Hello! This is Goldie! I am filling in for the gamer who digs art on this interview! Today I will be interviewing spook who will be speaking for Kalel06. What’s going on spook!
umm…how do you eat in that thing…err-I mean not much! Glad to be here!
Something against fish-controlled cyborgs??? Well what are you by the way…is that a mask…or your face???
hmm this was how I was drawn…I never really asked? So…how do you eat in that thing?
That’s it! You VS me in a game of HALO!!!- how do I eat…Hey…wait a minute…How will I eat???
Hey calm down…calm down…by the way who cleans your tank?
HA! Jokes on you buddy! My suit is self cleansing! As soon as I figure how to get some food…I will be all right! Now on to this battle in Halo!
That’s enough you two! I will conduct this interview from here. Thanks again goldie…don’t worry I will feed you. Thanks again spook for stopping through! On with the interview! Thanks again Kalel06 for being a supporter of this blog~
The Real Spook!
The guy has skills…I met Kalel06 on Halobabies.net. The funny thing is we joined the same day. I am a big fan of his work, and all the time he takes in perfecting his craft. He is a talented artist and the most recent winner of the monthly contest which awards a free game to a gamer who digs art! He convinced me to give photoshop a serious attempt!
On with the show. Goldie by me. Spook by Kalel06!
Alright Kalel06…let’s get it started.
First of I would like to state that it’s still a bit wierd that I am interviewed. Though I feel I have some strong pieces, I still have so much to learn and I am still learning. Thank you very much though.
No problem! What is your background in art? Art school? self taught?
Been drawing since I was about 6yrs old. My family noticed I was doing very well in all my art classes growing up so they enrolled me into a specialized art High School in NYC. Did some design course work in college and worked at a design museum. I guess one could say I’ve always been surrounded by art.
I did eventually start teaching myself since my professors always tought at a slower pace than I liked. So I bought books and read tutorials online and I am still doing so. Always learning more.
What is your day job?
I have a boring desk job. I place orders for a well known textile company. Orders come in through the fax, I input them in the system. Rinse and repeat. Fortunately, I have internet access so I get to have some contact with the outside world.
How do you know when a piece is finished? And what roles do you think traditonal media has in today’s field of art?
That’s a tough one. I guess it has to be when I find nothing else to tweak in a piece. I usually take a little more time to look at it as whole after I think it’s finished just to try and polish it as much as possible. I may go back and change the color of a certain light source to see if it looks better, but if I find that it was fine the way I had it, then it is done.
I still think it has a major roll. Sure we have computers to simulate traditional media nowadays but nothing is as jaw dropping and inspirational like a well done oil painting or watercolor piece when you are directly in front of it. Or any other traditional media for that matter. It’s like you can see the effort in every stroke. Also, you have to know the basics before you can master any type of art.
Comics or video games? which field would you prefer to work in?
I have such a strong love for narrative. I love comics so much for being able to tell a story and really entertain. Yet at the same time, games are evolving into a very strong story telling medium and has the advantage of interactivity. If I had to choose one, it would be games, mainly because you allow your player more freedom in your universe while still having the ability to control what they see. With games like MGS4 and GTA leading the way in storytelling, the industry seems to be settling in very well with the rest of the narrative mediums.
Favorite game to play co-op?
Well, I have been playing a lot of Rock Band lately with my wife and friends and I must say, that is one of the best multi player games I have ever played. I also love Halo 3 co-op with 4 players and I have crafted so many great memories in that game with some buddies but I just can’t seem to get enough of pretending to be playing the guitar or drums. Things are looking great for the future of co-op games since the games industry is all about being social now. It’s a great thing.
There are many gamers over the age of 25 these days. You and me fall into this category. (80’s bro..what can I say…we rock!) Being married how do you balance spending time with your wife and playing video games and doing art?
Balancing that time can be quite tough. It’s about sacrifices. Sometimes I want to spend my whole day on the computer drawing til my hand hurts, other days I wouldn’t mind playing games til the wee hours of the night. In the end though, I just have to communicate with my wife and let her know what I need and she will communicate what she needs. I love spending time with my wife more than anything and I’ll admit that everything else is second to that. Family first, always. She is very good at understanding that I love to do art and I love to play games so she tries to get involved in that as much as she can. When she can’t I try not to abuse the time so as to try and balance everything out.
Artist you most admire:
There are too many to pick one, but they range from Jim Lee, Massimiliano Frezzato, Will Eisner, Joe Mad,Craig Mullins, James Hawkins, and of course the masters like DaVinci and Dali. I try to gain as much from the art world as possible and the Internet has helped so much in my art since it’s a lot easier to view pieces and get inspired.
Coolest moment in your life?
I might have to say meeting Jim Lee. I was one of the first in line to meet him at a convention here in NYC. I had been thinking of a million ways of telling him how awesome he is and how he inspired me to really think about getting into art as a career, but at the same time not wanting to sound like the insane fan boy. When I gets to be my turn, I handed him the book, shook his hand and had a brain fart. I just stood there and watched him sign the book. When he hands it back, he looks at me as if waiting for me to squeal like a schoolgirl at a Jonas Brothers concert but I didn’t say a word. Nothing! Completely star stuck. Then the next comic book geek in line pushes me out of the way and bombards him with compliments. Still, the coolest moment ever. He’s a lot shorter than I imagined him to be. How does he fit all that awesome into such a small frame?
Jim Lee
What systems do you currently own and play? Favorite game ever?
All connected to my TV are Xbox 360, PS2, Regular Xbox (for the games that aren’t compatible with the 360), Wii, Gamecube(just for kicks), NES, and the all mighty Dreamcast.
I’d have to say both Half Life and Half Life 2. Both of these games revolutionized the industry for good. After the Half Life released, every game has had scripted sequences. After the release of Half Life 2, physics as gameplay not decoration, became standard (and bad guys that have masks with glowing eyes). And they are fun as hell. Memorable moments gallore.
Thanks Kalel06 for stopping through! Love the art, thanks for participating the in contest, and looking forward to thing from you in the future!
Well that sums it up. Aside from that I would just like to point out that I love every aspects of games, especially the business end of it. My poor wife has to always put up with me saying “Wow, babe, Nintendo just bounced back from the grave since the previous console wars. They are producing record revenues month after month.That’s marketing and PR at it’s best.” Then I have to wake her up.
Thanks for the Interview! It was fun.
NP Media Website Coming very soon!
Thank you kind Sir! It was a blast!
I still want to play you in Halo!
One match! I will give you one match!
Up next…break down of how much games have changed in the last 4 years…
The Gamer who digs Art 
