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Brandon Novak

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Brandon Novak
Novak in 2022
Born
Brandon Thomas Novak

(1978-12-10) December 10, 1978 (age 45)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.[1]
Occupation(s)Skateboarder, stunt performer, author, speaker
Years active1992–present
Known forJackass
Viva La Bam
Websitebrandonnovak.com

Brandon Thomas Novak (born December 10, 1978[2]) is an American motivational speaker, author, and former professional skateboarder and CKY crew member. He also had appearances in the Viva La Bam reality comedy series and the Jackass films.

Early life

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Novak was born on December 10, 1978, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Career

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Professional skateboarding

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Novak started skateboarding at seven years old and was soon discovered by Bucky Lasek.[citation needed] He was the first skateboarder in the world to be sponsored by Gatorade at 14 years old.[3] At this same time, he was a professional skateboarder on the Powell Peralta Team, traveling the country with Bucky Lasek, Bam Margera, Tony Hawk, and others.[4] Due to his substance abuse he was presented with the option to quit or attend rehab which he chose to quit.[5][6]

Upon achieving sobriety in 2015, Novak returned to skateboarding.[2] In 2020, he finally achieved his dream of creating a pro-deck with The Heart Supply (run by CEO and Founder of Element, Johnny Schillereff). They released the Brandon Novak Heart Supply collection[7] in June 2020.

In July 2021, Novak and fellow professional skateboarder Joey Jett released a short film of their journey to Barcelona titled "The Awakening" showcasing their skateboarding and journey.[8]

Entertainment persona

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Novak (left) and Margera (right) in the mid-2000s

Novak makes appearances in the CKY videos, Bam Margera's films Haggard and Minghags as well as Viva La Bam, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 2.5, Jackass 3D, Jackass 3.5, Bam's Unholy Union, and Bam's Bad Ass Game Show. In Haggard, Novak plays a friendly drug dealer named Dooli, which was the real nickname of Novak's dealer in northwest Baltimore.

He appeared regularly on the SIRIUS Satellite Radio show Radio Bam. One notable radio appearance was on December 26, 2005, where Margera gave Novak $500 to hire two sex workers as a Christmas gift. As Novak was having sex with the women live on air in the studio, SIRIUS Satellite Radio cut off the show.[9] This was significant as it was the first time SIRIUS had ever censored a program before.[10][11]

Also in 2005, Novak arrived on the red carpet at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards wearing nothing except a computer keyboard.[12] The night prior he had brought back girls to his hotel room and sometime in the night had thrown his clothes off the balcony. Having no clothes for the VMA's, he decided on a keyboard.

In 2008, Novak appeared in Bam Margera Presents: Where the#$&% Is Santa?, which featured Novak and several other cast members trying to find Santa Claus. That same year, Novak appeared in a pornographic film by Gina Lynn called The Fantasstic Whores 4 with Margera while Margera had a "prominent, non-sex role".[13]

In 2010, Novak appeared in Jackass 3D in multiple scenes. Novak also had a more prominent role in the follow-up film Jackass 3.5, which was released in 2011.

In 2013 and 2014, Novak traveled around the world as the opening act for rock and roll band Fuckface Unstoppable.[14] Performing as "Pill" Collins, a spoof of Phil Collins, he would sing "In The Air Tonight" to open the shows. He would be heavily intoxicated, known for coming out naked and spraying the crowd with wine.[15]

He has also been featured on Howard Stern's Most Outrageous Moments for his appearance in a 2008 episode where he stripped naked and licked Richard Christy's anus for $280.[16]

Author of Dreamseller and The Streets of Baltimore

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Novak in 2019
Novak writing the book in 2014 prior to his sobriety

Novak, along with co-author and CKY filmographer Joe Frantz, authored his first book, titled Dreamseller, which is based on his life and experiences with heroin in Baltimore. The book was published on October 18, 2008. A paperback version of the book was released exactly a year after its original publishing on October 18, 2009.

A movie, also to be titled Dreamseller, was supposed to be in production in early 2007, but was stopped when Novak began using heroin again. On the December 17, 2007 episode of Radio Bam, it was announced that the movie may be completed in the near future with Bam Margera starring as Novak in the film.

In 2015, the idea of a movie was again floated, but Novak claimed that to secure funding they would have to approve Justin Bieber playing Novak, which they felt wasn't the right direction.[17] Production ceased again.

