Interview: Retro

Two words. Author. Space. The comedy comic by Alan Solivan (Better known as Mr. OMA) in The Rogues Gallery really was the first time I ever fully read a sprite comic, and loved it utterly, hysterical, easily one of the best graphical comics around, and has been pretty much my 'aim' throughout. The observer may notice many aspects of AS that I brought across to the now dead Team Dark Comic, and the current PDFTA comic, this is more down to it being the particular one that put me forward to do it.

Spriting however, many people mistake me for a spriter, I really aint, I have one character, thats pretty much it, he aint that advanced. But if I was asked to say what it was, it was after Claire (Rouge/Rogue) drew the first ever pic of Retro, and Lakit and X3 helped me adapt it to sprites just...because really!

Oh boy...here goes the embarresment. My first attempt at spriting was issue 1 of the Team Dark Comic, considering how much I was in with them at the time (still am really). However issue 1 was a crippling failure, no speech bubbles, pathetic customs, WAY too long and with a massive 'white' area. For issue two I had the help of Sin and Blizzard, who taught me speech bubbles and various techniques of paint respectively. This made the comic a lot more decent, and as time went on, I was surprised by it's popularity, picking up "Funneist Comic" at one of your Spriter Awards.

That award however was what really made me think "My writing seems to go fine...I just need to visually do it now." Thus, after having been taking a course in Photoshop on night classes, and having been VERY lucky to find a full version of Photoshop from a school tutor in my 3D class. (One of the best decisions of my life) This additional visual power gave me what I needed, and I decided to start over, and even hire some help to keep me straight.

X3 and Lakit quickly came into it. X3 acting both as script writer and an overseer to my work, and Lakit as a script writer as well, things quickly took off, my main realisation being that preparation is the key. PDFTA took an age to prepare for, the website being a right GOIT to get working. (Kudos to you Arch for help there as well) From there I have just been refining what I hope is good talent, trying to find unique ways to entertain, and following feedback. And following a recent linkage from Exterminatus Now for a week, my hit counter exploded. I am quit stunned as to how far it's already come, and hope to take it further.

It isn't without it's difficulties, I'll say that for ya. Many msn conversations have occasionally come to a bit of a heated discussion between me and Lakit, though all are mature about it. It does allow for more outlooks on things to be brought in, indeed the usually rated best issues (The Lothar series) was a combined Lakit/Retro scripting. It's a lot easier to know that when you are stuck, someone will have an idea to help you out, not to mention thse days when you have total writers block, and they come in with a full script to hand you. It's a great feeling to see the team working like that.

The simple reason is that I simply could not do everyone justice in casting, I found I was already nodding towards Retro and Lakit more than the others, and I personally didnt like this, people saw themselves in the cast list...but never really made it in. So by restricting to 4 characters I knew I could work with, it allowed me to use the others as cameo roles a lot more, varying things, not having to worry about getting fair shares for 10+ characters!

Overall I think people are more pleased with this, it gives a solid base for people to know, as well as the old cast seeing themselves appear from time to time, thinking "Hey, Im in it this time!" Oddly enough, use of those characters has gone UP since the change...very odd.

I really am smiling on seeing that question, ooohhh that was an unexpected twist. I was talking with him on AIM and I happened to mention a problem on my site's html. Lothar asked for the URL, and with quite hesitant feelings, gave him it. Lothar's opinion was one of "Not too bad, but didnt make me laugh that much." which I was happy to go with.

However to my amazement, he sent his sprites, and told me. "Use em if you want." Considering X3 had disappeared for a while, this was a perfect oppurtunity. And in he went as a recurring character. After the Lothar arc of stories, he did show quite good amusement at being used as an "Anti-taxman Missile." So I am quite willing to go with that opinion.

I was proud of that, and wanted to do it again, and do a full fight of it. The second reason was that I had been for the moment totally in love with that series of games, and I still am. I know I am a much better serious writer than humour writer, so that was a bit of an incentive, and I felt I did well. However lack of preparation in story and over ambitious sizes and effects ultimatly led to it's death a mere 5 issues in.

