!!!!
This was the call of the wild when I was in High School! When starvage hit me, or anyone, it was grab anyone’s ride and get there! Naugles was also the most popular hangout for dudes after a Friday night football game, or any night you wanted to hang with friends and eat awesome Mexican food! Big food! It was also a cheap date, and a way to impress the ladies because they dug Naulges also! I had a friend actually get the okay from his Prom date to make Naugles their dinner option before the Prom! Dude, stories like that, the great taste and the memories are what make Naugles a member of my Awesome Dude Series!

My favorite was the Macho Combo Burrito, double wrapped, extra cheese! Dude, beans, meat, cheese, more cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, Macho sauce and more cheese heaped high in two warm, monster flour tortillas (it took two to hold everything in)! Awesome!

Speaking of cheese, they also had the only Cheese Burrito known to man! And what about their famous Egg Burritos! I can remember sitting in the parking lot for 15 or 20 minutes until 11pm hit, just so I could score one or two of those bad boys!

Del Taco, who bought the Naugles franchise in 1986, has now become my favorite late night munchies option, and I know that Del Taco kept many of the Naugles favorites on their menu, but, dude, it’s just not the same!

For my readers who never had a Naugles in your area…total bummer! For all of you who missed out, and for you Dudes outside the US, here’s the scoop on a So Cal fast-food icon from the 1970s and 80s!

Naugles 101:

Naulges was a Southern California fast-food Mexican restaurant chain that existed from 1970 to 1988. It was founded by former Del Taco employee Dick Naugle. The first Naugles Restaurant Location  was at the southwest corner of Fourteenth St. and Brockton Ave. in Riverside, California (now a Del Taco). Dick's motto was "Prepare food fresh, Serve customer fast, Keep place clean!"

Harold Butler purchased Naugles in 1979 when the chain consisted of three restaurants. Butler built Naugles up to 225 restaurants by 1986, when he sold the chain to Collins Food International. Naugles merged with Del Taco in 1988. A few of the Naugles menu items, such as those with the "Macho" designation, found their way into the regular Del Taco menu. Also, the Naugles Taco Sandwich (Del Taco called it a "bun taco") can still be ordered from Del Taco even though it does not appear listed on the menu. A few independent franchises kept the Naugles name until 1995.

Email Del Taco and tell them to bring Naugles Restaurants back!! I contacted Del Taco to inquire about a Naugles return. I’ll have the results in another blog after they get back with me.

NAUGLES FANS: I know many of you dudes have Naugles stories that we all want to hear!  

Tell us your favorite Naugles story. What was your favorite Naugles Menu item?

Where was your Naugles hangout?

Also: Facebook is looking to remove or archive the Naugles Fan Page. Say NO to FB, keep the page alive! Naugles Run!!!

Keith Poletiek is the creator of Dude and Dude, a nationally produced comic strip distributed by United Feature Syndicate and seen daily on www.Comics.com. Follow Keith and Dude and Dude on Facebook.

Dude and Dude Daily Online Comic Strip by Keith Poletiek
Dude and Dude Facebook Page
Keith Poletiek on Facebook
keith@keithpoletiek.com

1986 OP Pro Riot at Huntington...Dude, I was there!

As a kid, the Op Pro Surf Contest in Huntington Beach (my hometown) was always a WILD event to attend for all of us. But, in 1986 it went from an event to a full blown RIOT! In the seventies, young beach kids from my neighborhood would flock to the Op Pro! It was an awesome chance to see our favorite surfers up close and watch them rip it up. We only saw snapshots of them in magazines otherwise! I was luckier than most kids when it came to seeing all the action. Most people had to hang out and watch from the bleacher on the sand, or be at the beginning of the pier looking out or at the end of the pier looking back. The prime location was near the lifeguard tower at the middle of the pier, but that place was saved for VIP's only. Or, for a young grommet like me and a couple of friends who were tight with the head of Parks and Rec - who gave us passes every year to go wherever we wanted. Dude, we were hooked up! We would stand for hours, hanging over the rail just below the tower and cheer for pros right in the waves below us. David Nuuhiwa, was my idol at the time. I even had Dyno David Nuuhiva Surfboard that I couldn't surf because it was too short and too fast for me. Everyone wanted to buy it off me. No way, dudes!

I watched as the Op Pro swelled with people every year, and the numbers did tend to get out of control. Then there were sponser changes, I grew older, I went off to college, got married and didn't make the scene for years. I even lived "inland" because of my job location. I should have stayed at the beach and commutted for sure. Once you have that salt air in your system, it's hard to get rid of. I'm back in Huntington Beach now...Amen!

