The History of Boomstick Video



Welcome, friends! We’re so glad you are here!

This is our story and we’re sticking to it!

There was an idea – an idea that would eventually morph into something that goes far beyond nostalgic feelings.

In the spring of 2012, Marvel Studios released “The Avengers” and there is one line of dialogue that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it. The line was from Agent Phil Coulson directed towards Captain America himself: “With everything that’s happening; with the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned.” I can’t even begin to tell you how much this simple line of dialogue means to me.

Around this exact same time, my hometown best friend, Nick Weed (Uncle Nick) and myself shared a serious bond over television, movies, and Halloween traditions of days gone by. As we connected through late night horror movie marathons, VHS thrifting, and endless conversations over dinner about the good ol’ days, we both realized something really important: these fond memories that we were bonding over gave us an overwhelming feeling of peace that we hadn’t really experienced before we met. Nostalgia was on our side and we were riding this wave wherever it took us. Joy obviously comes from many different places, but there’s no doubt in my mind that my friendship with Nick is a gift from God that blossomed during a time in my life when I needed it most.

All of this eventually spawned into a vision that both of us feel very passionate about to this day. On an exceptionally chilly night in 2017, my wife and I had dinner with Uncle Nick at Pastarrific (A hometown favorite Italian joint in Kokomo). It was the first Friday of the month and we had just finished our routine browsing of all local businesses in downtown Kokomo. After dinner, we began asking ourselves: “what is the most nostalgic type of store where everyday people can discuss all forms of entertainment from the days of old?” The answer was clear to all of us: it has to be the independent video store. It’s no secret to anyone that when it comes to home entertainment, streaming has basically destroyed every other option available. All of the major video store chains are officially dead and gone. Video Update, Family Video, and Blockbuster are all distant memories; But, what if people had a place where they could find hundreds of movies that are nowhere to be found on any streaming platform? What if people had a place where they could have meaningful conversations about the remarkable impact a movie or television show had on them at a young age? What if people had a place where they could play a variety of retro video games with their friends that they used to rent out five times a month? Our vision became very simple: create a place where people can escape, create an atmosphere that makes people think they stepped back in time, and create a space for the outcast living in the past.

The vision of Boomstick Video remains raw and undeveloped, but it is definitely growing even as we speak. Our first step was creating the Boomstick Video Club Podcast, our second step was building an eBay store, and our third step was bringing in a full crew of incredible friends: Steven Arthur, Dave Clements, Zach Belt, and David Hunt. These are all amazing individuals that Nick and I have known for years who understand the joy of reliving the days of old. We call ourselves “The Boomstick Video Club” and we’re currently on a journey to create something way bigger than ourselves. It is our desire to create a safe haven where people feel no shame about wanting to turn the clock back a little. We have that available virtually right now through our podcast and maybe one day, we’ll be able to have a physical location that allows us to create the exact same safe haven. Thank you for joining us on this journey. So, until next time: Be Kind, Rewind, or die!