In 2018, Novak and Frantz released a graphic novel titled The Brandon Novak Chronicles: The Shocking True Addiction Stories of a Counter-Culture Icon.

Novak released a second book titled The Streets of Baltimore in 2020, marking the five-year anniversary of his sobriety, which chronicles more of his struggle with addiction.

Battles with drug abuse

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Novak skating at Bam Margera's skate park in 2010
Novak under the influence

Before achieving sobriety in 2015, Novak struggled for over 20 years with addictions to heroin, cocaine, pain pills, benzodiazepines, and alcohol.[18] He spent his 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, and 35th birthdays in a jail or treatment center.[19]

When Novak was 14, he was a professional skateboarder on the Powell Peralta Team, traveling the country with Bucky Lasek, Tony Hawk, and others.[4] Despite his meteoric rise to success, his drug use was discovered by Mike Vallely[20] and Tony Hawk presented him with the choice to leave the team or attend rehab for his "psychoactive substance abuse"; he elected to leave the team.[21] Over the next 20 years, he went to rehab 13 times, was frequently arrested, overdosed over four times, stole from his friends and family, and prostituted himself to pay for drugs.[22]

Novak was clean for almost four years, from 2003 to 2007, before relapsing.[23]

Novak was absent from the January 23, 2006 episode of Radio Bam on Sirius Satellite Radio while he attended rehab for addiction to pills.[24] On February 26, 2007, Novak admitted on Radio Bam that while he had quit using heroin, he still regularly abused cocaine and pain medication and frequently drank alcohol.[25] While it was not mentioned on the radio show, Novak broke both ankles the day before Margera's wedding while skating with Tony Hawk and Margera during filming for Bam's Unholy Union on February 2, 2007. He was shown holding a bottle of prescription pain killers afterwards. Margera stated on Radio Bam that Novak relapsed in March 2007 and was seeking treatment in a rehabilitation clinic.[26] It is unclear if this incident led to his relapse, or if the relapse was already occurring by this time.

Margera announced on the April 3, 2007 episode of Radio Bam that Novak had a relapse with his addiction to heroin and was back in rehab.[27] On the July 30, 2007 episode of Radio Bam, Margera and Chad I Ginsburg were discussing the topic of heroin and announced that Novak's addiction was "the worst [Bam] had ever seen" and that Novak was "just killing himself now".[28] He was kicked out of rehab in Scranton, Pennsylvania, after heroin pills were found in his bag. Novak claimed that the pills were "planted" on him.[28] On a Radio Bam episode in November, Novak stated that he had attempted suicide three weeks before the radio show, as a result of a heroin binge, but survived it.[29]

On the December 17, 2007 episode of Radio Bam, Novak was asked to leave Margera's house again when he lied on air about not having pills and being clean. He had recently been released from a psychiatric ward he had been held in for 12 days because of suicidal tendencies and drug use. The crew found multiple bars of Xanax on Novak, which he claimed had been prescribed to him. Joe Frantz and Margera exiled Novak for a period of time as a result.[30] On the March 3, 2008 episode of Radio Bam, Novak stated that he was 33 days clean and would appear in Bam's new MTV show.

In March 2009, Frantz had a phone conversation with Novak about his attempted suicide and mental health issues that resulted in him being institutionalized.[31] On March 9, 2009, Novak appeared on Radio Bam and discussed getting out of the mental institution, his drug use, and the delusions that led to the problems.[32]

Influence

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Novak and his battles with addiction influenced a number of songs.

In a 2006 episode of Loveline with Dr. Drew, lead vocalist of HIM, Ville Valo confirmed their song "Killing Loneliness" was inspired by Novak who blamed his heroin addiction on a need to, "kill the loneliness."[33]

Bam Margera's band Fuckface Unstoppable produced two songs heavily featuring Novak. "Moonshine", where in the chorus Margera sings about Novak and the music video begins with a naked Novak throwing a fit outside of a gas station.[34]

In 2013, Margera also developed the song "Till the Wheels Fal Alf". The music video opens with Novak intoxicated on the phone and ends with a naked Novak being dragged out of a building.[35][36] The song contains lyrics alluding to Novak's addiction to pills.

