jmancurly

Early Life and Background

Julian Georges Elchakieh, better known by his YouTube handle jmancurly, is a Thai-Canadian content creator who has become one of the most recognizable figures in virtual reality gaming content. Born on May 2, 2003, in Bangkok, Thailand, Julian represents a new generation of digital creators who have built massive audiences through innovative VR content.^[1]^[2]

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Despite being born in Thailand, Julian has strong Canadian roots and is from Quebec, Canada. He has a diverse cultural background, being part Thai and part Canadian, which has contributed to his unique perspective as a content creator.^[3]^[4]

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Content Creation Journey

Julian's YouTube journey began much earlier than most people realize. He initially joined YouTube on August 30, 2013, when he was just 10 years old, with his first video being a simple gingerbread house building project with a friend in December 2015.^[5]^[6]

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However, his serious content creation career took off much later, particularly around his focus on virtual reality gaming. From a young age, Julian was passionate about video games and expressed his desire to become a YouTuber to his father, Georges Elchakieh, when he was just nine years old.^[7]

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Virtual Reality Gaming Focus

Julian has carved out a significant niche in the VR gaming space, particularly with his energetic and comedic approach to virtual reality content. He is best known for his Gorilla Tag VR videos, a popular virtual reality social game where players control legless gorilla-like characters.^[8]^[9]

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His content style is characterized by high energy, comedic commentary, and engaging gameplay that particularly resonates with younger audiences. He uses various VR headsets including the Oculus Quest 2 and newer Meta Quest models for his content creation.^[10]

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Channel Growth and Statistics

Julian's channel has experienced remarkable growth, reaching over 4.6 million subscribers as of 2025. According to analytics platforms, his channel has accumulated over 1.8 billion total video views across more than 1,200 videos.^[11]^[12]

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His estimated monthly earnings range from $35,600 to $214,000, with the channel adding approximately 282,353 subscribers in the past 30 days and gaining nearly 95 million video views in the same period.^[13]

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The channel maintains strong engagement metrics, with an average video length of approximately 11.87 minutes and a consistent upload schedule of about 1.5 videos per week.^[14]

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Multi-Channel Network

Beyond his main channel, Julian operates multiple YouTube channels to serve different content purposes. He runs @jmancurlyreacts for reaction content and @jmancurlyplays dedicated specifically to gaming content, allowing him to diversify his content offerings and reach different audience segments.^[15]

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Shmackle: VR Game Development

One of Julian's most ambitious projects has been the development of his own VR game called Shmackle. The game represents a significant investment of time and resources, being fully self-funded and designed according to his vision for VR gaming experiences.^[16]

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Shmackle is available on the Meta Quest platform and has garnered a 4.2-star rating from over 4,000 reviews. The game is described as an adventure, hangout, and narrative experience that incorporates Julian's creative vision for virtual reality gaming.^[17]

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Initially launched for Quest 3 and Quest 3S, Julian later expanded the game to Quest 2 due to popular demand from his community. The game features original music and sound effects created entirely by his team, reflecting his commitment to creating a fully original gaming experience.^[18]^[19]

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Community Building and Engagement

Julian has built a strong community around his content, with his Discord server boasting over 340,000 members. He actively engages with his audience through various community features and has created membership programs called the "Curly Gang" with different tiers offering exclusive content and perks.^[20]^[21]

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His community engagement extends beyond typical creator-audience interactions, with regular live streams, community posts, and direct responses to fan comments and feedback.^[22]

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Music Career

In addition to his gaming content, Julian has ventured into music creation. He releases original tracks on major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, with his music spanning the hip-hop/rap genre. His musical releases include tracks like "ATLAS," "RIZZ MAN," "WORK ON MYSELF," and "ANAHEIM."^[23]

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The music component of his brand integrates with his gaming content, as the original soundtrack for Shmackle is also available on Spotify, demonstrating his commitment to creating cohesive multimedia experiences.^[24]

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Professional Management and Business Development

Julian's career is professionally managed by Gidon Rotteveel and Tal Lavi, based in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. He was previously represented by Ellify Talent Agency, a social media influencer talent agency that works with major YouTube channels worldwide.^[25]^[26]

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His business ventures extend to merchandise sales, VR headset affiliate partnerships with Meta, and participation in major industry events like VidCon, where his live performance was noted as one of the most fan-engaged events of the conference.^[27]

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Industry Recognition and Impact

Julian's influence in the VR gaming space is particularly notable given the rapid growth of the virtual reality gaming market, which is expected to reach significant milestones in the coming years. His content contributes to the broader VR gaming ecosystem, which has seen substantial growth and investment from major technology companies.^[28]

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His success represents the potential for content creators to not only build audiences around emerging technologies like VR but also to create their own products and experiences within those ecosystems, as demonstrated by his Shmackle game development project.^[29]

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