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Interview with the amazing Aaron David Kapner, actor and comic book enthusiast.
Nate: Hello, sir. Welcome to Comic Book Curious, please tell us your name and your occupation.
Aaron David Kapner: My name is Aaron David Kapner. I am an actor in New York City.
Nate: Fantastic David! And a comic book devotee.
Aaron David Kapner: I am, I am just just so you know I know this probably wasn't a thing you remembered you remembered, but the full name actually is, and I'll explain why it's actually Aaron David Kapner.
Aaron David Kapner: So I don't know if you remember me as David or as Kapner- Kapner's fine, but my actual official first name is Aaron and it was-
Nate: Aaron it is!
Aaron David Kapner: I can explain everything, but yeah.
Nate: I got it. It sounds like a superstar name Aaron David Kapner.
Aaron David Kapner: Thank you man, thanks- appreciate it. Just want to let you know, so-
Nate: Fantastic! Ladies and gentleman Aaron David Kapner.
Aaron David Kapner: Kapner is fine. Kapner is fine. If you want to go back to the- I remember the memories back in Muhlenberg.
Nate: Oh yeah.
Aaron David Kapner: It's yeah. But yes, I am a comic book -I've been pretty much my entire life. I still have boxes of them here in my apartment. And yeah, man, I've been following just about everything that comic books have been doing TV and film for years now.
Aaron David Kapner: So even if I haven't like watched it, you know, religiously like everybody else, if you asked me about it, I'm sure I can talk about it.
Nate: Great! Well, who's your favorite superhero and why?
Aaron David Kapner: Batman is always my favorite superhero because he doesn't have powers. He's human, he just spent his entire life, you know, trying to perfect himself physically, mentally, spiritually, his willpower is like one of his greatest powers- then of course, you know, being a billionaire doesn't hurt either- but just, I love the fact that he is really he's so bad ass, but he's still vulnerable cause he can be hurt like, you know, any other regular human being. But at the same time, I was just actually looking at a post about this on Facebook and as amazing as his like gadgets and his weapons and as his fighting powers and all that is, one of the best things about him is his- his empathy and his humanity, like, you know, he cares about the people he's trying to help.
Aaron David Kapner: He cares about what he wants to go out there and make a change because of what he suffered as a kid. So, you know, that really always really appealed to me. Cause he doesn't just go out there with superpowers and just, you know, knock guys over, he can actually get hurt. So he has to actually plan and, you know, think ahead like a regular person.
Nate: Right. And you know, for me, I'm listening to this book about comic book heroines, it's called Super Girls and it's a very cool book. Talk about how it's similar, where the women, their superhero, when they're superheroes, it's actually who they really are. And then their, their actual cloak is their- them in everyday clothes.
Nate: So Bruce Wayne is not who he is. And I think that's super cool. And I didn't think about it. When you think about the history of comics, how they had very stereotypical, like, Oh, I'm the senator's daughter, or I'm a sorority girl, or I'm a this girl. And then they like become bad-ass women. Same thing with him.
Nate: He's like, I'm just a doofy, you know, like a rich boy, but really he's like the King of, you know, fighting crime. So I love that. That's a great answer. Okay, cool.
Aaron David Kapner: Thank you.
Nate: What is if you could have one superhero power, what would it be?
Aaron David Kapner: Flight.
Nate: Ooh.
Aaron David Kapner: So I never have to take mass transit ever again.
Nate: Yeah! New York, New York baby.
Aaron David Kapner: As a New Yorker, man, it's the ability to get anywhere like either flight or a train, either flight or like teleporting.
Nate: Yeah.
Aaron David Kapner: I never have to like, even if I look at a picture or think about where I want to go and just show up right there. So like, I never have to take mass transit again.
Nate: Oh yeah, that's a good one.
Aaron David Kapner: Or look in a car or anything.
Nate: What is your superhero power now?
Aaron David Kapner: Oh, what is my current superhero power?
