About the Author-Filmmaker, Brian Wizard
Born in the early half of the 20th Century, Brian’s childhood was perfect, until he went to war in Vietnam. During the war, Brian grew from boy to man, as he defined the frontline of the war in the door of the combat assault helicopter, Pollution IV. The all-volunteer smokeship of the 118th Assault Helicopter Company was always the first ship into the hostile landing zones, laying down a protective smoke screen for the landing troop carrying ‘slick’ helicopters to protect them from the enemy guns. You can read details in the stories Permission to Kill, and Smokeships Always Leading the Way, and see in the award-winning documentary, Viet Nam: “Then, Again, and Beyond” about the death-defying acts the crew of Pollution IV performed on a daily basis. This beyond the call of duty combat lifestyle influenced Brian’s life ever since.
After graduating from the School of Expressive Arts at Sonoma State University, yet unable to merge with the American culture, he immigrated to Australia, where he published his first novel Permission to Kill. He lived in the deep north of Queensland, but hitchhiked up and down, over and around the county, hawking his novel for two editions. Brian did a good turn for the Australian Viet Nam Veterans.
The fly-by of Haley’s Comet brought Brian back to the U.S.A., where he moved way out in the way-out of the Inland Northwest. Isolated in a wilderness environment, Brian penned a dozen more novels, with more to come, as you can see in the bookstore on this site. Over the years, Brian creative zest has never dwindled, as it is his therapy to overcome the negative aspects of war. His books, and his amazing Viet Nam War and beyond documentary have won awards. Brian has created his own brand of art works be it sculptures, jewelry, or musical instruments.
With the advent of the internet, you have access to the Master Expressive Artist’s work via this website. We are encouraging Brian to write a blog and to continue to perform his multimedia artworks for years to come.
This is where you come in. We need everyone who ever said, “We support our troops and veterans” to stand up and support this veteran of war by buying a book, an E-book, his DVD, or CD of E-books for one very good reason. Brian is extremely deep in debt as being a creative genius isn’t inexpensive, or easy. Talk is cheap, but the walk with one of his books in hand is inexpensive and fun. It’s okay to hire a combat veteran as your source of entertainment be it books, film, or artworks.
- Winner "Best Documentary" at New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, Las Vegas 2005.
- Marquis Who's Who CV/Resume´
Budding poet and songwriter Brian Wizard heard his calling to become an expressive artist during his stint as a combat assault helicopter door gunner in the Viet Nam War in 1968-69, when he realized he was living the highly adventurous lifestyle that makes for good books and movies. It took ten years of settling his mind before he could start to review his gatherings of diaries, Super 8mm film, and still 35mm photos.
As an early pioneer of independent publishing, Brian Wizard released the first and second editions of his first book, Permission to Kill, in his adopted country of Australia in 1981. After six years there, he returned to the states to live and document thirty years of his post-war life in two books, Back in the World and Permission to Live, as well as two movies, Thunderhawks, composed of actual combat footage, and Make Friends Not War, regarding his return to Viet Nam in 1999. In 2005, Brian’s dual-documentary won the New York Independent Film Festival’s Best Documentary (short). In July 2007,
Brian donated the custom-painted combat flight helmet he wore in combat, as shown in Thunderhawks, with his platoon scarf, to the Vertical Flight Collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Va. (See video on website.)
In 2009, forty years after the war, Brian expanded his documentary to add two new music videos and the dedication ceremony of the smoke generator he located, bought, and donated to the SI NASM, which is now installed on the Huey smokeship the museum has on display.
Brian Wizard is a graduate of the School of Expressive Arts at Sonoma State University. Over the years, Brian Wizard has penned many stories.
Click here for Brian Wizard's resume as found in the following Marquis' Who's Who reference books, which are distributed around the world and in all major reference libraries.
Who's Who in: America - Business and Finance - Communication and Media - Entertainment - Emerging American Leaders - the West, and the World. Brian Wizard also has his work and name in space, via the time capsule Space Arc, in American archives such as the Library of Congress, (via copyrights) and the military history, as well as an international reputation as an artist and publisher.