Interviews
Interview with Morpheus
Published in Vandalism News #39
Performed by Vengeance
Welcome back to the interview pages of Vandalism. Here we present some interesting discussions with members of our glorious scene. The first instalment is no exception, this time round it is MORPHEUS of FLASH INC in the spotlight.
Most of you would have heard of famous magazines such as HOTSHOT and the famous Swedish demo group called Flash Incorporated. Well this guy was in both, let's bring it on...
V)
Hi, please introduce yourself to our readers and let them know a little about yourself.
M)
My name is Andreas, soon 29 years old, musician, producer of www.c64hq.com, proud uncle, computer addict!
V)
FLASH INC have been inactive for a very long time on the c64, well Flash ever release anything on the c64 again? Is there any unreleased stuff still hanging around in oblivion? If there is will it ever see the light of day?
M)
If you take a look at the graphics on www.c64hq.com (my current heart and soul), you'll see what was supposed to become a Flash Incorporated demo back in 1995-96. THE SPY lost all inspiration, so the code wasn’t finished. There’s of course a few things hanging around on the discs, but it needs a lot of work, and as things look right now, they are gonna stay there, untouched.
We have all moved on to my challenges in life, and to be honest with you, I don’t think I'd ever draw something on the c64 again. But never, say never. I still have a huge interest in the commodore 64 and when ever ZODIAC, THE SPY or any of the other coders gets the inspiration back, we might do something for fun.
V)
You used to edit the magazine HOTSHOT which was one of the better magazines going around in the nineties, do you miss editing this magazine? was it a hard job? and would you ever edit a magazine again ?
M)
We were working on a new outfit, in 1994, I think Warp 8 was the coder, and things looked promising. But as far as I saw it, the news had dried up and I was tired of copy parties, I wasn't swapping no more, so what was I supposed to write about? I actually looked at an old issue the other day and I wasn't very impressed with myself. The text was more or less crap. But I'm not ashamed of it, and I don't regret writing it. It was a good learning period, and the design of the mag was quite sophisticated (which was something I was responsible for too). Do I miss it? No. Hard job? Yes, I think I thought it was hard work at the time.
V)
Have you ever been to any major scene parties? If so can you remember the best one you were present at? or can you remember some funny stories or moments from any scene parties of the past you might like to share with our readers?
M)
There are really too many memories. If I ever meet you in the future, I'll tell you all about them! But you can always check out the pictures at www.flashinc.c64.org. They give you a good glimpse of Flash Incorporated's time at the parties we went to (especially the pics of Zodiac while he was asleep). I went to the HORIZON parties and even got to attend a Venlo meeting, but I never got to the parties in Alvesta, Sweden. All my heroes were there, but I had no money to go and it was too far away. I remember the Flash meeting in Tyreso/Sweden 1992 where we worked together on Prometheus Unbound, and I remember that we had a Fab week together with lots of stupid things going on.
V)
What’s happened to the other FLASH INC members? like Zodiac, Moon, The Spy, Crept, etc. What are they doing these days? Do you still have contact with them? and what are they and yourself doing in real life these days? Still involved with computers?
M)
The problem with this group was that we weren't real friends in real life. You know, I would only hear from Zodiac whenever he had new demo parts ready. He never called to ask how I was doing. The Spy has been a friend forever and Crept was always cool to be with (even thought he was Norwegian). I'm not really in contact with anyone except The Spy, and I know he’s in computers. Crept was a handball star the last time I talked to him (which was in 1998) and Zodiac is probably programming at some company. Moon moved to Stockholm a couple of years ago, but we don’t hang out. I don’t know about the rest of the pack. The real friendship was missing, and so when all of us got tired of spending our summers indoors working on the next demo. I guess we went separate ways without really caring about what happened to the group or the other members. At the present moment, I work on www.c64hq.com and write music everyday.
V)
How did you come up with you handle?
M)
It was a guy called Uffe Meskanen (a member of the Fire Force) who helped me get it. he used to give me the games he cracked and coded routines and explained how they worked, without really asking for anything in return. The year was 1986/87 and my handle then was hook2001, and Uffe thought I needed a new one. Together we made a list of names that could work. I first picked The Phantom, but we later found out that the name was already taken. We went back to the list and agreed on that Morpheus was cool. Morpheus equals the dream god, and later on it showed to be a good pick. Because I was always dreaming.
V)
How did Flash Inc, get formed? are you an original member? and how did you guys come up with the name Flash Inc?
M)
I don't know the real deal, but Zodiac and Sharp used to have a group called Acid, and together with some guys from Redline 2000, they formed Flash Inc. The year was 1989. It was actually a very unknown and very lazy Flash member called Epsilon. arranged so he, Moon, and I could join. We didn't have to show anything we'd done, and I think that was because Zodiac thought it was rather flattering that we wanted to join his group. Zodiac was the ultimate coding monster, and I saw that he had something special in him. Really dedicated and interested in programming.