Stu's involvment was a Godsend, I wouldnt have got anywhere near the amount I did without him being there to confirm ideas, suggest better things and look over scripts, again, it was useful to have someone to work with. If Heroism had worked, I felt I could have done some very impressive fights and tense sequences, unfortunetely...it wasn't to be.

I am in love with The Runner War, not just in an egotistical fashion, but I truly do love the Universe it's in for writing. To go into my basics, the ideas of last stands have always fascinated me, the people who would fight on against impossible odds even after they had LOST amazed me! Such examples as the French Resistance, the Alamo, and various game and movie transitions of the idea like Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai and any defence map in Starcraft. This idea appeals to me as a strong, tense, dramatic setting, this is the finale, they are fighting for their lives more than ever before!

When Chris "Oz" Foster came to me with a pitch for "Sonic Adventures" I eagerly joined up, wishing to put my own help ito this entirely new Sonicverse. Quickly after, I was given the run of an entirely separate comic section, and looking at the Overlord Oppression idea took my favourite aspect of the Fleetway comics, the Zonerunners, and implemented them in.

These entirely new characters developed and gre and grew, and the situations they went through were decided and put forward, sketches done by Mambocat and everything. But alas...the comic didnt make it, and I was left with a full Sonicverse...and multiple characters in a great setting that would never be used.

For a long time, they went into computer archives....until i began speaking to one man. Rich Morgan. Rich was a HUGE fan of the Zonerunners in Fleetway, and I mean HUUUUGE. He had a full site set up called "The Runner Hub" and later on a Yahoo Group "The Zonerunner Concept." I joined this place and was astounded by the emotional and dramatic stories written of the hell the Zonerunners went through as armed civilians, not heroic soliders, but normal people fighting for what they believed in. It appealed to me right away, and quickly I had implemented my old Zonerunner Kais Glyde into their stories myself.

Over time the concept quietened down, but undeterred, I started looking for other things, still talking regularly to Rich about how Runners must feel, getting a really good idea of things. A few months later, I sat down and wrote "Story 1 Part 1: Zonerunners!" in one sitting before releasing it, bringing back all these older characters in from Sonic Adventures, and going back to that hellish Robotnik ruled wrecked world as the setting. Since then what a few of us at the Runner Hub called "The Runner Spirit" has only grown, that being the drive to write and keep the thing alive. And with the stunning feedback and even more surprisingly, FANART of the Runner War, I feel inclined to write this till its already predetermined climax. I can only thank Rich, Oz, the guys at the Hub and all those who read it for helping all the way through what I now realise is quite the epic tale of how it originally came about.

It is an awkward one that, Oz and I often talked about it. Generally we came to the conclusion that The Runner War is a bit of a "What if?" offshoot of Sonic Adventures, using everything but for the subtly altered story. The main thing that comes into it is time and dates, character ages and things, some characters I had to make a bit younger for The Runner War, to give me someone else to play with, that character would have been replaced by one of the more energetic 'official' character in SA, like Johnny, or mabye even Amy. But given the chance, HELL YEAH! The stories Oz came up with were simply awesome, the setting and world he made rocked out loud. I'd love to see it work.

You've had stints working for Sonic the Comic Online, such as writing the Sonic X information page and the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' preview. How does it feel to be appearing along such talent and joining a relatively long timeline of STC heroes?

Oh its a great feeling, for someone who was with them since the start for the official comics, to see my articles in it...stunning feeling. I do occasionally feel a little pressured for quality when you have writers like Ed and JJ in there, along with artists like Thalia and Zak, but I think I'm coping. Whether or not you'll see something a tad more 'involved' with me in STC-O soon enough is yet to be confirmed though...just keep a look out folks. But in general, I love to help them out, they have done so much, I am honoured to help moderate the forum, and to provide articles. Especially considering how involved it is with the original, it feels like I'm really writing for it!

