Matt Cox, EastLake Church lead pastor, talks making video games, almost meeting Taylor Swift and more
Name: Matt Cox
Occupation: Lead pastor, EastLake Church in Lawrence
Hometown: Lansing, Kansas
Current neighborhood: Lawrence
What I do: I lead a fairly new church startup in Lawrence for people who don’t like church. We value community above agreement. We value our differences. We are open and affirming to all people.
What’s your addiction? Chipotle burrito bowls
What’s your game? Right now, it’s Mario Kart 8 for Wii U or Sunset Overdrive for Xbox One.
What’s your drink? Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat
Where’s dinner? 23rd Street Brewery
What’s on your KC postcard? KC skyline with Liberty Memorial in the forefront, with fade-in images of the Royals, Chiefs and Sporting.
Finish this sentence: “Kansas City got it right when …” It made strides in attracting Google Fiber and other tech startups.
“Kansas City screwed up when …” Each year passes without an NBA team. Not sure if that’s really the city’s fault …
“Kansas City needs …” To continue to invest in and attract tech companies. Silicon Prairie can be much bigger!
“In five years, I’ll be …” In Lawrence, still a pastor and still making indie video games.
Tell us a little about the video games you’ve made: I made Sticky Bees with a small, now-defunct company called Fourfire. That’s on iOS. I also made two tiny games, Phantom Flower and Returno, on my own for iOS and Android. Before all this, I was lead designer on the original Scribblenauts on Nintendo DS, which is now on iOS and Android. And I was also a game designer on Destroy All Humans: Path of the Furon for [Xbox] 360 and PS3. It’s kinda crazy, but Game Informer did a big piece about me leaving the big industry to do indies on the side. I love being a pastor at EastLake, but I am sure I’ll still create tiny games on the side. If EastLake implodes one day for some reason, I’ll most likely go back to game development!
“I always laugh at …” Virtually anything Louis C.K. says.
“I’ve been known to binge-watch …” Firefly and The Newsroom.
“I can’t stop listening to …” Veruca Salt’s two new songs.
“I just read …” God and the Gay Christian by Matthew Vines.
The best advice I ever got: Always explain the “why.”
Worst advice: Don’t listen to “them.”
My sidekick: Emily! (My wife)
My dating triumph/tragedy: I once accidentally hit Emily with a small rock while attempting to skip a stone on Clinton Lake. Embarrassing tragedy that it ever happened. Triumph that she still married me one day.
My brush with fame: I stood right next to Taylor Swift at the Plaza’s Urban Outfitters once, but I didn’t look her way. Emily was trying to get me to look to my right, and I didn’t get it.
My 140-character soapbox: Matt Mahaffey is a musical genius who was ahead of his time and still is. He plays keys for Beck and his “Self” albums are incredible. Listen to all his things!
What was the last thing you had to apologize for? Putting the toilet paper on the wrong way.
Who’s sorry now? People who doubted the Oatmeal’s Exploding Kittens Kickstarter.
My recent triumph: Realizing that my distaste for hoppy beers doesn’t make me a beer wuss. Since then, I’ve discovered amazing sours, saisons and Belgian beers.
