TALK IT UP TUESDAY: Mike Garrison

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Tyler Hooks

0 May 12, 2020, 11:21 a.m.

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com 

Welcome to LiveRC's weekly column, "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!" Here we spend a little time talking with industry icons including racers, manufacturers, team managers, developers, promoters, and everyone in between! Sit back, relax, and go behind the scenes as we interview them all!

We caught up with Mike Garrison after his recent move to new employment and expansion of the Boom RC brand. Check it out here.

LiveRC: Hey Mike, how have you been during this strange time and circumstances?
MG: I have been EXTREMELY bored, however, I have enjoyed the time away from “normal life” to spend extra with family, rebuild all of my cars (which I constantly put off otherwise), and I event started to organize my stockpile of R/C stuff. I’m proud of myself for getting started, but we are going to need at least a 10-year quarantine for me to finish that process.

LiveRC: This was your first official week as a full time graphic designer, little different than your previously “normal week?”
MG: Yes indeed it has been a little different! I started my own R/C graphics company in 2007, known as 247DesignWorks. It later became BOOMrc. I was approached by the owner of C K Enterprises Inc. and their print/marketing department (C K Print & Design) to purchase BOOMrc and hire me full-time to continue working on BOOMrc, as well as join their own graphic design and marketing team. My days are full of a wide variety of projects ranging from designing custom BOOMrc orders, custom private labels, to signage and web design.

LiveRC: How has your transition been, you guys obviously had to move some things and equipment, is all up and running?
MG: The transition has been good! Everything took a little longer than I had planned to get all of the machines up and running, but we are back in action now!

LiveRC: What is the status of Boom RC, is it still up and running or did it hit the cutting room floor?
MG: BOOMrc is very much still up and running and growing. With the capabilities here at C K Print & Design we will be expanding our product line to offer custom cut awards, direct print apparel (rather than heat pressed), private labeling for the R/C industry, and more!

LiveRC: After stepping away from an industry job, do you plan to continue racing?
MG: Although I stepped away from the daily news and press releases of R/C racing, BOOMrc is keeping me in the industry, and I will be helping out as much as time will allow with any projects that LiveRC will let me 😊 As far as racing goes, YES OF COURSE I plan to continue racing…although with the quarantine it’s been so long I may have forgotten what little skill I once had!

LiveRC: As a Tekno driver have you built any of the new kits this year?
MG: I have indeed! I have built several EB410.2 buggies, which I run completely stock, stock setup, and I LOVE IT! I have also refreshed all my existing Tekno vehicles and look forward to the arrival of my new NB48 2.0 and EB48 2.0 very soon. I am notorious for waiting until the last minute to build my cars before going racing, so I plan to keep my streak alive and mad rush build them as needed only days before racing resumes.

LiveRC: Do you still plan on doing any guest columns or anything like that?
MG: Absolutely. Right now, I am still in the “learning process” of my new job, and balancing everything out. Once I have a better idea of my time, I hope to continue being a part of LiveRC with my Moment with Mike column, some product reviews, interviews, etc.

LiveRC: Will you be doing any announcing at all?
MG: On a local and regional level on the weekends I plan to continue announcing for both R/C and motocross. As far as travelling goes, it all depends on time and how it all fits in with the new job. Ideally, I would love to continue attending the major events with the LiveRC crew, announce, maybe do some racing, and of course make fun of Joe Bornhorst on camera as much as possible.

LiveRC: Anyone you would like to thank?
MG: I have a long list of people I would like to thank. First and foremost, my wife Britani. She not only puts up with me, she even encourages me to buy R/C cars, build R/C cars, and race R/C cars. She is my best friend and driving force behind anything and everything that I have the opportunity of doing. I would also like to thank Brandon Rohde and Cory Kroll for the many amazing years spent on board with LiveRC! I would also like to thank EVERYONE who has supported my efforts towards announcing, writing, graphic design, and racing over the years. That includes my local track buddies, to the complete strangers on the other side of the world who have liked, shared, and supported my adventures time and time again!

I also would like to thank all of the amazing companies who support my racing, and over the years have become good friends as well including Tekno RC, JConcepts, Tekin, Avid RC, Team Trinity, 1up Racing, and many more!