A Must Read Interview with John Doogie Howell 7-3-05

In my opinion he’s the most qualified and professional photojournalist in the sport today. If you have ever read a news piece written by John Howell, you can be sure that what you read was a well calculated and thought out piece of journalism. Instead of yet another adventurous Saturday night on the town, John and I decided to sit down and have this little talk. Here’s how it went…

ATV Scene: How long have you been an editor in the ATV industry? What made you want to do this type of work?
Doogie: I started working for ATV Action back in 1991—at the time it was still called 3&4 Wheel Action. I’ve always been into ATVs. I started riding three-wheelers back in 1980 when I was 10 years old. My life has pretty much centered around ATVs since then. I was so into it while growing up that I used to cut out pictures from magazines and use them as wallpaper. I could name all the Team Honda guys from the ‘80s, the bore and stroke of a particular model, etc. I was hardcore into it! It still cracks me up that I actually had shots of Doug Gust on my bedroom wall when I was in high-school and today I’m taking pictures of him for my job!

ATV Scene: I hear you bro. I was racing 200X three wheelers back in the day and looked up to Curtis Sparks a lot. I had plenty of Sparks wallpaper myself. So how did you get your start as a magazine editor?
Doogie: I was going to college, taking some journalism courses but I didn’t have any “life goals” so to speak. One day I decided to write a freelance piece on a Mickey Dunlap project bike and I sent it to the magazine. A few months passed and I hadn’t heard anything from them, so I decided to call Mickey just to see what was new. He told me that he had been trying to reach me for weeks—the magazine had been trying to contact me for a job. Well, during that time I had changed my phone number, not even thinking that anyone would be trying to get in touch with me from the magazine! And you’ve got to remember, this is back before the days of cell phones, pagers, etc. So I got the number for the magazine and called them. I talked to Steve Casper. He told me that their associate editor had quit and he asked me if I’d like the job. I think from the time I hung up the phone to the actual time I was crashed out on his living room sofa was roughly 4 days.

ATV Scene:Stick (Steve Casper) is good company. He taught you well. So how did you get the nickname “Doogie”
Doogie: Steve Falk, one of the ad reps at Hi-Torque, gave me the name. A few people along the way have tried to claim giving it to me, but it was Falk. At the time, the television show “Doogie Howser MD” was on, and I just so happened to be one of the youngest editors at the mag. I was 19 but I looked like I was closer to 15 years old. The best part is that the owner of the company, Roland Hinz, is terrible with names. So along the way, my nickname suffered through a series of changes by him, “Doodie”, “Dookie”, “Doofie”, “Doobie”, “Doopie” — you name it, he threw it my way. It has just stuck with me ever since. I’ll be in my 60’s and I probably still won’t be able to shake it.

ATV Scene: So what did you do before you were an editor for Hi-Torque?
Doogie: I was pumping gas … pretty crazy, huh? I guess not a lot of people go from gas station attendant to magazine editor. Like I said—I was 19 and not too career oriented at the time.

ATV Scene: What magazines have you worked for?
Doogie: After ATV Action, I headed over to Dirt Wheels for a short time, and then I left Hi-Torque to go back east and work for a radio control car magazine called R/C Car Action. A few years after that I went back to Hi-Torque to start another R/C mag and then began working for ATV Action again. I’ve also done some freelance work for ATV Sport, and most recently I handled all the race stuff for ATV Rider. And now I’m heading up TransWorld’s new Quad Off-Road magazine.

ATV Scene: How did you get on board at TransWorld’s new Quad Magazine? Who else is on the Quad Magazine team?
Doogie: I got a call from Brad McDonald, who is the Group Publisher at TransWorld Media. I was well aware of all their titles in the motocross, skate and snowboard scene, so I knew that they were more than capable of putting out a serious magazine. TransWorld is an amazing company—they’re so driven to do the very best. We just wrapped up our first issue, and I can honestly say that I’m totally blown away. We’ve got a really strong team too. Cassandra Clawson is on board with us. A lot of your readers may remember her from her days over at ATV Sport and ATV Sport TV. Keith Mulligan is our photo editor. He comes to us from the BMX world, and you guys will all be stoked over his shots. We’ve also got some really good contributors lined up too.

ATV Scene: Is it a monthly publication?
Doogie: Right now it’s going to be bi-monthly, but we’re going to ramp up to monthly after our first year.

ATV Scene: Can you tell us more about Quad Magazine? What can people expect to read about in it? What’s in the first issue?
Doogie: The one thing that I can tell you for sure is that it’s by far the best mag I’ve ever been fortunate enough to work on. We’ve come up with plenty of unique features and photos—we’re seriously going to raise the bar like you’ve never seen. There are tons of cool things in the first issue. We have everything in there—race stuff, adventure stories, cool how-to’s, and sneak peeks at some of the hottest ‘06 machines. We even broke a major story on the new Suzuki QuadRacer 450.

