One of the most trending topics on TikTok the last few weeks, has been about the apparent survival of Don Lewis.
TikTokers are seeing their videos go viral after using an interview Carole Baskin, CEO of the Big Cat Rescue and star in Netflix’s Tiger King, did in fall 2021. I’ll copy the exact quote she said to give you the full context.
“One of the really exciting things that came out of Tiger King 2, is that they produced a letter from Homeland Security. It says that a Special Agent in Charge (SAC) with the FBI, at Homeland Security, reached out to the Sheriff’s Detective George Fernandez. This means this had to of happened after 2002, because Homeland Security wasn’t even around until 2002,” Carole Baskin said.
The DHS website confirms the above claim by Carole.
“Eleven days after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. The office oversaw and coordinated a comprehensive national strategy to safeguard the country against terrorism and respond to any future attacks,” DHS’s website said.
“With the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts, opening its doors on March 1, 2003.”
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 marked the start of DHS on November 25, 2002. Don Lewis was reported missing on August 19, 1997.
Below you’ll see Jack “Don” Lewis’ missing poster which can be found on CBS News’ website. Don would be 84-years-old now, if he’s still alive.
Now, back to Carole’s interview with UK talk show “This Morning. You can find the interview here.
“They said that my husband, Don Lewis, is alive and well in Costa Rica. Yet, all of this hay has been made about me having something to do with his disappearance when Homeland Security has known where he is at least since back then,” Baskin said.
I spoke with Carole’s now-husband, Howard Baskin, Thursday morning. He called the New York Post’s story “idiotic” and that he’s not sure why the Post decided to run this story now.
“TK2 (Tiger King 2) showed the Homeland Security document indicating they found Don in Costa Rica. Why in the world the Post decided to write about this now is a mystery,” Howard said. “And they mischaracterize her comment by presenting it as her claiming Don is alive. All she did was point out that Homeland Security, which was not formed for five years after his disappearance, said he was alive. There is no story and nothing to comment on.” Howard is also the Advisory Board Chairman of Big Cat Rescue.
Howard references the New York Post’s article, which can be found here. The NYP did multiple stories on this in the last 24 hours. The first headline reading “Carole Baskin says ‘dead’ husband was found alive — but no one noticed.” The second article’s headline reads “Carole Baskin’s claim that ex Don Lewis is alive shot down by sheriff.”
I received the following statement from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, which covers Tampa, Florida, the location of Carole’s Big Cat Rescue.
“We have not received any communication from our federal partners that confirms the location of missing person Mr. Don Lewis,” said Fentress Fountain, public information officer for the sheriff’s office,” said Marco Villarreal, public information officer for the sheriff’s office. “The investigation into Don Lewis’ disappearance remains a priority for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, as do all missing person cases. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 813-247-8200.
Since the Post’s interview, nearly every entertainment tabloid and website has covered it.
Carole declined doing an interview, but said she had mentioned her comments more than 60 times when reports ask about Don. She said she was surprised the press is “acting like they aren’t aware of it.”
“I guess Tiger King 2 wasn’t as popular as the first one that came out just as we all went into lockdown,” Carole said.
Carole said she wasn’t aware of the Homeland Security document until Tiger King 2 aired in November 2021, which was around the same time she did her “This Morning” interview virtually.
I connected with the Spokesperson at Springfield, Illinois’ FBI Office Thursday morning who put me in touch with Tampa’s FBI Office, who would have more details on the case. I have yet to hear back.
I have also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, who has yet to respond as well.
If and when I receive responses from these two organizations, I will update you all here.
In a virtual press conference, Moses Garcia of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s said the investigation was still ongoing and there were “multiple avenues” they were pursuing, but wouldn’t get into much more detail.
Whether it was the kiddy kind I’d have at orchards growing up like Eckert’s (Belleville, Grafton & Millstadt, Illinois) to the hard cider I enjoy now.
Ciders come in all different kinds and flavors. At first, I’d try the fruity kinds like Angry Orchard,Redd’s and Ciderboys, which I really enjoyed. More recently, I’ve gotten into more dry ciders like Magner’s and Northman. Northman has an awesome Beer and Cider Garden on the Chicago Riverwalk that I really enjoyed. Check it out if you’re ever in the Windy City!
The Northman
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Now, I’m excited to announce I am beginning to home brew my own hard cider!
Introducing: Sheehan Cider Co.
This past summer, my wife and I took a beautiful trip to Western Michigan for a babymoon. While driving up to Holland, I noticed a ton of signs along the interstate for cideries. This was foreign territory for me. I’ve lived in Illinois nearly the last 5 years, and Missouri for 22 before that.
I tried Crane’s Hard Cider at a restaurant in downtown Holland and loved it (See main photo in article).
Missouri is really attempting to be the “Napa Valley of the Midwest,” and is greatly succeeding. But Illinois? There’s plenty of orchards, but not a lot of wineries or cideries.
This inspired me to try my own home brew. After trying Magner’s for the first time at the Peoria Irish Fest, I have been able to find it in the store at Hy-Vee and have enjoyed it from time to time with dinner. The Irish Cider also motivated me to pay homage to my Irish roots, that’s why I’m naming my cider company “Sheehan Cider Co.”
*Note* No LLC. or any official company filings have been made. This is currently an at-home hobby and I’m just enjoying the learning experience!
Magner’s Irish Cider
I was at a local restaurant recently, and I asked the waitress if they had any cider. She told me “No, but we have Sangria!” I responded, “I’ll just have a water.”
I’ve created an Instagram page, @sheehanciderco, and have been working nonstop the last few days to connect with like minded individuals in the cider and beer industry. In 20 hours, the page has gathered over 130 followers!
I’ve gotten many encouraging messages and comments cheering me on in this endeavor, and I’ve been asking everyone for advice! This is so new to me, so I’ll take any and all guidance that those in the business are gracious enough to offer.
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The Sheehan family name has deep roots in Ireland, specifically County Limerick. My father and I plan to take a trip to Ireland next April to see the sights, experience our homeland, and dive into our Irish family history.
I begin the home brew process next week. Stay tuned to the process, and follow the journey on Instagram!
