Why Evil Genius?

Before I go too far with this, I should explain this “Evil Genius”
business. Does this mean that I think I’m a genius or that I think I’m
evil? Do I want to be in the axis of evil? Although I’m reasonably
bright, I’m not a genius. I’d even call myself pretty far from
evil. So why the name?

In actuality, it all comes
back to
Wile E. Coyote
. Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the
character. Where the Roadrunner is the essence of smug superficiality,
the Coyote is plucky, indefatigable, continuously willing to keep
trying. Defeat doesn’t stop him. I like that. For 20 years, when I needed some name for some sort of business
venture, I would always use some variation on “Evil Genius” in homage
to Wile E. When I
did my radio show, I
referred to it as happening at “The Evil Genius studios” (my house)
and it was outro’d by a computer generated Macintosh voice saying
“This has been an Evil Genius Production.”

Early September of last year, I was considering getting some of those
free VistaPrint business cards for Evil Genius and I wanted a
slogan. I was considering things like “Ruling the world, one reader at
a time” or “Global domination at affordable rates.” Come the eleventh
of September, it didn’t seem so funny anymore. As part of the whole
“returning to normal life” process, I have decided that it remains
funny. So “Evil Genius” it is, remains and will be forever. So mote it
be. Besides, I already have the evilgeniuscorp.com domain name.

Published by

dave

Dave Slusher is a blogger, podcaster, computer programmer, author, science fiction fan and father. Member of the Podcast Hall of Fame class of 2022.

6 thoughts on “Why Evil Genius?”

  1. Dear Dave,
    Thanks for the great website. I really enjoyed the interview with Don and Joe two fun guys with whom I have had the fortunate oportunity to work. I am one of those “blue collar” working stiff V.O. guys to which they refer and I happen to love my life. I moved back to South Carolina 14 years ago (Greenville)from the left coast just about the time when V.O. work was beginning to be done from remote locations via switched 56 telephone lines. This was soon converted into ISDN via Codec’s which meant I could make New York And California dollars while living in the great state of South Carolina. This allows creative people such as yourself to do anything they want nationally from virtually anywhere. Do not be discouraged! Find what you want to do and do it. These days great V.O. and programming come from anywhere a good talent and a microphone get together.
    John Oliver

  2. Dave, I hope you get a kick out of this story and some insight into why the email address I use with your blog is fellowevilgenius@ .

    On Nov. 24, 2004 I sent this PM to a friend who hosts blogs:

    I really like what you guys are doing posting your downloads in your blogs. I’d like to join the fun.

    This refers to people posting the albums they downloaded each month on eMusic to their blog on his site (it’s a music-related site). He set it up. I installed w.blogger, put in the server information and then faced a box requesting the name of the blog. I think you can probably guess the rest: I found your site while Googling to see if somebody was already using “Evil Genius” in the name of their blog. I never did come up with an alternate name.

  3. There’s also the wonderfully befuddled Evil Genius in “Time Bandits.” Good with explosions and one-liners, not so good with basic theology. 🙂

    Thanks for the site!

  4. Dear Sirs,

    I have ended my relationship with Lost Cat Records and am requesting that you remove all links on your site that join Nathan Sheppard and Lost Cat Records. Lost Cat Records no longer has any legal rights to represent me or sell my music in any format. I am the sole copyright owner of all of my material and have reserved all rights. Lost Cat records refuses to cease operations connected to me. I am in the process of correcting the situation through litigation. Please link my new official site, nathansheppard.net, to the Nathan Sheppard section of your site. If this cannot be done then please delete all reference to Nathan Sheppard. I will re-register and start a new relationship with your company after the situation is settled. Thanks for your help in this matter.

    Nathan Sheppard

  5. ok, so I have been reading and skimming your blog for years and today, I finally come across your reasoning for calling yourself the Evil Genius. Crazy how following a few links on the site can bring you all the way back to ’02. I wasn’t aware you have been blogging that long.

    I see Wile E as more of the optimistic foolish genius and definitely agree the road runner is smug and pompous. Anyone with a two one word vacab (“beep”) has got to by hiding something! LOL
    Steve

  6. ROFLMAO. Which is why The Mad Hatter I am, and The Mad Hatter I remain, even though I no longer play the game I adopted the name to play. But my blog sits at <a href="http://madhatter.ca"Madhatter.ca, and online more people know me as The Mad Hatter than know by by my real name.

    Which is a damned nuisance when you are transitioning to a career as a professional writer, and trying to get your name out to the universe. All I can say is I’m working on it. But it takes time, because I’d deliberately built up an online identity as ‘The Mad Hatter’ so that my online activities wouldn’t impact my offline activities when I was still working as a major accounts salesman. Now I’m scrambling to reverse things, and cursing how efficient I was 🙂

    Wayne

Comments are closed.