When asked what should appear on a page about him, Dan J Kroll shrugs.
"I have no idea. I have to say that I don't really think I'm that interesting," he says with a laugh.
For 18 years, Dan has been the driving force behind the Internet's most-visited soap opera web site, Soap Central. Dan started the web site as a hobby, part of a three-section web page devoted to his love for his adopted hometown of Philadelphia, his life, and his love of All My Children.
"I came to realize quickly that no one really cared about what I had to say about Philadelphia -- and probably even fewer care about my daily antics," Dan explains. "But people definitely latched on to the All My Children part, and it really seemed like they couldn't get enough."
Before long, fans of other soaps were asking Dan to create sections devoted to their favorite soaps. Keep in mind, this was 1995, and the Internet as we know it now was a long way off.
"I'd asked others who I felt to be the experts in their respective soaps to be a part of a centralized soap opera web site, but no one wanted to do it," he admits. "So I decided to do it myself."
Nearly two billion pageviews later, Soap Central is the destination for anything and everything soap.
"What do I want people to know? I guess I would like for them to really understand that Soap Central is every bit my blood, sweat, and tears," Dan says passionately. "From the coding that makes the web site run, to the graphics, to the updating, to content -- everything passes through my fingers. I have been so fortunate to assemble an absolutely amazing group of writers to provide the best recaps and commentaries that you'll find anywhere on the 'net. And I truly mean that. You won't find a better team."
Never wanting to be complacent, in 2009, Dan was asked to host a weekly soap opera talk show on the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network.
"I'd been asked to do shows prior to being contacted by VoiceAmerica, but I really wasn't interested because I never wanted people to think that this was about me," Dan reveals. "I realize that, for all intents and purposes, I am Soap Central, but for me, the site has always been about celebrating the soaps and the people who bring these shows into our homes every weekday. My executive producer, Jon Missall, really understood what I wanted a show to be and worked with me to make that vision a reality."
Soap Central Live debuted in January 2010 and quickly became one of VoiceAmerica's most-listened to programs. Now in its fourth year, the show has already been renewed through 2014.
What's ahead for Soap Central Live?
"There are still some folks who haven't been on Soap Central Live yet -- so that's always in the back my mind. How can we get them to drop by and be part of our soapiness," Dan notes with a smile. "But the show is always evolving. There are so many things that I like to do, and as long as the fans continue to support me, the site, and the show... then there is no telling what can happen."
You can follow Dan J Kroll on Twitter @danjkroll.
