| Jay Maynard | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960/1961 (age 50–51)[1] |
| Residence | Fairmont, Minnesota |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Tron Guy |
Jay Maynard is a computer programmer and system administrator and the volunteer project maintainer for Hercules, an emulator of IBM mainframe hardware. He is known for his self-made electroluminescent Tron Guy costume.
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Maynard became a subject of Internet discussion forums when his costume, inspired by the film Tron, spread across the net from postings on Slashdot[2] and Fark. He parlayed his notoriety into a series of appearances on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2004.
In 2006, Maynard appeared in a music video entitled "We Are the Web", for the website of the same name. The video advocates the concept of network neutrality.[3] In it, Maynard appears alongside several other internet celebrities, including Leslie Hall and Randy Constan. He was also parodied in the South Park episode "Canada on Strike". His likeness appeared alongside those of such other Internet celebrities as Gary Brolsma, Star Wars Kid, Chris Crocker and Tay Zonday.
In 2009, Maynard was a special guest on the television series Tosh.0 for the "Web Redemption" segment, where Internet celebrities openly make fun of themselves by answering questions from Daniel Tosh and re-enact their original acts.
In 2010, Maynard was banned from seeing the film Tron: Legacy in his iconic Tron suit in his local movie theater because of the illuminating lights on his suit.[4]
On June 8, 2011, Maynard appeared on America's Got Talent. He received a "no" vote from each of the three judges and did not make it past the audition round. Howie Mandel had him start his speech over several times; the audience did not allow him to finish it.
In 2011, Maynard appeared in a commercial for Duck Brand duct tape. The ad recreates the light-cycle race from Tron using stop-motion animation, followed by Maynard's appearance in the Tron Guy outfit.[5]
Maynard is the maintainer for Hercules, which is an emulator for IBM mainframe hardware released under the liberal Q Public License.[6]
Maynard's hobbies include amateur radio (callsign K5ZC),[7] pistol shooting, flying, and attending technology and fan conventions.[1] He currently resides in Fairmont, Minnesota. [8][9][10]
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