In 1986, my newlywed wife and I decided to brave the Op Pro once again. It had been a long absence. Too long! My wife's family had a friend who owned a home on PCH right next to the Wind and Sea surf shop and he was hosting an open house if we'd like to come down....Yes!

We watched some great surfing. Watched the crowd grow. Felt the heat rise. Then headed back to get some food. My wife wasn't interested in staying for the Miss Op Pro Contest, and for the first time ever, either was I. Marriage will do that to you!

The rest of the event, and that whole day, is still kind of a blur.  From inside the house we could hear people shouting, then screaming, then running by the house in panic. Someone ran upand yelled, "It's all kinds of crazy at the pier! It's a riot and it's out of control!"

Though the stories differ from one person to another, the best analogy we gathered was that some girls on the pier decided to show the crowd that their racks were just as hot as the Miss Op chicks, who were getting all the attention, so they flashed everyone. The crowd called for more and the girls responded until the police decided to put a stop to it, and when they did, the crowd decided to put a stop to the police for putiing a stop to the show and "Boom" it all went crazy!

I watched in horror as people fought police and lifeguards, police cars and ATVs were turned upside down and lit on fire. Bottles flew over the house I was in, breaking on the asphault and on cars in the parking lot. People pushed one way, then riot police with shields push the other way. I've only been scared a few times like this in my life! Thank God the crowd didn't decide to trash our house and our cars. Some dude walked up to me and said, "Do you have a band-aid, man. I cut my foot on broken glass." His foot had a 3 inch slice that almost went to the bone!

"Dude, you need more than a band-aid! Get to the hospital!"

Believe it or not, while all this was going on, there was still a surf contest happening! Here's a trivia question? Who won? I think it was Occy, but I'm not sure! Not many people cared! "Live now, surf later!"

Arrests were made. The contest was cancelled for awhile. New rules were put in effect. I believe the Miss Op Contest went away, and I was left with an incredible surfing memory that is still talked about today, and still makes me say...dude!

Where were you Labor Day, 1986? Were you there? What do you remember?....Dude, we'd all like to know!

Keith Poletiek is the creator of the Dude and Dude comic strip. A daily cartoon distributed by United Feature Syndicate and seen on the web at www.Comics.com/dude_and_dude Sign up and receive your "daily dose of dude" each day along other great comic strips on your own personal comic page email.

Contact Keith: keith@keithpoletiek.com
Facebook: Keith Poletiek
Facebook: Dude and Dude (Join the Dude and Dude Community)
Dude and Dude: www.Comics.com/dude_and_dude

Surfer Steve and Hank Cutter Join "Dude and Dude"

Writing and cartooning Dude and Dude, the comic strip, has given me a fun outlet to create a community where two guys (dudes) can live, think, explore and enjoy life.
How much do they resemble my past?
What part of them is a good representation of my present?"
All the good parts," is what I'd like to say.

But, unfortunately, most of their mishaps; their poor attempts to impress the ladies, their longing to appear younger, hipper and cooler to their peers, and to this new, emerging generation, parallels much of what I battled with at age twenty-three...and still wrestle with today.

As humorous (I hope) as they are, they would not be nearly as funny if it weren't for the bizarre group of people I have surrounded them with in Beachtown, USA. A mixed bag of nuts for sure.

With nuts in mind; two characters I am looking forward to introducing more are Surfer Steve and Hank Cutter. They represent key people we all seem to run into in our lives - whether we choose to or not.

Surfer Steve, though he has appeared in earlier strips, will be playing a bigger role in the future of Dude and Dude because he carries with him flashbacks of the 80's and 90's, a time when I began to seriously think about the direction for my life - including the possibility of life as a cartoonist.

He is also an ex-Pro Surfer ( the ultimatedream) who partied himself into what would appear to be a less than glamorous lifestyle. But, he is at peace with himself, we think.

I pass by a large group of "Old Souls" nearly everyday. Surfers who gather to surf for a few minutes and then talk for hours about the past, about life, about that killer 8 foot set they conquered, and about anything that makes them laugh and say, "Dude, I know what you mean!"
I'm not sure many, if anybody, knows exactly what Surfer Steve is ever talking about when he speaks; but he does, and that's fine with him, and whoever else is in his head. Some say he's a wise guru, others - a loon.

