I have to say, 2023 might have been my best year for growth in the entertainment industry. I've opened quite a few doors throughout the year, and want to share of list of highlights, in no particular order or ranking.
You know I work hard on my podcast, The Steve & Crypto Show, which is a focal point of a few of this years milestones on the list...
1- We were nominated once again, for the prestigious Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for best podcast, and though we lost to a VERY deserving Post Mortem, it was an honor. The Rondo's are huge to us old school horror and monster fans, rewarding the best in the industry for years. We are really hoping you folks like us enough to nominate The Steve & Crypto Show again for best of 2023. It's unclear how much longer the Rondo's will be running, so lets make a little noise in the process!
On a side note, I mentioned Post Mortem winning the Rondo Award for best podcast last year. They recently ended that podcast's run, hosted by Mick Garris, as he plans to focus more on filmmaking and writing. That show wrapping is a big loss for the horror community, but Mick's legacy as one of the best interviewers will impact me personally for years, as I develop my skills as a podcaster and interviewer. Thanks, Mick!
2- I might as well get the Steve & Crypto Show milestones out of the way in this post, eh?
When I started the podcast, I wanted to really emphasize and promote the horror host scene, and one way was to interview a podcast bucket list guest, in the legendary tv host Svengoolie. It took me 3 years to make it happen, but we got it done as part of our Halloween series last October (which I will touch on as well). It was an absolute honor to chat with Rich Koz, who portrays the long time Chicago tv personality.
Another guest I really wanted to interview, and did, was the author and filmmaker Sam Irvin, who is probably best known for directing 'Elvira's Haunted Hills'. Man, does Sam have amazing stories, some of which you can find in his books. His stories of interactions with legends like Vincent Price, Christopher Lee and many more, are so extensive and plentiful, that we needed two episodes for our conversation.
These two interviews meant the world to me, but take nothing away from all of the great guests we've had on the show!
3- Our biggest show every year on The Steve & Crypto Show, has been our Halloween Special. We usually pack each episode with music, guests, cameos and so much more. This year we outgrew a single episode, and ended up with 4 episodes over the month of October.
We were visited by the aforementioned Svengoolie, series regulars TJ Tranchell and Lord Blood-Rah, music from The Bomboras and Nicolas Burgess, a visit from filmmaker Ashton Livingston and lots more! I may have bit off more than I can chew, but it was a blast doing the Halloween Series. Will I go as extensive again next Halloween? We will see...If you missed these episodes, they're always available at www.steveandcrypto.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
The next two topics in my list were things I never thought I could or would do. I definitely didn't feel confident enough in my abilities, but you know what...I think I've done pretty well, and am actually making a name for myself.
4- I've started writing more for publications. I've had multiple articles appear in Stapled Spine Fanzine (www.stapledspine.com), which is an amazing PNW based horror zine, that I really hope you all have been reading. It's a very old school zine full of interviews, reviews, articles and more. Check it out, as I have more in the works at Stapled Spine, including some interviews, which I gotta say is my "expertise".
I've also had my article debut in the brand-new magazine, Indie Horror Junkie (www.indiehorrorjunkie.com), with a great interview of author TJ Tranchell. Indie Horror Junkie, which just went into print for the first time, is a nicely laid out magazine for supporters of the independent horror scene and its creators. I really look forward to contributing to them a lot more.
What's next for my writing? More Indie Horror Junkie and Stapled Spine articles? Probably. I have other thoughts, like maybe a short story or two, even a script. Who knows where my new found creative energy takes me?
5- Probably the wildest thing that's been happening for me is acting! This is definitely something I never fathomed I'd be involved with but here I am, racking up credits on imdb.
It all started with me contributing a few bucks for the crowdfunding campaign for the indie film 'It Came From Somewhere', which allowed my face to pop up in the film on a "missing persons" poster. We promoted the film on The Steve & Crypto Show, which opened the door to a bunch of new connections and now I'm being booked for a handful of feature films and voice roles. Being such an insecure person, and struggling so much with public speaking, I think I found my niche with the voice work. The on screen stuff will develop as roles come along too. Either way, being a lifelong movie lover, having had the opportunities to perform in ACTUAL movies has been a dream come true!
There are a handful of projects I'm working on so stay tuned to my imdb page for the latest: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm8151916?s=2ac663ae-8ef5-22cd-ca7a-d34534a1210f&site_preference=normal
If you are a filmmaker and wanna come promote your projects on the podcast, or need some remote cameos or voice work, hit me up! I'm easy to find and ready to roll!
So yeah...Though 2023 ended really horribly personally, with a crushing breakup, and other personal issues, I'd say I made some solid growth in the entertainment world, and had some fun. Let's push forward into 2024 and make some big things happen!
Happy New Year!!
Listen and subscribe to The Steve & Crypto Show at steveandcrypto.com or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
I'm not as cool as I aspire to be...
Keep checking back in here too! I have lots more going on to share with you all...
