NO-PREACHING TEACHING ACTOR MAKES ANTI-DRUG LESSON FUN RETRO BILL AIMS TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR KIDS.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

VALENCIA -- He's recognized all over the country. On airplanes, pilots tell him how much their children love him. And bald-headed men look at him wistfully, admiring his towering black pompadour.

``People ask me what I'm on,'' said Valencia resident Bill Russ. ``I tell them I'm not on anything, this is me. I get up every morning thankful to be alive.''

Better known as Retro Bill, Russ is the most-requested school assembly speaker in the nation, which he travels to spread his message to children and teens -- and sometimes their parents -- about making good choices.

His throwback look takes an hour a day and a can of hair spray a week, but the resemblance to Elvis ends there. He tells people that ``The King'' is no longer with us because of bad choices -- something Retro Bill will help them avoid.

Becoming Retro Bill took a lot more than buying a car emblazoned with flames and wearing bright-turquoise checkered shirts and sneakers.

In 2001, he used his talents as a writer, actor, director and producer, drained his bank account and produced a video teaching safety and self-esteem in a fun way. The video won several awards and became an instant hit.

``I got tired of reading news stories about rising crime and violence. The nation had no role models, so I thought it was time to step up,'' he said. ``The kids are our nation's future. And it's a real honor to help kids realize that it's cool to be themselves.''

He spends 300 of 365 days on the road, personally sees more than a million kids every year and reaches millions more with the video, as host of National and International Kids Day and in gigs as celebrity spokesman for KidsPeace and ScanUSA.

Recently, he's been asked to produce a video on Internet safety. He's turning down work to finish the project because it's important.

``Kids don't get it; they get mad or have a bad day, so they lock themselves in their rooms and log on to the computer looking for a friend. I ask them if they would go up to a stranger and give them their name and address. I remind them that's exactly what they do when they get on MySpace. I'm not telling them anything they haven't heard before. I'm just making it fun and making them think.''

He remembers his own school days: ``I was the skinny kid with glasses, and people used to tell me I'd blow away if there was a strong wind.'' He reminds kids that Bill Gates wears glasses and is the richest man in the world -- and Russ doesn't need a real gust to launch himself into an acrobatic frenzy that always ends with a grin and thumbs up.

While attending Columbia College, he earned a scholarship from Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment that let him finish his studies at University of Southern California. He was soon selling scripts and becoming the multifaceted person he used to dream about.

In a recent appearance at Charles Helmers School he talked about a one-time classmate who scoffed at his dreams of being a writer, producer, actor, director, artist and motivational speaker.

``He was one of those guys who would smoke and drink and he went to jail for a while,'' he said. ``Later on, he asked me for a job. I said no.

``Everybody needs everybody else.'' he said. ``You shouldn't flip off that guy who cut you off in traffic because he just might end up to be the heart surgeon who saves your life.''

He needn't struggle to find a reason to keep Retro Bill going strong. Parents, teachers and kids remind him every day. ``A mom came up to me recently and said `You have no idea what a gift you have,'' he said.

She told him that her 15-year-old daughter had left for school that morning screaming that she hated her mother and was going to kill herself. When the mother came home, she found the house clean, the laundry done and dinner ready, all thanks to the same daughter.

``She said Retro Bill had talked to her class about forgiveness and that parents tell their kids to straighten up because they love them.

``People get two things on their tombstone -- the day they were born and the day they die,'' he said. ``Then there's that little dash in the middle. I want my tombstone to read: `Retro Bill: Good thing that guy lived. He made a positive difference in life.'''

For more information on Retro Bill, visit his Web site www.retrobill.com

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Bill Russ as his alter ego, Retro Bill, entertains students at Charles Helmers School while he delivers a message. Kids from across the nation know him and his message to stay away from drugs and keep a positive outlook.

(2 -- color) Kids at Charles Helmers School smile as they listen to Retro Bill make his anti-drug message memorable and fun.

(3 -- color) With props including a hoop, popular character Retro Bill keeps his audiences of kids smiling -- and thinking about how they can make good choices in life.

David Crane/Staff Photographer