‘The OC’ means a lot to me.
Yeah. I said that.
I wasn’t a total fanboy from the start. Like many teens in August of 2003, I fell for Fox’s hype and I tuned in to the pilot. And it was good! I genuinely liked it, thanks in no small part to what were (in my opinion) extreme gay-for-Ryan vibes that Seth Cohen gave off. Seriously, I believed that’s where the show was heading based on the pilot. When it led nowhere, I quickly lost interest. (What can I say? I was seventeen.)
But then, one winter’s night (January of ‘05, to be precise), I was at Barnes & Noble with a friend and decided to purchase the first season on DVD. I don’t entirely remember what inspired me to give the show another chance. Ben McKenzie’s arms in those tank tops, maybe? Who remembers. The point is, I devoured that box set. Not only that, I watched those DVDs ad infinitum. You should see the shape my box is in!
It’s hard to say exactly what it was about the show that kept a hold over me. The pretty, dynamic, and decently-talented cast? Perhaps. The witty dialogue? Probably. Whatever it was, that show was a staple for me during the majority of my college years. Legit, if I was up late writing a paper for some class, nine times out of ten it was with ‘The OC’ playing in the background.
It was also the thing that got me to sit down and write a full, honest-to-goodness story for the first time. Several stories, in fact! The Seth/Ryan vibes may not have led anywhere on screen, but that didn’t prevent me (and others!) from wishing it had. I even posted a few of them online, to some fairly favorable reviews. Having never actively participated in a fandom before, I found the experience thrilling! Here was a whole group of people who loved this thing as much as me. One fandom led to another led to something else and etcetera and so forth. Which is all what led me to where I am today.
That was about ten years ago now.
I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately. About where I was then, and where I am now. As some of you may already know, I never intended to start a career as a comic book colorist. Art was something I always took an interest in and enjoyed, but as a career? I didn’t even think it was possible.
But then, I once felt the same way about actually writing.
So what am I driving at with all of this? Well, for one thing, I love TV, so get used to hearing a lot about it from me, haa. I love all forms of fiction. It inspires me. It drives me. Like a constant companion. (Ooh, should’ve saved that for a Doctor Who post next week.)
It’s what I want to do with my life. Create, tell stories. Inspire.
Maybe ‘Kid Riot’ can be someone else’s ‘OC.’ And maybe that’s kind of cool.
