On my continued quest to diversify Web Wednesday I have come to the first Hispanic individual to be featured here. Today we are talking about Angry Joe. A Puerto Rican from Texas, of all places. Before we get into the post proper I have to get something off my chest. Puerto Ricans usually come from one of two places. Puerto Rico and New York. Of course there are Puerto Rican all over the country but those are the two main populations centers. Texas is more known for Mexicans. So any Hispanic person from Texas is automatically thought to be Mexican. That's what I thought. I was actually happy to be mistaken. It's nice to see a fellow Puerto Rican make it as an Internet personality. Although spending so much time on Joe's race is a bit of a disservice to him as an entertainer and reviewer. So let's just move on.
Angry Joe was born Joe Vargas in 1984 in Austin, Texas. He is a life long gamer who never shied away from voicing his opinions. He started posting his videos on the TGWTG forum. They mainly consisted of his "Top Reasons Videos" list series. The videos caught the eye of Mike Michaud. It was only a matter of time before he became a full fledged member/contributor of That Guy With The Glasses.com.
Joe's rise to Internet semi fame was a quick one. He began his reviews in 2008, appeared on the TGWTG donation drive in 2009, and was revealed to be the head of the Channel Awesome/TGWTG.com video game site Blistered Thumbs in 2010. That is a lot of forward momentum in a short time span.
So what is it about Joe and the Angry Joe Show that made him so quickly accepted? Well for starters the Angry Joe Show is somewhat hard to define. Since it focuses on game news, previews, and reviews in comedic sketch format, it isn't just another game review show. There is enough of a variety to keep the format from going stale. Joe also has a unique presentation style. His show features heavy use of Green Screen back drops and SFX which makes the show more visually interesting. Also, while a rare occurrence, his reviews are not all negative. There is also an aspect of characterization, plot, storyline, and continuity to them.
Among his Angry Joe persona, regular Joe character, and random game centric characters, Joe also has created a main antagonist for himself. As you may have noticed from a few of the pictures above Joe has a fondness for G.I.Joe (something you may be "shocked" to learn I share). This has lead to the creation of the Corporate Commander, an amalgamation of Cobra Commander and a business man. I don't think I need to come out and say it but I will anyway "That is fucking brilliant.". Although as Joe fan (G.I. in this instance) I can't help but point out that Tomax and Xamot would have fit the role better, but that is me getting my fan-boy undies in a bunch.
When you add all of the Angry Joe Show episodes, specials, lists shows, Let's Plays, and other series (mini and on going), Joe has produced close to 250 episodes. That is an amazing amount of content. Which brings me to my next point. Joe, like the best of Internet Entertainers, works his ass off. I tip my hat to him for that. It shows a level of dedication and conviction to do that much in such a short amount of time.
Another interesting thing about joy is his interactions with the other members of TGWTG. He has of course done crossovers and cameos like all member of That Guy With The Glasses. What he has done differently is to turn that into a series itself. When the members of the site join together for an Epic Crossover event you can be sure that Joe will be filming another season of "Hotel Awesome". The show is a series of short comedic encounters between Joe and the rest of TGWTG crew. It's a fun take on the standard crossover idea.
There is one last thing I want to mention. Joe has done something I would have never thought popular. He has turned his Internet success into tangible real world success. He has worked the red carpet at the Spike Video Game Awards, done interviews with big name game developers, and covered the Big 3 Press Conferences at E3.
While all of those accomplishments are impressive the most important aspect of any entertainer is whether or not they are entertaining. As I have said many times before I am not a gamer. I have no reason to watch game reviews. And yet I do. If the one doing to review is entertaining then I will watch it. I watch the Angry Joe Show. Joe is entertaining. He has a fast fluid delivery, voices his opinions well, and you can tell he loves what he is doing. What more can you want?
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| Art by X-Cross. |
I almost forgot to mention that Joe is a featured presenter on the Transmission Awesome Podcast.
Nice post my friend. Fan of his work. Nice to now he is a fellow Puerto Rican too.
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