Top 10 Adventure King 1000 Videos of 2021 (Plus One Extra)

“Hey everybody, it’s your boy AK!”

So begins each video from the rising YouTube star known as Adventure King 1000. Every time I hear that line I know I’m in for a special treat — whether it be of the more traditional variety in the form of candy and snack reviews of the kind made famous by his father, cameraman, and master of ceremonies Brian Hammons (who fans of this site would recognize as our longtime friend and collaborator over on reviewtheworld.com); or the sort of treat that comes by way of new sights for the eyes and sounds for the ears — and yes, sometimes smells that the mind all too easily conjures up when lurking with this crew among the desolated and forgotten flotsam that is the by-product of failed capitalism, changing economic landscapes, and the slow destructive hand of time.

This past year was an incredibly productive one for the channel, and frankly I’ve been amazed at all the different worlds this kid’s creativity has led him out to explore (and conquer.) Computer animation, music videos, abandoned retail exploration, food reviews, gaming reviews, IRL streaming, advanced video and image editing — his shear output and commitment to the channel have been amazing. And, from one father to another, hats off to Brian for no doubt being the inspiration and facilitator for so much of this stuff. Truly some of his best work this year has been showcased on the Adventure King’s channel.

In years past I’ve done a few “Top 10” listicles highlighting my favorite Review the World videos and articles of the year, but this time after watching AK’s 2021 wrap-up video I wanted to showcase his work over on this site, to introduce you to one who I think is an amazing new talent on the vlogging scene, and whose work is only just beginning to shine at its full potential. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store.

Join me then, as I walk through some of my personal favorite videos from Adventure King 1000 in 2021. I didn’t rank these, as that wasn’t what I was going for with this list. They’re shown roughly in date order, from earliest to most recent. I hope it gives you a sense of why I like the channel so much.

Abandoned White Castle - Cincinnati, OH

I read recently that White Castles came about after the book The Jungle by Upton Sinclair caused nationwide outrage over poor sanitary practices in the U.S. beef industry. The owners of the chain wanted to ensure the American public that their meat was safe and prepared in a clean environment, and so they chose the color white to symbolize purity and cleanliness. The castle was chosen as a symbol of strength and security. Whatever the case, I have always loved sliders and really lament the fact that there aren’t any slider chains where I live.

→ Elote Ramen May be the King of Fusion Cuisine ∞

This comes courtesy of good buddy Brian Hammons at reviewtheworld.com, now celebrating its 15th year on the internet, I believe. As if I didn’t need another reason during this lockdown to get my hands on some Tajin.

I tell you, fans, I could not be more ready to reintroduce cheese into my diet.

Haters be silent. Cheese in ramen is a cheap American innovation, granted, but ramen is nothing if not versatile and accommodating. And there is surprisingly nothing wrong with the flavor, either. And it was in Pasadena, no mean ramen town, that I first discovered corn in ramen, and I was surprised at how well it meshed with the flavor and texture profile of traditional ramen.

Not to mention that I just flat out love elote.

Yeah, come next week this is definitely happening.