Meet Ken Pierce | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ken Pierce and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ken, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I am a longtime fan of Heavy Metal music and Pop Culture things like comic books, action figures and the films that feature these properties. I had been an independent contributor to a few online websites before deciding the launch the PiercingMetal.com website and back in 2005 this was daunting since a web-based publication was not taken as seriously as a regular monthly print magazine. The thought process was that the voice I had been building as a contributor might serve a hopeful audience better by being in one single place under my own control.  A good friend of mine helped convince me to do this after a concert I was covering and as cited this was a bold move at the time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At the onset in 2005, the PiercingMetal website was only reviews of Heavy Metal concerts and new releases but over time I implemented my love of Pop Culture into the mix and began speaking about the comic book and toy industry.  This worked out well since many artists in music are also writers of comics and many even have toys with their likenesses on them. I also cover the New York Comic Con, Anime NYC and Toy Fair conventions which expands the creative scope.  I think what sets my brand apart from others is the consistency and not letting any of the dividing lines come into play with my audience in any sense. This is entertainment and not a place to fight over such things.

I should add that it’s not always been an easy go because no matter how hard you work at this there is always going to be competition and with social media influencers at the gate you have to compete with them as well.  My work is primarily self-funded which makes it a bear at times as well when money is tight.  Despite this the presence must continue to live on so sacrifices must be made. I learned a big lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic as we found many in our field pressing the pause button on their own publications and choosing to wait it out. I felt that the news was still coming so we published several times a week during the height of this scourge and in some cases had hoped that we were keeping people inside their houses when being in the outside was a bit risky. We also felt that our reps in the industry would appreciate a constant effort more than someone who had decided to ride the storm and hope for some kind of glorious welcome back to business.

I’d like to also point out that during this chaotic time, I spent a lot of time on my Piercing Ken site which is more of a lifestyle brand and even launched a third presence that I call Ken Pierce Media. Each are unique in their own way and yes all of them have their own network of social media tools.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a resident of New York City I am generally asked these questions and am considering putting a reference article together for the Piercing Ken website. So let’s see if you are visiting us for the first time I am going to recommend that you have a slice of pizza, a hotdog from one of the many carts and maybe a couple of cold beers from one of the watering holes that I would partake in. Good pizza is pretty much everywhere in NYC but I like to suggest either Joe’s Pizza in the West Village and John’s of Bleecker Street. Katz’s Deli is a pricy but worthwhile experience and as far as bars go I like Smith’s Bar, The 13th Step, American Retro and McSorley’s. While there is a slight touristy element to a lot of them these are the places that the regular New Yorker goes to. Other things I recommend be tried are Junior’s for cheese cake and to have a bagel and an Egg Cream at one of the many coffee shops you can find around town. You’ll spend some money but you will have some good eats and photos for your Instagram.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For me it’s the like-minded peers in the industry such as Gail Worley from WorleyGig.com and Keith Chackes from GhostCultMag.com who have been creative sounding boards at times.  Our Creative Director Joe Kaufman for the tireless help on business cards, and making logos for the brands at the eleventh hour deserves high thanks.  Also there is a myriad of publicity and management reps who believed in the “voice” that we have established on PiercingMetal.com for the past 18 years.

Website: https://www.piercingmetal.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piercingmetalnyc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierceken/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kenpiercemedia

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/piercingken

Yelp: https://kenpierce.yelp.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@piercingmetal