If you are a brewery, cidery, or winery owner and have any tips for me, please email me at mattsheehannews@gmail.com or reach out to me on Instagram!
Next month, one of my top shows returns to streaming.
Season 4 of TITANS hits HBO Max in November, and fans are raving about what the season could be like.
Viewers have just gotten first-looks at Brother Blood, Mother Mayhem, and Jinx, the villains of the show. And many hope for a potential love story between Brenton Thwaites’ Dick Grayson, and Anna Diop’s Starfire, two of the shows’ main protagonists.
Credit: HBO Max
I was honored to interview one of the TITANS writers, Bryan Edward Hill, and get a closer look into the creative process he goes through to bring these characters to life. Hill has tons of comics under his belt, along with live-action projects he’s been a part of. You can learn more about his work on his Twitter page, @bryanedwardhill
Here’s a behind-the-scenes image Bryan shared with me.
Brenton Thwaites (Nightwing) next to Iain Glen (Bruce Wayne)
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Below you’ll see the questions and answers between us. Enjoy!
1: What projects are you working on right now?
“My business is a world of secrets, but I can say that in addition to TITANS, I’m working on some theatrical projects I’m VERY passionate about, working with people I’ve admired as a fan, and people can expect to read work of mine in comic book stores in the near future. The gears are grinding, for sure. I’m grateful,” Hill said.
2: What drew you into doing what you’re doing today? To what do you credit your passion for comics, film, etc?
“Someone wise once told me that we go to films, to stories, to escape the difficulties of reality. That was certainly true for me. I didn’t have the worst childhood, but I had issues with parental loss. Finding my place in the world. A lot of fear of the future that I turned into adolescent anger. Stories were solace for me. The clean lines between hero and villain. Stories of overcoming adversity. Fiction has always been a great comfort for me. Now, of course, as I’ve grown I tend to make the lines between hero and villain a little blurrier, but that love of what stories can do has remained. I guess, silly as it may sound, I wanted to get into a position that helped others the way stories helped me. I don’t think there’s any inherent meaning in suffering, but I think we can find meaning by taking our experiences and trying to help others who might be going through the same,” Hill said.
“Michael Mann is my favorite filmmaker. As I grew up, I think he’s probably my single, greatest influence. I’m all over the place from French New Wave to John Carpenter. Hard to pin the passion down to one thing, one “reason.” I think we come to art, to make art, for a collection of reasons that funnel into a form that speaks to us. Film and Television spoke to me,” Hill continued.
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3: Oftentimes, it can be difficult to navigate taking a comic book story and bringing it to life in live-action. What has helped you effectively do this in projects such as Titans?
“TITANS is such a group effort, a collection of these amazing people I’m lucky to work with, led by our showrunner, Greg Walker. We all bring our own perspective to the work, but my focus is preservation of what I find essential about these characters. Just my opinion, but I believe there should be a ‘continuity of essence’ in adaptation. The DNA should be there, no matter the format. The rest is just grammar and personal interest. How you do it,” Hill said.
4: Do you have a favorite medium of entertainment to create? What is it and why?
“Not really. To be honest I’m REALLY lucky. There are people much more talented than me who deserve to have opportunities as much as I do. Maybe more. Fate smiled on me, so all I feel is gratitude to be able to work in any form and make a living,” Hill added.
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5: Let’s talk Batman. There’s a lot of questions surrounding the Caped Crusader right now. Will Ben Affleck return, and how will he return. Will Robert Pattinson fully take the mantle as Batman. Is Michael Keaton’s Batman retuning. Heck, will Christian Bale return one more time? Fans across the globe have been asking these questions especially the last few years. Let’s give you the keys and creative freedoms to bring Batman’s character to life the next 5-10 years. What would you do?
Sheehan asked
“I’m afraid the answer to that question would be very expensive, hahahahaha. I like Batman a lot. That’s all I’ll say,” Hill laughed.
“I do think Matt Reeves’ THE BATMAN was fantastic. I’ve dreamed of a “David Fincher” feel in a Batman movie and Reeves gave us that. Beautiful casting as well. Very excited to see where they take that interpretation of the character,” he added.
Photo I took while seeing The Batman opening night
6: Same question above except for Superman. Should Henry Cavill return? Will The Rock’s Black Adam bring him back? What are your thoughts on that?
“Should” is a loaded word, so I won’t speak in those terms. Just speaking of Cavill’s performance, I liked him a great deal. As Superman he had strength and vulnerability always working in his performance, sometimes simultaneously,” Hill said.
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7: Let’s discuss Titans. What’s something the fans don’t know about the creative process, or the cast, that you can tell them? It can be the smallest of details, to a funny story, etc. whatever comes to mind.
Matt Sheehan asked
“Whenever you see a scene and it looks cold? I promise it was colder than you think. LOL,” Hill laughed.
A lot of Titans is shot in Toronto
“The production has a real “family” feel. I’ve known these people for years, at this point, IMPORTANT years in my own personal growth. There are a lot of good people working on TITANS, many who you never see, but know that it’s all done with deep focus and attention paid.“
8: What is your hope for Titans? How long do you want it to?
“That viewers enjoy it.” This is something showrunner Greg Walker told me as well in an interview we did in 2021. You can find that interview on YouTube here.
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9: Fans suspected a Red Hood spinoff was in the works. Do you think this project should be green lit, and are you working on this anytime soon?
“Each of our characters have their own awesome fan bases, and people love seeing their characters get more focus. Being a comic nerd myself, I’m so humbled by the fan communication around the show. I’m grateful for their interest and support in TITANS. This life is a gift that many don’t receive. It really is,” Hill said.
10: I want to talk about Iain Glen’s Bruce Wayne. A totally different take on the character, one which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Do you think Titans needs to show Iain’s Batman fully before it’s over? Are there plans for Iain to return in future Titans episodes?
“Iain is a joy to be around. One of those actors where all you want to do is order a chilled bottle of something and listen to stories all night. Just a wonderful guy to work with, and his performance brings experience and elegance to the world of TITANS.“
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11: What projects do you have planned for the next 1-2 years?
