talking with azrael, artist formally with ACiD, iCE, and now with Twilight..

Session Start: Wed Aug 20 19:09:51 1997

*** Now talking in #azrael

(µ) [o: 1][v: 0][n: 0][t: 1][m: none]

*** Joins: azrael_ (jasonw@ip71.nashville.tn.pub-ip.psi.net)

<dangermouse> yo oy
<dangermouse> just have to wait for rgt
<azrael_> whattup!?
<azrael_> who is rgt?
<azrael_> ah
yeah
<azrael_> that's who he is

*** dngrmouse sets mode: +oo azrael_ rGt

<azrael_> why can't it be just you and me? <dangermouse> rgt is over half of acheron
<azrael_> I don't like three somes
<dangermouse> hehe
<dangermouse> ok

*** rGt was kicked by dngrmouse (be gone)

<azrael_> okay letz rock

*** Joins: rGt (acheron@ppp-bri-175.ca.com.au) *** Parts: rGt (acheron@ppp-bri-175.ca.com.au)

<dangermouse> okies!
<azrael_> hhaah
<dangermouse> okies
<dangermouse> lets go
<azrael_> I wasn't serious ;)
<dangermouse> :)
<dangermouse> looks funny
<azrael_> ;)
<azrael_> your go chief
<dangermouse> umm, so azrael, tell me about yourself, name, sex, age, hobbies..
<dangermouse> wild fettishes
<dangermouse> etc :)
<azrael_> My name is Jason Williams - look me up in the military directory sometime, I'm 99.9% male, 21st birthday was this past friday - August 15th, Hobbies include art, Magic: The Gathering, going to nudie bars, and shooting pOol.
<dangermouse> haha nude bars?
<dangermouse> :)

<dangermouse> when did you first get involved in the scene?

<azrael_> I probably first got involved with the scene in late 1990 - early 1991
<dangermouse> way back when the BBS's were the scene
<dangermouse> not the net
<dangermouse> ?
<azrael_> yup, when long distance phone bills ran rampant through my household
<dangermouse> hehe.. yeah, the good old days..
<azrael_> but I became an elite phone h4xor and learned the tricks of the trade.
<azrael_> therefore, my phone bills went back to normal
<dangermouse> phreak
<dangermouse> :)

<dangermouse> how did you get involved? and more importantly, the first group, inspirations..

* dngrmouse sings

<azrael_> The main reason I got involved in the scene was because I played online door games alot. The graphics in these games were always cheesy and after seeing some old AAA ansi I started a graphics company to draw better graphics to improve the visual aesthetic look of door games.
<dangermouse> yep
<dangermouse> go on
<azrael_> so I meet some guys on wwiv net and we eventually started up our own little three man group, called Illusion, at the time.
<dangermouse> shit, what! no eLiTe LeTTeRs
<dangermouse> :>
<azrael_> A lot of the artist I saw when I first started drawing were Icy and Spectral Illusion
<azrael_> Nope, I am a member of the United States Navy now, I must set a good example for all.

<dangermouse> so you were inspired mainly be those two artists?
<dangermouse> ehhe :)
<dangermouse> yeah
<azrael_> Nope, those were just some of the top artist the time I started drawing. My main inspiration I meet in '92. The infamous and great Beastie of Acid.
<dangermouse> cool
<azrael_> I started hanging out on Channel 0 a lot and chatting with Beastie, he was basically a mentor who helped me with various things.

<dangermouse> where'd you go from Illusion? Did you give to aspirations of hitting the big time (namely joining an international group)
<azrael_> I left Illusion after about a four month period of the group. Shortly there after I joined up a group that you may remember called "RELiC.
<azrael_> Relic was composed of mostly the 404 area code artist.
<dangermouse> yeah i remember that name from somewhere <azrael_> Jello let me into the group and I became good friend with all the Relic people such as Fuct and Gwar

<dangermouse> gimme a basic history here
<dangermouse> ... of your more memorable groups

<azrael_> A brief timeline of my group history when I started hitting the big time would go like this -

rgt kept fucking messaging me, and consequently, my logged fucked up.. (ed note: i dont do this on purpose, shit happens.) basically it was Relic, Gothic, Acid, Ice and Acid again, and now Twilight..

<dangermouse> yep
<azrael_> I think I might have even made a stop in Union
<dangermouse> haha
<dangermouse> too many groups eh? :)
<azrael_> When you look at it, the years i've been in the scene I avergae a year per group ;)
<dangermouse> thats not too bad i gues
<dangermouse> s

<dangermouse> Thinking back, how did you develop as an artist? Did you experiment a lot with new school or..

(µ) The time is now 7:30pm.

