Through The Years - Our People
All in good fun - we've always kept our sense of humor at Mustang & Fords. Ted and Cal' at Scotty's Body Shop set up this lead shot for an article we did on frame straightening.
We can't help but reflect on the terrific people we have known and worked with here at Mustang & Fords. Likely the most memorable character is our old boss from long ago - John Dianna - who was group publisher at Petersen for many years. Dianna was a taskmaster, a man bent on getting it right. Few people liked "J.D.", as many called him (many had other names for him too). But John Dianna knew how to run publishing operation, and you're going to learn more about him later in this article. There were a lot of jokes about John's height and his "Napoleon" approach to running an operation. You could always count on, "that's a stupid idea, now get out of my office!" But John Dianna ran a predictable operation that rewarded associates for a job well done. When you did your job well, you never heard from him. But if you didn't, you did.
I fondly remember Chris Horn, who was our publisher for a time back in the 1990s. Chris was a practical joker and a lot of fun to travel with. You could always count on a surprise at hotel check out. Typically, the hotel clerk would look at you and say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Smart, but your credit card is declined..." In frustration, I'd hand them another one. Same thing, "sorry - this one is declined too..." Then you'd hear Chris across the lobby laughing hysterically - a clear indication that you had been set up.
If you feel good about what you see in Mustang & Fords, you can thank the art director - and we've had many of them through the years. Our current art director, Steve Stratton, has weaved his magic at other Primedia titles, including Mustang Monthly. Today, Steve is turning Mustang & Fords around visually and we like it. We've had good art directors - and we've had our share of bad ones. Who can forget the talents of Thomas Voehringer, our art director back in the mid-1990s. He was extraordinary, right-brained, and always knew what I wanted as editor. Thomas had a common sense approach to doing a magazine. I'd think it and he'd do it nearly always as envisioned. That's rare in a world full of editors and art directors. Thomas also loved Fords - in particular Mavericks and Ford Econoline pick-ups.
We've been in the good company of Contributing Editor Jerry Heasley since our beginnings. Heasley can be found at virtually every major Ford event in the country. We found him running his mouth at the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals in 2005 and snapped this picture.
Another element crucial to the success of any magazine is its writers and photographers. We've had magazine staffers and we have had contributor editors - freelancers who have brought significant talent to the table. Of all the contributing editors we've had the pleasure of working with, one name stands out more than the rest - Jerry Heasley. Heasley comes from a unique genetic code born of the Texas panhandle soil and spirit. Although Heasley calls Texas home, he's rarely there. Heasley is the busiest writer in automotive journalism. He stays busy because Heasley has always had a nose for news. In particular, he's always had a nose for unusual Fords hence his "Rare Finds" column in this magazine for the better part of its history.
Jerry Heasley is more than just a columnist in Mustang & Fords; he has been an institution in our industry for the better part of 35 years because he's as in love with automobiles as we are. Jerry has always had a fireside chat style our readers crave. What's more, his talent as a photographer has only gotten better over time. When Jerry gets behind a camera, he makes love to the subject, finding unique angles and positions that grab our readers. They grab us too.
For many years, we enjoyed the talents of Eric Rickman, a Petersen shooter who joined Robert Petersen when the company was founded in 1948. Rickman always had a story to tell and always managed to dodge the bullets of life by a whisker. He survived his share of close-shave drag racing mishaps during his time on the road. That's what happens when you have a front-row seat for some of the fastest cars around.