Mark Devito - Metalbabies

Metal Graphic Artist

Metal Babies is the ORIGINAL all heavy metal baby/toddler clothing company, started back in 2003 by metal artist Mark DeVito.

Mark had been designing shirts, flyers, backdrops and merchandise of all kinds, for such bands as Metallica, Exodus, Laaz Rockit, Legacy (Testament) and a slew of local Bay Area metal bands since the early 80’s. When he and his wife had their first child, Mark was working at a screen print shop, and decided instead of doing laundry, he threw a couple of black onesies onto a press, and printed up a few “Lord of this Crib” and “Never Say Diaper” baby duds for his newborn son to wear. Once folks around town saw his son donning these cool clothes, it just blew up from there.

Mark was invited to tour Ozzfest twice, selling his line of heavy metal baby clothes across the entire United States for a couple of summers, garnering a huge response from the metal community, as well as a few bands. Mark signed Twisted Sister, Dio, Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Zakk Wylde, and a host of others to build a mighty heavy metal empire of kids clothes and accessories.

He had a great run, but due to changes in the retail weather, and loads of knockoffs, Mark shuttered the biz after a great 14 year long streak.

Now, Metal Babies has resurfaced, and partnering with Vision Merch, Metal Babies can offer again, these cool kids clothes.

Stock up for your little demon, or buy some to give to new parents, these designs will keep everyone chuckling for days.

