It’s always a pleasure hanging out with The Force Vapors CEO Eric Trotter. He’s a fun dude and one of my favorite people in the business to hang with at vape meets. Last time I chatted with Eric on camera, he told me all about The Force Vapors and some of the company’s popular e-liquids. At ECC 2014, he told me about the most recent addition to The Force Vapors — Padme’s Nectar — and his brand new line called Los Angeles Vapor Company.
As a lifelong Angeleno, Eric’s new line of juices is inspired by the city where he was born and raised. Los Angeles Vapor Company is launching with four flavors — Iced T, The Beach, Valley Girl, and Westside. In the video above, Eric details the flavor profiles of each juice and talks about why he started a separate line.
On a side note, as much as I enjoy hanging out with Eric, interviewing him always makes my arm tired. He’s tall. I’m short. You do the math. Next time we film together, I’m going to make him sit down.
I distinctly remember the first time I tried Perfect Cloudz’s popular Sack Lunch e-liquid. It was in a goodie bag I won at an OC Vape Meet. I dripped a little and was delighted by the peanut butter & jelly flavor. To be completely honest, I immediately thought, “Stoners are going to love this one.” Ha!
At ECC 2014, I had a fun chat with Perfect Cloudz co-owner Mandy Dishler. She told me about the company’s background, the story behind Sack Lunch, the new Sweet & Sticky e-liquid, and more. As a fan of RY4s, I was particularly interested in Perfect Cloudz’s Sweet & Sticky — it’s like an RY4 with some extra naughtiness. In addition to the traditional RY4 ingredients of tobacco, caramel, and vanilla, this Perfect Cloudz concoction also contains butterscotch and salted caramel.
Check out my chat with Many to learn more about Perfect Cloudz and its vaping e-liquids.
At ECC 2014, Boomer Tech was showing of a pair of 26650 mods that will be available at relatively low prices. First up is the Jigantor (not the Jiganator, as RPadholic N8R insisted it was). This mechanical mod features a copper body for maximum conductivity, steel-plated copper caps, a magnetic switch, and a carbon fiber wrap. The Jigantor has an MSRP of $100. On the digital side is Boomer Tech’s Chain Reaction. Using the same tube as the Jigantor, the Chain Reaction has a “backpack” that houses a “CNA” digital regulator. Capable of output as high as 50 watts, the Chain Reaction will be a compelling choice for vapers that want 26650 battery life and a regulated vape for a low price of $125.
Check out my conversation with Boomer Tech owner Brian Skinner to learn more about these stylish and inexpensive 26650 mods.
Out of all the booths I visited at ECC 2014, the Outbreak booth was the only one with a zombie-infested maze. A spinoff line of Epic Juice, Outbreak takes advantage of the zombie craze (I blame The Walking Dead) with five e-liquids based on undead themes. Epic Juice sales director Sammie Saing walked me through the new flavors — Agent Green, Contagion, Patient Zero, Serum, and T-Virus — and told me about the inspiration behind these e-liquids. The video above also gives you a quick walkthrough of the Outbreak zombie maze set to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”
Vapor Shark is known for its affordable box mods that use the outstanding Evolv Vapor DNA variable-wattage chips. At ECC 2014, I met up with wholesale director Oscar Rodriguez to talk about the company’s latest products and to hear the story behind the Vapor Shark submarine. The highlight of the company’s booth was the Vapor Shark rDNA box mod. This product features the DNA 30 chip and runs on a single 18650 battery. The rDNA has several optional accessories to protect the mod and extend its functionality. The Shark Skin products are similar to silicone phone cases; they’re great at protecting the mod, while also changing up its looks. In Oscar’s words, Shark Skins are fantastic for, “Protecting your predator.” Ha! One unique feature of the rDNA is the optional wireless charging dock. This uses inductive charging and gives vapers the convenience of charging a battery without having to take it out of the mod.
As for the submarine…this is something that you have to see for yourself. Watch the video above to see the submarine and hear about its formidable capabilities, as well as to hear the latest from Vapor Shark.
One of the newest and most unique e-liquid companies from Southern California is Johnny Ugly Vapor. The company uses an old-school style and awesomely atypical packaging that immediately grabs your attention. Inside the bottles, Johnny Ugly Vapor uses a coffee, candy, and cake system to make its juices. As someone that identifies coffee, candy, and cake as his three “food groups,” I was intrigued by the Johnny Ugly Vapor approach to vaping e-liquids. At ECC 2014, I met up with Johnny Ugly himself to talk about his company. In addition to describing his flavors and teasing his next one (Monster), he spoke about his background in fashion and love for the Rat Pack. Those two elements are apparent in the style he’s going for with Johnny Ugly Vapor.
Check out the interview above to learn more about Johnny Ugly Vapor, see its unique bottles, learn about its flavors, and hear about what’s coming next.
