Danika Lee Massey on being a female icon in the comic book industry
Getting some sashimi before #independencedayresurgence
A post shared by DanikaXIX (@danikaxix) on Jun 24, 2016 at 6:04pm PDT
Comicbookgirl19, also known as Danika Lee Massey, has been captivating over 33 million YouTube viewers with her insightful and charming commentary on the science fiction world. From comic books to movie reviews, Massey gives her expert opinion during her signature pop-culture program. And because of her years of research into the field (backed by a college degree focusing on comics) and a passion for the genre that cannot be matched, Massey has positioned herself as one of the leading female figures in a very male dominated space.
It's the reason why she has been pegged as one to watch this year. She recently has been keeping herself busy with a starring role on the go90 series "Marvel Off the Rack," that will air its season finale tomorrow, and her very own feature-length documentary that explores the ins and outs of the crucial comic book story arcs. Between her breadth of knowledge and incredible resume, it's evident that Comicbookgirl19 is up for any challenge that comes her way. Just call her a real-life Wonder Woman.
We recently had the chance to speak with Danika Lee Massey about her career on YouTube, how her love of comics first began, and what her experience has been like as a female comic book icon.
YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 6 p.m. ET for more exclusives on Comicbookgirl19!
When did you first discover your love of comics?
Oh man! I first really fell in love with comics through Saturday morning cartoons on FOX. They launched "Spider-Man" it just turned a switch on in my brain that never turned off. It really ignited my imagination.
What led you to take that childhood passion of comics and put it on the internet?
So I'm also an artist and I draw. I was very interested in filming my own comics and I even went to college and got a degree in comics. So they've always been with me. And part of the reason why I started talking about comics on the internet is my creative partner Tyson is an incredible videographer.
A post shared by DanikaXIX (@danikaxix) on Jun 10, 2016 at 10:38am PDT
I have a wealth of knowledge about comics and I kept seeing other people, typically other women who were in these "nerd" genres talking about comic books, sci-fis, and movies, but it was very obvious to me that they were reading from a teleprompter and it wasn't coming from their experiences. As a girl, I got really frustrated with that and I wanted to present another option for people that shows a girl who does know her stuff and who genuinely does care about it. And people really responded to that.
A post shared by DanikaXIX (@danikaxix) on Jun 1, 2016 at 5:10pm PDT
What has it been like for you to be a female figure in such a male dominated space?
I grew up a tomboy. I played on the boy's soccer team for many, many years. I never had a problem being in a male dominated space and, in fact, I enjoyed doing that because it pushes me to work that much harder. And I always found that in all of the male dominated industries that I've been in -- including tattooing since I was a tattoo artist for five years -- I've always earned the respect of my peers. I earn everyone's respect by working really hard.
A post shared by DanikaXIX (@danikaxix) on May 5, 2016 at 3:03pm PDT
YouShouldKnow is a feature that showcases up-and-coming social stars. To see more of past interviews, click here. And head over to AOL.com at 6 p.m. ET for more exclusives on Comicbookgirl19!
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