In 2017, the band Black Haze released a song titled "Dreamseller", as an ode to Novak's nickname. The music video contains videos of Novak pre-sobriety.[37]

Arrests and jail sentence

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Prior to achieving sobriety, Novak had a long history in and out of the legal system. Novak has been charged over 30 times with charges ranging from burglary to possession over the course of 1997–2014.[38]

In a 2008 interview, Bam Margera details how Novak was featured on World's Dumbest Criminals following a humorous arrest where Novak breaks into a gas station during a blizzard, leaves with the stolen goods, then realizing he has nowhere to go, decides to return to the gas station and sleep. He awakes to the police questioning him.[39]

On July 7, 2010, Novak was arrested at Chester County Hospital for an outstanding warrant after being admitted to the hospital for breaking several bones filming a scene for Jackass 3D. He was charged with forging a prescription after he tried to pass a fake prescription for Xanax at a Walgreens in Media, Pennsylvania.[40]

On November 3, 2010, Novak was sentenced to 11–23 months. His initial sentence called for the first 30 weeks,[41] to be spent as weekend confinement at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton, Pennsylvania.[citation needed] After his weekends were completed, Novak would spend six months on house arrest until eligible for release.[citation needed]

In early February 2011, Novak claimed on Radio Bam that he had used his cellmate's urine to pass a drug test and mentioned the facility by name. The episode was intercepted by the staff at the correctional facility, and on February 11, 2011, the judge revoked Novak's weekend sentence and ordered him to be jailed for 10 months. Novak was released from the jail on December 30, 2011. He was then on parole for one year and was on probation until the end of 2013, during which time he had to stay clean of illegal substances.

Feud with Bam Margera

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Bam Margera (left) and Novak (right) in 2014

A feud between Novak and childhood best friend Bam Margera began in 2019 as a result of Margera's continued substance abuse problems. Margera has routinely taken to Instagram to attack Novak. In early 2021, Margera shared a series of text messages between himself and Novak with him saying to Novak, "Your not signing a book on my turf till you admit who you are. You can't just keep coming around my way. Dont you reply to your best friend?"[42] He additionally went on Instagram Live while intoxicated, claiming his best friend and "life partner" Brandon Novak promised him a new car and Margera felt betrayed by him.[43] In further posts, alluding to the financial support he provided Novak for rehab attempts, he says, "If you fucking faggots don't think I fixed Novak then tell that to the 150,000.00 I have spent on fixing him! Fuckers."[44]

In a 2019 interview, Novak addresses the personal attacks from Margera, "You see Bam's public tirades and the fact that he focused a lot of his attention and his anger on me for a little while.. Did it hurt? Absolutely. Was I angry? Absolutely. Did I retaliate? Definitely not. The reality is why me, why me, it's like why the fuck not me? As many times as I hurt him, I took advantage of him, I lied to him, I stole from him, he always lent a hand. And now what better person to understand where he's at than me? There's nothing he could say that would offend me or make me abandon our friendship. I won't and I'll see this through with him till the very end, good, bad, or indifferent."[45]

Sobriety

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Novak speaking at a prison in 2021

After a string of relapses and homelessness, Novak entered Today, Inc. in Langhorne, Pennsylvania and successfully completed treatment. He has been clean and sober since May 25, 2015.[46] He now serves as a Certified Intervention Professional and serves as a motivational speaker.[47][48]

Novak tours the nation sharing his story of recovery and message of hope, seeking to help suffering addicts. He has appeared on broadcasts nationally. In all media appearances he encourages anyone who is struggling to reach out to him for help directly. He even provides his personal cellphone number to audiences for anyone who needs help.

Novak serves as the keynote speaker for the DEA's Youth Summit events, bringing drug awareness and education to high schools and organizations across the nation.[49]

He starred in "Facing Addiction in America", a television special featuring celebrities who had been affected by addiction. The special was aired on BET, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo TV, MTV, MTV2, MTV Classic, MTV Live, Spike TV, TV Land, and VH1.[50]

TENGA Productions produced a video with Novak telling his story that went viral on YouTube. It was shown in more than 40 US markets and garnered more than 4.5 million views inspiring countless individuals to reach out for help.[51]

Novak's House

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Novak (left) with Darren Prince and Allison Rush at the first Novak's House event in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2022

Novak, alongside George Evagelou, founded Novak's House, a sober home in Delaware for young men in recovery. As of 2022, there are three Novak's Houses located in Wilmington, Delaware.