“Hmmm. The best laid plans of professional storytellers. I have a lot of things in the works, things I’m very excited about, changes coming for me that I’ve wanted for a long, long time. Let’s see what the future holds.“
12: Are you excited for Black Adam? Would love to hear your thoughts on The Rock’s approach to the film.
“Sure! I don’t know Dwayne personally. Have some mutuals and all they talk about is how dedicated he is, and how generous he is. Whatever his approach was, I’m sure it’ll be fantastic to watch him bring it all to life. Such respect for that guy. A testament to dedication.“
Black Adam is in theaters October 21st, TITANS season 4 hits HBO Max in November.
Many fans are excited to hear from some of the cast at NYCC 2022. There will be a TITANS panel on Sunday, October 9th.
“join us for a kick-ass panel, our S.T.A.R. Labs booth and a few more surprises as we get ready for season 4! #NYCC#DCTitans” the DC Titans Twitter account recently posted.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Thank you to Bryan Edward Hill for sharing his time and insight with me during this interview. Good luck to the cast and crew of all of these projects! I’m excited to learn more. To my fellow TITANS fans, below I will post links to past interviews I’ve had with cast members. Get all caught up before season 4 premieres!
That’s Shark Side of the Moon writer Ryan Ebert’s three words to describe his new film on Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi.
I was able to interview Ebert about this project after watching the film this past weekend. I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Sheehan: Nearly everyone has heard of Sharknado. Two-part question here… 1: How much inspiration did you gain from those movies? And 2: Do you hope for more Shark Side of the Moon stories?
Ebert: “1. Sharknado will always loom large over any crazy shark movie, especially at The Asylum. Tubi literally asked for “Sharknado” pitches, and Shark Side of the Moon was born from that request. In a way, we would not exist without it. Additionally, the director of all the Sharknado’s – Anthony Ferrante – is a good friend of ours (mine and my wife, Anna Rasmussen, co-writer of Shark Side). He was always happy to offer advice and pitched a couple ideas that made it in the script. While not connected in any way (for now…), making something with Sharknado-level insanity was definitely on our mind from day one of the screenwriting process,” Ebert said.
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Ebert: “2. We set it up for a sequel, so the hope was always there. We’ll see how it all goes with this one, but it’s every writer’s dream to get a franchise, so to be able to continue with any surviving character’s journey (no spoilers) would be a dream come true. Personally, I am pulling for a trilogy, but again, we will see how it goes,” Ebert continued.
Ebert mentioned “The Asylum,” a movie studio that’s created films like Sharknado, Ape vs. Monster, Insect, Jungle Run, and many more. I’ve provided background on the studio below.
“The Asylum is one of the world’s leading brand-oriented motion picture and television studios. With a focus on high-concept, market-driven entertainment, like the SHARKNADO franchise and the popular BLACK SUMMER and Z NATION TV series, The Asylum finances, produces and releases 25 films per year through its direct pipeline to the nation’s top platforms and its network of international partners. Since its founding in 1997, The Asylum has released more than 500 films and has built a library of over 300 original productions, including top-rated programs for Netflix, Tubi, SYFY, Lifetime, Ion Television, Animal Planet, as well as Hallmark Channel, Sony Television, BET, and Universal TV. The Asylum’s apocalyptic thriller BLACK SUMMER was the #1 scripted series on its Netflix release. And its critically acclaimed action-horror series, Z NATION, is one of SYFY’s longest-running and highest-rated. Now THE ASYLUM MOVIE CHANNEL – a Free Ad-supported Streaming TV entertainment network, with over two million hours watched per month, is one of the top-rated OTT entertainment networks,” The Asylum’s website reads.
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Sheehan: Walk me through your writing process. Where’d these ideas come from? How’d it feel seeing them come to life on screen?
Shark Side of the Moon poster
“My wife (the head of development at The Asylum and one of the most talented writers I know) was tasked with coming up with a bunch of shark-related pitches for Tubi. Half need to be “Sharknado”, half need to be “Jaws” (or something like that). She asked for some help and we put our heads together. She was the one who came up with the title, and once she said it out loud, I was so inspired I immediately spat out the logline. It felt like a club SNL’s Stefan would say “had everything”: Cold War KGB Scientists, talking half-human half-shark hybrids, a lady Shark leading a lunar colony, a guy who lived on the moon for 40 years and raised a daughter there. We submitted it, and once Tubi gave us the okay, it was off to the races. We had a lot of back-and-forth with the producers (18 drafts of the script over a two-month period), but we were often told to “make it crazier”, so we kept pushing until finally, it was all approved and we started getting a cast and crew together to make it happen,” Ebert said.
“Seeing it come to life was wild. I was actually on set almost every second of the week and a half or so shoot, and I learned so much. I’d hear the actors say my words and sometimes I’d cringe thinking “I definitely wish we could do a 19th draft about now…” but then I’d see them pull of something amazing and fun and I remembered what a joy and privilege it is to get this chance. Not everything could realistically get shot the way it is in the script (again, it was a very short shoot), but when I saw those absolutely jacked hybrids ripping people open on the screen for the first time, let me tell you. That was special,” Ebert continued.
Crew photo
Sheehan: What would you tell my readers on why they should watch the movie?
“Because some movies are just supposed to be fun. If you are looking at this to be a gritty, dark exploration of terror, Hulu just put out an incredible movie called PREY, and you should really enjoy that (I know I sure did). But if you need a fun movie that knows exactly what it is and you and your friends need something ridiculous and insane to laugh at, SHARK SIDE OF THE MOON is only on Tubi,” Ebert said.
(I’ve also watched Prey, I agree that it was an incredible movie. Check out it for a lot of hard-hitting action and a great story. Okay, back to the interview).
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Sheehan: What’s your favorite part of the story/movie?
“Officially, I love the father-daughter relationship between Sergei and Akula. I love non-traditional father-daughter relationships in media (KICK ASS, THE LAST OF US, just to name a couple). That, and watching Commander Nicole take control of the insane situation she finds herself in. Maxi Witrak is a star and seeing her command the screen (no pun intended) was such a delight.
