Who do you get whenever you cross a bodybuilder, comic, and reptile fanatic who has a knack for producing high quality YouTube movies? You get Adam Wickens. Rising up in Ontario, Canada, Adam launched his very fashionable YouTube collection, Wickens Depraved Reptiles, on January 14, 2019. Educated and humorous, Adam presents with a dynamic display screen presence and his channel has since grown to greater than 324,000 subscribers. Along with having fun with the recognition of his movies, Adam has additionally grow to be well-known for his travels with Dāv Kaufman in addition to frequent collaborations with different well-known influencers within the reptile retaining group.
FR: Hi there Adam and thanks for agreeing to take part on this interview.
AW: Thanks for having me Foster, it’s a pleasure to talk to you.
FR: Rising up did you ever preserve any reptiles or amphibians, or is that this an curiosity that developed as you grew older?
AW: After I was a child I used to be obsessive about dinosaurs. I shortly realized you may’t preserve a pet dinosaur however these reptiles positive are comparable, or not less than it appeared. Then in kindergarten a reptile presentation rolled by means of and I used to be hooked. I wasn’t allowed to maintain any pet reptiles as a baby sadly.
Adam has additionally grow to be well-known for his travels with Dāv Kaufman in addition to frequent collaborations with different well-known influencers within the reptile retaining group. Picture courtesy Adam Wickens.
FR: What was your first reptile?
AW: My first reptile was a bearded dragon named Jackson. A buddy from work wanted to rehome him so I obtained all of the stuff I wanted to maintain a beardie and that’s after I started my reptile journey at 19 years outdated.
FR: What was the primary species that you just ever bred?
AW: The primary species I ever bred was for a leopard gecko mission. I obtained a male leopard gecko named Cheech in 2011 and nonetheless have him to today. He’s the daddy and I saved the primary child to hatch, I nonetheless have her. Her identify is Littlefoot. Coming full circle right here.
FR: They will stay a very long time. I nonetheless have a feminine from my authentic group that I acquired circa 1988. When did your assortment actually start to take off?
AW: I had solely three reptiles till about 2015. Jackson, Taz (one other beardie) and Cheech the leopard gecko. In 2015 I obtained into hognose snakes after which ball pythons and extra leopard geckos, and I used to be gifted a boa just a few years later and simply saved getting increasingly more concerned within the interest.
FR: Which species are you at the moment targeted on?
AW: This can be a powerful one to reply as a result of I’m probably not that sort of keeper. My reptile household is numerous and that’s what retains it recent for me. Certain I’ve a number of leopard geckos and hognose snakes and another species however the monkey-tailed skinks and Fiji banded iguana and the extra distinctive stuff is an enormous focus of mine too.
FR: Brachylopus fasciatus is a species that may solely be fantasized about retaining right here within the US. Through the course of your travels between the US and Canada have you ever observed different species which are unlawful in a single nation however not the opposite?
AW: I’m very fortunate to maintain a Fiji banded iguana and truthfully this can be essentially the most lovely lizard I’ve ever touched. My fantasy is the rhino iguana. Cyclura should not round in Canada however to have one can be a dream come true.
Wickens Depraved Reptiles has greater than 300,000 subscribers on Youtube. Picture courtesy Adam Wickens
FR: Do you ever have any alternatives to sneak in some subject herping?
AW: I don’t get out a lot for herping. The place I stay there’s little or no to seek out and I often save the herping journeys for my travels.
FR: Do you retain some other pets along with reptiles and amphibians?
AW: I preserve three canine. Aeris the Australian shepherd, Stevie the golden retriever and Flutie the pomeranian combine. I really like these canine!
FR: Many different in style influencers in our interest additionally breed inventory to promote. Have you ever ever given any thought to increasing into business breeding?
AW: Sure however not proper now. Breeding reptiles in Canada is more difficult than breeding within the USA. Just because there’s a a lot smaller market, much less transport choices, and so on. So perhaps in the future, however proper now I’d say I’m a “interest breeder.”
