@Lizguy74 - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

The story of @Lizguy74's birth

I was born a 2 pound 5 oz preemie at 32 weeks instead of the usual 40. 

The doctors told my mom 3 separate times that I wouldn't make it through my first night.

My intestines exploded 5 weeks in and the doctors had to stitch everything back together. I have a big scar from my belly button to the right side of my stomach and to my knowledge I am one of, If not, the only person to survive something like that at the age I was. 

They then said that I wouldn't make it because my lungs weren't working like they should when I was on the ventilator.

I luckily got off of that.

I was in the hospital for a total of 6 months, not to mention my 46 eye surgeries that happened from when I was 2 in 04 to 15 in 2017 to cure my Retinopathy of Prematurity and then to stabilize my Band Carotopathy.

I’ve told various people these stories but I think that it’s inspiring to let people know that I’m still here after all of what I’ve been through.

Q: How do you feel being born prematurely has affected your perception of the world?

My perception of the world.

I wouldn't say that I view things differently because of my prematurity but on the physical side of things, my vision isn't the best.

My peripheral vision is almost nonexistent so I’ll usually have to shift my line of sight or my head in order to see something in particular. I also can’t see well, long distance.

For example, I could probably make out a stop sign from across the street but not the walking signal, unless someone pointed it out to me and even then it’s not guaranteed that I'd see it with just my eyes alone.

I’ve been used to this for my entire life so It doesn't affect my confidence nuch.

I know my limets.

I think that’s why I’ve grown so attached to self deprecating, crude and dark humor over the years.

I’ve learned not to take my troubles so seriously over the years and It's helped me with my self confidence immensely!

Like, “Of course that guy isn't gonna see the street sign! He’s half BLIND!!!

He’d probably get hit by a car If I wasn't helping him.”

I’m exaggerating about the “half blind’ part, my point being that you have to be willing to make mistakes and laugh at yourself or the world every once in a while.

Don’t be afraid to face the ugly truth about yourself and the world and just laugh at them!

Turn the negative about yourself into something positive!

The thing about negatives and positives is that they're something we all go through.

So let’s enjoy all the good times together and laugh at the bad ones we can't control.

HAHA! Damn, someone quote me on those last two, please!

Q: Why do you feel people are interested in art? Would you say that finger painting when you were young and drawing in middle school influenced your perception of art? What is something that you have painted or drawn, and why do you think you chose the subjects and motifs that you did?

People’s interest in art, ecs.

I feel that people are interested in art because it allows them to escape from reality or to see things about the way we live in a different light.

I also think that people are drawn to the Ideas of others, their hopes, passions, dreams. There's something wonderful about being able to put your creative ideas out there for other people to enjoy!

I don’t remember much of the finger painting stuff. I was really young, but I do remember drawing two pictures in middle school called Kirby’s Lucky and Unlucky day!

My most formative years growing up were the mid to late 00's and early to mid 2010’s.

I had a blue DS Lite with Mario Kart DS, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story and Kirby Super Star Ultra! I loved those games to death.

One day I thought of drawing two pictures based on luck and I thought I’d plop Kirby in there and come up with some scenarios with ideas and concepts from the game.

Kirby’s Lucky Day was a drawing where he ate a bunch of food and got power up’s to defeat enemies, whereas Kirby’s Unlucky Day was mostly him dying a bunch.

I remember drawing Krako shooting Kirby with a lightning bolt and just being overall proud that I came up with the idea of putting all of those thing together to make something new.

Q: You discovered Newgrounds through FNF when it gained immense popularity in 2021 with the Week Seven update. You mentioned that the game helped you overcome a significant period of depression. If you don't mind sharing, what caused your depression, and how did Friday Night Funkin' and Newgrounds help alleviate it?

FNF & NG save

Yeah, I’ve practically always been a fan of video games, storytelling and later on, history.

I loved my history and english language classes when I was in school but I was starting to feel kind of lonely in 2019 and it kind of escalated from there.

I had friends but by that point they had already graduated and I didn’t know who else to talk to.

I wanted to express and share my sense of humor and the energetic side of my personality but I had nowhere to go at the time and It led to me getting seriously depressed.

I wasn’t suicidal or anything but It was bad!

Then In early 2021 FNF absolutely exploded, and I think I originally found out about It through a bunch of meme’s on YouTube? I can’t exactly remember but I think I saw a bunch of meme’s, got curious and then fell into a massive rabbit hole after falling in love with the game, It;s style and premice.

Then I noticed the “In partnership with Newgrounds.” tagline before the game started and I got curious again! “What’s Newgrounds?” I thought, looking up the site.

When I logged onto the site I couldn’t beleve it!

There was that crazy FNF page banner and a bunch of other artists sharing their stuff from music to art, animation and games.

I was stunned at the variety of content, not to mention the incredible sense of style and internet history that I later found out about thanks to some up and coming videos of people talking about the site, Tom’s creative sensibilities and the rebellious, creative history of the site. I properly joined and started uploading my stuff in 2022 and I’ve never looked back. “Everything By Everyone” what a wonderful motto.

Q: Your advice for handling depression

Advice for handling depression.

My advice for handling depression would be that you should be open and honest about how you're feeling with family and friends. People care about your wellbeing and want to know that you're feeling ok.

Do something creative. Sharing ideas with people you know or just people in general can be really rewarding. It;s good to know that people like the same things that you do, especially when It’s something you’ve thought up yourself. Lastly, go outside, appreciate the outdoors and stay healthy. It’s been proven that these things can drastically improve your mood and If you still don’t feel yourself right away, that’s ok too, some things take time.

Q: What has it been like posting to NewGrounds since 2022, and how has the site changed? What do you like/dislike, and what recommendations and advice do you have for newcomers coming to NG?

Posting to NG

I’ve really enjoyed postint to NG and seeing people react to my art.

It makes me feel good to know that people are enjoying the stuff I make.

I haven’t noticed any significant changes to the site yet but I’ll definitely be looking out for them.

I really like how most people on this site treat each other with respect, understanding and dignaty.

It’s very welcoming.

Q: How do you feel about being 21 years old? Is it difficult to be an adult? What advice would you give?

Being 21.

Being 21, and an adult in general is kinda crazy.

I’m kind of in that awkward period right now where I’m trying to still understand how the adulting world works, living with my mom, while trying to find a girlfriend and a college that fits me.

I know without a doubt that I want to be in the entertainment industry but I’m not exactly sure what I want to do in the field of video games or animation.

Those are the two subjects I’m really looking to get into.

I love my mom BTW. She works her ass off for both my sister and I!

She’s super nice too, and from Australia! Whoop Whoop!

I’d tell anyone else in my situation that just because things are going slow, it doesn't mean that things won't change for you in the future.

Appreciate the time you have and enjoy every moment.

Q: What fascinates you about Romance?

Thoughts on romance.

What can I say? I love “love’!

There’s something thats both so heartwarming and hot, for the lack of a better word, about being able to get more sensual with someone you deeply care for and have come to understand.

Despite what a lot of people seem to think, there is a difference between sensual and sexual, although they do both occupy a very similar space.

