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TheInterviewer
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TheInterviewer's News

Posted by TheInterviewer - September 10th, 2011


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Interview No. 62

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guest is certainly one that came out of nowhere when it comes to climbing up the ladder here on Newgrounds. His works have included that of One Wish Upon a Star and Mind Over Feet. His next few animations WWTCAGS!?!?!, Lost Heart, Found Danger, and The Shape of Love would be flash movies that would help him win The 2011 Newgrounds Tournament of Flash Artists. He is none other than Dave Bruno a.k.a. @ScaredyDave.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I found Newgrounds when I was about... I want to say 11 or 12? Me and my friends would always jump on here to watch all the funny videos. I never thought I would actually BE one of the front pagers, let alone have a video that would be viewed more than 50,000 times! I decided to join because I did TOFA last year on the Albino Black Sheep website, and I had heard that it was being moved here. I wasn't an avid user on ABS (joined that website too because my friend, Ryan Krzak, told me about TOFA.) but when I heard it was on Newgrounds I definitely wanted in. I had been meaning to make an account on here for years, I just never got around to it for whatever reason. I'm glad TOFA gave me the push, because it seems like alot of people have been finding me because of it!




Q: What effect does the Warner Bros. cartoons play on you?


A: When I was growing up, a product of the 90s, a majority of the cartons were Warner Bros cartoons. I would watch them all the time, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, Freakazoid, you name it! I would have to say alot of the humor and wit of those shows kind of rubbed off on me, because I will constantly find myself acting like Buster Bunny or Yakko Warner whenever the opportunity arises. It wasn't until I started animating in College (around 2006) that I realized how gorgeously animated those shows were. It was also nice in College because alot of my teachers worked on these shows, like Ron Fleischer who directed the Wakko's United States episode. I try to take inspiration from them whenever I can, I usually have my box sets playing in the background whenever I animate.




Q: Your first flash submission to Newgrounds would be part of a different Tournament of Flash Artists, however this one would be on AlbinoBlackSheep.com. It is entitled Totaled. It is a story that most have probably seen and heard before, but the way you tell it is quite interesting. Where did the inspiration come from for this one?


A: A little bit of personal experience mixed with some of my favorite things. When I was younger, I would write all these "deep and slightly depressing" stories, partially because I watched alot of Anime when I was in High School and partially because I had severe depression that I actually took medication for (that fixed it, if you couldn't tell by my aloft mood!). While I had never actually had any horrible experiences with dating (particularly someone cheating on me.) I did know the pain of heartbreak from having someone break up with me before. I guess I just kind of channeled my old High School self and went from there. Other helpful influences would be Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece "Voices of a Distant Star" and Squaresoft's "Xenogears", which are both love stories involving Giant Mechs. Relating love to the robots having a fight just sort of came naturally to me after that, but I'm really not sure why.




Q: One Wish Upon a Star would be another entry in AlbinoBlackSheep.com's Tournament of Flash Artists. You have stated that the theme was "One Wish" in this round. When HappyHarry was here we talked about how some of his flash movies ended and he had this to say...


I guess I love anticlimaxes and antijokes, it's not that I'm setting out to gross out people, or even make them laugh necessarily (though that is a welcomed side effect), I really just want to surprise them with something crazy and I love playing on people's abilities to second guess an ending"


This seems apparent in "One Wish Upon a Star" would you agree with Harry's statement? Whatever your answer be could you tell us why?


A: I agree with Happy Harry (and love his work!) and with that entry I really did want to surprise the audience in a funny way, but I was actually aiming for that shocked expression, the one where you can see the "Holy Hell! That just happened!" look mixed with a smile because it was a hilarious shock. I do like to have that ending no one saw coming if I can have it simply because then maybe I've proven that I've done something original. If you can see the ending coming, chances are you may have seen something like it before, and while that can't always be helped, I at least try to strive for the original ending.




Q: Mind Over Feet is yet another entry into the AlbinoBlackSheep.com's Tournament of Flash Artists. What all can you tell us about this flash and did you win this TOFA?


A: "Totaled" was actually my Final Round piece for last year, and I actually didn't win with it (Zeurel beat me with his "Robo Western" animation, which totally deserved to win over "Totaled" as it was a much prettier and funner piece then mine.) but back to Mind Over Feet! This entry was really fun because the theme was "Make a Sequel to a TOFA piece of a previous year" so I went with my friend Ryan Krzak's animation from 2007 about "The Rise of a Legend". In his piece, this guy's wife gives birth to Bigfoot, and it shows him as a baby. Actually, that Polaroid in the first shot of Mind Over Feet is a screenshot from his original piece. His piece ended with the Hospital room however, so I decided to go further into the future. My intention was to make an overly dramatic movie trailer, so overly dramatic that it was comedic (and heck, it was about Bigfoot, that stuff is funny!). Originally I was going to actually have a moment where I sing, slightly like the end of the Disney Pocahontas trailers or something, but I ended up canning that because I... can't sing... and would need someone to write me the music, which I didn't have at the time.




Q: We now come to the start of Newgrounds Tournament of Flash Artists. We start your journey here with a little flash entitled WWTCAGS!?!?!, or for the full title "Who Wants To Create A Game Show!?!?!". The theme was to "Create a Game Show", all that leaves you with is to garner an idea and depending on the imagination, more or less inspiration. What all did you take into account when doing this flash and what problems did you run into?


A: Well, the idea came to me pretty much immediately and that was to take this movie that my friends made in High School and rewrite it and make it about game shows instead. In the original movie, called "Amateur Film", my friends were sitting in their room trying to brainstorm an idea of a movie they could make with what they had to work with (because their friend, who's my Twin Brother, Tom left.). They would shout out an idea, and then it would be a quick cut of why that would be a bad idea in practice. I thought it was pure genius, but I wasn't in it! So I got them all together and we recorded it and then I animated it. My big problems were length and lip syncing. I wrote it and we recorded a lot more to it than what actually got made (and if you go to my Facebook Fan Page, you can see the Director's Cut that has the deleted scenes mixed into in Storyboard form.) The animation felt rusty because I had actually taken a break from animating for about 5 months prior to that, so I had to get all my shakes out and such. It was a nice learning exercise though, because I figured out a little better how I like to approach lip syncing (although it wasn't until Sarthak! That I finally found how I like to do it.)




Q: My favorite by you has to be Lost Heart, Found Danger. The theme this time was "Lost and Found". There seems to be a lot going into this flash. One of the inspirations you have noted was a game called "Snatcher" and you have others to thank as well, so what was the process of this flash and how did all come together?


A: This was probably the hardest animation I made in the entire competition! I had always wanted to make a Noir animation, and I was in the middle of playing L.A. Noire so that just added to it. I figured Lost and Found was a perfect theme for this. I could have that Dangerous Dame and the Hard on the Bottle Cop and the "Noir Speak" as we called it. It was amazing how everything just fell into place for that entry. I had written one script, then my brother gave me a better idea for the ending, then my friend who's extremely into Noir translated the lines into Noir speak, then my voice actor friend's wanted in on the voices, and we asked my old Voice Acting for Animation teacher what he thought of the name (he has been in a lot of Radio Drama's and he was the main character's voice in that game Snatcher by Hideo Kojima.) and he said he loved it and that he'd be happy to help, so he became Vic Aces. The hard part was my end, which was the animation. I had an idea in my head for how I wanted everything to look, the characters would be certain colors because it'd represent their characters (Vic Aces is blue because he's the protagonist, Gigi was red because she was a Red Hot Devil, Mackey was Yellow because he was a coward, the Mugs were green with envy, Piper was a brown noser, you get the idea.) but the animation was tough because there was a lot of it to do. It had taken a little while for all that stuff to fall into place, so I really only had maybe about 2 weeks to get all that done. I believe the animation suffered thanks to this, but thankfully the atmosphere, story and voice acting made up for my shortcoming. I may do more with Vic Aces in the future because he was a big hit and I like the character, but I don't think it will be another animation. It MAY be a comic though, but we'll see.




Q: Sarthak The Unforgivable! would come next following the theme "Wrongfully Accused". This in a way kind of confuses me really, even though you think outside the box here, what is it that you were going for?


A: I just wanted to make a goofy story about this giant monster that goes to a Comic Book convention, but everyone just assumes he's another cosplayer. From there he does all these horrible things, but everyone just assumes he's just really into character. It's a classic "boys will be boys" cartoon, much like the old "Chicken Boo" shorts in the Animaniacs. Clearly Chicken Boo is a giant chicken, but everyone lets it slide because he has a mustache on which "hides his identity".




Q: Simple Tests is a hilarious flash submission. The theme would be "Divide by Zero" "That's Impossible". You have stated that "Donald Duck in Math Land" is an inspiration here, what other inspirations went into this and how much of each one?


A: Donald Duck in Math Land would have been an inspiration for a different idea I had with this, where all these number people get attacked by this horrible Division Monster and Zero steps up to plate, and the monster tries to divide zero but ends up killing itself. I ended up not going with that because I couldn't find a way to tell it in a short amount of time. Instead I went with the idea of impossibility, and I had recently had a bad experience with a job, so I thought I would incorporate that. Artists get a little screwed over in today's economy, so I figured I would channel that feeling into an animation, but make it funny and outrageous.




Q: The Shape of Love would be where this journey ends. What was the process you took into creating this flash and how does it feel to win The Tournament of Flash Artists here on Newgrounds?


A: It feels great! I basically sat down and had a brainstorming session with some of my friends. There was this one idea I actually wrote a majority of a script for that involved all my old drawings and ideas that never got fully fleshed out banding together, and then all the ideas I did finish calming them down and cleaning them up so that they would get finished and happy. That was my friend's Jason's idea, and while it would have been pretty cool to go back to some of the character's I hadn't animated in a while, I had a fear that it'd be too "inside jokey" and long. Instead I went with a simple idea I came up with which was two blobs in love and one changing himself to please his mate, but then letting it get out of hand. Luckily I came up with this idea really quick and storyboarded it to perfect timing. I then showed that storyboard to my friend Allen Cruz who I met in College, and he wrote the music for it while I started animation. I actually almost had a really dirty joke thrown in there but I decided to keep it cute and PG, this was when I actually wanted to throw sound effects in there too. It would basically sound like two balloons rubbing against each other whenever he would morph a part of his body, and the gag would have been him running up to a hot dog vendor, with all these signs that say things like "Giant Footlong Hot Dogs!" or something. He would turn to the camera, wink, you would hear the morphing sound effect but see nothing happen, and he would move on. High brow penis jokes for the win! But I decided against it. From animation I learned how to make the reflections, which I felt were important because they showed him looking only at what's INSIDE the mirror, not himself being reflected in it. It's the idea that the media and advertisements blind you into thinking you should be the perfect man or woman, but really you should just be happy with who you are. Winning the Tournament was probably the best thing that has happened to me all year, and I implore everyone who did it this year to do it again next year. TOFA is great practice and sort of like an experimental proving ground, I definitely improved my skills over the course of the past 6 months. I won not only the prize, but a better demo reel and a handle on Flash Animation.




Q: From the looks of things you are a tourney man. All of your flash submissions have been entered in The Tournament of Flash Artists Competitions. Why is this and will we see anything from you made just for the sake of creation?


A: Oh you may. Truth be told I only did 2 TOFA tournaments, and this will definitely be my last year doing so (Firstly because I can't enter next year even if I wanted to because I won this year and secondly because I really need to focus more on getting a job.) I have made quite a few things just for fun, and I may upload them soon.




Q: For those who wish to enter future contests based on a deadline or collabs with a deadline, what advice would you have for them?


A: Oh I have a lot of advice! First off, time management. Figure out a healthy way to look at your schedule and determine how to proceed from there. The way I do it is I mark every single time the camera changes angles a "scene", I then rate each scene on a difficulty scale of 0 to 5 (0 being a still frame and 5 being the hardest thing ever.) Then, based on how many scenes I have, I try to figure out a way to do them all without driving myself crazy (like say my assignment is due on day 10, and I have 20 scenes, I can do 2 scenes a day and finish on time.) This way you can figure out how long you can devote to each scene. I try to make it so that I have a scene a day, that way I can really polish the heck out of it and still have time to have a life that day. This isn't how everyone should do it, it's just how I do it. Secondly, "keep it simple stupid!". That's a famous quote, but I don't remember who from, but it holds true with deadlines. If you only have 4 weeks to make something, and you think of this feature length movie, it's not going to happen. Keep the ideas short and sweet, then you'll have enough time to polish it and really knock it out of the park. Thirdly, try and keep it universal. That doesn't mean make it generic, it just means try and make it have a message that everyone can relate to. I think the most obscure thing that I mentioned in any of my TOFA entries this year were Furries, and that's not super obscure. The more people that know what you're doing, the more people you have that will like what you're doing.




Q: Your storytelling comes from a lot of inspirations, would you say that inspiration is an important factor to animators and even writers when developing a story?