Unofficially, my favorite thing in the whole movie was getting to be the first casualty and watching myself get punched in half by a shark. (Spoiler alert!),” Ebert said.
Sheehan: What are your hopes & dreams for the movie?
Inside the space rocket in Shark Side of the Moon
“In a perfect world, Sharknado 2.0. That was never a likely scenario, but if we can nestle ourselves into “cult-classic” territory and become staples in a handful of households, that would be wonderful. Also, I WANT MERCH! If I ever see someone wearing a SHARK SIDE OF THE MOON t-shirt, I’ll do a backflip. Probably immediately die afterwards, but it will be worth it,” Ebert said.
Sheehan: Any future projects you’re currently working on you’d like to share?
Green screen of cast running “on the moon”
“Hopefully hearing about a potential sequel (fingers crossed!). For now, I’m just making my own sketches and comedy short films, so if anyone is interested in seeing those as they become available, you can follow me on Twitter or IG (@TheRyanEbert). I also have an ongoing series of old-school comedy “radio plays” where I write every episode and voice every character called ROWDY BUNTER: BOUNTY HUNTER on YouTube. It’s quite dumb, and some of my favorite work,” he said.
Behind the scenes
Sheehan: Any topics I didn’t ask about you’d like to discuss?
“I just wanted to give a shout out to the directors of SHARK SIDE OF THE MOON, Glenn Campbell and Tammy Klein. They not only directed one of the most ambitious scripts in Asylum history, but Glenn is also the VFX lead (and an absolute legend to boot). There are some VFX in this film that could go toe-to-toe with movies 100x the budget and given years to make. What they accomplished on the VFX side of things in only a few weeks is remarkable. I owe them everything,” Ebert said.
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You can watch Shark Side of the Moon right now on Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi.
Before you do, I want you all to realize this film isn’t going for all of the Academy Awards next year. As Ebert said, it is meant to be fun and cheesy. If you are familiar at all with the Sharknado movies, you know what he’s talking about. And after watching it, I can attest this movie achieves those goals.
Did I have fun watching the movie and enjoy it? Yes, absolutely. I laughed quite a lot and had a good experience with it. I want to thank Ryan for agreeing to this interview, and we’ll see if there’s going to be a sequel to Shark Side of the Moon. If you need someone to go fighting some hybrid sharks, Ryan, you know where to reach me!
The City of St. Louis has had some tough losses when it comes to break-ups in sports.
In 2011, just after winning a World Series with the Cardinals, superstar Albert Pujols announces he’s heading to California. Can you blame him? $240 million over 10 years with the Angels. But his team in sunny California didn’t turn out so rainbows & butterflies for the slugger.
Of course the St. Louis Rams leaving for LA was also a major blow to the City, but I’m not going to dive into that today.
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In May of 2021, the Angels released him. He just wasn’t performing like the Albert we knew and loved did “back in the day.” ESPN reports he was picked up by the LA Dodgers within the week, giving him new life.
I had a quick ray of hope, thinking maybe after the Angels released him he’d return to STL. Who knew that one year later, that dream would be coming true.
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Pujols was always my favorite player growing up. My batting stance was based off of his. He was a man of faith, had great sportsmanship, and is a remarkable baseball player.
Ever since he left for California, I always wished he’d come back to St. Louis. I believed in the bottom of my heart he would end his career here. Whether it was a 1-game appearance just to retire as a Cardinal, or for one season, I knew he’d come back (and he did!).
His return has been “Amazing, remarkable, incredible” just like Dan McLaughlin said after Pujols’ 692nd home run in Arizona Saturday night. His second of the night while going 4-for-4!
I also remember the moments Albert & the Cards DIDN’T win. We may have 11 World Series Championships (2nd most all-time next to the Yankees), but we have plenty of heart-breaking losses we’ve had to endure. Years and years of frustration. “This is the year!” When really it wasn’t. Who remembers when the Boston Red Sox swept us?
Seeing him laughing with Yadi & Waino takes me back to my childhood. I remember clear as day watching the 2006 World Series in my West County, St. Louis home. We had some family friends over and we’d watch every game, every single night. The Cardinals won it all, we ran outside hooting and hollering, getting in our backyard hot tub and losing our minds. For some reason I remember eating Rocky Road ice-cream while watching the game. This was strange for me because I usually stuck to my Cookie Dough, but I digress.
Fast forward 16 years.
“IS THIS REAL?!” Yes, Dan, this is real. A historic finale to one of the greatest careers in Major League Baseball. A fairytale ending for one of the GOATs, in one of the greatest baseball cities in the world.
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But the journey isn’t done yet. Albert is now reaching for 700 career home runs. With 42 games left in the season, it’s very likely he will reach that goal. With 5 more home runs, Pujols will pass A-Rod to hop into the 4th all-time.
Each time he stepped up to the plate, I took my phone out because *if* anything were to happen, I wanted to have it on my phone forever. Luck was on my side that day.
As a baseball fan, you have to love this story. As a Cardinals fan, this may be the best tale we could ask for.
Nightwing/Dick Grayson is one of fans’ favorite comic book characters.
Whether it’s the slick suit, the wittiness and mischievous attitude, or the acrobatic stunts, fans have all kinds of reasons why they love him. About 9 months ago I interviewed DC Titans’ Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Brenton Thwaites. I’ll link the YouTube video below!
I interviewed “Masked Mateo,” a Nightwing/Dick Grayson cosplayer who told me all about his journey into cosplay and why he loves the character! I was very impressed with Mateo’s cosplay that I saw on social media. Comic Book Resources even did an article on him, saying it looked just like the upcoming video game “Gotham Knights.” After seeing the photos I’ll share in the article, I think you’ll agree! Hope you all enjoy our interview below.
Credit: Ryan Simms
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Sheehan: What made you want to begin cosplay?
Masked Mateo: “To be honest, I woke up one day and decided to do it. I thought the concept of portraying my favorite character(s) and seeing what they could be in the real world would be awesome. I wanted to give a better experience for the other fans out there, not just at comic conventions but on social media. The idea of bringing a character(s) that others wanted to see come to life inspired me as well. Best part is seeing other fans’ faces light up when they see their comic hero walk up and interact with them.”
