Benjamin Carlin, 33 / Owner, Super Carlin Brothers, LLC
Benjamin Carlin is one half of the Super Carlin Brothers, a hugely popular YouTube channel based in Roanoke with over two million subscribers and 600 million total views. Launched in 2012, the brothers made the daily video blog channel their full-time job in 2016; they are now known as expert theorists on popular fandoms like Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Marvel, with dozens of brand partnerships with these and other prestigious entertainment organizations such Lenovo, Google Arts and Culture, EA Games and the British Library. Carlin also owns Carlin Aquariums, which maintains and operates home aquariums across multiple states in addition to the familiar saltwater tanks at Center in the Square. The brothers’ podcast, Popcorn Culture, already sits at almost 3 million total downloads; while doing a live performance at GoFest ‘22, their fans shared their favorite local activities, and what they’d love to do if they ever visit. “It was beyond amazing that day to discover that more than 200 people had come from all over the country to experience not just our show but everything Roanoke has to offer,” he says. “We had folks from Illinois telling us about hiking to the Star, another group from Puerto Rico couldn’t wait to try Blue Cow Ice cream and so many others had scoped out other hot spots and favorite restaurants.”
- Platinum winner, “Best Local Influencer” and “Best Local Podcast”; Silver for “Local Company that Gives Back” by Roanoker Magazine, 2022
- Hit viral gold with their “Pixar Theory” video, an in-depth breakdown of how all of the beloved Pixar movies fit into one timeline in the same universe. The “Pixar Theory” currently has over 10 million views
- Host a weekly podcast (Popcorn Culture), a gaming channel (Super Carlin Gaming), and various vlogs (With the Carlins and Jonathan Carlin Vlogs). Among all of these projects, they have an additional YouTube subscriber count of nearly 200,000 and their podcast has garnered almost 3 million downloads in less than 3 years. They also have thousands of patrons on Patreon, through which they send fans merchandise and bonus video / audio content in exchange for fan-funded financial support.
From the Nomination: “Benjamin Carlin is one half of the Super Carlin Brothers … Balancing day jobs and growing families, the brothers eventually settled into making SCB their full-time job in 2016 … They have fans all over the globe, and have done live meet-and-greet events across the United States. … While they post 2 videos a week to the SCB YouTube channel, it’s far from their only endeavor, as the brothers also have a weekly podcast (Popcorn Culture), a gaming channel (Super Carlin Gaming), and various vlogs (With the Carlins and Jonathan Carlin Vlogs). Among all of these projects, they have an additional YouTube subscriber count of nearly 200,000 and their podcast has garnered almost 3 million downloads in less than 3 years. They also have thousands of patrons on Patreon, through which they send fans merchandise and bonus video / audio content in exchange for fan-funded financial support. The brothers aren’t just in the content creation business either. In 2018 they founded their own online coffee company called Carlin Brothers Coffee. What started as a passion project for the coffee-loving brothers has become a formidable brand that sells not only coffee, tea and hot chocolate, but ornate mugs, themed candles, puzzles, and so much more. Through CBC, the brothers also partnered with the Feya Foundation, a growing non-profit organization that works to connect people and resources to aid in ending world hunger. For every order made on their website, Carlin Brothers coffee donates one meal to individuals in need. They have also partnered with various other global and local charities and as a whole Super Carlin Brothers, LLC and Carlin Brothers Coffee have raised over $20,000 dollars in 2022 alone. On top of their professional accomplishments, they are also cheerleaders for the Roanoke Valley. Both Ben and J are mountain-bikers, hikers, and outdoors aficionados in their free time. With their massive internet platform, they have helped spread the word of Roanoke’s greatness to a worldwide audience. … The brothers also take pride in their support of various LGBTQ+ organizations, including our own Roanoke Diversity Club. Last year, they launched a pride shirt for Coming Out Day and later re-released it for Pride month this year. All of the proceeds for this project were donated both to the Trevor Project and the Roanoke Diversity Club and raised over $3,000. … Whereas many creators in the YouTube arena choose to move to bigger cities where they can grow their audience such as Los Angeles, New York, or Atlanta, the Carlin brothers have chosen to stay in Roanoke. … They constantly strive to create an environment with a healthy balance of hard work, fun and compassion, and want the same for the Roanoke community.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Carlin: “I’ve always felt like because we’re tucked into the mountains, Roanoke has a little culture of its own. People are friendly and it has that welcoming small town feel. I grew up in the area attending Cave Spring High School, received my Bachelor’s degree from Radford University just up the road, and am now a resident of the Grandin Area. It’s been amazing to watch the town grow up around me and with me. From annual events like Go Outside Fest and the Drumstick Dash to the greenway and the bike trails at Mill Mountain and Carvins Cove and all of the spectacular breweries, I love every chance I can get to go and be a part of what this area has to offer.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Carlin: “This past year at GoFest our Podcast: Popcorn Culture was doing a live performance at the Campfire stage and we put the word out to our fans along with our favorite things to do around here. It was beyond amazing that day to discover that more than 200 people had come from all over the country to experience not just our show but everything Roanoke has to offer. We had folks from Illinois telling us about hiking to the Star, another group from Puerto Rico couldn’t wait to try Blue Cow Ice cream, and so many others had scoped out other hot spots and favorite restaurants.”
