Hey there!

After getting numerous requests of "Just who the heck are you anyways?", I figured it was time to put up my bio on here so you know exactly what you're dealing with.

As you can guess, my name is Chris (though I'm now referred to on several forums as "Anime Chris"), and I'm a pretty good anime fan. In a generational sense, I'm part of the Robotech generation of anime fans. That's when my exposure to anime started  and I learned just what the heck was going on way over there on the other side of the globe.

I think I was rather lucky in my upbringing, since at the time my mother wasn't working, and she'd always watch Robotech with me, since at that age and time, it did do some pretty amazing things, showing people getting killed and having to deal with all kinds of issues. Of course, watching it now, I see how watered down it was, but it still holds a special place in my heart, and yes, in my VCR once a year to rewatch the Macross episodes. Call it a guilty pleasure. :)

After that, I did manage to get myself a copy of the Macross movie, subtitled, and was naturally in awe. This was back in 1985, during my first Science Fiction Convention. A young lad of 14, in Boston, with all this cool stuff around, yet this was the only thing I bought (well, ok, I did get myself a "Licensed Veritech Pilot" photo-id). Rushing home, forcing my parents to watch it, I was in heaven. To this day, that movie still shines through as amazing animation to me.

Yet, after that, I never really found much else out about anime. I fell back into my Dungeons and Dragons roots, into a wide variety of gaming (if TSR put it out, I bought it. I swear I kept them afloat!). Even with all the comics I was buying at the time, I never saw any manga or anything anime related during my trips to the comic shops (which have now netted me around 15,000 comics).

Then, I found Bubblegum Crash. I know, I know, but still, at the time, there wasn't much else and I thought it was pretty damn amazing. Every week I'd go in and buy a new (expensive!) anime tape, and just savor it. All the Animeigo tapes ended up in my collection, watched and rewatched heavily.

And yet, I think it was Kimagure Orange Road that led me to my doom. Seeing the range of shows that were available, I then got into the internet full swing (having only run a Wildcat! BBS for 7 years or so, as well as Fido and several others), and immersed myself into the world of anime and Japanese culture.

With word of Pioneer entering the anime market domestically, and that being primarily laserdisc, I ran out and bought a player. I was floored. Again, my parents suffered at the "look at this!" factor of switching audio, freeze frame and all the other goodies associated with laserdisc. Slowly, my tape collecting began to dwindle as I bought up the majority of the anime releases.

Then came DVD. Course, you all know the story there! As of this writing, (7/18/98) I've amassed a nice collection of 140 DVD's and there's no sign of slowing down in the future. I love it. I'm glad you do too!

"But Chris, you can't be just about anime, can you?"

Well, there are my rugged good looks.

<THUD> Ooops, there's the wife rolling on the floor laughing at me.

Nope, I'm not all about anime. I've done lots of other stuff over the years too! I spent nine (yes, nine) years working at a place that would make Urotsukidoji look like picnic. Thankfully, I've left there and now work for Fidelity Investment and am much happier now!

Lets see. Comics, role playing games, running a BBS... what else. I spent about 4 years working for an internet company as a chat room host, which while fun for the majority of it, did give me one hell of a perk. My wife! Yup, we're one of those internet romance couples! Honest! After talking with her online for almost a year, we met at Christmas in 1995 for 5 days, and then she came up for Valentines day 1996 for three days (she was in Virginia, whilst I was in Massachussetts). Then in April 1996, she moved in with me! We were married this past June, and are naturally very happy! Check out the wedding pictures if you don't believe me!

I know I lucked out with her.... she loves anime, Playstation games, science fiction, similar music and DVD as well! I mean, how could I go wrong?

During the time that I was wooing her in the chat rooms at Novalink, I was also posing as a Game Master for their online text RPG. I ran some serious kick-butt epic storylines there that are still talkde about a year after I left. 

Well, that's where things stand for me now. Life's going good, got myself a great woman, great job, and a ton of great DVD's. Here's hoping you're doing as well!