THREE DECADES UNDER THE INFLUENCE

(via ALRIGHTOK)

A. JACK KEROUAC: Like the countless kids whose eyes and minds he opened during the 1960's, "On the Road" blew apart my artistic sensibilities. It not only became my all-time favorite book and Kerouac my all-time favorite writer, but it also made me fall in love with the history of The Beat Generation. His hard charging, jazz riffing style of honest, heart rending prose still echoes in every word I will write or have ever written. To me, Kerouac was a game changer.

B. LOST: Never has a television show taught me more about structure and dramatic pacing than Lost. Artistic aesthetics aside, this show has informed me so much on the nuts and bolts of serialized narrative, the handling of an ensemble cast and the manipulation of time lines for non-traditional avenues for exposition. If I even come anywhere near creating such an epic body of work, I would surely die a happy man.

C. QUENTIN TARANTINO: As a budding film maker, I couldn't have picked a better role model than Quentin Tarantino. From his meager start as a lowly video store clerk to his current position as one of the most influential writer/directors of the last 20 years, he has shown me that anything can happen if you have the drive to get yourself there and that talent will always shine through despite all circumstances. He is also responsible for my love of plain black suits and non-sequitur dialogue in coffee shops.

D. HOMICIDE: Life on the Streets: Before Lost and Quentin Tarantino, this show was my be-all and end-all. Gritty, crass and unbelievably authentic, this show's documentary style film making showed me the beauty of dirty, sloppy hand held camera work, to this day is my signature look every time I get my hands on a camera. Their implementation of the jump cut still sends shivers down my spine. This show was so ahead of its time, if only it debuted on AMC instead of NBC.

E. RAYMOND CHANDLER: My first real literary obsession. The character of Philip Marlowe impacted me more as a person than an artist. His willingness to do whatever it takes to make things right is a personality trait I pride myself on having. The fact that I'm sarcastic, jaded and emotionally distant are just unfortunate side effects. With tales filled with gangsters, femme fatales, back stabbers and broken people trying to get better, I instantly fell in love with Chandler's Los Angeles and film noir as a whole.

F. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN: For my money, Christopher Nolan is the most important film maker working in the industry today. Endlessly inventive and a genius in every sense of the word, his body of work speaks for itself in terms of scope, writing and meticulous attention to detail. The best part is he gets better with each and every film, attaining next level status after every turn. Scariest part is that he's just hitting his prime.

G. SPIKE JONZE: Based purely on imagination, this man can't be topped. Every project, no matter how big or small, Spike Jonze infuses so much kinetic energy it is a sight to behold. What I admire most about him is his fearlessness as a film maker and as an artist. I mean, who else goes from "Being John Malkovich" to "Jackass" to "Where the Wild Things Are" to Kanye West's "We Were Once a Fairy Tale" and make it so damn seamless?

H. WES ANDERSON: It is hard to find a director who can compose a more densely layered and visually rich shot than Wes Anderson. Every frame he commits to film is like a painting. His color palette and general aesthetic is so uniquely his own that it cannot be properly reproduced. On a production design level alone, this man is a juggernaut. He effortlessly takes our world and turns it into a vibrant playground for the senses. He is without a doubt an auteur of the highest degree.

I. 100 BULLETS by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso: If you crammed in everything I love about the dark side of humanity (greed, lust, ruthlessness, disjointed sense of honor, etc.) into a comic book no less, what you'd end up with is this. A film noir nut's dream, this book is an epic meditation on crime in America. Top to bottom, my all-time favorite comic book series.

J. TOMMY LEE EDWARDS: Stark without being too minimalistic and grounded without being too photo realistic, if I had the choice of which artist's style I could completely appropriate it would be Tommy Lee Edwards'. He could take a generic super hero tale and make it look like a documentary film, but get him on a crime book and watch the fuck out. My artistic idol worship for this man's work is off the charts.

K. CASANOVA by Matt Fraction, Gabriel Ba & Fabio Moon: Whip smart and balls to the wall action packed, this book is a super hero story told through the lens of a James Bond picture, then dipped into a tub of LSD. Fueled by the most insane, sci-fi spy situations and crackling with hyper aware dialogue that regularly breaks the fourth wall, writer Matt Fraction describes the creation of this book with the line "My heroes don't wear capes, the wear suits." Seriously, how could I not be all over this?

L. THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY by Gerard Way & Gabriel Ba: Another of the new breed of comic books much like Casanova, The Umbrella Academy is the most inventive re-invention of the classic super hero story. Being a huge fan of the X-Men growing up, this book is the next step in the evolution of the genre. Its a manic, hyper violent tale of a team of super folk that were emotionally fucked up by their father figure. Kinda like if Prof. X abused the X-Men when they were children. All told with a pop culture ravaging, punk rock energy all the while created by the lead singer of a very popular emo band. It taking me by surprise the first time I read it is a severe understatement.

M. SCOTT PILGRIM by Bryan Lee O'Malley: As a nerdy kid who liked video games and was kinda inept when it came to girls, this book touched my soul in a way no other work of fiction ever has, plain and simple. Plus it almost perfectly parallels my romantic relationship with my girlfriend its sort of eerie. A once in a lifetime story. It may well be the Catcher in the Rye for the indie hipster set.

N. MAD MEN: The finest example of a slow burn drama. Quiet and brooding, this show casts a whole era of American history in a glaringly candid light. The character of Don Draper is so well written and so well conceived that one can't help but be intrigued at what he'll do next. He is the car wreck that cannot keep your eyes off. Watching him tear apart every notion I had of the classic Americana lifestyle is priceless. As much as I love ensemble casts, this kind of deep single character study is something that I hope to be able to accomplish someday.

O. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: My reverence for Mad Men was only made possible by my unbridled love for this show. As a foreigner, this show was everything I knew about the American dream. I will always be searching for that quaint small town where I can live and be a part of a close knit community. This show is on this list mostly because of sentimental reasons and because I hope to one day finally find my own Mayberry.

P. THE CLIPSE: To me, these two brothers are the musical equivalent of Homicide: Life on the Streets. One of the last bastions for lyrical hip hop, The Clipse spin tales of grindin' so vivid that it takes me right to the corner along with them. As a huge fan of turning a phrase, Pusha T and Malice are two of that particular sport's all-time greats.

Q. FIREFLY: Joss Whedon's short lived western space opera was another example of properly executing a show with an ensemble cast as well as thinking out of the box conceptually. Despite not a lot of people really getting what this show was all about, Firefly was a small masterpiece in terms of fusing two disparate genres into one cohesive and extremely unique vision. Its a personal touchstone of mine when it comes to balancing humor with moments of complete and utter desperation. That balance makes the funny moments even funnier and the dark moments that much more bleak. The level of character development in such a short span of time, to me, is the most enviable quality of this show.

R. BRAND NEW: As a fairly musically inclined person and as someone who's art is definitely inspired by music, I have never really figured out what my favorite band was. Granted, as you grow older your tastes change along with your mindset but there has never been that one band that I could say can even remotely describe me as a person to someone I have never met. Until Brand New. Despite starting out as part of the cookie cutter crop of pop-punk bands in the 90's with the likes of blink182 and New Found Glory, these guys have evolved into artists that encapsulate every aspect of music that I love. They have the soul searing darkness in their song writing, the quiet then loud dynamics with their soundscapes, the intelligent literacy about their lyrics and singer Jesse Lacey's voice's versatility is nothing short of astounding. They're musically adventurous, catchy with moments of humor thrown in for good measure. I'm glad I finally got the whole favorite band thing squared away.

S. KANYE WEST: So has there ever been a figure in pop-culture quite like this man in recent memory? And with so many fingers in so many pies to boot? To me, Kanye West has been the bridge to so many different avenues of creativity that all lead back to where he started from (hip hop) its impressive. From fashion to music to film, he has influenced a new generation of pop star unafraid to step out of their comfort zone in the name of elevating the art form. Hip hop isn't just hip hop anymore, he regularly takes whatever he's influenced by at that moment (indie rock, pop music, country music, symphonies, Broadway, etc.) and fuses it to his music to create something completely fresh and new. He's brash and outspoken and quick to express what is on his mind at any given moment. He is a zeitgeist of cultural importance, a global superstar. Most importantly, no matter how big he's gotten he always remembers where his roots lie. An attribute not many can say they have and hopefully, fingers crossed, someday I can.

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Of course, where would I be without the most important piece of this puzzle. She is the reason why I do what I do. She is the reason why I strive for success and why I hunger for greatness. After its all said and done, I just really want to make her proud.

Her name is BRIANNA GLEESON, she's not just an influence.

She is the inspiration.