Hello, and welcome to another jam-packed edition of The Hot Seat. Can you believe it's already been a year since the very first edition?
That's right; this issue marks the one-year anniversary of this column, so we decided to do something special. We chained Mike Alexander down and MADE him answer all of these questions for your reading enjoyment. So, what are you waiting for? Read on to find out some very interesting things about our one and only editor.
If you have an idea for someone you want to see in The Hot Seat, email hotwheelbabie@aol.com with your suggestions, questions, or comments, and maybe your favorite person will be our next victim!
This month, we bring you Mike Alexander, Editor of Mini Truckin' magazine; if you don't know him yet, you're about to know it all!
The Basics
Full Name: Mike Alexander
Age: 28
Place of Birth: Santa Maria, CA
Current Residence: Lake Elsinore, CA
Daily Driver: Just got the Bob Grant original-Twisted Metal (Toy-Blazer)
Who are you?: Just a dood tryin' to get by!
Q: What is in your toilet tower/lavatory library? Be honest, not the obvious ones like Mini Truckin', we want to know about the US Weekly, the Better Homes & Gardens and the Luscious Large Woman mags.
A: Mostly car, truck, and lifestyle mags like, Rod & Custom, Tattoo, Snowboarder, Guns & Ammo, Martial Arts, Watch Times (I love watches), and a few foreign mags that are pretty killer.
Q: Tell us one thing people either don't know about you or would be very surprised to hear?
A: I'm actually part bionic man. Part of my "ninjaness" comes from my indestructible leg. I have a titanium rod in my right leg and pins from my hip to my knee. I almost bit the big one snowboarding a few years back and hit a tree at 30 mph. I shattered my femur, broke my hip, and messed up the entire right side of my body pretty good. I lost a lot of blood internally and almost didn't pull through, but thanks to God and my family for sticking by my side I'm still here. Oh, and another thing NO ONE except my closest friends know, I was in gymnastics and martial arts as a youngin and became fairly talented. I wanted to be a stuntman until all my injuries forced me to quit.
Q. Do you have any tattoos? If so, what is it, and do you regret it?
A: Tons! I don't regret any of them. I have to thank Ernie Macias for actually sitting through my first one with me in Japan. He started my addiction and now I'm working on a full sleeve all done in Japan, an entire "Gangsta Jesus" back piece done here in So Cal, and a few others going on including a Grant Kustoms logo tattooed on my chest as Bob Grant is the reason I first fell in love with minitrucks.
Q. What got you into the scene?
A: When I was in middle school a buddy of mine brought a Mini Truckin' and I saw one of Bob Grant's first creations and I was instantly hooked and haven't looked back since!
Q. We hear you and the infamous "One Sleeve Steve" played in a pool tournament in Kentucky? How did you do?
A: I think I did alright. Something about popped collared retards gets my blood boiling. Jager and I don't mix well with those pop collar idiots! But my boys Harv, Grommit, and Prick took care of me.
Q. So have you ever had any custom license plate mishaps? Don't lie, we know the truth!
A: Haha, you suck SO bad! All right, here it is for the entire world to read. About ten years ago I ordered my very first custom license plate. It was when they first came out with the shapes so I wanted to do the "Heart 2 B LOW". Well, when it came back as "Heart2BLOW" with no spaces let's just say I returned it and went on my merry way.
Q. What is your favorite part of your job? Favorite place you have traveled? Any regrets?
A: My absolute favorite part is all of the great people I can now call my friends and all of the amazing places I've traveled around the world! I love every second of it, even the long hours and deadlines to get you your favorite mag each and every month. No regrets at all, but it is definitely hard turning your passion into a job, as anyone in the biz knows. For example if you install car stereos ALL DAY LONG the last thing you want to do is go home and put your buddy's stereo in for him. It gets pretty taxing and yes, sometimes a break from the shows and trucks is needed to keep me going strong!