About Homedaddy

Todd Pinsky lives in Santa Cruz, California, with his wife, Julia, and their daughters Emma and Stella.

The Early Years: Todd grew up in Southern California but humbly asks that this not be held against him. He graduated high school in Pasadena in 1978. He then moved to Santa Cruz, CA for a few years of part-time college, restaurant work, and couch-surfing, in what he considers his Golden Age. Next came San Diego and a degree in TV/Film Production from San Diego State University.

The Show Biz Years: Much to his surprise, he found work, starting at the bottom as a Production Assistant for "Miami Vice," an experience which provides the substance for many of his current-day rants. He then became a 2nd Assistant Director for that show, and later for "Crime Story," another police drama, this time shot in Chicago. Upon returning to L.A. he was involved in the editing process and eventually became Post Production Supervisor for "Crime Story." After lasting about five episodes, he left the show to supervise post production for such undistinguished films as "Breaking In," starring yet another Burt Reynolds toupee, and the truly God-awful "Martians Go Home." The was a glimmer of hope with an opportunity as Associate Producer for a CBS drama called "The Antagonists," but the show mercifully disappeared without a trace after the pilot episode. After that, he took anything he could get, including a graveyard shift gig cutting sound effects for "Rescue 911." What the heck, somebody had to add the "thud and crunch" sound when the styrofoam boulder landed on the stunt lady hiker's leg. When he found himself begging for gigs on movies with names like "Bikini Car Wash," he realized there needed to be a change.

The Catering Years: He moved back to Santa Cruz and started a small catering company, Grill of My Dreams. Turned out that catering weddings was a lot like shooting a movie. People, equipment, vehicles, schedules, temperamental actresses... I mean brides. at least the L.A. freeway system wasn't involved. As a sideline to the catering business, he opened a tiny espresso bar inside an indoor rock climbing gym, of all the crazy things. This is where he met Julia, his then-future wife, a local graphic designer. He needed a logo, she needed coffee... what more do you need to know?

TV, Part Two: Soon thereafter he sold the catering business and took a job at a Salinas TV station as a writer/producer for local commercials. Really bad ones. Hundreds of 'em, including lots of car dealerships. By virtue of having a pulse, he eventually became Production Manager at the station, which sounds a lot more important than it was.

The Modern Era: By this time, Todd and Julia were married and pregnant, just in the nick of time. In 1998, Emma was born and with her, the decision for Todd to resign and become Homedaddy. Julia had a better job... plus, she actually liked it. Todd began writing "Homedaddy," a weekly newspaper column which debuted in The Salinas Californian on Halloween, 1998.

"Homedaddy," his weekly column, debuted on Halloween, 1998. The first book, "Homedaddy: Little White Lies and Other Tales from the Crib" was released in October, 2003.