Hey guys, I know both Danny and Arin took their time to do this and I feel it’s a little late, but better late then never, right? In light of our first large game to be completed (not rage quit), I just wanted to thank all of you, every last one. Your acceptance of Danny and myself has been overwhelming, seriously.
Steam Train was conceptualized by myself as a side project not long after Game Grumps had begun, but with the stress of my immigration and getting married, it felt like somewhat of a distant pipe dream. Picking Danny as my partner was an absolute no brainer, I’ve literally been a fan of Ninja Sex Party since they had 1000 subscribers on YouTube. I came across Dan’s work by chance and introduced it to all of my friends, including Arin, which lead to all kinds of collaborations and exciting projects. Nearly 2 years ago Dan was visiting Arin from New York, I was super pumped to finally have a chance to meet him. I don’t ever get star struck, but meeting Dan for the first time I was honestly bursting from the insides with excitement. I considered Ninja Sex Party the most underrated and fantastic thing on YouTube. I’m absolutely thrilled that due to Grumps it’s now getting the attention I feel it deserves. I’m even more thrilled I get to work with Dan on a regular basis.
I also owe a lot to Arin, he’s been my close friend since 2004, he’s given all my animated projects a strong definitive vocal flair that I couldn’t have achieved on my own. He’s always been that friend that isn’t afraid to tell me that my idea sucks and needs work, to most this might have seemed harsh.. But it’s his healthy criticism that kept me reflecting and improving myself. While we have worked together many times in the past (Gamer Tonight, Gameoverse and other cartoons), I’m pleased to be collaborating on such a loved channel as Game Grumps. It was Arin who saw potential in Steam Train, he provided the two of us with the methods, process and equipment to film our first episodes. We were unsure of the direction we were going, but it was Arin who took it upon himself to take the show under his wing.
The initial reception of Steam Train was in all honesty a little disheartening, even with my thick skin. My Grandfather who I was very close to had just passed away a few days before and I was already cracking under the pressure. A part of me knew that it might just be the unfortunate timing and misdirected hatred, the other half was the grumpy doubt monster on my shoulder. Feeling like this, I took a trip down to the beach to sit down and remove myself from the situation. While relaxing on my towel, I was stung by a bee. Suddenly all my problems seemed insignificant. I was more focused on the fact I had been publicly assaulted by a kamikaze asshole, rather being unsure about talking over video games. On the drive back, Arin assured me over the phone that things would improve. He was right, they did.
The fan art, the animations, the emails, letters.. They all started rolling in, most being very positive and supportive. One in particular almost brought me to tears, seriously. A young guy named Liam sent me a huge email of support, telling me that he to was from Perth, Western Australia and was inspired by what I had achieved regardless of being born in the most isolated city on planet earth (true fact look it up). I could relate immensely to him, having previously felt so very distant from the entertainment industry and people with similar interests.
Being here in California surrounded by driven, artistic and talented people has really brought out the best in me and my work. I’ve gone from living with my parents, teaching animation part time and feeling unfulfilled, to living with my beautiful wife, two cats and being surrounded by amazing friends. Now on top of all of this, I find myself with the support of an amazing community.
You guys rock. It really brightens my day to see how something as simple as talking over video games can bring people so much joy, even in the darkest of times. Thank you for your continued support, I’m glad to have you aboard!
Choo choo!
Much love,
Ross.
God Dammit.
Also just to address this briefly:
Some people have been concerned that my animation releases will be heavily reduced due to my new involvement in Game Grumps. I know you’ve heard this before, but I want to ensure you that isn’t the case. My schedule had been slowed down even before Steam Train began because of a very large project I’ve been undertaking. I’m halfway through cleaning up the animation and I’m excited to show you guys how much I’ve been pushing myself. I feel it’s a big improvement!
