When James Warmels unwittingly stumbled upon the world of roller derby, he had no clue how far its claws would sink into him. A humble man who enjoys nothing more than watching all the sports and being a complete troll on the internet, James never knew that his future held the first time he came to cheer on his girlfriend at a bout. His insight into all thing sports and proclivity for the written word made his early ventures into reffing and bout recapping easy enough- but it was not enough. Roller derby sang it’s sweet siren song and soon enough James had joined the ranks of Lane County Concussion and donned his first jersey under the moniker of “Master Brains.” Within years, James actually changed his name to James Brains as proof that roller derby had indeed fully taken over his life.

Since LCC’s first bout in 2010, James has been a staple as both blocker and jammer. His history playing other sports like basketball and wrestling had primed him for the fast paced derby game. As the producer of a wildly humorous zine, Urinal Gum, his writing skills have benefited the derby community as a whole as he’s held board jobs in the PR position of Emerald City Roller Girls and the Men’s Roller Derby Association and recapped far more bouts than he would care to recall.

Off the track, James crosstrains by raising two sons and a wife and working from home as a ghost writer of the interwebs. He enjoys burgers, watching demented movies and eliciting responses from people by saying outrageous things.

James Brains in Action