Great question! My time at Giant Bomb defined a lot about my career, and my life (eight years at a place will do that do you!). Here goes!
Alex: I hope to one day be as sharp and quick-witted as Alex. Dude's jokes are always on point and his lightning-fast comments often have a poignancy I couldn't achieve with hours of soul-searching. He's also one of the genuinely nicest people I've ever met.
Brad: Brad is supremely eloquent. He has this uncanny ability to distill and convey exactly what he's thinking, using the perfect words to do so. He's also down to chat about space or physics or pretty much anything cool at a near-university level. He's a fountain of information.
Dan: Dan will constantly surprise you. His view of the world is often direct and simple, but this can cause you to challenge things you'd previously considered set in stone. I can't thank him enough for introducing me to mindfulness meditation, something that has vastly improved my life.
Jason: Coming into a new environment and gelling with a team that has been together for as long as we had is an extremely difficult task, but not only did Jason pull it off, he did so with his characteristic unwavering positivity. Jason injected new, outside-the-box ideas while also taking to heart the lessons the rest of us had learned over the years, and has grown immeasurably since he arrived, both behind the camera and in front of it.
Jeff: Jeff is a walking encyclopedia of video games, a trait that never ceased to amaze me. But whats most amazing about Jeff is how much he respects games and the industry. You cant build what Giant Bomb is without people that care--that have a reverence for the material--the way Jeff does. Its inspiring.
Rorie: There are tasks involved with operating a website that are tedious, unglamorous, largely invisible to the audience, and vastly important. Rorie does most of these things, and does so tirelessly. Personally, Rorie is extraordinarily genuine, and probably smarter than all of us combined.
David: You guys may not know Dave Nillasca, but he keeps the lights on. Knowing that someone is looking out for you while you make dumb Internet videos is extremely comforting, especially when its someone as smart and capable as Dave.
Austin: I hardly spent any time with Austin during his brief tenure at Giant Bomb, but whenever I did, it felt like we had known each other for years. Austin can talk about the things you think you know well, but in a way that makes them seem brand new and makes you appreciate them even more. The fact that he was able to create a website and community with that ability in Waypoint has been amazing to watch.
Patrick: If you need proof that Patrick is always up for anything, look no further than the end of this video (where Patrick eats a boiled sheeps head). Professional, personable, and just fun to be around, I would travel anywhere in the world with Patrick again in a heartbeat.
Ryan: Man, I miss Ryan. If you want to know what Ryan was like in person, just watch this video. Imagine working with a guy like that every day, how that would give you energy, lift your mood, and make you want to make great things.
Vinny: What do you say about the person who shaped your career? Who taught you almost everything you know about video production, from the technical to the interpersonal? Who stayed just as late (and usually later) than you when you were both working on edits? Who taught you, through his own actions, to care about the craft of the work in addition to its content? And who did all of that while making you laugh every single day? You say thank you. Thank you, Vinny.
