Quick Dick McDick loves Saskatchewan!
By Joan Janzen
joanjanzen@yahoo.com
It’s not every day I get the chance to talk to a Saskatchewan celebrity, so I was pleasantly surprised when Quick Dick McDick returned my call. Although he doesn’t consider himself to be of celebrity status, he has made quite a name for himself on social media as a rural comedian.
His agriculture-themed videos are not only funny but often informative as well, getting something like 44,000 views. His unique flavour of comedy has prompted people to ask him to make public appearances at both small town and city venues. One of his upcoming appearances will take place in Eston on November 19.
“There’s been a few people from small towns reaching out to me; I’m trying to get out to smaller towns. I want to let people know I’m a real person and meet people,” Quick Dick says. He often mentions his stomping grounds at Tuffnell, Sask. with a population of 10 souls. “There’s Tuffnells everywhere in the world,” he said.
He mentioned an Alberta artist that did a Never-Ending Highway Tour. “They would perform anywhere, and I thought that was the coolest thing I ever heard,” he said. Now he’s doing much the same, as he visits “places that are off the map.”
“If we can go there and have some fun and make people laugh, let’s do it,” Quick said. “It’s easier to pack a lot of stuff in a five-minute video, but I’ve never had a problem being in front of a crowd. I do extremely well in rural settings.”
His rural audiences can personally relate to his small-town brand of humour. Whether he’s speaking publicly or making a video, he is the same Quick Dick McDick. He dedicated a recent video to the struggle with cell service in Saskatchewan, as he’s out on the prairies trying to find a high spot to gain cell service. Finally, he climbs on top of a bin, however, the ladder falls to the ground leaving him stranded.
Quick Dick tries calling his dad for help, but his dad shut his phone off while it was charging. A few minutes later, Quick is happy to hear the glorious rumble of his dad’s half-ton and frantically waves to get his attention. However, his dad smiles, waves and drives on by, saying, “Quick always waves at me when I drive by.”
All of Quick’s videos conclude with a list of credits. It’s there that you see Quick Dick McDick is credited as the writer, producer, editor, costume designer, casting, sound engineer, camera holder and production designer. He readily admits he does everything himself, although he is finally getting someone to help with his merchandise sales.
Folks in Eston and area will have the opportunity to hear Quick’s stories in real-time. Kim Lane, Eston’s Economic Development Officer, explained that the evening event was planned when the Eston 4-H sponsored Quick’s visit to the school earlier in the day to talk about safety. Not only does Quick Dick make adults laugh, but he’s also comfortable connecting with children. He frequently speaks to students and does his own Little Quicks videos.
“I like doing kid’s videos; they’re fun to do. We can learn some stuff together while interacting with kids and parents,” he said.
What will Quick be talking about to the adult crowd in Eston? “Most parts of my live stuff is more to get people to laugh at ourselves; we take ourselves too seriously. People post what’s going great, but I like to highlight breakdowns and laugh at situations instead of getting upset,” Quick said. “It’s changed how I look at things; it’s almost an out for me. I’ll think, ‘this really sucks.’ And then I’ll think ‘this would make good video content.”
“You’ve got to do some kind of good when you get a platform,” Quick said. Consequently, he’ll be making his way to Eston in November to bring a smile to kids at the school and later to the adults, as funds are raised for the ice surface project and other projects in Eston.
As you listen to Quick Dick, you’ll realize he loves Saskatchewan and truly appreciates the people who live here.
PHOTO: The one and only, Quick Dick McDick
