Celebrating Five Years As A Creator for Vocal

Back in 2018, I was going through some difficult times: homelessness, joblessness, and severe bouts of depression. I was in the process of slowly trying to get my life back in order. One day, I went to my local library and was browsing the internet. Suddenly, I ran into a site called Vocal. It's where you can get paid for writing stories and if your stories are interesting enough, they might get featured and might be rewarded one-off tips. So I looked into it and thought this was something I wanted to do: becoming a creator for Vocal. At that moment, writing became my own version of therapy. It was a lot better than attending an actual therapy session. Since then, some of my stories on Vocal have been featured several times and given one-off tips. Fast forward to today, I'm still writing stories. I write about everything from cosplay to the issues that's going on right now. However, in this story, I'll be featuring my five favorite interviews I've written over the years.

5. Arkansas Iron Man

The first cosplay interview I've done back in 2018 was with Arkansas Iron Man. For over a decade, he has been dedicating his time volunteering at numerous events and visiting sick children at a hospital. Plus, he has a huge Iron Man collection and I mean huge. At least a room full of Iron Man memorabilia, including suits. When I asked what advice he would give someone interested in volunteering in their community in cosplay, Arkansas Iron Man said that having fun and making someone's day are what really matters. You can check out his massive Iron Man collection by following him on Instagram @arkironman.

4. Matthew Warnock

The second interview I've done, also in 2018, was even more interesting. I've had the pleasure of meeting Matthew and his wife Stacey at a con back in 2016. At the time, I had been a cosplayer for two years. I remember dressing up as a Jedi with a Lightsaber in hand and he was Spider-Man. We had a photo taken of us and I still post it on Instagram every now and then. We've been friends ever since and I would attend a con if I have a chance to see him. Even though Matthew is five years older than me, he's like a brother to me. Whenever I would see him at a con or on social media, his big beaming smile stands out. I would call him Mr. Beaming Smile because he's great to be around with and talk to. During my interview with him five years ago, he stated that those who are thinking about doing cosplay should have fun and take lots of pictures and videos. It's also great for introverts to get out of their shell and stand out. Be sure to follow him on Instagram @webofwarnock.

3. Luke Bugg-The Geek of Steel

The next entry on my list is someone whose content I have been following for a while. If you're looking for someone who's a huge fan of the Man of Steel himself, Superman, look no further. Luke Bugg easily fits that description. With over 30,000 followers on Instagram, he's the real deal when it comes to Superman related content. I asked Luke back in 2018 how many Superman related items he collected. At the time, he stated he had over 500 items. If you love Superman and everything about him, I would suggest following Luke on Instagram @TheGeekOfSteel.

2. TheRealWeaponX

If I had one word to describe the Wolverine cosplay, seen above, it would be spot on. Before 2019 came to an end, I had the opportunity to interview TheRealWeaponX, a cosplayer based out of California. At the time of my interview with him, he had been cosplaying for three years. When asked how he became a fan of Wolverine, he replied in part, "I felt the backstory of Wolverine, a.k.a. Logan. I could relate to and had very similar traits." Be sure to follow him on Instagram @therealweaponx.

1. Naoise O'Hare

The final person on my list isn't a cosplayer, but someone who has the same interest as I do: retro gaming. As someone who has been playing retro games for over 30 years, the following person who I'm about to discuss will interest you. Naoise O'Hare (pronounced Nee-sha) is a retro gaming collector based out of Dublin, Ireland. One of the items out of his amazing collection was the Atomic Purple Game Boy Color, because my youngest brother also had one. When asked to describe the retro gaming scene in Ireland, Naoise said that the community is positive and the people are wonderful. I chose Naoise as the most interesting interview I've done for Vocal because retro games and retro gaming has been my personal vice for decades. For more retro gaming goodness, make sure you follow Naoise on Instagram @retro_gaming_ireland and check out his podcast, Press Any Button To Continue.

Finally, I want to thank the people at Vocal for giving me an opportunity to express myself and to write stories that matter to me.