Joe Escalante currently acts as Executive Producer and show-runner of two Fox Nation TV series: Monsters Across America, and Alien Abductions w/ Abby Hornacek, produced by Escalante Pictures, Inc. Recently Escalante was named Executive Producer of the Sex Pistols documentary “I Was A Teenage Sex Pistol” from producer VMI Worldwide, Inc.
Prior to this, Escalante spent Four years writing episodes of Ancient Aliens for History Channel, as well as other stints as writer/producer on series like History’s Curse of Oak Island, Trvl’s In Search of Monsters, and Discovery I.D.’s True Nightmares.
Escalante began his television career in 1992 as a talent buyer for CBS Network. There he put together talent and program deals for Rescue 911, Everybody Loves Raymond, Caroline in the City, and Walker Texas Ranger. Escalante actually convinced Chuck Norris to sing the show’s theme song after hiring him a vocal coach and agreeing to produce the track.
In 1998 after a stint in the scheduling department at UPN, Escalante left network TV to launch Kung Fu Records and tour full time with his band the Vandals. The label is known for helping to develop the careers of Blink 182 and the Ataris. Through the label, Escalante produced and/or directed 25 long-form concert documentaries and low-budget features.
In 2000, Escalante sold a scripted series to early Internet TV pioneer the Digital Entertainment Network. As a showrunner, Escalante wrote and executive produced season one of Fear of a Punk Planet, the first traditionally formatted TV program ever produced for a streaming network.
Beginning in 2006, Escalante spent an unusual 2 1⁄2 years as the drive-time morning radio host for Indie 103.1 FM, called by Rolling Stone “the coolest radio station in America” joined by his daily weatherman, avant-garde director David Lynch, and his daily sports guy, Hollywood heartthrob Timothy Olyphant.
In 2017 Escalante sold Kung Fu Records to focus on producing TV full-time. Escalante continues to host the long-running radio program “Joe Escalante, Live From Hollywood” on KEIB, 1150 AM in Los Angeles, and was recently tapped to manage the career of the legendary band Sublime, including all of their rights and assets.
Escalante majored in Old Norse literature, language, and history at UCLA and received a J.D. from Loyola Law School. He lives in Seal Beach, California with his wife Sandra where they are active volunteers at St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church.