Mark Kressin

Mark Kressin, also known as Mr. H, is a paintball player, entrepreneur and media presenter. He is a co-founder of HK Army and the host of the paintball interview podcast The Full Experience.[1][2][3]

Kressin was one of the original members of Hostile Kids, the Southern California team whose identity became the basis for HK Army. He subsequently played for Hollywood HK and became a public representative of the equipment and apparel business.[4][5][1]

Playing career

Hostile Kids

According to former Hostile Kids captain Alex Cadalso, Kressin was part of the team that established the Hostile Kids name at a youth tournament organised by Hostile Takeover at Tombstone Paintball in Corona, California. Mark Kressin, Scott Kressin and Steve Nabi won the tournament and adopted the Hostile Kids identity.[4]

The team developed within the tournament paintball scene around SC Village. In an account republished in 2008, Alex Fraige recalled encountering Hostile Kids in early 2002. The team later recruited players from other local squads before breaking up as members moved to professional teams.[4]

Hollywood HK and Giant HK

A March 2008 team list published by Bear D'Egidio identified Kressin as a member of Hollywood HK. His teammates included Scott Kressin, Steve Nabi, Jason Pineda and D'Egidio.[5]

Hollywood HK competed in Division 1 of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL). At the Huntington Beach event held from 28 to 30 March 2008, the team reached the Division 1 final and finished second to Aftermath II.[6]

In March 2012, Social Paintball named the Kressin brothers among the players announced for Giant HK at the NPPL Surf City Open in Huntington Beach. The Division 1 squad also included D'Egidio, Nabi and Josh Victorino, and was presented as a reunion of the earlier group.[7]

HK Army

HK Army dates its establishment to 2007. Kressin was among its co-founders, and its early business centred on custom headbands and clothing before expanding into playing equipment.[8][2]

Contemporary evidence of Kressin's involvement appears in D'Egidio's report from the March 2008 Bears Cup. The report identified him at a booth for HK Army clothing and pbFashion headgear, alongside the appearance of Hollywood HK and its tour bus.[5]

By 2012, Kressin was representing HK Army in announcements concerning its professional team sponsorships. On 4 November that year, the company announced a two-year agreement with San Diego Dynasty for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Kressin commented on the relationship, recalling that the HK players had grown up competing against Dynasty.[1]

The agreement covered playing clothing, protective equipment, harnesses and accessories. It also provided for Dynasty to test new products and collaborate with HK Army on product development and promotional events.[1]

Meta Threads

Kressin's professional biography states that he co-founded Meta Threads in 2015 as a gaming lifestyle brand.[9]

In a 2017 interview, Meta Threads lead designer David Siqueiros identified HK Army as its parent company and explained how the business had moved from producing paintball jerseys into esports clothing. Siqueiros described an initial relationship with Team Secret followed by work with additional teams, using the company's experience in custom clothing design and production.[10]

Media work

Kressin's work as an interviewer predates The Full Experience. In January 2016, Paintball Ruined My Life featured his interview with San Diego Dynasty player Kyle Spicka about paintball and life outside the sport.[11]

The Full Experience began publishing in 2022, with Kressin identified as its creator and host. The programme features interviews with professional players and other figures in paintball. Guests have included Matty Marshall, Tyler Harmon and Chris Lasoya, with discussions covering tournament results, changes to team rosters, careers and developments in the sport.[3]

Community activities

In May 2019, Kressin organised Run For Chris, a fundraising campaign supporting fellow paintball player Chris Alnazer. The campaign offered a Run Cities and HK Army training shirt to qualifying donors and sought to help with medical expenses and continued participation in paintball.[12]

SC Village named Kressin as the UNA general for Decay of Nations 19: Uprising, scheduled for 26 and 27 September 2026. Todd Martinez was named as general of the opposing EKRON faction.[13]

References

Breaking News: Dynasty Signs with HK Army. Israel L., Social Paintball, 4 November 2012.
HK Army Skull Paintball Goggles. Paintball Media Magazine, February 2025, p. 67.
The Full Experience. Mark Kressin, official programme description and episode listings on Apple Podcasts. Accessed 27 October 2026.
From Street Rats to World Class Pros: The HK Army. Alex Fraige, including an interview with Alex Cadalso; republished by ThisISPaintball.ca, 12 May 2008.
Hollywood HK 2008 and HK Army Booth!. Bear D'Egidio, Bears Cup, 12 and 10 March 2008 respectively.
NPPL Huntington Beach. WARPIG, report on the tournament held from 28 to 30 March 2008.
HK Rides Again. Sqyire, Social Paintball, 27 March 2012.
About HK Army. HK Army, official company history. Accessed 27 October 2026.
Mark Kressin. Public professional biography on LinkedIn. Accessed 27 October 2026.
David Siqueiros: Meta Threads: We've seen a lot of new companies come up and do their own thing. Lydia Mitrevski, Esports Insider, updated 3 August 2017.
Mark "Mr. H" Kressin interview Kyle Spika. Brad Johnson, Paintball Ruined My Life, 30 January 2016.
Run For Chris. Fundraising campaign organised by Mark Kressin, GoFundMe, 3 May 2019.
Decay of Nations 19: Uprising. SC Village, official event announcement and command staff, 2026.

External links