Throughout my life as a writer, I have been massively influenced by media technologies. Since my life has never been characterized by an excessively large social life, I had to learn most of my information about people and culture from media. The three most important media to my development were television, music, and comic books.
I’ve been watching TV for as long as I’ve been able. TV wasn’t a privelage to me, it was a basic human right. I was shocked when I eventually found out that some of my friends had limited access to TV because of their parents. That was never the case for me. I watched TV every chance I got as a child, crying when Teletubbies would turn off, binge watching my sister’s dvds, and eventually using Netflix to do character studies on movies and shows. Some of my earliest memories in life are of watching, imitating, or playing with the merchandise from Power Rangers, my first favorite show. To this day, I’m still impressed by the impact that show had on me. Without Power Rangers, I wouldn’t be into superheroes, I wouldn’t be into hard rock, and I wouldn’t be nearly the same person I am today.
Another media that has affected me in unexpected ways is music, specifically hard rock. The first band I ever truly loved was Trapt and their one radio single, “Headstrong.” Seeing as I was seven years old when that song came out, that song was unusually hard for someone my age, but it reminded me of the fight songs that played in my favorite cartoons, video games, and best of all, Power Rangers. Unfortunately for my parents, that was not the end of my hard rock obsession. One year after “Headstrong” was popular, Linkin Park released “Numb,” and I was hooked. I still listen to a bit of Linkin Park, among many, much harder bands, today. Hard rock has always been a major influence to my life. It got me through tough times, it was there in my best moments, it introduced me to some of my best friends, and it’s what I always listen to when I write or draw. Hard rock’s signature sound influences every pencil stroke and every key I press.
Finally, the most important media in my life is undoubtedly the comic book. When I was nine years old, I was obsessed with Linkin Park and Power Rangers. Things like video games and toys were great responses to these high-energy media, but there was nothing that spoke to me more than my first comic book, Ultimate Spider-Man. Spider-Man and other comic books became the focal point of my childhood. I had been drawing since the age of five, and seeing artists like Mark Bagley bring images of my favorite superheroes to life was mesmerizing. I knew that that was what I wanted to do, and it wasn’t until seventh grade, after four years of drawing almost every day, that I found out I was wrong. I didn’t want to be an artist, I wanted to be a writer. Seven years later, and I’m still writing, drawing, and digitally producing comics, I own almost 4,000 comic books, my room and almost everything I own are covered in superheroes, and anyone that knows me knows me as the superhero guy, the comic book guy, the Spider-Man guy, or Spider-Man.
I’ve been watching TV for as long as I’ve been able. TV wasn’t a privelage to me, it was a basic human right. I was shocked when I eventually found out that some of my friends had limited access to TV because of their parents. That was never the case for me. I watched TV every chance I got as a child, crying when Teletubbies would turn off, binge watching my sister’s dvds, and eventually using Netflix to do character studies on movies and shows. Some of my earliest memories in life are of watching, imitating, or playing with the merchandise from Power Rangers, my first favorite show. To this day, I’m still impressed by the impact that show had on me. Without Power Rangers, I wouldn’t be into superheroes, I wouldn’t be into hard rock, and I wouldn’t be nearly the same person I am today.
Another media that has affected me in unexpected ways is music, specifically hard rock. The first band I ever truly loved was Trapt and their one radio single, “Headstrong.” Seeing as I was seven years old when that song came out, that song was unusually hard for someone my age, but it reminded me of the fight songs that played in my favorite cartoons, video games, and best of all, Power Rangers. Unfortunately for my parents, that was not the end of my hard rock obsession. One year after “Headstrong” was popular, Linkin Park released “Numb,” and I was hooked. I still listen to a bit of Linkin Park, among many, much harder bands, today. Hard rock has always been a major influence to my life. It got me through tough times, it was there in my best moments, it introduced me to some of my best friends, and it’s what I always listen to when I write or draw. Hard rock’s signature sound influences every pencil stroke and every key I press.
Finally, the most important media in my life is undoubtedly the comic book. When I was nine years old, I was obsessed with Linkin Park and Power Rangers. Things like video games and toys were great responses to these high-energy media, but there was nothing that spoke to me more than my first comic book, Ultimate Spider-Man. Spider-Man and other comic books became the focal point of my childhood. I had been drawing since the age of five, and seeing artists like Mark Bagley bring images of my favorite superheroes to life was mesmerizing. I knew that that was what I wanted to do, and it wasn’t until seventh grade, after four years of drawing almost every day, that I found out I was wrong. I didn’t want to be an artist, I wanted to be a writer. Seven years later, and I’m still writing, drawing, and digitally producing comics, I own almost 4,000 comic books, my room and almost everything I own are covered in superheroes, and anyone that knows me knows me as the superhero guy, the comic book guy, the Spider-Man guy, or Spider-Man.