Staff Profile #2: Joshua Lozano (also known as Joshboy64), Contributor and Podcast Host
Well, it’s about time that I introduce myself to all the Renegades out there! It’s so nice for you all to be a part of this website that my buddy Keona has helped create, and since you all have heard me on the podcast more than my parents have all year, I figure it’s about time that you all get to know me!
I was born and raised in the Sun City all my life: El Paso, Texas. As a kid, I fluctuated between wanting to be a lawyer (because of Jim Carrey in Liar Liar) and a scientist (because of Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future), but eventually I realized I wanted to be an actor… mostly because of all the aforementioned influences. At age 12, I became sick as a dog, and while I was in my quarantined state, my folks let me watch a whole bunch of VHS tapes that I hadn’t seen before or really hadn’t watched in a long time. And while I was already fighting a stomach bug, there was something else that infected my impressionable mind: the work of Quentin Tarantino (that came out WAY WORSE than I expected). In particular, his 1994 film, Pulp Fiction. Ever since that faithful day, I decided right then and there that I would become a writer/director.
A scene from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, otherwise known as Shane Black’s magnum opus.
Of course, my love of pop culture doesn’t end there with film. It also extends to the artistry of writing for television. The works of Dan Harmon, Noah Hawley, and Vince Gilligan have been a huge inspiration to me as a writer, and have opened me up to a world of entertainment that I couldn’t even DREAM of! This isn’t even mentioning animation, with shows like Hilda, The Legend of Korra, Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy, and BoJack Horseman, that continue to blow my mind to this day!
As for video games, the first one I ever played was Super Mario World on the Super Nintendo, but I wasn’t able to process what I was experiencing at the time; but my first REAL experience with video gaming was Super Mario Sunshine. What can I say? The red plumber and I go way back! As it stands, my favorite video games so far are L.A. Noire, The Wolf Among Us, the Batman: Arkham series, Max Payne 3, and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.
Josh and Kristal! Hey, a contributor cameo!
Finally, there’s comics, which I’ve only recently started to get into. My journey with the medium began as recently as four years ago, but I haven’t looked back. The works of Alan Moore and Frank Miller have influenced me as a writer, but I find myself being drawn to the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, the universe of wacky and insane characters created by Mike Mignola, and the devil of Hell’s Kitchen himself: Daredevil. By far though, my favorite comic book character is DC Comics’ latest iteration of the Blue Beetle. The fact that an amazing character in the grand pantheon of the DC Universe is from my home town of El Paso, Texas speaks to me in more ways than Spider-Man or even Batman ever could, and I am always up to read whatever DC throws at my favorite Bug Boi.
I guess if there’s one last love that I have in this world, it’s the noir sub-genre. The idea of these seedy, murky stories being told in so many ways through so many other genres, like romance or even science fiction, is something I never get tired of. The works of Shane Black, Frank Miller, and the Cormoran Strike series are my favorites for this bit of beauty.
That’s about it! Keep an ear to the frequencies of our Renegade Pop Culture Podcasts, and you can always tune into my transmissions from the YouTube stratosphere under Joshboy64, as well as the bulletins I publish on the website for your viewing pleasure!
Until next time, I remain…
Josh!