Skyhigh 20 About Lord Red of Creators
From C64 Diskmag Wiki
About Lord Red of Creators + Skyhigh - Lord Red/Creators Things are changing all the time. Nothing stays the same. A good way to prove it, is to take a look at the charts. (Maybe that's why they are so populare - he he) Well to the point Biz man!!! Ok! As mentioned then the charts change all the time. Right now a new name is invading one category of it : GRAPHICIANS. A name has been seen all over lately. LORD RED LORD RED So Skyhigh decided to get in touch with this person and see what he is all about - ---------------------------------------- - Hi Lord Red First of all congratulations with your tremendous success lately! And when that is said I would like to thank you for sharing your personality with the rest of us. -But let's get started the boring way! + Please give us a small introduction of yourself! - My real name is John ]ge Utne, I'm a 19 years old Norwegian boy with blue eyes and brownish hair. I'm 180 cm tall and my weight is 60 kilos. Right now I've finished three exams at the university of Trondheim, Norway. In my spare time I draw graphics on my C64 and my Amiga, and ofcourse I do some paper stuff. I'm sharing an apartment with 3 other students, one boy and two girls, and I'm currently filling up the walls of the place with paintings and drawings of all kind. I have produced eight underground comic magazines so far, and I'm working as an artist in 'Giljotin', a real anarchist bi-monthly newspaper. I'm into politics, I'm a member of a socialist party as well as Amnesty International and "Natur og ungdom"; a save-the-world type organization. I joined Creators in 1992, the group, by the way, started in 1989, and we've just started Amiga/Atari /PC-divisions of it. We have our own bbs's for the Amiga and PC, and I hope they will be available for C64 users soon. I'm also a co-editor of Vandalism News, atleast I hope I still am, after all these un- active months... I have an A1200, 2 vic 20's, 3 c64's, a 128d and some other computers. (The total number is 10 computers!) + When did you enter the world of this beautyful com puter? When did you feel the addiction of the scene for the first time? - Ah, yes. I bought my C64 way back in 1986. I got hold of a program called Koala Painter, and started drawing a bit. But since I was only 10 years old at the time, the result was not very good...I started swapping games, and even a few demos. I'd say I entered the scene in '86. (Rrr probably wouldn't... (Hello Timo my friend!)) + What other groups have you been in before Creators - The Devils, Basic, Bcg, The Saracens, The Saracens (Amiga), Awe(Amiga), Arcane(Amiga), Extacy(Amiga) & Extacy(Atari). + Your handle: Lord Red. It sounds like a mixup between a knight and a wizard! - I am probably out where I can reach the buttom anymore, so if there is a special story to it, please tell it! and how you got it! - My handle...Actually my first handle was "Wizard"! but it was too normal, and I decided to get a new one. I thought about "Red", but Red/Judges would not have liked that. So I added "Lord" at the front as I've always liked the handle "Lord Vader" which I saw in some demos in 85/86. I think my handle is a bit silly, but atleast I don't have to worry about other people taking "my" handle, this often happen when using handles like Wizard or Terminator or Rage or whatever. (Hmm, I have never heard about someone called 'Whatever'! -BK!!) + What is your memberstatus and job in your current group ? - I'll list the entire C64-crew here if you don't mind... (Ok then, he he -bk!) Slimer..................founder, code Pride.......................code, gfx Kranix.....................code, swap Lord Red.....gfx, covers, swap, music Thomas...............gfx, code, music C3po.............................code Grizzly.............gfx, covers, swap (Ximbo has sold his C64, and is now a member of Creators PC only! so stop voting for him!) + A lot of unknown persons to me! well nevermind. Within the last year or more I have frequently seen logos circulate in the scene done by you! I guess many know these 'collections' Creators have re- leased recently. What always hit you in the face is the style!! I do believe that you have a style of your own. Please tell us abit about that - This "style of my own"-thing sounds a bit strange in my ears, as I belive I don't have a style, I just use a lot of different styles. you must bear in mind that I have been an Amiga graphician for 5 years now, and on the Amiga a lot of people do logos the way I do them on the C64. So if you want a name for my logos, "Amiga-style" is perhaps the most appro- priate, but I also like the term "wild-style". What I do is basically just trying not to repeat myself too much. + As a big admirer of your art, I must say that I like the way you are using the letters. or more precise: the way you use different 'styles' of letters in a logo! I, personally, can see parts of both graffiti and flower power sixties letters in your logos.