Rex and Dan Withers are brothers, one living in New Zealand (where they were both born), the other in Australia – a not at all short ferry crossing away! (Listen to find out how this comes up in our conversation…)
We managed to overcome the enormous time difference between them and the UK by holding the interview starting at midnight UK time, and fuelled with a flask of finest Lavazza espresso coffee, I just about made it through to the end of the show!
But it was definitely worth the effort: hearing how different it was for these guys to overcome the challenge to even get started in the hobby, compared to how easy it is here in the UK or even most of the USA was both humbling and awe-inspiring. These brothers are truly inspiring!
The course of their lives has also been very different, with Rex ending up working in hi tech and bringing his mastery of photography and video filming to the partnership, whereas brother Dan joined the New Zealand army as a teenager, then moved to the UK to become a member of the Parachute Regiment, seeing active duty on several occasions, and now, back in NZ, he’s signed up with the NZ army all over again!
But don’t imagine that Dan is all Marvel-jawed and hard man – he’s a highly creative guy who has brilliant ideas and also wields a mean paintbrush, even winning an award for one of his GW 40K armies. He also ran a games shop in New Zealand for a time.
But this is a real case of where together, they form an alliance that is greater than the sum of its parts, and their joint Valhalla Games project has spawned a host of online activities, including podcasts, a popular YouTube video channel and now, launching tomorrow on Remembrance Day, their very first campaign book as a Kickstarter.
I was hugely impressed with Rex and Dan, their highly ethical stance and their passion to ‘give back’ to the hobby they love. I wish them every success with their Kickstarter and beyond.
Henry
P.S. No, they didn’t have bit parts in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, but we do talk about that too!
P.P.S. Because of the timing of the Kickstarter, I’ve decided to release this episode to the public straight away, without the normal 14-day patron-only waiting period. Besides, the guys are both, in fact, patrons!
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