FR: I couldn’t agree extra. Watching your movies, it’s apparent that you just do properly with naturalistic, planted vivariums. Have you ever all the time had an curiosity in vegetation or did this factor develop with retaining dart frogs?
AW:I’ve all the time been curious about vegetation and really labored at a plant and flower wholesaler for many of my 20s. Nevertheless the curiosity in additional distinctive and uncommon vegetation is reasonably new. I’m a little bit of a Troy Goldberg fanboy and watching wonderful content material about these cool vegetation and planted enclosures actually sparked my curiosity greater than earlier than.
FR: What made you determine to provoke a reptile-themed YouTube channel?
AW: Truthfully it’s actually fortunate circumstances. A comedy promoter that I’ve performed tons of reveals for was speaking to me in the future and I instructed him I had three weeks between quitting my final job and beginning my new one and I used to be bored. He stated “You could have a zoo in your basement, you’ve a digital camera and you’ve got an enormous persona! Begin a YouTube channel!” So I did, that day. The subsequent day I uploaded my first two movies. I actually imagine I wouldn’t have even tried if it wasn’t for that dialog.
FR: That could be a nice story. Your movies are very properly made, do you’ve any earlier background in cinematography?
AW: Thanks, that’s very type! I don’t have any background actually. I did learn to use iMovie and make foolish little movies in highschool Com-Tech class and was the video bulletins presenter in grade 12 so I’d say that made me understand I favored video manufacturing. However honestly my training got here from watching YouTube movies about the best way to make YouTube movies.
FR: Starting with the preliminary analysis and ending with the ultimate edit, what’s the common period of time concerned when producing considered one of your movies?
AW: It completely is determined by the kind of video. Generally I can rip by means of an edit in 8 hours if it’s a High 5 video and all of the B roll is well present in my now huge archive. Generally a video would possibly take two working days. However the journey movies, oh boy, these take every week or extra. Very lately I employed a few editors and so they do an amazing job enhancing some movies whereas I reduce the extra concerned ones myself nonetheless.
FR: Regardless of exhibiting off cool herps, having enjoyable on digital camera, and touring the world, there undoubtedly must be much less glamorous points of your work. What’s a typical day for you?
AW: Effectively there definitely is quite a lot of work that goes into retaining so many reptiles and making these movies. On daily basis consists of cleansing reptiles and feeding them. I reply to feedback each single day, I reply messages and emails, and simply common enterprise stuff and naturally arising with recent concepts takes a substantial period of time. Total it’s quite a lot of work however I do know what I signed up for and I wouldn’t change it.
FR:Who’re among the people who influenced you essentially the most when starting this endeavor?
AW: I’ve all the time been an enormous fan of Brian Barczyk and really imagine he’s the unique man who gave so many people the inspiration to do that. I’ve additionally been watching guys like Mike Tytula, Lord Elion, Kenan, Reptilian Backyard and so many extra without end. It’s such a loopy factor to me that I now journey the world with among the channels I used to observe as a fan earlier than I began. I’m very fortunate.
FR: What recommendation would you want to provide to others aspiring to create a YouTube channel?
AW:I really like answering this query. It’s actually about one query; do you really need to be a “reptile influencer” or not? It’s quite a lot of work and it takes a very long time to get anyplace. Should you’re critical, begin at present. I began the day I obtained the concept and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be right here speaking to you. Begin proper now! Setup your socials, the channel, create a emblem or get one made at present. Shoot and produce 5 movies and launch them suddenly so when somebody finds one they’ve extra to observe. It often takes two to a few movies watched for a viewer to hit subscribe. Subsequent, work out an add schedule and NEVER EVER MISS A SCHEDULED POST! That is SO vital. As soon as every week, twice every week, no matter, simply by no means ever miss. Then get higher at one factor each week. This week it’s audio, subsequent week it’s lighting, the week after it’s enhancing transitions, then lighting once more the following week. Simply continue to learn and getting higher. Lastly, preserve going. It took me seven months to get my first 1,000 subscribers and that’s quick. It’ll take some time however you will need to preserve pushing. The grind is value it. Have a look at me, I’m doing an interview within the journal I’ve subscribed to for over 10 years.
