Line #227 Characters/GiantBomb


1	Character page for the video game website Website/GiantBomb.
2
3	[[foldercontrol]]
4
5	!!Editors
6
7	[[folder:Dan Ryckert]]
8	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_dan.png]]
9	Formerly of Game Informer, Dan joined Giant Bomb as a Senior Editor in mid 2014. At the beginning of 2017, Dan relocated to New York and became part of Giant Bomb East. He was a weekly guest on the Giant Bombcast until his relocation, at which point he became a regular on the Giant Beastcast, and co-hosted the Powerbombcast, All Systems Goku, and Danswers, a life advice podcast with Danny O'Dwyer.
10
11	Dan left the site in early 2020 to become a podcast producer for Wrestling/{{WWE}} before coming back in June 2022 as the site's creative director. He also currently co-hosts the "Fire Escape" podcast with friends of the site Mary Kish and Mike Mahardy.
12
13	* AuthorAppeal: Like Jeff and Alex, is a huge professional wrestling fan to the extent that the latter two have toned down their interest in it. Also, based on the games he picks for Unprofessional Fridays, gets a lot of enjoyment out of games with floppy, RagdollPhysics enabled characters.
14	** Dan is also a huge fan of Waluigi, and hopes that someday the latter will get his own game.
15	* TheBusCameBack: Dan left in 2020 to work for WWE, but quit that job and returned to Giant Bomb two years later.
16	* CaptainPatriotic
17	* TheDitz: After only a few weeks on the Giant Bomb staff, several comments made by Dan (including not knowing about Africa's involvement in World War II despite having a history minor, [[https://twitter.com/DanRyckert/status/491633088561029120 having to have the concept of a car's title explained to him at the DMV]], and believing that "egg whites" were actually the egg ''shells'' and attempting to cook them) have firmly established him as this.
18	* DreadfulMusician
19	* {{Eagleland}}: 80's style!
20	* FriendlyRivalry:
21	** With Brad Shoemaker. The friendliness is up for debate, though, especially during the Mario Party videos.
22	** Even more pronounced with Patrick Klepek, since Dan has taken to creating fiendishly difficult ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' levels for Patrick to beat, culminating in a grueling 72-hour challenge known as The Ryckoning. While the two men were quite friendly, and Dan quite gracious, when Patrick Skyped Dan to accept Dan's defeat, mere minutes before Patrick had been cursing Dan's name and Dan had been lobbing grade-school-level insults at Patrick over Periscope. A rematch is scheduled, rules to be determined.
23	* GenkiGuy: He's a very upbeat and energetic fellow.
24	* {{Heel}}: [[InvokedTrope Very much intentionally]], being a wrestling fan. Nowhere is it better seen than in his Mario Maker rivalry with former Bomber Patrick Klepek, in which Dan will create a [[FakeDifficulty fiendishly difficult]] ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' level (sometimes with input from the audience), and Patrick will meticulously work his way through it during his Mario Maker Mornings livestream. It came to a head during The Ryckoning, in which Dan challenged Patrick to complete the eponymous level in 72 hours with no outside help, and then proceeded to break the spirit of the challenge himself by accepting outside help in the creation of the level. [[TheGoodGuysAlwaysWin Patrick still defeated him with nearly a day to spare]], but not without taking a noticeable toll in exhaustion and mental stress. Dan kept up his Heel persona (if it ''is'' a persona) by livestreaming his reactions to Patrick's attempts to beat the level, cackling maniacally at particularly satisfying deaths and lobbing grade-school-level taunts at Patrick.
25	** He later took this to the next level by getting his Heel wrestling manager persona featured in APW. Behold [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPG0ZTYXOjE "Dirty" Dan Ryckert, Bay Area investor extraordinaire]].
26	* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Displayed this, over and over, during the Avalon stream.
27	* ManChild
28	* NobodyCallsMeChicken
29	* OddFriendship: Despite his pre-Giant Bomb friendship with Jeff, Dan's most frequent partner for Giant Bomb content has rapidly become Drew. So far, they have partnered for Metal Gear Scanlon (Drew plays the VideoGame/MetalGearSolid games while Dan watches), Demo Derby (Drew and Dan play through old demo discs), and Films and 40s (a ''Podcast/RiffTrax''-like podcast where Drew and Dan watch a movie together).
30	* ThePollyanna: Although he's struggled with anxiety and panic attacks in the past, he's still an optimistic and jovial guy.
31	* SelectiveObliviousness
32	* SitcomArchNemesis: With Jose Canseco.
33	** To a lesser extent John Drake, to the point that when [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MITRcz2mHek asked if he would rather be able to shapeshift or teleport]] he chose the former mostly due to the various ways he could use the power to troll Drake.
34	* TheSlacker: He is apparently quite proud of the fact that he managed to complete a full college degree with very little effort thanks to strategic picking of courses and negotiating with professors for alternate projects. The results are quite apparent since he has never seen neither ''Film/TheGodfather'' nor ''Film/CitizenKane'' despite having majored in Film Studies; claimed all his knowledge about UsefulNotes/TheRenaissance came from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreed2'' despite having a minor in History and he had no idea who Creator/JaneAusten was before discussing ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'' on the Bombcast despite writing for a living.
35	** His first post-college job was in the Garmin Tech Support helpline... in which he claims he would nearly always transfer the calls to someone else (especially the Software Department, which is supposed to deal with actual technical software issues, not "old people who don't know how GPS works") while he spent the day writing game reviews on his computer.
