Wing Man of the Pig Man

This is a guest post by Justin Cook, Business Manager for Brian “Pig Man” Quaca, who is the Host and Executive Producer of Pig Man: The Series. I’ve seen Justin in action – wrangling Pig Man – at several events and trust me, it ain’t easy. This is part one of a two part post from Justin because frankly, this is darn interesting.

Oh my, where to begin in attempting an explanation of a day in the life of being Pig Man’s right hand man?  There are certain situations in life that words won’t do justice and having the pleasure of Brian “Pig Man” Quaca as a client would be vying for the top of that category.  Jokester? Check. Prankster? Check. A damn good hunter? Check.  But, I think to summarize him as an individual without stereotyping him as a “guy with a gun and a camera behind him,” people need to understand the work that goes behind producing 22 minutes of TV – this is where I have an opportunity to put in some elbow grease.

If only it were as easy as, “me and my best friend are heading out this evening to film and shoot a 200-inch deer with the ol’ family video camera.”  When you look at the evolution of “film your own hunts” and the success such programs such as Campbell’s Outdoor Challenge over the years, the majority of the success of fulfilling ones dreams draws too much attention on just simply filming a hunt.  In other words, people often misunderstand all the business-related functions that have to succeed in order to be sustainable.  To make yourself a viable option for outdoor companies to invest in, you have to be an original, which is something that Michelle has touched on in one of her earlier blogs.

I’m fortunate enough to have partnered up with someone who was creative enough and possessed enough fortitude to carve his own niche. Pigs weren’t an interesting topic five years ago.  And they’re not doing anything differently now than they were then, but there wasn’t an identifiable face, recognizable character, and entertaining personality to show people what hunting hogs was really all about.

A happy Pig Man

When I came on board back in December of 2009, the tedious work of securing a title sponsor and commercial sponsors had already been solidified by Pig Man and my mentor and good friend, Keith Rand.  Brian had put a ton of time in developing himself not only as a character with a recognizable name, but more importantly as a skilled hunter of respect.  Long before he had his own show, he was guiding hunters for big pigs, and even putting in some seat time as a guest on shows produced by Wolf Creek Productions (most notably was Tom Nelson’s American Archer).

Back when Pigman: The Series first began, radio interviews, appearances, and autograph sessions weren’t even a thought.  Most of the discussions revolved around topics such as, “How do we get our name out there?” Or, “How do we secure enough sponsorships to put food on the table?” Extensive travel wasn’t a topic as the budget was tight and the bank account was low.  However, these guys chose to persevere when the odds weren’t in their favor.  Network execs told them a show revolving around pigs would never work, prospective sponsors doubted them, and a whitetail-driven audience wasn’t sure how to receive them.

In Part Two of “Wing Man of Pig Man,” Justin dives into a typical day and answers the question, what is Shankology?