Lauren Spencer
The newly promoted full-time history professor is, drum roll please, Brian Walsh.
The ex-band member, graphic novelist and once co-host of a late-night talk show on Comedy Central,newly promoted to full-time at Pierce College, enjoys the position.
“I love it here. It’s an ideal place to work and is a dream job,” Walsh said.
Walsh hails from the “Garden State” of New Jersey where he worked as a journalist.
He spontaneously moved to Los Angeles after receiving a call from his friend, Chris Wylde, asking Walsh to be part of his show on Comedy Central.
“The Chris Wylde Show” was a late-night talk show that lasted one season, on which Walsh was the co-host named Forty.
“It was a different experience from what I was doing,” he said.
He is also credited as a writer for both “The Chris Wylde Show” and the game show “Taboo,” which was aired on the New TNN before the station became Spike TV.
He didn’t fall too far from his writing roots when he wrote five books for Marvel Comics.
One, titled “Spiderman’s Tangled Web,” is written from the perspective
of someone looking from the outside into Spiderman’s life.
The other work he has done for Marvel was a four-issue series titled the “Witches.”
His graphic novelist days have taken the back seat for now because of his busy schedule.
While attending American University in Washington D.C., Walsh was part of a band called “Bastard Squad.”
He played the guitar for 19 years and after seven years of playing he realized there were a lot of guitar players.
He then decided to join the band as a drummer to give him an excuse to learn the instrument and play.
The band was short lived, but he still plays the drums from time to time.
“The drums are like my golf,” Walsh said. “On Fridays I go to the studio and play.”
Walsh has been a professor for about five years.
He has taught at East Los Angeles College, Southwest College and Valley College, but found his home at Pierce.
The excitement in his voice showed he does truly enjoy his job and it reflects on the opinion of his students.
“He is very energetic and enthusiastic,” said biology-major Andrea Sorto, 18.
Walsh has a load of six classes consisting of History 11, 13 and 86.
“He is a great teacher. I actually don’t fall asleep,” said Andrew Castillo, electrical-engineering major.
“I don’t need to write anything down. I remember information from his lectures.”
Brian Walsh, ex-band member and newly promoted history teacher gets ready for his night class. (Francisco Munoz)