36	* {{Troll}}: One of his first appearances on Giant Bomb, before being hired, was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88sRCUcNR7A detailing an elaborate prank he set up on a dating site]].
37	** He also admitted that during his college days he would drop ''stink bombs'' to clear queues for drinks in crowded bars.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Jeff Grubb]]
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Tamoor Hussain]]
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Lucy James]]
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	!!Video Producers
50
51	[[folder:Jan Ochoa]]
52	Hired in November 2017, now a Senior Video Producer and the host of the Giant Bombcast as of 2022.
53
54	* AscendedFanboy: Like a lot of Giant Bomb hires, has professed to being a fan of the site before being hired on.
55	* TheQuietOne: For his first few months as a new hire, Jan mostly concentrated on his productions duties. Other than a few comments in Bombcasts and making a Top 10 list for 2017, most of his work for the site has been behind the scenes.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	!!Other Employees
59
60	[[folder:Jeff Bakalar]]
61	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2864954_personabakalar.png]]
62	Formerly [=CNET=] Senior Gaming Editor and rotating chair on the Giant Beastcast. Moved over to Red Ventures' gaming division in April 2021, working with Giant Bomb and [=GameSpot=] on content strategy/partnerships.
63
64	* AscendedExtra: The Beastcast guest from another website is now the most prominent member of Giant Bomb.
65	* AuthorAppeal: Jeff is a big fan of hockey.
66	* DoNotCallMePaul: Jeff claims to have never liked his first name, to the point that while he was in school his friends would call him "G" (a reference to ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'', despite the character in question being named "Geoffrey"). However, ever since, he never came up with a satisfying alternative.
67	* FakeGuestStar: Despite Vinny and Alex initially claiming that there would be "rotating guests" for the Beastcast with Jeff as a fallback option, Jeff has been the guest for the vast majority of the episodes. In at least one episode, (Episode 12) Jeff was there ''alongside'' the special guest (Samantha Kalman). Even in episodes in which someone sits in Jeff's place, the others will often state that Jeff had another prior arrangement, giving the idea that the ''guest'' is the fallback for Jeff rather than the other way around.
68	** Jeff has also appeared on a number of [=GBeast=] Quick Looks. It's gotten to the point that he has to regularly remind people, online and off, that he doesn't actually work for Giant Bomb.
69	** Finally averted once Austin left and he "officially" inherited the "non-rotating chair".
70	* RunningGag: Vinny coming up with incredibly bad puns for Jeff's last name.
71	** As the Beastcast progressed, he would increasingly get jokes suggesting that his CNET job was predominantly about reviewing refrigerators.
72	[[/folder]]
73
74	!!Fictional Characters
75	[[folder:Brett]]
76	The man in charge of gathering advertisements for the Bombcast and reading them during the podcast. Voiced by Jeff Gerstmann.
77	* AppropriatedAppelation: His name came from a Bombcast email where the sender repeatedly misnamed Jeff as "Brett" while simultaneously expressing his enjoyment of the "latter's" repeated rants about ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX2'', which Jeff immediately took in stride:
78	-->'''"Brett"''': ''[Deadpan]'' All right, Brett here: just wanted to let you know...
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Small Business Man]]
82	A recurring character in the Bombcast ads, often told how the advertised product in question can help his small business. Voiced by Vinny Caravella.
83
84	* PhraseCatcher: "Hey Small Business Man!"
85	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: On the current Bombcast ads Brad plays a character that fills a similar role to the Small Business Man but has yet to be called by the title while Vinny has reprised the role when on the Bombcast.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Dr. Tracksuit]]
89	"The Prescriber of Pain" with a dubious doctorate, Dr. Tracksuit tends to only emerge from hiding during League of Heels events. The only one who can control him is his "manager" Jeff Gerstmann, to whom he bears a slight but entirely coincidental resemblance.
90	[[/folder]]
91
92	!!Former Employees
93
94	[[folder:Jeff Gerstmann]]
95	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_jeff.jpg]]
96	The co-founder of the site alongside Ryan and Giant Bomb's head dude. He reviewed games, hosted the Giant Bombcast, the site's weekly podcast, and co-hosted the Powerbombcast, the site's professional wrestling podcast, and All Systems Goku, a ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' recap podcast.
97
98	Jeff was the last of the original members to leave, starting his own Patreon-funded podcast "The Jeff Gerstmann Show" in June 2022.
99
100	* AuthorAppeal: Cyberpunk, 90's Gangster Rap, things that are SoBadItsGood, dubstep and clicker games.
101	* BornUnlucky: It has long being theorized that there are cosmic forces in play that refuse to allow him to have any kind of luck in ''VideoGame/MarioParty'', as the little he does get [[YankTheDogsChain is immediately recalled.]]
102	* CatchPhrase: "I'm the best [insert game][[note]][=NFL=] Blitz, Top Gun, [[AnyoneRememberPogs Pogs]][[/note]] player in the world."
103	** "I was just holding [obscure game/console/peripheral] not 24 hours ago." and variations there of.
104	* ChewingTheScenery
105	* DirtyOldMan: Jeff often plays this up for comedy.
106	* KnightInSourArmor
107	* NervesOfSteel
108	* TheLeader
109	* TheLancer: Played this role to Ryan Davis. Plays it for Brad solely on the Bombcast.
110	* PaperThinDisguise: His [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2mLb2I1hlE spot on Brad imitation.]]
111	* PickyEater: Admits that he "eats like a child", although he's admitted to getting better about this recently (and even at his worst, was likely never as bad as Dan Ryckert).
