Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mike Kunda. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?
During the filming of Creed 2 in South Philadelphia, Sly Stallone endorsed The Yo, Philly! Film Tour (my Rocky movie locations film tour I’d built up over the last 13 years). I was onset as a guest watching production when a series of events happened, placing me and Sly out front of the current filming location – The Victor Cafe, site of Adrian’s restaurant. By this point, Sly and I know each other well enough and I thanked him for the recent endorsement on his Instagram page with 15 million followers. He then asked me about a documentary film, THE PRETENDER being released soon about my life as a Rocky Balboa fan. He asked if I had my cell phone with me, I did. He suggested I hand it to his assistant, Sarah. He asked her to film the both of us talking about Rocky and Philadelphia. He then suggested I put it in the documentary and also on my Rocky Tour website to show people he and I are connected and cool. Well, that blew my mind, like when the Beatles landed at Shea Stadium in the 1960’s – the girls screaming and fainting – yeah, that was me inside my head but, ya know, ya gotta be cool with this stuff. So we did the video – the entire time he’s dressed as Rocky and Dolph Lundgren a.k.a. Ivan Drago is listening to us a few feet away. Sly then called me “An ambassador to Rockyland.” Later, I asked why had I been shown such generosity ? Sly, “I just want to help you on your journey…”
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
At eight years old, I was always into costumes. The Lone Range, Zorro and Tarzan impacted my childhood just as Davy Crockett and the Alamo influenced my dad. But one character stood above all others at that time – Superman. As the premier thin child of the school yard, I was guaranteed the attention of bullies in training. I decided to wear my Superman Halloween costume under my school clothes as a cotton suit-of-armor. When this brilliant plan went awry, it would stick with me like luggage for years.
I was too young to see Rocky in the theater in 1976 but in ’79 those giant white letters scrolled across my 19 inch wooden, floor model T.V. and that Bill Conti score, Fanfare For Rocky, crackled from the single speaker, punching me in the gut, my DNA was forever changed.
But the bullies never changed.
After another losing fight my grandfather, a bald-headed, broad-shouldered ex-coal miner called me to his house where he explained the beauty, and for me, the necessary love and compassion of family . He knew I found in Rocky a yard stick to which I would eventually measure my life to. Handing me his old black fedora and his beaten-into-submission-by-life, old black leather jacket. These two items were the catalyst that along with Sylvester Stallone and his best friend, Rocky Balboa would eventually get me to believe in myself.
I tell you this – I learned more from watching ROCKY in two hours than I ever learned in school. For me, ROCKY is the purest form of inspiration in the universe, and that’s a big place.
Graduating high school in 1986, counselors asked us what we’d like to do. “I want to wear a black hat and be Rocky,” was my standard reply.
“Oh, you want to be a boxer.” A confused counselor asked.
“No, I want to walk around like Rocky and get paid for it.”
“Oh, right. You want to be an actor.”
“No. I want to be Rocky.”
I was told I needed help, I was irrational, actually, “delusional” was the word used in a note read to my mother who, at certain times, considered therapy for me, I’m sure. But to her and my father’s credit, I would find my way without the help of modern medicine or rational thought.
I continued dressing like Rocky with a smattering of Rambo at certain times but it ALWAYS came back to Rocky, always.
in 1990, my then girlfriend-soon-to-be-wife and I set sail on a day trip to Philly in hopes of finding Rocky filming locations armed only with several Polaroids we took off the T.V. while we paused the VHS tape of key locations in the film. An adventure Indiana Jones himself would find to be exhausting – what with no google maps or internet.
All this time one must have a job to pay the bills and jobs I had. At least twenty-five. Some of them were, cleaning horse stables, pulling auto parts, parking cars, loading/unloading Persian rugs, Burger King, grocery clerk, hanging drywall, stuffing ads in mail-out flyers, UPS (1 day), delivering copy machines, donut maker, police officer (one of my favorites), gas attendant, mini-mart manager and something that would truly show growth – optician.
In 2006, Stallone came back to Philly, filming Rocky Balboa and through the absolute beauty of my wife suggesting an almost inconsequential fast look at “Adrian’s” and my friends at The Victor Cafe, (they insured me several days on the set for not only this film but ten years later during the filming of CREED) my life was about to take a massive and direct change.
