Off Hollywood: Reno Nevada

Earl Mac Rauch was kind enough to put me in touch with Reno Nevada, one of the Hong Kong Cavaliers and the real force behind the many Buckaroo Banzai cottage industries (comic books, action figures, dime novels, “hanks o’ hair” collectibles). Reno Nevada has three speeds: gun, knife and rope. He has postulated the existence of a new layer of atmosphere between the troposphere and the stratosphere, naming it the “flatusphere,” an accumulation of methane gas derived from the world’s constant farting and politicians’ bullshit. He is intensely loyal to Buckaroo and has played the saxophone since childhood. While Dr Banzai was unable to comment directly on his ongoing Hollywood legal trouble, Reno was happy to oblige on behalf of the Banzai Institute.

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An interview with Reno Nevada on behalf of the Banzai Institute

JJ STRATFORD: Hows it going over at the Banzai Institute?

RENO KID: As you might guess, we’re pretty busy these days, working on our research projects, assisting disaster relief efforts on several continents, fighting the World Crime League’s infiltration into virtually every sector of our daily lives and putting together our next big concert tour, not to mention stringing holiday lights around the bunkhouse. 

What are the Banzai Institute core values and approach to life?

In a word, we’re about maximizing human potential both globally and on  an individual level. Practically speaking, this means doing battle with the World Crime League, whose greedy tentacles reach nearly everywhere. ‘Progress Over Protocol’ is our official motto, a fancy way of saying that  we operate on a shoestring budget and improvise on the fly.  If it helps, here’s a brief excerpt from my new upcoming novel Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League:

What can Hollywood learn from the Banzai Institute philosophy?

Since Hollywood is itself a hotbed of the World Crime League, I’d rather not give them any tips.

How important is the expansion of the Buckaroo Banzai realm to you?

‘Quality over quantity’ is the operating watchword at the Banzai Institute, where we let our actions do the talking.  We don’t proselytize but welcome all sincere inquiries.

How would the Banzai Institute approach the production of a television show?

With the same spirit of collegiality that we enjoy at the Institute itself. Anybody coming to the Banzai Institute, whether for a short stay or as a full-time visiting scholar, must check his or her ego at the door, and I would expect the same rule to apply to any project bearing our imprimatur.

What is at the heart of the Banzai Institute’s standards of cooperation and respect?

Buckaroo Banzai himself, a modern-day Cincinnatus and a man without parallel in our age.

Does Dr. Banzai have advice for the citizens of Earth in regards to their future?

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All photos courtesy of the Banzai Institute