112	* RebelliousSpirit
113	* SelfDeprecation: Jeff frequently mocks himself and the website.
114	--> "This is the worst fucking website in the world. They funded this and this is what we're doing with it!"
115	** During a Bombcast ad for Squarespace:
116	--> '''Vinny:''' "How's their video player?"
117	--> '''Jeff:''' "Probably better than ours."
118	* SirSwearsALot: Most of the site throws profanity around happily, but Jeff in particular punctuates almost every other sentence with "fuck" or "shit"
119	* SuicideAsComedy: Whenever he is trying out a VR shooter, he will almost always at some point try to shoot himself in the head. During the 2016 GOTY deliberations, he was giddy at the fact that ''[[spoiler:[[VideoGame/{{Superhot}} SUPERHOT VR]]]]'' ''requires you'' to do it at the end.
120	** During the PAX 2017 panel when an audience member compared them to [[LiveActionTV/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]:
121	-->'''Jeff''': I just want to be the Charles Rocket.
122	-->'''Dan''': No! He killed himself in a field!
123	-->'''Jeff''': ''Exactly.''
124	* TrashOfTheTitans: While not as bad as most, Jeff definitely has a lot of stuff piled up, enough to make a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkrG8dU3vBQ fake Hoarder's episode.]]
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Ryan Davis]]
128	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_ryan.png]]
129
130	The other co-founder of the site alongside Jeff. He was the former host of the Giant Bombcast, as well as live shows. In addition, he reviewed games infrequently. Ryan passed away on July 3, 2013, at the age of 34.
131
132	* AcCENTUpontheWrongSylLABle: Liked to mispronounce words, but also liked to get overly angry at Will Smith for mispronouncing words...
133	* AuthorAppeal: Like Jeff, Ryan was a big fan of dumb things. He also enjoyed comic books.
134	* BigFun
135	* {{Catchphrase}}: "Hey everybody, it's Tuesday [[insert date]] and you're listening to the Giant Bombcast!"
136	* HappilyMarried: Unfortunately, Ryan [[DiedDuringProduction passed]] only a few days after the ceremony.
137	* InSeriesNickname: 'Taswell', which he used for his online aliases and in games. It was his great-grandfather's middle name that was also meant to be his, though Ryan's father mistakenly believed it to be 'Thomas', which Ryan's middle name ended up being.
138	* LamePunReaction: The sound of a fist pounding the table, then "God-DAMNIT!"
139	* TheLancer: His role in video content, which usually involved him playing off of Jeff.
140	** TheHero: Conversely, Jeff was ''his'' Lancer during the Bombcast, as Jeff-edited and hosted podcasts were madness, and Ryan kept thing structured and made the show run on time.
141	* PlatonicLifePartners: He and Jeff were best friends, and at one point were considering leaving games journalism to pursue a career strictly in comedy together.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Vincent "Vinny" Caravella]]
145	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_vinny.png]]
146	The former lead video producer who was as prominent a personality as the editors. Vinny wrote a few reviews in the early days, but producing and managing video ultimately ended up eating up most of his time. Moved back to his home state of New York in mid-2014 to join Alex in establishing a Giant Bomb office on the east coast. He was a weekly guest on the Giant Bombcast until his relocation, and went on to host the Giant Beastcast for its entire run.
147
148	Vinny left the site to form Website/{{Nextlander}} alongside Alex and Brad in May 2021.
149
150	* AuthorAppeal: Games with a heavy focus on story. Will read companion novels (no matter how bad) and complete any sidequest promising to reveal even the tiniest amount of background information or lore. He also likes (more compelled) to complete collectables if a game has them. Vinny also has a thing for old FMV.
151	* CatchPhrase: "It is the best time to be playing videogames"
152	* ConstantlyCurious: According to Austin, even outside of content on the site, Vinny is constantly asking his co-workers to explain recent trends or things he doesn't understand to him.
153	* TheBigGuy
154	* TheGadfly: In contrast to Dan, who plays up being an obnoxious jerk while playing a heel, Vinny can switch from being genuinely honest, to messing with everyone for laughs in an instance, without anyone realizing. He's so good at it that he managed to mess with ''Dan'' multiple times during the other's trip to New York City.
155	* HappilyMarried: As well as a father to two kids.
156	* LargeHamRadio: Has been training to get a HAM Radio licence for years.
157	* MemeticMutation: Possibly. A Bombcast email claimed that after substantial investigation, he discovered that Vinny was actually the ''first'' recorded person to refer to something as the "VideoGame/DarkSouls of X" on the Internet (Vinny highly doubts it).
158	* NWordPrivileges: Vinny has a BerserkButton for Italian-American stereotypes but that doesn't mean he doesn't get to occasionally indulge in them.
159	* SignatureStyle: A Vinny edited video or podcast will always have the extra effort of background music where others don't and he has a strong preference for jazz.
160	* YoungerThanTheyLook: He's the same age as Brad but he used to look older than the rest of Giantbomb due to his shaved hair. Recently though time seems to have caught up to the crew and at this point Vinny might look like the youngest besides Drew.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Brad Shoemaker]]
164	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_brad.png]]
165	A reviewer who joined the site in June 2008. He hosted the Giant Bombcast from 2014 to 2021.
166
167	Brad left the site to form Nextlander alongside Alex and Vinny in May 2021. He can also be heard on the "Brad and Will Made a Tech Pod" podcast with friend of the site Will Smith.