Sensuality refers to your senses and how they react to things in detail like scents , touch, taste, etc.

Sexualllity, is how we use these things to stimulate or arouse each other.

I find it so fascinating that we’re willing to go to these increadibe lengths to please and tease each other.

There’s an electrifying energy about romance and sex.

We’re willing to embarrass and humiliate each other because we know that the partner that we’ve chosen really cares and understands us.

Attraction and sentimentality are two things but the third is where things get really intresting.

Being able to admit your desires and fantasies to someone you're attracted to and have a deep affection for must feel like nothing else!

That friendly tug of war between submissiveness and dominance!

I’m more of the submissive type.

In terms of sex and romance in medi. I feel like sex should be a more accepted thing in adult media and that romance should be the some in general, more exepted.

I feel like other people here in the states are just now realizing the importance of portraying these things in fiction.

Those are topics I’d like=e to incorporate more into my art, that and comedy.

I feel like those two things go really well together. I feel that nudity can also be used as symbolism and does not always have to be sexuallky explicit.

Q: You mentioned that the Internet is a double-edged sword, with some people being really nice and understanding, while others tend to exaggerate, get frustrated easily, or are just plain rude for various reasons. How did you develop your thoughts on the internet? Have there been experiences that shaped your perspective, and has it always been this way for you?

Thoughts on the Internet.

Yeah, I’ve noticed that a lot of people online tend to talk about a lot of serious topics without much thought or research put into them, which is a shame.

I’ve noticed this most prevalently when it comes to accusations of sexual assault.

It seems like a lot of younger people don’t seen to fully grasp the complexities or nuances of romantic/sexual interaction which then leads to unnecessary name calling

and intense accusations being thrown around.

That's why I feel like it’s incredibly important for couples or lovers to come up with some sort of Safe Word.

That way, if things start to get uncomfortable for anyone, they could just say whatever word you come up with.

I believe that most people are willing to respect each other's boundaries but sadly that's not always the case.

At least you’ll have a clear way to let the other person know when things are going too far for you.

Media Literacy is another thing I feel like a lot of people in my generation lack.

This also lends itself to a host of greater issues too.

Like, I’ve heard some people online say that if you like an underage character in an animated or illustrated piece of media, that you're a creep, regardless of context.

Some people like the story of a certain charector, and most people like that character for their design or personality for one reason or another. Not because of the fact that their underage. Usually that’s used as a way to show that the character is immature in some shape or form.

I’m alright if young love is depicted in media just as long as it doesn't coss “that line”.

Speaking of “that line”. If you have a character you really like. It’s best to gve them more adult proportions and make them act a little more adult too.

Most artists who draw or are more familiar with NSFW drawings are aware of this stuff and do a good job at portraying the characters they draw, as adults.

The other people online who are more understanding and willing to listen to others opinions are awesome!

We as people are complex creatures and we should be willing to listen to others and their opinions even if we don’t agree with some of them.

@Lizguy74's prospective on storytelling

In my opinion, nailing down a consistent tone or finding things that are similar to the tone you’re going for is critical when It comes to good storytelling.

The main character should also have a relatable goal or driving force in the narrative that makes us want to root for them. There should also be something or someone trying to stop them that challenges, or are the opposites to, their beleifs.

Make sure that everything helps to drive the plot, themes, or characters and their personalities in some way or another.

I’m ok with dark subject matter in the media I consume. I think that It can even be a great form of character development, symbolism and overall storytelling, but you need to make sure It makes sense in the story that you’re telling. Otherwise It’s just going to feel tonedef, cheap and insensitive.

Q: What are some examples of storytelling in media that you enjoy, and why do you think those elements function well in creating overall good storytelling?

Medea I like and why I think they work well.

I like a lot of action shows, comedy and Shounen Anime.

I’m a super big fan of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and everything it takes influence from.

I love classic rock, rock and music in general, nature, fasion, travel, history!

It’s like the show was made for people like me!

I think the reason why it and many other shows in general work so well is becouse they focus on the character and how they interact with each other.

Q: What is the difference between good character development and bad character development?

Good and bad character development.

I feel that the difference between good and bad character development is based on how true to life the characters' emotions feel to the audience based on the tone that you’re trying to set.

If a character in a serious story is upset about something and then suddenly fine then that’s bad development, sure that could work as a comedy bit in a mostly joke centric series but it’s not good for serious storytelling.

For that, the characters need to feel grounded, empathetic and self reflective on their past grevences.

Q: Why do you think people talk about serious topics on the Internet without much thought?

I think the reason is because a lot of people in today’s climate are more interested in sensationalist stories rather then th actual truth and that drama courses a lot of misinformation to be spread about serious topics and people don’t usually bother to go and correct some that they think is fact.

That’s one of the big reasons why I’m not a big fan of cancel culture. Sure there are some good people trying to get some bad eggs off the internet but I’m sure that there are others who will just use any excuse or accusation they can get, to take someone they don’t like offline. It’s a shame honestly.

Like I said earlier. I feel like people, more then ever now, need to be more open minded, respectful and understanding of each other and I hope to see more of those things from people, in the future.

@ash1car - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What is it like living in the Misery Midwest? From your perspective, in what ways does life change as you get older? Do your goals and priorities change accordingly? What does it mean to have a goal, and do people sometimes choose poorly? How can a good goal be defined?

A: HA well, living in the Midwest can be pretty boring and remote. But hey, the low cost of living is nice!

Life changes a lot as you take on more responsibilities. It starts with school projects, then shifts to things like managing your home, family, and health. Your goals and priorities usually follow these responsibilities but also come from your passions. Everyone has goals, whether it's making money, doing something they love, or finding meaning in life.

Sometimes, people choose goals that aren't great due to social pressures or tough situations. A good goal keeps you motivated and aligns with your true beliefs, giving you a reason to get up in the morning. And it's totally okay for your goals to change as you get older!

Q: What do you think about the Internet? And how would you describe your experiences?

A: I believe that the internet is both a blessing, and a curse for society! My own experience with the internet I’d say is like a rollercoaster. One minute it’s fun, and the next you feel nauseous, lol. But you keep running back in line to ride it for the thrills.

Q: The story of how you create it you account on 1/1/22? How did you choose the name: 

ash1car?

A: In 2021, I started creating content under my ash1car accounts. I had only my YT and Twitter at the time and was thinking about what other sites I could post my stuff at, and then I remembered that Newgrounds existed. So I made an account on New Year's Day. The ash is the first three letters of my first name and the car is the first three letters of my last name, and using the 1 to add the space. I just wanted a username that was similar to my name but unique!

Q: What is NG about? From your perspective

A: Newgrounds’ catchphrase sums it up perfectly, “Everything, by everyone.” I’ve heard about Newgrounds in the past but didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until I wanted a fresh start on my art journey that I joined, and I’ve been amazed every day since. At first, I was slow to upload because I didn’t know how the site worked. Then I discovered the amazing world of collabs here. There’s always something for everyone, and it really feels like the best community I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone inspires me so much and gives me more motivation each day!

Q: How did you become interested in creating art?

