MVP Monday: Clifton Gunn

The sun is beginning to make some appearances in Buffalo, NY, and it’s got everyone in good spirits! Welcome back to another installment of MVP Monday as we lunge into spring! As our Hit Parade division continues to impress, it only feels right to show some love to our ‘behind the scenes’ employees. Meet Clifton Gunn, a member of our Hit Parade memorabilia team at our retail location! As always, we sit down to talk and learn more about our MVP!

What are your interests outside of work?

I spend a lot of my time making sculptures. It’s something that I’ve been doing since I was about five. I used to just copy what I saw on TV until one day I decided to make original content and never looked back. I’m a recent graduate from Buffalo State College with a degree in sculpture. In my free time I dedicate myself to my craft. From working on sculptures, telling stories, designing clothes, and making stop-motion film; art has been a part of my life for years and will continue to be until the end.

Love the dedication to your craft, and what amazing work! Keep it up; you’re going places kid!

Do you have any hobbies?

Besides art, I’m a big comic guy and movie buff. I’ve also recently taken an interest in designing clothes.

We’re just waiting on your stop-motion feature length film! Maybe we can pull some strings and it’ll be based off of a comic? 😉

What’s your favorite movie and why?

At the moment, The Batman (2022). I’m a big fan of the superhero genre, but a lot of them miss the mark because they don’t focus on the story. In my opinion, The Batman is a perfect comic book movie and all around good film.

Clifton coming in with the hot take! There’s a lot of differing opinions when it comes to this new Batman movie, but Clifton is holding his ground. If you haven’t seen it, SPOILER ALERT: Robert Pattinson is the Batman! 

What are your favorite sports teams and why?

Not a big sports fan. I have more fun playing than watching.

I’m honestly jealous, Clif. Life would be so much less stressful without pulling your hair out while watching your favorite team.

Are you a former/current athlete? What sports did you play? 

Back in high school I played 4 years of soccer and ran track. I wish I kept up with that, because now I get tired just thinking about running that much. But don’t worry, I’ll get back to it. 😉

We’re going to hold you to that! We’re a lean, mean machine here at Dave and Adam’s! I’m sure lifting all of those products keeps you in shape! Running is overrated anyways…

What’s your favorite product that we sell?

I’d have to say our Big Boxx because customers can get an array of autographed items. It’s not just your basic product. You’re most likely pulling a couple of items you’ll enjoy.

Your love for the ‘Big Boxx’ is matched by our customers! This truly is such an awesome product, and you never know what you could pull out of it! Check out this product here!

Do you have any collections of your own?

I’m a big Power Rangers fan. I still have all of my VHS tapes. I’ve been getting them signed in recent years and need about 7 more autos. Almost there!

Who didn’t love the Power Rangers growing up? Kimberly Hart was everyone’s crush, no need to hide it anymore. The editor of this blog might have a collection of 90’s Power Rangers toys he could donate to you 😉

Tell me about your background with DA/HP? What attracted you to work for us?

I’ve been part of the Hit Parade team for the last four years. Back in 2018, I worked as a volunteer at Nickel City Con and was offered to be part of the DACW family. Before Dave and Adam’s, I worked at Big Lots for about 2 years.

What inspires you to be the best at your job?

I try to treat a lot of my tasks as if they were one of my art projects in order to produce the best work that I can.

What a great way to think about it! Although not all of our employees share the art analogy, we are all perfectionists in our own way! We will always put our best foot forward to ensure the customer’s experience is great/enjoyable from start to finish!

What makes you love your job?

One of the reasons that I enjoy working here is the people. They have your back around here and that’s hard to find in most places. Shout out to my HP Mem boys!

Yeah, it’s kinda cool when you work with people that you like. The word ‘family’ gets tossed around pretty loosely when talking about a company’s culture, but the Dave and Adam’s family really feels like a family. I feel like Vin Diesel with all of this family talk. 

What has been your biggest challenge here, and what did you do to solve it on your own?

Honestly, my only challenge here is my lack of sports knowledge. Over the years here I’ve learned a lot by simply asking questions.

And that’s probably the easiest way to take on that challenge! Thank you for being part of this team over the last four years, Clif! You truly deserve this MVP spotlight, and we wouldn’t be the same without you!

Thank you for once again joining us for our MVP Monday spotlight! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on all things Dave and Adam’s!