(Or at least in some of them!) What have influenced you, and from where do you get the inspiration ? - As I said earlier, I am the proud owner of an Amiga, and obviously I get some ideas from my fellow gra- phicians in the Amigascene. But I also have a large collection of books, records, magazines and comics which provide me with inspiration. I love graffiti, infact I wrote an essay about it on my 2nd Norwe- gian written-exam this spring! Flower power also rules! I'm glad you like my logos, as I happen to know some people who don't! + Do you do other stuff than logos. If I remember it correctly then you did a full screen picture for Vandalism News #21 Should we expect more of them in the future ? - This worries me a bit, as I've done loads of full- screen pictures, but no-one seems to have noticed them! I also have about 9-10 unreleased pictures, and I've released more than 20 since February 1994! I'm also into animation and background-grafix for games as I and Thomas/Creators are working on a platform game. I'm doing the music for it as well. But it really bugs me that people haven't seen my fullscreen-pictures. It's a shame. The Vandalism News picture was my first fli-picture and was drawn just to test the fli-editor. I didn't like it though, so don't expect any fli pictures from me. I prefer normal multicolour bitmap pictures. + I talked about the 'collections' before. For those who haven't seen them I can explain that they are all single files so you have to load 'em one by one. Very annoying by the way!! Ever thought about having a real logo collection with the best pieces released ? Or a bit more precise what are the release plans for the future ? - Annoying you say, but I find it very clever, as it is much easier to get some of the better logos well spread when swappers can put, say, 2 or 3 of them on a disk together with some other stuff, rather than releasing a diskside full of them with a loader. If we had done that I don't think people would have bothered spreading a slideshow with just logos, if you see what I mean. A "greatest hits" collection of logos might be a good idea, though. Creators are working on some music collections, loads of small demos, some big ones, and, as I mentioned earlier, a few games... + Another thing which is on my mind is: sometimes it seems like you are more like a freelancer than a groupmember (no offence) I am thinking about all the various groups/mags/ persons you have done gfx for. Is this the way we will see you in the future, as a kind of freelancer, or will you settle down if you get the right offer? - About the "freelancer"-bit...I do gfx for various people because I'm drawing more gfx than the Crea tors-bunch can use! We only have 5 coders, you know.. It's also great not drawing "creators" logos all the time, that could have been a tad boring, I suspect. It is better to do a bit of freelancing than being a member of 7 different groups. (I don't like the idea of multiple membership at all!) I have had some offers from different groups, but I think I'll stick to creators. If I got the offer, I might con- sider joining a better group though. One thing you'll see a lot of in the future is high quality games with my graphics in it! A shoot'em up called Armageddon, a platform game called Hip Hop and a karate game! I'm working for 'Shape Software' together with Scroll/Megastyle, Andreas/Shape, Electric/Extend, all of Blues Muz', some Taboo members, Thomas/Creators and Slimer/Creators... + Allright, I usally drag my victims through questions like : YOUR FAVES!! ----------- + What do you prefer to eat? - Pizza...Can I say that?? (you just did!!) + And what do you like to drink? - Water & milk. No alcohol! cola sucks! (No alcohol ??? and Coke suxx, you betrayer!! -bk!) + What kind of music do you like to listen to? - The Cure, The Smiths, The Orb, The Prodigy, Nirvana, Die Aerzte, De Lillos and loads of other stuff. + Your favourite girl(s)? - There is one... I don't think she thinks of me as a potential boy- friend, though. (Sigh.) + What movie was the coolest you ever saw? - Monty Python and the holy grail! + And your C64 favourites Demogroup : Reflex Crackergr.: *** Coder : Slammer/Camelot Magazine : Shout! Composer : Kjell Nordbo/Shape Grafixer : Andreas/Shape Cover Des.: Electric Sceneland : Most of them, really. Demo : That's the way it is! (golden oldie!) Game : Wizard of Wor! + And last : your favourite friend in the scene - That would have to be Rune/2 Limited, who showed me the first demos I ever saw, and has been my friend since I was 2 years old. + Well let's turn it all upside down, and ask if there are something