168
169	* AuthorAppeal: Emotional games, deeper meanings. And ''VideoGame/StarCraft''. And ''VideoGame/Dota2''. Outside of video games, Brad has a soft spot for anything involving Guinea Pigs; and at least one of his Extra Life home livestreams devoted a number of hours to him showing off and feeding his.
170	* {{Catchphrase}}: "Emails!", "[[{{OhCrap}} Oh no!]]", "Come here, you!", "I'm out!"
171	* FriendlyRivalry: With Dan Ryckert. The friendliness is up for debate, though, especially during the Mario Party videos.
172	* TheLancer: Outside of the Bombcast, he's this to Jeff.
173	* PerformanceAnxiety: Brad seems to have the most trouble out of everyone when it comes to public panels in front of large crowds. He's usually the most nervous/quiet host during these events.
174	* SingingVoiceDissonance: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JmenwVvbgc Oh yeah]].
175	* TookALevelInBadass: After unlocking the infamously difficult Mile High Club achievement in Call of Duty 4.
176	* UndyingLoyalty: Has this to Giant Bomb, according to others on the site.
177	* UpThroughTheRanks: Became the host of the podcast.
178	* TheWorldsExpertOnGettingKilled: Brad dies the most of anyone on the show; to the point that "Time to Brad" was a counter to how long each video would take before Brad's first death. Peaked at his infamous showing during the Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection quick look.
179	[[/folder]]
180
181	[[folder:Alex Navarro]]
182	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_alex.png]]
183	A reviewer who worked for a movie site called Screened and also contributed to Giant Bomb part-time. After Giant Bomb's acquisition by CBS Interactive, he joined the site as a full-time employee. Having lived in New York City for most of his time at the site, he worked with Vinny to form "Giant Bomb East" separate from the site's main office in California. He reviewed many games, wrote his own column on the site called The Guns of Navarro, and also wrote some news. Alex was an infrequent guest on the Giant Bombcast before moving, and was a regular on the Giant Beastcast, as well as co-hosting the Powerbombcast and Box Office Bomb, the site's movie podcast.
184
185	Alex left the site to form Nextlander alongside Vinny and Brad in May 2021.
186
187	* AllDrummersAreAnimals: Alex is a drummer, and played in Jeff's band for a time- which is the connection that eventually got him his job at [=GameSpot=] and later Giant Bomb. He also worked for Harmonix for a time, promoting Rock Band.
188	* AuthorAppeal: Likes sports games (especially Madden), music games, and things that are cute- especially yarn Kirby and wool Yoshi.
189	* ButtMonkey: Alex has been forced to review terrible games since his [=GameSpot=] days, from Big Rigs to Rambo. For the longest time, his only contribution to the Game of the Year deliberations was as a call-in for an award for the worst games of the year, because he played more of those than actual good games.
190	* DeadpanSnarker
191	* FriendToAllLivingThings: Alex is a big fan of animals, and has mentioned his cats multiple times, as well as going to see animals on his vacations. One of his most consistent reactions in games is dismay and anger when characters or his co-workers do anything that could get an animal hurt, including not wanting to play Far Cry 4 because he doesn't want to hunt and skin elephants.
192	* InSeriesNickname: When deciding on a name for Patrick and Alex's two-man video feature, Jeff insisted on ending every suggestion with "with Scoops and the Wolf". Alex does not fully understand why he is "The Wolf".
193	* TheMovieBuff: For a while, Alex worked for Giant Bomb's sister site, Screened, a film equivalent to GB.
194	* SitcomArchNemesis: Alex has developed a longstanding feud with the very concept of {{WesternAnimation/Minions}}, which lead to the creation of "The Minion Cup", a trophy adorned with Minion stickers to be awarded to the winner of the Giant Beast Summer Games.
195	* StraightMan: Is this to Vinny in many Giant Bomb East videos.
196	* TookALevelInCheerfulness: Very apparent when looking at his [=GameSpot=] days, especially after taking on a more prominent role at Giant Bomb after Vinny moved to New York.
197	* TheWoobie: Alex has mentioned serious problems with depression, and spent most of his time with Giant Bomb working alone on the other side of the country from the crew. He's clearly the most nervous of them when he does show up for an event or panel, and each time he starts getting along with one of the newer members of the crew (Patrick, Austin), they end up leaving shortly thereafter. Fortunately, Vinny moving to NY and the Giant Beastcast getting formed has helped a lot.
198	[[/folder]]
199
200	[[folder:Drew Scanlon]]
201	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_drew2.png]]
202	Former video producer who showed up often in video features and live shows. Before leaving in March 2017 to start his "Cloth Map" documentary series, Drew was a weekly guest on the Giant Bombcast from 2013 onward, and co-hosted Alt+F1, a podcast about Formula-1 racing, with Danny O'Dwyer (currently still running under a new name, Shift+F1).
203
204	* AscendedExtra: Unlike much of the Giant Bomb staff, he was not a former [=GameSpot=] editor but was originally hired as an intern. After being hired full time, he occasionally made guest appearances in Quick Looks and on the Bombcast when there was an empty seat. In the summer of 2013 he became a permanent member of the Bombcast and was included in the Game of the Year deliberations for the first time later that year.
205	* AuthorAppeal: Extremely realistic and realistically complicated military/vehicle simulators. He's a bit of a military/outdoors nut in general. Also loves world travelling, which is probably half the reason he's the one who tends to go on the crew's crazy adventures (like to Iceland for Eve Online's Fanfest)
206	* CallOfTheWildBlueYonder: Drew is fascinated with planes and frequently plays flight simulators on the site. As of 2016, Drew has begun taking actual flying lessons to get a real pilot licence.
