We recently had the chance to connect with Jason Hunt and have shared our conversation below.
Jason, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
To me, integrity is critical to maintaining both personal and professional relationships. I’ve seen so many outbreaks of drama among fandom because someone lacks personal integrity. Media figures, online personalities, bloggers… some of them will say what they need to say to maintain their access or keep the ad dollars flowing. And sometimes they deliberately provoke drama by trolling other fans or creators.
If you’re not honest, and consistently so, eventually you’ll be found out. People will lose respect for you, and your credibility suffers. Once that happens, rebuilding your reputation takes a long while, and your audience will drift away to someone else in the meantime.
If you don’t stand by your principles, if you don’t maintain your personal integrity and honesty, you stand to lose everything you’ve built.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m the editor-in-chief at SciFi4Me, an online news and commentary site covering science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Since 2009, our site has delivered news coverage, reviews, interviews, podcasts, and video programs that delve into a multiverse of topics from “Star Trek” to Harry Potter to Tolkien to Lovecraft and all points in between.
I’m also the host and producer of “Live From The Bunker”, a news/commentary/interview program that airs live on various platforms in the midday. We look at the latest news, rumor, and speculation about television and movies, books, video games, comic books, and more. Interviews with actors, authors, game designers, comic book creators, science and business specialists, all with an eye toward informing and entertaining our audience without political or ideological drama.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The pandemic and subsequent events really did a number on a lot of people. I truly feel that there are entire generations of younger people who are broken as a result of what world leaders did to us, and I haven’t come out unscathed, either.
Trust is not so easily given now, and I find myself less enthusiastic about getting out among people, many of whom have decided that if you don’t agree, you’re the enemy. And this attitude carries over into the entertainment industry, book and comics publishing, role-playing games… if you have certain beliefs, you’re not welcome anymore. The pandemic paranoia spread to other aspects of life, and it has caused a lot of people to behave in a more raw, pathologically partisan manner that’s really bad for business.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
When has there been a time when I’ve not wanted to give up? It happens all the time — technological and equipment issues, imposter syndrome, lack of progress in building an audience — there are so many times it feels like this is the time I finally throw in the towel. I’ve been doing this since 2009. That’s over sixteen years of struggling to deliver something meaningful and unique enough that it draws an audience.
But even though that audience isn’t as large as I’d like it to be, we have regulars who show up day in, day out, and I’m reminded of something Charlie Daniels lived by: “Never Look at the Empty Seats” — the title of his memoir is how he lived and worked. You can’t focus on who doesn’t show up. You can only do your best for the people that actually are there giving you their time and attention. And gradually, that crowd gets bigger, and the effort is worth it. Especially when you have someone say that you’re the reason they can get through their day. We matter to people, and that keeps me going.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
For the most part, I’d say the version of me that’s on the air is about three-fifths the private version of me. The on-air version has more energy. I’m still me, but the public persona engages with people in ways that I don’t in private. I keep to myself a lot when I’m not on the air or at a public event like a comic-con. It saps my energy, and especially since the pandemic house arrests, I’m less enthusiastic about being around people I don’t know and can’t trust to behave themselves. And I’m much more cynical in private. I think the world has lost its sense of decorum and respect for people and property.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If immortality were real, what would you build?
Immortality is real, but I won’t be able to build anything I can take with me. Best I can do is try to engage in things that have a positive influence on people, and show people that kindness and respect are still very much things we can give to each other. Material things will go away. Reputations and memories fade. Kindness, decency, honesty, and moral character are things that can be passed on for generations.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.SciFi4Me.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/scifi4me
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scifi4me.com
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Image Credits
All images: SciFi4Me