ATV Scene: How the hell did you get that?
Doogie: I can’t tell. But whatever it takes to get the scoop, we’ll work night and day to try and get it first. We’re all super competitive in the magazine biz—I’m stoked that I could get this one first. I think it’s going to be the biggest release in ’06, so it was fun digging up all the info that early.

ATV Scene: This magazine sounds like it might be a winner, but are you sure there’s room for yet another ATV magazine?
Doogie: I certainly think so. Let me ask you—do you think that an ATV magazine can be done better than what’s currently out there?

ATV Scene: I know what you’re saying. I think there are currently a few journalistic embarrassments to our sport. I’m excited to have a professional publication like Quad enter the scene. What do you think is the coolest feature in the new mag?
Doogie: I can’t really pinpoint just one feature—that’s hard to do. We have a great art director and an awesome photographer, so the magazine looks really phenomenal. There’s a poster in every issue too, which is totally unique to the quad market. You’ll dig it Pellan—there are girls in bikinis on each poster and a big action shot on the other side. Hey the first poster is with your Miss Scene February, Tanya Hofmann. And I think our stories and features are really kick-ass and they are huge too—we just did a feature on Tim Farr’s factory Honda and it ran 10 full pages. I guess that’s another thing—we have tons of stories in there. Sorry, I know you asked for one, but I’m too proud of everything that’s in there to pick just one.

ATV Scene: When and where can someone get Quad Mag?
Doogie: I don’t think people will have a hard time finding it. We’re printing 280,000 copies (issues) and TransWorld has the strongest distribution in the world thanks to its parent company, Time Inc. They also produce Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Illustrated. We’re doing massive cross promotion with our sister magazines—we’ve sent out close to a million subscription offers to readers of those magazines to help promote our magazine. Or you could subscribe online at quadmagazine.com.

ATV Scene:You’ve been at hundreds and hundreds of race events, ride reviews, ride spots and product intros over the years. What’s one of your most memorable moments as a photojournalist?
Doogie: Damn….there’s been so many. It’s hard to pick just one. Going to the Pismo dunes for the first time with Bill Lanphier ranks pretty high on my list. I had never seen anything like it. I tell all my buddies back east that until they get out to the dunes, they haven’t seen anything yet! Working on the pit crew for Wes Miller when he solo’d the Baja 500 a couple years ago was pretty crazy too. But I guess if I had to nail down one, it would be going to Japan for the release of the Suzuki Z400. That was an insane trip for a number of reasons. Any time you get to hang with Rod Lopusnak…well, it’s always an adventure. Something you know a little bit about too, right Pellan? Remember that stop sign?

ATV Scene: He’s a character. That’s for sure. Now that he’s not with Suzuki, should we tell some favorite Rod stories, like the stop sign?
Doogie: I guess we should keep that under the hat for a while and talk more about actual ATV stuff.

ATV Scene: Yeah you’re probably right. OK, here are a couple of quick ones. What’s your favorite track?
Doogie: Southwick—awesome scenery and great nightlife. Macon is a close second.

ATV Scene: Favorite ATV of all-time (so far)?
Doogie: Wow! I’d have to say the original Suzuki Quadracer 250. My neighbor got one in ’86 and I thought it was the baddest thing on the planet. That machine totally revolutionized the sport of quad racing. If I had to pick a modern-day machine I’d have to say the Yamaha Rhino. If you haven’t driven one, you just wouldn’t understand.

ATV Scene: What’s the best thing about being an ATV editor?
Doogie: Getting to see the new models months before anyone else.

ATV Scene: Worst thing about being an ATV editor?
Doogie: Keeping all those new models a secret from my buddies until we’re allowed to talk about them!

ATV Scene: Person you respect the most in the industry and why?
Doogie: Wayne Hinson. Besides being the absolute nicest person at the track, his knowledge is unparalleled. He is just the most down-to-earth guy you’ll ever meet. And think about this—he started out in the quad world with Gary Denton then along the way his clutch components become the most sought after products in the dirt bike world. Every big superstar on a dirt bike uses his stuff—he’s personally tight with all the major players in supercross like Ricky Carmichael and Jeremy McGrath, yet where is he every weekend? That’s right, he’s at the quad races with Doug Gust wrenching on his bikes… He could have easily walked away from the quad world, but he hasn’t forgotten us, or where he came from. I think that speaks volumes for that man’s character. I look up to him very much.