you do not like! Is there any particular phenomena or mayby dudes you do not like in the scene. Give us the story!! - I don't like racism, I have seen some racist demos over the last few years, and I don't like the sata- nist-trend in the scene either. I'm an atheist (so am I -bk!), but still...You can read more about this in Vandalism News #21. There are a few guys in the scene I do not like very much, but I don't want to waste time and space on slagging them. If I started a vendetta against them it would make me as lame as them, right? + People has said for a long time that the C64 would die soon. Luckily nothing happend! But!! being a bit realistic, it can't live forever. When it finally dies what is your plans then? Return to Amiga PC or maybe quit the computer entirely? - The C64 is in my blood! I just bought a new C64 and a 128D incase my old C64 dies (it's 10 years old, poor thing!) I'm already doing Amiga and PC graphics (for demos/games) but I'll stay in the C64 scene as long as there is atleast one more person in it apart from me. I'm totally addicted! Besides with escom producing new 64's for the Chi- nese market...The C64 will not die. it's a way of life, not just a computer. About your contacts ------------------ + What does your personal contact addy book look like at the moment. Do you have a lot of ctx? Name a few. - I have about 60, and I keep getting more! Help! I'm drowning in letters and I really have neither the time nor the money to keep them all! so if you are a swapper looking for a new group, please join Crea- tors and you can have 30 of my contacts... I also have about 10-15 contacts on the Amiga. I don't want to name a few and leave out the rest, as that wouldn't be fair I think. They all mean a lot to me, although they probably hate me for being so slow! + Do you prefer legal stuff or cracks from your ctx.? - I do prefer legal sendings, the only thing I like about cracks is watching the different intros, as some of them are quite good. I do have a large col- lection of original games... + Magazines! Some people say there's too many, some say there's not!! What do you think? - Hmm. I wish people started making demos again in- stead of diskmags. 10-15 mags would be more than enough. More people should do like Fairlight and Equinoxe and merge their mags. + Hmmm, somehow I don't think the fusion turned out that great after all! So what about demos? What do you think about the quality of the demos produced nowadays? - They are much better than ever before, that's for sure! It's nice to see that the C64 democoders have discovered the importance of good design. + What's your advice to all the demo producing groups, concerning their future productions? - Don't look back, nostalgia is a disease! keep doing "trackmos"! and write to me if you need graphics!!! (Really!) + If you had the opportunity to build up a new group, - which persons would you like to join ? - Coders : Slammer, Tts, Graham, Pride, Thomas, Rage. Musicians : Pri, Glenn Rune, Snap, Kjell, Kristian... Gfx'ers : Andreas, Biz Kid, Rrr, Rob, Wile Coyote... Swappers : Lemming, Mav, Gigabyte Modemtraders : Do I know any? Others : Most of my contacts, (they are all so nice). The Creators crew BRAINSTORM ---------- + What do you say when I say : Group : Fairlight! Coca Cola : I hate it! (Buaaahh!!) Friendship : The scene C-64 : My first love. Amiga : La Amiga es muy buena! Girls : Giana Sisters :) Beers : I don't drink alcohol. Magazines : Underground comics! Groupwars : A thing of the past? Sex : Fuenf sex, salte Kex Parties : I've only been to 2! Interviews : Makes me feel important. and last 'Skyhigh' : Big! + Yep, it is time to wrap up this interview for now, so I think it is about time to leave a piece of free memory for your pleasure. The word is free!! - Thank you! Let me start by saying: Green Day was a great band! and furthermore, if you need graphics for your game/demo/diskmag/whatever, try: LORD RED LORD RED XXXXXXXXXXXXXX And a big s o r r y to all of you who have waited for a reply from me! School and exams have caused some serious delays, but I'll try to sort it out as soon as possible. Please forgive me! + Finally I would like to ask you if you would like to do a piece of gfx for this magazine! Either for an intro or maybe even as an 'extra' Well I don't expect any answer, all I am asking for is that you will think about it!! - Yeah, sure! I've just finished my best picture ever.. Hope you like it! + Yeah boy!!! I love it. Thanx a lot my friend! It will ofcoz be used right away. Ok that's it.. We reached the end of this interview. So I better let you of the hook for now! Have a cool time in the future. Thanx homeboy!! -------------------------------------------- Another interview has seen its end!! So why don't you load another one! BIZ KID BIZ KID
