CHEECH & CHONG

IN THE BEGINNING
THE COMEBACK
LEGENDARY
THE SQURREL MASTER
FROM THE GALLOWS
MISHAPS
HIGH ROLLER
OH REALLY
TILL NEXT YEAR
CHEECHING TIME
MYSTERY VAN
DYNAMIC DUO
HAPPY TRAILS

IN THE BEGINNING

The infamous comedy duo Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin first teamed up to do improve in Vancouver. After releasing a series of comedy albums in the 70’s, they made it to the silver screen with their first film, “Up In Smoke”. They followed that up with several loosely adapted sequels ultimately culminating in their hilarious appearance in Martin Scorsese’s 1985 dark comedy, “After Hours”. That is the same year they officially broke up their act and parted ways. Cheech pursued a career in various films and TV shows while Chong kept a fairly low profile performing his comedy routine with his wife, Shelby.

THE COMEBACK

2003 could be marked as the comeback of the Cheech & Chong routine, the duo recently inked a deal with New Line to rehash their long dormant characters, however things have been a bit delayed with Chong’s recent incarceration.

LEGENDARY

To the higher times society, Cheech and Chong are ambassadors of a way of life. You can try to be like them, but the bar is set so high. Once they even provided their devoted fans with a token of kind patronage, they included a giant-sized rolling paper with one of their vinyl albums. For those of you have put it to use, it is reportedly a once in lifetime experience and serious fire hazard.

THE SQUIRREL MASTER

To make it clear to other prisoners that Tommy would not receive special treatment, he has been given two months of kitchen duty. Ironically, this is reminiscent of his role in Half Baked as the Squirrel Master.

FROM THE GALLOWS

In an interview conducted with Tommy from behind bars on October 23rd with reporter Emily Valdez, Tommy had this to say:

"They really arrested my character...the stoner musician was just a character...they [the feds] told me if I didn't plead guilty, they would indict my wife and son...they said if I plead guilty, nothing [would] happen."

In so many words, the feds lied.

You can show your support for Tommy and his family by writing to him at this address:

Tommy Chong
07798 068
UNIT A4B
P.O. BOX 7001
TAFT, CA. 93268

MISHAPS

Chong's legal problems began after two undercover agents in Pittsburgh purchased bongs from Tommy’s company, Chong Glass™. Apparently, it is illegal to ship bongs via mail to certain states and Pennsylvania is one of them. A new salesman was unaware that there were such shipment restrictions and sent the bongs to this fake shop.

HIGH ROLLER

The crime that Tommy Chong has pleaded guilty to, is selling items that can be used to smoke marijuana. On the other hand, cigarette rolling papers are used for the same purpose and are available in every convenience store nationwide.

OH REALLY

The Chong's are suing Bill O'Reilly for falsely stating that Tommy had been arrested 18 times in the past for drug-related charges. Such a claim may have negatively impacted his upcoming appeal hearing.

TILL NEXT YEAR

Tommy spent the last few days of his freedom performing his comedy act in Michigan and doing a photo shoot for Vanity Fair. The Cheech & Chong reunion film has been postponed until his release, the producers of New Line said they would wait for him.

CHEECHING TIME

How is Cheech Marin spending his time, these days? Asides from his role as Uncle Frank in the Spy Kids franchise, he is working on a Fox sitcom, “The Ortegas” and has also begun filming “Silver City”, a crime drama co-starring “Kill Bill” vixen, Daryl Hannah.

But that’s not all, he just signed with Miramax to do a film called, “The Underclassman”. In it he plays a police captain who discovers a private school crime ring.

MYSTERY VAN

You might be wondering what ever happened to that green van from the 1978 movie, “Up In Smoke”. Well, here’s the skinny…

If you remember the film their was a kid in the beginning, well that kid acquired the van after production finished. Later, he sold it to a friend, whose son blew the engine and nearly totaled the van after hitting a deer.

That is when, Dave Cuslidge and Jesus Torres decided to purchase the van from their friend for $700 and are now in the process of fully restoring it.

The owners occasionally display the van at auto shows around California and are active participants in the anti-drug group, D.A.R.E.

DYNAMIC DUO

In his recent interview with Joyce Wadler, Chong was asked if Has Cheech Marin had been to visit him…

"No, I think he's afraid he might be arrested for
conspiracy," Chong said jokingly.

"We're like brothers, we were estranged for a while when he was doing ‘Nash Bridges.’ I just didn't like the way he looked. I
didn't like him playing a cop and I didn't like the way Don Johnson treated him."

Ironically, Cheech’s father is a 30-plus-year veteran of the LAPD.

HAPPY TRAILS

What is their secret to success?

"One reason, perhaps, that the kids like us," says Cheech, "is that if a couple of screw-ups like Cheech and Chong can make it through the world, without selling out, then there's hope for every youngster in the ghetto. We're living proof that heaven watches out for fools and small children."

Chong puts it another way. "What makes us so dangerous is that we're harmless."