A: Oh definitely yes! It is key! You learn so much from what you absorb from other things. Before College, I had this art style that was very Anime and bland, I hated it. It wasn't until I got to College and took inspiration from my fellow peers that I finally got to a style that I liked and fit my personality. You can also pick up tips by studying works around you, like I learned how I should lip sync and shade my characters in Flash by watching the show Dan Vs. on the Hub. The easiest way to put it is "Inspiration is to art as studying is to taking tests. Sure, you can take the test without studying, but you'll probably do very poorly, whereas if you study, you'll probably get an A."




Q: When it comes to your animations and the themes given to you in these tournaments you tend to think outside the box a lot. This does make you quite the creative writer. So my question is this, is creative writing genetic, or can it be taught and learned?


A: Wow very interesting question! That's a tough one. I don't think creative writing is genetic, however I don't think it can be taught either. I think creative writing is something you gain as you're being raised. I was raised watching a lot of 90s cartoons and playing a lot of video games, which in turn sparked my imagination, so ever since I was young I had been making up interesting ideas. Of course, as you get older the ideas become more complete and refined, but I definitely think that there is an environmental factor that goes into creative writing. I also think I can chalk it up to the fact that I am also an artist and I like being original. I like telling the world "Hey! I'm Dave Bruno! And this is who I am!", so that may be an attribute to why I like thinking away from what the curve is doing.




Q: What can we expect from Dave Bruno in the future?


A: Well I think I'm gonna take a break from animating for a little bit (6 months straight with only 10 days off is a bit much for me!), but with the prize money I plan on buying a 21UX Cintiq. I'm still trying to get employed someone Full Time, so now that I have beefed up my animation demo reel, I'm going to go back and do some artwork to beef up my art portfolio, so you may see more artwork from me on NG in the future. I'm sure I'll break down and animate something again soon, but for now I want to focus on art and employment.




Dave Bruno truly is an amazing animator and Newgrounds is lucky to have him. A shame that he will be taking a break from animating for a while. I can certainly say though that upon his return here, he will be welcomed back with open arms. If you haven't congratulated Dave or seen any of his amazing works I suggest you do so.


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Posted by TheInterviewer - September 6th, 2011


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Interview No. 61

Interview By: @NekoMika


NOTE! THE FOLLOWING USER IS NOW REFERRED AS Omnivore HOWEVER IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THIS INTERVIEW THAT YOU KNOW HIS PREVIOUS USERNAME WHICH WAS FurryNG.


I decided it was time for me to interview someone again since you know... it has been a while. So I looked through the ever lovable place I know as the audio portal to see if there was any audio artists worth giving a review too. I then came to a friend of mine who despite the name is not entirely one and I also view him as a somewhat underrated audio artist. After seeing he had been shown on the front page of EquestriaDaily a couple of times I decided to give him an interview. What follows is the interview I had with the wonderful audio artist named @Omnivore!



Q: Ok, so how did you happen to find Newgrounds?


A: I knew about it way before I made an account, searching for 'fun flash games', I noticed a pattern of how many times this website would come up, I got a bit interested. When I found out that I could upload my own music to NG, I got interested, then sucked up to pier pressure and joined.




Q: Well peer pressure is never truly a good thing is it? Would you view fans wondering about new pieces of music from you as pressure at all or do you just relax and have fun while you work on music?


A: Well, now that I'm more comfortable with whether fans like my stuff or not, I guess I just relax and have fun while I work on different projects of the matter.




Q: Interesting so far indeed on your username, why you like MLP:FIM and what inspired you to make music! Is there any combination of music programs you prefer or any specific genre you enjoy creating the most?


A: Well, I'm currently learning how to use Reason's 'ReWire' to link Reason and Ableton together for an epic sound shifting experience. I'm used to making Trance and a tad bit of House, Electro, and DnB, however, I've gotten curious with Dubstep lately, and currently researching on Skrillex's production strategies.




Q: What inspired you to start creating audio?


A: Well, it started back when I was 7, my brother's best friend showed me this cool computer game, MTV Music Generator. I've always wanted to try it, but he wouldn't let me. My brother kept the disk, and he let me try it out for the first time, and boy was it AWESOME. I created everything, from covers of famous songs like 'I'm Blue' to 'What is Love?' to 'The Final Countdown' and my own original work. After many years of messing around with that, my dad decided to get me a new program, Magix Music Maker 12. Now this was a cool program, because it was the first to produce samples and mess with real life audio control, like EQ, Distortion, and Reverb effects. But it was only an arranger, and that was as basic as you can get. Throughout the years, my brother introduced me to a band known as 'The Prodigy'. Their music led me into curiosity of how they produce and sell. After watching this video for the first time, I was introduced to Ableton, a new program that stood from the others. After a whole year of using that program, I was introduced to many more on the way, like Reason, FL Studio, Cubase, and Logic. And unless a better program comes along, I think Ableton will be with me as long as I live. And that is how my entire musical life gave me inspiration to keep on rollin'.




Q: What makes you like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic so much?


A: For starters, it's a great show, the characters were developed with great personalities, the animation was focused on expertly, the creators didn't make it pathetic, but they made it easy to follow and funny along the way. But the biggest addition to all of this, is the attention the fan-base gets from the producers themselves. Whether it's Derpy Hooves, adding the line "20% Cooler" to the commercial for the second season, the fan-base is the biggest part of how they make the show... Even if it's meant for girls, the developers support our love for the show, and they want to keep it so the show lives on forever. "My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic is not a meme, it's a way of life" ~ bprofbrown of Youtube. Even if people argue whether it is or not, it supports things that make life better, like love and tolerance, which is a way of life itself. In all, it's a fandom (or way of life) that shows whether you can support anything, even if it's not meant for a specific age group.




Q: I see your point on the show too. Users will still continue debate on whether it is a meme or simply a large internet following who enjoy the show. Do you plan on doing remixes of lines and tunes from season 2 as well? Any characters you want to see more often?


A: Yes! I need more material to work with, and as quickly as the show is released on September 17th, it will be a relief to work with new songs and hopefully, new people! I heard the each popular BG character will have at least one line to say in this season, hopefully the rumor about Vinyl Scratch's eye's being red is true! Her current look is simply divine! I do hope we see more Luna, Derpy, and Trixie in the next season, but all will be revealed once season 2 heads out on its way.




Q: I see. Usernames are not given to just anyone and users who have only been here a few weeks and not contributed anything are simply asked to make a new account. You have any users on here you wish to give a shout out to?


A: Well, talk about the first people I met on NG, that includes coleknows, OmegaRavager, and omegadude223. If you want a list of other people I shouted out to, check this out, some people aren't on it though..




Q: How did you come up with your username?


A: I was into the furry fandom back then, but trust me, I've been wanting to change it for a while now, it just adds too much negative attention. If I could change it, I would change it to my actual stage name, Omnivore or Omnipony. I'm more of a brony than a furry now, like a 25% to 75% difference. Well, if I was a brony any earlier, my name would've been 'BronyNG', but lets face it, until Luis or somepony gives me permission to change it, it's gonna be stuck this way for a while.




Q: I also see your song Fluttershine was featured on the front page of EquestriaDaily!! How did it make you feel seeing a song you worked hard on get the front page of that site?


A: I was extratisfied (I don't care whether that is a real word or not, it's a word now.)! It caught me off guard when I noticed my score got higher, along with the view count, then I checked and it was there! I thank coleknows for this one, he sent it to Seth over at Equestria Daily. More of my stuff is getting there to, so watch out for when a song or two might appear!




It was nice to actually interview someone once again and take a small break from reviewing and finding some great audio pieces in the audio portal and review request club. As for Omnivore it was a great time interviewing someone who is an under-appreciated audio artist, brony, and typically cool user. Many good wishes to him and his audio work in the future.


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Posted by TheInterviewer - August 31st, 2011


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Interview No. 60

Interview By: @The-Great-One


This is not easy to say, but eddsworld, Edd Gould... has passed away. Tom made this announcement on March 28, 2012. Back in August, I was privileged to interview this very creative and humorous individual. Not everybody on Newgrounds knew of Edd's cancer and are probably surprised by this. Even though when doing this interview I found out of Edd's cancer, it truly is sad to see him go and at such a young age of 23. He will truly be missed, and I can only hope that his words here will live on and people can still learn from his wonderful creations that have made many people laugh for years to come.




Today's guest if you haven't figured it out by the video above already is none other than that twisted man himself. His works include that of Edd vs Pie: Random (2004), The Dudette Next Door, - Tribute -, Hammer & Fail, and recently Hammer & Fail 2. These crazed characters can only come from a mind just as crazy, none other than Edd Gould a.k.a. as @eddsworld.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I found Newgrounds, if i remember correctly, after being linked to fellow stickmen animators stuff being judged within the portal. From there i discovered the Assassin area of which i spent many hours on (mainly killing telletubbies if i remember rightly) before finally realising i could submit my own flash content! But the first animation/game i watched off the front page was 'Osamagotchi' (search for it!)




Q: Your first flash submission would be entitled Edd (2003). An interesting little music video what is this flash about and looking back on it are you still proud of it to this day?


A: Can't say i'm too proud of it.. I didn't even know how to stream the audio back then! But it is impressive how i managed to synch up certain parts of the movie regardless. It does however please me to watch back to see how much my life has changed since i have made that animation. Maybe a second sequel is overdue.




Q: We begin our trip into Eddsworld with Edd vs Pie: Random (2004). You say it's random, but even something random can draw inspiration from somewhere. Where did yours come from for this?


A: Oh god, i honestly just did a few animation tests and thought it would be fun to synch it to some music. O Fortuna was the first thing that came to mind and of course we all know how popular pie is with animators (Weebl and LegendaryFrog come to mind) this was simply a ess of bits i had previously made with a pie sub-story added, haha.




Q: Edd vs Tom (2004) is an important flash to you is it not? When and how did you meet TomSka and how did the collaboration go on making this in other words how did the ideas form the flash?


A: If i recall correctly, me and Tom met on another stick animating site formally known as StickSuicide.com (now known as Explosm) where they had a similar animation portal to Newgrounds, but one day Tom added me simply as a fan wanting to talk. Then eventually we thought it would be fun to do a joint animation and it seemed best to start with a simple fight where we passed the baton back and forth. But boy did it get complicated! It was originally set to go on longer but we had to stop it where we did due to the file being too big to send back and forth!




Q: The Dudette Next Door would be a hilarious flash movie that would have a hilarious plot twist at the end. What can you tell us about the idea of this flash and how it came together? Also what's it like to work with Rina-Chan?


A: Rina-chan was great, she was ideal for the role really and a relief to have someone that experienced help someone who wasn't particulary well-known. If i recall correctly, it was initially a parody of 'the girl next door' which is some average movie i saw, but then me and Tord played it by ear and exchanged it scene from scene again until we decided there was a clear ending to make it all work out correctly. I remember this being a big hit with Newgrounds, probably for one very good reason, haha.




Q: Eddsworld Zombeh Attack, Eddsworld Zombeh Attack 2 and Eddsworld Zombeh Attack 3 would be three hilarious flash movies in an excellent trilogy. What can you tell us about the inspirations as well as the creative and writing process of these flashes?


A: Well clearly, the inspirtation for the first installment came from a deep love of Shaun of the Dead,which basically made me want to create my own little adventure along the same lines. As for the setting of Bittens borugh, i was aided my the vast Zombie-movie-Knowledge of Tord who helped shape the area and the plot, but i had the overall storyline from an early stage.. it just took forever to get it done due to computer problems and no internet for months and months.


However the second installment was a much more straight forward affair, with a clear inspiration from Army of Darkness, i had the plot in mind right from the start and plowed through it. But with the third installment, Tom and Matt had a little influence over the plot of the film, Tom's suggestions were good but added to the work load, and Matt's were more minor. Most of Tom's lines were redacted by him, except the final line really. Same case with Matt. The third is probably my least favourite, but has the best intro and ending. (in my opinion)




Q: Although this wasn't the first time you've worked with MajinPiccolo it is probably the most memorable one you two have done together and that is the music video - Tribute -. Said to be the best song in the world by Tenacious D. Where did the inspiration come from for this and what is it like working with MajinPiccolo?


A: Well basically, MajinPiccolo said it would be fun to animate something longer together. He had just found the song, and it was already one of my favourites so i said we should simply go for it. And i basically let him lead the production as he had never actually seen the original video before, whereas i had. So it was a safe bet his ideas would be vaguely original for the song, which in some examples were!




Q: Eddsworld Zombeh Nation would be your first Daily Feature award. Like your last zombie flick this one would be just as funny. What was the writing process for this one this time around and did you have any problems when creating it?


A: Well basically the writing was done from day one really, whcih made it a lot easier, i knew where i wanted it to go at least. I wanted to do a Zombie story away from the original 'Zombeh Attack' story. And the whole inspiration of the opening scene was almost directly from An American Werewlf in London, where the werewolf hunts down a man through the underground, and i simply wondered why had no one had zombies in the underground before. I would of thought it would be a pretty bad place to have them!




