Dr. Ingle Finds His Voice in the Rocky–Creed Story by: Andy Aniekeme

Dr. Zachary Ingle, associate professor of communication at Hardin-Simmons University (HSU), has turned a lifelong love of movies into published academic work with his newest chapter in All I Wanna Do Go the Distance? The Rocky and Creed Franchise, a book celebrating 50 years of iconic boxing films.

Growing up in Lubbock, Dr. Ingle’s connection to the Rocky series started early. “It was a blast,” Dr. Ingle said. “I grew up watching the Rocky movies and saw Rocky IV in theaters when I was six. It becomes part of your childhood.”

Years later, that childhood passion met opportunity. Dr. Ingle, who studied at Howard Payne University before earning his Ph.D., said the project came together through friends working on the book’s anniversary edition. “Some people I knew were editing it for the 50th anniversary of Rocky,” Dr. Ingle said. “I had an idea, and the people I knew went through with it.”

Dr. Ingle’s chapter looks closely at Rocky IV and the Creed films, especially how they tell their stories through different filmmaking styles. “When I saw Creed in theaters and saw that one long take, I was amazed,” Dr. Ingle said. “It was so different from the quick cuts in Rocky. Rocky feels more formal, while Creed feels ultra-realistic.”

That attention to storytelling extends into his classroom. Whether teaching political communication or film analysis, Dr. Ingle said he hopes students walk away with a deeper appreciation for what they watch. “I hope students get more joy from movies,” he said. “I do not want a film class to ruin movies for them. I want it to make them more adventurous and open to new things.”

Outside the classroom, Dr. Ingle and his wife, Dr. Jemima Ingle, associate professor of chemistry, who also teaches at Hardin-Simmons are preparing for an exciting new chapter of their own as they await their first child. “It is just very exciting and a long time coming,” Dr. Ingle said. “We are so grateful for the enthusiastic support from HSU students, faculty, staff our church and our families.”

For Dr. Ingle, film has always been about more than entertainment, it is about connection. “Movies remind us that our lives matter,” he said. “We all make an impact on the people around us.”