In our ongoing effort to promote and recognize the very best that Blogcritics has to offer, I am extremely pleased to inaugurate this new series, in which each month we will highlight an outstanding contributor to the site as chosen by the editorial staff. Over the past three years, Blogcritics has grown tremendously, in large part due to the contributions of a stalwart group of writers who have consistently informed, engaged, and entertained us. This designation is meant to recognize and celebrate the best of the best, and hopefully introduce these fine writers to a whole new audience.
Please join me in a virtual round of applause for our first honoree, the esteemed El Bicho!
If you’re a regular reader of Blogcritics’ TV/Film section, then you’ve undoubtedly encountered El Bicho’s work. A prolific and consistently engaging writer, El Bicho has, in the space of two years, posted 225 articles to Blogcritics, nearly all of them film or music reviews. Born in 1967 in Buffalo, NY, and raised in Westminster, CA, he completed film studies at UCLA, a biographical detail which clearly informs his film writing. Since then, he has worked on a number of low budget films and videos in all stages of production. He’s been published in Orange County Review and The Writer’s Attic. He started writing online in January, 2003, when he was asked to join The Masked Movie Snobs, where he has been Managing Editor for over two years now. Toward the end of 2003, he created a blog to post and archive his reviews. He began writing for FilmRadar.com in the summer of 2003 and then stumbled across Blogcritics in March 2004. He’s added other sites to his resumé along the way and continues to be one of Blogcritics’ most distinctive voices.
So, “Why ‘El Bicho’?” I can hear you asking. I wondered that, too, so here’s an explanation from the man himself:
El Bicho means the bug, the insect, the tiny beast, and other similar connotations. It was an identity I adopted when I started writing for The Masked Movie Snobs website. The idea my friends had when they started the site was to review films while wearing Mexican wrestling masks. They took Spanish names like Mil Peliculas (1000 Movies) and Bolsa de Queso (Cheesebag).The look of El Bicho is from an obscure SNL skit where Dan Aykroyd created a poor disguise of pantyhose and two oranges and said he looked like an insect. The name comes from way back in 1982-84. I was taking Spanish II and we had to do a skit. I remembered the look and used it for a scene we did to show off our Spanish skills where Superman stopped a bank robbery. I played the evil villain called El Bicho, since I looked like a bug. Who knew I would resurrect the character almost 20 years later?
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
Congrats, El B. Well done feature, Lisa.
2 - Lisa McKay
Thank you, DJ. It was a lot of fun to do, but the lion's share of the credit belongs to El Bicho, who, after all, supplied me with the source material.
3 - Eric Berlin
Outstanding El B and Lisa, great stuff !
4 - Matthew T. Sussman
"El" means "the?"
5 - -E
And how about that sexy mug shot. Good job, El Bitch-o.
6 - Sterfish
This is a very cool new feature and congrats to El Bicho for being the first honoree. It's definitely well-deserved.
7 - Mark Saleski
well-deserved bicho. congrats.
8 - Jess
Congrats! Next time you come by this way again we'll have to celebrate :0)
9 - Triniman
Very interesting. It's cool to get to know more about the writers. I look forward to more profiles in the series.
This may make you laugh. For a while, I thought El Bicho and Aaron, Duke de Mondo were the same person. I'm not sure why.
10 - El Bicho
My reign is half over and I wanted to thank those of you who stopped in and offered your congratualtions. It is appreciated.
Trini, although we started at around the same time and have some similar tastes, I too must wonder how you thought the Duke and I were one in the same.
Yes, Matt, "El" can mean "The". I'm glad to see you found the feature thought-provoking.
11 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
El Bicho, this was all the fun in the world, and a damn great feature, too, Ms. McKay.
Heh, Triniman, that dazzles my shock-glands senseless.
12 - Scott Butki
Congrats. I'm going to go read a few of your reviews.
13 - -E
So now that your reign as supreme king of all critics with blogs everywhere is almost over, how was it?
14 - El Bicho
-E,
The honor was a great compliment. I hope the powers-that-be got out of the feature what they desired. As for me, and not to appear ungrateful, after the first week, it was mostly uneventful on my end.
Intially, I noticed a few people come to my blog from this article, but they can read everything I write over here, so that's not an accurate measure of anything.
With all the writers and readers the site has I thought there might be more comments, but I proably needed to take a strident position on a political issue or list the greatest [insert noun] of all time.
I was surprised not to get a negative comment by a random poster, this is the Internet after all, so that's a relief. Although, I'm sure I've just opened up that door wide.
From the comments I did received, it appears at least half the people already knew and enjoyed my writing. That was flattering to discover because I was unaware they thought so.
If this feature introduced me to one new reader who will continue to read my future articles, it was definitely well worth it.
And lastly, we've finally put the rest the notion that Duke De Mondo and I are the same person. That's got to be worth something right there.
Thanks again to BC and Lisa.
El Bicho
BCotM for the next few hours
15 - Jet in Columbus
ElBicho did you write oscar acceptance speeches in another life? By the way, oddly your photo is exactly the way I've always pictured you.
I enjoyed it ;}
16 - Lisa McKay
El Bicho, it is indeed our fervent hope that this series will introduce the featured writers to a new audience by bringing just a bit more attention your way. You're quite right that the posts that always seem to bring the greatest number of comments are the political ones and the ones that challenge one's notions of who the greatest guitar players might be. The rest of us, laboring quietly in the vineyard for the most part, never really know who's out there reading, but if a few more readers are regularly making their way to your articles because of this piece, then it was well worth the effort.
And I personally enjoy learning a tiny bit about the 'insides' of our regular contributors, too.
17 - El Bicho
Dang, just saw a bio on Rod Serling last night on PBS and would certainly add him to my list of favorite writers.
18 - Dawn
Having finally met you in person, you are every bit as engaging and interesting as your writing. We sure are glad to have you around!!!
19 - for-too-oooh
i guess you know in puerto rico el bicho is vulgar for penis? it makes you seem sexier to me -- despite your associating the word with its literal meaning of bug
20 - IgnatiusReilly
"in puerto rico el bicho is vulgar for penis"
That's a coincidence because I know people who think he's a dick.