The Full Journey:
The Deep Dive

Welcome Aboard the Journey

Once again, thank you so very much for stopping by!

As our Constant Followers already know —

I’m Otto Brinkmeier, and together with my partner and co-founder, Jullian De Villiers (better known as Juelz), we run PlebWave Frontier HQ — the evolution of what once was Plebware.

If PlebWave were a ship, we’d be its crew —

The PlebWave Skeleton Crew.

Before you browse through our site (and yes, you really should bookmark it), let’s take a few moments to talk — about where we’ve been, what we’ve built, and why we keep at it.

1. No Free Lunch — The Beginning

Back in 1999, I received one year of free Internet access, which came with a 5MB free website. That “free lunch” quickly taught me one of life’s oldest lessons — nothing is truly free.

Coming out of a trade and stepping straight into website development was daunting. The learning curve was steep, but I refused to waste that opportunity.

At 36 years of age, standing in my backyard in Turffontein, Johannesburg, while tinkering in the garden with my mother, I decided to completely change my life.

That same mother, bless her, bought me my first PC — the key that unlocked the digital world.

And so began my online journey —

built on curiosity, persistence, and the simple desire to create something that mattered.

2. Out of Necessity and Love

A friend once asked me why I bothered trying to build websites when my grammar and spelling were terrible.

He told me to hire a professional to write my copy.

Needless to say, I didn’t.

Instead, I taught myself — and today, I hold a Diploma in Journalism.

For years, I struggled to make a living online. People still ask me,

“How do you pay the bills if your website doesn’t bring in constant income?”

My answer: We make it work because we must.
How? By relying on our pensions, and my driving for the Local shop.

At nearly 63, my days of heavy labour are behind me, and Juelz — with his eyesight and epilepsy challenges — also has little choice.

We create online out of necessity, yes, but more than that — out of love.

We love what we do.

And that passion, that joy, is what has carried us through every storm.

3. Words Are Good, Integrity Is Better

In twenty-plus years online, I’ve learned that words sell, but integrity sustains.

My followers — some with me since 1999 — know me as an honest, hard-working man.

In today’s digital world, credibility and truth are rare commodities.

We hold both sacred.

As Born Again, Spirit-filled followers of Christ, truth is not optional.

It’s commanded.

We are called to speak no lies, to live uprightly, and to let light guide our words and our work.

4. The Skeleton Crew Spirit

We know that many of our longtime followers will notice the change.

This new online effort may look and feel different from our original 2010–2020 site — and that’s okay.

Please be patient with us.

We are, after all, a two-man crew.

I handle most of the copy, design, graphics, proofreading, and video production.

Juelz handles audio, music, and collaboration — adding rhythm to the words and melody to the message.

Because of his disabilities, much of the production load falls to me, but make no mistake — this is a shared mission.

We call ourselves the Skeleton Crew not out of vanity, but out of truth:

It’s just the two of us, working day and night, driven by belief, brotherhood, and love for what we do.

The phrase itself was inspired by the great Stephen King, whose Skeleton Crew captured that same spirit of perseverance in the face of the impossible.

5. What Happened to Plebware — and the Birth of PlebWave Frontier HQ

Plebware began as our digital vessel — our creative home, workshop, and publishing dockyard.

But in 2020, the tides turned against us.

The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the financial hit I took after losing my job in late 2019, cost us the Plebware.com domain.

That loss hurt deeply — not just financially, but emotionally.

We had coined the name “Plebware” ourselves back in 2006 — long before anyone else used it.

It wasn’t just a label; it was our identity, born from the idea that everyday creators (“plebs”) could build extraordinary things with passion and persistence.

We still have proof that the term originated with us —

Archived versions of our site appear in the Wayback Machine from 2010 to 2020, showing the full scope of our work, writing, and web presence.

So when we see others trying to hijack that name today, we don’t take it lightly — because it’s ours, in both origin and spirit.

But the story didn’t end there.

From Plebware’s bones rose something new:

PlebWave Frontier HQ — our reimagined, reborn online base of operations.

PlebWave represents not just continuity, but evolution — the next tide of the same dream.

It stands for motion, energy, and frontier thinking — the ongoing creative partnership between myself, Otto Brinkmeier, and Jullian “Juelz” De Villiers.

Though the old domain may be gone, our vision remains anchored, alive, and still sailing forward.

6. The Many Faces of Cody

Over the years, my journey has split into many roles —

each with its own voice, its own rhythm, and its own mission.

Origin of the Nom de Plume

The name Othello Cody Verrocchio may sound like something out of a Shakespearean play or an Italian Renaissance painting, but it’s simply a clever combination of my personal interests, heritage, and admiration for art.

Both Othello and Cody are derivative forms of my real name, Otto. As for the surname, Verrocchio? Well, that’s borrowed from the famed Andrea del Verrocchio—born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni (try saying that five times fast)—a sculptor, painter, and goldsmith who lived during the Renaissance.

He was the teacher of some little-known artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli (ever heard of them?).

