Ric Drasin
Encyclopedia
Ric Drasin is an American artist
, actor
, stuntman
, writer
, personal trainer
, former bodybuilder, and retired professional wrestler. Drasin designed both the original Gold's Gym
logo
—a cartoon sketch of a bald weightlifter—and the World Gym gorilla logo.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
was Drasin's weight training
partner for four years at the original Gold's Gym
in Venice, California. Drasin wrestled professionally for 36 years (1965–2001) while also winning titles in amateur bodybuilding contests during his younger years. Drasin retired from the ring at age 57, but still remains active as a professional wrestling instructor. He is also a Specialist Reserve Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department
, a spokesperson for Gold's Gym International and continues his work as an artist, actor, and writer.
, a city of agriculture and oil production. His father and mother, Oscar (1911–1963) and Claire (1914–2010), owned and operated Drasin's Little Folks Shop, a children's furniture and clothing store. Drasin has one sibling, an older sister, Stephanie (born 1936), nicknamed Stef. The family attended religious services at Temple Beth El.
Drasin's formal education began at Franklin Elementary School. While at Emerson Junior High School, as a joke he and two friends tried out for the cheerleading
squad. They were selected. He graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1962 at age 18, then attended Bakersfield College for two years (1963–64), focusing on art.
Drasin's early enthusiasm for professional wrestling had been sparked by the televised matches that he and his family enjoyed watching together. While watching a show when he was 10 years old, he once grabbed his mother and applied a hammerlock. Not realizing he was applying so much pressure, he dislocated her shoulder, putting her in the hospital.
When Drasin was 17, he was picked up for a curfew violation at Shakey's Pizza Parlor and taken to the Kern County
Sheriff's Station. His classroom habit of doodling
and sketching
carried over to the Sheriff's Station, where it caught the eye of the Sheriff Howard Wines. Two days later, Sheriff Wines hired young Drasin to be the cartoonist, “Jungle Rick,” on the sheriff's TV show for kids, “Deputy Howie.” Drasin held that position for about a year, earning ten dollars a week.
Drasin's interests in bodybuilding
, powerlifting
, weightlifting, and guitar playing began in junior high school. When Drasin was in high school, he formed a band known as The Epics. Drasin's band became so popular that they were featured at YMCA
Day at the Hollywood Bowl
in 1960.
About three months later, The Epics competed in a Battle of the Bands
contest at the Hollywood Palladium
, placing second out of about 200 bands. One of the prizes was a one-year recording contract with Capitol Records
. Capitol Records changed the name of The Epics to The Hollywood Vines.
The Hollywood Vines recorded two cruising songs, "Cruisin’" and "When Johnny Comes Slidin’ Home." The 45 rpm record
(Capitol Records reference number 4511) was released in 1961. Although the record was a success, the band drifted apart as the members grew into adulthood. Nevertheless, “Cruisin’” has been heard as recently as August 13, 2006, on Ungawa radio in Antwerpen, Belgium. . It was also part of the October 21, 2000, playlist on WFMU, an independent freeform radio station in the New York City area. "Cruisin’" may be heard even now, in mp3 format on disk jockey Jim Marshall's “The Hound” Website.
Drasin enlisted in the Army Reserves
for eight years and was inducted on his 18th birthday. On active duty for approximately six months after enlistment and for two weeks each year thereafter, Drasin served as a clerk/typist and driver, achieving the rank of Sergeant
. He was stationed at Fort Ord
, California, and Fort Lewis
, Washington.
When Drasin was 18, his father died during surgery
for a heart condition. Drasin and his father had very much enjoyed going to professional wrestling shows together and, unknown to his father, Drasin had decided he would someday become a professional wrestler.
industry began in 1962, when he taught classes in nutrition
and exercise
at the Bakersfield YMCA. Also in Bakersfield, he was an instructor at Babe's Gym (1963–64), then manager of Joseph's Gym (1965–67).
Professional wrestlers who came to Bakersfield for wrestling shows fueled his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Following their advice, he drove to Los Angeles in 1965 and introduced himself to the management of the Grand Olympic Auditorium
, a major site for professional boxing and wrestling. Because of Drasin's excellent physical condition, he was given the opportunity to prove that he could carry through with the rigorous training required by old school wrestling. Old school wrestlers were true wrestlers, who also learned the skills of ring presence, how to work the audience into a frenzy, and how to "work holds" (giving the appearance of inflicting and suffering excruciating pain).
Drasin was assigned to train with Johnnie Mae Young
, a National Wrestling Alliance
(NWA) United States Women's Champion. Young, at 5’4” and 180 pounds, was known as one of the toughest wrestlers in the business. Drasin, at 6’0”, 215 pounds, and 21 years younger, was the recipient of many bumps, bruises, rope and mat burns during his six-month training period. Each training session lasted two to three hours, and Drasin received thorough training in collegiate, professional, American- and Mexican-style wrestling. While in training, Drasin was a commuter, driving 216 miles round-trip between his home in Bakersfield and the Grand Olympic Auditorium four or five times a week.
Drasin's first professional appearance was as “Dick Alan,” a “baby face” (good guy). The year was 1965, and his opponent was Buddy "Killer" Austin. Austin won the match.