207	* CelebrityResemblance: Commonly compared with [[Series/{{Dexter}} Michael C. Hall]].
208	** With his beard and longish hair, he has recently been compared with Creator/{{Troy Baker}}.
209	* DeadpanSnarker: Unlike most of the crew, Drew is fairly quiet and reserved, but manages his share of witty, well-timed barbs.
210	* EvenTheGuysWantHim
211	* FormerlyFat: Once mentioned that he was "kind of a fat kid" in high school.
212	* MemeticMutation: [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/drew-scanlon-reaction Drew blinking]], which just [[https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/23/meet-the-man-behind-the-white-guy-blinking-meme-drew-scanlon exploded out of the blue]]. Doubly ironic since it involved a 2013 clip and it blew up right before he announced his departure from the site.
213	* MoralityPet: If the 2014 GOTY deliberations were anything to go by, Drew's this for Alex Navarro. Navarro repeatedly pointed out how his decisions were influenced by if a game negatively affected Drew.
214	* TheMovieBuff: Seems to watch more movies than he plays games; he frequently quotes entire exchanges in film at the drop of the hat, and started the Film and 40's podcast with Dan.
215	* OddFriendship: With Dan Ryckert. As listed in Dan's character section, they have done a lot of videos together.
216	* TheQuietOne: He spoke the least on the Bombcast, and played the least amount of video games.
217	* TheStoic: The most calm and emotionally reserved of the duders. Seeing him truly angry is extremely uncommon, and he has rarely, if ever, cursed on camera. However...
218	** NotSoStoic: He has his moments, such as in Metal Gear Scanlon and the Mario Party videos, especially Mario Party 3. And then there was the ''Ghostship Aftermath'' Quick Look...
219	* ThoseTwoGuys: Hosts Shift+F1 (formerly Alt+F1), an F1 podcast, with Danny O'Dwyer.
220	* UpThroughTheRanks
221	[[/folder]]
222
223	[[folder:Dave Snider]]
224	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2328108_persona_dave.png]]
225	The former lead site engineer who often appeared in video features and left the site in 2013 to spend time with his family. Dave was an infrequent guest on the Giant Bombcast and wrote a few reviews. He still makes an occasional appearance on the Bombcast and Premium videos.
226
227	* AuthorAppeal: PC gaming and old-school [=RPGs=]. Games made in Russia.
228	* HappilyMarried
229	[[/folder]]
230
231	[[folder:Ian Kelly]]
232	Behind-the-scenes tech guy who was sometimes heard in the background, and almost never seen. The guy that the Bomb Crew were talking to when they say "Can we get a little more game audio/big knob out here, Ian?"
233
234	* PickyEater
235	[[/folder]]
236
237	[[folder:Alexis Gallisá]]
238	Another site engineer who sometimes appeared in video features. Alexis left the site in October 2014 for a position at {{Website/Twitch}}, though he occasionally pops in from time to time, most notably to co-host part of the crew's annual Extra Life streams alongside Drew.
239	[[/folder]]
240
241	[[folder:Patrick Klepek]]
242	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_2322506_persona_patrick.png]]
243	The main news editor who joined in April 2011. Patrick wrote many news and opinion columns for the site and also reviewed games. After several years in the main office, he moved back to his hometown of Chicago in the summer of 2013. He was a weekly guest on the Giant Bombcast during his time in California, and co-hosted Bombin' the AM with Scoops and the Wolf with Alex. After some foreshadowing with the announcement of a News Editor position opening up at [=GBeast=] earlier in the year, Patrick [[http://www.giantbomb.com/articles/the-end/1100-5160/ left the site]] in December 2014, becoming a senior reporter for {{Website/Kotaku}} then later Waypoint (hired by fellow alumnus Austin Walker), though he still occasionally pops up at convention panels and in a few videos.
244
245	* AuthorAppeal: Has a strong personal interest in horror media and indie games. When it comes to writing, he enjoys examining the representation of women in games and considers himself a feminist.
246	** Also dinosaurs.
247	* IconicOutfit: The hot dog suit he wore in the [[Creator/DoubleFine Happy Action Theater]] Quick Look has become this.
248	* FriendlyRivalry: With Dan Ryckert, ever since Dan has taken to creating fiendishly difficult ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' levels for Patrick to beat, culminating in a grueling 72-hour challenge known as The Ryckoning. While the two men were quite friendly, and Dan quite gracious, when Patrick Skyped Dan to accept Dan's defeat, mere minutes before Patrick had been cursing Dan's name and Dan had been lobbing grade-school-level insults at Patrick over Periscope. A rematch is scheduled, rules to be determined.
249	%%* FunnyAfro
250	* GrowingTheBeard: In multiple ways.
251	* HappilyMarried
252	* InSeriesNickname: Trick, Tricky, Scoops
253	* IntrepidReporter: By the time he was hired at Giant Bomb, Patrick had already gained quite a name for himself, having the [[http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702911/update-security-appears-at-infinity-ward-studio-heads-missing-activision-investigating-insubordination/ first report]] of the dismissal of [[VideoGame/CallOfDuty Infinity Ward]] senior employees Jason West and Vince Zampella.
254	* RunningGag: After his departure from the site, whenever Patrick's name comes up on the Bomb/Beastcast, he's usually referred to as "some [=YouTuber=]".
255	* ThemeNaming: In games with customizable character names, Patrick always names his characters after those from Creator/StephenKing's ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series.
