This should be 100 words shorter.A not-brief-enough autobiographical sketch of Tim Terchek.I attribute my slightly bent perspective on life, advertising and humor to my dad, Tip. He owned the corner bar that housed the upstairs apartment where I grew up in the town of North Chicago, Illinois. In his unique warped way of doing things, he didn’t name his bar Tip’s Tavern, or Terchek’s Tap, or Tippy’s Lounge. He called it Tip’s Joint. He would also position it as a male refuge from factory and home with the tagline Bureau of Missing Husbands proudly imprinted on premiums like matchbooks, ashtrays and bottle openers. So much for my hereditary makeup. Environmentally, I was cast in a neighborhood that surrounded me with Slovenians, Lithuanians, Poles and steel mills. Because talk was terse, English wasn’t too good and persuasive conversations were called threats, I learned early on to communicate with just a few carefully chosen words. The lesson would serve me well throughout my advertising career. Taking my heredity and environment with me, upon graduating from college I decided to enter the world of advertising upon being impressed by the likes of Ed McCabe, Mary Wells Lawrence, George Lois, et al. I started in the minors in Peoria. Moved up to Triple A Ball in Indianapolis. Then got my call to The Show with D’arcy in Chicago. Chicago’s now where I’ve played and worked since the Cubs blew their 2-game lead in the National League Playoffs in ’84. Except for matchbooks, ashtrays and bottle openers, I think I’ve created advertising for every possible medium. I’ve produced advertising for global usage and mom and pop shops. I’ve shot commercials on both coasts. Recorded music in Nashville. Loved doing radio. At one time, I couldn’t work on enough consumer TV. Now, I get excited by business-to-business clients who want to try different. Throughout it all, I’ve found that simple works best. And that a few carefully chosen words work best of all.