Staff Profile #3: Mike Kaye (Also known as Captain Kaye), Contributor and Podcast Host
To anyone who has just discovered the site recently, welcome, fellow Renegades! Of course I have to thank my good friend Keona for creating this website and giving myself and others a brand new platform to share our own unique perspectives on everything in the world of pop culture! Before you dive into the rest of our content, allow me to introduce myself.
I was born in October of 1992, the same month that Cartoon Network launched, the same year that Aladdin and Batman Returns were two of the highest grossing films, and the year that Batman: The Animated Series premiered on Fox Kids. What I’m trying to say is that entertainment has always been a crucial part of my life. Growing up hasn’t always been easy. I was the awkward middle child of the family, and for the first couple years I couldn’t hear due to an excess of fluid in my ears. While this may have resulted in my anxiety and low self-esteem, at least I found comfort in entertainment.
Good ol’ Uncle Scrooge, always chasing his dreams.
Ultimately, my love for entertainment began with the Disney Renaissance. I credit The Lion King as one of the first movies I ever saw in theaters, and was in constant rotation on home video alongside Aladdin, and eventually Beauty and the Beast. These films were instrumental not only in setting in motion my deep appreciation for animation, but my love for music. Another push towards that direction was when my aunt introduced me to The Beatles by playing Abbey Road one night she was babysitting. From there, I was inspired to continue seeking out new bands and artists that would eventually become some of my all time favorites. As I grew older, my taste has expanded to include a wider variety, that range from the folk rock sounds of Simon and Garfunkel to heavy metal acts like Metallica or Trivium.
Expanding on animation, this is where the three big cable networks come into play. Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney Channel each had a hand in my ever growing appreciation for the medium. Of the three, Cartoon Network had much more to offer. It was the home for the classic Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry shorts, reruns of shows like Scooby-Doo Where Are You, original programming like Dexter’s Lab and Ed, Edd N’ Eddy, and of course, Toonami. Meanwhile, Disney Channel is currently the home of one of the best animated reboots of all time, DuckTales.
That’s a steely gaze.
As for my love for superheroes, this grew out of my adoration for Batman: The Animated Series. It was a great series in its own right, but more importantly served as my gateway to comics and other comic book adaptations. Without it, I might have never have read some of my favorite DC Comics titles, such as Batman: No Man’s Land, the weekly series 52, and Chuck Dixon’s run on Nightwing. Hell, even my love for the Arrowverse was inspired by these wonderful series that came before.
Finally, the catalyst that pushed me into pursuing film criticism was Man of Steel. Movies have always had a presence throughout my life, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I felt the urge to express my thoughts through writing. This couldn’t have been a better time to take my film fandom more seriously, as other YouTube channels and blogs were starting to emerge, and the community was ever growing.
And the rest is history. Check out the first episode of the RPC Podcast if you want to hear more of my favorites in film, music, television, etc. If you want to follow me on social media, you can find me on Twitter @CaptainKaye42, read my Quick thought reviews on Letterboxd.com/CoachKaye 42, and join the Renegade Pop Culture Facebook Group.
Better than the movies? You tell me!