Q: The World of Edd would certainly be a morbid comedy you give us. Where did the inspiration come from for this?


A: Honestly i don't know, it started off as the intro shot of the camera panning to edd's house, then i just made it up as i went along.. turned out better than expected i guess!




Q: One of my all-time favorite flash movies by you has to be the music video you made entitled -Sugar sugar-. Where did this idea come from?


A: Oh man, the inspiration for this video was actually the episode of The Simpsons where this song was used, simply because after then i went and found the song and then i had heard the song a few times and thought wouldnt it be amusing if it was just a guy being hit on each note of the chorus. And then i linked edd's coke addiction into the song and that was pretty much it. To be honest i was astonished no one else had thought of this concept before!




Q: You and koit would work together on Koit / Eddsworld collab. You two would just go back and forth with the same animation seeing what you could make of it. Why this sort of idea and would your recommend that other artists try something like this as well?


A: It worked well the first time, not so well the next. The fact it was incredibly random and a suprise to see where the next person would take it was interesting to say the least. Simply because you would leave a door wide open and they would just break a hole in the wall claiming its a new door. You never knew where it was going. But i would recommend this to people, just be prepared to go anywhere with it.




Q: The Zanta Claws series is quite possibly the funniest Christmas related flashes on Newgrounds. We start with Zanta Claws then we head into Zanta Claws II and end at Zanta Claws III which would be the first time you hit the triple crown winning the Daily Feature, Weekly 1st Place, and Review Crew Pick awards. I wonder does Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" give inspiration to these? If so how much?


A: Actually not very much at all, except possibly the skeleton reindeer. Most of the inspiration came from someone actually telling me of the oriignally Saint Nicholas existing centuries ago, and i joked about it saying what if he is still around.. just as a zombie. Treating the good and eating the bad. So then it sort of spreaded from there. But i was super stoked with those triple awards, made my year.




Q: Hammer & Fail and Hammer & Fail 2 would be two hilarious flash animations with "Hammer & Fail 2" hitting the triple crown. What was the inspiration for this as well as the creation that went into it?


A: I drew a revised version of the eddsworld bungalow with another floor, and then thought about using that from now on. Then i realised i coudlnt just change the house magically one episode. Then i decided it might be funny to see them build it. This was also a good time to introduce thier neighbours which have never been mentioned but i have always known ere there, thier rivals. Opposite versions of themselves, much like Bizarro, The rowdyruff boys and so forth. The original reason for splitting it was to keep fans happy faster, but in the end i think it took just as long as normal thanks to other complications!




Q: I questioned whether or not I would ask this question, but I guess there is no point in trying to stray away from it. What can you tell us about your diagnosis with cancer and how are you doing?


A: I'm currently doing well (at least they have said so), the cancer is in the very low percentage. All that's left now is to have a Bone Marrow Transplant sometime later this year and hopefully i'll be on the road to recovery! (Atleast this is what they tell me)




Q: What can we expect from eddsworld in the future?


A: More episodes. Lots more. We got dozens written down, just gotta get cracking!




Edd is a remarkable individual. He has a passion for his works and the characters he creates. It truly is a treat to see his works and what life he gives them. I am thankful for the creations Edd has given us as many others, and I believe I speak on behalf of my fellow interviewers and Newgrounds fans when I say we're all hoping you not only fight this cancer, but that you kick its ass.




Sadly Edd could not kick this cancer's ass, but he has left us with an amazing world of animation, humor, and memorable characters that we will never forget for the years to come. If Edd were here now, he wouldn't want us to be sad, he would want us to be happy, to laugh, to see what he has brought to us and put a smile on our faces. It felt strange to interview him knowing of what he had and him dealing with it, but now... when a funny person dies it gives a strange feeling on how to react. Edd will be missed, his works will be treasured here on Newgrounds for generations to come. Rest in peace Edd.






UPDATE: October 2, 2020

While going back to update the interviews to clean them up and fix any videos or links that were in them I came across this interview. It still holds a place in my heart that Edd was able to share his story and his creative visions with all of you here on Newgrounds. I would give anything to have this wonderful person back and to see what Newgrounds has become overtime, I'm sure he would be just as proud of all of you just as he always was. I learned that a documentary was made on Edd later in life and I would like to share it with all of you here on this interview. To preserve his teachings to the next generation.



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3

Posted by TheInterviewer - August 27th, 2011


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Interview No. 59

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guest is yet again another Newgrounds Artist. However you will find this one throughout the Art Forum and Art Portal. His works can be seen within the flash movies The Green Line Collab and RD10 Poetry & Art Collab. He has also done works on the flash Proper Raptors which would win a Daily Feature and Weekly 5th Place. This artist is none other than @Fifty-50.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I first found out about a website called Newgrounds when I was in elementary school, my friend told me about this place that has awesome games and I should go visit. To be exact, it was about this specific game that my old friend kept talking about. A game where you could use multiple weapons to kill someone, it sounded super awesome in my opinion. So I decided to try it. I liked it quite a lot and I eventually kept on playing games here. That was a long time ago, about 2005 or so but I registered quite recently on 2009. ( I know you've heard of this story a lot lol )




Q: Your first interest in the Art Portal would be in a little club called the Art Portal Patrol. What is the purpose of this club and do you still assist with it?


A: Oh yes, the Art Portal Patrol. I don't really recall having anything significant to do with them, since I mainly got interested on art because of the prospect of scouting and having "special" privileges. I even made this newspost. But hopefully a friend of mine was kind enough to scout even though my art looked terrible. Now that I look back that was kinda idiotic lol.


The Portal Patrol was a place to hunt down art thieves, those people who steal art and claim them as their own. They're good people, and I salute them for their noble deed. I never really got involved with them but I'm sure they're doing the things they do for the better good.




Q: Your first submission to the Art Portal would be entitled I'm So Dark. What can you tell us about this piece and looking back on it are you still proud of it?


A: I think that piece looks reeeeeaaaaaalllyy terrible, and I'm not even remotely proud of that drawing. I'm not really the kind of person that's proud of the things he does to start with, but I think that one is just terrible. Even though it looks rather "different", I still won't delete it since it's part of my history, my story or something like that.


The story behind this is quite an embarrassing one, but I'm not ashamed to talk about it. Remember what I said about wanting to be scouted? I was very egostical and proud of myself that I actually made that drawing especially with the purpose of making people scout me with, and MS-Paint? Seriously? My drawings look very strange now that I look at it. I can't even draw a proper looking woman.


The emo look in my early drawings is probably caused by my liking of "My Chemical Romance" at the time, it's really odd. Since I now think of them as fags lol. So am I a fag for liking them? I don't know. But really, I find it disturbing that I used to listen to that kind of stuff. Is it relevant to say I was 13 at the time? Puberty? I guess so.




Q: Fifty-50's improved art. would finally be a thread where you showcase your art due to multiple other threads asking for advice. When it comes to making an art thread would you recommend that other artists make their own art threads and if so then why?


A: Oh most definitely. Artists should make their own art threads.It's mainly because it generally helps moderators with their work of always cleaning up the Art Forum. It prevents confusion and you're artwork will definitely look much more organized. I mean you can just link to one thread instead of linking to multiple ones whenever you feel like showing your art to people from other sites.


Plus it would also help the Art Forum Regs to critique and comment on your artwork easier, and maybe even keep track of your improvement/progress through the times.It's very useful. What's great is you can make an art thread even you're not that good at drawing. You'll improve eventually if you keep your mind open to the people giving you advice on your art.




Q: When it comes to different artwork I personally tend to like the more gothic pieces. One of yours that I like is entitled Skeleton Thing. Where did the inspiration come from for this also which came first the skeleton or the background?


A: Gothic huh? Interesting. I noticed that a lot of people also like that piece. Well I always had a lot of interest in all things macabre and creepy. I tend to draw a lot of skull or death related artwork back then. My parents find it disturbing, my friends find it awesome. But I rarely do things like that anymore. Oh well, I guess people change. I generaly do more boring stuff these days.


The skeleton came first as I recall. I remember how I drew it with my trusty mouse. I think it was quite a time consuming effort but I don't really like this one. Maybe I should remake it? That would be awesome. The background isn't really anything special, I don't remember how I made it though.




Q: When we spoke with Toast-Tony we talked about The Friday Flood. He stated that...


"The Friday flood is an Art forum invasion of the art portal. Basically a theme is given to the users, the users then conjure up a drawing like magic, and submit the drawing with the flood theme image as the thumbnail at a specific time and date leading to a "flood" of the "portal" page."


Would you agree with this statement or have a different interpretation of it?


A: Tony is definitely spot-on with that description. It happens every first friday of every month (it's announced about 3-4 weeks in advance) and it's definitely worth to participate. The flood is that every participant will make the thumbnail the "Friday Flood" icon so that the portal looks it's been "flooded" with the same thumbnail.


It's also funny that some people get ticked off because they think the flood is a bad thing. There's a thread for every flood in the art forum. This is the latest one but it looks as if it's in a stand still.




Q: There are three pieces in the Art Portal from you. Forever Alone Cover, Forever Alone pg 1 and Forever Alone pg 2. What is Forever Alone and will we be seeing more of it?


A: Oh that. That has a very retarded but at the same time entertaining story behind that. You see, one day on the Art Forum when suddenly a girl waltzes in the forum and makes a thread about her comic book. She mentions a comic book by her about "two ten-year old lesbians falling in love with each other." And she plans to publish Well, being the rational person that I am, I wtf'd and went on with my day.


But as the time passes the thread becomes a goldmine of lulz when artists started making parodies of the said comic book. Well I decided to jump on the bandwagon and made my own parody. My parody was well-recieved by the people so I decided to make a thread about it. Well naturally she was quite mad but suddenly became quite delusional, by stating that she was "happy" to recieve "fan art" You can just read the whole thread for the drama and humor of the whole incident.




Q: When looking at your artwork you tend to favor towards the anime style from time to time. Is there any inspiration to this or is it a certain style that you've adapted to?


A: Yeah, I'm really not that happy about drawing anime since it's an overall generic and unoriginal style to me. It's ironic right? The style is hard to describe. It's kinda "addictive" to draw in these kinds of styles. I'll be attending college next year and I'll get a course about art so I can improve my realism. Anime is pretty popular on Newgrounds espcially women.I don't blame them though.


Well come what may. I'll refine my anime and also my other styles. As so I can become a better artist. Plus watching tons of anime doesn't help either.




Q: What other inspirations have you taken into your artwork over time?


A: Well I generally take my family, friends and God (I'm religious) as part of the things that inspire me. But most of the time I don't have a clear vessel of inspiration. I guess it's mostly my desire to get better and better in terms of skill. Although I'm still well far away from being awesome. But I'll do my best.




Q: When we spoke to HeRetiK we talked about The Red Line. We also talked to Toast-Tony about The Green Line Collab which was created out of inspiration of "The Red Line" art collab. How did you come across this collaboration and what was it like working with them?


A: Well it was very shaky at first since Liquify/Travis, the collab leader, didn't seem pretty competent to start his own collab. But things eventually got better and things began to run smoothly. But at the end of the collab there was quite a scene if Cloudeater was allowed to be part of the co-authors. Liquify/Travis was quite annoyed with Cloudy for trivial reasons in my opinion.


But at the end everything was okay and we got to submit our collab. It's kinda sad we didn't get to win anything though.




Q: NG Movie Jam 1 would give artists and animators 48 hours to create a flash animation. Your entry would win the Movie Jam and would be entitled Proper Raptors. The story would be submitted in the Submission Thread on page 6 by Eddache. How did this story come about you and your crew and what was the process in creating it?


A: The story was okay to work with in my opinion. And it was better to work with a simpler story due to the time constraints. I guess I can say it was absolutely perfect for us. I'm very happy with the results. I would like to thank my team mates Mark-er, Eddache and LiquidOoze.


The process of making was quite smooth, we got to a steady start thanks to our animator (Mark-er), the first thing to go in were the voices by Eddache and I drew the backgrounds. The plan was for Mark-er to animate a portion of the movie, send it to me, I'll get to working on the backgrounds and I'll send it back to him. It was like that until we eventually finished. I have to say we almost didn't make it since the last part was incredibly difficult to get down.


The last thing that went in was LiquidOoze's awesome music. Although it was only 30 seconds or less in duration, it was quite difficult to do with a time constraint of 48 hours. And we ended up winning 1st place! Awesome.


I ended up spending my share of the money on a "Newgrounds Calendar". It's still hanging on my wall, it's better than any other boring things I usually put there.




Q: When it comes to working with collabs what do you look for before joining? In other words what advice can you give to those in wanting to start a collab or join a collab?


A: I check if the collab idea is a good one, and not an extremely retarded one like the "Epilepsy Collab". It was a collab about animations that have backgrounds that can induce epileptic seizures like the ones seen on one banned pokemon episode. That could kill someone lol. You should also check if the collab leader is responsible and has the sufficient ability to manage and get the collab running smoothly.