Hank Cutter, the newly appointed Captain of the Lifeguards at Beachtown, represents all the pretty boys who took our woman, and our self-esteem, every weekend with their muscles, their confidence and their fake charm. Hank's ego is almost as big as his biceps, and the Dudes thought they were rid of this gas-bag from their high school days until he walked into Simmer Down Coffee Shack, where the Dudes work, and announced that he was back in town, incharge of their beach, two percent body fat and that chicks still dig him. A blast of hot air that bellows as loud or louder than it did in years past and, unfortunately - rings with truth. It took Hank all of two minutes to line up a date with Dude's number one hopeful, Tina....dude!

Check out Dude and Dude the comic strip at www.Comics.com/dude_and_dude and give me some feedback about the community we are creating here. Sign up there to receive Dude and Dude by email everyday and get your "Daily Dose of Dude." Vote each day and Comment with other dudes. Let me know what characters from your past, or present, need to meet the Dudes! Join our Facebook community, that has just begun, by a LIKE at Dude and Dude on Facebook

Peace, Love, Dude!

keith@keithpoletiek.com

Awesome Dude Series: No. 5 - Larry "Rubberman" Bertlemann

I was about 12 years old when I and some buddies were riding our bikes down to the river jetties (the most consistent spot to surf in Newport Beach, CA) to check out the surf action. In those days (the early 70's) the short board had just arriving on the scene, although most surfers were still riding larger or mid-size boards. Back then attempting to mimic more of a Gerry Lopez style of surfing - being more in harmony with the wave was more popular. Kind of like a team, rider and water, working together to create a sense of oneness.

Well on this summer morning, some DUDE was breaking all those rules. In fact, this guy wasn't into peace and harmony with water at all, this dude was going out of his way to cut each wave he caught into pieces. This wasn't oneness, this was man versus beast, and MAN was winning. All of us on the shore just stood there watching this guy, and we ooh'ed and ahh'ed at every maneuver he did to continue his assault on one unsuspecting wave after another. He shot upward, forward, backward, downward, slicing the bottom of the wave with a violent slash,  then tearing the lip off the wave with a powerful rising burst.

"Who is this guy" we shouted? He was hawaiian looking for sure with two distict features I remember; a stronger build than most of the slimmer surfers in the water, which gave him the strength to do what he was doing to each wave he attacked, and a giant, unforgettable, and awesome, brown fro so intimidating that even the ocean water couldn't knock it down on his head, or tame it.

Then someone shouted, "It's Bertlemann!"

"Whoa, Bertlemann ( I still use that same expression when I think of him today)!" This was the guy who in my estimation single-handedly changed the way surfing was done back then, at least for me and all my friends, and he was here in our backyard! This guy was the best, and that's why he makes my Awesome Dude Series for sure...dude!!
His full name, Larry Bertlemann. His nickname, "Rubberman"! Why? Because he could turn himself and his body in such obscure directions while riding that you thought at times, "That's not possible! No one with a  skeleton could ever bend like that!" But Larry could and he did; and he changed the way an entire generation of surfers surfed. Out went the longer boards and in came the short boards. Out went one fin and in came boards with twin fins, tri fins, whatever it took to be able to maneuver a surfboard on water in any direction desired, and all being done so someone could say they pulled a "Bertlemann!" Larry Bertlemann Footage

There were two defining factors that made Larry surf the way he did. One: As a youth he found a 9'6" board in the bushes near his home, and he surfed it night and day until one day when he snapped it in two. Instead of chucking it, he took the smaller front of the board, glassed a fin on it, turned it backwards and "tada" the short board, for him, was born. Two: Larry was an avid skateboarder and longed to attempt the maneuvers he could pull off on land in the water. This new short board finally made that possible and so he would invision himself skateboarding while attacking waves. His moves were so influencial, that even in the 2001 Award-winning documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, with legendary skaters Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta and Jay Adams referred to their slide-out turns as "Berts."

Though he didn't dig the competitive side of surfing much, he knew that was where the money was and so he turned pro and finished in the Top 16 in 1976 & 1979. He also was seen on 9 cover shots for surf magazines between 1974-1984 (most by any surfer), and the endorsements came in which not only made him not only a household name to surfers everywhere, but also very rich (Sponsors included Op, Toyota, United Airlines, Southwest Air).

Another thing that truly makes him a "Dude" is that in 1980, at the peak of his popularity and success, he vanished off the surf radar. Rumors of where he might be fluctuated throughout the surfing community, with no one actually sure where he was, or if he was even alive.

He was alive alright, hiding out in Florida, surfing in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Rio and being a totally, kickback, don't hassle me, "Where can I get a good fish taco?," Dude!

"I've surfed at places no one has ever seen!" He stated, once he resurfaced.