A: I’ve been drawing ever since I was little! I always had a passion for it. But I believe I wanted to start taking art more seriously when I was 12. I was obsessed with Let’s Plays at the time and especially loved the fan animations people would make of Let’s Play YouTubers. It blew my mind when I found out that just one person could create stuff like that! So I started to make little fan arts and crummy animations with my mouse, and the rest was history. :)

Q: What have you learned about yourself creating animations? 

A: I’ve learned that animation is tough! It’s not easy, but it’s beautiful. I’ve been teaching myself how to animate for nearly a decade, and it’s still hard sometimes! Throughout this journey, I’ve discovered that I might be a bit stubborn. I’ve had my ups and downs with animation and even quit at one point, but I always came back to it.

Q: What does it mean to be an artist?

A: I think to be an artist is to call yourself one! But It’s also about creating emotions and feelings on a canvas. Or to just draw dickbutt. You have the power to create what you want!

Q: What is it like being the host of the Inuyasha Reanimated Collab?

A: It fills me with great joy and a sense of responsibility! This is my first time hosting a collab, and I’ve already met some amazing people involved in it. I’ve always wanted to host my own collab because I’ve participated in many before, both on YouTube and here, and they’re just so much fun! I decided to do a collab reanimating an episode from Inuyasha because it’s a show I really enjoyed watching, and I know many others do too. For some people, it even inspired them to start doing art or animations. Inuyasha is a fun, lovable series and a timeless classic!

Q: How did you become interested in learning about the ins and outs of computers? What do you enjoy about exploring coding languages, and what advice would you give for building custom PCs?

A: I’ve loved computers since I was young, taking coding classes in school and learning more through YouTube and books. Though I'm not an expert, I enjoyed making visual novels and websites for fun. My interest in PC building started when my HP laptop broke. Building PCs felt like creating something alive, and it was exciting to choose parts that suited my needs. My biggest advice for building PCs is to wait for sales around Christmas and New Year's to save money. I love the creativity and problem solving in both coding and PC building!

Q: How did you become interested in wanting to learn bass someday?

A: I just think it looks and sounds so cool!! I’ve seen people online playing bass guitars, and it wasn’t until I heard a bass cover song that I got inspired. The person playing the bass was also using a technique called “slapping,” which sounded so funky! I strive to master that technique one day.

Q: The story of how you became the third varsity player of your high schools girls' tennis team?

A: At the start of freshman year, I joined the tennis team at 14, having never played before. I ended up 3rd varsity because only two other girls joined. Competing in varsity was tough; some girls were so good they were aiming for sports scholarships. I lost every game that year. Once, a coach even called us embarrassments, but I didn't quit. The season ended with no wins, but I improved. The next year, I became 1st varsity. I wasn't alone this time; ten other girls joined, and we had a blast. We all knew we weren't great, but we had fun and supported each other. At our end-of-the-year tournament, we were placed in the JV league at the last minute instead of varsity, and we kicked everyone's butts. We had been playing on the highest difficulty, so when it switched to normal mode, we won! Despite losing over and over, it taught me that I had been improving every day.

Q: Why do you think people have this misconception about creating art—that it has to be perfect in areas like anatomy, composition, and line of action? Where does your perspective on expression and creativity come from? People don't have to stress about being perfect or worrying about others' opinions, because there are people out there who will appreciate and love your art exactly as it is. How do you know when it feels right to create art?

A: In real life and online, I've seen people argue about what makes art good or bad, focusing on things like anatomy and composition. "Oh, the arm doesn't bend like that!" or "Where's the composition? I don't know what to look at first!" But art is subjective. I think just making the attempt to draw is amazing, and that goes for any creative medium out there! Creators often know when something feels right because they can sense it.

Q: Your advice for what it means to be a person

A: You’re already one! But to be a “good” person or a “bad” person is all up to you. Treat others how you want to be treated, your actions define the kind of person who you are!

@ICantSeeHelp - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: How would you describe your life in New Zealand?

Oh it's very slow, for me atleast. Not much happens here apart from a convention that comes every year or so.

Q: How did you get interested in art and animation? Why do you think you got interested?

The earliest exposure I think I had to it was watching game grumps animateds by Brandon Turner with my sister. (Well my first exposure to web animation atleast) from there I watched all the oneyng cartoons and the rest of the sleepy cabins cartoons and stuff which definately shaped my taste. I didn't really have a computer so I'd make little animations on flipa clip. It wasn't till my teens though watching "magical Fairy prince" by Stamper that I wanted to make a cartoon myself. Till this day I revisit alot of Spazkids and Stampers cartoon while writing and getting down pacin g.

Q: Your experiences with the Internet. And the story of how you created your NG account on 3/28/20 How has being online impacted you? What are the positives and negatives?

Oh for the first year I just didn't use it at all, I can't even remember signing up, I remember one day going to make an account in early Mid to late 2020 to find out I already had one. So far I've made alot friends from newgrounds! It's an Awesome site that's stayed true to its guns since like the 90s. Really only the last safe haven from artists like me where all your edgy shit isn't gonna be flooded with commments like "erm, what the sigma" I still miss the General forums though, I understand why but that wound hasnt really healed

Q: The origin of your username: ICantSeeHelp -- And how did you decide on choosing the iconic save screen from Silent Hill 3 as your profile picture? What do you think about Silent Hill?

I can't remember? My steam used to be ICANTSEESHIT and I mightve tried that but it was probably already taken, I like Icantseehelp so much better. It serves a double meaning of "I cannot seek help" and "AHHH MY EYES" 

The Silent Hill I also used to play with my sister alot (not that it's co-op, she just watched) but in Silent Hill 3 you find this symbol called the halo of the sun, it's the games save point, it's mostly located on mirrors or reflective surfaces. They do this thing where everytime you save they have the entire screen glow red, playing it at night it would litteraly have the entire room glow red. It like englougfed you, only to transition to Heather staring at her reflection looking so mesmerized with that fucking droning save theme, god it's perfect. So yeah I thought it'd make a pretty neat pfp (I really wanna make a silent hill 3 cartoon sometime. It'll be like my giant magnum opus)

Q: What are the qualities you look for in media?

if it's fast paced and funny and well animated I've fallen in love with it

If it's scary and slow paced I've fallen in love with it

If its slow paced and taking itself seriously lacking any kind of aesthetic, chances are i probably can't stand it

Q: How did you learn to create your animations? Where do you think people often go wrong when trying to learn animation? What advice would you give regarding animation, and what resources can you recommend? And how do you decide on choosing which subject matter to make an animation about?

I mostly just self taught myself by fucking around on flipa clip, krita, Macromedia flash 8 then flash cs6 for the advice though

START SMALL, IT'S SO IMPORTANT. Oh my god you NEVER start making something ambitious when your new animation, you gradually build up, you animate 

Something 1 second long, then you animate something 2 seconds, then you animate something 2 seconds long with sound, you get the jist, this took me so long to learn and because of it I have so many unfinished failed cartoons because I underestimated the workload to see them come to fruition.

Q: How did you develop your perspective on finding it odd when people treat the principles of animation as absolute rules that must be obeyed? Why do you feel they have this misconception?