Shortly after this, The Victor Cafe entered me into a national Rocky look-alike contest that I eventually won. Setting my future in stone.
The American economy, in 2008, would send me reeling, nearly losing everything I worked so hard for, landing forever as a paint clerk/delivery driver had I not written a book called, Cue the Rocky Music and social media. This led to several early Rocky filming tours on a school bus and a basic concept – bring fans to Rockyland.
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING would prepare me for what was to come.
All this has led me to personal conversations with Spider Rico, Tony “Duke” Burton, Balboa’s Lil’ Marie and Milo “Robert Balboa” Ventimiglia. I was fortunate to get to know Burt “Paulie” Young as well as “spar” with Carl Weathers in full Apollo Creed mode. But, the conversations I had with CREED director, Ryan Coogler and Adonis Creed himself, Michael B. Jordan put to ease any doubts I had about CREED. Not to mention my time on set with Rocky Balboa himself. At one point, Sly and I were out front of The Victor Cafe during his 60th birthday dinner, each of us doing our best Rocky impression; he won but not before noticing my resemblance to him thirty years ago.
“You should do something with that, tourist would love it.”
A local events group saw me and began hiring me part-time for events dressed as Stallone’s most famous creation. That led me to my manager, Chris Wiseman and we never looked back.
I write this short Bio to show the great care I take with those inspired by Rocky. The movie and it’s cast of unforgettable characters has become a philosophy for me. It was never about the muscles or money, for me it was always about being my personal best. Maybe I can’t be the best in the world but I can be the best in my world.
I do not take the inspiration of Rocky lightly, it’s my motivating force in life.
If you’re looking to time travel to 1976 and you don’t have a DeLorean, please consider The Yo, Philly! Film Tour.
During the tour I share many rare stories Sly has told me personally as well as a deep depth of knowledge on all things ROCKY. The tour lasts 3 hours and we hit many sites, including, Rockys apartment, The Lucky Seven tavern, Mighty Micks Gym, The Italian Market, Father Carmine’s window as well as the parking lot Rocky walks Lil’ Marie home (Screw you, creppo!) So many more including Adrian’s headstone from the Rocky Balboa and the Rocky Steps! All in all, about 65 or 70 locations!
Having a resemblance to Rocky, wearing the same fedora and mannerisms of the character, you will swear you’re with the Italian Stallion in Philly, 1976.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Life can be heavy, beating us daily, causing us to forget our dreams from childhood. It can rob us of our hopes, passions. All too often we justify why we can’t go back and retry something we failed at or something we loved. I mean, how many of us would love a do-over?
We are the sum total of all our life experiences so I try to remind others it’s never to late. I was 38 when I found my calling, my purpose in bringing fans to Rockyland and I use that as a roadmap of sorts.
My Rocky Film tour is by a Rocky fan, for Rocky fans Via my personal stories of trials and tribulations mixed with Stallone’s own journey to bring Rocky to life over the franchise history. My guest see for themselves it’s never to late to reclaim your dream, be it to get in shape, start a business or raise a family.
If you want it, you gotta go for it and not bow to the pressure.
It’s a beautiful thing when we can pay it forward.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
For years I would dress like Rocky, wearing a similar fedora and leather jacket. I adapted his mannerisms – they became my suit-of-armor. I was very small as a teenager and school yard bullies never appreciated my concept of dress attire for school; this was before school uniforms, in the early 80’s.
Oh, I knew where Rocky ended and I began. I always have but they all thought i was crazy, always imitating Stallone. But what they didn’t understand was that I had Rocky on a pillar, not Stallone. Rocky was the best of human nature, noble, kind, brave against the odds in ways I could only pretend.
Stallone was human, like me. Flawed as we all are. Full of contradictions, foibles and insecurities.
Most people never understood my view on this and to this day, 37 years since I graduated high school, many of those that misunderstood me then feel the same today.
Life is about moving forward, finding or creating yourself. Believing in yourself when most others don’t and for me – paying it forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.theyorockyfilmtour.net/
- Instagram: theyophillyfilmtour
Image Credits
all are mine.