by Matthew Russell - Posted 4 years ago
To all my amazing Vigilante out there in comic land. I wanted to take this tour bus and drive it straight through the offices here at the heart of Crypto Comics.
We few, we happy few. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brothers
My brothers (and sisters) here at Crypto Comics have all shed blood, sweat and tears on this project. We all believe in this, and more importantly, we all believe in each other. We have all gone down this road together and have come up with a pretty impressive and unique webcomic marketplace, if I do say so myself.
This road (let’s just call it the yellow brick road for this analogy to work) has wound down some pretty crazy paths but here we are. I just wanted to meet the team and see all that we are.
I know, this blog post is all over the place. I started by quoting Shakespeare and then jump into L.Frank Baum. Just trust me, it works.
The brains of this operation have got to be David! This guy is amazing. When we first told him about the crypto comics flipbook, I think he thought “These guys are insane!" Well, jokes on you David. We are insane.
Every time we have brought a new job for him, he never told us “NO!” This guy loves to get new challenges and overcome. He has managed to make some pretty amazing software for us.
Ok, so Jared isn’t cowardly by any means, but he is a HUGE driving force for us, and I think he thinks he’s a lion sometimes. Him and I have worked together for year and I consider him one of my closest friends.
Man, him and I fight sometimes. Damn, there have been some doozies. We have bumped heads so many times I think we both have brain damage. The thing I love about this guy is after our bouts, we always come back to the table and laugh.
This guy is a great guy to have on your side. He might not know much about comics, but his business sense is top notch. He will always fight for what’s right and he LOVES the underdog.
We pick on him relentlessly. The most common thing you will hear from him is “You guys are [censored]”. He may hate it, but I don’t think that we’ll ever stop. It’s way to fun. Yes, that makes us bullies but its funny. Love this guy to death though.
Andrew Frey has got to be the heart of the operation. I love working with this guy. When I first met him, I remember thinking “Cocky little bastard!” Within 2 meetings, I decided that him and I can collaborate better than anyone else.
We mull around a few ideas together and then BAM! He has sent over several designs. We discuss it, and before the day is through, we have a design. We are talking gold from nothing. I might have to start calling him the Alchemist.
One of the pastimes we both enjoy is trying to come up with ways to make Jared’s life hell. We have come up with some doozies. There was one time… Jared says we can’t share that story. Sorry folks. I guess you will have to get either Frey or I drunk at a convention to hear that one.
Joe. That’s all I need to say. Joe! This guy is definitely the man behind the curtain and a true wizard. What this guy can do with a computer is amazing. It is truly unparalleled.
I remember a long time ago I saw an ad for a developer position on Craig’s List or Indeed. I can’t remember which. I applied and managed to get a phone interview with Joe. My buddy Jared had already known him and was excited about the prospect of me possibly working with him.
When it came time for the interview, I was blown away. He had asked me so many questions about some intricate coding that I was forced to Google almost everything he asked. I thought I was good until I met Joe.
Luckily years later Crypto Comics brought us all together again and to have this guy in my corner, I knew we would become unstoppable.
I love working next to this guy. He is so fun to just chat with. We have talked about our views on everything from religion to personal struggles in our lives. He is one guy that if ever given the opportunity, have a beer with him.
I guess that leaves me. I guess I didn’t think this whole Wizard of Oz analogy through because that only leaves either Dorothy or Toto. Damn, I should have picked another story like Lord of The Rings.
Anyway, here I am skipping down the yellow brick road with my friends by my side wearing some famously ruby red shoes, twirling my hair and wondering if this is a dream or not.
This has been the adventure of a lifetime and if it’s just a dream, I never want to wake up.
I love working on this project EVERY DAY! The amazing support group and fellow merry men (and women) that I get to work with are truly wondrous. I know that I didn’t mention everyone. Sorry, this is just the group that I work the closest with.
In the next installment of the yellow brick road, I will be introducing some pretty amazing (I know that I am using this word a lot, but I can’t think of a more fitting word for them) people, such as Lindsey, Dwight, Andrew Lovelace, Ben, Chris, Jason, Jon, and Kevin.
Sincerely,
M. Scott Russell