256	[[/folder]]
257
258	[[folder:Matt Rorie]]
259	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/2473283_personarorie.png]]
260	A site engineer and community manager, usually the one who monitored the chat during livestreams. Co-hosted Box Office Bomb with Alex. Rorie left the site in March 2023.
261
262	* AuthorAppeal: Still plays ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. Also a huge dog lover.
263	* CatchPhrase: [[NoYou "You're a(n) X"]], where X is any random noun or phrase used by someone else.
264	[[/folder]]
265
266	[[folder:Jason Oestreicher]]
267	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/persona_jason.png]]
268	Formerly of Game Informer, Jason joined as the site's new video guy alongside Dan in July 2014. He was an infrequent guest on the Giant Bombcast before becoming a regular after Drew left. Jason was unfortunately laid off alongside Jess in January 2023.
269
270	* TheAllegedExpert: He's legitimately the best at fighting games on the crew; but Dan's lack of knowledge making him impossible to read results in Jason losing every time he plays on a livestream.
271	* {{Angrish}}: Usually after losing to Dan in a fighting game.
272	* AscendedExtra: He started out as a strictly behind the scenes guy to let Vinny spend more time as an on-camera personality. Then Vinny moved to New York and Giant Beast was founded, and Jason had to start rotating in guest appearances with Drew. Now Jason is a frequent part of the Bombcast, a mainstay of Unprofessional Fridays and cohosts Ranking of Fighters with Jeff.
273	* AuthorAppeal: Likes Franchise/StreetFighter and other fighting games, monster hunting games, and anime. If he's guesting on the Bombcast, chances are there's some news relating to fighting games to discuss.
274	* HappilyMarried: His wife and newborn son have appeared with him on multiple livestreams.
275	* LoserLeavesTown: The rivalry between himself and Dan eventually culminates in the two playing a Loser Leaves Town match, which Jason decisively won- sending Dan packing to join the Giant Beast team in New York.
276	* OlderThanTheyLook: Has been married twice, and has a son that's old enough to live on his own, but looks younger than most of the crew other than Drew.
277	* VitriolicBestBuds: With Dan:
278	-->'''Jason''': Dan is an idiotic manchild. Annoying as shit. And I love him as much as I hate him.
279	[[/folder]]
280
281	[[folder:Austin Walker]]
282	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_1tumblr_o3uqy8dgmd1s07ds4o1_500.png]]
283	Formerly a freelance games writer who has done articles for Paste, the New Statesman, and his own blog at [[http://clockworkworlds.com/ clockworkworlds.com]], Austin Walker was announced as the new News Editor at the end of the 5/29/16 Giant Beastcast. In addition to writing news articles for the site, he was a regular on the Giant Beastcast and appeared on the Powerbombcast. Austin announced his departure from the site in June 2016, becoming the editor-in-chief for the newly-established Waypoint (bringing fellow alumnus Patrick on board in the process).
284
285	* AscendedFanboy: Was a big fan of the site before being hired on.
286	* AuthorAppeal: Has mentioned that he will automatically be more interested in a game if it involves [[HumongousMecha giant robots of some kind]]. Also joins the stable of Giant Bomb wrestling fans, to the point of being added to the Powerbombcast, and was one of the few members of the site with a legitimate desire to be the Anime Editor.
287	* GameMaster: Started a yearly tradition on the Beastcast of [=GMing=] a tabletop roleplaying game with the [=GBEast=] crew, along with Jeff Bakalar and Pat Baer, during the holidays. This continued even after Austin left Giant Bomb. He also regularly plays the GM role for Podcast/FriendsAtTheTable, an actual play podcast.
288	* PunnyName: Man likes mechs.
289	* TheSmartGuy: Is a [=PhD=] candidate in Media Studies from the University of Western Ontario.
290	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: He appears to have the same social justice sensibilities as Patrick, as became especially clear after they began working together at Waypoint.
291	[[/folder]]
292
293	[[folder:Abby Russell]]
294	A video producer whose hire was announced on 5/01/17, and the first female member of the team. She was a regular on the Giant Beastcast and co-hosted My First E3 with Ben from 2017 to 2019. Left the site at the end of November 2020 in order to pursue other interests, eventually becoming a creative producer at [[Creator/G4TV G4]].
295
296	* AuthorAppeal: Abby's time on the site brought focus to some corners of the video game world that might have otherwise gone unnoticed such as the Nancy Drew series, mobile games with a narrative focus (such as Florence), and perhaps most notably The Sims.
297	* TheGamblingAddict: If the [[VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine Steal My Sunshine]] premium series is any indication. Several times she has made a bet on one outcome and, when nobody takes her up on it, switched to the opposite outcome just to be able to gamble.
298	* {{Improv}}: Is an active performer at [[http://www.magnettheater.com/performers/Abby-Russell Magnet Theater]] in New York City, and has brought up improv warmups both [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BXlgzfxkjc before streams]] and on the Beastcast.
299	* JumpScare: Seems to have a low tolerance for these, between a session of VideoGame/ResidentEvil7 in VR and getting a jolt out of a Windows 10 notification while playing a Nancy Drew PC game.
300	* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: Has expressed this instinct on several occasions. While she enjoys games that have a narrative focus, in games like [[VideoGame/Hitman2016 Hitman]], where the storyline is somewhat secondary she skips the cutscenes to get right to the action.
301	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Is the first female member of the Giant Bomb team.
302	* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Her "sister" Margaret pays a visit to the Beastcast to show off her flawless accent from Sydney, Australia.