Just with animation I think it's dumb to enforce rules, just do whatever you think looks best

Q: What do you think is the best aspect of the principles of animation? What are squash and stretch and exaggeration, and why do you feel they are not essential for every animation? You mentioned that pacing and timing are more important, but even those are not rules and can be broken. What do you mean when you say it's about HOW your animation moves?

It's pretty much just how far whatever your animating moves in each frame and how they'd move and how they ease in or out or don't. Like smiling friends has fucking halairous pacing chracters In that show just build up momentum in like one frame and sprint all over the place it's great

Q: Could you share your experiences with drawing? What advice would you give to enjoy the process more? Also, what are some common mistakes you see artists make that can be resolved?

Learn how to draw a circle first, it's a such a pain in the ass but I never did and I'm going back to just basic stuff like lines and zigzags and I can't iterate how much more tolerable art becomes because of it

Q: What is it like to create comics? deltapenis -- fnaf penis fake?

Oh they started off just as shitty shit post comics cause at the time I think I was pretty stressed to draw anything decent so I just did the shittest art and shittest jokes. It's kinda funny though because since the writing so garbage I like to try out new things with my art with no pressure of ruining it cause I feel like the writing sets such a low standard that no one will care, if that makes sense lol

Its the WLH comic where its “I love making comics, The Jokes make up for the bad art! And the Art makes up for the bad Jokes!”

Q: Your favourite Max Payne quotes, and what do you enjoy about the series?

“This was the longest suicide attempt in History”

“Dont Answer That, A Rhetorical Question”

“NOOOOOOOOOOO”

“I KNOW EVERYTHING”

“Havent you figured out i dont speak your FUCKING LANGUAGE”

“G O D D A M M I T T”

“I wouldve laughed, if i remembered how”

“YOU’RE TURNING HUMANS INTO GLUE, THAT’S WHAT MY FUCKIN PROBLEM IS”

He's just so sad dude and in maxpayne 3 everytime he yells its the best shit ever. Soundtrack also thats a big part

Q: What are your opinions on the show Peanuts?

I think i just like media with sad pathetic protagonists lol, i love them, the comics strips can be actually really funny, the show animation at times is really good and the recent ones on apple tv are rendered BEAUTIFULLY, however alot of the times the early are paced HORRIBLY with so much filler but alot holds up, i love the bleak writing of alot of them and how nothing charlie brown does is right , i dont really like the term “comfort character” but in lack of a better term charlie brown really is mine

Q: The origin of your username: ICantSeeHelp

i was having le epic gay sex and cum got into my eyes oh no

Q: Your thoughts on ew tube and Complain website?

I have my problems with youtube like them removing the dislike and ofc all the algorithm changes to promote content spew but with twitter i don't bother to get bothered, in my opinion there is no saving that site GOD I CAN'T STAND TWITTER everyones horrible on it with everyone always at each other's throats, i honestly find it easier to grow on youtube than twitter  

Q: How did you get interested in learning how to sew? What type of patches would you like to create?

I haven't really thought about it id just want to have an arsenal of useless skills to keep my brain occupied lol. I probably would want to fan shit. I love to have a halo of the sun patch but thats really ambitious 

Q: How did you become interested in ice skating? How would you describe your experiences of trying it a couple of times?

It looks so fun, i just wanna be in the cold and move fast and spin and shit like imagine.

The few times a went is just a balancing act of figuring how much you can push your speed and the amount of people you would bowl yourself into if you fail skating, i fell alot but it looks fun to learn

Q: Why are you homicidal and got a t?

I could fit in the lyrics of the Story of Undertale 

Q: 😎 Rusty venture 😎

He's so hot

Q: How did you get interested in rapping?

Oh im not thats just me being a cock lol, i did mashups on soundcloud for while whenever i were bored

Q: What was it like playing a lot of Street Fighter? Where did you discover it? Which fighters would you say are strong? In what ways have you improved at Street Fighter, and what tips do you have for new players?

I played alot of Street fighter V when it were still alive and i played R MIKA and she is such a cock, her heavy kick that would freeze the other guy and just force them into a situation that they would have to jump, but if they didn't know that you just threw them for massive damage and it was so fun. I have tips i was actually terrible at that game lol, doesnt mean i didnt have fun tho. My tip would be footsies, anti airs. And don't bother with combos until you start actually consistently landing punishes or something idk sksk

Q: Why haven't you taken down your Halloween decorations? What fascinates you about Halloween?

DUDE GHOST, SKELETONS WHICHES FUCKIN VAMPIRES SPIDERS COBWEBS

ORANGE, THE OBJECTIVLY BEST COLOR I FUCKING LOVE HALLOWEEN

AND AN EXCUSE TO WEAR AN INFLATABLE DINOSAUR SUIT AND GO KNOCKING ON DOORS AND THEN BE REWARDED FOR IT WITH FOOD?

SIGN ME THE FUCK UP 

I LOVE HALLOWEEN

Q: When did you learn that you've been holding the pen incorrectly your whole life? Is it because you're actually a literal alien? If so, which planet are you from?

I have my pen tilted, i rest my hand on tablet and only jsut now im beginning to draw from rotating my elbow. I have been drawing with moving my fingers this entire time, IT SHOWS you look at my old art you can see im trying to sketch with the shortest lines possible 

Also even if i knew I could not disclose what planet im from all i know is i woke up from a pod in the middle of the forest and ive been living with you humans from that point onward.

Q: Food and drinks that you like!

Q: Advice that has helped you the most

Create as much art as you can before you will drop dead

@MrPurpleMrPurple - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: Why do you feel that you got interested in creating art?

I had some ideas for stories that I wanted to tell, and then I just started drawing.

Q: How to describe your experiences with using the Internet? How do you decide on creating your NG account on 6/17/22? What do you think about the NG community?

For a while I would have described my experiences on the internet as unfulfilling. For a long time I tried to create art online but never really found a place that completely worked for me. That was until I joined Newgrounds. 

I decided to join Newgrounds because it offered me something that I couldn’t find on a lot of other sites. An environment of collaboration. Artists supporting other artists, helping to improve each other's art. Less of an incentive on money and views and more on actual creativity. 

In general I’d say the newgrounds community is fantastic, and I wish more sites were like it. 

Q: How did you choose your name: MrPurpleMrPurple

Purple is my favorite color, and the name “MrPurple” was already taken lol. It’s fine though because I like repetition. 

Purple is my favorite color, and the name “MrPurple” was already taken lol. It’s fine though because I like repetition. 

Q: What are the elements you look for in media?

This is kind of hard to measure, but I enjoy when media genuinely reflects the creator making it. You can tell when a movie is Wes Anderson or Tarantino. They have an identifiable style. I like when you can tell what an artist is interested in just by seeing what they include in their art. Or if it’s a team that made it, have the group all have a central idea that comes through.

Q: How would you describe the experience of creating COMMERCIAL BREAK, What were the biggest challenges in creating a feature-length animated film?

I would describe the experience as time consuming but also very fulfilling. There was A LOT of animating to do. I’ll never forget finishing the first scene and thinking “great, now I just need to do like eighty more minutes worth of this”. 