ATV Scene: We’ve noticed your photos are close to being on par with the legendary shots of Adam Campbell. How did you get so good?
Doogie: Yeah, Adam is a sick photographer—I put him up there with any action photographer on the planet! Plus he’s one of my best bros in the world. To be compared anywhere with him at any level is the best compliment I could ever hope for.
Last year at the races I finally got a few shots that I felt were pretty decent. That one shot of Gust leading the pack in the first turn (the one used in the TAG Metals ad) is my favorite shot from last season. I think it’s one of my only shots where I thought I nailed it though.
It’s funny—when I got my job at ATV Action in ’91, it wasn’t until I was out there at the job that I was told the gig required you to be a photographer too. Luckily, Steve Casper, (my boss at the time) taught me all the basics and from there I started working on my own style. Plus, believe it or not, my photography skills really ramped up once I started shooting RC cars! They’re so fast and small — they’re a pain in the ass to shoot. I’ve told all my photo buddies that if they can get a nice sharp picture of an R/C car doing 30mph, they can shoot anything.

ATV Scene: Care to give away any secrets to pulling off top-notch photography?
Doogie: First and foremost, you need to fill the frame more than you think. I’ve seen some really good, dramatic action, but the subject is usually so small in the picture that it really lessens the overall impact. It’s ten times harder the closer you get, but in the end, if you nail the shot, you’ve really nailed it. Keep your back to the sun, keep an eye out for cluttered backgrounds (telephone poles in the shot, etc.) and shoot faster shutter speeds than you think you need to.

ATV Scene: You put me on the spot when you interviewed me when you were at ATV Rider. Remember when you asked who my “dream MX team” would be if I had to pick a five man team? Well, now the tables are turned—who is your five man dream team?
Doogie: Damn…I knew that would come back to bite me one day. Wait a minute, if I remember correctly you punk’d out and picked an alternate team with another five extra riders (laughs).

ATV Scene: All right, lets split the difference. I’ll give you two more. Let’s make it seven riders total, but please explain why they’re on your list too.
Doogie: Well, you were man enough to step up and put your picks in print, so I guess I have to now. (editors note: about 10 or 15 agonizing minutes goes by with Doogie only saying “damn” a lot). Alright, here goes…

#7 Marty Hart. He just won so much, and he was so versatile. He was almost untouchable on a three-wheeler, and when he started racing quads, the transition was so seamless… He was just a pure racer. Hart was insanely fast no matter what machine he was racing.

#6 John Natalie. John is fearless…that guy has balls of steel. This year he’s really upped the game. People are just going to have to push a whole lot harder to catch up to him.

#5 Jeremiah Jones. He’s an animal on the track. It’s so much fun watching him race—he always keeping it pinned, no matter what. I once saw him land sideways off a jump at Macon and he just manhandled his bike back into shape. I think most people would have eaten it hard… I rank him and Natalie together, but I give Jones the nod based on his number of titles.

#4 Jimmy White. When I was growing up as a kid, I was a big Team Honda fan, so it bothered me whenever Jimmy would go out and beat them on his Kawie Tecate three-wheeler. Jimmy was literally that first “underdog” guy that I rooted against in any kind of sport. But it didn’t take long for me to appreciate what balls he really had to go head-to-head against the juggernaut of Team Honda. That really opened my eyes to what competition is all about and from then on I started to have mad respect for him.

#3 Tim Farr. Tim is the most fluid rider out there today. He’s super-smooth—he never ever looks ragged when he rides. You almost get lulled into thinking he’s going slower than he actually is—he’s makes it look that effortless. But when you get closer to the track and he passes by, you realize that he’s got it “controllably pinned”.

# 2 Doug Gust. What else can you say about this guy that hasn’t been said a million times. One word best sums up Gust—hero.

#1 Gary Denton. I should be the president of the Gary Denton fan club. I remember I got to spend a week with him in Guam for a race in ’92 and I was just so nervous around him. He is a true legend in the sport, and a real class act too. He’s the best of all-time, and I’m just fortunate enough to say that I actually saw him race in person.

ATV Scene: Awesome list of riders. It’s not easy getting put on the spot like that is it. Now you know how it feels.
Doogie: Tell me about it. There’s a lot of top notch riders to choose from. It’s not easy.

ATV Scene: Last question, you’ve made a few killer images of female models over the years. If the opportunity came, would you abandon all this to become a photographer for Playboy Magazine or Sport’s Illustrated?
Doogie: I think it would be pretty crazy to go along on one of those SI swimsuit shoots. They put some serious time and money into those events and they go to some crazy locations too. And I’m sure it would be real tough looking at that scenery all day. Now that I’m working for that company, who knows! Just kidding—I don’t think I will ever want to leave this industry. I love it too much. The people are amazing—the sense of community between ATVers is great. I’ve met some really cool, down-to-earth people during my travels (especially from this site), and I honestly wouldn’t give it up for the world.

ATV Scene: I think that’s an excellent ending point. Let’s call it a night on that, cool?
Doogie: I agree. Let’s do this again though.

ATV Scene: Sounds good to me. Check ya later bro!
Doogie: Thanks for having me. I’ll see ya at the next one.

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