303	[[/folder]]
304
305	[[folder:Ben Pack]]
306	Formerly an intern during the Whiskey Media days, Ben was announced as the new Giant Bomb West hire on 5/01/17. Left in January 2021 to take a job out of the public eye.
307	* AuthorAppeal: Has interests in common with several fellow Giant Bomb West employees: like Brad he is a fan of ''VideoGame/Dota2'', and is into fighting games just like Jason.
308	* TheBusCameBack: Though he left the full-time staff in January '21, he did return for a stint on the Bombcast later that year.
309	* BriefAccentImitation: Has taken to doing [[https://youtu.be/qvmBqIZxj0g?t=10286 Aussie]] and [[https://youtu.be/fWrEnuZnEzk?t=7989 Scottish]] accents on the Bombcast in response to listener quizzes about regional slang, which led to [[https://youtu.be/NIT6rSWXc88?t=9478 a bit with Jeff about studying accents at university.]]
310	* GoodNewsBadNews: Found out he had been hired by Giant Bomb on the same day his house burned down.
311	* NeverHeardThatOneBefore: Ben tends to have this reaction to tall jokes; at 6'10" he's probably heard most of them already.
312	[[/folder]]
313
314	[[folder:Dave Nilasca]]
315	A digital marketing employee for CBS Interactive who oversees revenue streams for the site. Business Dave likes it when the numbers go up. Left at some point in 2021 to take a position at Fanbyte.
316
317	* EarlyBirdCameo: Occasionally turned up in behind-the-scenes videos before becoming a more regular fixture in Giant Bomb West content.
318	* OneSteveLimit: As the second Dave to be a staff member who regularly appears in content (even though Dave Snider was long gone before he started), he tends to get referred to as "Business Dave."
319	* OutOfFocus: Once the pandemic shut down the Giant Bomb West office, Business Dave stopped appearing in video content entirely and only occasionally popped up in the newsletter.
320	[[/folder]]
321
322	[[folder:Jess O'Brien]]
323	AKA [=VoidBurger=]. Originally brought in to produce ''Hot Takeouts'', a video essay series, she gradually started producing and appearing on more content until she was finally announced as a member of staff proper in October '21. Jess was unfortunately laid off alongside Jason in January 2023.
324
325	* AscendedFangirl
326	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Went by "[=VoidBurger=]" for her entire public life on the internet up until the Giant Bomb hire and still uses it for her non-GB content.
327	[[/folder]]
328
329	!!Friends of the Site
330
331	[[folder:Pat Baer]]
332	A comedian with the UCB Theatre in New York. Pat has guested on the Beastcast several times, and Giant Bomb members will regularly appear on his "404ing It: Breaking (Down) the Internet" panels at PAX and other conventions, featuring strange videos from around the internet.
333	[[/folder]]
334
335	[[folder:Ed Boon]]
336	Co-creator of the Franchise/MortalKombat series, and the Creative Director of Creator/NetherrealmStudios, formerly of Creator/MidwayGames.
337
338	* OnlySaneMan
339	[[/folder]]
340
341	[[folder:Adam Boyes]]
342	CEO at Creator/IronGalaxyStudios, formerly of Platform/PlayStation and Creator/MidwayGames with Lang and Johnny V
343	[[/folder]]
344
345	[[folder:Norman Chan]]
346	Of Tested.com. Used to be part of Whiskey Media with the guys.
347
348	* ThoseTwoGuys: With Will Smith.
349	[[/folder]]
350
351	[[folder:John Drake]]
352	Director of Portfolio Strategy at [=PlayStation=], formerly of Creator/{{Harmonix}}.
353
354	* ShamelessSelfPromoter
355	* EnragedByIdiocy: Has taken to viewing Dan as an ill omen for Giant Bomb
356	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Diet Coke.
357	[[/folder]]
358
359	[[folder:Cara Ellison]]
360	Freelance writer.
361
362	* WalkingTheEarth: Spent 2013-14 traveling the world doing embedded reports on various game developers.
363	[[/folder]]
364
365	[[folder:Rich Gallup]]
366	Producer at Disruptor Beam. Used to work at [=GameSpot=] with the guys.
367	[[/folder]]
368
369	[[folder:Janina Gavankar]]
370	Actress and star of VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017.
371	* AscendedFangirl: Of both Giant Bomb and Star Wars, which culminated in her guesting on a Giant Bomb E3 panel after appearing on stage to announcer her role in Battlefront II.
372	[[/folder]]
373
374	[[folder:Jeff Green]]
375	A consultant for Hit Detection. Former editor-in-chief of ''Computer Gaming World''.
376
377	* TeamDad: He's garnered this image as one of the few prominent middle aged people in the video game journalism field.
378	[[/folder]]
379
380	[[folder:Danika Harrod]]
381	Former social media manager for Waypoint. She and Abby have become good friends, and Danika has made several appearances on Giant Bomb videos.
382	[[/folder]]
383
384	[[folder:Samantha Kalman]]
385	Game developer.
386	[[/folder]]
387
388	[[folder:Greg Kasavin]]
389	Creative Director of Supergiant Games. Formerly a game journalist at [=GameSpot=] with the guys.
390	[[/folder]]
391
392	[[folder:Matt Kessler]]
393	Account relations rep at Sony and a former Giant Bomb intern.
394
395	* CloudCuckoolander: When John Drake paid a visit to the Bombcast after being hired by Sony, one of the first topics brought up were the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W77F1cY9HJM insane things said by Kessler]] that Drake had overheard, now that the two of them were coworkers.
