Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Stewart.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born in ’74 in Alameda County. Moved to Ventura in ’77. BA in Linguistics from CSUN. Work at Drum Workshop for 24 years. Married with children.
I think the two most interesting things about me right now are my music and Venchura.
I play bass and sing in fun bands like Power Chicken, Those Darn Amigos, and Professional Americans. We perform humorous songs about silly and serious topics from supposed sizeism at Patagonia the clothing company to balloon bombs (Fu-go) sent by the Japanese to the U.S. in WWII.
I create images promoting an alternate pronunciation of the name of my hometown in an attempt to satirize serious issues polarizing the citizens such as the closure of main street to vehicles and the increase in residential construction. Most people here pronounce the T in Ventura as T. Many visitors and some locals pronounce the T as CH like you would with the word “adventure”. I think most locals don’t realize this pronunciation exists. When i point it out with my license plate, hat, coasters, and social media posts, they groan. I enjoy informing people and trolling so it’s win-win for me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path is mostly free of obstacles. I have avoided consequences for actions that today would have landed me in jail or dead like allegedly attempting to hold up an armored truck with a “machine gun”.
My struggles have mostly come from laziness and fear.
I believe i should maximize my happiness and minimize my stress which means i try to extract as much joy from a project/event with the least amount of effort. I regret not getting my Eagle badge in Boy Scouts. I regret not trying out for American Gladiator. Both took more effort than i was willing to give.
Fear has prevented me from fulfilling my potential. I was afraid of being mocked so i didn’t try out for American Gladiator. I’m afraid of physical harm so i don’t get to experience the joys of motorcycling and boxing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an inventory planner at Drum Workshop in Oxnard, California. We make musical drums and hardware and provide percussion instruments and accessories from brands like DW, PDP, LP, and Slingerland.
I’ve been with DW for 24 years. I began in purchasing and moved to planning in 2015. As a planner, i look several months into the future to keep our supply chain intact.
I’m known for my quick replies to emails and attention to detail. I am most proud of the fact that i work behind the scenes. I feel like the Wizard of Oz with special knowledge of the inner workings of the machine.
I am annoyingly persistent about loose ends. When a project is over, if there is still something to be done, i hound the other stakeholders until it is complete.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I am an only child who clearly exhibits the traits of an only child. As a youth, i was boisterous to the point of being obnoxious. You can still see this in my refusal to capitalize the letter i. I played Dungeons and Dragons and had a keen interest in language. I was also curious and observant. I was terrible at team sports because i’m conflict avoidant. Like many boys, i loved Indiana Jones and thought i’d be an archeologist. I began exploring the barrancas and flood control tunnels of Ventura at an early age. I began giving guided tours of them during the pandemic.
I’ve always had a great fondness of music which was reinforced by my family. My mom turned me on to new music and when she heard music unfamiliar to her, she’d research it and discuss it with me. I remember when she asked me why i think the Dead Kennedys chose such a controversial name. It struck me because i found the name to be amusing, but to people who adored JFK, it must have been hurtful.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conanchicken
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conanchicken
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/conanchicken
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=ZhRxRHPEPt7UvtZsgJjVrw
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/conanchicken
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf9vktsVlPNbO7rc5RyxbIQ
