Where are you from originally?
How would you describe growing up there – how’s it different from out here [in California]?
I am originally from Gulfport, Mississippi. Growing up in Mississippi is very family-oriented and super country.

Used with permission from Comedian Bangrice

What is your Hogwarts house and why?
My Hogwarts house would be Gryffindor. This would be my house because bravery, nerve, and chivalry are all attributes I value and apply to my daily life.

What are some geeky hobbies you partake in? Why do you like them?
I enjoy anime, comic books, shoes, and live streaming. In anime and comic books, I enjoy the characters, storylines, and variety. I have always been a “shoe head” since I began playing basketball as a kid. [And] live streaming is fun! Reaching out and getting to know people.

When did you realize comedy was something you were interested in actually doing?
I realized I was interested in comedy when I was seven years old after hearing Eddie Murphy’s show: Delirious.

Used with permission from Comedian Bangrice

If you could take the place of any fictional character from any book, TV show, comic, or film – who would you choose? And why?
If I could take the place of any character, I would choose Hancock, whom I relate to. [Hancock‘s] a movie with Will Smith. I relate [to him] because he’s a reluctant hero who feels under-appreciated but tries to act like it’s no big deal and once he gets himself together, a woman comes along and messes everything up for him. Oh, also it’s in his DNA to protect people. It’s just who he is. He can’t turn it off, no matter how hard he tries.

Who is someone you look up to and why?
Feel free to name two or three. (Preferably a real person)

I look up to my fourth-grade basketball coach, Haskell. He was a smart man who was very motivated and taught me a lot. I look up to the food vlogger, Mark Wiens. I love his lifestyle: traveling, getting to experience other cultures, and his overall positive attitude. I also look up to comedian, Jo Koy. He is a very down-to-earth and great guy.

Tell me about a time you had to pick yourself back up career-wise. What or who helped you get there?
I have to pick myself up every day. My biggest motivation for all I do is my family.

What are some current projects and/or goals you’re working on?
I am currently working on my own talk show: Get a Life Out of Bang.

Used with permission from Comedian Bangrice

Just because I think it would be funny to read about – what was it like working with me previously? How did we meet each other?
We met at Flappers. It was like meeting [and working with] a cool person at Flappers.

Do you have a favorite inspiring quote (by whom)?
“How you think so shall you become” – Courtney Rice

What is your dream show or project to work on?
My dream show is Saturday Night Live. Ever since I was a kid, I have watched this show and have dreamed about being on that stage.

What is the impact you want to leave on the world?
I want to make the world a better place than when I got here.

What has quarantine been like for you?
How are you keeping yourself occupied?
Quarantine has been good and bad. I have been staying busy writing, editing, and working on my health. It has been bad because not seeing people is difficult and all my shows got canceled.

Used with permission from Comedian Bangrice

Where can people follow you on social media?
Twitter: cbangrice
Instagram: @courtney_bangrice
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhiUcHmQ0ig3uwKr3eUQrg

As mentioned earlier today in my interview with him, Pat Contri (Pat the NES Punk) hosted his first ever comic con panel this year, and he even brought some guests along.

The panel consisted of Pat himself, His friend Ian Ferguson, James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd), Andre Meadows (Black Nerd Comedy), and Pixel Dan. Overall, a nice well rounded group of people to give an abridged version, but fun take on the history of video games. They even had a great turnout as they completely packed the room and even had to turn away some people (whoa!, that’s crazy).

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The start of the panel didn’t necessarily start where most people expected it to. While most VG history articles, videos, etc usually like starting around the Atari era, Pat & co. decided to take a different approach and start at the very VERY  beginning of games. They talked about how Ralph Baer (may he rest in peace) and how he is one of the most important and commonly overlooked influencer who helped get games where they are today. They also touched upon the creation of Pong, the rise of the pong consoles, and of course the age of Atari. They even had a really fun video that talked all about the fall of Atari and the infamous video game crash of 1983.

Next, they went on to talk about the Nintendo age and how they single handedly saved the market in the U.S from becoming completely dead and obsolete. After that, they went on to talk about the console wars and their own personal experiences growing up with either Nintendo or Sega, and how people around them acted. Then they talked a bit about the mid to late 90’s with the introduction of the PlayStation , rise of PC gaming, and how it was to see Atari and Sega finally drop out of the console war.

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Finally, they talked about the present day and the rise of retro games and nostalgia. They talked about how surreal it was to see something like the NES Mini coming out and how a lot of indie games like Shovel Knight are very much inspired by the developers having that nostalgia for playing those kinds of games when they were younger. After that they took a quick Q&A, and just like that, the panel was over. GAME OVER (I’m so sorry, please forgive me.) There was this really cool guy that came dressed up as a Tiger Electronic though.

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Man, I really need to get a better phone. These photos are pretty blurry.

What do you think of the panel? Where you there for it? Did you enjoy it? Tell us in the comments below!