396	[[/folder]]
397
398	[[folder:Mary Kish]]
399	Producer at Twitch, and a former video producer for [=GameSpot=]. Currently co-hosts the "Fire Escape" podcast with Dan and Mike Mahardy.
400
401	* DistaffCounterpart: Has frequently been compared to Vinny.
402	* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Especially on the 6/30/17 Megadate.
403	--> '''Alex:''' "It's weird how inviting Mary somehow brought a cloud of drunkenness to this whole experience."
404	* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine
405	[[/folder]]
406
407	[[folder:Dave Lang]]
408	Founder of Creator/IronGalaxyStudios, formerly of Creator/MidwayGames with Adam and Johnny V. Host of Team GFB Radio. History’s greatest monster.
409
410	* ChewingTheScenery
411	* TheBigGuy
412	[[/folder]]
413
414	[[folder:Mike Mahardy]]
415	Former host and producer at [=GameSpot=], and frequent guest on various Giant Bomb East podcasts and content. Currently co-hosts the "Fire Escape" podcast with Dan and Mary Kish.
416	[[/folder]]
417
418	[[folder:Justin and Griffin [=McElroy=]]]
419	Co-hosts of Podcast/MyBrotherMyBrotherAndMe and former editors at Polygon.
420
421	* AuthorAppeal: Every E3, Justin makes sure to book an appointment to see the new Sherlock Holmes game without fail.
422	* DoubleEntendre: Several made at Griffin's expense in reference to his ''Griffin's Amiibo Corner'' series, in which he puts various Amiibo into his mouth.
423	[[/folder]]
424
425	[[folder:Greg Miller]]
426	Co-founder and host of Kinda Funny, formerly of IGN.
427
428	* ChewingTheScenery
429	* ShirtlessScene: Greg's shirt has come off on at least one E3 show, and is a frequent occurrence in his various non-GB appearances.
430	[[/folder]]
431
432	[[folder:Brad Muir]]
433	Designer at Creator/ValveSoftware, formerly of Creator/DoubleFine, lead designer of VideoGame/IronBrigade.
434
435	* NiceGuy
436	* PerpetualSmiler
437	[[/folder]]
438
439	[[folder:Danny O’Dwyer]]
440	Independent video game documentarian at WebVideo/NoClip, formerly a host and producer at [=GameSpot=].
441
442	* AscendedFanboy
443	* ClusterFBomb: He's not afraid to swear in the slightest.
444	* ThoseTwoGuys: Does Shift+F1 (formerly Alt+F1 before he and Drew left [=CBSi=]), an F1 podcast, with Drew Scanlon. He and Dan Ryckert also hosted Danswers, a podcast where both Dans answer questions pertaining to real life problems.
445
446	[[folder:Wrestling/KennyOmega]]
447	Professional wrestler and executive vice president of Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling.
448	[[/folder]]
449
450	[[folder:Eric Pope]]
451	Community manager at Creator/{{UbiSoft}}, formerly of Creator/{{Harmonix}}. Used to occasionally contribute content to Screened during Alex and Rorie's tenure. Color commentator of League of Heels (formerly PAX Wrestling).
452	[[/folder]]
453
454	[[folder:Paul Ryckert]]
455	Dan's dad, who has appeared in several features when he or Dan visit each other.
456
457	* CloudCuckoolander: Possibly ''more'' so than Dan.
458	* LikeFatherLikeSon: He and Dan are ''very'' alike.
459	* TheNicknamer: According to Dan, once he gives you a nickname he will ''not'' let it go (for example, he nearly always refers to Jason as "Island Boy").
460	* WhereDidWeGoWrong: Paul frequently seems mystified about how his son manages to play video games for a living.
461	[[/folder]]
462
463	[[folder:Will Smith]]
464	Founder of FOO VR, formerly of Tested.com. Used to be part of Whiskey Media with the guys. Currently co-hosts the tech podcast "Brad and Will Made a Tech Pod" with Brad.
465
466	* MemeticMutation: Not one, but two pictures of him have reached meme status: [[http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/off-topic-31/the-unofficially-official-will-smith-cum-face-meme-513963/ the "happy" face image]] and [[http://files.tested.com/photos/2014/03/26/59430-47171-oculus_test.jpg his reaction to]] the Platform/OculusRift.
467	* ThoseTwoGuys: With Norman Chan.
468	[[/folder]]
469
470	[[folder:Giancarlo Varanini]]
471	PR rep at Ubisoft, formerly of [=GameSpot=]. Used to co-host the Powerbombcast with Jeff, Alex and Dan.
472	[[/folder]]
473
474	[[folder:John Vignocchi]]
475	Head of 3rd Party Portfolio Management at Creator/Nintendo. Former Vice President of Production for Creator/DisneyInteractiveStudios (primarily of VideoGame/DisneyInfinity); formerly at Creator/MidwayGames with Adam and Lang.
476
477	* OpenMouthInsertFoot: Johnny V. is a very nice guy with a terrible habit of saying things around the Giant Bomb crew that embarrass him or get him in trouble.
478	** Perhaps the worst one being the time he accidentally tweeted out Dave Lang's phone number during an E3 2015 livestream.
479	[[/folder]]
480
481	[[folder:Xavier Woods]]
482	Wrestling/XavierWoods, WWE professional wrestler and star of the WebVideo/UpUpDownDown gaming series on [=YouTube=].
483	* SitcomArchnemesis: He and Dan have built up this relationship between several VideoGame/SoulCalibur matches (usually ending with Xavier having to eat something gross) and their League of Heels appearances.
484	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / GiantBomb