Interview With Troy Cheek

Jumping in Pools is proud to present number 99 in our ongoing interview series. Today we are interviewing Troy Cheek, the owner/operator of Cheek.org, which is an excellent source of musings and resources on topics such as what's on Troy's mind, Atari paraphenalia, and information on one of the best RPGs of the last 30 years, A Bard's Tale. We encourage you to check out the site and bookmark it-- you can literally spend hours wading through the archives. We first noticed the site after Troy's excellent review of the Star Trek fanfic, Hidden Frontier, in which former MCS teacher Bryan Pisano played Captain Nostrom.

1. When/why did you start Cheek.org?

I got involved with the World Wide Web back in the 1990s.  I'm not sure of the exact date, but Windows 95 running on a Pentium 133 was considered state of the art.  The Internet Archive Wayback Machine has copies of my first site, Catfish Corner, which it grabbed in 1999.  That copy references visitors from before 1997, so it's been at least that long.

I started that first site simply because my ISP of the time, Wingnet, provided website hosting free with their dialup service.  I used it mostly to try to keep up with family and friends.  As time went on, I added professional and technical writings, original fiction, webcams, and even lists of links to other related sites.  Back then, search engines weren't what they are today.  Lists of links were actually once considered a valued contribution to the web.

Some time around 1998, I separated ISP from webhost and started Cheek.org (archive copy) for mostly technical writing and original fiction, though it still had a Catfish Corner section for personal stuff.  While the personal stuff is mostly real life, I do admit to "enhancing" the stories to make them more interesting.  The current live version of Cheek.org is a bit cobwebby at the moment as I am moving my web presence to troycheek.org over on Google Sites.  In addition to attempting to locate or re-create every bit of web content I've had on the other sites, I still continue to write new material.

2. What has been the response to your efforts?

For the most part, response has been favorable.  I've reconnected with old friends with whom I had lost contact.  Many people have written in to tell me that they enjoyed the site or found some part of it informative or entertaining, which is about all anyone could ever hope for.  Almost every single person who has taken the time to write in has been polite about it, even if they're writing in to tell me how wrong I am about something.

On the other side, I did get responses concerning what I thought was an obvious joke (archive copy) about pop star Britney Spears.  They went something like this:  "You are one pathetic individual. If your life is so non-existant, why don't you contemplate suicide? I would, if I were you."  I guess you should never test the limits of Britney fans.

3. What is the most rewarding part of running your site?

The most rewarding part of running any site is the feedback from the readers.  I don't have a huge following and sometimes the search engines seem to forget about me, so any feedback is always welcome.  My favorite emails are the ones actually complaining that the site was too engaging, that they'd stumbled across it by accident and had wasted entirely too much time being entertained by it before they could tear themselves away.  Others complain that they came looking for one particular bit of information but then ended up reading everything I'd ever written on a subject.  That's what makes all the time and effort worthwhile.  That's what keeps me going.

4. What is the best RPG that you've played?

It's hard to decide which role playing game is the best.  I spent an incredible amount of time in the 1980s playing games from the Bard's Tale series.  Although I've not played it in years, it's probably still my favorite.  I've also spent entirely too much time trying to win Angband.  Almost every game I've played lately has had some elements of role playing, even if that wasn't the main point of the game.  I also find myself adding role playing elements to games which don't have any.  "Sure, the game allows you to do this, but what if, for moral reasons, my character simply decides not to?"

5. What is the most intense science-fiction narrative that you know of?

Star Trek and Star Wars both have their moments, especially in the "expanded universe" of the novels, games, and other tie-ins.  For a while, I was quite taken by Babylon 5.  David Gerrold's novels (any of them, but particularly his unfinished War Against the Chtorr series) can be a major mindfreak.  Recent television series such as Defying Gravity, Flash Forward, and Chuck have really grabbed my attention.  Ultimately, the answer is going to be "whichever series/movie/novel/project I'm in the middle of right now."