Drasin moved to Los Angeles County, California, in 1969 and has lived there ever since. He first lived in Torrance, California
, for about a year and trained at Bill Pearl's Gym
. He then moved to Santa Monica, California
, where he remained until 1978.
In addition to wrestling, from 1968-1970 Drasin also worked as a salesman, going from store to store, for Kellogg's Cereals. For about 18 months in the early 1970s, he was the vice president and art director for Micro Sign Products, a sign and plastic letter company located in Marina del Rey, California
. He left the company when it relocated to Carson, California
.
Drasin started a mail order
T-shirt
business called Expressions in 1975, a venture he operated out of the bedroom of the apartment where he was living in Santa Monica. Expressions specialized in cartoon-like bodybuilding designs. Proficient at airbrush
and silk screening, Drasin did all his own artwork. He advertised his products in various bodybuilding publications, and his business flourished.
In 1975 Drasin also started a business called West Coast Wrestling Promotions. He faced great opposition from the National Wrestling Alliance
, and Drasin ceased operations after a few shows.
After moving to Santa Monica, he kept in shape for his professional wrestling matches with weight training at the world famous original Gold's Gym
at 1006 Pacific Avenue in Venice, California. Arnold Schwarzenegger
, who had come to the United States in September 1968, also trained at Gold's Gym
. He and Drasin were training partners for four years (1970–1974). Schwarzenegger's English was so poor at the time that he would sometimes have Drasin accompany him on dates
. Drasin has said, "He wanted somebody to go along so he wouldn't feel awkward, so I'd go with him."
In 1971, Schwarzenegger and Drasin had just completed a run on Venice Beach when they were approached by a man and woman from Habush Casting who asked them to audition
for a television commercial. Both Schwarzenegger and Drasin were selected for the “Heavy Chevy” commercial, as were six other athletes. Among them were bodybuilders Charles “Chuck” Fautz and Jim Morris and strongman Steve Merjanian
. The commercial marked the beginning of Drasin's long, ongoing career in commercials, films, television, and print advertisements
.
In 1972, he had his first film role, playing "George," a gym manager who is attacked by rats in the movie Ben
.
Drasin has personal favorites from his many appearances in front of the camera. Among them are the “Heavy Chevy” commercial, his 1981 television appearance as “Chuck Wilde/Mr. Galaxy” in the “Mr. Galaxy” episode of Charlie's Angels
, and his television role as a vicious criminal named “Pipe” in two episodes of The Shield
: “Pilot” (2002) and “Fire in the Hole” (2004).
Ironically, Drasin received no screen credit for one of his most visible roles, known variously as the “Middle Hulk,” “Hulkette, or the “Demi Hulk,” in two episodes of the television series The Incredible Hulk. Drasin played the half-transformed Hulk in “Prometheus: Part 1” (1980) and “Prometheus: Part 2” (1980). The fully transformed Hulk was played by Lou Ferrigno
, a 6’5” bodybuilder who weighed 285 pounds.
In 1978, Drasin played an Olympic weightlifter in the film Sextette
, where he traded quips with the legendary Mae West
in her final screen performance.
Drasin frequently ate lunch with fellow bodybuilders Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Ken Waller
at the now closed Zucky's Delicatessen Coffee Shop at 431 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California, an eatery favored by bodybuilders. During lunch one day in 1973, Waller, the manager of the original Gold's Gym
, mentioned the idea of creating a logo for Gold's Gym
to use on T-shirt
s. Using a napkin for paper, Drasin drew a bald weightlifter holding a barbell
, a design that soon was used on athletic wear that was sold around the world.
In 1978, World Gym
also asked him to design a logo, and he created the World Gym
gorilla logo, still in use today.
For about a decade, Drasin competed in and either won or placed in several bodybuilding contests. The Mr. Venice Beach contest, which he won in 1972, was known for the high quality of contestants because of its proximity to Gold's Gym
.
However, during that era bodybuilding was an expensive, time-consuming endeavor for most participants, with little hope of financial gain. So Drasin continued to put his muscles to serious work in the professional wrestling ring, while pursuing competitive bodybuilding as a sideline. Drasin's career as a wrestler took him all over the United States, including Hawaii, and to Canada. Many of his bouts were televised.
During that era, Dianabol and Primobolan Depot were two of the most popular steroids with bodybuilders. Drasin freely admits to taking steroids, as has Arnold Schwarzenegger
, both reminding critics that steroids were legal during that era, requiring only a doctor's prescription.
(MGM) motion picture studio when they met at Venice Beach in 1970. In 1978, the Drasins moved to Van Nuys, California, where they had purchased a home. They had two sons, Adam (born 1978) and Shane (born 1981).
When the marriage ended in divorce in 1983, the children remained with Drasin. He took his boys with him when he went to the gym, and they were at his side when he printed shirts in the garage for his T-shirt
business, Expressions. During this timeframe Drasin also continued to work as an actor, stuntman, professional wrestler, and freelance writer. He chose to close his T-shirt
business in 1984 after his name was stolen and used on goods of inferior quality.
