We recently had the chance to connect with Mike Damante and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Mike , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I get up at 5:15 a.m, and I get everything ready for my wife and kids to start the day. I go to work and when I get home, I get tidy up , exercise, do laundry and get dinner ready. Doing chores for my family gives me purpose after a long day of work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Mike Damante an author, journalist and award-winning educator. He is the author of the 2021 coffee table book “Hey Suburbia: A Guide To The Emo/Pop-Punk Rise.” His latest book, is 2024’s children’s book illustrated by H.E Creative about ska and racial unity, “Hey Ska-Burbia.” In 2023, his book “Above the Fold and the Fringe: How UAPs Became Mainstream News” was published. Damante is the author of the non-fiction trilogy of the paranormal “Punk rock and UFOs” series “Punk rock and UFOs: Stranger Than Fiction,” “Punk rock and UFOs: True Believers” and “Punk Rock and UFOs: Cryptozoology Meets Anarchy.” In 2019 he released his first YA fiction novel “Pumpkin Spice and Nothing Nice.” Damante previously worked for the Houston Chronicle as a copy editor, writer, reporter and web producer, and has interviewed/met bands and musicians like blink-182, the Descendents, Bad Religion, Taking Back Sunday, Tom DeLonge,/ Angels & Airwaves, Donald Glover, Tegan and Sara, Aerosmith, Alkaline Trio, the Get Up Kids, AFI, B.o.B, New Found Glory, Fenix TX, Social Distortion, Mick Jones from The Clash,Kid Cudi, Jello Biafra, Paul Wall, Dead Prez, NOFX, Gaslight Anthem, Reel Big Fish, Nysnc, Big Sean, Third Eye Blind, Against Me, Menzingers, Bouncing Souls, Lights, Interrupters, Interpol, Andrew W.K., H20, Slim Thug, Lagwagon, Everclear, Candy Hearts, Manny Fresh and countless others.s. He’s covered large events like the X-Games, Warped Tour, Free Press Summerfest, Wizard World Comic Con, San Diego Comic Con, NBA All-Star weekend, and has written for their 29-95, Peep, Guy Stuff, MIKED, and more Hearst blogs. Damante also served as the co-beat writer for the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros during the 2012-2013 season for chron.com.
He’s interviewed former government officials like Luis Elizondo, Nimitz encounter witnesses Kevin Day and Sean Cahill, New York Times journalists Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal, computer scientist Jacques Vallee, authors Whitley Strieber, Diana Pasulka, Peter Levenda, William Shatner, Tom DeLonge, Professor Jeffrey Kripal, military witnesses of UAP events, and many more big names.
He’s appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, FOX 26 Houston, Spectrum News Austin, Coast To Coast AM, Den of Geek, Hi My Name Is Mark, the Mike Herrera podcast, and countless other TV, radio and podcast programs.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The moment having more became a reality, the world changed. When my first daughter was born I felt the universe change like something out of a sci-fi movie.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Pain is power in a sense since overcoming that pain is empowering. Looking back at times I was at my lowest, I always remember the comeback just as much as the setback.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I’m a big Batman nerd. I grew up reading all the comics and I love the trilogy of films by Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale was a great Batman, but I love and respect hue fact he opened up an orphanage just like Bruce Wayne would. I also read even when he was making millions, he was driving his same old truck. Stay humble. Give back.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think about the word legacy a lot. I did what made me happy and lived out a dream as an author and journalist, but more importantly I wish I could make a difference to make the world a better place for my children. Currently, as a teacher, I’m trying to best prepare the next generation to make the world a better place for themselves and my own children.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Punkrockandufos.com
Image Credits
Mike Damante