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Yo! Come to Black Water @blackwaterpdx today and grab some heavy heavy vinyl…lots of killer punk, metal and just plain heavy wax, man! I’m in it for the ink, man….come fill your shelves, so I can fill in the gaps on my skin! @igormortistattoo PDX: where your record purchasing dollar goes further! Black Water crushes!!!!
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Hey! Good morning America! If you are out and about in Portland, swing on by Black Water @blackwaterpdx and pick up some heavy slabs of wax from some cool folks who are REPRESENTING the heavy side of Portland! I’ll be there hocking my collection, trying to get enough for my finger tats, family has to eat, I need ink! Carry on, fight on, right on! MdV
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….busy as a bee….
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I’ve been a busy little beaver….heh, heh, heh…..
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Devastating news of Paul’s passing. Back in 1981, my buddy Jitz who was so ahead of his time with what was going on in metal, walked up to me in the hallway of high school and handed me a tape of Killers. When I saw the cover, I went right up to Universal Records on Telegraph, and bought a copy of the lp. I listened to that album over and over, studying the cover front and back for hours. That album took me to a place I had never been before, and to where I never wanted to leave from again. I took to crudely attempting to draw the cover art on my bedroom wall….figuring if I could somehow just start there, I may have found my path, Paul’s voice leading me there, injecting that energy of angst and frustration, setting in to place my Maiden mantra….Drifter….Wrathchild….Prodigal Son…Jitz left home a year or two after that, never to be heard from again. To this day, I pray that maybe at some Maiden show, he appears from a backstage room, or sound truck, production office, and the mystery would be solved. Thanks Jitz, wherever you are, and Paul, thank you for changing our lives. 🤘❤️🤘
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Yummy!
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Last chemo session for Heidi!! Kick that cancer’s butt!
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We’ve been married 27 years yesterday. I love this woman with every fiber of my being, and quite literally, we have walked through fire for each other. The amount of joy, adversity, and accomplishment that we have gone through only makes us stronger. We have two amazing kids, a group of friends that are as close as family, and there ain’t nuthin’ we can’t endure or conquer. My love, my life, I cherish you today and for all my days that we’ve been together. There’s more road ahead, can’t tell if it’s rough or paved, but whatever comes our way, we will keep on, keeping’ on.❤️
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Off to do some business…like Fred Flintstone said, just remember the 3 things to say, “whose baby is this?, what’s your angle?, and I’ll buy that!”
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Had an absolute blast at Green Day / Rancid show last night….thanks a million Jason W. for everything, we owe you more than just a Motörhead tee! Safe travels!
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Embarrassment
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Sunset on the Oregon coast for a calm weekend. Just what we needed.
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Our oldest came up to Portland to visit…so good to hang out with him for a while…kids grow up so damn fast. 🤘❤️🤘
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Two demonic thugs walk into a wyld gallery of horror…Dennis and Meadow are two of my favorite folks, happy anniversary for Wyrd War….Sound Barrier on heavy rotation, thanks D. Dread! Smokin’!!!!
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Are you in Alameda today? If so, swing on by Faction Brewery between noon and 6 and say hi. I have a table and will be displaying my bad art and silly drawings. I would love to see old and new faces, talk metal and punk show debauchery, and pizza and beer parties, and all that jazz…loads of great art/artists, beerz, foodies, posters, and fun! No penalties, no prizes…but there is beer and posters…and beer. 🤘❤️🤘
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Damned and Avengers and good pals…epic nite of great bands…Portland, OR….last night….Damned are unstoppable!
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4 year epic journey, facing headwinds and pushing onward through the storm, and coming out on the other end, victorious. Yesterday, our Wylder graduated high school, and triumphed over the hurdles that life presented. Proud doesn’t come close to defining our feelings for this kid. Those of you who know our family, and know of our journey to afford the necessary support and scaffolding for Wylder, will appreciate the overwhelming sense of joy and gratefulness we feel today. Since Covid, all of us have suffered, endured and those who have survived, must be cherishing the positive aspects of these days in comparison. Through it all, Wylder has risen above. Wylder is a fighter, has a work ethic of the highest caliber, and has a bright future, all due to his tenacity and big heart. From your dad, all my love and support, for always, forever.
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This release is all bucket list for me. Thanks Gary for giving me the opportunity! Absolutely a vicious setlist and blistering recording…band was at the top of their game to be certain. Gives me the shudders!!!! Get it!!!!
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Oooh….i just hugged the mail person!!! Yay!
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When I go to the mall, I cannot wait to visit my favorite shop….ahhh!!
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Hey you all…gonna be at this year’s TRPS rock poster show in Alameda on July 13th at Faction Brewery! Free rock poster show, lotsa great artists and craft beers, and that is about as cool as it gets…come on down and say hello, as I’d love to see you!!! I’ll be the old guy at the booth with the neck tats…or one of the old guys with neck tats….or….oh Hell, just come and say hi. Metal hugs & kisses! MdV
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Happy birthday Gary! Hardest working guy in Metal! Now go buy that truck you saw the other day…you deserve it!
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Last nite at the Coffin Club, saw New Skeletal Faces, and they crushed! Found and followed on YouTube and the satanic algorithm guided them to my instagram, and for a mere offering of 12 dollars, I bore witness to a really cool band. Gothic punk with a dash of thrash (only a dash, mind you), but the bass player sent me home with stickers, a poster, medium tee and his setlist. Oh to be 14 again…well, this was pretty close. Please look into this band, I think, knowing you as well as I do, it’s a good fit for what you are going through right now. 😉
