As many of you know, I am rather new to this blogging and web/social media apparatus. None the less, I and many others have begun to use these tools to make our opinions known. Also, for a select few, money could be made off of these ventures. Indeed, I can remember a time when web media was just starting; and everything seemed new and exciting.
Some 9 nine years ago, I and perhaps many of you first encountered Youtube. Initially, it was a way for me to watch a higher quality print of the seminal BBC 2004 documentary series "The Power of Nightmares". Afterwards, it proved to be a fine resource for seeing as many Jim Henson/Muppets related works. Seeing these shows after a long time not being able to see them was in one word magical. It was around that time that I encountered one of the first important web series. That would be James Rolfe and his alter ego, The Angry Video Game Nerd. This was before Cinemassacre.com began hosting Rolfe's videos on their own.
With that in mind, it was seeing installments of AVGN that propelled me to look at another website of media reviewers. This occurred when Rolfe took on a dare to review "The Worst Movie of All Time". For James Rolfe, it was Ricky 1. Never heard of it? Good for you; it is amongst the worst of anything of any sort of any field. The review of this "movie" did prompt me to look at the guy daring James Rolfe. It was Doug Walker; the business was named Channel Awesome; and the website was That Guy With the Glasses.
Any person on the web that would come across Walker and his numerous characters (The Nostalgia Critic, Ask That Guy, Chester A. Bum, Lori Prince, Dominic, a fake Tommy Wiseau) would agree this was a actor, writer, editor and web personality that was doing things not seen before in original web content. Channel Awesome, centered in Chicago, Illinois, appeared to have a number of leaders that seemed intent on bringing an approach to original content that would give the internet as much an influence as other media.
Rob Walker: CFO, older brother of Doug, and a noted character actor in his own right. It is Rob that portrayed Santa Christ, for instance.
Holly Christine Brown: the web developer, team mother, and perhaps the most hands on leader. Holly likely expanded Channel Awesome to heights beyond expectations.
Mike Ellis: involved with branding and marketing approaches, particularly early on when the website was fledgling.
Bhargav Dronamaju: a leading producer, editor, and perhaps the most interesting Channel Awesome leader. His Ma-Ti became a story arc into and of itself.
Mike Michaud: CEO, headmaster, and the one person to come up with the idea while an employee in the waning days of Circuit City. Michaud still runs the website to this day.
What I think really made Channel Awesome shine in those days from 2008-2012 were the innumerable producers of original content that would become personalities in their own right. Some of the more remembered include:
Lindsay Ellis: a more sardonic and analytical reviewer with an interesting approach on media and an East Coast sensibility to matters. Also highly eclectic at whatever ideas she has chosen.
Mathew Buck: a younger impressionable movie goer nicknamed Film Brain with a unique approach to how movies are seen, both current and amongst the bad . Buck also has the best theme song, "Ready To Roll".
Benjamin Daniel (Benzaie): one of the more entertaining and offbeat reviewers. He has to be seen to be understood.
Allison Pregler (Obscurus Lupa): an enthusiast of horror, cheaply made action films, and some of the more oddest movies and television shows out there. Also a very forthright and honest person with a great fanbase.
Todd Nathanson (Todd In The Shadows): you never see his face in full. Yet, a piano-playing music enthusiast and sometimes movie reviewer that has possibly helped viewers better understand the current music industry climate.
Lewis Lovhaug (Linkara); a breakout reviewer, writer and actor that has garnered such a mythos and intricate story with Atop The Fourth Wall. There are times when the story is more interesting than the comic book being reviewed.
Brad Jones: a reviewer and filmmaker of interesting ideas and some odd ones as well. Also very knowledgeable in current trends in movies.
Noah Antwiler (Spoony): equally adept at reviewing games and movies, obscure and mainstream. Also encompassing an intricate storyline; and some of the most important video rants to have been posted.
Kaylyn Dicksion (MarzGurl): highly knowledgeable in Anime and Japanese related pop culture. And a reviewer willing to try new things.
Hope Chapman (JesuOtaku): the breakout of the Desu Des Brigade with an adept analytical mind when it comes to Anime, Manga, and movies. Pretty honest and forthright in her opinions.
Kyle Kallgren: the reviewer of artier films and culture with some interesting ways in presenting these reviews. Great repeat viewing value.
Lindsey Briggs (Little Miss Gamer): an early reviewer on the site that not only had a review of a game; but also did things very different and unique to what others were doing at the time. Some of the better moments in Briggs' videos were her answering e-mail at the end.
Mat Williams (Welshy): a thoughtful person with a keen interest in filmmaking. Also helped to create some of the most bizarre web series to date.
Julian Diaz (Sad Panda): the yin to Welshy's yang. To explain in a short post would not do him justice.
Phelan Porteous (Phelous): one of the more interesting reviewers of various different genres and ideas. And a unique personality to add for good measure.
Joe Vargas (Angry Joe): a very interesting gamer and movie reviewer that is either truly enthusiastic on something or outright hates something. Some of the best blue screen usage online too.
Justin Carmical (JewWario): the host of You Can Play This. Also the oldest of the producers and perhaps the nicest one.
There are of course others current and present that have been involved with Channel Awesome; those I will get to at a later time. I ended my list with Justin Carmical because of a rather sad fact. You see, for those not in the know, last year Carmical killed himself before turning 43 after battling with crippling depression. Suffice to say, JewWario's death, and prior to that his late 2012 departure from Channel Awesome, have changed the website and its impact or lack thereof immeasurably.
A lot has changed, and not for the better I should say. Now, just to let it be known: James Rolfe, Mike Mattei, Kyle Justin and the others at Cinemassacre.com have not been official producers of Channel Awesome; so this does not affect their endeavors. All the same, what in the heck happened that turned Channel Awesome from being hip and trendy; to now being one a bit out of the times and with a shoddy business record to boot.
To mention what I think happened in this one post might prove a lot to digest. I do think changes came afoot every time an anniversary special was completed. Thus, in order to explain what I think is Channel Awesome's downgrading value, and its shoddy business practices; I should give you all an idea of what transpired in these anniversaries. Each one of them more consequential in real life than the prior one. My next weblog entry will go through my ideas on the decline of Channel Awesome. As well, my opinions on what the future holds for web reviewing and we series will come into print.
Do bare with me as I attempt to figure out how to properly present these weblog posts. These may also turn to videos and/or audio podcasts. More on that will be forthcoming.
Thank you all again for the feedback and I hope to talk to you again shortly,
Robert
PS. This album, in response to Greece in the late 1960s and early 1970s, is relevant and strange today as it was then. In memory of Demis Roussos (1946-2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcAnMTHuNNk
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