Nate: Yeah.
Aaron David Kapner: Boundless optimism and the ability to be boundlessly optimistic and not let myself get drawn down by fear or worry about what the next- what's going to happen the next day. Just stay optimistic that everything's going to improve.
Aaron David Kapner: And, you know, as long as it takes things will eventually work out.
Nate: It's all about perspective, man. I couldn't agree more with you. I listened to a lot of books and there are people that are absolutely broke and happy and you know, not living- you know, and they're living their life purpose and there are people that are rich and miserable, you know? And- and that optimism and that perspective for me, from what I've read and what I believe, it's, it's really everything.
Nate: Are you grateful for what you have and- and are you, are you going somewhere? Right? So that's a great, great super power. All right. Is there a one quirky thing that you can do, like an impression or-
Aaron David Kapner: I was about to say impression actually is what I do that's my one, that's my quirky thing.
Nate: Let's see it, let's see it.
Aaron David Kapner: Okay. I won't say- I won't tell you who, see if you can guess.
Nate: Alright.
Aaron David Kapner: So Nate's comic books. Why, why comic books made the little colorful pictures on paper
Aaron David Kapner: Ooh, look at that one, pretty.
Nate: Oh, man that's- that's easy. That's fantastic. Has he been in any comic book movies?
Nate: He hasn't,
Aaron David Kapner: he hasn't, he's been in crazy stuff likeThe Rundownn with The Rock and stuff like that and he's been in these- played quirky characters all over, but I don't think he's ever- actually, no, no, no! That's not true. Batman -was it Batman Returns? With the second Batman movie with- the second Batman movie with Michelle Pfeiffer and it had Danny DeVito, she was Catwoman. Danny DeVito was Penguin. But Christopher Walken was in that movie.
Aaron David Kapner: He played a bad guy named Max Shreck.
Nate: Oh he was the mayor, right?
Aaron David Kapner: No, no, no he wasn't mayor, he was like the owner of this company that, I forget the details, but it's like, he tried to, he was doing something corrupt and Michelle Pfeiffer's character, Selina Kyle, finds out about it and he like pushes her out a window and she hits her head.
Nate: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! I remember.
Aaron David Kapner: That must've been like, it must've been like early nineties, like 1990 or something like that because it was right after-
Aaron David Kapner: Wow! Well done.
Nate: David- Aaron David Kapner.
Nate: Okay. Marvel or DC who would win in a battle?
Aaron David Kapner: Oh, God, man. I just I'm a Batman fan, but I had to think about this. I'm going to have to go Marvel.
Nate: Oooh! Okay, cool. What is your passion?
Aaron David Kapner: Performing, living in different characters. But I was thinking about this also it's like besides acting and performing and doing characters, just trying to find meaning in- as slow as things are as tough as things are- trying to find meaning or something important in, or something to do every single day, you know?
Nate: Love it.
Nate: How about an everyday superhero that, you know? And then an everyday superhero that you don't know. For example, I was talking to someone yesterday and they were like, ah, I really admire Bono. And that's someone they don't know, but someone that you do know, that's not your parents.
Aaron David Kapner: Someone who I do know? I don't know them- I don't know their names, but I was thinking about this. I think the people who work at the uh, uh, the local Dunkin Donuts in Astoria- like right by the right by the the subway stop up here in Astoria because they are there like all hours of the day and they always have great attitudes. You know, I'm always, they're always like happy to see- they know me well enough because I've been there enough times. But I always, to me, to me, their local heroes, you know, people who like, just they really, they put forth a great, they always put the best foot forward, great customer service and a really, you know, they're always happy. I'm always happy to see them.
Aaron David Kapner: Someone who I like, a superstar? Keanu Reeves.
Nate: Yeah! Good one.
Aaron David Kapner: I don't know him personally but he, he is just with his, his attitude and the stories I hear about him. I hope it's true. But he seems like just an amazing human being.
