What was your first job as a journalist?
Beyond hobby blogging, my first pay (though minuscule) was as a local comics blogger for Examiner.com. My first/only full-time is ComicBook.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Not since I was a kid.
How is social media changing news?
It once was a place where smaller outlets could grow an audience. That changed with the rise of algorithms and engagement bait.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
That's a question with different viable answers depending on what you cover. In entertainment, I think we function like cultural tour guides.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
Any of the entertainment-based hashtags that misspell a proper noun.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Slack, Feedly, Asana, GIMP, Todoist, and various social media and analytics software; still searching for a word processor I don't hate.
Why did you become a journalist?
It took a long time, but I finally realized the intersection of when I was happiest and most productive was when I was writing.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, but I did submit reviews (mostly graphic novels) to my college paper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Any time I get to talk for a spell with a talented creator, I'm proud of it. Also, various deep dives into forgotten nerd culture.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Know what you want and pursue that, specifically.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
At home with my family, or maybe at the park with my daughter.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People think the comics industry is comparable to the movie and TV industry when it's probably closer to model trains.
