When I came to Chicago 14 years ago to do improv, Tim Chidester was already a mainstay in the community, and over the years his stature has only grown. He always seems to be all over the city, but I most associate him with the long-running (and very obscene) Hot Karl at ComedySportz Chicago. I managed to track Tim down at the Annoyance Theatre before a performance of TimProv (an improv group composed entirely of guys named “Tim”).
CFT: What’s your Chicago flag story?
Tim: I got it because I moved here when I was 18 in 1987 and I got it the day of my 25th anniversary of being a Chicagoan. I’d been thinking about it for a while, I have other tattoos, but I really love this town and I consider myself a pretty true blue Chicagoan now and I thought it was a great way to mark the event.
CFT: Did you move here to do improv?
Tim: Yes. I knew this was the place to come because I was one of those improv nerds in high school. I knew my history of Saturday Night Live and stuff and so I knew Chicago and Second City was the place to come if you wanted to do it. I had offers to go to other colleges in Michigan but I wanted to get out and so I came here.
CFT: You went to college here?
Tim: I went to Roosevelt University. Class of ‘91. I came here and I met some Second City folks who taught there and that’s how I moved up the ranks. I was out of it for a while but actually my girlfriend worked with Mark Sutton, Mick Napier at Mrs. Levy’s Deli and she told me about them. I knew these guys, the Annoyance, when they were on Broadway. I took classes and then a couple people told us about iO and that’s how it grew from there.
CFT: You have a pretty traditional stars and the stripes. One of the things we’ve been seeing on the site is people having variations.
Tim: The only thing is little jagged ends that would be…
CFT: Is that any symbolism or is that just a cool design?
Tim: It’s 25 years so it’s the kind of thing, it’s not the age it’s the mileage, a little wear and tear on there. I liked it for that fact. This flag’s seen some shit.
CFT: All right. How long have you had it now?
Tim: Just since this past August, so not that long. I got it on August 31st. I made an appointment so I could get it that afternoon, so I had it that afternoon.
CFT: Do people know what it is?
Tim: Yes. They do know why I have it because they ask me.
CFT: Yours is kind of visible.
Tim: They ask me why I got it and I tell them why, I tell them the reason.
CFT: Do people go, ‘Oh, Chicago flag.’ Why?
Tim: They know it’s the Chicago flag. Even people out of state know what it is surprisingly. It’s a very recognizable flag. I’ve had a couple questions when I’ve been on gigs out of state where they’re like, ‘What is that?’ This is the only tattoo I have out of three that anybody can see so they always ask me about it.
CFT: Where did you get it done?
Tim: Mario Desa at Chicago Tattoo on Belmont. That’s where I got all of mine; like I said, one of three. I got them all there.
CFT: Awesome. Thanks a lot.