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Sheehan: Why Nightwing? What about the character draws you to him?
Credit: Jeff Jenkins Photography
Masked Mateo: “Nightwing aka Dick Grayson, has always been my favorite DC Comics hero. Growing up my older brother and I would pretend we were Batman and Robin fighting crime in the backyard. As I got older and dove into the comics even more, I followed the journey of my favorite hero. Depending on which comic run you follow, Dick Grayson (Robin) eventually leaves Batman’s so that he could become his own hero and find out what that meant to him. He moved out of Gotham City and into Bludhaven, where he faced his own trial and tribulations, this without Batman to help. He took the new name/mantle/costume of Nightwing. Over time, Nightwing’s charismatic personality and witty quips made me like him even more. He faces danger and his enemies with a smirk. I enjoy the fact that he constantly goes through the worst of it with his day-to-day challenges as Dick Grayson, as well as his crime fighting vigilante challenges as Nightwing and yet, always looks on the brighter side of things. He’s very adept in martial arts, acrobatic combat, and has genius level intellect to top it off. What makes all of this really stand out more, is that he is still a man behind a mask. He is a great leader and always shows compassion to others. I resonated with him because, as much as I love my big brother, I eventually wanted to see what I was capable of when I made my own decision based on what I felt and not because I wanted to copy or feel like a sidekick to my brother. Fast forward to today and seeing Nightwing and Batman team ups is awesome. It shows that they can be cohesive when working together while being their own individuals. The latest run by Tom Taylor of Nightwing, is by far my favorite ever. I cannot recommend it enough.”
Sheehan: What are your top 3 comic book characters to cosplay?
Masked Mateo: “My top 3 comic book characters to cosplay would have to be Nightwing/Dick Grayson, Cyclops/Scott Summers and Moon Knight/Marc Spector.”
Credit: Ghosts_Shoots
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Sheehan: Let’s talk about future Nightwing projects coming up. On TV, we’ve got Titans. Video games, we’ve got Gotham Knights. Are you a fan of Titans and the Nightwing adaptation? What do you think about what we’ve seen so far about GK’s Nightwing?
Masked Mateo: “Lets! I am definitely a fan of Titans! The costumes for the characters are incredible. Laura Jean Shannon absolutely nails these suit designs for each character. We finally have live adaptations of the Teen Titans. How cool is that? Honestly, the Nightwing suit is so unique. Took a second for it to grow on me since it was revealed on a live feed first but then after I saw it on the show, I loved it. Definitely an awesome suit and I loved the character development behind it to lead Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) and I thought about cosplaying that same version but I went a different route just to be different.”
“Gotham Knights: I can not tell you how excited I am for this game! I’ve been a fan since the announcement a few years ago and the first trailer we received on DCFandome. From what we’ve seen so far, I think we’ve barely scratched the surface on it. From the customization of suits, to fighting style of each character and the co-op play and the lore that’s coming with it….I have 1000% faith that this will be an amazing game. I’ve gained recognition from DC Comics, Gotham Knights and WB Games in a lot of my Nightwing content that was inspired from the game itself. I am just waiting to reveal my next Nightwing suit from the Gotham Knights game so that I can share with everyone to bring Dick Grayson to life again.”
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Sheehan: Is playing Nightwing in a show, movie, game a dream of yours?
Masked Mateo: “Absolutely! Given the opportunity, I would take it within a millisecond. I try to portray the character in all aspects as much as I can. I train in the gym constantly and volunteer in the community and although I am not a police officer as he once was, I am a firefighter so that’s got to be just as great. I love watching movies and shows/series, I would easily rise to the opportunity of a casting call. To be Nightwing in a video game would be incredible. I’m a gamer and being able to see myself in a video game would be so surreal.”
Sheehan: Do you hope we eventually get a Nightwing movie or series?
Credit: Amy K Photography
Masked Mateo: “As fans, we are owed a movie. haha. I would be happy with either as long as the writing and direction for both were done correctly. Nightwing is an A lister hero, now more than ever thanks to Tom Taylor (current writer for Nightwing). It’s time for people to start giving him his flowers.”
Sheehan: What tips do you have for those wanting to get into cosplay on how to put together the best costume?
Masked Mateo: “I held a panel discussing this at FanExpo Boston this past weekend and I’ll gladly stand by what I say. Cosplay is subjective. There is no right or wrong way to do it. You just have to do it. Create your own character, build a prop using items around the house. Some of the best cosplay that I have seen, have come from people using what they have around them at the time. A great place to start is drawing on a piece of paper of either a character you love or your very own. As I said before, there is no right or wrong way to do it. That’s the beauty of it. But if there is still an interest in purchasing fabric or looking for props, creating props/suits/costumes, head over to my page and I always recommend other creators as well as prop and suit makers for people who are new to it.”
You can find Masked Mateo on social media! Linking his Twitter & Instagram below.
There’s a Brad Paisley song called “Anything Like Me,” and woo boy if that ain’t the truth.
I’m already apologizing to my wife Rachel about the things our son is going to do. He’ll raise some hell and get into some trouble, but he’ll love his mama that’s for sure.
A great example
When I first learned the news, I wrote an article about how I was feeling (I’ll link that below this paragraph). In it, I outlined how I didn’t know how to feel. It wasn’t this rushing excitement or 100% joy you may see all over the internet. We were barely 3 months into our marriage! What happened to “Yeah, we’re gonna wait for two years or so!” That was some bull, haha.
We decided a month or two into our marriage we wanted to trust God with when we would have a baby. I trust God way more than I trust myself when it comes to life events and planning anyway. I didn’t share this at the time, but here I am in quarantine AGAIN with COVID, so who cares. I got COVID right after New Year’s. I was quarantined in the bedroom for 5 days away from a wife who loves her snuggles, neck massages, and foot rubs. Don’t let her fool ya, she missed me (and I missed her, too). I came out of quarantine on Saturday, and Ray told me “Come look at this shirt I made you for our upcoming trip to Disney!”
