It was in Rockville that he got another of his early jobs - working at the local BMX store.

And his co-workers were the ones who gave him his fateful nickname. Why? "He'd come to work without showering, and his hair was usually sticking straight up," store owner Jay Metzler told New York magazine.

"Everyone had a nickname: There was Tinkerbell, Wild Bill, Scooby-Doo, Nubby, and Root Girl."

"It was a legendary shop, and Spike was its ambassador," says Andy Jenkins, who would visit the place, who describes how Jonze would greet professional board riders who showed up. "Spike would show up at the airport to pick them up in a little chauffeur uniform."