[Spotlight Post] Farewell to an Old Radio Guy – Mike Doyle

I’ve never intended this part of the website to be solely about memorials, but sometimes they come in groups. I found out this week someone else I knew passed away. He was a co-worker of my dad’s – and for a time, a co-worker of mine. His name was Mike Doyle. He was an old-school radio dude. When I knew him he was an engineer working with a particular station owner along with my dad. For a summer the three of us worked on a couple of transmitter sites in Gunter and Anna, TX (ask me about the angry Elvis cows one day).

Mike is partially responsible for a story I wrote first for Julia Mandala (submitted to A Hell of An Anthology), renamed by the awesome (and sadly late) Aaron Allston, and finally bought by David and Mary Gray last fall for 4 Star Stories.

“Queer Eye for the Dead Guy” came about during on long day working in a transmitter site. We were working with copper piping, which requires de-burring and cleaning. Mike Doyle – in his big, deep, Radio Guy Voice – declared “Debris and Detritus!” to which I replied, “The lesser known of the Greek gods.” And hilarity ensued – it was one of those times where we were hot and tired and it came out a lot funnier than it really was.

But… it was the Plot Bunny I needed to write the story for Julia, even though it didn’t make the cut for the anthology. It continues to be one of favorite stories. I’m glad it finally found a home with the Grays.
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So in honor of a man I used to know – I haven’t really heard from him in years. Mom couldn’t tell me what happened to him, just that he passed away – go read the story Mike Doyle helped inspire in a weird moment of humor.

A taste of the story:

“Hades! There you are!”

He froze — something most thought impossible in the Underworld — as the two annoying, minor gods approached from the Rivers. He turned and forced himself to smile through clenched teeth at the immaculately coiffed and attired twins. “Debris. Detritus. What can I do for you?”

“Do?” Debris cocked his head, puzzled.

“For you?” Detritus echoed. They looked at each other and laughed. “Oh, my Olympus, no.”

“It’s not what you can do for us, dear Hades.” Debris made a grand sweeping gesture. “But what we can do for you.”

“Oh, yes, Hades, Zeus sent us just in time. This place needs a complete makeover.”

Tags: 4Star Stories, Broadcast Engineering, Hell of an Anthology, Julia Mandala, Mike Doyle, RIP, Spotlight post, Yard Dog Press