FR: Are there any plans for creating future channels?
AW: I’ll be launching a brand new channel quickly. It’s not reptile-related however I feel my present viewers will like it and it’ll attraction to a much wider viewers too.
FR: Wickens Depraved Reptiles clearly stands properly by itself. This stated, I’m positive that many readers are going to need to learn about your relationships with Dāv Kaufman, Emily Roberts, and most of the different in style influencers. How did these relationships start? Had been any of you buddies or associates earlier than the launch of your respective channels?
AW: I’m very fortunate to name all of those wonderful folks buddies. Earlier than the channel I used to be only a fan. Because the channel grew I began getting some consideration and would discover issues like “Clint’s Reptiles subscribed to your channel” and it will blow my thoughts! I journey with Dāv so much and hilariously the primary time I ever spoke to him was on a zoom name after a podcast on Brian Kusko’s channel. He and I’ve the same humorousness and we type of tossed jokes or jabs backwards and forwards and I feel that made an excellent first impression and we grew to become buddies. I’d say the primary Snake Discovery Construct Off was enormous for me when it got here to creating these relationships. I met Dāv in actual life and Emily and so many extra for the primary time. Even Dayyan from Reptiliatus I met there (In Minnesota) for the primary time regardless of him residing an hour from me right here in Canada. The construct off, the Canadian Reptile Breeder’s Expo and Barczyk’s AnimalConUSA have been the principle issues that standout after I take into consideration the place the vast majority of the relationships I’m so fortunate to have began.
FR: Adam you might be well-known in your world travels with Dāv Kaufman. What’s it like touring with Dāv and what are some stand out moments out of your adventures?
AW: Dāv is a personality and touring with him is quite a lot of enjoyable. He’s a go-go-go sort and so am I so I feel that works properly. He’s an skilled planner and that makes the logistics of those journeys go easily. Dāv is a seasoned herper, and good at it. I’m not and I’ve horrible imaginative and prescient, so it’s often a bunch of him discovering stuff and me. . . not discovering stuff. However in Thailand we have been in search of a species of flying snake. I wished to seek out it so unhealthy and he wanted to seek out it to finish a video he was engaged on. We appeared and appeared, up within the bushes, in bushes, in all places. And as we stroll to a restaurant on the fringe of the Nationwide Park for lunch, Dāv walked proper by this snake that’s speculated to be uncommon and elusive and in a tree for positive… proper on the concrete within the car parking zone. I pointed at it and gasped “Dāv, what’s that!?” He rotated, exclaimed and all of us made a mad sprint to catch the snake to point out the digital camera. I don’t discover a lot however I did discover the good species of the journey and the man who sees the whole lot walked proper over it. We had an amazing snicker about it and it’ll be the feather in my cap without end.
FR: Comedy is a component that you just combine properly on digital camera. Inform us about your background as a comic.
AW: Standup comedy is my favourite factor on earth to do. Having a big group of individuals present a visceral response to one thing you wrote and crafted in your head after which delivered on a stage is like no different feeling I’ve skilled. I began standup just a few years earlier than the channel and I feel acting on a stage with simply myself and a microphone is an artwork that requires ability in improvisation and fast wits. It has actually helped my YouTube profession too. Plus it’s so much simpler to answer to unfavourable YouTube feedback with time to assume whenever you’re used to having to close down hecklers instantly. Comedy has made me a greater YouTuber.
FR: Adam, the power and enthusiasm for our interest that you just radiate on digital camera is infectious. Is there anything that you just wish to share?
AW: Thanks! I attempt to make the movies enjoyable to observe. I hope we will all study reptiles collectively and if one individual discovered the channel and was satisfied to like reptiles due to it, all the work was value it.