Nate: Yeah. That's great. I haven't heard that yet. I agree. I agree.
Aaron David Kapner: Thank You.
Nate: Okay, cool. Alright, speed round. Ready?
Aaron David Kapner: Yeah.
Nate: One or two word answers. On your Mark, get set, I know the first one, Batman or Ironman?
Aaron David Kapner: Batman.
Nate: Sweet or salty?
Aaron David Kapner: Sweet.
Nate: Favorite meal?
Aaron David Kapner: Steak with aioli sauce.
Nate: Oooh! Favorite five songs in different genres.
Aaron David Kapner: All right, you ready for this?
Nate: Yeah.
Aaron David Kapner: Rap- Gangster's Paradise. Rock and Roll- Welcome to the Jungle. Classical- pretty much anything by Beethoven. Jazz- Take Five by Dave Brubeck. Musical Theatre- New York, New York from On the Town.
Nate: Wow. What a great-great variety.
Nate: Okay. Cyclops or Wolverine?
Aaron David Kapner: Wolverine.
Nate: Introvert or extrovert?
Aaron David Kapner: I'm going to say an extrovert.
Nate: Oh, super strong or super smart?
Aaron David Kapner: Super smart.
Nate: Beach, mountains or forests?
Aaron David Kapner: Mountains
Nate: Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel?
Aaron David Kapner: Wonder woman.
Nate: Favorite illustrator or writer in comics?
Aaron David Kapner: Garth Ennis for writing. He's an amazing comic book writer. Look him up. He has done incredible stuff. Punisher, Constantine, under the title Hellblazer, Hitman, a bunch of original stuff. He is absolutely one of the best comic book writers ever.
Aaron David Kapner: He is just frighteningly good.
Nate: Wow. And what about illustrator?
Aaron David Kapner: Illustrator? Mark Texeira. He wrote Punisher War Journal and a bunch of Punisher comics back in the eighties and nineties. First- he actually first started out with the first Punisher comics when it first came out back in like '84 or whatever it was.
Aaron David Kapner: And he's also done- he also did the original revival of Ghost Rider comics back in the nineties with Dan Ketch- Ghost Rider after Danny, after Johnny Blaze. So yeah, so Garth Ennis and Mark Texeira.
Aaron David Kapner: Good answers.
Nate: I got to look them up.
Aaron David Kapner: Do it, man. Do it.
Nate: All right. Top three movies?
Aaron David Kapner: Okay. Two are animated, alright? Two animated- they're comic book movies, so I'm sorry man. If that breaks the rules, I apologize, but I-
Nate: Not at all. I love it. That's great.
Aaron David Kapner: All right. First movie, regular- Casablanca. One of my favorite movies ever. Two animated movies. I both love. Okay. Ready? Batman: Under the Red Hood, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths.
Nate: Wow. Wow. Okay. So Aaron.
Aaron David Kapner: Yes.
Nate: I want you to be part of the, you know, the troop of people that are galvanizing and getting people excited about this universe. So I will, you know, be in touch with you and are you on social media? And where do we find you?
Aaron David Kapner: Yeah, you can find me on Facebook, Facebook, and Instagram.
Nate: Great. All right, man. Well, thank you so much for this and it's great catching up with you. I, I got a chance to learn a lot about you in seven minutes-
Aaron David Kapner: Probably more than like four years at Muhlenberg, right?
Nate: That's right. Yeah, for sure. , I'm happy we reconnected.
Aaron David Kapner: Same here bro, same here.
Nate: Have a beautiful day and let's keep, let's keep in touch.
Aaron David Kapner: Yeah, please do, man. Yeah. I don't know for friends- I mean, I've hooked up with you on- messaged you on Facebook for the thing, but yeah, if you want to message me, find me through that or Instagram, whatever man I'm around.
Nate: Sounds awesome. Have a beautiful weekend brother.
Aaron David Kapner: Thank you, man. You too. You take care.
Nate: Thanks man, see ya!