It didn’t help that late into making it I decided to redo like half of the scenes I made (glad that I did but still a major oof).

That all being said, it was absolutely worth the time it took. Getting to meet and collaborate with so many talented people is awesome, and hopefully the film may inspire other artists not to give up on a longer project. 

Q: What was your process for creating RHOMBAZOID? 

The process for Rhombazoid was in many ways similar to how I created Commercial Break, with one very glaring difference. I made all of Rhombazoid’s art in photoshop WITH A MOUSE. Naturally this meant I was drawing less, and by extension relying far more on tweening and stuff. While the cast all did great, I could have done a lot better with the animation.

Q: What is it like sharing the interest in spicy foods and hot sauce with your dad? What do you think makes a well-made sauce, and what is something about a sauce that makes you question your life choices? In your opinion, what defines good spicy food versus bad spicy food?

It’s enjoyable being able to share an interest in spicy food, because it means that you have someone to suffer with when you eat something way too spicy lol.

A good sauce in my opinion is one where the heat is more of a secondary element. Like it could be a garlic sauce that’s also spicy or a honey sauce that’s also spicy. A bad sauce is when it’s just heat. Like a ghost pepper sauce that’s also spicy. Even these sauces have their uses though (Chili comes to mind).

Q: Has your favorite food always been wings? Also, you can eat wings with any sauce, but which sauces do you think are best with wings?

Yes. I think they’re a lot more consistent than other foods, but there’s also a variety in what kind of sauces you choose. My top sauce picks are Buffalo and Honey Garlic.

Q: How did you become interested in creating music? How did you acquire your accordion, and why do you find it more challenging than playing the piano? What do you enjoy most about playing the accordion?

I became interested in music because I needed music for Rhombazoid, and figured I might as well give it a try. My accordion was a gift from my mom. I think she got it on sale at a flea market. It’s a pain to play because I don't usually play the piano sideways… and standing. Jokes aside, it is a fun instrument to mess around with, gives songs a piratey vibe.

Q: What is it like having a pet dachshund named Sasha?

She always makes me smile. Especially when I’m trying to eat and she just walks over and stares at me.

Q: Where does your fear of turkeys, as well as other flightless birds, come from? I also respect the fact that you are honest about your fears. I think that is an amazing quality more people should be genuine about.

I just think they’re freaky looking. Especially turkeys because of the sounds they make. 

Q: Why do you think large amount of people have this misconception about animation, seeing it solely as a medium for children? What would it take for the untapped potential of mature animated films to be recognized?

You can’t even really blame people for thinking that. Animated films and family films have kind of become synonymous, so why would people see them as anything more. I think this mentality will only change once popular animation isn’t relegated solely to family entertainment. 

Q: What are animated films you would recommend? 

Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado are both fantastic early dreamworks animations. Watch Prince of Egypt if you want something more emotional and El Dorado if you just want to laugh. 

Emesis Blue is a must watch to any fans of Team Fortress 2 or just horror films in general. It was made using Source Filmmaker and has a ton of film homages. It’s available on Youtube. 

Q: You frequently hear artists say they would like to get into animation, but they're worried that it's too challenging. What do you think they find challenging that they are not entirely wrong about? What would you say to encourage artists who want to try animation? What struggles would you like to share about starting in animation?

They’re not wrong when they say it’s time consuming. It takes a lot of time, and can get repetitive at times. But it’s worth it. It’s a challenge that opens your art up to so many new possibilities. 

If you’re on the fence about giving it a try, I would say try making a short animation of one of your characters (like 30 seconds max), and if you enjoy it maybe try another one. Like anything that’s difficult in life it requires commitment. 

Q: Your advice for staying sane as a person in the modern age

I’m no expert but I’ll say this, there’s no use looking to the past. The only way you’re gonna get somewhere is by moving forward. If something doesn’t work, try something different. Don’t be afraid to improvise, and make sure to stay hydrated too. Drink plenty of water.

@Watermelon921bkk - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: When did you get Internet access, and how do you feel it has impacted you? How old are you now?

A: i got internet access when i was 7 and it has affected me in a good way. i perfer not to say but i am the same age as doggonnys

Q: What does it mean to be funny?

A: to make people laugh and feel better.

Q: How do you discover Newgrounds? And why did you choose your username: Watermelon921bkk? Do you like watermelons?

A: i knew about newgrounds when i was 9 or 8 but i made an account 2 or 4 months after i met doggonnys. as for my user name i always like the way water melon sounded and i've used it for almost everything. and yes i do like water melon

Q: What do you think about creating art? What software do you draw in?

i like making little doodles and drawings. they may not be good but i like them. i draw using fire alpaca

Q: Your advice for being online

A: always have a buddy when exploring the wierd parts of newgrounds. and be safe :3

Q: What media do you like? And why do you like the media?

i like movies and videos and games. i like the media because it can be pretty cool sometimes

Q: How did you meet @Doggonnys?

i met him in school from a mutual friend and we slowly became friends and now we are making bangers and we get all the hoes ( disclamer i do not call women hoes and i do not get any i am i big virgin) and we make hella bands

Q: What is it like to make music?

A: its very fun to make meme rap or satire songs but ive also sometimes make normal beats but i never post them.

Q: Is Newgrounds a good community?

A: from what ive seen it seems like it is

Q: What do you like about Henry Stickmin?

A: it funny lil man doing the most random things also i loved watching dantdm play it

Q: Is it difficult to turn off your computer? Do you stay up too late? And what would be your advice for people who are online too much?i

A: it isnt difficult to turn off my computer but i do stay up late all the time since its summer. if you are always online like almost 24/7 maybe just kinda turn off your phone and everything else and try your hardest to enjoy other aspescts of life. only if you want

Q: If you were to have a catchphrase! What would be your catchphrase?

A: chat

@J-Bar004 - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: How did you become passionate about art?

I have always been doing art since I was 3 but when I got passionate about it was around 2017 times where I would draw 1930s inspired cartoons. Then it evolved to Hazbin related OCs in 2019, after that I developed my art from everything I enjoyed.

Q: When did you discover Newgrounds?

I have discovered the site itself at around 2020 when Friday night Funkin' was released but way before that, back when I was at a really young age I watched a lot of cartoons from Zach Hadel and David Firth along with Stamper.

Q: What do you think about the modern world?

The modern world has a variety of pros of cons I believe. The pros being are that more creative opportunities are sparking everywhere and people with unique identities have more safe spaces to express their inner self. The cons in todays world I believe are the increase of price of everything and uncalled for internet dramas. These days I stick to content that I enjoyed back then and find older stuff from less complicated times.

Q: What do you think Salad Fingers is about?

I think Salad Fingers is about is isolation and who nothing around makes any sense while Salad Fingers is at peace with the chaos.

Q: How would you describe your diet?

I do feel a little uncomfortable discussing my diet but I will say is that I do cook my own meals and I feel really proud when I cook.

Q: What makes good art?

