***MY INFLUENCES***
We all have our favorite books, authors, movies, actors,
music and bands. But how much of that creative fuel actually changes the way we
approach our art? I can safely say that even though Daniel Bryan is my favorite
pro-wrestler of all time, he doesn’t make me want to adjust my writing style.
In other words, even though I prefer watching Mr. Bryan over other wrestlers,
he’s not necessarily an influence to me. An influence is someone you model your
work after, not just someone who tingles your senses. Soulfly is one of my
favorite heavy metal acts of all time, but they don’t change the way I write
stories. So what does influence me? Who are the people and what are the mediums
that make me want to become a better writer? I never gave much thought about
this until now, and as of today, there are ten items on this list. Starting
with…
***DIALBO II: LORD OF DESTRUCTION***
I’ve always credited this computer game with giving me a
fascination in barbarians. I’ve always loved using melee-ranged warriors
whenever I played RPG’s and the barbarian personifies that in Diablo II in a
way no other class does. Actually, that’s not entirely true since the paladin’s
fire and cold auras can jack him up like Brock Lesnar, but who’s keeping track?
Bottom line, if it wasn’t for Diablo II, Deus Shadowheart, Brutus Warpath,
Corey Darkside, and Magnus Warcry would never be possible. I’ve always
considered Deus to be my honey child despite the fact that he’s an overloaded
Gary-Stu. He finally found a story to be a part of and that short story is
appropriately called Deus Ex Machina, a high fantasy tale that preaches
teaching people how to do stuff as opposed to doing those things for them. Deus
Ex Machina is one of the cornerstones of my soon-to-be published anthology
Poison Tongue Tales. But it’s not just barbarians that held my fascination.
Hannah Jason from “Bee Jay the Glutinous” is a sorceress, Marcus Edge from
“Stardust” is a druid, Edwin Stryker from “Crossing the Line” is a paladin, so
many characters were influenced by the dark magic Diablo II is known for.
***FINAL FIGHT***
More and more these days, whenever I’m riding in the car and
I see a dilapidated neighborhood through my window, I always tell my brother
James that said neighborhood looks like a stage from Final Fight, a beat ‘em up
arcade game where most of the stages take place in ghettoized buildings. Ever
since rekindling my interest in this game earlier this year, lots of Dungeons
& Dragons campaign, novel, and short story ideas have come from those
broken down buildings. I’m still waiting for the day when I can sit down with
James, Reina, and Shara and guide them through an adventure that takes place on
a shit-infested subway train. Stage backgrounds from videogames have always
fascinated me, but the biggest piece of creative fuel I drew from Final Fight
was Mike Haggar, a pro-wrestler who pile-drives, suplexes, and clotheslines Mad
Gear gangsters into powder. When I wrote the first draft of “Occupy Wrestling”
back in 2013, I wanted the main character Mitch McLeod to be a throwback to
Mike Haggar in terms of body size and outfit, right down to the shoulder strap
and the plated boots from the second Final Fight game. With thick rimmed
glasses, pale skin, and puffy spiked hair, Mitch McLeod keeps himself from
being a complete clone of Mr. Haggar while honoring how badass the Mayor of
Metro City really is.
***WWE***
This one’s a no-brainer in so many ways. Where do I begin?
Well, if I didn’t have such a zealous love for pro-wrestling, “Occupy Wrestling”
wouldn’t be possible. If it wasn’t for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Most
Disgusting Promotional Tactic award, I wouldn’t have a basis for how to build
Keegan Day from the ground up since he’s supposed to represent everything wrong
with the wrestling business. But what about the dark fantasy aspects of WWE
wrestlers? The Undertaker is without a doubt the biggest one with his
necromancer gimmick. Bray Wyatt as a sadistic cult leader will always be an
influence on the creepy monsters from “Occupy Wrestling”. Stardust and Goldust?
Well, if I ever decide to write the sequel to Occupy Wrestling and call it “The
Black Widow”, Rosie Rogers will be a parody of the Rhodes
brothers’ bizarre gimmicks and she’ll be called Angel Dust. WWE will always be
my favorite form of violent entertainment. Ignoramuses who call it “fake” can
say the same thing about other forms of fiction like Harry Potter, Lord of the
Rings, and Game of Thrones.
***THE CLEANER***
Stephen King once famously said that if you don’t have the
time to read, you don’t have the time nor the tools to write. In the summer of
2009, I finally got the wakeup call I needed when I read “The Cleaner” by Brett
Battles, a fast-paced, exciting, well-thought-out novel that set the standards
I now have for the books I read. My tastes have changed over the years, but
“The Cleaner” will always be what I base my reading and writing on since that
was the novel that set me on the right path. Jonathan Quinn really is a badass
character and Brett Battles really is a badass author. Check out this book
whenever you get the time.
