Time to introduce you to another one of my zillions of weird and/or talented friends. Bob Claster is a writer and historian and producer and behind-the-scenes guy on many TV shows. When I first met him, he was hosting a great radio series called Bob Claster's Funny Stuff on which he interviewed everyone who was anyone in the field of comedy. He has now set up his own website and on it, he favors us with some downloadable (or listenable-online) episodes of that program. Go listen as Bob chats with comedy icons the likes of John Cleese, Stan Freberg and Mort Sahl.
Bob and I also share a love for Vito's Pizza, a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria in West Hollywood. Years ago, we used to drive across town to Vito's old location. I'm not one of those people who think all pizza in New York is great and all pizza everywhere else is unfit for human consumption…but even folks who feel that way think Vito's is up to the Manhattan Standard.
After a few years of serving great pizza, Vito closed his shop and left town, whereupon Bob went into mourning. A year or so ago, I made him very, very happy when I informed him that not only was Vito reopening in L.A. but that his new digs were within walking distance of the Claster home. Bob is now a regular and when I drop by there for pie, I often run into him. On his site, he has a video clip wherein you can meet our friend Vito, the best pizza-maker in town.
As some of you may know, I'm currently co-writing Will Eisner's The Spirit for DC Comics. In some issues, you'll see reference made to a place called Vito's Pizza. There are also such references in the new Garfield cartoon series I'm currently writing. Vito's pizza is going to make him famous but I'm doing my part, as well.