I would say that 'good' art would be a piece that understands the fundamentals but is afraid to make it their piece. When you hear South Park, you quickly see South Park and when you hear Family Guy, you compare it to other shows. The key for outstanding art is observation and absorption. You take in what you know and you follow it but not to heart to the point where you recognise your work. Learning anatomy, composition and colour will help your art be good but Observe, Absorb and Passion is what I think makes your art better!

Q: Your media recommendations

My media recommendations would be NewGrounds number one! Then also I would say Pinterest is helpful for gathering inspiration and Milanote to keep you organised. For advertising or promoting your work, I would recommend Twitter and Instagram while also suggesting to create your own site too for if you're making a big project with merch and updates etc.

Q: What do you do when you go outside?

When I go outside, I would put on my headphones and listen to my jams while getting some jams at the shops. If I feel like I deserve to treat myself, I would buy a little treat. I also go and hang out with friends and family occasionally when the offer comes and I'm not busy.

Q: Your advice for creating art

Observe your surroundings and your inspiring creators, absorb what they know and what you have learned and play! Not every piece is going to be front-paged so get rid of that expectation and make each piece that makes you feel proud or accomplished. Why are you making art for? What do you want to do in the future or right now? It is up to you. :)

Q: What does it mean to be happy?

You're human. And being happy is signal for something has just happened to either you or someone else and you must cherish it. A forced smile is discomforting and unhealthy but a genuine smile is a brief moment of sincerity. Sorry for typing a lot for the answers lmao! I just have a lot to say and I hope it gives you an insight into my work. Thank you for having my and stay creative! :D

@ZabuJard - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What do you currently think of Newgrounds in 2024?

its cool, i look at the front page sometimes and theres some fun stuff on there. i think fulp seems cool guy, and the admins are ok but sometimes they remove my cartoons for no reason which i dont like. OMG fulp should bring back NG ads so i can make lots of cash from suckers who watch my cartoons thatd be epic, epic for the win.

Q: What are your suggestions for making NG better?

have like a grinch day once a year like pico day, except for baby grinch, or just front page jare

maybe remove the 2 SUBMISSION PER DAY LIMIT? XD

Q: What is it like being a security guard?

its usualy pretty easy, but it still sucks. its the most convenient job for people who dont want to work jobs. you can try to work like me two days a week, just barely enough to pay rent and buy food. then you can spend your 5 days off making epic 9/11 cartoons and pranks

Q: Where does your obsession with George Floyd and Jeffrey Epstein come from?

i like to be "ON THE EDGE' with edgy stuff, in hopes that it will get more views,! i just gotta be careful cuz ive been banned so maany times on other websites! thankfully NG is usually pretty pro-freedom)

also, it is VERY FUNNY to me to make very silly cartoons, about like FLOYD, 9/11, FARTS, SSHREK, anything silly! makes me LAUGH OUT LOUD, and i like to laugh a lot!

Q: Why is Discord so full of questionable people?

theres currently a virus on discord called 'nasty lil' dirty fulp' and its turning the frogs gay on there

Q: What is your perspective on the Blackpill?

i think its negative and pessimistic : ((( when i was younger i would agree with it,

but once you turn 30 you become way more positive and optimistic i think!

Q: How would you describe your daily diet?

its really bad, i ussually starve myself until like 10pm somedays, i have very pronounced RIBS from being so skinny!

i DONT cook, so its usually like frozen pizza, 1-3 sodas, lots of sugary drinks are my favorite, pancakes, ice cream (tasty treats,

Q: Do you have a system for creating your art?

if im feeling bad it would cheer me up, also i think its good to make art at least once every day espeicaly if you consider yourself purpose an 'Artist" !

Q: What are the elements in an art piece you look for?

i like if its funny i think, or weird or creepy O_O

Q: Your advice for how to get out of a bad mood

if im in BAD MOOD, your art will be way cooler ! make art 24 7 if your in a BAD mood!

@Dieswyx - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: How do you describe your experiences of living in Chile?

1: My country... Is something very complex to describe. I remember when I was a child we lived in a slightly poor situation, the food wasn't lacking neither basic things, but privileges were something we couldn't give to ourselves. Nowadays that has changed a lot with a lot of effort, we have been very lucky. What else can I say? Despite everything I've had an average life, I guess? 😹😅

Q: Would you describe the Internet as a positive force in your life?

2: It depends. I enjoy spending hour here and wasting my time, but I really think I have a slight "addiction" to the internet, so... Not as positive at all.

Q: The story of how you created your NG account on 2/27/19 Q: How did you get interested in creating music?

3: Actually this is my second account, the first one was deleted because I wanted to start again. The first one was fucking cringy...

4: Music was something I was into it since a very young age, so that interest evolved into what it is nowadays.

Q: Your advice for creating music

5: Don't follow the rules, only enjoy yourself. I don't mean you have to put random stuff on your creations, obviously you have to follow certain important rules. 😹

Q: What are your inspirations?

6: I want to be a normal person that makes music and keep improving himself as a musician and a person.

Q: How did you meet @KittyhawkMontrose?

7: I don't remember at all, we just met by commenting on each other's stuff. 😅

Q: How do you describe the NG community?

8: High school groups

Q: What was it like making music for "Interdimensional Square Off"?

9: It was very fun to collaborate with @Peti for the first time. After that made a... Close friendship? Yes, it's one of my precious memories. 😹

Q: What was it like making music for "Rushdown Rivals" & "Rushdown Rivals Reloaded"?

10: Ahh yes... It was a very cool and incredible thing, I don't regret about made some tracks for those games. I really wish to keep collaborating with @KeithGarces and @Spagato so I can keep impressing them with new and fresh stuff. 😁

Q: What was it like making music for "Madness Combat - The Sheriff Clones"?

11: It was very fun to make that frantic in-game theme for @Pitigamedev and collabing with the guys. I really enjoy collaborating with everyone no matter what.

Q: What was it like creating "Welcome to my darkside [Full Album]"?

12: It was something, I really liked it because I wanted to try to tell a story with it as well is a relief for myself. That one is a "sequel" of my other album called: The deepest void in me.

Q: What was it like creating "I want it kinky [Full Album]"?

13: I want it kinky was made to prove that I can be mischievous and can do spicy stuff sometimes. I'm not a saint and I will never be, I just wanna be me. 😹💜

Q: What is it like using FL Studio and what are the VSTs that you use?

14: I've been using it since 7 years I'm still learning stuff hahaha... And the plugins. I usually use stock plugins but my favorite is Serum, that's where I design all my nasty basses.

Q: Why do you feel you struggle with sleeping?

15: I wish to know an answer, for real. 😹😭

Q: How did you lose your eye?

16: Retinal detachment that evolved into total blindness.

Q: Is Purple your favorite color?

17: It isn't, violet it is. 💪

Q: Your advice for being happy

18: Be yourself, just don't be a prick with others. Don't take stuffs too serious and be chill.

@SerebetGM - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: What is it like living in Venezuela?

A1.

Life in Venezuela was... Different from many countries in the world. It was an experience not many people would even think existed. The entire last decade could probably be described as a nightmare for anyone from the lower middle class. Let alone my generation, most of whom were forced to grow up before their time to avoid starvation and depression.