Verrocchio adopted his master’s surname, and I adopted his because, let’s face it, he was the master of masters, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Renaissance art, having studied it for twelve years myself.

• Othello Cody Verrocchio – Fiction writer and storyteller. (The Brand Name)

I write under many names, each serving a purpose:

• Cody Dei Scriptor – Christian writer under the banner of faith.

• Captain Cody Gemini – Site reports, news anchor, journalistic dispatches.

• Cody Veritas – Professional journalist and seeker of truth.

• Dei Interretialis (Dip. WBDM) – My early identity in coding and web design.

• Lazar Cody Mendicant – Business thinker, Correspondent and strategist.

• Anton Cody Forgewright – Artisan, teacher and craftsman.

• Cody Cr@zy Otto – Music reviewer and composer.

• Cody Gamehead – Gaming critic and enthusiast.

• Federico Cody Brincheri – Cook and culinary experimenter.

• Wilhelm Cody Spotchandler – Cleaner of both digital and physical spaces.

• Cody Vox Scriptorius – Blogger and podcast host.

• Aurelian Cody Vectorius – The driver who carries stories from the road.

• Dominus Cody Praefector – Retired Team leader and project foreman.

Every persona carries a piece of me.

Together, they form the full mosaic of my life —

artisan, driver, dreamer, handyman, writer, believer.

7. Roads, Rails, and Revelation

Before the keyboards and code, there were tracks and engines.

I spent eleven years in Johannesburg’s railways as an electrical fitter — learning patience, precision, and how systems fit together.

Then came years on the road —

Driving up to 500 kilometres a day, visiting outlets, coordinating crews, fitting shops, and managing projects across Johannesburg.

That rhythm — start the engine, check the plan, make it happen — still guides my writing discipline today.

When I wasn’t on the road, I was learning digital craft —

designing, coding, editing, and promoting.

Different tools, same spirit: problem-solving and creation.

Now, semi-retired, I devote my time to writing —

Science fiction that feeds my imagination, and faith-based devotionals that root me in God’s word.

To me, they share one truth:

Stories — whether of galaxies or gospels — are meant to reveal light.

8. My Education and Ongoing Learning

My education wasn’t a straight line.

I began high school in 1976 in the “Practical Course” — woodworking, science, art, and language.

But when I learned that path barred me from university, I switched to “Humanities,” dreaming of law, journalism, or politics.

Life had other plans.

My father’s illness and passing in 1982 changed everything.

I left school early, served two years of compulsory military service, and later trained as an artisan through the South African Railways, earning NTC1–3 certificates with an average of 80%.

Decades later, during the 2020 lockdown, I rediscovered study again — this time online:

• Web Business Development & Marketing – 97%

• Diploma in Journalism – 94%

• Graphic Design Certificate – 95%

• Skills for Speaking Effectively – 91%

• German Language Skills – 90%

• Dealing With Difficult People – 100%

And more…

I never earned a matric or a degree.

But I’ve learned this: education never ends for those who keep asking questions.

9. The Maker’s Hands

Beyond writing, I’m a craftsman — wood, metal, and machine.

From TV cabinets and wardrobes to security gates and tool cupboards, I’ve built with both hammer and heart.

I know the sound of a saw and the hum of a lathe — and that sense of creation, of bringing order out of raw material, is what still drives my art today.

Whether I’m shaping wood, metal, or words, the principle is the same: create with care and integrity.

10. Faith, Fire, and Truth

Through it all, my life has been guided by faith and by two mottos:

“Sanguine et Igne Veritas Revelata – Truth Revealed by Blood and Fire.”

“The Keyboard is mightier than the pen — especially when led by the Spirit.”

These words are not decoration; they’re compass points.

They remind me that the work — the writing, the building, the believing — must serve something higher than self.

11. The Heart of the Crew

Today, PlebWave Frontier HQ continues — small, determined, faithful.

It’s not just a brand or a website; it’s a reflection of who we are and how we live.

We may be few, but we are steadfast.

We call ourselves The Skeleton Crew —

not because we are empty, but because we are bare bones real.

No gimmicks. No pretence. Just passion, persistence, and purpose.

So, take us by the hand.

Bookmark this site.

Stay awhile, read, listen, explore.

And if somewhere in a dark nook of the Internet, one of us “kisses” you —

It’s simply because we love you, our Constant Followers.

Here are some  Links to Our Online Activities (or Limited Activities)

Otto Brinkmeier - YouTube Channel

This deep dive isn’t about bragging rights — it’s about context. My stories, whether science fiction or devotional, aren’t created in isolation. They are the outflow of years on the rails, on the roads, in workshops, in studies, and in prayer.

If the main About page is the doorway, this page is the map of the house.

Sincerely
Othello Cody Verrocchio
Otto Brinkmeier, if you insist

Page Verified by:

Dei Interretialis (O.W.F. Brinkmeier) 11 October 2025 at 03:47 UTC (05:47 SAST)
Lazar Cody Mendicant (O.C.Verrocchio) 11 October 2025 at 04:24 UTC (06:24 SAST)