Today, he continues to shape surfboards and skateboards, having contracts with Rebel Boards and Santa Cruz. He also continues to get in the water and surf, but does more "cruising" than "slashing." I can't picture that! The most progressive surfer of our time will never just ride waves, he will always own them...dude!

Who's your surfing legend?

Keith Poletiek is the creator of "Dude and Dude," a daily comic strip distributed throughout the nation by United Feature Syndicate. Check out Dude and Dude at
www.Comics.com

keith@keithpoletiek.com
Dude and Dude on Facebook
Keith Poletiek on Facebook

Inside SIMMER DOWN COFFEE SHACK

Dude!...Dude and Dude have had to give in to the "Man" and seek jobbage to help fund their new, independent lifestyle. Bummer! Recycling bottles and cans, and walking dogs, were providing all the "Fish Taco Fundage" needed before; but with their new pad, and a need to meet and impress chicks, more income is now required.

Fortunately, they stumbled into a start up business on a corner of their beach, SIMMER DOWN COFFEE SHACK. A cool new coffee hangout owned by laidback Mr. Perkins, an attorney who sold his practice for the stress-free life of having a cool hangout away from the courtroom and near the sand. For Dude and Dude fans: Here is a breakdown of their new employment "digs" where they now wear the title of baristas; a name they dispise. As they put it, "Baristas? We don't want to wear frilly dresses and dance on tables? We just want to serve coffee!" If they don't know the correct term for today's coffee maker, I imagine the coffee is below average for sure...dude.

SIMMER DOWN COFFEE SHACK
1. LOGO: Not only a great look, but a well thought out tool for marketing T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and anything else I think you'll buy! :)

2. MR. PERKINS: Don't let the name fool you. He knows as much about coffee as the Dudes do. He's looking for others to do all the heavy lifting for him from now on. Hiring Dude and Dude may not provide the laidback lifestyle he's looking for, but he enjoys a good laugh! The Dudes are all that and a good law suit waiting to happen. This ex-attorney just might be called back into service!

3. DUDE & DUDE: Two baristas in over their heads, but backed into a financial corner, where, unfortunately, employment seems their only escape.
"Working for the man...Drag City!"
They aren't, however, looking for advancement, management, bennies or a company car. Just enough fundage to support their fish taco fetish, pay for their new digs, and impress the ladies - if they don't accidently poison someone first.

4. CUSTOMERS: This will continue to be a barrage of over-worked, stressed out, "Got to have my morning cup or I'll kill someone!" people. Anybody, from local business people to tourists passing through all have an equal chance of being the butt of high comedy.
Side Note: If you're a good friend of mine, and you see a character that resembles you getting used and abused...it was a mere coincidence!

5. COFFEE STUFF: All just a great mystery to the Dudes who are learning on the fly. Put some stuff in, pull a lever, turn a handle and hope the drinker doesn't drop dead, at least until they are outside the establishment. It's all really just smoke and mirrors to them. They don't understand how these machines can make a beverage that soothes the savage beast, but they're glad they do, and if they don't, they'll slip in a little something extra.

6. TEAS: The mellowing agent of the Coffee House world. They push this stuff like crack to a junkie. Their goal is a mellow atmosphere, and a strong tea concoction can stop a rhino in his tracks! My favorite (small print) is Emp-Tea, which runs $0.00 a cup.

7. NEVILLE: Mr. Perkins son. A wise cracking, sarcastic thorn in the side of the two Dudes. Being the owner's son gives you certain priviledges. Being hired by dad to deliver coffee orders locally puts him in direct contact, and harm's way, with the Dudes. A rich kid with attitude and a quick wit. I'm afraid the Dudes have no chance, and Neville knows it!

8: OFFICE: The main place of escape where Mr. Perkins spends most of his time, only peaking out occasionally to make sure the Dudes haven't burnt the place to the ground or left the door unlocked and the cash register unattended. A quiet haven...for now.

9: HANG: The kickback lounge at the front of the shack where people relax, mingle and blow off the stress of the day. It's also a great place for the Dudes to make their moves on the ladies. If only they had some moves.
10: THE COUNTER: This acts as a buffer between disgruntled customers. It also doubles as a hide away to catch up on some much needed sleepage!

11: TIP JAR: Never a huge return at the end of the day. Tips are based on level of service and the quality of the product. Nuff said.

12: NO SHOES, NO PROBLEM: Remember this is a beach community where footwear is optional. Simmer Down is a "Come as you are as long as you leave when you're asked" establishment. No Shoes, No Shirts, No Hangups, No Bothering Mr. Perkins, No Promises on Food Poisoning.