<azrael_> A few days after I joined Gothic it merged with cid. At the time Acid didn't think I was good enough to come over from the merger, so I started working on ansi a little more. I made my big splash in Acid doing RIPscript a 16-color VGA art format. I've been mostly known for drawing rip. My ansi talents have improved tremendously within the past year though.
<dangermouse> i c
<azrael_> When I first started drawing there was not a "new school" there was only one distinct form of art, it was a) you drew and were good at it or b) you didn't draw cause you sucked.
<dangermouse> ahha
<dangermouse> yeah, i've noticed that..
<azrael_> Also
<dangermouse> or, basically new artists try to copy a diezynik or a portia (oz), without first trying the basic stuff
<dangermouse> go for the more abstract straight away
<azrael_> You can say technically there was another school, but not of certain style, but of what the people drew. This was the School of Ansimation - who JED ruled all himself.
<azrael_> JED was always the best and I don't think anyone can top his ansimation
<dangermouse> hehe .. yueah "_
<dangermouse> ahha

<azrael_> everyone was trying to be like certain artist, as you entioned, and copy their form, style, and ideas.
<azrael_> The best estimate I could give for the creation of this school was probably when everyone was a lOrd jAzz wanna bee.
<dangermouse> yeh :)
<azrael_> Everyone started copying other peoples art style cause they wanted to make a big name of themselves quick.
<dangermouse> the important thing -- speaking to all new artists, is to just draw a lot, you soon develop your own style -- even tho you may gain *inspiration* from somewhere else
<azrael_> Like they needed instant popularity cause they weren't accepted as part of the social crowd at school.
<dangermouse> haha.. exactly
<azrael_> I haven't copied anybodies style - but I have learned from looking at other peoples art. I'll be scrolling through and some things will stick in my head consiouscly or sub-consciously and when I draw those things may come out in my art.
<dangermouse> extacly, many artists flick thru packs to get inspiration, colour scheme ideas
<dangermouse> i do :)

<dangermouse> So, hows Twilight treating you?
<azrael_> Twilight rocks - they don't bug me to draw - period.
<dangermouse> So what, your like producing nothing :)
<dangermouse> "hey, twilight sucks", "yeah well, we've got azrael! so there!" :)
<dangermouse> sample conversatin :)

<azrael_> On a more in depth note though Twilight is a very laidback group and because the way it is ran, we end up with good packs every month no matter who draws, granted there are those who draw every month that are awesome.
<dangermouse> Thats prolly a better way to run a group -- not pressuring people to constantly produce..
<dangermouse> People will take more time drawing
<azrael_> Twilights fun we have a lot of zany ideas for projects some which you have seen and some that you will see. You have seen Twilight - X the Windows '95 ansi/vga/rip viewing proggie and you will soon see Twilight Studios, which I've beta tested, and give 100% approval as the best ever ansi drawing program that will ever come out.
<dangermouse> wicked shit
<dangermouse> windows based ansi prog or?
<azrael_> Twilight X is a windows based ansi/vga/rip viewer. Twilight Studios is a DOS based ansi drawing program.
<dangermouse> ahh
<dangermouse> cool

<dangermouse> okay, on a different note.. whats this about the NAVY? (brings a song to mind)

<azrael_> I'm so sick of ..(log fuckup #5000).. to, with my family, friends, and fellow sceners asking "Why?" So I'll make it short.
<dangermouse> aha, this is the point, put it in writing my friend, and every1 will know :)
<dangermouse> ahh

<azrael_> Bought a car and have bills to pay. want to go back to college. won't have time to study cause I'll be working all he time to pay car note/insurance/bills. Navy pays for me to go to school, all my food, basic clothing, medical/dental insurance, and I travel the world - while getting paid to do so.
<azrael_> Plus, it's a great education, and plenty of jobs
<azrael_> I can get into after I complete my six years of duty.
<dangermouse> yeah, i;ve got a couple of mates joining army reserves to study

<azrael_> mates means friends in English?
<azrael_> =)
<dangermouse> ahah mates = aussie for friends
<dangermouse> fosters = aussie for beer :)

<dangermouse> so your basically gonna out of the scene for quite a wee while?
<azrael_> Won't be a while before I have communication to the outside world. It'll be atleast early November before I'm able to get back on iRC. I have to get settled in at Nuclear Power School first and see what's going on.

<azrael_> guinesses rocks all beer
<azrael_> goldslauggers rocks all liquor
<dangermouse> haha
<dangermouse> well, anything i've forgotten to ask yer? by all means fire away

<azrael_> it I would like to mention a couple of insipirations I have ad over the years
<dangermouse> go for it
<dangermouse> they deserve it on.
<azrael_> Kamikazee (his shading style I just love), and Maestro (for showing me how to be a great leader without being an ironfist) and Lord Jazz giving scene new life and enthusiasm about ansi or killing it with is minions of followers.)
<dangermouse> hooray
<dangermouse> hha

<azrael_> Oh
<azrael_> There is one last thing I wanna say if your done...
<azrael_> ?
<dangermouse> haha.. yeah :) go
<azrael_> To all those people who try to destroy the scene, rape #ansi/irc channels, or say the scene is dying, GO SUCK A FAT NUT!
<dangermouse> haha!

*** Parts: azrael_ (jasonw@ip71.nashville.tn.pub-ip.psi.net)

Session Close: Wed Aug 20 20:10:37 1997