Best of luck joining your collabs.




Q: What can we expect from Fifty-50 in the near future?


A: You can expect more art and drawings. And in the future I'll also make games and animations. As a matter a fact I'm working on a movie now.It's about 2 percent complete. I'd like to thank The-Great-One for giving me the honor of an interview. Also my gratitude to the reader.




Fifty-50 is certainly a wonderful artist who I'm sure his talents will only grow from here. His style as of now is a mere stepping stone to greater things. I guess one thing that I have learned from this is that if you look hard enough you can find wonderous things that you wouldn't expect to see.


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Posted by TheInterviewer - August 23rd, 2011


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Interview No. 58

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guest may be new to Newgrounds, but upon his short time here he has been doing some amazing work with an ocarina from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. He has done songs such as Song of Time [Ocarina], Jinjo Village [Ocarina], Simple and Clean [Ocarina] with his latest works being Can You Feel The Love[Ocarina] and Morrowind [Ocarina]. He is none other than @Ocarina-Kid.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: Before we get down to business, I just want to say I'm very honoured to be interviewed but let's be honest I don't think I'm the slightest bit worthy of it haha, but thanks a lot for your time! Well long story short (or long story long), after a hard day of bludging at school I'd often go over to a friend's house so we could bitchslap each other in Super Smash Brothers and he'd have music playing in the background, not just any music mind you, video game covers/remixes (these actually exist!?) which I instantly nerd-gasm'd over. Never asked him where he got them from, who knows why, until one day he played 'Forever Gamer' by SkyMarshall and that's when my life changed. Turns out there's this site, oldgrounds? Hurr. Why did I join? More importantly why did it take me so long to join! I've been quite a frequent flyer to the audio portal for a few years now, simply because I really admire and respect those who can make music. It's amazing what you can find on here, a lot of people are seriously talented, it's breathtaking.




Q: What first inspired you to make music?


A: The fact I can't make music. I can't read music and I always came last in the compulsory music classes at school (took one for the team) yet I can't imagine life without it. Music is a beauty which cannot be seen externally but once you close your eyes it lets you see so much more than the world can offer. I've always tried to make music but mostly failed (which is evident in a lot of my submissions to be honest haha), but I reckon if you have a passion for something then do it! Whether it's good or bad, who cares? If it puts a smile on your dial then it's worth it. Who knows, it might also put a smile on someone else's dial.




Q: Your inspiration is no secret. When did you play "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" and what can you tell us about the game in your own words?


A: Shh, I thought I hid that secret pretty well! I first played Ocarina of Time back when I was a little vegemite, some annoying age like 6, and thought it was the coolest thing to ever grace the planet. Sure I had no idea what was going on (I thought Link was Zelda for a good while, who didn't), but it was magical. Right now I'm replaying it on the 3DS, like all the cool kids. I don't know if I can explain why it has such a special place in my heart, perhaps those who have played it understand (I'd say those who haven't played it haven't lived but then I'd sound like a crazy fanboy, oh wait...) For those who haven't played it, Ocarina of Time is basically the whole 'boy saves princess' but deep down it's so much more. It conveys many themes and values relevant to life and while it's just a video game I think it's fair enough to say it was a strong part of my childhood. Hence the nerd-passion.




Q: When it comes to the different musicians interviewed here they tend to favor a certain instrument or two over the other. Your choice of instrument would be the ocarina. Tell me what made you want to track down this instrument and learn how to play it?


A: I'm guessing it's a wee bit obvious why I wanted to play the ocarina but for those who skipped the above responses/were bored by the above responses, simply put I wanted to play it because firstly I'm incapable of playing anything else and secondly because, well, Zelda. In all seriousness though I do find it to be such a beautiful instrument, and not one that is commonly known either. It was never my intention to actually get an ocarina as it was given to me as a gift, but deep down I always wanted one. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't warp and attract random horses though.




Q: How difficult is it to play the ocarina? Do you have a musical background of any kind?


A: If I can play it, anyone can! It's difficult at first, so many holes, where do I put what (that's what he said?) but once you get the hang of it it's actually rather easy. My good friend google did help me out a lot as well as his good friend youtube, so if you're learning to play it's definitely helpful. If you do want to play there's a variety of ocarinas out there; plastic, wood, clay or even metal, with as little or as many holes as you fancy (slight exaggeration). Moral of the story, it's great [noisy] fun and you don't need a musical background to play (my musical background is my iPod)




Q: Your first submission would be entitled Song of Time [Ocarina]. Your first choice is a Zelda song no doubt, but why this one in particular? Also how long did it take you to play it did you have a music sheet with notes for the ocarina or did you play by ear?


A: I always wanted to be able to play the Song of Time, even before I knew ocarinas actually existed in the 'real world' (gasp). It's a beautiful song in my opinion, gives me chills each time I hear it. I'll be honest it took me forever to learn how to play it, probably because I'm a stubborn bitch and expected it to be as easy as pressing the c-buttons in Ocarina of Time. Odd. I googled/youtubed how to play it and eventually got the hang of it, you just gotta keep on trying. It mightn't work the first time or the hundredth time but as cliche as it is, practice makes perfect. Or in my case practice makes out of tune the new cool. Now that I'm used to the instrument for the most part I can play by ear (it does take a while to get it right, poor neighbours) although I find my timing is atrocious so I have a bit of an odd process to aid that, I use a program called Synthesia (piano tutorial thingamajig) to help visualise the timing (when I can be bothered). That's pretty much it.




Q: Clocktown [Ocarina] would transcend us into "The Legend of Majora's Mask". Why this song from this game and how long did this one take and what was the process you took into it?


A: To be honest my first choice was Song of Healing, another one of my favourites, but I found I couldn't make it sound right. I know people who can play it wonderfully on the ocarina but when I listened to my recording I wasn't satisfied. I wanted to do something a bit different, a bit faster. So I moved onto Clocktown, what a coinkydink (and then went spastic with Deku Palace) Oh man this song was fun to do, also a bitch and a half, but still fun. It didn't take as long as I expected to learn but what I struggled with most was the timing. Again thank god for google and youtube, that's all I can say. I'm going to marry them and make sweet love. Since you asked about the process I'll tell you something, what you hear is edited. It doesn't sound as smooth in real life, when I record it I up the reverb (pretending I know what that is and all) and it gives it a smoother sound. Just a bit of fiddling around in Garageband, my third true love.




Q: [LoZ] Ocarina Medley would be a beautiful collection of the songs from "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", mainly the ones played on the ocarina. What sparked the interest in doing this medley and why mainly with just the ocarina songs?


A: A beautiful soundtrack called Hyrule Symphony inspired me to do this, I recommend listening to it if you haven't already. It's a fantastic album containing 13 orchestrated tracks from Ocarina of Time and has a song with a medley similar to this one on it, played by a much better composer with a much nicer ocarina, it's beyond amazing. My ears jizz over it. I had originally recorded the warp songs separately but then realised the length wasn't really appropriate seeing as they're so short, then I put 2 + 2 together and bred them all and gave birth to this medley.




Q: You would step out of your comfort zone with Queen Rutela. Is this you playing the piano as well? Also what was the process you took in doing it and why the sudden step out of your zone?


A: Haha I think this is a one and only. After getting a few reviews saying I should try different instruments I decided to give it a whirl. As I had been familiar with piano tutorials to help with timing it then occurred to me that I could actually, you know, try and play the piano itself (shock horror). So after whipping out good ol' Garageband and following the very handy tutorial to a tee, somehow it actually turned out okay. The next one was vom (OoT Title Screen) so I think I'm going to stick to solo, don't want my ocarina getting jealous.




Q: Anyone who has seen "Pokemon: The Movie 2000" whether they liked the movie or hated it can agree that Lugia's Song is a pretty song. What made you want to play it on the ocarina with Lugia's Song [Ocarina]?


A: I used to listen to this song religiously when I was little, you know back in the days where you'd catch a poor helpless caterpillar and thought you were god's gift to earth cos you just caught your very first Pokemon. No? Awkward. Well I think it's always stuck with me cos as you said it's such a pretty song. I'm a total girl when it comes to music, I love beautiful songs that are full of emotion (what's this you say) and scream pretty. Plus a lot of the songs I play relate back to my childhood in some twisted way or another.




Q: We now come to one of my favorites by you and that is Jinjo Village [Ocarina]. Why the game "Banjo-Tooie" and why this song? Also how did you bring this one to life through the ocarina?


A: I have a very big soft spot for Banjo Kazooie/Tooie and its music. So unique, nostalgic and happy going. I thought surely I'm not the only one with this guilty pleasure, so decided to have a crack at it. I think Jinjo Village is one of my all time favourites (it's my happy song, when shit hits the fan crank it up) The original song is played with a flute or something related so that's what made me want to do it even more and I'm glad it turned out okay, one of the more enjoyable songs to cover actually. I'm really glad you liked it btw, I'll definitely be doing more Banjo Kazooie songs in the future.




Q: You never cease to amaze me with the ocarina. SM64 File Select [Ocarina], is a short and sweet song, but you give it such life with the ocarina. There were many songs from that game to choose from why this one? Also will we see an ocarina recreation of the song played in Jolly Roger Bay and Dire Dire Docks soon?


A: Oh you, you're full of compliments! Haha thanks man, I play the ocarina for fun as a hobby and honestly don't think I'm any better than the average joe but am glad there's people out there who enjoy what I do. I'll be honest, I was rushed one morning and wanted to quickly submit a song so I chose what I thought would be easiest/quickest, and that's how SM64 File Select was created. It's a nice simple song; I was always intending to cover it at some point. I'd love to cover more songs from the game and will definitely be doing so in the not too distant future, at the moment I've been working on Koopa's Road (the song played on the last Bowser level) not quite certain if I'll be submitting it as I'm not sure if it really works but we'll see how it turns out. Dire Dire Docks will be next on the list, fo shizzle.




Q: Although my favorite song by you is Jinjo Village, even I must admit that your best song in my critical opinion is Simple and Clean [Ocarina]. Why Kingdom Hearts, why this song, and how did you do it? Also will we be hearing "Sanctuary" from Kingdom Hearts II anytime soon?


A: Thanks man, appreciate it. Kingdom Hearts is yet another one of my favourites (what isn't), and besides having a fantastic storyline, the music is pure beauty. Yoko Shimomura is a very talented composer and I'm a massive fan of her work. I originally started with Dearly Beloved and Kairi's Theme but again wasn't satisfied, I wanted my first Kingdom Hearts cover to be a little more complex. So I then chose to do Utada Hikaru's 'Simple and Clean' which is yet another extremely beautiful song. It was one of the hardest I've had to cover so far but well worth it. I'd love to give Sanctuary a try! That's definitely on the list (yes, the shopping list).




Q: When it comes to making music you have proven you can do the ocarina justice as well as the piano. Any other instruments you've thought about taking a crack at?


A: I've thought about it, slightly attempted it, but it just doesn't seem to tickle my pickle. I think I'll leave other instruments to those who are actually capable of playing them, wouldn't want to give the instrument a bad name haha. So for now, and probably eternity, I'll stick to flying solo with my beloved Gertrude (my ocarina).




Q: What can we expect from Ocarina-Kid in the future?


A: Not even I know the answer to that. No I lie, seeing as though you gave me some suggestions I do have a plan! At the moment I'm finishing off Koopa's Road and assessing whether or not it's suitable to submit, then after that I'll be giving Dire Dire Docks a crack as well as Sanctuary. Expect more Banjo Kazooie songs as well. For my 50th song I'm thinking of doing some sort of Nintendo medley, if there's any suggestions or requests I'd love to hear them. Now let me be serious for the first time in my life; I just want to say thanks for giving me this kind of opportunity and for taking the time to interview me (and for those who read through this, you are troopers) I'll definitely be reading through other interviews and following this epic shindig, cheers guys.




When I was browsing the Audio Portal, I came across this kid's music and it truly blew me away to the point that I wanted to know more and more, and I can happily say that doing this interview was truly a fun experience and an inspiring one as well. This is a kid who was inspired and decided to take his inspiration further and play music on an instrument that not many would expect. He truly is a gift.


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Posted by TheInterviewer - August 19th, 2011


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Interview No. 57

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guests are what some may call "rebels of society", artists who use the world as their canvas the meager pedestrian as their spectators. Hidden in the shadows with little to no credit of their works. These fellows are @Dromedary, @therealanimator, @esko-man, and @AngryBombshell. They are the proud members of The Graffiti Crew.




ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED BENEATH THE _A:_ DUE TO TWO PEOPLE BEING INTERVIEWED PERSON ANSWERING WILL BE NOTED AS SO.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?