In 1985, Drasin reorganized his old West Coast Wrestling Promotions into the American Wrestling Federation (AWF) and promoted wrestling shows in the Los Angeles and Bakersfield areas. He taught his son Shane how to wrestle, and he wrestled as “Shane '54” for the AWF from 1996 until 2001. Although Drasin's son Adam did not wrestle professionally, he occasionally worked as a referee
for the AWF.
During 1987 at Gold's Gym
in Northridge, California, Drasin met Randi Susan Weber (born 1964). They married in 1989 and had a daughter, Samantha Paige, nicknamed Sami (born 1991).
As a professional wrestler, Ric Drasin sustained many injuries. However, his three most serious injuries did not occur until 2000 and 2001, and the first and third of these injuries were unrelated to wrestling.
In 2000, Drasin was working with a table saw
in his garage and had an accident that amputated his middle, ring, and little fingers from his right hand. Drasin's son Shane obtained medical attention for him, and doctors were able to reattach his middle and ring fingers, but the tip and middle section of his little finger could not be saved. Drasin returned to the gym the next day, using the heel of his hand for some exercises and straps around his wrists for others. He has stated that he never took pain medication for this injury. Using a glove to protect his hand, Drasin soon returned to professional wrestling.
In 2001, Drasin sustained two other serious injuries, both to his legs. The first happened while wrestling in an AWF match against “Cincinnati Red
” (Scott Davis) in Huntington Beach, California
. Drasin did not realize he had been seriously injured and continued wrestling for seven more minutes, until the bout ended with Drasin the victor. Davis had fallen on Drasin's leg, bending Drasin's foot to his hip, which ruptured the quadriceps tendons in Drasin's right thigh.
Initially, the injury was misdiagnosed by a chiropractor
, who thought the injury was less serious than it actually was. Four days later, Drasin fell at home, and his left leg sustained an identical injury. An orthopedic surgeon diagnosed his condition as ruptured quadriceps and informed Drasin that he needed immediate surgery
on both legs or he would never walk again. Surgery
left him in leg braces and a wheelchair
for six weeks. Only one week into recovery, Drasin convinced his wife and daughter to drive him to his regular gym, Gold's Gym
in North Hollywood. He trained his upper body from his wheelchair
and then from a walker
until the leg braces were removed.
After the leg braces were removed, he began training his legs again, but within 24 hours a staph infection blew out his right knee. Drasin got through the life-threatening ordeal with antibiotic
s and a drain
that remained in place for eight weeks. Even this didn't keep him out of the gym, and he credits his workouts with speeding up the healing process. He was soon on a cane and only a year later was doing full leg workouts.
Drasin wrote a book and a script for a horror film
while recovering from his injuries. His book, So, You Want to Be a Wrestling Promoter, written with Bruce Dwight Collins, was published in March 2004 by BookSurge, LLC. His horror movie script features a standoff between wrestlers and vampire
s.
He maintains his post-surgery weight at 220 pounds, still adhering to a modified high protein, low carbohydrate diet that has guided his food choices nearly all of his adult life. He does not drink or smoke and still works out six days a week.
Drasin's interest in art now takes the form of Website and logo designs, animation
, and tattoo
artistry. Additionally, in 2002, Drasin invented the Security Kat, a handheld personal security device.
In 2005, Gold's Gym International re-introduced Drasin's original logo as part of their retro
line, and Drasin is currently designing new T-shirt
s for them. Drasin is now a spokesperson for Gold's Gym
, speaking at convention
s and appearing at special events at various Gold's Gyms. He is also a spokesperson for HeadBlade Razors.
Through frequent participation in Internet radio
broadcasts, forums
, and message boards, Drasin shares the knowledge he has gained through his experience as a weight trainer and wrestler He has so often been asked for personal advice that in 2004 he launched his own advice column, "Tough and Tender: Feminine Eye from a Straight Guy."
Guitar playing is again in the foreground, now a hobby
used for creativity and relaxation. The loss of his right little finger has not affected his ability to play notes and chords. He purchased a Gretsch
guitar in 2006 and plans to add a pedal steel guitar
to his collection.
Drasin taught both of his sons how to play the guitar, and both Adam and Shane play in bands. Drasin's daughter Sami is a professional photographer and is furthering her skills at the prestigious Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, California
, where she is studying toward her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.
In 2006 Drasin was approached by Richard Wenk, who had written the screenplay for the Bruce Willis
film 16 Blocks
. Wenk expressed an interest in taping a pilot
for a reality television show based on Drasin's experience as a wrestling instructor. Drasin's successful work with wrestling students ranging from 20 to 59 years of age, some with health issues and learning disabilities, had caught Wenk's attention. The pilot
, titled Tuff and Tender, was completed in March 2007. Much of it was videotaped in Drasin's back yard, where he has his own 16 foot by 16 foot wrestling ring.
An episode of The Kids are in Charge: Family Vacation was produced in his back yard in 2006. It featured a family of five from Denver, Colorado
, who participated in Drasin's wrestling classes. The segment was first shown on the Travel Channel
on June 21, 2007.
On August 14, 2007, Drasin was filmed by Nine Network Australia
for their prime time travel series, Getaway
. One of Drasin's wrestling classes was featured, and he served as the show's guide for a tour of California's fabled Venice Beach
. The episode aired in October 2007.