Heh, I still remember where that came form, the Boomer Sonicfanatic had posted a "Name that Boss" challenge in the topic I made for such a thing, cept we spent MONTHS getting it, and during that time I started getting hurt in posts and going mad with it as a joke. Afterwards...the idea kinda stuck as something people knew me for. I had noticed me forum popularity go from unknown guy to "the one who hurts himself." So I kept doing it. Personally I feel it's partly responcible for being as well known as I am now. As of late it's getting difficult...finding new ways that aint boring aint easy, but I'll keep doing it either way. It stops peopl seeing me too seriously I guess.

To put it simple. Retro is me. An exaggerted me, but me none-the-less. At first, he was merely a physical representation of me in the anthro world, a fox called Retro based offa me. But as time went on, he developed as I did, I started learning guitar a while ago (not anymore unfortunetely) and so Retro became a guitarist, I really want to explore, so he became a wanderer to see everywhere. He has had a few incarnations, the 'comedy' Retro maintains my forum hurt-curse most often seen (although to a lesser extent now-a-days) in PDFTA and other peoples comics. After that there is the more 'hero' Retro who due to an explosion in an rp community within STC-O and STCOSSCACC has become the most used.

My personal fav idea is how his fighting skills are developing, as I learn things, I give the skills to him a little more emphasised. For example, his biggest idea of leaping and acrobatics, this is based from my love of doing that, same goes for his kicking, I tend to go kick heavy in a spar. As of late he has had sme Muay Boran inspiration, as have I. And thats beginning to feautre heavily in his character. Really he changes as time goes on, but never totally, he only ever changes as I do myself, and remains an exaggerated form of me.

That was mainly due to him being over-used by so many people in comics, and a few unwanted appearances were made. To myself the criteria really aren't a specific "must" and "have" idea. But it relies on me more knowing and trusting the creator of the comic that they wont feth up the character that I have spent so long on. If someone wants to put a new spin on him, (as Sin was going to do with NPK) then generally I'm fine with that, it actually allows me to know more about my own character, as long as they do it maturely. Sin I trust as a very good character creator and writer, so I was ok with him doing that. But that really is the height of things, I just gotta trust em really.

You often do pretty well in the Spriter's Choice Awards, whether it's for your fan character, your work on PDFTA/Team Dark or for your Runner War writing. Are you preparing anything for this April's event and is there anyone that's particularly impressed you lately on STCOSSCACC?

As for preparing...I think my main aim isnt to make something uber special to say "Hey look at me! I make fancy!" but really to just continue my current works and try and keep them at a consistent pacing and quality, improving and being unique. Currently my personal 'wish' is that Post Apocalypse does well, I've worked a lot on it, and if I was forced to say...it's kinda my main work for the awards this year.

Looking to others, the boomers who have really caught my attention as of late are Doc. Oak for his very very well done Spin Dash comic, and also to the by now AWESOME sprite talents of Kimbo. Others such as the always stunning DSC and new comer to great sprites, CC also stand good chances. Those are just my ideas on who stands a good chance this year.

Winding this interview to a close, is there anything you're exceptionally proud of so far in your time around the STC-O community or things you feel need more work? Is there anything you're looking forward to in coming months?

The main thing I am proud of is something I' m not really allowed to mention to a large scale audience right now, sorry folks. It's not something I did, but rather helped add to, and the creators of it should be damn proud.

Aside from that, to look to myself, The Runner War has been my proudest effort I feel, the level it's being loved at was a complete surprise, and the relations people seem to be developing for my characters really makes me want to write it. Same goes for Post Apocalypse really.

To look ahead...geez...I see another year of an expanding community, the bringing about of more comics and characters...we all improve each year in some way, and I get the feeling this year is going to be a huge year for development due to all the new people we recently got in.

Yeah, and I know exactly what. You know this is the second time Arch has interviewed me? He lost the first one over a year back now, I've been waiting for this to come back around. Seriously, he did. I'm not just getting revenge for him persuading me to do the "Emo Retro" on the radio. >_>