A:


Dromedary: Well my tale of discovery is none too glamorous, i'll tell you that. As a young kiddie, back in early 06', I used to play stick arena, and I was always jealous of the hackers because they were unbeatable. So the obvious conclusion was to google "Stick Arena Cheats." I got linked to a thread on NG (Can't find it, unfortunately) which was NGers doing what they do best, bitch about shit. The shit in question was stick arena cheaters, hahah! I can't tell you why I stayed.. I guess I have no idea. Maybe the humour found on most of the general forum appealed to a younger me. Can't say I regret staying though, it taught me a lot.


therealanimator: I found out about newgrounds when it was known as assassin, I was a lil kid then and boy the shit they had it on was gory as hell but I loved it.


esko-man: I'm not entirely sure how we found it, but "Pico's School" brought my cousins and I here. We were just bored kids on the internet, looking for entertainment, and newgrounds had that raunchy-humor we wanted. I kept coming back through the years as I started working in Flash, and in 06 when I finally got an internet connection at my house, I signed up and discovered the forums. I don't know why I actually signed up for the account, but I was twelve at the time.


AngryBombshell: I must've been an idiot twelve year old when I found this site. We didn't have a computer at home at the time, so I'd take a walk up to the library downtown and just play games and shit. I'd do this a few times a week. There was often no sound without headphones, so I kinda had to deal.


I scrounged around for any decent flash games I could find on the internet that weren't already blocked. Back then you could get away with watching porn if you knew how to cover your shit up. Can't say so much now at that particular library. April a couple years back was exhilarating. I went back, got caught, and enjoyed it. But I digress - I'd spent hours on end there playing flash games on no-name sites and must've seen a Newgrounds.com link in some of the intro panels.


It's cool though, I got introduced to the mecca of user-created content.




Q: The Graffiti Crew was created on October 1, 2006. How did you find this crew and why did you join it?

A:


Dromedary: I was always interested in graffiti, and one day in.. well I'm not sure when, some time in 07' I think, I happened across the Crew when I was just browsing C&C. Anyway it seemed like a place full of like minded and inspired people, so I decided to join in on the fun.


therealanimator: I discovered it in 2010 i was trying to see if there was a graffiti club and there was! I joined straight away and kept on posting


esko-man: I've always had an interest in graffiit and tagging, so when I came across the the crew I joined. A few weeks before, I started the "NG Graffiti & Tagging" thread in the Art forum, not long after its launch. I joined so I could share my work there, and to keep up with the users posting theirs.


AngryBombshell: I'm a newcomer to the crew, myself. Me and the Graffiti Crew only have recent history together. I'm sure that I was sure I had my own account in '06 and was just too pussy or puppy-shy to participate in the BBS. Fast-forward to now and I am bothered to post on the forums every now and again.


From there it was simple. I looked through the listing of the boards and eyed Clubs and Crews and said 'what the hell' and posted in a few. I went purely off interest. This is when I decided to take my hobby more seriously and actually develop skills. On January 22, 2011 for my 18th birthday I realized I needed to buckle-down with something I'd really only screwed around with on classroom tables. (When you're an adult it's no more games.) It's also the date I registered on this account, as well as with my blog and deviantart page. If you track my progress since 7 months ago you'll see I still need some improvement on my style. It's still feather-weight tier at best.


You can never go wrong with being around other writers. Ideas get passed back and forth and there'll be the ocassional discussion about big names or their own pics or their own sketches. That's the beneifts of me joining.




Q: Before this crew was created there was already a thread in the Art Forum entitled NG Graffiti & Tagging. Were you a part of that thread and if not why did you choose this crew over said thread?

A:


Dromedary: I had no idea that it was still running! I'm pretty sure it used to be in C&C, it must have been moved by request when the Art forum was created. So thanks for reminding me of their existence! Anyway back when I was looking for a crew to be part of, that thread was very much dead. Esko was always a cool guy, but I didn't see much sense in reviving the thread. Anyway, as Quickbeam says on the original post of the GC, "Since all the other Graffiti crews died i have re-started a new one!"


therealanimator: I honestly didn't know about it till now.


esko-man: I created that thread. I knew the two would be conflicting in some ways, but the Art forum and the Clubs & Crews forum serve their own purposes, so the threads weren't exactly the same.


AngryBombshell: Honestly, if you hadn't just told me I wouldn't 've known. So thank youuu for that. I will now post. That's my fault in only skimming over the topics in the art board.


You generally shouldn't have it both ways - I don't meant to be salty but it isn't as if there aren't other forums whose sole purpose of discussion is graffiti. Forums with all types of age groups with more of their years on them in experience. From a bunch of teens through late twenty year olds you have to say 'Well, what do you expect?" The skill level isn't quite the same. Not from what I've seen. There's a whole 90 pages of the crew and only 12 of that thread.




Q: This is probably a dumb question and it is. What is the purpose of The Graffiti Crew?

A:


Dromedary: It's a place for people who take part in, or just appreciate graffiti. In some ways I guess it's a safe place for us, as we're surrounded by others who don't judge us, but not only that, they respect us. It's where all of our conversations about graffiti, or even other art forms happen, and it's also where we showcase what we have done. Showcasing our creations is incredibly important to most, if not all of us, because we're artists, and damn proud of it.


therealanimator: For people who enjoy discussing and showing their graffiti


esko-man: I suppose the answer is relative, but I used it for the purposes of sharing and viewing work, and getting some opinions from people who were also into graffiti art.


AngryBombshell: I can answer in one word - Networking. There are the memebers who go there to be around people who share the interest and there are those who plan to improve. I'm the latter; there are aplenty tips and techniques being picked up. I'll admit that when I first joined I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I was stuck asking questions to myself like 'what kind of markers should I buy?' 'What's the best way to sketch out letters?' and so on. Now I know full well that I should buy an empty marker and just refill with ink. And lettering and handstyle just take time, effort, practice and patience on your part. There isn't a magic formula to getting clean flow.


As a writer, you can't expect someone to take something completely upon themselves and figure out every nook and cranny. It's like hoping a five year old will learn the ABC's all by himself. Just being around other people often helps you learn, because without them you'd be extremely isolated with little guidance as to what to do.




Q: Out of all the different artists and works of art I've seen, graffiti has to be one of the most interesting, it can paint a message or breathe inspiration to whoever reads or sees it. Why use the world as your easel instead of well an easel?

A:


Dromedary: I like people who can appreciate what we do. The reasons for choosing graffiti as an art form are normally induvidual to the artist. I started because I wanted to be heard, to be noticed, but without being noticed. It's a concept which confuses even me, but I like the anonymity of leaving my mark in the form of four big letters in the middle of the night, only noticed by the rest of the world when they wake up. I like to tag in places which are easily and regularly seen, none of that back alley graffiti which is so common. Artists who paint on canvas are restricted to showing their art in a gallery, or even hanging on someone's wall. The world is my gallery.


therealanimator: You might be surprised but Some graffiti artists use easels to sell in art galleries or even give them to friends as gifts. It can depends on what your message is and how it can infulence people.


esko-man: A canvas can be many things. I canvas can felt stretched across a wood frame, fine quality paper, a city wall. The world around us is the canvas, and the streets are the gallery. The foundation that defines art has changed rapidly over the past century, and it's brought closer to our attention with the internet and media playing it's role on our societies. The earliest known examples of human-created art are found on the walls of caves, carved from the faces of cliffs, when art was to be observed by everyone, as much a part of life as spirituality and belief. Art can be a form of communication more powerful than anything we're used to.


Graffiti and street art can be broken down into many purposes and forms, but what unites it all is the placing. An artist can create anywhere. Canvas and paper have never been the limits, and they never should be. Graffiti art isn't purely about artistic principle and subject, but application. Graffiti art, as many forms of art spawning from the end of the 19th century, is all about the viewer. It may change the viewer's point of view, their perception of the things and places around them. It may inspire them to be more creative, finding a joy in originality, as a spark to life than much of humanity seems to have forgotten.


It's not in a gallery, or on the wall of someone's home. It's in the public squares, on the rooftops, maybe hidden so well you get a satisfaction from spotting it and appreciating the work of the anonymous person who has given this to you and everyone around you. This is artistic creation, from one person, to everyone that notices it. It's not sponsored. It's not censored. It's free.


AngryBombshell: North Carolina - the place where I live currently - is a complete snore. I caught a liking to street art through just looking at the explosive colors and sick lines. It's the most beautiful and eclectic art form out there. And my favorite. It was always nice to see walls and quick throw-ups on a sidewalk from inside a car window. It made this already boring state more beautiful, regardless of what the officials said about 'defacing public property'.


Though in NC you'd be lucky to see any full-blown walls if you aren't in any capital cities like Raleigh or Charlotte. Or any decent-sized cities. Any where else is a back-water town with people afraid to get paint on their homes.


There may be exceptions to this rule, but I know for a fact that some graffiti writers/artists are angry, depressed, bastards trying to get a message across and graffiti is a perfect way to exploit your surroundings. Anybody passing by will see your work. Other artists just like it, and those taking it seriously are hopefuls wanting to get recognized. I can even pretend to be deep and say that it's almost as if you were leaving your mark on the world. Cheesy, right?




Q: The crew's creator Quickbeam has since left Newgrounds so I don't know much about him. Did any of you know who he was and if so what was he like?

A:


Dromedary: I spoke with QB a few times, but he left close to the time when I arrived. I got the impression he was a nice guy, even if he did exaggerate about his work sometimes. I respect the fact that he left graffiti for another art form, which happened to be photography. I wished him all the best when he left, and I still do now.


therealanimator: I didn't know him well but he seemed keen on restarting the crew and he did a good job until he left.


esko-man: I remember him posting often for a while, and other users seemed to like him and get along with him. We never had a personal interaction that I can remember, so I don't know much about him.


AngryBombshell: That was back in 2007. I'm sure you'd get an answer if you'd asked other regulars. Can't say I've gotten much influence from that particular guy.




Q: When it comes to making art, inspiration can usually strike at just about anytime. Is location important or does it hinder you?

A:


Dromedary: If you mean the location in which you get inspired, then it's not really a problem. Most of us carry around sketchpads, or blackbooks in case we're suddenly inspired and need to write it down. For me, the inspiration excites me, and I'm unable to think about much else, so I don't really need to draw it to remember it. If you mean the location of the actual painting, that can be a major problem. You want to be seen, to be noticed, but not caught. But at the same time, you can't play it too safe, because risks have to be taken. I've had many friends arrested due to overly ballsy choice of tag, so in that way, it's a hindrance.


therealanimator: Location Location is a rule a lot of graffiti artists follow by and Hell I follow by it. If you wanna piss of a government Spray on their building. Also location and inspiration intertwine just think about it.


esko-man: When inspiration strikes, it can be hindering to be in a place or situation that forces you to take your mind off of it and back to something else, but it may be the location itself responsible for the idea or inspiration, so it really depends. A great idea is usually easy to remember no matter the situation, but I know I've forgotten a lot of ideas I was excited about for the moment because I was in a place where I couldn't write the idea down, or sketch it out.


AngryBombshell: I primarily sketch, mainly because I'm nursing skills. But yes, location is important. Sometimes my room is a means of escape and other times it's a chamber. Location is important. Some days I'm off and the work affects it. It can come out shitty or better yet, really clean. You really just need a clear idea of what to sketch/bomb before hand.


As for bombing, location does matter. You can pick up ideas from practically everyone/thing around you. But I've seen tags I regret not snapping a pic of with bad locations that eventually get washed. If that's what you're asking. Besides that there are tons of places online to get inspiration, from pictures, other artists, etc.




Q: When it comes to tagging is it split from graffiti or is it more similar than different? Also how do stencils play into this?

A:


Dromedary: Both are very open terms, which often collide and run into eachother. I suppose when you think of 'tagging' you think about a quick marker job, scrawled fast and without much thought. If you think that, then 'Graffiti' is larger scale work, using different colours and such. In all honesty, I believe they are the same thing. If I saw a giant, beautiful piece of graffiti, I would still refer to it as a tag. 'Tagging' is just one of many forms of graffiti, such as Stencils, and wheat pasting. Stencils are great, you can fit a whole lot of creativity into a small piece of manilla folder, and it's easily transferable to any place you like.


therealanimator: Yeah taggin is just using a marker to write your name but with graffiti you gotta make it beautiful Make it outstanding man. Stencils are handy when you are trying to draw something detailed in a couple of minutes hell if you wanna see the king of stencils look up Banksy.


esko-man: "All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares." The definition of graffiti is basically "a mark or scratch on a wall," so I think it's a broader category that's broken down. Tagging is based on marking a place with a name or symbol, which certainly fits graffiti, but graffiti can be a 20 foot mural with no words, just a visually centered piece with an emphasis on color theory and shading. That form of graffiti is very different from tagging. A term that may separate tagging from other forms of graffiti is "Street Art", which can include tagging, but plays more upon the artistic value of graffiti than marking.


Stencils are only one of the many other forms of street art that artists use to spread their work. Each one, weather it's stencil work, wheat paste, tile mosaics, and anything else than can be done is its own practice and they all have to be learned and tried to be skilled in. Look at the work Banksy does with Stencil art and wheat-paste, what Space Invader does with tiles, and check out some of California's signature style mural paintings, and you see what time and practice in these individual forms can result in while they continue to change. Stencil art can be used for tagging, but the range of use extends beyond that particular application.