In an episode of TV Land
’s popular TV Land: Myths and Legends
, Drasin appeared in a segment that first aired on November 12, 2008. Drasin, who had twice appeared as the half transformed Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series, provided information about the casting of Lou Ferrigno
as The Hulk.
In August 2008, Drasin received his badge from the Los Angeles Police Department
identifying him as a Specialist Reserve Officer, a civilian volunteer who possesses special skills that benefit the police department. As a Specialist Reserve Officer, Drasin goes to schools as a morale booster and to work with students on a variety of subjects, such as driving and traffic safety, nutrition, and wrestling.
The year 2009 was a busy one for Drasin. A couple of the highlights were a live remote appearance on Australia’s popular Sunrise Weekend television show and an interview by general assignments reporter Cary Berglund for a KNBC
- Los Angeles television news feature titled Professor Turnbuckle Teaches Backyard Wrestling 101.
He also trained actress and television news correspondent Maria Menounos
for her October 12, 2009, appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw
as part of a charity awareness promotion.
Also in 2009, Drasin’s personal history and his knowledge of the indy wrestling circuit were topics of a front page article in the Daily News
print edition on February 19.
Mario Solis, a Sports Reporter for NBC News, went to Drasin’s wrestling school on January 28, 2010, to tape a news report that was broadcast multiple times. In addition to showing a class in progress, the segment reported on Drasin’s popular Ric’s Corner videos, which are nostalgic looks at the Golden Age of Bodybuilding and have gained a following on the Internet. As the popularity of Ric’s Corner continues to grow, Drasin himself is increasingly sought out for interviews.
After 22 years of marriage, Ric and Randi Drasin are in the process of getting a divorce, with the divorce expected to become final in 2011. Randi Drasin, who has a Bachelor of Arts
degree in communication
s and television production (1987) plus a Bachelor of Science
in Dietetics (2009), will continue the business she has owned and operated since 1996, Randi's Fitness for Kids, an after-school enrichment program that is currently contracted by the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, stuntman
Stuntman
A stuntman or stunt performer is someone who performs dangerous stunts.Stuntman may also refer to:*The Stunt Man, a 1980 film starring Peter O'Toole*Stuntman , a 2002 video game**Stuntman: Ignition, its sequel...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
, former bodybuilder, and retired professional wrestler. Drasin designed both the original Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
—a cartoon sketch of a bald weightlifter—and the World Gym gorilla logo.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
was Drasin's weight training
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
partner for four years at the original Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
in Venice, California. Drasin wrestled professionally for 36 years (1965–2001) while also winning titles in amateur bodybuilding contests during his younger years. Drasin retired from the ring at age 57, but still remains active as a professional wrestling instructor. He is also a Specialist Reserve Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
, a spokesperson for Gold's Gym International and continues his work as an artist, actor, and writer.
Early life
Richard Alan Drasin was born and raised in Bakersfield, CaliforniaBakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, a city of agriculture and oil production. His father and mother, Oscar (1911–1963) and Claire (1914–2010), owned and operated Drasin's Little Folks Shop, a children's furniture and clothing store. Drasin has one sibling, an older sister, Stephanie (born 1936), nicknamed Stef. The family attended religious services at Temple Beth El.
Drasin's formal education began at Franklin Elementary School. While at Emerson Junior High School, as a joke he and two friends tried out for the cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
squad. They were selected. He graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1962 at age 18, then attended Bakersfield College for two years (1963–64), focusing on art.
Drasin's early enthusiasm for professional wrestling had been sparked by the televised matches that he and his family enjoyed watching together. While watching a show when he was 10 years old, he once grabbed his mother and applied a hammerlock. Not realizing he was applying so much pressure, he dislocated her shoulder, putting her in the hospital.
When Drasin was 17, he was picked up for a curfew violation at Shakey's Pizza Parlor and taken to the Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
Sheriff's Station. His classroom habit of doodling
Doodle
A doodle is an unfocused drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract shapes....
and sketching
Sketch (drawing)
A sketch is a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a finished work...
carried over to the Sheriff's Station, where it caught the eye of the Sheriff Howard Wines. Two days later, Sheriff Wines hired young Drasin to be the cartoonist, “Jungle Rick,” on the sheriff's TV show for kids, “Deputy Howie.” Drasin held that position for about a year, earning ten dollars a week.
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
, powerlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
, weightlifting, and guitar playing began in junior high school. When Drasin was in high school, he formed a band known as The Epics. Drasin's band became so popular that they were featured at YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Day at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
in 1960.
About three months later, The Epics competed in a Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands
Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...
contest at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
, placing second out of about 200 bands. One of the prizes was a one-year recording contract with Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Capitol Records changed the name of The Epics to The Hollywood Vines.
The Hollywood Vines recorded two cruising songs, "Cruisin’" and "When Johnny Comes Slidin’ Home." The 45 rpm record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
(Capitol Records reference number 4511) was released in 1961. Although the record was a success, the band drifted apart as the members grew into adulthood. Nevertheless, “Cruisin’” has been heard as recently as August 13, 2006, on Ungawa radio in Antwerpen, Belgium. . It was also part of the October 21, 2000, playlist on WFMU, an independent freeform radio station in the New York City area. "Cruisin’" may be heard even now, in mp3 format on disk jockey Jim Marshall's “The Hound” Website.
