Big Nurse was a zine I used to pick up at Atomic Books back in the early ’90s. It was published by Jean and Sue, two ultra-cool Asian girls living in my ultra-uncool suburban ‘hood of Towson. Their zine was inspired equally by Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratchet character (aka “Big Nurse”) from the Ken Kesey novel and Milos Forman film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Ramones (“I don’t wanna be a pinhead no more/I just met a nurse that I could go for”). They were mainly obsessed with skateboarding, but also took interest in things like pro wrestling, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and Elvis – even making pilgramages to Milwaukee and Graceland to pay homage to the latter.
I thought they were the coolest thing to come out of Towson since TSU grad Dwight Schultz (soon to be known as”Howlin’ Mad” Murdock on TV’s The A-Team) and reckoned that I was their most diehard fan. But down in East Baltimore, erstwhile Shockwave critic-cartoonist and perpetual Rockstar Todd Stachowski was digging Big Nurse big time, as well. Though I’ve known Der Toddster for years, I never realized he wrote a fan letter to the girls back in Big Nurse issue 2.
Following is his 1994 rock and roll love letter to Jean and Sue. I like how he explains his name: “I hope you don’t think I am a pedofile [sic], but I have to admit. My last name is Stachowski which is awfully close to stachatory [sic] – a kind of rape.”
Big Nurses need love too!
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