I know what you’re thinking! You’re thinking, “What? How exactly is that you? You also look like a dirty Hippie! Is this some kind of fantasy?” The short answer is, NO. I despise Hippies since the majority were Boomers and the Neo-Hippies of my generation are equally sickening. The other short answer is the reference this really cool artist used is based upon a picture of me circa 1998. Keep in mind with animation, details and subtleties are axed make it easier for the animators.
Now the longer answer…Mission Hill was set around the turn of the 20th/21st Century so I decided, in order to fit in better, I had to go with my rough appearance around the show’s conception and brief appearance on the WB network. Its creators, Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, are also two years older than I am and their cameos/avatars were tweaked to be credible extras too. Personally, I love the show since it epitomizes Gen X with many of the vanguard’s gripes (aka, Gen Xers who were 30ish when it aired) with the trappings of contemporary members and/or the older Millenials (which I would be Kevin as), namely some tech elements. Ergo, I did look like a slob around the time. Out of boredom I grew out my hair to such a messy length to pass the days in Really-Dullum until I could escape back to Austin. I didn’t shave very much neither. I figured it wasn’t going to matter again because Apple didn’t have an annoying dress code.
Fear not, I did ditch the long hair within a couple months. Although I’m not balding as rapidly as my peers (thankfully), I have fine/thin hair and length is its enemy through split ends. Besides, I also got settled in enough to start (or wanted to start) dating until an unplanned move happened. Facial hair returned (and stayed) in 2007 for José’s wedding.
In the Mission Hill world, what I look like is perfect! Cosmopolis (the show’s fictional city) is a great surrogate for my favorite Slacker days in Milwaukee and Austin. You can’t see it easily, the orange shirt I’m wearing is the Garbage Version 2.0 tour I’m wearing, a fave album at the time. I also envision/fantasize my character being a co-worker of Jim’s at the ad firm. Obviously I’m the Mac tech from his IT department. Plus, I happened to be a fellow Caveman who attended Bochmore University with Andy! I am still me in one regard, drugs. No thanks. I know my avatar looks like I’m holdin’ but I found that touch to be very fitting. My former roommate Paul can attest to this problem in my life, especially when I was at Marquette…complete strangers often asked me if I knew where to score weed, coke and speed. UGH! No. I sometimes just look half awake and I was often a slob in my youth. I’m alright with other people frying their brains, it’s their business, it just was never for me, I was never “cool enough” for them and I prefer to be conscious and aware of what’s happening. Can’t wait to see who else is rendered as a resident!