We recently had the chance to connect with James Enstall and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning James, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: When was the last time you felt true joy?
On the last day of my comic con that I helped launch this year, I was hosting the Justice League panel with Carl Lumbly, Susan Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, Maria Canals-Barrera & Dan Riba. These are people who I grew up watching on screen or hearing their voice on a cartoon series and now, I’m sitting side-by-side with them, hosting a panel at an event that people have traveled in from 12 different states to attend. The tremendous team of volunteers who helped me with this were my friends who were aware of this being something I do, but had never really SEEN me do it. Looking around this space, sharing the stage with these incredible people who I now count as friends, surrounded by a room made up of my friends who gave up their weekend to help me put this whole thing together plus hundreds of strangers who traveled to my hometown to see this whole endeavor… I fought back tears of sheer joy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is James Enstall. I host a LIVE radio show here in St. Louis on 550AM KTRS called “Geek To Me Radio” that covers the world of pop culture. I’m also the co-owner of 2Rivers Comic Con which is held in Historic St. Charles. Our first event took place this past Memorial Day weekend and we are hard at work on next year’s event as of the time this article is being written! All of this is a result of being raised in the greatest decade of all time – The 1980s – which gave us some of the best TV, toys, cartoons, movies and comic books of all time. My radio show that I’ve been doing now since 2016 has led me to make some fantastic connections and some genuine friendships with people that would make 10-year-old Me’s head explode! I’ve always thought that MY hometown deserved our very own comic con and so now I’ve actually been able to make that happen.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
LOL! I don’t think that’s a feeling that I’ve ever experienced. I grew up in what I would describe as a lower-middle class family. My father passed away when I was 9 leaving my mother to raise me on her own. I started my first part-time job at age 14 and I scarcely remember a time when I didn’t have at least 2 jobs, sometimes as many as 5 to help make extra money for things. “Powerful” is something I’ve always imagined as being a job with a corner office, making a six-figure a year salary and living in an expensive home. Someone who can make a phone call and get what they want. That’s never been me. But I’d say I’ve always felt “blessed”. Blessed to have good friends. Blessed to be born into a loving family. Blessed to be gifted with curiousity, empathy and a desire to always learn and try to make myself a better person. Knowing all that, I’ll take “blessed” over “powerful” any day of the week.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Weekly? Daily? I think there are so many people who are treading water all the time, but social media has conditioned us to always put the filter on and make everyone think we’re doing great. I’m definitely guilty of it! We all want to “keep up appearances.” “Fake it till you make it” would probably be the North Star that most of us go by, if we were honest. I try to embrace my mistakes and stay humble. It’s why I never, ever consider myself an expert on anything because I feel that I can always learn and add to my experience and knowledge base. As a result, there’s always someone who seems like they’re having an easier time of it or someone who is doing better than us at X, Y or Z. That can be difficult and can make one feel like throwing in the towel. BUT… it can also be used as the catalyst to make us push ourselves a little harder; the fire that forces us to temper our metal a bit more. I believe it was Winston Churchill who said “If you’re going through Hell, keep going.” For me, personally, it’s the most trying times that have made me want to give up that have taught me the most and helped make me who I am today.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I think it’s the “idea” of who people think I am. I try to always be the funny one – the one who can lighten the mood and never take anything too seriously. A lot of times, that’s the person who I find myself needing to be at any given moment. In a world that can often be serious and chaotic, people need to have a reason to laugh and to have an excuse to not be serious. If that’s something that I can provide, then I’m happy to do just that.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
The old saying from George Bernard Shaw: “We don’t grow old because we stop playing; we grow old because we stop playing.” Couple that with the wise words of Robin Williams who said “You’re only given one little spark of madness… You mustn’t lose it.” and youve’ got a recipe for whimsy and eternal youth. I’m currently doing what I do because the little kid in me refuses to be hidden away. I celebrated my 40th birthday with a pie fight! There’s no reason to compromise and hide our inner child simply because society insists we grow up! I’m currently interviewing people who voiced my childhood – people like Gregg Berger, Arthur Burghardt, Keone Young, Susan Eisenberg and Kevin Conroy! Last month, I got to meet Weird Al Yankovic! Earlier this year, I got to have dinner with Paul Kupperberg and Carl Lumbly. Anytime one of these moments happens, I take time to think about what 10-year-old me would think if he could see future me. It’s humbling and gratifying.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://2riverscomiccon.com/
- Instagram: 2riverscomiccon
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-enstall-97117864/
- Twitter: @GeekToMeRadio
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/GeekToMeRadio/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/GeekToMeRadio
Image Credits
These are all images that I paid to have taken or that I took myself with my iPhone. I have the rights to each and everyone of these photos.
