Kevin Smith: Master of the Pop Culture Universe.
Kevin Smith has been an influential artist in regard to pop culture. From his first directed movie, CLERKS, to being a co-executive producer of Good Will Hunting, to writing Marvel’s Daredevil and Spiderman comics to writing DC‘s Green Arrow and Batman to creating AMCs Comic Book Men; Kevin Smith’s intellectual muscle has been incorporated into every orifice of Pop Culture. From film, television, comic books, video games to his own intellectual creations, Bluntman and Chronic, Kevin’s own brand of pop culture has been infused into our psyche as many might remember a laughable joke, an influential movie, or a comic book that you couldn’t put down. Kevin Smith, is, in some way, the Galactus of pop culture; however, rather than consuming the intellectual artistry of pop culture and leaving death in his wake, he creates them. He creates his own universes, thus improving on the heavenly bodies of pop culture. In essence, he’s The Lifebringer, breathing life and creating new spaces for creators and content.
Smith’s new venture is a testament to how he strengthens and improves the pop culture universe. With the ‘re-re-release’ of Masters of the Universe (there’s been many) with the old school Saturday morning cartoon protagonist, He-Man and the rest of his crew, Kevin Smith’s take on the famed hero is an experience on what (Spoiler Alert) Eternia is like post He-Man and Skeletor (Part 1). But rather than be a spoiler and ‘Stink-or’ up the fun, I highly recommend that you watch the show, it’s that good.
However, my article isn’t about the show, far from it. My piece is about the famed creator of the show, The Lifebringer, Kevin Smith.
On Saturday, July 24th, 2020 one day after the premiere of the Netflix’s new show, Masters of the Universe: Revelation (MOTUR) on Netflix, I was able to get a ticket for the ‘Revelation Celebration’ premiere with Kevin Smith, Jay Mewes, and Griffin Newman at his famed fortress of solitude in Red Bank, NJ, Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
Secret Stash - 35 Broad Street
I was one of the first people in line to see him and I couldn’t help but notice the new store. I was here before at his former comic book shop (35 Broad Street) located a block away from his new location (65 Broad Street) and as I entered the new establishment, the magic happened to me again. Buddy Christ from Dogma, the film cells from his iconic movies, the Jay and Silent Bob merch, and of course the comics books….loads and loads of comic books.
The iconic store’s revamp has resurfaced all those memories for me when I first saw him in the Suncoast video store speaking with his fans (See IG post). As the Lifebringer of pop culture spoke with us about his newest creation, MOTUR, the kids were excited and I was too, as he had, for everyone younger than 10 years of age, an action figure from the new series. My only complaint was that I couldn’t get Moss Man.
The Lifebringer: Kevin Smith
Armed with only 20 minutes to be in the store, I managed to get a chance to speak with the famed Lifebringer and grab some awesome comic book merch. There he stood, with his iconic purple jacket and backwards cap, healthy, energetic and full of life. This once in a lifetime opportunity was not wasted as I asked him questions about MOTUR, his health and advice for Black Creators.
Joseph Watkins (JW): What was the creative idea behind bringing back He-Man?
Kevin Smith (KS): um…it wasn’t even my idea. Mattel had the idea and Netflix had the idea. Mattel TV and Netflix. Mattel TV approached me and asked me if I wanted to work on it because Rob David, who runs the place, loved what I’ve done with Green Arrow and Daredevil in the comics and then once I told them the story, he liked it. Then, we went to Netflix and I had to pass muster there and Ted Biaselli, that’s the guy who had the idea to bring it all back. He’s our Netflix boss. He grew up watching MOTU like every damn day. It was his, as he says, ‘his Star Wars’ …
KS: …So, he had this vision, a version of MOTU, where he, like he said, ‘when I watched it, when I was a kid, every episode, I thought that He-Man was going to get killed by Skeletor, he’s gone. And now I’m old enough to know that that was never going to happen, and I just want you to make the show I always thought I was watching…
JW: Awesome
KS: … I want to see a show where there’s stakes and people could die’ and I said, ‘alright’ and that’s where we came to be.
JW: I know you started to lose weight and everything, health is wealth….
KS: Health is wealth (starts laughing)
JW: How was the weight loss journey?
Hellspawned_cosplay (R) and fitnessbysutton (L)
KS: You know, its ongoing, because during the quarantine, I put on like 30 lbs and I just took off like 25 (lbs) and stuff, so it never ends and if you’re not careful it sneaks back up onto you. Like today, I’m wearing a pair of shorts, that I’ve been wearing for years, but I haven’t worn the shorts in over a year because they haven’t fit. So, it’s a continuing thing, and being vegan really helps because it really helps me stay away from food that really just stores up as fat in me, but still you know, sugar is vegan as well and I love sugar, and that’s been like the biggest downfall [issue].