In February 2022, Novak, alongside manager Allison Rush and Julie Johnson, held the first-ever Novak's House gala in Boca Raton, Florida to raise money for sober living scholarships. The event raised nearly $70,000 and was featured on WPTV-TV,[52] Yahoo! Sports,[53] and ESPN.[54]

Also in 2022, Novak and Johnson partnered with the Mountain Dew Skate Tour and Punk Rock and Paintbrushes to sponsor an art show and also raise money for Novak's House scholarships through a VIP event.[55] Brandon and Julie continued their support for Punk Rock and Paintbrushes artists and scholarships by sponsoring a show at Tony Hawk's Weekend Jam in May 2022.[56]

Filmography

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Movies

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 CKY3 Himself Direct-to-video
2002 CKY4: The Latest & Greatest Himself Direct-to-video
2003 Haggard: The Movie Dooli
2006 Jackass Number Two Himself Guest appearances
2007 Jackass 2.5 Himself Guest appearances
2008 Bam Margera Presents: Where the#$&% Is Santa? Himself Direct-to-video
2008 The Fantasstic Whores 4 Himself
2009 Dreamseller: The Brandon Novak Documentary Himself Short documentary
2009 Minghags Gay biker
2010 Jackass 3D Himself Guest appearances
2011 Jackass 3.5 Himself Guest appearances
2017 The Fast Food King Himself Documentary
2020 Steve-O: Gnarly Himself Direct-to-video
Guest appearances
2022 Humanity Stoked Himself Documentary
TBA The Brandon Novak Story Himself Documentary

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2004–2006 Viva La Bam Himself 18 episodes
2005 MTV Cribs Himself 1 episode
2005 2005 MTV Video Music Awards Himself Guest appearance
2007 Bam's Unholy Union Himself 9 episodes
2008 truTV Presents: World's Dumbest... Himself 1 episode
2009 The Dudesons Himself Episode 3.6
2009 Nitro Circus Himself 2 episodes
2011 A Tribute to Ryan Dunn Himself TV documentary
Archive footage
2014 Bam's Bad Ass Game Show Himself 6 episodes
2014 CKY: The Greatest Hits Himself TV special
2017 Epicly Later'd: Bam Margera Himself TV documentary
2018 WGN Morning News Himself 1 episode
2021 FOX 29 Philadelphia Himself 1 episode

Web series

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Year Title Role Notes
2018 Bathroom Break Podcast Himself 1 episode
2021–2024 Steve-O's Wild Ride Himself Podcast
3 episodes

Bibliography

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  • Brandon Novak, Dreamseller. (Citadel Press, 2008) (hardcover) ISBN 0-8065-3003-0
  • Brandon Novak, Dreamseller. (Citadel Press, 2009) (paperback)
  • Brandon Novak, The Streets of Baltimore. (Frantz Press, 2020) (paperback) ISBN 0578602768