Nowadays I don't know what many situations are like because I've been disconnected from many situations for the last two years. But I can say for sure that the way people look at things is different. They show their concern, but they are also a bit more hopeful.

Q: Your experiences with the Internet and how did you find Newgrounds?

A2.

My encounters with the Internet in the last decade have been very rare. In my country it was a luxury to have the Internet, and in the end it was the stable Internet. My few contacts were thanks to constant visits to the cibers, those little places where you could rent computers by the hour. At the time, it was one of the few ways I could forget what I was facing. 

My approach to Newgrounds was through GD, the game that everyone tried to beat, but no one could get past the first level. I wondered where the hell all the custom music came from, and in 2016 I saw what it was all about.

My English was mediocre, and so was my logical understanding. However, something made me like the site enough to decide to upload my first track four years later. I don't regret listening to that asshole kid who didn't like nagging.

Q: How do you think about the Internet?

A3.

It is like a cosmic cube, an ungraspable world and a sticky web whose thickness and extent may well approach infinity.

It can be used for almost anything, you can know things about this reality as well as things you would never consider probable with your intellectual level... And it can trap you until the day you die, or until a miracle happens.

Unfortunately, the current generation may not see it that way, and there is a certain likelihood that they will not, because of the constant manipulation of attention that exists today.

Q: How did you get interested in creating art?

A4.

I don't remember, there are many things from my youth under lock and key that even I can't open. I barely remember that when I was thirteen, I drew a random landscape, my mother congratulated me and I felt that I was already capable of drawing a whole world on paper.

After that, I drew things I got from the internet, not knowing of course that there were drawing tutorials or people who did that.

Two years before the COVID-19, I decided to change my modus operandi, because I wanted to do something so big that it was out of my hands. Without realising it, I became obsessed with learning about art. To this day, I haven't been cured of this addiction, and I hope I never will be.

Q: How did you get interested in creating music?

A5.

It's all the fault of Newgrounds, or rather the talent here. I liked videogame music a lot, but what I heard in GD was something that shaped me forever. It made me download my first music mixing program (thinking I could do something with it) onto a phone that was barely alive. It made me ask myself a thousand questions about music production, and it made me ask a thousand questions of a lot of people. I couldn't learn much because of the time, but if I'd had the chance, I'd have about ten years of experience in music by now.

Q: What is your process for writing?

A6.

It depends on the tone of the story. If I want it to be a bit convoluted, I start at the end, if I want it to be simple, I start at the beginning.

From there I build the world bit by bit. I use the rudimentary method of writing all the worldbuilding in notebooks (at least new ones, before I had to recycle them with an eraser and four hours of wear and tear), and when I see that I'm convinced of the idea, I write the basic ideas of the story, and eventually the story itself.

I used to care very little about organisation, but thanks to the constant opinions of a good writer friend, I realised that if I continued with this modus operandi, the stories I had the most affection and faith in would not even reach the ears of a naive child.

When I have creative blocks, I turn off the lights and write by candlelight. The light soothes me and reminds me of those moments when I wrote for no other reason than to do it.

Q: Which pieces of advice has helped you the most?

A8.

Never let your faith in your dreams crumble, even when everything seems against you, there is always a way to find your way.

No one will chase your dreams, you are the only one who can.

Create your characters in such a way that you can't sum up their personality in one line. It's something I apply to stories, music and drawing (at least when I want to xd).

Finally, I would like to say... thank you. These questions are somewhat reassuring. They remind us of where we have come from and give us more impetus to look for a better future.

For those who have come this far: I wish you a happy life, and may your hopes of achieving your purest dream never fade :3

And that's all pal

@OmenaKettu - @Aalasteir (Q) - Index

Q: How would you describe your personality? You say that art is an essential part of human self-expression, which is very powerful, and you are passionate about art in all its forms. How did you develop your passion?

My friends describe me as passionate, giggly and a menace. I have trouble recalling a lot of the origins of my interests surrounding art, it might be one of those things that has always lied inside you and just has to be awaken? Now that I do think of it, trying to develop my own skills by broadening my vision and really pondering hard on every small detail of the things around me helped me to become more empathetic and understanding of art forms and styles I used to think badly of, for example modern art or art targeted by cringe culture.

Q: How do you feel being online has affected you? How would you describe your experiences with it? The origin of your username: OmenaKettu

I've kind of always been a terminally online gremlin since my toddler days, but I started inserting myself properly when I was introduced to an imageboard designed for children called Papunet. I saw people in there drawing cool anime wolves and I felt like I finally had found my people for the first time LOL. The amount of time I spent there posting foxes drawn with a laptop trackpad is concerning, the imageboard had set times of operation hours where it closed by 4 PM and I'd have meltdowns if my time with the site was cut down for the day. My addiction became less severe once I discovered other platforms from there that worked 24/7 like DeviantArt so my fears of missing out weren't an issue. A lot of my childhood was coming up with OCs, drawing comics and roleplaying with my online friends.

OmenaKettu is finnish and literally means AppleFox. As a kid I was a huge fan of foxes and some apple jam pastries from lidl. I came up with it when I had to try think of a more unique name than just 'fox-fan' and it just kind of stuck!

Q: How do you feel creating art has influenced you?

I kind of live and breathe art. I'm of course not an expert of it, far from it. I barely know any proper art theory or proper names for styles or artists, but art is something I constantly consume in some form and discuss so often I have a hard time of thinking of any other ways to meaningfully talk with other people.

Q: Where does your fascination with Goblins come from?

Oh man, I think we can blame World of Warcraft for that one. :d

Q: How do you feel that doodling at an early age, whenever you got story ideas, (what were some of the story ideas?) has affected you? In what way do you think that passion has evolved over the years? When studying other artists' illustrations and speed paints, what do you focus on, and how do you feel this has helped you?

  I've come to face the same issue all artists eventually do where the more you learn the craft, the more you struggle to draw for just the fun of it. I miss the days I could pump out drawings nonstop even if they were lower quality. On my papunet days I would constantly start new comics, uploading a few panels and then immediately moving on when the next story concept idea hit me. One that I think fondly of was about a dog that was turning into a 'golden warrior' where his teeth one by one slowly started turning golden.

When I was really trying to focus on learning art better, I hunted down speedpaints for artists that I loved and observed how they rendered things like colors and shading and little details. Atryl is one of the first artists I remember who's art I studied very hard, still use some of their brushes to this day. Of course my way of doing it is not the proper one, if you're starting out as an artist it's recommended to start with the basics like learning anatomy and understanding basic shapes foremost. Otherwise you end up like me who is good at rendering art but sucks at anatomy to the point of uncanniness. xd

Q: How to discover @MindChamber's art?

I discovered MindChamber's work through Madness Combat, 'With My Mind's Madness', 'Madness Regent' and 'Madness Accelerant' are to this day my favourite things to come out of Madness Combat. I just kind of fell in love with his art style at first sight and consumed near everything he had put out. He was a biiig inspiration during my art phase when I was focusing more on flowy and exaggerated cartoony stuff. Hell, a game project I worked on in school called 'PizzaBot' took heavy influence from his work.