Drasin enlisted in the Army Reserves
Military reserve force
A military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
for eight years and was inducted on his 18th birthday. On active duty for approximately six months after enlistment and for two weeks each year thereafter, Drasin served as a clerk/typist and driver, achieving the rank of Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. He was stationed at Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California, and Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
, Washington.
When Drasin was 18, his father died during surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
for a heart condition. Drasin and his father had very much enjoyed going to professional wrestling shows together and, unknown to his father, Drasin had decided he would someday become a professional wrestler.
Young adulthood
Drasin's work in the fitnessPhysical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
industry began in 1962, when he taught classes in nutrition
Nutrition
Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
and exercise
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
at the Bakersfield YMCA. Also in Bakersfield, he was an instructor at Babe's Gym (1963–64), then manager of Joseph's Gym (1965–67).
Professional wrestlers who came to Bakersfield for wrestling shows fueled his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Following their advice, he drove to Los Angeles in 1965 and introduced himself to the management of the Grand Olympic Auditorium
Grand Olympic Auditorium
The Grand Olympic Auditorium is the former name of a sports venue in Los Angeles, California, United States. Located at 1801 S. Grand Avenue, the venue was built in 1924 specifically for the 1932 Summer Olympics, which saw the boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling events held there. At the time it...
, a major site for professional boxing and wrestling. Because of Drasin's excellent physical condition, he was given the opportunity to prove that he could carry through with the rigorous training required by old school wrestling. Old school wrestlers were true wrestlers, who also learned the skills of ring presence, how to work the audience into a frenzy, and how to "work holds" (giving the appearance of inflicting and suffering excruciating pain).
Mae Young
Johnnie Mae Young is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler and currently a WWE Ambassador.Young was an influential pioneer in women's wrestling, helping to increase its popularity during World War II and training many generations of wrestlers...
, a National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
(NWA) United States Women's Champion. Young, at 5’4” and 180 pounds, was known as one of the toughest wrestlers in the business. Drasin, at 6’0”, 215 pounds, and 21 years younger, was the recipient of many bumps, bruises, rope and mat burns during his six-month training period. Each training session lasted two to three hours, and Drasin received thorough training in collegiate, professional, American- and Mexican-style wrestling. While in training, Drasin was a commuter, driving 216 miles round-trip between his home in Bakersfield and the Grand Olympic Auditorium four or five times a week.
Drasin's first professional appearance was as “Dick Alan,” a “baby face” (good guy). The year was 1965, and his opponent was Buddy "Killer" Austin. Austin won the match.
Drasin moved to Los Angeles County, California, in 1969 and has lived there ever since. He first lived in Torrance, California
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
, for about a year and trained at Bill Pearl's Gym
Bill Pearl
William Arnold "Bill" Pearl is an American former bodybuilder during the 1950s and '60s. He won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World’s Best-Built Man of the Century." He became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.- Biography...
. He then moved to Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, where he remained until 1978.
In addition to wrestling, from 1968-1970 Drasin also worked as a salesman, going from store to store, for Kellogg's Cereals. For about 18 months in the early 1970s, he was the vice president and art director for Micro Sign Products, a sign and plastic letter company located in Marina del Rey, California
Marina del Rey, California
-Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile...
. He left the company when it relocated to Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
.
Drasin started a mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
business called Expressions in 1975, a venture he operated out of the bedroom of the apartment where he was living in Santa Monica. Expressions specialized in cartoon-like bodybuilding designs. Proficient at airbrush
Airbrush
An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays various media including ink and dye, but most often paint by a process of nebulization. Spray guns developed from the airbrush and are still considered a type of airbrush.-History:...
and silk screening, Drasin did all his own artwork. He advertised his products in various bodybuilding publications, and his business flourished.
In 1975 Drasin also started a business called West Coast Wrestling Promotions. He faced great opposition from the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, and Drasin ceased operations after a few shows.
After moving to Santa Monica, he kept in shape for his professional wrestling matches with weight training at the world famous original Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
at 1006 Pacific Avenue in Venice, California. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, who had come to the United States in September 1968, also trained at Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
. He and Drasin were training partners for four years (1970–1974). Schwarzenegger's English was so poor at the time that he would sometimes have Drasin accompany him on dates
Dating (activity)
Dating is a form of courtship consisting of social activities done by two persons with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as a partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse...
. Drasin has said, "He wanted somebody to go along so he wouldn't feel awkward, so I'd go with him."
Audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performing artist.Audition may also refer to:* The sense of hearing* Adobe Audition, audio editing software...
for a television commercial. Both Schwarzenegger and Drasin were selected for the “Heavy Chevy” commercial, as were six other athletes. Among them were bodybuilders Charles “Chuck” Fautz and Jim Morris and strongman Steve Merjanian
Muscle Beach Party
Muscle Beach Party is the second of seven beach party films produced by American International Pictures. It was made in 1964 and was directed by William Asher, who also directed four other films in this series...
