Casters,
Welcome to the Community Spotlight series, where MetaZoo News interviews the voices, creators, and contributors who keep the magic of MetaZoo alive! This series is your chance to meet the individuals whose passion and dedication drive the game and its community forward.
Today, we're excited to feature Nick's Strength and Pokemon,one of the most steadfast voices in the MetaZoo community. From opening products and showcasing the game's most collectable items, to more recently diving into the company's operations and history, Nick has become a trusted source of information for the MetaZoo community. Beyond MetaZoo, Nick also runs the wildly popular Nick's Strength and Power YouTube channel, where he boasts over 1 million subscribers and has made waves in the bodybuilding world.
Let's dive into the story of Nick's Strength and Pokemon and explore his unique perspective on MetaZoo and beyond!
MetaZoo News (MZN):What first inspired you to create content, and how did your journey as a YouTuber begin?
Nick's Strength and Pokemon (Nick): I started making videos about 15 years ago when I was in high school around 2009. At the time my friends and I just posted very brief clips of us working out after school. It evolved into something more when I started going to the Arnold Classic (a bodybuilding contest) and I would film clips of the bodybuilders back stage, post them on YouTube, and they got hundreds of thousands of views. I realized there was a demand for bodybuilding themed videos that I could fill and that's where it really started.
MZN:How do you balance managing two channels with such distinct audiences - bodybuilders and TCGs?
Nick: Luckily there seems to be quite a bit of overlap between the two audiences. The main demographic for my bodybuilding content is mainly male, ages 18-35. The same seems to be true for TCG content. The TCG audience seems to be a little more niche, so I spend a lot less time on that content. But when I do make TCG videos, I try to make them high quality and very specific to the MetaZoo niche.
MZN: What was it like interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how did that opportunity come about?
Nick: It was amazing. I've actually interviewed him more than once. One time in person and one time on zoom.
The first time was in person; that opportunity came about from a supplement company owner that was the title sponsor of Arnold's competition (the Arnold Classic) and they were also the main sponsor of my channel. The supplement company owner invited me to interview Arnold with him in person.
The Zoom interview came about as a result of my friendship with Arnold's new business partner, who is the executive director of the Arnold Classic now. I became friends with him about 5 years ago now, and we've since developed a working relationship as well. He told me Arnold reached out to him wanting to do an interview on my channel, and he presented that offer to me.
MZN: When did you first hear about or see MetaZoo and what drew you to it?
Nick: The first time I heard about MetaZoo was seeing Gary (king Pokemon) talk about it in a video. I was drawn to the nostalgic art style and seeing some familiar cryptids from my area represented.
MZN: What is your favorite MetaZoo card and/or cryptid? Any fun stories about pulling it for the first time?
Nick: Mothman and Loveland Frogman would be my two favorites. Loveland Frogman is a very local cryptid to me, the first sightings of it were about 20 minutes from where I live.
My best Mothman pull story was at Collect-A-Con before the release of nightfall. They were giving out spoiler packs of stamped nightfall cards and my buddy and I went through the line a few times, got a handful of packs, and threw them in our backpack. Later in the hotel we split them up and opened them, and my buddy pulled the stamped full holo nightfall Mothman which has become one of the more rare and desirable Mothman cards. He left it loose in his center console in his car, no sleeve or anything, for like 6 months. Eventually he graded it and now it's one of only like 5 PSA 10s that exist. I was very jealous of that pull because it could've easily been one of my spoiler packs.
MZN: You were one of the only creators covering MetaZoo during its bankruptcy. What motivated you to stick with it when others moved on?
Nick: I think I was just so invested in it both financially and emotionally I couldn't let it go. I was constantly following every development anyway, I figured I might as well make videos about it too.
MZN: What was the most surprising or interesting discovery you made while sorting through the bankruptcy documents?
Nick: I'd say seeing the actual list of inventory was very surprising. Throughout the lifespan of MetaZoo fans were constantly left with the impression that so many items were completely sold out at release. It was a bit shocking to see the vast quantity of so many items that they were still just sitting on in a warehouse unsold.
MZN: How did the community react to your in-depth reporting on MetaZoo's struggles?
Nick: I think the community showed me a lot of love, and they appreciated it because by this point most of the mother MetaZoo creators had already disappeared and were long gone.
MZN: Are you optimistic about MetaZoo's relaunch under GameQbator Labs?
Nick: I would say I'm cautiously optimistic. They seem to have the right ideas and approach, but I need to see more than that to have full faith in the relaunch.
MZN: What do you think is the most important thing GQL needs to get right to ensure MetaZoo's success?
Nick:Transparency and meeting deadlines.
MZN: How do you feel about the changes being made to separate the old product from the new base set?
Nick: I think realistically there were a lot of flaws with the old product, the old game, and the old printers. I can definitely see why it would make sense to make a clear separation between the old MetaZoo and new MetaZoo by creating something completely new.
MZN: You've commented that the new art is so-so, do you prefer the old art style and what direaction would you personally like to see the art team go in?
Nick: I guess what I mean by "so-so" is nothing about the new artwork seemed super unique or different to me. Sure, it wasn't in that nostalgic water color format, but it just seemed kind of bland to me. At least what we've seen so far. Maybe it will be different when we start to see it in the form of an actual card, with holos and alternate arts. But so far what I've seen just doesn't get me very excited, but it doesn't make me feel pessimistic either.
I'm not sure what I was expecting, or what type of artwork would make me excited. But so far I haven't seen anything that elicited a "Whoah that's really cool" type of reaction.
MZN: What role do you see content creators playing in MetaZoo's comeback and growth?
Nick: I think content creators will serve as a very useful barometer for how successful this relaunch is. If you see lots of new MetaZoo videos start popping up from new creators that probably means they're doing a good job. And I think so far MetaZoo content creators have voiced some of the most accurate complaints and criticisms of the old MetaZoo. I hope that Charlie and the new team are able to use the feedback they start to get in a positive way.
MZN: How do you approach keeping your content engaging for a niche audience like MetaZoo's?
Nick: Being a MetaZoo fan myself I keep my finger on the pulse of what's going on in the community. I make videos about MetaZoo topics that I would want to watch at that moment. For the most part I feel like my topcis are pretty timely and relevant.
MZN: What's your take on the loyalty of MetaZoo's fanbase, given the challenges the game has faced?
Nick: I'm genuinely surprised by how many people have still stuck around this long. I think it's impressive.
MZN: Anything you would like to add that we haven't covered?
Nick: Thanks for the opportunity and long live the Zoo!