This Sunday morning, from 6 a.m. to noon, will be Humboldt County’s last chance to hear KSLG DJ/good dude John Matthews’ voice emanate through local speakers. He is leaving us. The last remaining original on-air personality from when K-Slug launched in the summer of 2001, the longtime morning man will return to Los Angeles from whence he came to reintroduce himself to that city’s more bustling radio scene.

Our loss. Their gain.

Your Lost Coast Outpost asked John if he would kindly bare how his soul feels about this transition. He submitted the following.

“To those who have stuck with me over the years, thanks! Without you this would have been a lonely journey. (And I would have lost my job.) I do appreciate the time we have spent together on KSLG. I hope we will cross paths again. A special thank you to the ‘hater’ who sent me a creepy Christmas card years ago. While somewhat disturbing, that was a nice touch that I found amusing.” -JM

Perfect.

Always a master of the candid interview, over the years Matthews overcame Humboldt’s relatively small market size to land conversations with Jesse Ventura, Ann Coulter and Bobcat Goldthwait. Then, of course, there were also the colorful characters like the guy who wrote a book about having sex with a dolphin, the famous anal tattoo girl and Kai, to name but a few. Also memorable were his revealing chats with local figures like former North Coast Journal editor Tom Abate, former Berrypicker John Post and former kazillionaire Rob Arkley. With Matthews go KSLG features familiar to Humboldt ears such as Overlooked, Things You Should Know and Guest of the Week.

(Note: Despite popular belief, John Matthews is not a sexist.)

Well, shucks. The Lost Coast Outpost speaks for all good Humboldt people — Palace regulars, for example — when it says we will miss you, John. Write us into your screenplay.

Join us by loving (or hating) John in the comments section and enjoy a brief visual recent history below. 

Interviewing “congressional candidate” Will Startare in June 2012.

Cavorting with longtime boytoy “Dandy” Andy Powell.

Revealing the Benbow Inn’s Nazi architecture. 

Bein’ sexist.

UPDATE 4:45 p.m.: At a beer and wine-soaked Lost Coast Communications sendoff Friday afternoon, Matthews was presented with many gifts, including the below framed fake magazine cover.

You wish you worked here.