. The commercial marked the beginning of Drasin's long, ongoing career in commercials, films, television, and print advertisements
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
.
In 1972, he had his first film role, playing "George," a gym manager who is attacked by rats in the movie Ben
Ben
Ben is often a shortened version of the given name Benjamin, Benvolio, Benedict, or less commonly Bentley, although it is also used as a formal given name in its own right...
.
Drasin has personal favorites from his many appearances in front of the camera. Among them are the “Heavy Chevy” commercial, his 1981 television appearance as “Chuck Wilde/Mr. Galaxy” in the “Mr. Galaxy” episode of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, and his television role as a vicious criminal named “Pipe” in two episodes of The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
: “Pilot” (2002) and “Fire in the Hole” (2004).
Ironically, Drasin received no screen credit for one of his most visible roles, known variously as the “Middle Hulk,” “Hulkette, or the “Demi Hulk,” in two episodes of the television series The Incredible Hulk. Drasin played the half-transformed Hulk in “Prometheus: Part 1” (1980) and “Prometheus: Part 2” (1980). The fully transformed Hulk was played by Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
, a 6’5” bodybuilder who weighed 285 pounds.
In 1978, Drasin played an Olympic weightlifter in the film Sextette
Sextette
Sextette is a 1978 Crown International Pictures comedy/musical motion picture that starred Mae West. Other actors in the cast included Timothy Dalton, Dom DeLuise, Tony Curtis, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper and Walter Pidgeon....
, where he traded quips with the legendary Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
in her final screen performance.
Drasin frequently ate lunch with fellow bodybuilders Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Ken Waller
Ken Waller
Ken Waller is an American former bodybuilder featured in the 1977 movie Pumping Iron, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Waller also won the 1975 International Federation of Bodybuilders Mr. Universe contest in Pretoria, South Africa...
at the now closed Zucky's Delicatessen Coffee Shop at 431 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California, an eatery favored by bodybuilders. During lunch one day in 1973, Waller, the manager of the original Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
, mentioned the idea of creating a logo for Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
to use on T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s. Using a napkin for paper, Drasin drew a bald weightlifter holding a barbell
Barbell
A barbell is a piece of exercise equipment used in weight training, weightlifting and powerlifting. Barbells range in length from to although bars above 7' in length are used primarily by powerlifters and aren't commonplace...
, a design that soon was used on athletic wear that was sold around the world.
In 1978, World Gym
World Gym
World Gym was founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of “Muscle Beach” in Venice, California. Since that time, World Gym has evolved into an internationally recognized brand....
also asked him to design a logo, and he created the World Gym
World Gym
World Gym was founded in 1976 by Joe Gold during the glory days of “Muscle Beach” in Venice, California. Since that time, World Gym has evolved into an internationally recognized brand....
gorilla logo, still in use today.
For about a decade, Drasin competed in and either won or placed in several bodybuilding contests. The Mr. Venice Beach contest, which he won in 1972, was known for the high quality of contestants because of its proximity to Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
.
However, during that era bodybuilding was an expensive, time-consuming endeavor for most participants, with little hope of financial gain. So Drasin continued to put his muscles to serious work in the professional wrestling ring, while pursuing competitive bodybuilding as a sideline. Drasin's career as a wrestler took him all over the United States, including Hawaii, and to Canada. Many of his bouts were televised.
During that era, Dianabol and Primobolan Depot were two of the most popular steroids with bodybuilders. Drasin freely admits to taking steroids, as has Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, both reminding critics that steroids were legal during that era, requiring only a doctor's prescription.
Middle years
Ric Drasin married Ilene Walit in 1975. Walit was employed as a production secretary at Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM) motion picture studio when they met at Venice Beach in 1970. In 1978, the Drasins moved to Van Nuys, California, where they had purchased a home. They had two sons, Adam (born 1978) and Shane (born 1981).
When the marriage ended in divorce in 1983, the children remained with Drasin. He took his boys with him when he went to the gym, and they were at his side when he printed shirts in the garage for his T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
business, Expressions. During this timeframe Drasin also continued to work as an actor, stuntman, professional wrestler, and freelance writer. He chose to close his T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
business in 1984 after his name was stolen and used on goods of inferior quality.
In 1985, Drasin reorganized his old West Coast Wrestling Promotions into the American Wrestling Federation (AWF) and promoted wrestling shows in the Los Angeles and Bakersfield areas. He taught his son Shane how to wrestle, and he wrestled as “Shane '54” for the AWF from 1996 until 2001. Although Drasin's son Adam did not wrestle professionally, he occasionally worked as a referee
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
for the AWF.
During 1987 at Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
in Northridge, California, Drasin met Randi Susan Weber (born 1964). They married in 1989 and had a daughter, Samantha Paige, nicknamed Sami (born 1991).
Injuries
In 2000, Drasin was working with a table saw
Table saw
A table saw or sawbench is a woodworking tool consisting of a circular saw blade, mounted on an arbor, that is driven by an electric motor...
in his garage and had an accident that amputated his middle, ring, and little fingers from his right hand. Drasin's son Shane obtained medical attention for him, and doctors were able to reattach his middle and ring fingers, but the tip and middle section of his little finger could not be saved. Drasin returned to the gym the next day, using the heel of his hand for some exercises and straps around his wrists for others. He has stated that he never took pain medication for this injury. Using a glove to protect his hand, Drasin soon returned to professional wrestling.
