That Monday, exactly three years after Travis Bickle, put his money down; exactly three years after God's Lonely Man turned his will and his life over to the care of God as he understood Him; exactly three years after the Taxi Driver began preparing his mind and body for his mission; exactly three years later, God went to work. Erik B. Anderson was born on June 9, 1975.
Mr. Anderson's oldest known ancestor was Stephanus Terhune. Sheriff Terhune, as he was known, was the last Sheriff of the British Colony of New Jersey. He was removed from office on July 4, 1776. There was a trial in 1777. It is not yet known to Erik what the outcome of that trial was. What is known is that his oldest ancestor had the same job as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Erik's paternal grandfather, Blaine Ellsworth Anderson, worked for gold magnate Charles Engelhard, Jr. in 1955. A little known but extremely influential businessman in three financial capitals2, the Harvard Crimson Newspapter calls Engelhard the 'number one American corporate sponsor of the Apartheid regime." Charlie Engelhard's eccentric behavior was the inspiration for Ian Fleming's most notorious villain "Goldfinger":
Blaine supported Charlie Engelhard's campaign to unseat Malcolm Forbes from the New Jersey State Senate Seat in the battle of the billionaires of 1955 because Engelhard promised to save their neighborhood from being turned into a reservoir. Engelhard promised Erik's nine year old father Bruce a ride in a fancy car. The boy waited on the front steps, but the rich man never showed up. Blaine put his heart and his soul into that campaign. After they lost, all he got out of it was a fancy crystal ashtray. Blaine drank himself to death eight years later. It was after this event that Marion Vollum Anderson became the first Queen of Funny Faces:
Erik knows a lot about villains. He also knows a lot about heroes.
Coming Soon: Biographical Sketch of B. Bruce Anderson
The B. Bruce Anderson Memorial Flag can be found in Palmer Park in Long Valley, near the High School.
Erik's favorite character on television growing up on top of Schooley's Mountain was "Howling Mad" Murdock on the A-Team. He dreamed of running away to Hollywood when he was young to join the cast. He wanted to help people alongside Hannibal and B.A. Barracus. He created a character for himself as Amy's adolescent son. Erik organized a gang of boys on the playground that he called the A-team. The fights he had with these boys were legendary.
- Presenting a Paper About Avante-Garde Musician John Zorn and Postmodernism to the Eastern Sociological Society as an Undergraduate in 1995.
- Working as a Public Relations Intern and Museum Tour Guide At The Chester County Historical Society in Southeast Pennsylvania.
- Asking William F. Buckley, Jr. For His Stance On An Environmental Issue in 1996 and Receiving The Answer: "The world is a giant ashtray that we put things into."
- Lobbying all over Washington D.C. with the Western Ancient Forest Campaign.
- Helping Ann Rule "The Best True Crime Writer of All Time" Fight Off Some Malicious Spammers When He Was a Technical Support Rep At a Barnesandnoble.com Call Center.
- Playing Bass In a Heavy Metal Band
- Singing Rock and Punk Songs at Open Mic Nights Around Northwest New Jersey
- Writing Poetry, Essays, Letters to the Editor
- Editing Music Videos Using Windows Movie Maker
- Mastering The Art of Cleaning Toilets at Quick Chek
"You know what, Mr. Anderson? You're startin' to get so far up my nose, I'm beginning to feel your boots on my chin." -R. Lee Ermey, as Mayor Tillman.
If you are interested in learning more about Erik B. Anderson, the King of Funny Faces, read his blog:
He has another personal blog called The Tragedy of Erik, The Prince of Funny Faces. It tells the story of how he became the King of Funny Faces.
Comments are encouraged.
1Rule, Ann. The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy, The Shocking Inside Story (Revised and Updated Edition). New York: Signet, 2001 - p165
2Forbes Magazine, August 1st, 1965