Have You Met...? Monday (#9): Aaron Duran
As I write this, many of my fellows are basking in the fluorescence of the San Diego Comic Con, that glorious annual mecca where comic book fans meet the industrial Hollywood machine in some sort of multimedia bacchanalia of.... oh what the hell do I know, I've sadly never attended SDCC. Had a shot some twenty years ago, back when it was a slightly less insane affair, but alas. My point is that over the years, my geek-and-nerdist timeline has introduced me to some absolutely fantastic artists and writers, who, not so long ago, might have gone lamentably uncelebrated for all their contributions and creations. In fact, part of the motivation for this very blog was in trying to help some of these folks get a bit closer to the recognition they deserve, as well as giving me an opportunity to publicly celebrate them.
Aaron Duran is someone I've been almost unintentionally crossing paths with for some time. So much so that I couldn't even tell you the first time I'd heard his name mentioned. It was probably at least around the time I started listening to podcasts - the Geek In The City podcast was one of the first I regularly listened to, back on my then ponderous daily commute. I didn't realize it at the time, but there was a positively subversive catalyst inherent to a man like Aaron. He's actually involved in a ton of podcasts, now, too. Honestly, I'm shocked he has time for anything else. And yet....
You see, here's the thing - it's one thing to take in all the movies and music and television and books and games and comics and such. We all have those inputs that help define us and our interests and our philosophy on life. These things define what we put back out there, as well. (This might be a good moment to reference the "GIGO" acronym from old computer programming days, you think?) But there's a fundamental shift that can happen when you see a person with similar interests and input who then turns right around and creates more of the same.
"Wait, Ren," I hear you mocking me, "You mean that you can be a fan of something and then turn around and create more of that same kind of content of which you are a fan? Say it isn't so!"
Well, it is so. Right from the very well from which Aaron has drunk, he's been creating his own comics: La Brujeria, in addition to his upcoming projects, Phantasmagoria and Dark Anna and the Pirates of Kadath . For all three projects, he's pulled in some great artists, proof that a good person with a strong entrepreneurial spirit can draw in like-minded people.
Aaron Duran can be found on http://geekinthecity.com/ and his Podcast "Geek in the City" can be found through iTunes and through the Funemployment Radio Network. Go. Listen. Enjoy. Repeat.