***PINK FLOYD THE WALL***
I started listening to Pink Floyd on a regular basis when I
moved to Chehalis , Washington
***KILLER BE KILLED***
Okay, so this super-group hasn’t been around for a long
time, but their song “Snakes of Jehovah” is a huge part of the reason why
Occupy Wrestling is a success (in my mind at least). After Keegan goes to a
minimum security jail for corruption charges, he has his robe and snake
mask-wearing henchmen, The Snakes of Jehovah, do his bidding for him to make
sure the police don’t interfere with his behind the scenes work. These faceless
minions are blessed with magical powers, creepy limbs, and the ability to put
up a barrier just by forming a circle and speaking in tongues. Thank you,
Killer Be Killed, for putting out such a badass album! Without you guys, Keegan
would have to shell out even more money from his billion dollar bank account to
keep the police at bay.
***GEORGE CARLIN***
With intelligent speaking abilities, a raunchy and dark
sense of humor, and a disdain for politically correct policies, George Carlin
gave me permission to be as wild and crazy as I want when it comes to my
writing. Before watching my first George Carlin routine, I had to rely on
comedians like Johnny Carson, Benny Hill, and Bill Cosby to be my creative
fuel. Being as young and naïve as I was back then, those three comedians’
messages didn’t ring true for me the way that Carlin’s did. I feel so good
about my comedic abilities that I currently have a novel idea sitting in my
reserve stack called “Suck It, Double Dork!”, which is basically one long
rehashing of Carlin’s joke about making rape funny by picturing Porky Pig
sodomizing Elmer Fudd. They’re cartoon characters; nobody gives a shit what
happens to them. Even at the age of 71, Carlin died too soon. Rest in peace.
***CLERKS***
When I reviewed Clerks and Clerks II, I should have given
both of those movies five stars instead of four. A lot of the well-spoken
dialogue from those movies is the basis for my characters’ dialogue and my
writing was well-received because of it. I wish I would have known how to
interpret creative fuel in a more mature way when I was a teenager and a
twenty-something. Otherwise, my first movie script Pumping Filter wouldn’t be
such a mess of racial and sexual slurs from Pulp Fiction. As I look up scenes
from Clerks I and II on You Tube, I realize that it’s not enough just to copy a
style of dialogue. It has to fit your story’s world and sound 100% natural too.
***DUNGEONS & DRAGONS***
It’s a pencil-and-paper role-playing game where my love for dark
fantasy themes is rekindled and reenergized once more. Many of my player
characters and villains from these campaigns went on to become major players in
many of my stories. Brutus Warcry, my level eight human barbarian, had his last
name tweaked to Warpath and he became the main character for a short story
called “Stone Cold” about a barbarian who wants revenge for his fallen wife.
Bob Rua, a tiger monk and MMA practitioner, was the main character from “Tiger
Bullet Kick”, where he guards a tomb full of treasure from a necromancer and a
newly awakened mummy king. Charles Goodhorn, a paladin with a dark past, will
be the main character in a novel idea called “Barbaric Justice”, where three
intergalactic barbarians hold a trade route hostage in exchange for the means
to return home. So many characters, so many stories, so much fun!
***THE SHIELD***
Maybe this detective show was responsible for my teenaged
works being so offensive and crass due to its blatant TV-MA rating. Over a
decade later and it becomes central to a novel idea called “Silent Warrior”.
Spoiler alert, high school introvert Scott George has sex with his vengeful
history teacher’s daughter and says to him, “Your daughter’s pussy tastes like
sweet butter.” Okay, so maybe Silent Warrior isn’t as extreme or brutish as The
Shield, but the writing style and dialogue have a lot of similarities,
especially when, spoiler alert, Scott gets put on trial for having sex with a
minor while being 18 years old.
***CONCLUSION***
(Gnaws on a carrot) Meh…that’s all folks! Wait a minute,
wrong Looney Tunes character. My bad! Hehe!
***LYRICS OF THE DAY***
“I’ve got the obligatory Hendrix perm and the inevitable
pinhole burns all down the front of my favorite satin shirt. I’ve got nicotine
stains on my fingers. I’ve got a silver spoon on a chain. I’ve got a grand
piano to prop up my mortal remains. I’ve got wild staring eyes. I’ve got a
strong urge to fly. But I’ve got nowhere to fly to. Oooo, babe! When I pick up
the phone, there’s still nobody home.”
-Pink Floyd singing “Nobody Home”-
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