August 23, 2007
one red paper clip in london
[Kyle MacDonald, of One Red Paper Clip fame, holding up one of his iron-on patches, outside The Coach & Horses, Greek Street, London. His pal in the center holds the yellow Hallam Foe t-shirt over his shoulder.].
A few weeks ago, Lee Thomas and I were drinking at our regular watering hole, The Coach & Horses in Soho, when by chance I struck up a brief conversation with this random Canadian dude. He was using this really cool pen to write an address down, and me being the total pen geek, I just had to ask him about it. That's what started us talking.
[My buddy, Simon with a white Hallam Foe t-shirt etc.]
After a few minutes, he and his friends had to split for a meeting, so I gave him a bright yellow Hallam Foe t-shirt as a parting gift, a few of which I had in my bag.
In return, the Candian dude reached into his wallet and offered me a piece of his own schwag: an iron-on patch with a Red Paper Clip icon on it.
Hey. I knew that icon!
"Hang on," I said. "Are you the One Red Paper Clip guy?"
"Yeah," he said. "I'm Kyle MacDonald."
Wow. I totally knew who he was. I told him who I was. The gapingvoid cartoon guy etc. He said he knew my work as well, from off the internet. Small world.
[My Red Paper Clip patch, which is temporarily residing in my wallet etc.]
Apparently Kyle was in town promoting his new book. It turns out that when I met him, he was just coming from a brief appearance on The Richard & Judy Show [Watch the TV segment here. Note how he's wearing the same jacket on the TV segment as he is in the photo above].
Anyway, Kyle just sent me and e-mail. There's an article about Kyle in the New York Times today. In one of the photos, what is he wearing? The yellow Hallam Foe t-shirt I gave him.
[Pic of Kyle and his wife in today's NYT etc.]
Small world, Again!
Kyle, it was great meeting you randomly the other week. Good luck with your ongoing paper clip adventures, and I do hope our paths cross again. Rock on.
Hugh darling,
You do know everyone.
Not that I needed a confirmation...
Thanks for sharing one of those 'Wow!' moments. :o)
Posted by: Gandalfe at August 23, 2007 7:05 PMWow, Hugh, that's an amazing Small World story. You knew hi, he knew you...very cool indeed. And a fun story in the NYT today...viral.
Posted by: Frank Roche at August 23, 2007 8:33 PMKyle's story proves, when you want something bad enough you'll find a way to get it.
Posted by: Maddison at August 23, 2007 9:10 PMYou are amazing. Amazing draws.Greatings from Poland
Posted by: sezam at August 24, 2007 7:25 AMThis is what is so great about blogging. We get the whole story and pics too in a great format.
One maverick trader chance meets maverick PR dude. Simple tee-shirt, sticker turned into social objects that amplify conversations.
Soon Wine will have tiny-weeny ooze goodies as in cereal boxes.
Cartoon: Looser + Girl + cityscape in picture.
"Look what we got with the wine, Wow a Red Paper Clip, I'm gonna trade it to a nice home in Swiss Alps!"
"Nice try! But No"
"...and me being the total pen geek, I just had to ask him about it."
And???
Posted by: Milan Davidovic at August 24, 2007 2:31 PMHugh, if Kyle can get a house for a red paperclip, what do you think you could get for a picture drawn on the back of a business card?