Today we’d like to introduce you to Todd Stashwick
Hi Todd, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m an actor, who, after building my career in the Chicago improv scene and the Second City and then beginning my televison career in NYC, moved to Los angeles in 2000. Finding success as an actor/writer and improviser in Hollywood. I never forgot the things that pushed me into pursuing entertainment as. a profession. And that was my geeky roots. I was a child of the 70s and 80s. I have a deep love for sci-fi, fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons etc…So I had a longing to make stuff that celebrates that part of my soul.
During the height of the pandemic, with so many things on hold I needed to put my idle hands to use. I was playing alot of D&D online a s a way to connect with people. One of those people was a former imagineer named Brandon Kleyla. He and I collaborated on a Cocktail book inspired by D&D and after a successful Kickstarter we created Mystic Libations: Critical Cocktails for the Thirsty Adventurer. At the same time I was creating Todd Stashwick’s Nerd Circus, an online store where I could sell my Geeky Wares and Nerdy Paraphernalia. I sell T-shirts, D&D gear, like boxes and Dice as well as cocktail glasses with original art from my son, Oscar Stashwick, who is a professional animator.
Wanting to push things further, I’m embarking on a bigger project with my friend and Dungeon Master, David Nett. It’s called ProgCore Fantasy: Dark Age of Theer. It’s a multimedia project that is inspired by my love of Dark Fantasy from the late 70s and early 80s. The movies, TV and music that informed my table top gaming. It will have a book, an animated short, a soundtrack, a D&D actual play and a adventure inspired candle from cantrip candles.
It’s all very exciting.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As an actor you are already essentially a private contractor. A business in and of yourself. Learning then how to be an entrepreneur with the Nerd Circus, I was ready for the ups and downs of it all. There is a learning curve that is different than acting but the skills I’ve acquired of “selling” oneself has crossover.
As a personal business there’s a lot of paper work, permits and trademarking you have to sort through. Luckily with e-shops there’s a lot of help to find online. Then it’s about setting up your vendors. Finding artists to supply the visuals etc. Then the need to keep the messaging up, to point eyeballs towards your shop. That’s where social media comes in. Understanding the audience that you think would enjoy what you are selling. It’s a garden that needs constant care and attention.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
It’s funny because I see myself as more than just an actor. I’m an entertainer. Whether that is in front of a camera, on an improv stage, on my laptop crafting a story or behind a dungeon master’s screen…I just love delighting people. I have a penchant for stories in imagined worlds. I have written for major IPs such as DC, Marvel and Star Wars. which is fun cracking the code of what makes the essential ingredients that make those properties “feel” right. At the same time, in the world of fanatsy gaming I’m able to wander through worlds of my own creation, staking out uncharted territory that has never existed before. As a performer I’m known for working in science fiction, Horror and fantasy. I’ve been in starfleet as Captain Shaw in Star Trek: Picard. I played Deacon, a post-apocalyptic warlord turned hero in the time traveling epic TV show 12 Monkeys and Dracula in Supernatural. But I’m also known for my full throated love for Dungeons and Dragons. I think what people have responded to is the fact that I’m as much a fan of the things I make as they are. I’m a huge SCI-FI and fnatasy geek and I’m lucky enought to get to create in those spaces.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I don’t stop making things, on both a large and small scale. I continue to put stuff out for people to enjoy. When one is finished I immediately begin to figure out what the next project is. They may not all hit big but thats not why I do it. I make things because the need to is woven into the fabric of my being.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thenerdcircus.com
- Instagram: @tstashwick
- Twitter: @toddstashwick
- Other: https://www.progcorefantasy.com
Image Credits
Gerard Sandoval