I walked out and into the guest bedroom, where I saw a little baby onesie with the words “Hello Daddy” stitched into them. Alongside it was a Darth Vader long-sleeve dry-fit that said “I Am Your Father.” A day I’ll never forget.
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So now, fast forward about 7 months. Rachel is 37 weeks pregnant. We’re 3 weeks away from the finish line. At 35 weeks, the big fella was measuring at 7.6 pounds. I was a 9.3 pound baby, so we’ll see if he beats his daddy.
Months and months went by, and Rachel kept asking me “Can you believe it?” Or the classic “We’re having a baby!” out of absolutely nowhere. I always said “Yeah, I can believe it,” playing it off cool.
But let me tell you what folks, for some reason during our 36 week appointment at the OBGYN, it finally hit me. I was sitting in the chair listening to his little heart beat 140 times a minute. The doctor had Rachel sign some paperwork that had to do with the delivery, and I realized “holy **** this is happening.” My eyes got real big and I about felt my heart hop out of my chest.
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This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, and it won’t be the last. I’ve found myself getting emotional during movies where there’s a father/son moment. Or in any Disney movie where they kill off the dad, it hits different.
We chose the name in classic Sheehan fashion. Over a half-rack of barbecue ribs alongside many other BBQ classics. We were in Kansas City for a family wedding (shoutout Patrick & McKinna) and we had lunch out that day. I’m going to write a separate article about that once the name is released, so stay tuned!
I pray my son loves his mama as much as I do. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, she’s got a soft heart. I hope he realizes that, protects it, and protects her. If he’s “Anything Like Me,” he will.
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I hope I can teach him to do the right thing. I hope he doesn’t make the same mistakes I did. But I do hope he makes *some* mistakes, within reason, to learn and grow as a person. We aren’t perfect, and sometimes in our lowest moments is when we truly define ourselves and improve upon who we are.
I pray he has a sense of humor. I want him to make his mama laugh until she cries. I want to throw the baseball with him in the backyard and have him laugh at my stupid jokes. I hope he loves barbecue as much as I do. I want to make him the best pork steaks he’s ever had!
I want him to experience traveling like I have. To see the beaches in Florida and California, the mountains in Colorado, the deserts of Texas, and the Great Lakes in Michigan.
Am I ready? Hell if I know! What does being ready for a tiny human being look like? I’d pay a million bucks to the person who can perfectly teach me that answer. Pretty soon we’ll be feeding you and wiping your butt at all hours of the day!
I do know one thing, I am ready to meet him. I’m ready to hold him, care for him, and to love him. I’m ready for him to meet his grandparents (and great grandparents!) His aunts, uncles, cousins… he is already so loved.
With much love from your daddy, we’ll see you soon.
My family has history in the State, dating back to when my great-grandparents lived in Traverse City. Now, we’ve made our own memories all across Pure Michigan.
Recently, my wife and I took a babymoon to Holland. This is the perfect spot for a 4-7 day vacation. I’ll dive into the things we loved most about the area, and hopefully you can get some inspiration for your next summer, spring, or fall vacation!
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Sunsets:
Nestled against the beautiful Lake Michigan, Holland and surrounding towns have incredible sunsets. Each night, I made it a priority to get us to a different spot to see the views. Even though multiple days were a bit cloudy, the sunset did not disappoint. Below you will find a few locations to check out the sights.
1: Tunnel Park
Tunnel Park | Holland, Michigan
Lets begin with Tunnel Park. The view so nice, we had to see it twice! The sandy beach laying against Lake Michigan costs $10 to get in during the day. It’s a pretty popular beach, and there’s good reason why. We’ll get back to the beach part of Tunnel Park later in the article. This spot is perfect for sightseeing because of the overlook above the Lake. As you can see in my photo, you can walk down these stairs to get to the beach, but I’d argue the view up above is much more serene. For those of you who like to learn your history, there are some displays up above that you can learn about Tunnel Park. There is another flight of stairs before you get to the overlook, but they are fairly doable. If you need to take your time, there are a few spots going up the staircase where you can take a break. We found that if you only go at night (say after 8:00 p.m.) you don’t have to pay the $10 to get in.
Tunnel Park
2: Grand Haven State Park Beach
While we did stay in Holland, our favorite area of the trip was Grand Haven. Take I-31 north about 30 minutes, and you’ll be there. The walkway out around the lighthouse is beautiful. You’ll see a good amount of boats on the waters, which as you’ll see below, make for great photos. Grand Haven’s beach was our #1 beach of the trip, I’ll share more details about that shortly.
Grand Haven LighthouseBoat at Grand Haven
3: Holland State Park
Another beautiful beach with a wonderful lighthouse. Holland State Park is one of the prize gems of the City. You can watch the sun turn red over the Lake from the beach, or walk out on a pathway farther into the water where you get the best views.
4: Laketown Beach
If you’re looking for a secluded spot, Laketown Beach is for you. The walk up the dunes is a bit more difficult than your other sunset spots, but if you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, check this out! Once you get to the top, it’s a beautiful view.
Laketown Beach
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Beaches
When you think of going to the beach, you might think of Florida, California, or South Carolina. While all of these States offer amazing beach getaways, I’d recommend trying to get up to Michigan once and seeing if you prefer this. Yes, the water is colder than if you were to go to the States I just named. But for the most part, the beaches are less crowded, the sand is still soft, and the temperatures are much more bearable. Honestly, after sitting in the sun for an hour, getting into the chilly water actually felt pretty awesome.
Our favorite beach was Grand Haven’s. We got there about 9:00 o’clock in the morning. I’m not sure what vacationers are up to at 9 a.m. in Michigan, but nobody is up and at the beach. We had a ton of space to ourselves right by the lighthouse, which was a beautiful shot (see below).
If you get tired of sitting on the sand, take a walk down the walkway up to the lighthouse and get some great views. Some people were even jumping off the path into the water (I did this once).
Holland State Park’s Beach is also a great option. We showed up at about 9 o’clock, and it was a little more busy than Grand Haven. But we really enjoyed a relaxing morning on the beach. If you get hungry, they’ve got a snack shop up the beach where you can get some (mostly fried) food. We packed picnics everyday for lunch, so we were set there, but I definitely got some ice-cream the night we came for sunset. One really nice thing about Holland State Park’s beach were these padded paths they put down for visitors. Instead of walking a long ways down the sand, you can walk down the path they’ve placed for you and get to your seats faster (and less sandy).
