STAFF SPOTLIGHT
BRANDON
BENFIELD
AMA Graphic Designer
brandonb@modelaircraft.org
Q: How long have you worked at AMA and what is your current role?
A: I have worked at AMA since November 2022. I am a part of the Creative team and primarily lay out the magazine (along with Katie Albert). I also create designs for AMA outside of the magazine, either doing in-house projects for staff or ads for the upcoming issue.
Q: What hobbies do you have?
A: I’m very into pop culture. I enjoy horror films, Power Rangers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I attend and volunteer at lots of horror and pop culture conventions. I have a massive autograph collection and I’ve met and worked with more than 1,000 celebrities.
I enjoy playing guitar. I have two PRS guitars—a Tremonti and a Santana. I also have a podcast called The Couple That Slays Together with my wife, Katie. We review horror films and television shows and interview celebrities. I also have my own solo podcast called Let’s Be Real, Though - with Brandon J. Benfield, where I sit down and give my thoughts on life situations, my views on anything and everything, as well as interviews with anyone from celebrities to personal friends.
Q: What is your favorite place to eat in the area?
A: I’m a huge fan of Chinese food and love a good buffet, so I enjoy eating at Yummy Grill next to Best Buy in Muncie.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: My wife and I have six cats and two dogs. I’ve had my oldest cat, a tuxedo named Cleo, since 2008. She’ll be 17 this year. (Fun fact: When my wife and I got together, we both had a cat named Cleo and had them both for several years until her Cleo passed away in 2023). We have two 7-year-old sisters from the same litter: Winnie (a calico) and Calliope (a tortie); two 4-year-old brother tuxedo cats: Auggie and Artie; and then we have Evie, a 2-year-old tuxedo cat who never grew to be full size. We call her the “kitten-size cat.” Henry is our schnauzer-doodle mutt who is less than a year old and a 6-year-old purebred Yorkie named Maizee.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at AMA?
A: I like feeling secure in my job, both in stability and creatively. Since moving to the greater Indianapolis area in 2012, I have been a part of three corporate downsizings and was terminated in all three situations. AMA is a strong, stable company. I’m proud to be a part of a company where I have zero stress, and I don’t feel like I’m constantly looking over my shoulder, wondering when my tenure with AMA might end.
I also have a strong support system with a creative team of artists who I can ask opinions on projects and receive constructive, yet positive, feedback. I don’t have to feel stupid or embarrassed to ask them what they think, and I give them that same respect.
Q: Can you share a memorable moment from your time at AMA?
A: Hands down, the solar eclipse in 2024. AMA hosted a huge watch party on the grounds. My wife and in-laws were in attendance. It was an amazing experience to be able to share that time with my family, as well as the staff and members. I remember being in awe of it all when the eclipse finally hit and how the temperature changed and how the sky “turned off” as though it was done by some higher power, and you could just see more of outer space than normal at night. It was truly an amazing experience, and I have AMA to thank for that.
Q: What is a detail or aspect of your job that people outside of AMA might not realize is so important?
A: I would say the process and detail in what goes into putting the magazine together is important. We go through four rounds of revisions/submissions.
Every time after we revise, we always check each other’s work before submitting in order to perfect the magazine for our readers.