AngryBombshell: The two differing styles of Street Art are Freeform and Regular graffiti. There are the guys who attack area space with rollers, paint buckets and paint brushes...and there are the guys who throw on a backsack full of mops and cans and just go bomb.


Your freeform shit includes murals, wheatpasting, rolling, obscure pieces, random junk you decided to throw together and put out, and also stencilling. I encourage anyone to go into a borders or barnes and Noble and check out the books they have on graffiti. Tons of styles. There's all sorts of crazy shit you can do on canvas with spray paint. Including Space Painting (planets, etc.)


Traditional graffiti, though is much more informal. Pieces and walls have much more color and there isn't much of a fine line between the art and the tasteless vandalism. It's all property destrcution either way. There are toys and kids who run around with spray paint to look cool,

and there are writers who come up with burners every time. Like I said, Graffiti has to be the most open art style for anyone. There aren't many limits as to what to tag. Tagging is just usually writing a name with ink or spray paint, so that's included as well.




Q: I hate to ask this question, but this is the Internet. Have any of you ever pulled a V for Vendetta?

A:


Dromedary: *Googles V for Vendetta* Huh.. not sure what that means, sorry.


therealanimator: Fuck yes however if your thinking of Anonymous then no if its political then yeah. When the elections are starting the potential MPs place posters of themselves all over town and its..such an eye sore so what i do is i deface them silver markers is my signature weapon of choice when it comes to this.


esko-man: Painting the V or wearing the mask? I happen to have the mask that I've worn to certain events, but I've never gone out painting the big red V anywhere.


AngryBombshell: Great movie. I actually haven't seen it. But in all seriousness, there's several ways writers can piss each other off. A good handful of Real-life modern day graffiti crews have been known to start trouble with each other over territory. But if you insist on getting someone to pay attention to you or get on them you can vamp them or go over their pieces. That's a sure way to show disrespect. It's dangerous out there.




Q: One thing I've noticed about graffiti artists are the large scales of their work. How much time does it usually take to map everything out and bring the creation to life?

A:


Dromedary: Obviously it all depends on the scale and intricacy of your work. For example, a four part stencil is going to take a few hours to cut the stencil, but roughly 10-20 minutes to put onto a wall. A very large piece of work may take days to complete, depending on location. Like if you're doing it in a busy place, you will only have a few hours each night to work on it. Again, it's all depending on the piece. Colours used, location, scale, and intricacy all play into this.


therealanimator: Like designing a building it will take a long time and i mean a long time like sketching out the tag and then thinking of what colours would be suitable. Planning is important in the graffiti world.


esko-man: The location would be the most important factor to that answer. Doing something large scale on a public street or in public view is risky and often dangerous, so quick but precise actions are needed. A lot of graffiti artists keep a book of per-designs drawn up to reference when it comes time to spraying. Others can take a piece of chalk to draw their plan out, then use it as a guide to create by. In that situation, you want to be as quick a possible without sacrificing the quality of your work. Some artists have come up with their own solutions to this in pretty interesting ways.


If the location is safe, and you know you're a lot less likely to be caught, or meet anyone who cares enough to do anything about it, you have more time to work and concentrate on the graffiti.


AngryBombshell: Scroll up a few paragraphs and you'll see where I said that there are the guys who attack areas with rollers and etc. Those are these guys. There guys take hours, whole days even to get walls done. And it all usually starts with a rough sketch.


You can't jump into piecing head-first either. There are specific methods to outline, letting, fill-ins, etc. Alot of stuff you don't know until you actually try. Sketchers and Blackbookers usually purchase the materials for filling up pages with all their work. Some guys have some amazing stuff.




Q: Are there any interesting people you have met within the Graffiti Crew? If so then who and what do you like about them?

A:


Dromedary: Sate is a very interesting guy, who I've connected with on facebook, and we have become friends. I like how different he is to me, living in different countries, and having completely different cultures. TheRealAnimator (TRA) is pretty cool, I can relate to him as he lives in the UK. He exaggerates a bit, but shit, we all do about different things. Spildabongwata or DattMamon is a cool guy, we share a lot of the same interests, and are in a few of the same crews.


therealanimator: Well yeah i have met one of my friends who actually comes from belfast and hell we hang out on occasions.


esko-man: I haven't been as active in the thread as I'd like to be. The users in the crew that interest me the most are usually the ones who are just getting into this form of art, and haring what they've done to get some feedback. I've appreciated getting it and I'm happy to give it when someone wants it.


AngryBombshell: You can tell Sate received the traditional art education with his pieces. They cross the line between street art and a fine art style. Some of his shit is even in an art gallery, supposedly. GIST just had clean letters and tons of experience. I saw a pic of his that he tagged in a skatepark.




Q: What can we expect from the Graffiti Crew in the future?

A:


Dromedary: Those of us that are left will continue to share and do new work, while other newer members will join, and we will eventually let the new generation of the NG Graffiti Crew take over.


therealanimator: You'll have to wait and see man.


esko-man: It seems like a lot of the activity there is conversational on graffiti and street art, so maybe we'll see more of that informed discussion that others can read and think about. Hopefully we'll see more Newgrounds based submissions like Elios and others have popped out. I hope more users can find the Crew and use it to post their own work.


AngryBombshell: Hopefully more activity and more people willing to regularly participate. I'll be posting and I know the other regulars will too. This is one of those things that really shouldn't die.




I've always found graffiti artists not only creative, but interesting. Usually going by a certain handle when leaving their mark or creation upon the world they work in the shadows as to not be seen by authorities. They are the original rebels, no doubt about that, but they are also some of the most inventive artists of their time. I can only hope that this club will gain more popularity as it keeps going and more people join over time and keep this art form alive and thriving.


Tags:

Posted by TheInterviewer - August 13th, 2011


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Interview No. 56

Interview By: @Atlas


Today I interview a great writer and an even better interviewer @The-Great-One.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I found Newgrounds back in 2004 through a website called VGDC which stood for Video Game Director's Cut. It had a lot of Mario parody flashes one which was a series that I loved was "Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom." When I came to Newgrounds I mainly looked through more Mario parodies and found out that you could leave your own little opinions on the flash movies below as well as a lot of other cool things so I guess that's why I signed up and I don't tend to sign up to sites often and this was the first one I felt I needed to sign up to.




Q: You only have 4 submissions uploaded and you were the writer in three of those four. Have you ever considered making a solo flash?


A: Actually I wrote all four of them. I have considered making a solo flash, I downloaded the Adobe Flash Trial and gave it a whirl and I figured out very quickly that I can't draw for shit. I drew a stick figure and tried to animate it and when I did I ended up dissecting him into about eight or nine different pieces. So art and animation are not my favorable suits, I've always loved to write and I wish I could find more animators to animate my works.




Q: Since writing is your love ever considered writing songs or just making music in general?


A:I remember growing up and I loved playing with Mario Paint and making music with that and I enjoyed it. I can't write music because I can't read music so I don't see that in my future. If I could find a free music program and give music creation a whack I might, but in the mean time it's the written word for me.




Q: You've stated you were a fan of the N.G. Mag, Is that the reason why you started The Interviewer?


A: Yes it is. I loved reading the interviews for the NG Mag. However when the NG Mag stopped so did the interviews and I thought why stop the interviews? I also noticed that it was mainly just the Newgrounds Staff and Newgrounds Regulars who did these interviews. I thought if they could do it why not me?




Q: You've stated in your most recent news post that you are a brony. Why have you become one and what's so special about MLP?


A: Well I believe the news post can more than speak for itself, but I'll give the small version. Browsing around Newgrounds it is no surprise to run into a pony picture or two and see whose a fan and whose not through sig pics on the forums. When going through the Internet I believe I ran into some fan art of My Little Pony and since I knew who Ragnarokia was I thought it would be something he would enjoy, he thanked me for finding it and was happy that I didn't automatically hate the show despite watching. I finally got curious one night and watched the first five episodes, I was truly impressed that they took a toy and instead of making a show for purely marketing purposes, made a show with memorable characters, great morals, music, and animation to boot. It just blew my mind at the effort put into this show and I ended up really liking this show and becoming a fan.




Q: If Newgrounds brings back the Mag in the redesign what will happen to the interviewer?


A: I don't know. I don't think the Mag is coming back, but I could be wrong. If the Mag comes in the redesign I guess I'll try to strike up some kind of arrangement with Tom and see what we can do on moving the interviews there. If not then I guess The Interviewer will keep on trucking through news posts.




Q: As a writer will you enter the Madness Literature Contest this year?


A: I entered it last year at the last minute talking about what happens to Hank each time he gets banged up. I've been looking at the Clown a lot and wondering what kind of story I could tell with him and I think I have an idea of something, but I'm saving that for later. I normally don't enter many writing contests because I'm busy with The Interviewer as well as writing different things outside of Newgrounds.




Q: Since your a writer who of all the animators on the site would you like to write for?


A: Well I enjoyed working with Airfaerie95 when she did my short story entitled Nightmare and I asked about working with her again and she never responded. I would love to work with JAZZA as far as original characters and stories goes.




Well The-Great-One seems to be a nice brony who loves to write and loves writing interviews even more.


Tags:

Posted by TheInterviewer - August 6th, 2011


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Interview No. 55

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guest is a hilarious underrated writer in my honest opinion. His works include a series starting at Breaking the Bank, Escaping the Prison and now today with Stealing the Diamond. He is also known for "We're Stafox!". He is none other than @PuffballsUnited.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I think I've always known about Newgrounds, but I never really visited it. I was following Egoraptor's blog in 2007 and he said he was going to be posting his Awesome Compilations to Newgrounds. I started visiting Newgrounds to see the new compilations but then I discovered the other aspects of the site. I knew I wanted to make animations at some point so I figured I should 'claim my name', that way I could submit flashes when I was ready. After creating my account my page felt so empty, so I updated one of my old flashes and submitted it a few days after creating my account.




Q: Your first flash submission would be entitled Crossing the Pit. It would involve a stick figure attempting to cross a gap using different ideals. One might say you were inspired by the Coyote from Looney Tunes and if not that then what would be your inspiration?


A: I don't really know what my inspiration for Crossing the Pit was. It probably was all the Looney Tunes and similar cartoons I watched as a kid. Actually, I still watch and enjoy those cartoons. Crossing the Pit was mainly me experimenting with a different use for buttons, other than making just a play button. When I first made it, it actually only had 4 choices but I thought it would get blammed if I submitted it like that so I added the bottom row of choices and then submitted it.




Q: Breaking the Bank would be the start of an interesting story you would tell us. The goal is to break into a bank, the way to do it is similar to "Crossing the Pit." Is this a recreation or something entirely different?


A: I actually thought about recreating Crossing the Pit but decided against it. Crossing the pit was completely black and white and I wanted to do something that was a little more advanced but still followed the same format. I include Crossing the Pit into the series despite it being so basic. So in a way, Breaking the Bank is a continuation of Crossing the Pit, or another episode if you will.




Q: "We're Starfox!" is quite possibly the most creative and hilarious dubbing flash animation I have ever seen. Where did the inspiration for this come from and how difficult was it making some cohesive story out of these quotes?


A: I've always been a huge fan of Starfox 64, and I actually quote it in real life from time to time. The idea for "We're Starfox" came when I was talking to one of my friends. I don't remember exactly how we got to the topic but we ended up talking about what it would be like if the Starfox gang went to a restaurant and which lines from the game would be funny in that situation. It was actually pretty tough making the whole thing into a story that flowed together. At first I had several different pieces of conversations that I wanted and quotes that I wanted to use. I had to stitch them all together and still make the story flow. I think I still have the sheet of paper I wrote all the scenes down on. I'll have to dig that back up.




Q: "Breaking the Bank" was the beginning we now head to Escaping the Prison. What gave you the inspiration to do a sequel and what all did you learn from past experiences?


A: I think my main motivation for making a sequel came after Breaking the Bank got frontpaged. People seemed to like it and many of the reviewers pointed out the flaws in Breaking the Bank. I wanted to improve these things, but also take it a step further. I decided to make it more like a game by actually have a way to win. Again, the style of choices is the same but the addition of having those choices lead you to more choices adds a whole new layer of depth. The main thing I learned from Breaking the Bank was to not make the jokes so obvious. A lot of people said they could see the punch line coming, so I kept that in mind while I was making Escaping the Prison.




Q: Failiens - Hunger is quite the funny flash of these three aliens trying to abduct cows. Where did this idea come from and will we see more of them?


A: I had been watching a bunch of UFO sighting clips on YouTube. I started thinking "What if those UFO sightings were just some aliens that really suck at being stealthy?" That idea developed into what the movie is today. I kept thinking about how new things would be for aliens if they visited. If aliens came to earth, how would they know what cows are? Who's to say cow is an easy word for aliens to pronounce? Another thing that inspired me with the YouTube clips were how BAD some of them were. I swear some of them were literally filming a star. I wanted to capture that feeling with the hillbilly and the camcorder. I plan on making more to this series. I'm probably going to develop their characters and background a bit first so I have more to work with. I'll probably release a prologue of the three aliens so you know how they ended up in their predicament.