Tunnel Park was a beautiful beach, and a different experience than the others. You can either walk up the stairs I mentioned earlier in the article, or you can walk through the tunnel at the lower section of the park. Hence the name, Tunnel Park. Once you get through the tunnel, you have to walk down a staircase anyway to get to the beach. This beach was much more crowded, similar to Holland State Park, but it also was a thinner beach. The sand was still soft, just as it was at Holland State Park & Grand Haven, but there were a lot more people for sure.
The day we went to Grand Haven’s beach, we stopped at a coffee shop called Jumpin’ Java beforehand. There, I asked the barista some food recommendations. She told me about The Deck in Muskegon (about another half hour north). We went there for lunch that day, and it was one of the best decisions we made that trip. I’ll have to dedicate another paragraph to The Deck later on in the article. After we had lunch, we chilled at Muskegon’s beach. It was pretty busy, but still very nice and relaxing.
The final beach we went to was also a bit out of town from Holland. We headed out to Saugatuck’s Oval Beach. Again, showed up around 9 o’clock, everyone else must’ve been sleeping! We were one of the first ones there. The sand here was a little more coarse once you got to the water. There were pebbles in the water which didn’t feel the best on your feet, but the rest of the experience was great! Pretty secluded, very relaxing.
Food
I’m going to list out the places we went for food below with a quick description. This was another highlight of our trip.
1: Seventy-Six (Holland) — Feels fancy, but is a bit hipster. Really good food. I tried Virtue Cider (made in Michigan nearby) and it was the best cider I’ve ever had. Good vibes, plus it’s right downtown.
2: Captain Sundae — the classic ice-cream spot in Holland. Lots of options, super tasty.
3: Boatwerks (Holland) — Fan-favorite spot in Holland right by the harbor. Really good view, awesome outdoor seating. Inside of the restaurant is kind of designed like a ship. Highly recommend.
4: Long Road Distillers (Grand Haven) — Nice place downtown. Good burgers & Nashville hot chicken sandwiches.
5: Crazy Horse Steakhouse (Holland) — A more relaxed steakhouse. I wish I would’ve known because I showed up rocking a dress shirt and nice pants, but it’s all good, no judgment here. Really good steaks and sides.
6: The Deck (Muskegon) — Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Listen folks, I’m a barbecue snob. This was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had. You smell the grill as soon as you walk up to the restaurant. There’s indoor seating, but if you come to The Deck, get a table outside. I’ll put a photo below to show you why.
The Deck | Muskegon
First of all, you’ve got plenty of options. You can sit below near the sand, or above as you see on the left side of the photo. And it all overlooks the beach. Now, back to the barbecue…
Barbecue | The Deck
Phew, I’m getting hungry just seeing this photo! BBQ ribs, mac n cheese, Mexican street corn, fries and chips. Meal probably cost me $20. That’s a steal! The BBQ sauce was incredible, the ribs were immaculate, but the Mexican street corn (bottom right of photo) was a show-stealer. If you’re in the Muskegon area, this is a must-go!
7: Crust 54 (Holland) — There are multiple locations of Crust 54, we went to the one on 8th Street downtown. We had the Srirancha pizza, it was seriously one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. I love ranch, and I’m a big sriracha fan, so it makes sense why I’d like this. We also got these things called Tim Wheels, basically rolled up pizza which was delicious.
8: Windmill Restaurant — Need some breakfast? Here’s your option. Windmill is located in downtown Holland. Be prepared, because you’ll probably have to wait a few minutes outside before getting in. The food was incredible and the vibe of the shop was really cool.
Enough about the food, lets talk about some activities you can do if you’re sick of the beach or if the weather gets a bit funky.
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1: Nelis’ Dutch Village — Got kids? Go to the Dutch Village. You can feed goats, ride rides, taste cheese, learn Dutch history, and much more. It’s $15 to get in for adults, and it’s definitely worth it. Spend an afternoon here and you’ll have some fond memories. Also, for you romance lovers, the Village has some great spots for photos which makes you look like you’re in Venice, Italy or something. Just an idea.
Dutch Village
2: Windmill Island Gardens — I’m a sucker for good views, you probably guessed that since I started off this article going on about sunsets. Head over to the Windmill Gardens where you can see flowers galore, and checkout an actual Dutch windmill. You can get up in it and walk up to the 5th floor. I’ll post a photo below.
Windmill Island Gardens
3: Holland Farmer’s Market — On Wednesdays and Saturdays, head downtown Holland and checkout the Farmer’s Market. It’s right next to the Civic Center. Here you can find plenty of produce, flowers, coffee, jams, salsa, you name it! It’s a fun thing to do for an hour before getting on with your day.
4: Downtown Holland shopping — My wife loves shopping (so do I, but mostly her). So we spent plenty of time walking up and down the streets of downtown Holland going into stores and checking out all they have to offer. My wife always jokes that she is the one who always wants to shop, but I’m the one who always buys more stuff. It’s true, I’ll admit it. A few spots we went… Cherry Republic. Here you can find cherry ANYTHING. I got my mom some sour cherry chewy candies (she loves those), and I got myself some cherry BBQ sauce (maybe I’ll use that on my pork steaks tomorrow…). They also have different counters where you can try out plenty of their cherry products, for free. Salsa, sauces, chips, etc. I’m a big wine guy, so of course I had to stop by Warner Vineyards downtown Holland as well. I had a wonderful time learning about Michigan wine and doing a wine tasting. I of course bought a bottle of cherry wine, which I’m actually about to go pour myself a glass as I finish this article.
