Growing Up Aspen

Growing Up Aspen is the inside scoop on Aspen, Colorado in the 70s and 80s as recounted by four friends who grew up there, pre Prada, Gucci, and paparazzi. Back when Aspen was like Mayberry in the mountains but with John Denver, Nick DeWolf, and Ted Bundy mixed in. These intimate recollections of the contributor's personal experiences capture the essence of small town living and the importance of community. Their stories include funny, poignant, sometimes disturbing life lessons (parental discretion is advised, though it was largely ignored, back in the day). Through their stories we see how their lives are intertwined with the evolution of their beloved town. Aspen was in the midst of irreversible change ... and these kids knew exactly what was going on.

"The stories in Growing Up Aspen will take you back to a time and place that no longer exists. Arguably the best of times and I can't disagree. In indulging in the book, I find myself back in our old Aspen on silly, foolhardy, daring adventures that would make any young Aspenite proud ... and make the more mature survivors weep with joyful sadness." - Greg Poschman

A must-read for anyone who has experienced the transformative power of growing up in a tight-knit community and wants to time travel back to when John Denver played softball for the Aspen State Teachers College. Come meet some of the true characters behind the scenes of what once was Aspen.

ANDY COLLEN (1st Contributor) cut his entrepreneurial teeth at the age of 16 by becoming Burton Snowboard's first Aspen distributor. After his college years, he discovered a culture of independent animators in Portland, Oregon, and moved there, working at Teknifilm, the local 35mm film processing lab while connecting with the local artists and studios. He freelanced for Will Vinton Studios (Claymation, California Raisins, The PJs), Blashfield Studio (Photo cut-out, MTV music videos), and mentored with Tom Arndt of Merlin's Hammer. Andy met Amy Blumenstein while producing It's About Peace, a collaborative short film that Amy and many other local artists contributed animated scenes to. Andy and Amy soon married (at the Portland Zoo) and started their boutique studio, Happy Trails Animation. Ever the innovator, after several "nose to the grindstone" years of producing and directing commercial animation for ad agencies, Andy developed a distinct, low-cost, high-production value approach to generating Motion Comics and Motion Posters. This creative venture resulted in a stretch of work for Disney (Tron, The Muppets), Starz Entertainment (Spartacus, The Crazies), and BBC Worldwide (Doctor Who, Torchwood). Andy continues to explore and innovate through digital storytelling. He finds writing truthful tales about his childhood, perspective, and work to be a total blast.

CHRIS POMEROY (2nd Contributor) was born in the mountains and raised from infancy in Aspen, Colorado. He left the valley in the 1990s to pursue a career in Newspaper management. He worked at three newspapers over the span of a decade, The Aspen Times, the Fort Collins Coloradoan, and the Athens Banner-Herald. He shifted away from the industry in the early 2000s with a short stint in agency work, and then to his current job of 15+ years, consulting in Internet Banking for Digital Insight, Intuit, and now NCR.He has won many awards for campaigns, layout, and illustration throughout the years, and has done illustrations for national companies, newspapers, and magazines for a myriad of uses.When not "slaving for the man" he has worked in the art of animation, one of his true passions, for the better part of 30 years. As any animator can tell you, animation is a love of the art and the art of sacrifice. Caffeine and bad music are a staple for projects with near-impossible deadlines and endless pressure to not only meet the challenge but to walk away proud of the effort and the finished project. In the end, the work is fun. But it is work. Lots of it.He currently resides in Athens, Georgia with his wife, two sons, a dog, cats, and a bunch of fish. He is proud to boast that he can still pull off the coveted "bedhead" style of the late 70s, and often does.

DEAN JACKSON (3rd Contributor) -- In another life, Dean Jackson was a professional actor, voice-over artist, and puppeteer. While living the life of a starving artist in New York City was an adventure, that life transitioned into a more traditional career once he got married and discovered that Ramen was not a lifestyle choice.Dean and his lovely wife, Kyra, now live in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has managed high-rise buildings and since applying those skills to create the project management division of a local community management company, is the point-person for managing their team and a multitude of community living challenges. He wrote for an industry magazine for sixteen years, and wrote the travel blog, "So I Married a Tour Guide." He has begun dabbling in voice work and acting once again.In their spare time, Dean and Kyra enjoy traveling, gardening, reading, listening to Jazz, and slow dancing in the kitchen. ...>... >... >... >... (4th CONTRIBUTOR): LO SEMPLE: Lo arrived in Aspen in 1974 in the back of his parents green Volvo station wagon. He currently writes a local column every Saturday for the Aspen Daily news, and can be spotted around town or on the bike trails and ski mountains of Aspen and Snowmass. He also helps travelers from all over the world via Suit Yourself, Aspen's premier mobile skiwear outfitters-renting clean, well-maintained skiwear for fun in the snow and sun for over 21 years.