Kevin Paul Shaw Broden - Four Names of Creativity

Author - Artist - Voice Over Actor

Tag: Toastmasters

Love of the Golden Age

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On January 18, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech

It first began by reprinting newspaper comic strips, and then it illustrated adventure stories had previously been in pulp novels and magazines, then the detectives put on masks and a man could leap tall buildings in a single bound. It was the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Golden Age of Super Heroes.

As mentioned previously, though I had read a few other comics, the first series I was committed to reading every issue was All-Star Squadron. A book that took place during that “Golden Age.”

I would discover and read other books at that time, some Justice League of America, Brave & and the Bold which would be replaced by Batman and the Outsiders, and The New Teen Titans.

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Education of Reading Comics

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On January 15, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Childhood, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech, Writing

When I was young, during my Elementary School and Junior High years, I was struggling with reading. It was recommended to my parents that I should take further classes and have special tutors. One such tutor was in an after-school period on campus, while another one was off campus at a place called “The Reading Game.” These tutors helped me, but there was other help that I received that would improve my education.


It was during this period of time I first discovered comic books, as mentioned in my previous post, and I was regularly reading them… and I was reading them not just looking at the artwork (and I’ll tell you about the artwork and artists in a later post).


One day when my parents are having a ‘parent/teacher’ meeting with my special reading tutor to talk about how I was doing. They brought up the fact that I was reading comics, and asked if this was a good thing or should they take the comics away to have me read “real” books.

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Yesteryear

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On January 7, 2025

In 2025, Author, Book Illustrator, Comic Books, Voice Acting, Writing

“This is KPSB radio, beginning its broadcast day.”

My name is Kevin Paul Shaw Broden ‘Four Names of Creativity’.

I have always imagined my initials as the call letters of a radio station. Not any Top 40 pop station, or 24 hours of talking heads; no, my station exists in the golden age of radio of the 1930s to the 1950s. When tales of adventure ruled the airways.

That was the beginning of my very first Toastmasters speech, and as this blog series is part of an upcoming speech, I thought I would start here.

Before comic books, and while super heroes existed inn Saturday Morning Cartoon, I was discovering them on the radio.

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Comics & Me – Introduction

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On January 2, 2025

In 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Childhood, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Writing

Hi All,

May this New Year be enjoyable and successful for all.

I have several goals for this New Year, mostly focusing on my career, but to start off I’ll be writing this blog and posting twice a week. Which will hopefully be a whole lot better than what it has been in the past. This first blog series is about how comic books and super heroes have influenced my career. This is also part of a Toastmasters assignment, “Writing a Compelling Blog,” which when the blog series is complete, I’ll be giving a speech about the whole experience.

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Reawakening The Blog

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On December 26, 2024

In 2024, 2025, Blog, Blog writing, Christmas, Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Reader, Comic Book Writer, Comic Books, Fandom, Fans, Happy New Year, Marry Christmas, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech, Writing

Hi All.

            Hope everyone has had a blessed Christmas and happy holiday season.

It’s been nearly a year since my last blog post.

Did you like my interpretation of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer? He is the Shiny One.

Though I did update my Voice Over Demo Reel last month.

This post is to ‘reawaken’ my blog here and keep it going in to the new year.

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“Beware The Shiny One”

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On January 25, 2024

In 2024, Acting, ToastMasters, Toastmasters 4 Writers, Toastmasters Speech, YouTube

This was my first 2024 speech for Toastmasters, I had begun working on it in November with a Christmas theme, but there were no speaker slots in December so reworked it as the first speech of 2024. This is for my Level Three “Engaging your Audience with Humor” speech.

I am a member of Toastmasters 4 Writer.

Have you ever considered the Internal Logic in the Christmas song “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer”? I have, and it scared me.

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The Missing Marathon Speech

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On April 19, 2022

In 2022, ToastMasters, YouTube

Recently, I did my third speech for Toastmasters.
My wife and I are members of Toastmasters 4 Writers in Burbank, California – District 52.

My second and third speech were connected because what I learned from giving the second speech would be applied to the third. The Second speech was about my family, especially my grandfather, James Shaw, who was from Ireland and came to America. There are many great stories I could tell about him and his life. When it came to telling the third speech I chose to focus on him as a Marathon runner, especially winning one in Belfast Ireland.

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2020 the End is Nigh

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On December 31, 2020

In 2020, Acting, Improv, Taking Classes, ToastMasters, Voice Acting, Voice Over

At the start of the year I had great 2020 Vision (go back and read the blog) – that vision had such great plans for the year ahead…

It didn’t go at all as planned (for none of us). Even before Covid struck, on the second day of the year I was told I was being laid off from my job which I had for 10 years.

So I was home, and soon my wife would be working from home as well. I truly believe that to be a blessing.

A family member is in the hospital (praise God not with Covid).

That all said, the year wasn’t all that bad for me. Being home most of the time allowed certain things to happen, or things for me to discover, that I wouldn’t have if the world was still going as it had a year ago.

I had already planned to take Voice Acting Classes, by the end of that first class I was determined to make Voice Over as part of my career. I soon found other classes and workshops I could do online that I wouldn’t have been able to do previously. Joined Toastmasters, got back into college courses, and became an Improv actor.

With 2021 about to start, I am confident that there many blessings that came to me through 2020 even as stressful as it was.

What is to come next, I am not entirely certain but am Determined to grab hold of each and every blessing that is to follow.

God Bless you all. See you in the new year.

Tales of Yesteryear Told in Future Tense

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On August 15, 2020

In 2020, Acting, Airship 27, Book Illustrator, Comic Book Artist, Comic Books, Comic-Con, San Diego Comic Con, Taking Classes, ToastMasters, Voice Acting, Voice Over, YouTube

The year 2020 hasn’t turned out the way any of us had planned it. But looking now my 2020 Vision from the beginning of the year and isn’t all that cloudy.
Along with being an artist and writer, I had begun training to become a voice actor for animation.
Things may have slowed down some, but they haven’t stopped. I’m still writing, and am regularly doing artwork for books by Airship 27 Productions.
I continue taking more classes towards my acting career.
At my wife encouragement I have joined a local chapter of Toastmasters – Toastmasters 4 Writers. What could be more perfect.
At a meeting nearly a year ago, before I officially joined I did an Impromptu ‘Table Topics’ speech which I won, and it set off my Determination to become a Voice Actor.
This past Saturday (August 8th, 2020) I gave my first speech. An ‘Icebreaker’ speech they call it, introducing myself to the group.
As I wrote my speech I began to realize the moment in my life that set me off on the road to being an artist, writer, and now actor. It all began with ‘Old Time Radio.’

What follows is my Toastmasters Icebreaker speech, entitled:
“Tales of Yesteryear Told in Future Tense”.
(Points to those who know what two radio programs that is a reference to.)

Tales of Yesteryear Told in Future Tense

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