Howard
Waddell
Chief Operating Officer, Product Designer of Albion Armorers International;
and Director of Product Development of Film Swords LLC
This
is Howard's dream job, made possible only by Amy's business sense.
An historian by inclination (he has a double degree in ancient Irish
history and anthropology), most of Howy's 20-year working life was
spent in government, both on the state/local level and the national
level, which would go at least part way toward explaining his total
lack of grounding in reality.
By creating this business, Amy (codename: Deja Thoris) was
able to give Howy a chance to do what he always wanted to do: be
involved in making swords and living out his childhood fantasies.
Howy finds gratification and job satisfaction in trying to do the
impossible on a regular basis -- the projects Albion and Film Swords
work on are dream projects of his own -- luckily, they appear to
coincide with the dreams of our customers as well.
Most of these projects and production processes have not been attempted
by other companies, because they are smarter and more practical
than Howy is. But that doesn't stop him. Ignorance is bliss.
The job also gives Howy a chance to work with the talented people
he admires most in the world -- like Jody Samson, Peter Johnsson
and the other amazingly talented people at Albion -- many of whom
were originally trained in their jobs by Howy and now are so incredibly
good at what they do that he has been left totally in the dust.
He rarely does production work any more, because it is too embarassing
to compare his pitiful efforts to the stellar work of people he
was training just two short years ago.
Amy occasionally tries to rein Howy in -- but that is rarely successful
-- which leaves her to patiently clean up after him and try to keep
the business side running, regardless of what he does next.
But isn't that what making dreams come true is all about?
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