Proof 🙂
5: Bowerman’s Blueberries — This place made me fall in love with blueberries. I’ve always been a blackberry or raspberry guy, now things are changing for me. Truly. They’ve got EVERYTHING blueberry here. Coffee, crisps, pies, wine. They’ve also got some really cute home decor, I definitely bought a drink coaster while my wife wasn’t looking. She likes it though, we’re good. Of course the best part about Bowerman’s is the U-Pick blueberry picking outside. Huge blueberries I tell you, huge! If you didn’t get enough of Bowerman’s, have no fear, there’s a Bowerman’s shop downtown Holland where you can get breakfast, coffee, jams, and more.
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This is just a taste of Holland and Western Michigan in general. There is so much more to do, but you’ll have to go find out for yourself and report back to me.
If you liked reading about Holland, subscribe to my blog! I’ll be posting more about my travel adventures. Also, send me any tips for places to checkout!
There’s not much that can get me out of bed at 7:00 a.m. on a Sunday. But when I learned Kingdom Hearts dropped a trailer on YouTube showcasing the future of the franchise, I got the coffee ready and here we are.
Celebrating 20 years of adventures, Kingdom Hearts just dropped trailers for multiple projects heading our way.
First is the finale to Kingdom Hearts Union Dark Road. This is a game available on Android and IOS which dives into Master Xehanort’s past, and his path to becoming the villain in Kingdom Hearts. As you travel through the game, you arm yourself with cards and “engage in thrilling, strategic battles that test your skill and reflexes!” For those who have played this game since its inception, you’ll want to tune in for the finale. According to the trailer announcement, the finale will debut in August 2022.
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Kingdom Hearts Missing Link
Next is a brand new story with all-new characters. The graphics look stunning and the move set already catches my eye. This game seems very magic-centric, but also will allow you to form combo attacks like in the original trilogy. One scene from the trailer shows your character running up a building, you also see characters like Sora, Mickey, and Donald used in attack combos. It’s almost as if the OG characters are trophies on a pedestal and it allows you to use different magic strikes. There must be future announcements coming on Missing Link because it just said “Closed Beta Testing in 2022: for iOS/Android.”
Kingdom Hearts 4: The Lost Master Arc
The time all Kingdom Hearts fans have been waiting for. Where has Sora been? Will he ever come back? It seems all your questions and more will be answered in Kingdom Hearts 4. Cue the beautiful cinematography, calming music, and ominous yet optimistic quotes like “The heart resides in the soul, which in turn is guided by fate to its rightful place.”
“The choice is yours once more.” Then Sora appears, sleeping on a couch. Dazed and asleep in some random apartment, Sora is visited by a girl who tells him he’s been asleep “in this world” since he arrived seven days ago. “This world” is Quadratum. The girl tells Sora this world is an afterworld to them both.
If we’ve learned anything about Sora, no matter where he goes, Heartless follow. A “Darkside” Heartless shows up on this world and begins to wreak havoc. According to Kingdom Hearts Wiki, this creature has an Omega sign after “Darkside.” Of course Sora has to intervene.
Sidenote… for our Zack Snyder’s Justice League fans, the name is quite interesting, don’t you think? “For Darkseid.”
Anyways… This creature is much more menacing seeing the graphics Sora’s new world appears in. It’s not 2002 anymore, and this trailer looks more like a Godzilla movie than back when the trilogy first started. I was super impressed with the graphics and the attention to detail, both on the city and on Darkside.
Sora is just as BA as ever. You seemingly use a chain/rope accessory on his keyblade that allows you to basically swing like Spider-Man to get closer to Darkside. Also, running up buildings in KH4 seems to be a huge part of this initial battle, too. One of the coolest parts of the opening battle scene is when Darkside seemingly tosses part of a building towards Sora, and you have to maneuver it by gliding through an opening and sliding down the different walls before landing a strike on Darkside.
Hooded figures, similar to that of Organization 13, show up at the end of the battle. Will we finally get a closer look at the Master of Masters?!
The trailer ends with Donald and Goofy traversing through the Underworld. Reminds me of “The Further” in Insidious. A blue flame ignites behind them and a being says “Hey! Just where do you think you’re going?” Then in classic Donald and Goofy fashion, they scream and hold each other in agonizing fear.
It’s unknown when this game will be out, the end of the trailer just says “Magic in the Making.”
Let me know what you think about the trailer and what you’re most looking forward to!
It’s a Craft Tequila Seltzer made in Mexico. Have you ever had a tequila-infused seltzer? Because I haven’t.
Currently there are three flavors. Guava Spice, Tamarindo, and Aloe & Mint. Let’s break them down and get you ready for that summer vacation, pool party, or river float trip.
My favorite? It’s a close call, but I’ll have to give it to Guava Spice. Truly, it’s not too spicy at all actually. It’s extremely refreshing and sweet, but not too sweet. It has a good amount of flavor, but you can’t really tell there’s tequila in it. Give this one a try first to get the party going!
Next, Tamarindo. I’m a huge fan of the “spicy mango” margarita, and this gives me vibes of that. This one you can definitely taste the tequila, but not too much. Again, it’s just got the right amount of flavor.
Lastly, let’s discuss the Aloe & Mint. I still like this one, but it’s hard to beat the other two. At first, this flavor sounded strange to me. I was unsure if I’d like it, but I knew I’d give it a chance. I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The drink went down very smoothly and was very refreshing.
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The cans say this drink is filled with “Carbonated Well Water, Real Fruit Juice & Natural Flavors.” It’s 6% alcohol and a 12 oz. can is “low in sugar and calories” according to the website.
On the website, it says there’s a Mango y Chili. This is one I have not tried yet, but it sounds right up my alley.
All in all, I am a big fan of Mexi! It’s been snowing today here in Illinois, so you better believe I’m wishing I was back on the beach in Cancun like I was for my wife and I’s honeymoon.
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I hope the brand continues to expand. It just reached Illinois via shipping, which is how I was able to try it.
Let’s go through a couple of flavors I think would be great to explore!
Strawberry Daquiri. I think this would match well with the tequila vibe. Plus, it’s one of the most popular margarita/daquiri flavors.
Pineapple & lime. Sweet & sour drink that would pair well with the tequila. This seems “on brand” for Mexi and something I’d definitely try.
Let me know what you think about this review and if you plan on trying Mexi! I’ll plug the website below. Check it out!
Matt Sheehan Official 