6. Anything else you'd like to add?

Only that it made my day to be asked to participate in this interview.

If anyone wants to learn more about me, my current website is troycheek.org, my slightly older material can be found at cheek.org, and the very embarrassing material dating from the early days of the World Wide Web is at Catfish Corner.


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Star Trek Starring Bryan Pisano

 Some video of a Star Wars fanfic "Hidden Frontier" featuring former MCS schoolteacher Bryan Pisano. Check at 6:45.

               

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Bryan Pisano Strikes Again!

We at Jumping in Pools have been following the career of film actor Bryan Pisano. Pisano was formerly a schoolteacher at our high school. After I left, he saw no reason to stay and went to California to live out his dreams of becoming an actor.

We've been covering his latest projects like Gingerdead Man 2,

Now he's in the short webfilm Venice Boulevard.



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Quote of the Day

I'm Sorry.

-- Bryan Pisano

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Check Out the Awesome New Banner

Hey everyone, just pointing out that we have a banner here at Jumping in Pools. It's the first time I've made one, but I believe it is a successful first. In this banner, you will see President Bush, Glenn Beck, Borat, the Mets Logo, that up-and-coming star Bryan Pisano, my favorite professor Dr. Yuriy Malikov, and Joe... lots and lots of Joe.

Well, enjoy!

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Quote of the Day

Are we getting this?

-- Bryan Pisano

Gingerdead Man

Another clip from this groundbreaking film!




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Gingerdead Man

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Gingerdead Man 2: Possibly the Greatest Movie of All Time

Prepare to be amazed, and make sure the bathroom is unlocked:


Gingerdead Man 2 Trailer - Watch more funny videos here

Bryan Pisano's Newest: Gingerdead Man 2

Former Middleburgh Central School teacher turned actor Bryan Pisano has logged another role in a film out west. This time it's called Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust. Released in 2008, Pisano plays the role of Dr. Lupas Callahan. A little about the flick from Wikipedia:

The movie begins with a narration sequence explaining what happened in the previous film. After the opening credits, the film begins in Los Angeles, California, where at Cheatum Studios, Kelvin Cheatum (K-von Moezzi) is trying to save his studio from bankruptcy by announcing an outrageous slate of genre films that will have horror hounds drooling: Hamburger Time Traveler Detective, Space Spankers 2015, and the ninth entry of his father's famous killer puppet franchise Tiny Terrors; however, things aren't going as he planned: all of the cast/crew members on the set are unhappy with Kelvin making them work 24/7 without pay, and someone who goes by the name of "Demon Warrior 13" is keeping the films from being sold. A 27-year-old handicapped man, Tommy Hines (Joseph Porter), comes to the studio unexpectedly with his head tour guide, Heather Crocker (Kelsey Sanders), because his final wish before he dies is to take a look around the studio and meet the star puppets of the Tiny Terrors franchise.

Meanwhile, Polly Bonderhoof (Michelle Bauer) receives special baked goods from her sister in Waco, Texas, and one of the baked goods is the Gingerdead Man (voiced by John Vulich). After escaping from the pastry box, the Gingerdead Man needs to find a way to transfer his soul into a human body, and he finds a spell book in the prop room and he finds a way: Transmigration of the soul. All he has to do is kill five people, then he has to kill a sixth victim (a virgin) and has to drop one blood from the previous five victims on the points of an evil pentagram. So the Gingerdead Man starts killing people off one by one, until he is stopped by Tommy. It turns out that Tommy is "Demon Warrior 13", and that he has been e-mailing reviews to Kelvin warning him about the movies being bad, but he hasn't been responding because Kelvin's company doesn't take unsolicited mail. So Tommy ties Kelvin and Heather up and starts re-acting a scene fromTiny Terrors 9: Purgatory of the Petite that involves killing both of them with a dagger.