Q: We now come to your latest work which comes after "Escaping the Prison" and that is Stealing the Diamond. It to is just as hilarious as the previous two and is just as fun. The question remains though why make a third one and will we see another incarnation of Henry Stickman?


A: When I finished Escaping the Prison I had decided it would be the last in the series, but then I was overwhelmed by how well it did on Newgrounds. I got my first ever weekly award. It was even a weekly first so I was really excited! I decided that if I could come up with enough ideas and have it not seem forced or repetitive I would make another one. Turns out I could :P . Will there be another addition to the series? Most likely, yes. People really like the series and I don't want to leave people hanging. Again, it depends on if I can come up with enough content without it being repetitive or stale.




Q: When looking at "Crossing the Pit" all the way to "Stealing the Diamond" one element is always present and that is the Teleporter. What is it about this device that you like to put into each one of these?


A: Well, the teleporter was the last choice I added into Crossing the Pit and it had a pretty generic fail. When I was making Breaking the Bank I came up with the idea of having him teleport into a wall. Rather than make a new teleporter I thought it'd be fun to bring back the old one. I love to make references back to previous things I've made so having the teleporter keep returning was something I thought would be fun. I don't know if you've noticed, but Henry also presses the exact same button combination on the teleporter in every game.




Q: You are no stranger to the Audio Portal as a musician, your first music track being Title Scene. Was this just a simple test from way back when or is there more to this song?


A: I wrote Title Scene when I was about 13. The one on Newgrounds is just a version with updated instrumentals. It was originally going to be the title theme for a series I wanted to make. This song was definitely me learning how to use Fruity Loops because it's honestly not very good. I still enjoy the melody of this song though, and I've updated it to make a piano version.




Q: My favorite song by you has to be The Weather Department. What were the inspirations for this song and how did you go about making it?Also you've stated that you want to use if for a platformer game, will we be seeing this platformer any time soon?


A: As you mentioned I wanted to make this song to be used on a stage in a platformer. In that stage you travel through huge 'rooms', each one affected by a different weather element, from hot to cold to wind to rain. I wanted to capture the feeling of each of these moods in the song. One of my biggest inspirations in composing music is Grant Kirkhope, the composer for the Banjo-Kazooie series, as well as Donkey Kong 64 (I think). These games all have songs that change in mood and style depending on which part of the stage you're at. As for when I'll be making this platformer, it's going to be a while. I do want to make it at some point and I'm getting closer to having the skills to make it. I just need to set up the series and characters first before I make it.




Q: What can we expect from PuffballsUnited in the future?


A: Well, I've got some small parodies I'm working on now. After that I want to finally begin working on a series I've been planning for a long time. This series was one of the main reasons I joined Newgrounds and I've been making comics and such with these characters since I was 13. I also have a cool idea for a unique game, but I'm still working on ironing out all the rules and such first. I'll also be making another Henry Stickmin game at some point too. I'm also trying out some voice acting for other people. And finally, I want to start getting more involved on Newgrounds by participating in different NG events like NG holidays as well as the game jams. So yeah, lots of stuff planned by me. Keep a look out for it! :D




As I said at the beginning of this interview, I believe that PuffballsUnited is quite possibly the most underrated comedy writer on Newgrounds and I stand behind that. Each flash feels just as fresh as the last and he doesn't seem to be as repetitive. To top it all off he is a great artist, animator, and musician. If anybody is looking to collaborate with someone then I suggest this guy right here.


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3

Posted by TheInterviewer - July 25th, 2011


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Interview No. 54

Interview By: @The-Great-One


Today's guest is an amazing artist whose work is known throughout Newgrounds. He has been known for his works in Madness one being Day of the Madness which he would win the triple crown for. Although he has works in Madness and stick figures he is working on branching out of these, but his contributions to Madness Day are recognized for their artwork and storytelling he is @LittleLuckyLink.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?


A: I found Newgrounds around the summer of 2004. I was throwing some end of the year pool party and made the decision to invite this one girl I had been having problems with all year. In some truce-type conversation, she mentions a website called "celebritykilling.com". I couldn't find an actual website, but a Google search brought me to the Assassin page, and I've been hooked ever since then.




Q: Your first flash movie would be entitled Kill Arena. The inspiration could've come from many different big stick artists, but where did it come for you? And looking back on this flash are you still proud of it today?


A: Kill Arena was something that actually came later on after I had originally started animating. I had thought my flashes before Kill Arena weren't good enough for NG, so I sorta refrained from submitting them. Kill Arena was something I made after I became addicted to RingFinger's Battlefield series. I guess just another test.




Q: When did you come across Madness and what from it inspired you to make Madness Inaguration and despite your description, will we see a sequel?


A: I had always seen Madness on the front page, but never really payed much attention to it until I saw Antipathy on the front page. From that point on, I was hooked. I also played Madness Interactive quite a bit. I started animating my first Madness cartoon on New Years eve of 2006/2007. Animating that movie felt right for some reason, and I really enjoyed it. But of course, it was never submitted. That was when I went for Inauguration. The story was something I just sorta threw together because I wanted to see a character I created in Madness Interactive come to life. The sequel had actually been started, and I got about two minutes into it before I just got bored with it. I have actually had thoughts and visions for a sequel, but no solid plans have been made.




Q: On September 22nd, 2008 was The 2nd Annual Madness Day. On this day you would give us the start of a small series that would be updated within the next two years starting with Dawn of the Madness. Of course Krinkels Madness series is the inspiration from an artwork standpoint, but this stands out from most other Madness fan animations. Where else did you draw inspiration from for this flash?


A: The summer of 2008 was actually a very important time for me. There were many things going on with my personal life at the time, and I guess you could say it was a bit of a "reawakening" for me creatively. Before and during that summer, I had taken a huge interest in zombie movies. The 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead and the Resident Evil movies caught my interest in particular. The movie went through many different changes early on in production. For instance, some of the art, including the zombies, was changed and recreated with the help of a great friend of mine.




Q: The following year you would revive an oldie of yours and that is Kill Arena III Incomplete. You have told this story in the description box, however others do not know the story would you share it here with us? Also will we see another Kill Arena in the near future?


A: I was nearly finished with the movie, but unfortunately, my computer just crashed while I was attempting to save the file. It couldn't be opened, and I lost much of my progress and many scenes that would have been really cool. An alien abduction, a scene with a lawnmower, chainsaws, exploding cars and video game shit. I tried finding ways to fix the file, but got absolutely no where and gave up. I have actually thought about a fourth movie quite a bit. In fact, it's in pre-production. I have been sketching out plans for what the arena would look like and I have been thinking of kills I'd like to animate. The main reason I want to make the movie is to bring those unseen kills to light. I am also somewhat disappointed with how KA3 turned out. A remake would be too boring, so I figure I'll just start from scratch.




Q: The 3rd Annual Madness Day has arrived and with it the continuation of the story with Day of the Madness. It seems that the story could have ended here, but your cliffhanger ending left us all in suspense for a year. This flash not only entertained me on a violent Madness style level, but I was also scared through some of it. What was the process in following Dawn of the Madness and adding more and more?


A: Day of the Madness was- to me- basically shoving in whatever references I possibly could into the movie. I am somewhat disappointed with the lack of original characters, but in the end, I am still proud of the movie. I tried to excel in areas that Dawn lacked. For instance, art, animation, camera angles, and of course, scares. My skills had improved greatly since then, and I felt that this movie really showed how much.




Q: The 4th Annual Madness Day would be the end of a wonderful zombie survival story. Dusk of the Madness. It was sad to see this series come to an end, but at the same time all good things must come to an end. Why end it off here? Was there anything you did throughout the series that you did or didn't like? Also is this really the end or will there be a "Night of the Madness" for next Madness Day?


A: I decided to end the series because I wanted to branch out beyond Madness mainly. In some ways, I felt that the movie sealed off the series pretty neatly, but in other ways, I felt that it greatly lacked that true substance and heart I had put into the previous two movies. During the summer I was working on Dusk, I went through many different bouts of depression, which hindered my progress to the point where working on the movie felt like a chore. There are only a few things I would do differently, but what's done is done. And no, there won't be another Madness-Zombie movie. However, I do definitely plan to make more zombie movies as soon as I find an animation style that I'm comfortable with.




Q: When it comes to collaborations. You have participated in a few of them, however some collabs have also dropped as well. Got any advice for those looking to start a collab or join a collab so their work isn't wasted?


A: Starting a collab is actually pretty difficult unless you know what you're doing. Your idea should be something that interests the right crowd of people, and the members of the collab should also have a good work ethic. Otherwise, the collab may fall and go no where, leaving one with only a few animation clips. If you're looking to join one, keep an eye out on the production. If lots of people are joining and it looks promising, go for it.




Q: As an animator and a writer what advice can you give to those out there who are looking to get into animation or writing?


A: I'd simply just say not to give up. Life is full of situations where you'll have to start out small to work your way up. As long as you have a passion to animate or write, it should take you to great places as long as you don't give up. One other thing- criticism is very important. Instead of taking it personally, let it guide you and correct your faults as you try to see things from the audience's perspective.




Q: Your first audio submission would be entitled Electrock. You've described it as just some club beat. Would this be your first experimentation with music programs or have you had flops in the past?


A: I've always had an interest in music, but it's never really taken me anywhere. Electrock was made with some free drum program I had downloaded and spent a night or two playing around with. I'm not particularly proud of those submissions or anything, but they may just be the foundation for something in the future. My interest in music just seems to go away and pop up randomly- usually going away due to a loss of interest.




Q: The mighty kahuna would start an interesting that you would call the Constipated Old Man Choir. I just have to ask this simple question. Where on earth did this idea come from?


A: Oh man, those were good times. Those basically came from some laughs with a few friends in an Xbox Live party. The Constipated Old Man's Choir is somewhat of an inside joke. We often joke about live performances, music videos, records, and clothing lines branded after them.




Q: What can we expect from Littleluckylink in the future?


A: Zombies and violence for the most part. However, the future is uncertain at this point, as I'm currently not in a great situation in life. These past few months have basically been hell, and I've lost access to my laptop for the most part. It's a troubled situation, but hopefully things may settle within the next three months.. I can't say when these new movies will come, but I can say that they will come. I'm practically making new scripts each day. I also definitely hope to pursue a career in animation later.




Littleluckylink is an interesting artist. If one thing you have noticed about these interviews everybody here makes a start somewhere whether it be with sprites, stick figures, or Madness characters. The point is no matter what you have with enough imagination and artistic skill you can tell a wonderful story.


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Posted by TheInterviewer - July 1st, 2011


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Interview No. 53

Interview By: The-Great-One


Today's guests are members of Newgrounds who are part of the Newgrounds Forums. The following members are @Squidbit, @ZJ, Travis, and @Ryanson. They are four regulars of the Newgrounds forums.




ANSWERS WILL BE POSTED BENEATH THE _A:_ DUE TO TWO PEOPLE BEING INTERVIEWED PERSON ANSWERING WILL BE NOTED AS SO.




Q: How did you find Newgrounds and why did you join?

A:


Squidbit: When I was little, I saw a couple kids in the library playing Bowman 2, and I figured out that they were on newgrounds, so I went there too to try to find the game. Unfortunately I stumbled onto the portal, and couldn't figure it out at all, so I didn't come back to the site for a long time. I don't remember why I came back.


ZJ: This question is going to require a bit of backstory...In my youth, my father bought me an N64. After that fateful day, I was helplessly addicted to video games. The first two games that I ever really owned and played were Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64, which explains why I'm such a devoted Mario fan. With that in mind, you have to remember that just about everything I did when I was a kid was tied to Mario and Nintendo. I was obsessed with him.


Well, when I was about 11 or 12, I got into the internet a bit more, finding the ability to play games and watch cartoon movies for free to be quite appealing. After a while, I found some flash websites and was blown away by the fact that they had Mario cartoons and shit. I found it awesome that Mario was having crazy new adventures and doing things he would never do in his real games, like shoot Koopas with a shotgun.


So, while looking for Mario flash films, I stumbled upon a flash site known as VGDC. There, I found a guy by the name of Randy Solem. Randy had some of the best production values for sprite flashes on the internet and I fell in love with some of his works like "Mario Gets Lucky". I soon started watching his epic series "Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom". After watching three episodes of it, I eagerly awaited the final installment. When it came out, it wasn't hosted on VGDC, but this new website, called "Newgrounds". After watching the fourth movie, I looked around the website and was amazed by the variety of flash films. Just finding the collection of Mario flash films about had me pissing myself. Also, as I went through puberty, I found the website's dress-up games to be quite amazing. So, after lurking around the website for some time, I decided to become a member. So, on a particularly boring day in July of 2006, I made an account and have been hanging out on here since then. I guess you could say the reason why was for the video game flashes and porn. LOL.