13: LEGAL STUFF: Be sure to Register at http://www.comics.com/ and sign up to have Dude and Dude emailed to you everyday. Become part of the D&D Community on the Dude and Dude FB site. Keep up on what's going down in their lives.

14: VANITY

Facebook: Keith Poletiek

Facebook:  Dude and Dude

Email: keith@keithpoletiek.com

http://www.keithpoletiek.com/

Dude and Dude on Yahoo.com

Awesome Dude Series: No. 4 - X-GAMES

When an entire competition has you watching people do the most amazing, death-defying fetes - because they dig living on the edge - and you find yourself staring at the Tv and saying "Dude!" over and over again...then that competition, to me, is a Dude!
 Yes, I'm giving the entire X-GAMES, Winter and Summer, Dude status! A tribute to an all-in-one group of people who have taken their sport to the ultimate extreme...and then come back each year with even more!

If I had to made all of you "Dudes" that make up the X-GAMES individually, I'd be sending out blogs forever.
From skateboarders attempting tricks on ramps the size of mountains, to motorcycle dudes flying fifty feet in air hanging off the back of their bikes attempting to look like (and probably think they are) Superman, to flips on snowmobiles, cars that don't much care how they get there, just as long as they get there fast, and having that scary feeling that someone's not leaving here alive....It's all one big, over the top, outraegeous, glad you want to do it and not me, DUDE!

I mean how high can a "Flying Tomato" go before he leaves the Earth's atmosphere?....Dude!
And then there are the WIPEOUTS! The attempts that just don't quite exceed, or miss badly! When someone has to be taken away by stretcher, don't you stop what you're doing and send everyone home? Not these dude. They whisper, "Bummer!" under their breath and then step up to the ramp for their turn to avoid killing themselves...again I say, Dude!

Here's to all of you thrill-seeker, dudes who only want to breathe "Big Air!" You humble us, entertain us, inspire us and makes us want to be like you! You are all total Dudes!

Share your favorite X-GAME moment! Tony's 1080? The first motorcycle back flip? Who was that guy?

Email: keith@keithpoletiek.com
Website: http://www.keithpoletiek.com/
Facebook: keith poletiek
Facebook: Dude and Dude
Dude and Dude: Dude and Dude Comics on Comics.com

Awesome Dude Series: No. 3 - Joe Cool & Charles Schultz

Dude, is there anybody cooler than Snoopy when it comes to comic heroes? No!

And when Snoopy takes the personna of "Joe Cool", it fit like a baseball glove on Good ol' Charlie Brown's hand. Actually, that's not a great analogy, because Chuck's glove was repeatedly knocked off of him, along with most of his clothes, by a screaming line drive fired back at him on the pitcher's mound.

As a kid, I wanted to Snoopy to be real! I couldn't get enough of him. I read every comic in the newspaper, bought every new Peanuts paperback book (the day it came out), and planned my holiday schedule around which Charlie Brown special would be showing that season. Snoopy, owned many of the great scenes in those holiday classics.

Snoopy, alias The World War One Flying Ace, alias Joe Cool is, and always will be a "Dude!"

That makes this Awesome Dude Series choice kind of a two-for-one, because if you're going to make Snoopy a dude, you have to make his creator one also. Joe Cool could only have been drempt up and conceived from the mind of a total dude; so Charles Schultz was, is, and forever will be a dude also.

Of all the "Dudes" in history, Charles Schultz is one I would have liked to have met and spent time with. Just hanging out in his studio, watching him create his unforgettable characters, and, at the same time, creating a lifestyle that allowed him to express himself in his own way. He set his own daily schedule, he worked at his own pace and relax when he wanted to relax...dude. That's the total definition of the "Dude" lifestyle!He was also banking more money than most doctors were pulling in the 60's. Can you say, "Fish Tacos for Everyone!"

Charles Schultz and "Joe Cool" might just be the original "Dude and Dude!" They have totally been an influence on my approach to cartooning, my "Dude and Dude" comic, and the way I'd like to see my lifestyle to be. I don't need a doctor's income, just enough fundage to live at dude status. I do hope my "Dude and Dude" end up somewhat as cool as these two dudes!

Who are your favorite dudes from history? Let me know! Every new dude I meet, make my day better!

Check out my 2 dudes "Dude and Dude" at Comics.com - Dude and Dude

Email: keith@keithpoletiek.com
Website: http://www.keithpoletiek.com/
Facebook: Keith Poletiek
Facebook: Dude and Dude