In 2001, Drasin sustained two other serious injuries, both to his legs. The first happened while wrestling in an AWF match against “Cincinnati Red
Cincinnati Red
Gregory Scott Daves is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known by his ring name Cincinnati Red.-National Wrestling Conference :...
” (Scott Davis) in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. Drasin did not realize he had been seriously injured and continued wrestling for seven more minutes, until the bout ended with Drasin the victor. Davis had fallen on Drasin's leg, bending Drasin's foot to his hip, which ruptured the quadriceps tendons in Drasin's right thigh.
Initially, the injury was misdiagnosed by a chiropractor
Chiropractor
A Chiropractor, according to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges , "focuses on the relationship between the body's main structures – the skeleton, the muscles and the nerves – and the patient's health. Chiropractors believe that health can be improved and preserved by making adjustments to...
, who thought the injury was less serious than it actually was. Four days later, Drasin fell at home, and his left leg sustained an identical injury. An orthopedic surgeon diagnosed his condition as ruptured quadriceps and informed Drasin that he needed immediate surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
on both legs or he would never walk again. Surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
left him in leg braces and a wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
for six weeks. Only one week into recovery, Drasin convinced his wife and daughter to drive him to his regular gym, Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
in North Hollywood. He trained his upper body from his wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
and then from a walker
Walker (tool)
A walker or walking frame is a tool for disabled or elderly people who need additional support to maintain balance or stability while walking...
until the leg braces were removed.
After the leg braces were removed, he began training his legs again, but within 24 hours a staph infection blew out his right knee. Drasin got through the life-threatening ordeal with antibiotic
Antibiotic
An antibacterial is a compound or substance that kills or slows down the growth of bacteria.The term is often used synonymously with the term antibiotic; today, however, with increased knowledge of the causative agents of various infectious diseases, antibiotic has come to denote a broader range of...
s and a drain
Drain (surgery)
A surgical drain is a tube used to remove pus, blood or other fluids from a wound. Drains inserted after surgery do not result in faster wound healing or prevent infection but are sometimes necessary to drain body fluid which may accumulate and in itself become a focus of infection...
that remained in place for eight weeks. Even this didn't keep him out of the gym, and he credits his workouts with speeding up the healing process. He was soon on a cane and only a year later was doing full leg workouts.
Current life
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
while recovering from his injuries. His book, So, You Want to Be a Wrestling Promoter, written with Bruce Dwight Collins, was published in March 2004 by BookSurge, LLC. His horror movie script features a standoff between wrestlers and vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s.
He maintains his post-surgery weight at 220 pounds, still adhering to a modified high protein, low carbohydrate diet that has guided his food choices nearly all of his adult life. He does not drink or smoke and still works out six days a week.
Drasin's interest in art now takes the form of Website and logo designs, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
, and tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
artistry. Additionally, in 2002, Drasin invented the Security Kat, a handheld personal security device.
In 2005, Gold's Gym International re-introduced Drasin's original logo as part of their retro
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
line, and Drasin is currently designing new T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
s for them. Drasin is now a spokesperson for Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym
Gold's Gym International, Inc. is an international chain of co-ed fitness centers originally started in California by Joe Gold. Each gym features a wide array of exercise equipment, group exercise classes and personal trainers to assist clients...
, speaking at convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
s and appearing at special events at various Gold's Gyms. He is also a spokesperson for HeadBlade Razors.
Through frequent participation in Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
broadcasts, forums
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
, and message boards, Drasin shares the knowledge he has gained through his experience as a weight trainer and wrestler He has so often been asked for personal advice that in 2004 he launched his own advice column, "Tough and Tender: Feminine Eye from a Straight Guy."
Guitar playing is again in the foreground, now a hobby
Hobby
A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during one's leisure time.- Etymology :A hobby horse is a wooden or wickerwork toy made to be ridden just like a real horse...
used for creativity and relaxation. The loss of his right little finger has not affected his ability to play notes and chords. He purchased a Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
guitar in 2006 and plans to add a pedal steel guitar
Pedal steel guitar
The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
to his collection.
Drasin taught both of his sons how to play the guitar, and both Adam and Shane play in bands. Drasin's daughter Sami is a professional photographer and is furthering her skills at the prestigious Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, where she is studying toward her Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts.
In 2006 Drasin was approached by Richard Wenk, who had written the screenplay for the Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
film 16 Blocks
16 Blocks
16 Blocks is a 2006 crime thriller film directed by Richard Donner. It stars Bruce Willis, Mos Def, and David Morse. The movie unfolds in the real time narration method.- Plot :...
. Wenk expressed an interest in taping a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for a reality television show based on Drasin's experience as a wrestling instructor. Drasin's successful work with wrestling students ranging from 20 to 59 years of age, some with health issues and learning disabilities, had caught Wenk's attention. The pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
, titled Tuff and Tender, was completed in March 2007. Much of it was videotaped in Drasin's back yard, where he has his own 16 foot by 16 foot wrestling ring.
