**Andy, dressed as the Joker for cosplay, spreads positivity online. Photos submitted**

By Tom Victoria

Andy spreads positivity everywhere he goes whether its streaming, social media content, an online community, cosplay or work.

“There’s not a lot we can do in this world that feels significant, but something I can do every single day that feels significant is I can make someone’s day better,” he said.

With his girlfriend Jess, Andy, 33, of Washington in Northwestern America has all of his content under the brand Kudo Entertainment, which is named after a character in the anime “Case Closed” and for lauding someone with congratulatory kudos.

Andy’s video content on various platforms is packed with inspirational messages to remind people they matter.

“I look at it like if I can help one person, If this video makes one person’s day better, than every video I ever made is worth it,” he said.

Andy said that person then makes someone’s day better, continuing a cycle of positivity.

“That’s how you change the world,” he said.

Andy said it’s satisfying not just when all goes well with recording a video.

“It’s nice to hit those marks,” he said. “But when I’m feeling at my lowest or most unmotivated, that’s when I make best content. It’s the realest it can be.”

Andy recalled a day when he couldn’t find the right words.

“Everything felt wrong,” he said. “Jess said to me why don’t you make a video about how you’re feeling right now.”

Andy said talking about things not going right led to feedback from people who said it helped them.

“That’s one of the goals of my content,” he said. “It’s to make people feel not alone.”

Through a discord server, Andy has an online community. He explained that community is meant to help those who have no one to confide in about how they feel.

“I want to be that family for people,” Andy said. “I want to be that family where you can talk about anything as long as you’re not being hateful.”

**Andy and Jess spend quality time with their dog Winry.**

His streaming is mainly gaming.

“Part of it is it’s you’re own TV show,” Andy said. “For me, I look at it as a point to have contact with people.”

He said nothing can supplant live conversation.

“Whenever you get a text message, the energy can’t be conveyed properly as opposed to me telling you I’m sorry you feel that way,” Andy said.

He started streaming in 2019, but amped it up the following year.

“It was something I never thought of really, then Covid hit,” Andy said. “I was like well what better time to start doing it.”

He seized the opportunity to socialize at a time when people were stuck at home.

“It probably saved me from Covid mentally,” Andy said.

**Andy proposed to Jess at a Renaissance Festival.**

He started cosplay after someone introduced him to a con (convention covering superheroes, science fiction and horror).

“It was a really cool experience,” Andy said.

His interest in dressing up as characters was spurred by a certain webslinger.

“What made me fall in love with it was Spider-Man,” Andy said. “Spider-Man has always been my favorite of all the heroes. Anyone can be Spider-Man. He’s your neighborhood hero.”

He enjoys seeing the faces of people all ages light up when they see him dressed as the wallcrawler.

“It’s such a fun interaction,” Andy said.

He said the con experience allows people to escape reality for a bit.

“It’s something you’re never going to get in your life,” Andy said. “That’s what I love about cosplay.”

He pointed out not everyone can afford to go to Disneyland, but most people can stop at a con.

“It’s about going there and having fun,” Andy said. “One of the cool things about cosplay is there is no wrong way to do it. There’s no body type.”

**Andy clings to the side of a building Spider-Man style.**

He said while some characters are more suited to certain people, that compatibility doesn’t have to be followed.

“You still can be your own version of any character,” Andy said. “On a whole, it’s such an accepting community. That’s something I love.”

Superhero by day and server by night. Andy extends his uplifting demeanor to his job at a restaurant.

“Every single day I come into contact with hundreds of people and a lot of the time, people are angry,” he said. “My mom always told me kill with kindness and I kind of use that as my slogan. If you’re mean to me, I want to be so nice you feel bad for being mean to me.”

Andy said he wants every interaction to result in people feeling positive.

“I pride myself on those interactions,” he said.

Having been a bartender, Andy brings experience with being a soundboard for people.

“People had definitely told me their woes,” he said.

**Andy performed in a band in his teens.**

Along with mental health, Andy promotes social equality, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community.

His exposure to small town living in the Midwest and religion instilled in him a need for social justice.

“All of the bad things that come from being in a small town,” Andy said.

He recalled youths using the word “gay” as an insult and intolerance in the church.

“Part of what bothered me about religion, especially Christianity, was it didn’t feel like we were doing the love part so much,” Andy said. “I couldn’t understand how they could condemn gays, but would be all right with other ‘sins.’ You can be a blackout drunk, which is a sin, but if you’re a man who loves a man you’re a different kind of sinner. You have to be stopped. I could never understand or agree with it. Jesus loved everyone.”

He made a distinction.

“It’s not about what you believe,” Andy said. “It’s about who you are because you can believe anything and be a terrible person. You can believe anything and be a good person. It’s who you are that matters.”

He embraces awkwardness and expressing emotion as part of his mission.

“I wear it like a badge of honor,” Andy said.

He stressed everyone is awkward in some way.

“Everyone can relate to something that makes them cringe a little bit,” Andy said.

He said being a nerd isn’t a negative trait as it’s prevalent throughout people.

“Sports are the nerdiest thing you could ever do,” Andy said.

He cited the example of fantasy football leagues, comparing it to the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.

“That’s D&D bro,” Andy said. “You made up your whole team. You wear a jersey with their names on it. How much nerdy can you be? That’s cool that it’s nerdy, but you should accept that it’s nerdy.”

He said bottling up emotions is not healthy as it leads to negative displays such as anger.

**Andy favors Spider-Punk, a version of the wallcrawler from an alternate dimension.**

Andy stays active.

“I really enjoy longboarding with my dog,” he said about his Golden Retriever Winry. “I take her for a run.”

Andy has taken up bass guitar.

“I’m still practicing and learning, though,” he said. “Music is something that brings people together and my streams are the perfect place to start bringing people together.”

If the opportunity arose, Andy would savor turning his passion of uplifting others into a job.

“I would like to do this as a career,” he said. “That’s a dream.”

In the meantime, Andy continues to reach people in all of his interactions.

“If my positivity can make my life better, I know your posiitivity can make your life better.”

The Grid does not disclose the full legal name of those who do not list it on their social media.