Kevin Smith: Quick Stops On the Way To the Maskerade [Interview]

Kevin Smith: Quick Stops On the Way To the Maskerade [Interview]

Actor, director, author, writer, podcaster, amongst a myriad of other things!  One of the original fathers of podcasting, the creator of The View Askewniverse, and one of my favorite creators on the entire planet.  He’s been a big inspiration to me, and to tons of other creators across the globe.  He is the man, the myth, the legend, Kevin Smith!

I got the chance to sit down with the man himself and talk about the series that has influenced his life the most (I bet you’ll never guess which one it is), what things fuel his weird, how he first became interested in becoming a director, where he gets his ideas from, if surviving his heart attack has made him take more chances with the things he decides to do, and we spend some time talking about mental health.  It’s almost been a year since Kevin checked himself into “the looney bin” and he talks to me about his experience and how he’s maintaining and continuing the teachings he learned while in the facility.

Kevin’s work has had a big influence on my life in a number of ways, but I can’t express myself monosyllabically enough to explain them all, but I’ll do my best. It’s because of his movies that my dad and I were able to have a closer bond as friends instead of just father and son.  I’ve met some people who mean the world to me due to randomly blurting out Kevin Smith movie quotes, and these people have become lifelong friends.  Kevin is the reason I still want to create and spread some positivity in a world full of negativity.  Heck, he even helped inspire a lot of the ways I do this podcast Fueled by Weird!  Most importantly, I got to thank him for everything and tell him how much he meant to me.

We also chat about his new movie The 4:30 Movie, which takes place in SmodCastle and it’s set in the 80’s.  It’s about kids who go to the movies, and I’m super stoked about it!  His comic imprint with Dark Horse Comics called Secret Stash Press, and his new books Maskerade, a book about a social media influencer who catches predators and exposes them on TV before going and taking them out her own way later, and Quick Stops, a series of stories that help fill in the blanks in the View Askewniverse in ways that you can’t sometimes do in the movies, like finding out Randall Graves and Brodie are cousins???

We also talk about his comic book store Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, and their brand new subscription service, where if you don’t have a comic book store in your area, they can be your store!  I also ask him to share any advice he may have for up-and-coming creatives!

Kevin has Cruise Askew setting sail this February!  Lots of special guests, live podcasts, and a table read of the Mallrats 2 script!  To stay up to date on all things Kevin Smith, including links to learn more about the Movie Festival, the cruise, and his social media, check out his Linktree for more details!