Randy Skretvedt

Early supporters of the Kickstarter campaign for this edition also received a custom audio CD of selected excerpts from Mr. Skretvedt's interviews with Laurel and Hardy colleagues and co-workers.

His penchant for collecting was evident early on; even as a child he began acquiring books, records, memorabilia, rare photos, letters, ephemera, documents – even Super 8mm prints of classic film comedies.

It was only natural that a Laurel and Hardy fan with an interest the intensity of Skretvedt's would find his way to The Sons of the Desert, the international appreciation society for the duo.

Skretvedt joined as a young teen and immediately recognized that the surviving members of Laurel and Hardy casts and crews were not going to be around forever, so he commenced interviewing them and cultivating the "inside stories" that would become the backbone of his work.

Skretvedt's interest in the popular culture from the first half of the 20th century doesn't end with film and cinema; he is also a fan of, and an authority on, the music of the time.