An episode of The Kids are in Charge: Family Vacation was produced in his back yard in 2006. It featured a family of five from Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, who participated in Drasin's wrestling classes. The segment was first shown on the Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
on June 21, 2007.
On August 14, 2007, Drasin was filmed by Nine Network Australia
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
for their prime time travel series, Getaway
Getaway
Getaway is Australia's longest-running and most popular holiday and travel television programme. Debuting on 14 May 1992, it is currently broadcast on the Nine Network and TLC...
. One of Drasin's wrestling classes was featured, and he served as the show's guide for a tour of California's fabled Venice Beach
Venice, Los Angeles, California
Venice is a beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is known for its canals, beaches and circus-like Ocean Front Walk, a two-and-a-half mile pedestrian-only promenade that features performers, fortune-tellers, artists, and vendors...
. The episode aired in October 2007.
In an episode of TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
’s popular TV Land: Myths and Legends
TV Land: Myths and Legends
TV Land: Myths and Legends is a TV Land original television series in which celebrity and expert panelists discuss popular myths surrounding American television, music, and motion pictures. The six episode first season aired weekly on Wednesday nights starting January 30, 2007...
, Drasin appeared in a segment that first aired on November 12, 2008. Drasin, who had twice appeared as the half transformed Hulk in The Incredible Hulk television series, provided information about the casting of Lou Ferrigno
Lou Ferrigno
Louis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
as The Hulk.
In August 2008, Drasin received his badge from the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
identifying him as a Specialist Reserve Officer, a civilian volunteer who possesses special skills that benefit the police department. As a Specialist Reserve Officer, Drasin goes to schools as a morale booster and to work with students on a variety of subjects, such as driving and traffic safety, nutrition, and wrestling.
The year 2009 was a busy one for Drasin. A couple of the highlights were a live remote appearance on Australia’s popular Sunrise Weekend television show and an interview by general assignments reporter Cary Berglund for a KNBC
KNBC
KNBC, channel 4, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, licensed to Los Angeles, California, USA. KNBC's studios and offices are located within the NBC Studios complex in Burbank, California, and its transmitter is located on Mount Wilson...
- Los Angeles television news feature titled Professor Turnbuckle Teaches Backyard Wrestling 101.
He also trained actress and television news correspondent Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a...
for her October 12, 2009, appearance on WWE Monday Night Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
as part of a charity awareness promotion.
Also in 2009, Drasin’s personal history and his knowledge of the indy wrestling circuit were topics of a front page article in the Daily News
Los Angeles Daily News
The Los Angeles Daily News is the second-largest circulating daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a branch of Colorado-based MediaNews Group....
print edition on February 19.
Mario Solis, a Sports Reporter for NBC News, went to Drasin’s wrestling school on January 28, 2010, to tape a news report that was broadcast multiple times. In addition to showing a class in progress, the segment reported on Drasin’s popular Ric’s Corner videos, which are nostalgic looks at the Golden Age of Bodybuilding and have gained a following on the Internet. As the popularity of Ric’s Corner continues to grow, Drasin himself is increasingly sought out for interviews.
After 22 years of marriage, Ric and Randi Drasin are in the process of getting a divorce, with the divorce expected to become final in 2011. Randi Drasin, who has a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
s and television production (1987) plus a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Dietetics (2009), will continue the business she has owned and operated since 1996, Randi's Fitness for Kids, an after-school enrichment program that is currently contracted by the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Sunset flip
- Spike piledriver
- Ring names and nicknames
- As a faceFace (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
- All American Boy
- Dick Alan
- Dick Allen
- The Equalizer
- Headlock Drasin
- Mr. California
- Mr. Everything
- Ric Drasin
- Rick Drasin
- Rick "The Hulk" Drasin
- Ricky Graham
- As a heelHeel (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
- Dr. X (wearing maskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
) - The Equalizer (wearing maskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
) - The Mad Bomber (wearing maskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
) - The Stomper (wearing maskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
)
- Dr. X (wearing mask
- As a face
Championships and accomplishments
- AWF
- AWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- CCW
- CCW Championship (1 time)
- GCW
- GCW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- National Wrestling AllianceNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- Rookie of the Year (1965)
Further reading
- Drasin, Ric with Bruce Dwight Collins. So You Want to Be a Wrestling Promoter? Charleston, SC: BookSurge LLC, 2003. ISBN 1-59109-949-8
External links
- American Wrestling Federation
- Pro Wrestling School
- Ric Drasin
- Ric's Corner
- Ringpost Productions
- Tough and Tender: Feminine Eye from a Straight Guy
- Arnold Fans Website. (August 24, 2004). Joe Gold Memorial Exclusive! Arnold, Drasin and buddies attend!
- Classic Bodybuilders of the Golden Era Website
- Dave Draper Website. Photos from Tribute to Chuck Pendleton (aka Gordon Mitchell) on October 19, 2003.
- Men’s Fitness Website. Hyson, Sean and Brandon Guarneri. (2007, May). Muscle Paradise!: MF looks back at Muscle Beach and the golden age of bodybuilding in Venice, Calif. Men’s Fitness. 23(4), pp. 139-142, 144-145.
- Muscle Memory Website