When I was asked to write this bio, I figured no big deal. A couple of short sentences about myself? Piece of cake. After all, isn’t a bio supposed to be a brief summary about why you’re qualified to do whatever it is you do? And, to be honest. I’m a podcast host. I can sum up my qualifications pretty quickly. They are as follows:
1) I have a laptop
2) I have free time.
That’s it! If you have those two elements, you too can be a podcast host!!!

So, I was all prepared to type out my quick, little three-sentence bio when it happened. I saw what my fellow co-hosts (Kevin and Lee) wrote. If you’re reading this, then you’ve already seen their bios, and, suffice it to say, some neurosurgeons have had less to say about themselves. I was screwed. I couldn’t type out my quick, little three-sentence bio. All I could think about was how tiny and insignificant it would look next to my colleagues’ bios. I had no choice. I would have to bring the wood.

I guess I’ll start (as my fellow co-hosts did) by talking a bit about my background and how I became the Disney fan/podcaster I am today. From a very early age, I loved to draw. I wish I could tell you that I spent my afternoons drawing Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of the Disney characters. That may actually make for a better story. But, to be honest, I could’ve cared less about princesses and cute, little forest creatures as a young boy. I loved Batman. I started drawing my own Batman comic books (imitating Neal Adams best I could) and creating my own adventures for the Dark Knight. As I got older, I started making my own superheroes and delighted in crafting the worlds they inhabited. I was convinced that I would one day be a comic book artist.

My family didn’t go to Disney World often. From pictures, I know I went once when I was a baby. My first actual memory of the parks is when I was about 8 or 9. It’s all a bit foggy, but I can remember the excitement of boarding the Nautilus, the awe of seeing a ghost in my doombuggy, and the anticipation of stepping foot into the boat for Pirates. I was too young to put my finger on it at the time, but l knew Disney World wasn’t anything like Six Flags or Astro World. It was something special. The next time we went was in 1992. As an adolescent, I figured I had probably outgrown Disney. Instead, I discovered that the feelings of excitement and joy I felt as a kid had morphed into both admiration and inspiration. I recognized that I wasn’t in an amusement park. I was in a theme park immersed in several different stories, and each attraction was an adventure to be experienced. I hadn’t outgrown Disney World. I had grown to appreciate it as the ultimate in creating and telling stories. It was everything I wanted to do.

With the twenty bucks I was afforded for souvenirs, I bought “Walt Disney World: 20 Magical Years. I knew that, without that book, I wouldn’t remember all the details of this wonderful place. Back in the dark ages (before the internet), the pictures in that book were the only way I could relate to the parks daily. I read it multiple times. I drew the pictures. And, when I lobbied Anna, my future wife, to take our first Disney trip together, that book was the equivalent of a PowerPoint Presentation. It’s probably the one thing I still own from my adolescence. If anything, it’s definitely the only item I can still put my hands on without heading into the attic for an hour.

Over the years, my appreciation and affection for the Disney parks continued to grow the more I learned and visited. Disney World represented the Mecca of creativity and imagination as someone who relished picking up a pencil to create characters, worlds, and adventures. I made my annual pilgrimage not only to pay homage to the artistry that went into creating this magical place but also to recharge my own creative batteries.

In that time, I’ve worked on quite a few comic book projects with my best friend and frequent collaborator, Eli Ivory. As I grew older, I gravitated more towards caricature, children’s stories, and comic strips. I guess becoming a husband and father mellowed me out a bit. It also brought a whole new appreciation for the Disney parks as I got to experience it all over again through my daughter’s eyes.

Fortunately, I discovered that I wasn’t the only adult male who harbored a deep appreciation for Disney. Kevin was in awe the first time he visited my house and saw my collection of books and memorabilia. That night, we discussed all things Disney. We lamented the fact that many of the Disney podcasts seemed overly cheery, unwaveringly positive, and very light on humor. The Magic Our Way podcast was born out of that discussion just a few months later. Collaborating with Kevin, Lee, and Eli weekly has become the creative highlight of my week, and interacting with like-minded Disney fans has made it a gratifying experience. So, there you have it: the most extensive bio on our website. I win. HARAMBE!