Suddenly, the Gingerdead Man stabs Tommy from behind, and goes to continue the Transmigration. But the Gingerdead Man made two mistakes: He did not add a drop of blood from the previous five victims on the points of the pentagram, and he accidentally let Tommy bleed across the whole pentagram, instead conjuring another spell: bringing dolls to life. And soon, the dolls from the set of Tiny Terrors come to life and start attacking the Gingerdead Man. They take a cross that was hanging from the set of the movie, and they hammer him to it,and burn him, making him look like Jesus Christ's death. Then, one of the actors from the movie Sir Ian Cavenaugh (Jacob Witkin) comes in and shoots all of the puppets with an AK-47, saving Kelvin and Heather's life. However, it appears that Tommy recorded the whole scene.

The film ends with Kelvin using the footage for Tiny Terrors 9 and wins an award for Best Horror Hand Puppet Motion Picture, he and Heather get married, and they live happily ever after. That is, until a hobo (Adam Green) comes across the burned Gingerdead Man in a garbage can, and desperate for food, takes a bite out of him, and suddenly he turns into the Gingerdead Man.

Creepers-- Greatest Film Ever

Creepers Teaser Trailer


Yes, this is a trailer for the greatest horror film in modern times, Creepers. Stars include former Middleburgh Central School teacher Bryan Pisano, who has his brains eaten by zombies.

Bryan Pisano Strikes Again

It appears that former MCS schoolteacher Bryan Pisano has landed another role in Hollywood. This time it's in the movie Where's Tuesday Monday?, slated to air next year. This current film is in production, and Mr. Pisano is filling the role of D.A. Hawkins.

It appears that this is an indie film, but I hope it gets picked up by some big conglomerate. At this rate, Pisano could become more famous than Gary Hayes.

Good job, Mr. Pisano. Wish you well.

Terrible Ideas

Well, greetings to my loyal subjects-- er, fans.

For that one homeless guy that reads this, this one is for you:

Recently I've been thinking about my High School days. Transitioning from school to school sometimes makes you reflect and think, "Gee, I wish I was taller." or "I'm really happy that I have both of my arms." In that tradition, I'd like to share some of my ruminations:

One thing I clearly remember was one of my favorite teachers, Bryan Pisano. The mild-mannered Italian was always on time, well-dressed, and polite. Naturally this led to basically everyone taking advantage of him. If he told us that an assignment was due in a week, you could bet that someone would be complaining that he'd never said that. If he told us to discuss our career plans one bearded kid would go up to the board and state he was going to be a porn star.

After I graduated he moved on from the fast lane of Middleburgh High School and hopped a flight to California. There Mr. Pisano started his acting career. I'm sure you've seen all of his films. But just in case:

http://wikibin.org/articles/bryan-pisano.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2961847/
http://enjoymymovie.com/films.php?cat=trailers
http://www.studentfilms.com/film/get.do?id=1214

To Mr. Pisano: best of luck. Please remember to buy me a house. I'm looking out for you!



I wanted to add more things from my high school writings but apparently I can't find them. I might not be looking hard enough but they might have slipped through an interdimensional timewarp like what happened to me and Ryan Lentz in New Jersey.

What I'm listening to: I've downloaded the Ramones, The Presidents of the United States of America, and right now a Phil Hendrie assortment is chugging along at 97.9%. It's bitchin'!


Letters to a Young Contrarian Thinking of Becoming a Douchebag:

Safina Roe: youre not becoming one of those people
orfannkyl: but i wanna
orfannkyl: being a scumbag has been my lifelong dream
orfannkyl: so get me a tattoo, a drinking problem, herpes, and a guitar I can't play, cause it's time to become someone i hate.

It's Raining in My Soul:

orfannkyl: and you and josh would have me dressing in black
orfannkyl: and wearing a raincoat all the time
orfannkyl: and people would say, "why are you wearing a raincoat in december?"
orfannkyl: and I'd say, "cause it's raining in my soul!"



Remember: the truth is out there: www.coasttocoastam.com