
It was more inclusive and kind than anything else I’d ever experienced up to that point. He even helped me select my first minis and helped me find out what I’d do best with. When I was introduced to the BattleTech people, a kind neckbeard loaned me miniatures and taught me to play, encouraging me throughout. However, 40K required enormous sums of money and time for a handful of badly struck miniatures.

The local game store had one of those enormous true to scale Astartes standing in the lobby with his bolter. Initially I wanted to get into 40K because, by God, it seemed glorious to me. Tex: As a young lad with limited social skills in the vast desert of the modern social world, the outcome was predictable: I was a game store geek. One day short of our channel’s 7 th anniversary However, given the above-mentioned impetus, we started June the 5 th, 2018. I think I had a long-standing desire to dive into the lore because I firmly believe BattleTech is a wonderful community, a wonderful setting, and supported by the best fans in the goddamn world. Sarna: When did you start Tex Talks BattleTech? He admitted to being moved by the last stand of the Black Watch, or in his words, “Manly tears were shed.” I believe I won that bet. My response I believe verbatim was, “You’re wrong, Fucko.” He, being my friend and a classic contrarian said, “Okay, prove it.”Īnd here we are. My counterpart was making the assertion that Warhammer 40K was the grandest space-opera ever written and my blood boiled. Specifically, we were furiously shitposting about good and bad tabletop settings. Tex: I had gotten into an argument – as nerds do – over the internet. I had a long-standing desire to dive into the lore because I firmly believe BattleTech is a wonderful community, a wonderful setting, and supported by the best fans in the goddamn world. Sarna: What made you want to start the Tex Talks BattleTech video series? Checkers though… That’s a different person altogether.

Being able to see your audience makes things different for me, sadly. Though, perhaps I may venture that in “meatspace” I’m a great deal more shy or reserved. People online call me Tex, but so do my friends. It very much runs against the grain of my character. I’d hope to never willingly put on a persona I can’t stand the notion of putting on a fake face for the sake of popularity or commercial gain at the expense of a fanbase. It’s a lot like putting on a suit and tie for work, you do your best but ultimately you’re still you. I think I do that because it’s my creative outlet and I’ll down an assload of coffee before preparing to do whatever awful madness I can come up with. I loathe that.ĭo I wind myself up or jump into some things with more energy? Sure. I find our culture somewhat worships the idealized version of a character – what is sold to them. That’s something I’ve consciously fought against my entire time in doing things online. In reference to is it a persona? I certainly hope not. Though I’ve since divorced myself of the southern drawl, the nickname has stuck despite my best efforts. Tex: I achieved the appellation indirectly by nature of once-upon-a-time having a rather heavy Texas accent. Sarna: Now, who is “Tex”? Is that a persona you put on or just a nom de plume? How would you describe it?

But I can tell you its fun, and sometimes that’s all something needs to be. It’s tremendously humbling as an experience.Īs for what it is? Hell, I couldn’t tell you. I’ve been fortunate enough to make a major positive impact in other people’s lives and I treasure that opportunity. Through the years, I’ve met some phenomenal people in the Legion, and I’ve been lucky enough to use it to do some good in the world. Years later I’m getting interviewed by Sarna – again, something I can hardly believe. I’d then gone through some fairly challenging and traumatic life events and I just needed to do something to be creative, and goofy, and have fun. The Black Pants Legion started as an experiment I needed an outlet – to just create for the sake of creation. In recent years I’d like to say we’re a ship of strays adrift on the ocean of our times. Tex: From the outside in, people would probably see us as a cult or a very strange think-tank. Tex, pictured here as his alter ego, ‘Randolph P.