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Tay-Tay is down with DDP for Life! Dublin Death Patrol rides again! Warms my metal heart. ❤️
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How great thrash musicians got to where they are today.
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Whahoo!!! EXODUS are unleashing this live album from their 1989 tour….and lucky me, I got asked to help out and put the album packaging together for ‘em….so, I can cross this off my bucket list, album cover for Exodus…CHECK!!!! album out May 31st 2024….
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Cat is officially out of the bag! After a lifetime of loving, respecting and worshipping this band, I finally had my cherry broken by being asked to design an Exodus album package. So honored to be a part of this band’s work, and my bucket list has been officially updated. Check!!!! Enjoy, May 31st, 2024!!!!
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1986 and what the hell did I wind up doing with that Cramps tee? Must’ve lost the damn thing…damn, I loved that shirt.
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Tucked away, and uncovered whilst making room on the shelves….love finding buried treasure, don’t you? So heavy…
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Crushing 3-pronged set from FLA, Numan and Ministry…not one dip in the energy level, and each band was louder than the next! CRUSHING!!!! Ribs are aching and ears are ringing, these bands made AGE into SAVAGE!!!! Brutal and unrelenting, one of the best full lineups I’ve seen in a long time. 👊
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Draw a skull today….it just feels good.
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Hi there! Orlando “ox” X is NOT deceased, has NOT passed away, or died, and is thankfully, very much alive. A rumor was passed along, it is a RUMOR, and is false. #orlandocanbeatthis
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My two little wack-a-doodles…all grown up now, but still have that spark of goofiness in them. Lost pic on old hard drive….like buried treasure! Love ya guys…
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Was watching this video today. So heavy.
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Happy Valentine’s Day honey….center of my universe. ❤️
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Been a bit of a gap since I had gotten some ink, but lucky me I found my new tattoo guru up here in Portland, and back on the road again to adornment. This one will be a big hit in the old folks home…
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My street is now an ice rink…weeeee!
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When your wife finds the perfect poster for the entrance to our creepy basement…
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What a killer album!!! Saw these guys open for Motörhead at the Henry J Kaiser…epic crunching mosh-o-ramasaurus Rex! This album haunts me, in the best of ways….something so brooding, so dark and foreboding…must have been the time when it hit my ears….another room of sound to come across and enter, fearsome yet welcoming. Another rainy Portland night unfolding.
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Nothing brings in a new year like something old and great to ring out in the old year…this one had such a huge impact on me when it came out….got a promo copy when I was working at Tower when it was released and it’s ever since been my desert island pick. Heavy is load. Happy new year everyone!
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Psycho family Xmas!
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Hero. Legend. Inspiration. A large middle finger in boots. Miss ya Lemm…thanks again for a wild ride! 🤘
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Crickey! I’m signing up today!
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Yeah, so I’ve been trying to grow a mustache for a while now…thanks frozen pizza!
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Diggin’ thru the crates and polishing the nuggets!
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Seeing Ozzy back in ‘82 was one of those life changing moments for me. So, I decided to recreate that stage set in my garage. What else am I gonna focus on in my 50’s? Hobby of a Madman… #ozzyosbourne
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Found this little gem today..tucked away in a dark corner…tossed my ass into the way back machine and my foot was atop a milk crate as if it were a stage monitor, once again. 15 forever.
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Yeah, so, like my 90 year old dad rocks the Exodus shirt at the retirement village. Get in the pit!!!
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Remembering a time when my eyes and ears were open to bands that could take that angst of youth and focus that energy into a cultural movement. This photo (Annie Leibovitz) of Townsend was a popular poster that hung on the walls of many friends who played guitar, and for me, it spoke to the fact that there were those who suffered for their art, and no pain, no gain…and this image was one of a few that “recruited” a lot of us to join in the battle. Bonded by blood.
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If you had to pick one image, out of all the images in your life that inspired who you are to this day, what would that be? This poster hung on my wall, in every place that I lived in my life since I got it back in 1980. It spoke to me as the epitome of “the real deal”…all killer, no filler, the down payment blues. Then, a few months later, seeing this image come to life on stage in my 13th year on this planet…image embedded and set in stone.
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“Well SOMEONE is happy their package arrived on time”, said the skeleton…
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Happy Birthday, mom…we miss you every day, and we’ll light a candle tonight….rest in peace.
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Found this old BAM magazine under a bunch of shirts, this ad was 1988 or so. I think this is what one would call a “missed opportunity”….
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Just me and my gal taking a chill Sunday out on some Portland Patio. Breathe.
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You know you’ve done a good thing when Slayer sends you a nice bottle of wine. #sayyoulovechablis ##reigninblanc #deadskinpinot
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Ahhh….soothing sounds of crunchy riffery
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…..oooooh….Satan!
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No, I don’t spin this copy….lol!
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…and the lightning….
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….and the thunder….
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And the rain kept falling…
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This one is just CRUSHING!!!
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This one was “recommended” by a member of Metallica at the time…