In a short amount of time, VLS has established a strong reputation in the vaping business. Known for products that mix high quality and great value, VLS is a favorite among many vapers. As a fan of the company’s Vulcan atomizer, I was looking forward to checking out the latest VLS products at ECC 2014. The Ragnarok mechanical mod was getting a lot of attention at the show. This all-copper mech looks great and has an MSRP of $99. VLS had a pair of new Vulcan products too. The Vulcan drip tip uses a modular design that lets you match it with any mod and a PEEK insulator to keep the tip cool. The Vulcan HS is an accessory that allows you to use any atomizer with the Vulcan’s heat fins.
Check out my interview with VLS business development manager James Ting to learn more about the company’s latest products. He also took some time to clear up any confusion about where the Vulcan atomizer is made.
Meeting Vigilante Juice Co co-founders Russ Scarbrough and Ashley West was a fantastic accident at ECC 2014. You see, I had just finished filming an interview with Lost Arts Liquids and noticed Ellen from Ragtime Vapor chatting with the Vigilante Juice Co crew. I have a ton of respect for Ellen (and she may or may not be my secret vaping crush), so I stopped by to say hello. It was a lovely surprise to learn that Vigilante Juice Co is run by cool people that make e-liquid that’s totally in my wheelhouse. The company’s flavors use multiple ingredients for complex and layered blends. It’s totally my kind of vape and I’m thankful for the introduction by Ellen.
In the ECC 2014 interview above, Vigilante Juice Co co-founder Russ Scarbrough talks about his company, some of his popular flavors, and a few new ones. I love that the company’s newest flavor is called Twig & Berries. The gang also has a new key lime pie flavor called Life of Pi, available through the fine folks at Drip Club. I’ve been vaping some of the flavors I picked up at ECC 2014 and the two bottles of Vigilante Juice Co e-liquids I have are among my favorite from the show. With several delicious and complex flavors on the menu, I’m looking forward to discovering more of the company’s juices.
Check out my chat with Vigilante Juice Co Russ to learn more about this exciting e-liquid company.
Last time I spoke with Illuminati Vapor owner Erik Todorovich, he teased some big plans the company had in regards to getting into the collectibles space. At ECC 2014, he unveiled those plans. Illuminati Vapor has a new mascot named Eyezzak. In the future, special bottles of Illuminati Vapor e-liquids will be released with an Eyezzak action figure. The juice will come in 15ml or 30ml bottles that will be housed inside Eyezzak.
In other company news, Illuminati rereleased Money. This e-liquid is similar to the strawberry shortcake ice cream bars that you find at the grocery or in a deli.
Lastly, Erik spoke about the upcoming Kaiju Monster Elixir brand. Coming in November, this spinoff line will use action figures that hold juice bottles, similar to Eyezzak. Naturally, Kaiju Monster Elixir action figures will be inspired by the wonderful monsters and robots found in Japanese movies. As a lifelong fan of Godzilla, Gamera, etc., I’m really looking forward to these Kaiju Monster Elixir e-liquids.
Check out the ECC 2014 interview above to get an update on Illuminati Vapor, meet Eyezzak, and hear about the plans for Kaiju Monster Elixir.
Cloud Kicker Society is the premiere apparel and lifestyle brand in vaping. If you go to a vaping event in California (of which there are like five every weekend), chances are you’ll see several people rocking Cloud Kicker Society “Social Club” t-shirts. The company makes awesome shirts, hoodies, bandanas, and, more that revolve around the vaping lifestyle, but it’s also branching out to different areas of the business. At ECC 2014, I caught up with Cloud Kicker Society founders Rendy Ichsan and Erik Nagashima to learn more about the company and their backgrounds, as well as to see what’s coming next.
One of the company’s earliest successes was its “Social Club” t-shirt. These shirts use a slick, uniform design, but with different brands emblazoned on the chest. The brands range from different vape companies to various vape shops to different parts of the country. It was cool listening to Ren talk about the idea behind the shirt and wanting to embrace the community aspect of the vaping hobby with them. And yes, I now have it on record that there will be RPadTV Social Club shirts coming soon. Win.
Erik and Ren also spoke about their collaboration with Aethertech, which has resulted in some sexy vaping hardware. Another up-and-coming American vaping company, Aethertech has made a pair of 26650 mods that feature unique designs and Cloud Kicker Society branding.
I love that a company like Cloud Kicker Society exists. I appreciate that Erik and Ren are highly concerned about releasing products with designs that they like and quality that they’d want. I like that the company is selective about its partners, making sure that the people they work with have a similar view about the vaping lifestyle. Most of all, I like that these cool guys are making cool stuff!
Check out my long ECC 2014 interview with the Cloud Kicker Society founders to learn more about the company and to find out whether or not it will delve into the exotic world of men’s thongs.