References

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  1. ^ Novak, Brandon. "About Brandon Novak". brandonnovak.com. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Swatek, Greg (June 19, 2019). "Baltimore Native Brandon Novak: From Skateboarding Prodigy To Addiction To Sobriety". Pressboxonline. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  3. ^ "Skateboarder Brandon Novak wants people to contact him for addiction help". FOX 2. July 14, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Swatek, Greg (June 19, 2019). "Baltimore Native Brandon Novak: From Skateboarding Prodigy To Addiction To Sobriety". PressBoxOnline.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "Brandon Novak on underestimating his addiction and turning inward to find recovery". Partnership to End Addiction. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  6. ^ Addiction: Tomorrow Is Going To Be Better Brandon Novak's Story #theaddictionseries #dontgiveup, September 17, 2017, retrieved December 1, 2021
  7. ^ "WITH HEART". The Heart Supply. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  8. ^ "Jett Releases 'Joey Jett & Brandon Novak: The Awakening'". The Berrics. July 21, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "The Seanfidential Informant: 01 | Brandon Novak". theseanfidentialinformant.libsyn.com. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Novak Gets Two Hookers Live on Radio Bam Archived September 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ "Novak Gets Two Hookers Live on Radio Bam | brandonovak.com". September 12, 2010. Archived from the original on September 12, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  12. ^ Bam Margera at the VMA's, January 19, 2008, retrieved December 19, 2022
  13. ^ "The Fantasstic Whores 4". AVN. 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
  14. ^ "FFU Dyas". Instagram. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  15. ^ Brandon Novak at Fuckface Unstoppable Australian Tour with Chad from CKY, January 24, 2013, retrieved December 19, 2022
  16. ^ "Bam, Brandon Novak, on Howard Stern". www.slapmagazine.com. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  17. ^ "Joe Frantz – DREAMSELLER THE MOVIE UPDATE! Sorry, it's... | Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  18. ^ "Brandon Novak on underestimating his addiction and turning inward to find recovery". Partnership to End Addiction. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  19. ^ Addiction: Tomorrow Is Going To Be Better Brandon Novak's Story #theaddictionseries #dontgiveup, September 17, 2017, retrieved November 29, 2021
  20. ^ Addiction: Tomorrow Is Going To Be Better Brandon Novak's Story #theaddictionseries #dontgiveup, September 17, 2017, retrieved December 1, 2021
  21. ^ "Brandon Novak on underestimating his addiction and turning inward to find recovery". Partnership to End Addiction. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  22. ^ "From Ramps to Rehab: Brandon Novak's Fall and Rise". Boca Magazine. July 1, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  23. ^ "Today, Pro Skater Brandon Novak Is Two Years Clean And Sober From Opioids". HuffPost. May 25, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  24. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #56 (2006-01-23)". Youtube.com. March 10, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  25. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #109 – Jimmy Pop's house (2006-02-26)". Youtube.com. March 15, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  26. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #111 (2007-03-12)". Youtube.com. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  27. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #114 (2007-04-02)". Youtube.com. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  28. ^ a b "Radio Bam – full episode #127 (2007-07-30)". Youtube.com. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  29. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #138 – Guest: Novaks doctor (2007-11-12)". Youtube.com. March 22, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  30. ^ "Radio Bam – full episode #143 (2007-12-17)". Youtube.com. March 23, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021.
  31. ^ Brandon Novak institutionalized Joe Frantz's YouTube account, March 3, 2009
  32. ^ "Radio Bam". Radio Bam. March 9, 2009.
  33. ^ Halupczok, Marc (June 3, 2013). The Authentic Unauthorized Secret Biography of HIM: & Ville Valo (in German). UBOOKS. ISBN 978-3-944154-96-1.
  34. ^ Bam Margera "Moonshine" by Fuckface Unstoppable OFFICIAL, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved November 26, 2021
  35. ^ Fuckface Unstoppable TILL THE WHEELS FAL ALF .... test 1, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved November 26, 2021
  36. ^ Fuckface Unstoppable – Till the Wheels Fall Alf!, retrieved November 26, 2021
  37. ^ Black Haze – Dreamseller (Official Video), December 15, 2020, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved December 1, 2021
  38. ^ "Search – BeenVerified". www.beenverified.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  39. ^ Brandon Novak About His Heroin Addiction And Friendship With Bam Margera, May 20, 2018, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved October 28, 2021
  40. ^ "Novak is Going Back to Jail". brandonovak.com. 2010. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  41. ^ "Fans and Co-Stars Rally To Support MTV Reality Star". newswire.com (Press release). Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  42. ^ "Margera Novak Texts". Archived from the original on December 24, 2021.
  43. ^ "Fans Tell Bam Margera To 'Sober Up' After Recent Instagram Video". TheThings. February 11, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  44. ^ "Bam Margera". www.instagram.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  45. ^ Behind the Curtain: The Bam/Novak Saga, December 4, 2019, archived from the original on December 12, 2021, retrieved October 28, 2021
  46. ^ Herald, Cheryl SobunFor The Record. "Clean, sober, and helping others". Waynesboro Record Herald – Waynesboro, PA. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  47. ^ "Keynote Speaker". Brandon Novak. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  48. ^ Addiction: Tomorrow Is Going To Be Better Brandon Novak's Story #theaddictionseries #dontgiveup, September 17, 2017, retrieved October 28, 2021
  49. ^ "Operation Engage". www.dea.gov. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  50. ^ Listen: Facing Addiction in America, retrieved December 19, 2022
  51. ^ Addiction: Tomorrow Is Going To Be Better Brandon Novak's Story #theaddictionseries #dontgiveup, September 17, 2017, retrieved December 19, 2022
  52. ^ "How the Novak House is lending a helping hand". MSN. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  53. ^ "How the Novak House is lending a helping hand". sports.yahoo.com. February 21, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  54. ^ "How the Novak House is lending a helping hand". www.yahoo.com. February 21, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  55. ^ "Punk Rock & Paintbrushes Partners With Brandon Novak and Julie Johnson for Dew Tour 2022". www.newswire.com (Press release). Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  56. ^ "Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is teaming up with The Tony Hawk Weekend Jam". Instagram. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
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