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A few more before I pick up my kid…
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Tasty spins on a rainy Saturday.
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Tasty spins on a rainy Saturday.
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Tasty spins on a rainy Saturday.
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Tasty spins on a rainy Saturday.
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Forgot about this one…I have this audio cassette where i interviewed Chuck, and Mark O., and a bunch of people for Pit magazine for an article on the show, at the show. I drank so much and it was so emotional, I was crying while interviewing Chuck and he starts consoling me! Talk about a great day and night of epic local thrash…the whole community was there and the vibe in that room (those rooms) was heavy love, man. I remember Baloff walking in with a babe on each arm, and Billy Milano and I were standing there and we could tell Paul was on cloud nine. I think Paul called us by other names as he passed us, he was so floating!
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Before the whole roster was posted….
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Found this whilst rummaging….can’t say if this actually happened, but if Sacrilege was in there, I would have hoped I would have at least gone…anybody out there can shed light on the veracity of this document? Greatly appreciated. Hugs and Metal kisses!
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Hey honey! Cancer called…any messages?
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21 years ago, Maryland let me sell heavy metal baby clothes at Ozzfest. Thanks Maryland!
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Oh boy….diggin’ through the archives today…finding old school layout jobs I did…this one was for a crew shirt for the end of the Black Album tour, hand drawing stuff daze… #metallicafamily #metallicafans #larsulrich
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One of my all time favorite guitarists…just so damn poignant in growing up, and those SG tones which still resonate in my head, Midnight Highway, Stories of a Hero, Something’s coming out way, and on and on….like Baloff used to say, “so heavy, so heavy”….
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And for good measure…. #fuckcancer
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One more time! #fuckcancer
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Just in case I was not clear before. #fuckcancer
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Does this really need a caption? #fuckcancer
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Joan Jett tore Portland a new one tonight! Thanks John for the amazing seats, and as always, thank you for your friendship all these years. My dad is still talking about the hang last nite…epic fun. Rip it up, and safe travels. 🤘
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Way Back Wednesday….1982 was just a bit too “high” on life for the photo day event…but at least I remembered to dress appropriately.
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Digging through some old poster rolls stashed in the back of my closet…found this little artifact…just noticed after all these years the cheesy mummy arm coming out with a very serious looking band behind this silliness…great show at the Cow Palace with Twisted Sister for this tour…untouchable.
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Got to work with Jerry about 23 years ago…one of the nicest guys I ever saw trying desperately to keep a devilock out of a deep dish margarita.
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…and I say, BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!
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Heading on out to the highway, I got nothin’ to lose at all…
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Inspiration at HQ!
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Taking this logo down…to Chinatown! Thanks YouTube for posting the Thin Lizzy on Top of the Pops “Jailbreak” video…put me on track for the better version of the logo. Also, thanks again to Hello Fresh for the rocking shimmer wrap!
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I knew I should have stayed in school…oh well, guess I’ll stick this on my car for now.
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The power of the smoke COMPELS me to scorch, sear and render that holy fat into the rest of the meat! Singe, baby, singe!!!!
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Venom Inc. was such a blast! Tony’s generosity was appreciated and so I decided to cook up a little Satan sauce signage for the man, and brought it to the show…the satanic slinger of shirts obliged us and displayed it prominently for all to purview in our purgatory. Welcome to Portland! #tonydolan #venominc #venomincband #wyrdwar thanks Wyrd War Dennis and Meadow for hanging, check out Soul Grinder, and enjoy the 4th by blowing shit up! Countess BATHORY left a ring around my SOUL!!!!!
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The mighty Venom Inc. roared through Portland last nite…lost my voice during Countess BATHORY with my good pals Dennis and Meadow…Venom Inc. was a great way to come down from a long hard week. Thanks Tony! #venominc #venomincband I left the sign with your merch gal…thanks again for a killer nite! #wyrdwar #soulgrinderpdx and Ghost had the best crowd surf of the nite! Never seen such hospitality for fans who find their way onto the stage! #tonydolan
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I wonder if Fresh Start this in mind for recycling their packaging? Thanks Philo for the inspiration!
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Oh yeah….loving getting my Tower chops back…recycled styrofoam into fun crap to hang in my garage!
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Oh yeah….Venom Inc. is in town and I’m getting stoked….35 years ago I would do these for Tower….dusting off the old X-acto knife…cut it baby, cut it! #tonydolan
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TBT … just figuring out my next fashion move in Tower records circa 1988….it wasn’t easy…
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TBT….Tower records 1988 (or so)…always the critic…
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Horns a plenty at my exhibit with my pals…Paige rules! Thanks for coming out!
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Smell the glove!!!
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Whose gonna tell ya? Sara will and she’ll give it to ya straight. Love this lady…reminded me of all the times we would walk out of the metal show to go across the street to catch the punk bands, and visa versa…it was good like that back then. God, I love this gal. Some friendships can be as if no time has passed at all…40 years later and we are still the same kids we were. Thank you Sara for your friendship, love and support.
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