Travis: Way back when the first Madness cartoon was a hot ticket on the internet, me and a friend were mesmerized by it. We found it on Funnyjunk.com and that just stuck with me because it was a great animation and for little kids, it was the violence that was the draw. Fast forward a few years down the road when Madness Apotheosis was released. I did a search on Madness, in Google, wanting to get some nostalgia and Newgrounds was the first link that popped up with a Madness Apotheosis. From there I was basically a lurker until the fated day last year in which I signed up.


Ryanson: When asked, I often say I found Newgrounds with my friends way back when. This is all a true story too, if not terribly boring -- we were deep into DBZ, and when we were "first" getting into girls one of us found a Dress-Up Bulma game. Giggity. I don't know when that was, but after a few visits, I finally joined in 2005.


I don't quite remember why but I assume that is was because of a music video collab called "I Hate It When..." It's a bunch of video game parodies set to the tune of a Reel Big Fish song (coincidentally, my first). I believe this because after looking back (there was some thread that had a link that allowed you to see what a webpage looked like on a previous date) this video was on the front page the same day I signed up




Q: What is it about Newgrounds that you like the most and why?

A:


Squidbit: The BBS, it's pretty fun. I hardly even watch movies or play games anymore, I just stick around the BBS.


ZJ: I love the community. Most of the people on here and crazy assholes who produce amazing pieces of art and have fun. Just look at the staff members. Those guys run a great website that showcases the talents of countless authors and do it in a fun way. Take for instance the latest staff flash project, Plimpton's Video Falconry. It's basically a spoof on classic video games from the Intellivision era. There's no real reason for them to have created the game other than that it was fun for them to do. There's countless things like this that make this website so amazing and unique. I love the NG holidays like Pico Day and Clock Crew Day and I think they make this one of the most original spots on the internet. It's just so cool the way that this place is all business when it comes to making art, but can still have fun with it. This is like that cool bar with fun-loving professionals in it.


Travis: I like the layed back feel of it the most. There are many things that make this site great once you get past the bullshit. After you comb through the spam flash, you can find some real professional works of art. When you want to listen to some great music, from covers to original works, the Audio Portal is the place to go for music when you aren't feeling itunes.


There is also a great level of maturity on these forums that people look over. If you take a close look at the people who make the jokes about themselves and you look at their serious posts, you find intelligent and mature people. I find it great that people on here can have fun, but be serious when they need to be.


Ryanson: I REALLY like, and I believe that this is the one reason why I'm still here, that there is so much to do on Newgrounds. Music to listen to, art to look at, movies to watch, games to play, things to discuss.... this is a HUGE community.




Q: What is it about Newgrounds that you dislike the most and why?

A:


Squidbit: Not much I don't like about NG... I guess waiting for the redesign.


ZJ: Like most people on here, I detest the fact that the chat is not working and has been like that for the past few years. I know it probably takes a bit of time to get a full-functioning chat to come to fruition, but goddamn. If this website is serious about competing against the big boys of Youtube as a media outlet, you'd think they'd stop joking around about the fact that they don't have a working chat. Seriously, it's 2011. They can make a chat work and in my honest opinion, they should have already gotten it done. Hopefully it'll be around after the newest redesign. Then I'll have nothing real to bitch about.


Travis: There are several things which annoy me the most on Newgrounds and I have good reason to dislike each of them. One of the things I can't stand are people who treat the forums like a text message and don't understand the difference between a semicolon and an apostrophe. I am a grammar-nazi, but after taking AP English this year in school, I have realized that you can sound quite professional on your writing alone, so I take pride in making no errors and making typos very rare on my part.


Another one of the things I can't stand are the Elitists on Newgrounds. There is no reason to bring something completely unrelated into a topic just because they think their opinion of what's better is a fact. Nobody honestly cares about anything like this because it's all preference. I can't stress enough how annoying it is when you see it day in and day out.


Ryanson: I really hate how seriously some people take Newgrounds.


But that's not really JUST Newgrounds, that's the Internet in general. So how about this: I strongly dislike how so much crap people submit actually makes it through the Portal. Luckily, the exceptionally good stuff is showcased for us on the front page. But still, so have so much crap stuffed in the back of the closet... it'll eventually all come out in one big burst.


Maybe not. Idk what I'm talking about.




Q: What is your stance on the Forum Moderators?

A:


Squidbit: They do their jobs, I've got nothing against them. Although sometimes Malachy goes a little overboard with backseat modding bans. Helping people isn't always backseat modding.


ZJ: They're just like any other group of people. Some of them are amazing people who are kind, professional, and all-around awesome and deserve to be placed in charge of others on the Forums. Others are complete assholes who go on power-trips with their roles or just take things too goddamn serious. Honestly, when a moderator is taking a weird stance on an obscure rule to ban you, there's some problem.


But for the most part, I don't have a problem with the mods and I think they're alright. I've seen worse mods on some websites and I've seen better, too, but for the most part I think they're alright. I think they're doing a fine job and if things stay as they are, I'd probably be okay with that. Heck, maybe someday I'll be one of them (Oh fuck, I'm not supposed to request it, right?) and then I'll say that mods are the best people ever. Hahahaha.


Travis: For the most part the forum moderators are doing a hell of a job. They have treated me mature in all of my run ins and many of them have had very intellectual and honest conversations with myself. They seem to like me and every one of them that I have had conversations with, both parties have left satisfied.


I want to take a quick moment to say that Bahamut and Avie are both great friends and moderators and they have treated me as an equal and have listened which is what I like best in any moderator.


Ryanson: They're there for a reason, to protect the forums.




Q: Would you like to be a Newgrounds Forum Moderator? Whatever your answer could you explain?

A:


Squidbit: Not at all, too much shit in the forums, I wouldn't want any kind of responsibility in a place I come to for fun. Plus I would probably ban people just cause I don't like them.


ZJ: Okay, so, the unwritten rule is that you're not supposed to ask to be a mod, but I think I can break from that on here...


I would like to be a mod on the Forums. I think it looks like a fun job and I think that the moderators on here have a tight-knit community. I know that a lot of them even make an effort to go to meet-ups and hang out with bigtime NG regulars and staff members. SO, based on that social aspect alone, I think I'd like to be a mod. I guess I could also give you a nice altruistic reason for being a mod like to "serve the greater good" or "Clean up the spam and shit on the boards", but the truth is that I'm not a Nazi about that kind of stuff. If I were a mod, I'd lurk around and make sure that things were okay and that porn and spam weren't getting posted, but I probably would not be an ass and make sure that every single user follows every single bbs rule, both official and unofficial, to the letter. I'd basically take the mod job just to hang out with the group of dudes and make sure that this place is a better posting spot for everyone. Isn't that what every mod should be like?


Also, I'd like to say that I might not be mod on account of my ban record. LOL. I haven't been banned for that many things, but I have tried to mimic Stamper a few times with risqué photos and I've paid dearly for it. SO, ban record aside, if I could mod my own way with my own principals, I'd definitely like to do it.


Travis: Although it brings an impressive work load and the need for constant monitoring, I would definitely be proud to be a forum moderator. The main reason I would want to be a forum moderator would be to help out Newgrounds and to help the other mods. I would want to be the guy that people look up to as well as the guy that will be fair and unbiased with anyone. Sure, I have gotten in petty arguments with certain people on the forums, but I would treat them the same as anyone else.


Either way, to be a moderator would be a great honor and I would just plain love it. Basically serving the site that brings me joy on a daily basis would be like a dreamjob internet wise. I can't imagine anywhere else on the internet where I would want to help, other than here.


Ryanson: I kind of want it, but I'm scared of having power -- even if that power is virtual. I fear that I may abuse it, or at the very least think of myself as better than most. I might post "Oh, you can't do that... but I can because I'm a mod LOLOLOL"


I don't like that idea.


And then again, I don't want it because being a Forum Mod... it's almost like you can't post on the same level as everyone else. You have to sacrifice your own time and put in effort to make sure others are following the rules. I think I explained that right.


So really... I guess I don't want to. Dammit.




Q: Which forums do you mainly visit and which forums do you seldom visit?

A:


Squidbit: I usually only go to general, but lately I've been going to the VG forum for the Minecraft thread. I never really go to any of the other forums.


ZJ: I mainly visit General, Clubs & Crews, and Video Games. These are the spots where the most people are and where I can talk about what interests me the most. Really, these are the spots where I can have a good time and hang out with pals. I've also drifted in and out of the politics board, based on whims.


I seldom visit the Network News Forum. Really, that place sucks and hasn't been used for quite some time. LOL.


Everywhere else I try to visit from time to time and post in them when I can. The problem is that I can't post in places like the Audio, Art, Programming, Flash, etc. boards because I don't have the skills necessary to have real discussions in them. Hopefully one day I will, but for now, I'll just stick around and bullshit with the other untalented bums on this website. Hahaha.


Travis: I visit all of the forums other than politics because that's just an argument waiting to happen. Although I visit all of the forums I mainly post in General and Video Games. I would say that I lurk very heavily in the Collaboration Forum. Although I frequent the Where Is/How To? Forum, I would love to get more involved there and help people find stuff.


Mainly, though, my forums are General and Video Games.


Ryanson: I visit the General Forum almost 100% of the time. I've really only ever posted in Clubs and Crews, the Review Request Club and the Sig Maker's Club. Almost no where else.




Q: Each forum has a way of describing what you can find in it. However this is the definition of the General Forum...


"Talk about the stuff on Newgrounds, chit-chat with other fans, or whatever!"


Would you agree that over time that description still fits to the General Forum?

A:


Squidbit: Yeah pretty much, but I would take the "or whatever!" out, because most of the time posting something that would go under the "whatever" category gets you banned. At least when posting threads.


ZJ: Sure. General has always been the place to chit-chat. I'd say that the place to talk about Newgrounds shit has sorta shifted to Tom's posts on the NG News Board, but not enough to where General has been made obsolete. The fact that the definition of General includes "Whatever" is fitting because anything and everything had popped up on there. The number of memes and inside-jokes that that place has generated is amazing. So, yeah, time has not changed what that description means to the General Forum.


Travis: Oh definitely. General is the "Main Tower" in the "City" that is the BBS for good reason. Anything and everything is talked about there. From dick jokes to popular and weird news stories. The place is great to get a good spectrum view of the internet.


Ryanson: "General" is a wide umbrella term, so I think mostly the "whatever" part is still accurate. The crazy stuff we talk about, haha. It's not necessarily with other fans, or even about other stuff on Newgrounds. It's just... whatever.


I suppose the description still fits to an extent, but maybe not even that. Most of the time I see anyone starting a thread about something about Newgrounds someone will come in the thread and say, Hey, this belongs in such and such forum.




Q: If you could change anything on Newgrounds, what would it be and why?

A:


Squidbit: "Some account type thingy here"

I'd actually put some account type thingy there, right now it just seems out of place. But maybe that'll change whenever the redesign comes.


ZJ: To rehash what I said before, I'd put the damn NG Chat on here. Why?


Here's Why:


1. We're not some indie shit website. Newgrounds is well-known website that is run by a professional staff and makes a decent amount of money. The fact that we don't have a basic personal chat function that ties into our user accounts is embarrassing. Let's put that shit on here.


2. So that people can stop bitching about it. Won't it be great when the NG staff can finally just deliver on it and allow the users on this website to bitch about something else...like Pico 2? It'll just be one less thing to fix with this website.


Travis: If I could change something in the entire world of Newgrounds, I would probably make a more extreme flash filter. Seriously, some of the shit that gets through on a daily basis is ridiculous. I am happy to see that the staff and friends are purging the spam flash and anything with stolen pictures and stuff.


Ryanson: Mmm. If I could change anything... Idk.




Q: What can we expect from the forum regulars in the future?

A:


Squidbit: I don't know? I can't really speak for everyone else on the forum, and I'm not sure how to answer this even if I could...


ZJ: You can expect nothing. The beautiful thing about these forums is that you never know what crazy shit is going to pop up on here until you're staring it right in the face. That's what makes this place so much fun. Every day is a new adventure and always a surprise. The only thing you can really expect is that you'll see something cool and new...and that there will probably be some dick jokes. You can probably expect some dick jokes in there.


Travis: All of the regs have their own individuality so you don't know what we will come up with next. You will just have to wait to find out, but I definitely got an unlimited array of tricks waiting and ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting Newgrounds crowd.


Ryanson: We can expect that there will undoubtedly be noobs or attempted trolls. We can expect that there will be people that current or past regulars will hate the new bunch. But most importantly, we can expect that they will be what Newgrounds needs to continue living on.




So there you have it. These are four members of Newgrounds who have voiced their opinions on the Newgrounds Forums as well as Newgrounds as a whole. It is sad to see how some members are only here for the BBS and nothing else seeing as how this site has so much to offer. Well we've heard from these four now it is time for the Moderators.


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