Q: The story of you creating your account on 6/1/13

Pretty sure if memory serves right I made my account for the sake of Epic Battle Fantasy 3 :d I still yet didn't fully comprehend Newgrounds as a website, even if everything I consumed grew it's roots from there, I just had always consumed it through other platforms. I returned to Newgrounds to stay after becoming a fan of SleepyCabin in like 2017 and quickly became VERY passionate about Newgrounds when I realised it was the forefather of web art culture.

Q: How do you describe your experience of the NG Dublin Meetup 2024? Did you have specific expectations? And was there something that you were afraid of?

When I arrived on Friday I won't lie I was shitting bricks. I'm very much a homebody and suddenly I was all alone in a country I had not researched much at all and didn't understand anything of, at night time. My hostel sleep pod was humid as hell too to the point I barely got sleep, was regretting my trip hard at that point. But the next day when I could finally start meeting up with the other fellows everything clicked in place and it was SUPERB wonderful just walking around as a group and talking about NG stuff! Made all the suffering fully worth it. <3

Q: How did you become interested in history? What are some specific periods or events that you particularly enjoy? Was history also your favorite subject in school? What specific media about history do you really like?

I blame 'Once Upon a Time...' cartoons for sparking my interests. I really find the entirety of Bronze Age interesting, how humans developed their ways of society and culture each in such different yet all the same similar ways. As a kid I leaned more towards learning about Stone Age, I was fascinated by hunter-gatherer societies and inventions.

Q: Do you still like dinosaurs, and what did you enjoy about the "Once Upon a Time.." history cartoons?

I still follow some Paleontology enthusiasts on twitter, Protoceratops is my fav dino. :3 Once Upon a Time... Man and America were cartoons that I had playing on TV nonstop as a kid, the way they depicted life throughout different phases of history was really comfy yet interesting and educational, plus they made raw meat look like the tastiest thing ever. It's been ages now since I've last seen them but I remember being simply hooked on them, maybe I should revisit it.

Q: How does being born with a severe brachial plexus injury make you feel, and do you sometimes get frustrated when people don't understand what it's like?

It's something I've lived with through my whole life, so it's not like I miss something I've never had. But the disability was something that haunted my future since childhood regarding my employability. I only had one good working hand and no brains to make up for it, so art was something I was allowed to focus on since childhood in hopes of it turning into a career. Well turns out I don't want to make my art into a proper career, and I can somewhat keep up with my coworkers despite my mom's warnings, but I won't lie it is very frustrating to live with a handicap that sets you on a level lower from your peers no matter how hard you try.

Q: You mentioned that during your childhood, you suffered from an incomprehensible speech impediment and experienced occasional brain farts when speaking out loud. When I met you in real life, I didn't notice any speech impediment and understood everything you said. I am very surprised by this. How did you overcome your speech impediment?

When I was a kid I went to a lot of speech therapy. I don't remember when I exactly overcame my condition, my speech of course always made sense to ME but I constantly hear about funny stories and vocabularies I used to have. These days I'm good at 'faking it till you make it' my way through social encounters but there are a lot of times still I twist my words or completely forget them, even worse in English. I remember at the Dublin meet-up I was trying to ask Matt (Matt-likes-swords / Kupogames) to draw me NoLegs, accidentally kept calling him TwoLegs. I mixed the words up with goddamn warrior cats lingo.

Q: When you were a toddler, your family had to keep you in children's reins while traveling. One time, when you were not wearing them, you ran away from your grandma and straight into a pool, nearly drowning if not for a lifeguard. This horrified your mother and grandma, now you find it funny. Has this experience changed the way you view the world?

No, I do remember the moment I was underwater still but I feel like I was still too young to fully comprehend it. It's always been retold to me back as a funny story too which probably has helped keeping the memory as a lighthearted one.

Q: Do you feel that people can be too critical of art that might be described as poorly made?

Oh yes absolutely. I used to argue with my friends about the validity of illegal graffiti and modern arts. I think people often think too much about the techniques and skills that have gone into a piece, instead of the story, meaning or human soul behind them. A Person leaving their touch on the world even if it's just a dick doodle. Nothing pisses me off more than people harshly critiquing art done for pure joy's sake, like youtubers making critique vids calling meme animations done by kids as shit or in general people ridiculing beginner or otherwise 'weird' artists publicly.

Q: How would you describe your personal art preferences? Specifically what do you enjoy, about what you find nostalgic like MS Paint Sparkledogs and old Flash creations?

My tastes flip flop so much I have a hard time keeping up myself but generally I love art with a lot of tiny details so you can keep staring at it forever. I used to focus a lot on art styles inspired by 80s/90s urban art and fluidity especially when inspired by other NG artists, but nowadays I've been mostly heading towards a more semirealistic style as I've consumed more fantasy content in recent years. I looove old-school and grimdark fantasy art currently. However rainbows and glitters still remain in my works! :3

When I was a kid I played a shit-ton of animal dress-up flash games and watched 'Eevee Party 2' or 'SSS Warrior Cats' on repeat, but on the other hand I consumed a lot of NG classics as well, some examples I'll recall are Johnny Rocketfingers, Age of War 2, Castle Cat, Sonic Shorts and of course my beloved Epic Battle Fantasy <33 All the flash content I consumed has totally left it's impacts on me even as I continue my art journeys.

Q: What makes good OCs backstories, and intertwining Lores? what do you love about stories?

That's the beauty of it to me, it doesn't really matter when making personal OCs because all that is important is that they resonate with you. As long as that is the case, bits of story ideas and such will continue to bloom from there like a tree. I do totally view my silly little OCs and their stories n lores as a special garden I tend to. That's why I like stories from others too, to see what is important to each person and the ways they communicate their own passions and ideas in ways I couldn't come up with in a million years.

Q: Is it difficult being a Jack of all trades?

It's a double-edged sword, on one hand you can do a lot of things by yourself but on the other you're not really a master of any.

Q: How do you get the inspiration to try traditional art and writing?

Often by seeing things from other artists doing traditional art like showing off their sketchbooks or oil paintings. My writing inspiration comes often from fan fiction and I am not afraid to say it.

Q: Your experiences with doing graffiti? Why do you feel you were bad at it, and why does it hurt your only working arm?

I didn't have enough opportunities practicing different spray techniques or experimenting, I didn't really know places where I wouldn't be caught so I often had to wait for nights I was alone so I could sneak out of the house. I stopped very soon after a piece I made left my healthy hand aching so bad I could barely even press down on the spray cans anymore as I was working on it, and the following day my mom had spotted the piece and recognized it as mine. It was enough to convince me to stop LOL. I recently got to try graffiti again when my mom wanted to paint a storage house she owned, but I'm sad to report the spray cans still fuck up my hand and I'm not about to risk losing my only functioning hand.

Q: What does it mean to be oneself? 

Self-expression is important for the human soul, and it comes in many ways besides just art, Like fashion or hobbies. It's okay to change how you do it as you go about growing as a person, but never let anyone else make that decision for you. Never compromise on who you are, be unapologetic about it no matter how weird or fucked up you're declared from it. Because at least then you can at least know you are true to yourself.