JW: What advice would you give for up-and-coming Black creators, Black cosplayers? I don’t know if you heard of hellspawned_cosplay, he does He-man with the Afro…
KS: Oh that’s awesome…I’ve seen that picture online.
JW: He’s awesome. What advice do you have for Black creators?
KS: Basically, I would give the same advice that I give everybody, which is; ‘Tell your story’. A lot of people feel like, you know, ‘OMG, I gotta say something that’s popular or I gotta say something to appeal to a certain audience’, but, the best chance you have in breaking through in a very crowded world full of content is telling your story.
KS: Because, your personal experience is like gold, it’s different than everybody else’s and that could be worth listening to for somebody else.
KS: If you make a knockoff Star Wars or something like that, people will be like, ‘I’ve seen that before’. The way to get, to break through to people, is your personal story. So, their journey, any creator’s journey is a journey worth putting forward. BE YOURSELF. As Shakespeare said, ‘to thy own self be true’. Very, Very Accurate.
JW: Thank you so much
KS: No Problem
Demetrius Holt aka hellspawned_cosplay
With Kevin’s words, I immediately thought about the world-famous cosplayer, Demetrius S. Holt aka hellspawned_cosplay. A father, electrician, bodybuilder and cosplayer, Demetrius is a prime example of taking his personal story and sharing it with the world. For the unfamiliar, Demetrius is a Black cosplayer whose ‘strength, will and discipline’ created a lane of creativity, body positivity and love in the Blerd Diaspora. His love of pop culture has been tested by the evil trolls and just like He-Man, he’s stepped up to the challenge and demolished them all.
Currently, he is working with Oliver Banks of Art Monkey Animation to raise money to create PSAs (Public Service Announcements) in the style of the original He-Man series for children of color.
His dedication to uplift POC through pop culture matches his heart as he continues to grow his craft and bring others along for the ride. In my opinion, he is truly a Master of the Universe. His Kickstarter launches Aug. 1, 2021.
Mike Zapcic: Guardian of the Universe, The Man at Arms
There he was, the Guardian of the Secret Stash, Mike Zapcic (MZ). Legend has it that his knowledge of the comic book universe is unparalleled. Tall and wise, I was able to speak with the guardian of the sacred texts as he was passing out MOTUR merch for the children:
The Guardian: Mike Zapcic
Joseph Watkins (JW): So, manager of thee most famous store in pop culture history.
MZ: Ok.
JW: What is it like?
MZ: Its awesome, its fantastic!! We have, a lot of fun here. We have so many people who make the pilgrimage to see Kevin Smith’s stuff and hopefully to catch a glimpse of the man himself and Jay. What can I say, I’ve been here for 20 years, and I love it!!!
JW: Wow
MZ: ….and I always say, ‘if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life’
JW: Amen for that.
JW: What advice do you have for up and coming content creators, comic book writers, etc.
MZ: What I would say is….‘You can’t hit it out of the park first time, keep trying. Just hone your craft and do your best and make it a story worth telling’.
Words from the Guardian. Respect.
As my time was running out, I managed to grab an autographed copy of a MOTUR comic, and received a T-shirt and a signed poster. As I left, I couldn’t help but think about how comic books are capable of creating a whole new universe in pop culture and as I left that iconic store, I hope one of the kids become as inspired as I did.
I also have to give a shout out to Jason Mewes and Griffin Newman. I wasn’t able to interview them due to time constraints, but I will say that the children gravitated to them and they answered every question that the kids asked about the store and MOTUR.
Final Thoughts
Kevin’s Smith’s iconic store is a comic book universe that includes the collective history of not only some of the world’s best indie and mainstream films, it also contains the friendships he has garnered in pop culture over the years in the guise of comics, movies, graphic novels and more. His intellectual muscle has also revived, on numerous occasions, various characters in the world of DC, Marvel, TV, and films and as of right now, he’s brought life into the old school Saturday cartoons market in the form of Masters of the Universe: Revelations.
Kevin Smith overall, is a testament to how an influence on pop culture can transcend boundaries, ethnicities and genders and create iconic works that breathe life into a new generation of viewers. For him, he’s the Lifebringer and with his new Netflix show, Masters of the Universe: Revelations, this show could be the epicenter of a new pop culture universe.