V)
What about your personal scene history? How did you get started? have any different handles and what groups have you been involved with?
M)
Hook 2001 and Morpheus are the only names I've used. The other groups I was in: Thundersoft (me hacking away in basic), Quick Quartet, Peek and Poke, Pentagel, Gemini, Eltronic/Shine, Zone 45, Flash Inc and my retro group The Increasing Popularity Crew (we haven’t released much, but what an excellent name that is!!!). If you wanna know more about my scene history, I suggest that you download the demo Still Cruisin' from www.flashinc.c64.org
V)
How many demos, products and tools have Flash Inc produced over the years? do you have any personal favourites or projects you have had a lot of involvement with?
M)
God, I don’t know. If we talk demos, I think its about 25 of them. There are various ripps and stuff like that, and a couple of tools too. My favourite must be receiving the many kind comments about the font I did for the intro to Party Attraction. Its a huge 8x8 font and was just a living hell to draw. Also, seeing HOTSHOT up among the 3-5 top mags in the world was a thrill.
V)
What were your jobs on C64?, if you had your time again do you think you would choose a different profession on the Commodore 64?
M)
I was doing graphics, designing and editing Hotshot. I should of gotten involved in writing music, but I’m happy with what I did and I hope that I was able to inspire people.
V)
Name your favourite...
Demo: So-Phisticated 3, Larch 3, any Judges demo.
Demo Group: 1001 of course, The Silents (huge inspiration), Relax, WCC, etc.
Coder: Zodiac, Kjer, Hacktec, Dezed & Utopia, Mr. Cursor.
Musician: Daglish, Hubbard, Galway etc but also Zyron and the very talented often under credited JCH (glider plot is so emotional).
Graphician: Stevenson, Dokk, Wahid, Mcdonald, Sleigh, Levy.
Cracker: Mr.Z, Janitor, Gollum.
Cracking group: Triad, Fairlight.
Game: Mostly the sport games and hardly ever the adventure games.
V)
Did you ever work on any C64 games or did any of the other members of Flash Inc?
M)
There were a few of us in Flash that had the Octabits together with Redstar. Zodiac, Moon and Redstar did 3 games : Pair of memory, Psycic Koas, and Funball. I was working on a Tetris clone, but it never happened. I thought about this a few weeks back actually. I find it a bit peculiar that not more of us demo guys went on to produce games. It would have been amazing to be a part of that if I think about it now!
V)
What is your opinion on the c64 scene still being alive and actively productive in the year 2002?
M)
I don’t know much about the scene these days, but I think that guys like yourself are doing a fab job! I imagine it can be really tough at times. I've also seen some of the demos released lately from groups like Booze Design which are amazing stuff!
V)
What do you think were/are the differences between the cracking scene people and the demo scene?
M)
The cracking dudes always seemed to have a lot more attitude than us demo dudes (even though we used to fight with each other from time to time:-)).
V)
Here is your chance to say hello to any freaks on the C64 you know and remember.
M)
Zyron, Unlock and Druid - for excellent friendship and wok on www.c64hq.com! Too many to mention from the past... No one named, no one forgotten, well Jack Daniels must be mentioned thanks for the 0% alcohol beer man! :)
V)
Thanks for you time and I hope you enjoy this issue of VANDALISM NEWS, any last words to leave a final impression on our audience?
M)
Well, I had a blast being a part of a successful group and an amazing scene! If it wasn’t for my father bringing the computer home back in 1984, I don’t know what I’d be doing today. I learned how to draw and design on the Commodore 64 which has led me to where I am today! Cheers!!
Published in Vandalism News #39
Performed by Vengeance
Welcome back to the interview pages of Vandalism. Here we present some interesting discussions with members of our glorious scene. The first instalment is no exception, this time round it is MORPHEUS of FLASH INC in the spotlight.
Most of you would have heard of famous magazines such as HOTSHOT and the famous Swedish demo group called Flash Incorporated. Well this guy was in both, let's bring it on...
V)
Hi, please introduce yourself to our readers and let them know a little about yourself.
M)
My name is Andreas, soon 29 years old, musician, producer of www.c64hq.com, proud uncle, computer addict!
V)
FLASH INC have been inactive for a very long time on the c64, well Flash ever release anything on the c64 again? Is there any unreleased stuff still hanging around in oblivion? If there is will it ever see the light of day?
M)
If you take a look at the graphics on www.c64hq.com (my current heart and soul), you'll see what was supposed to become a Flash Incorporated demo back in 1995-96. THE SPY lost all inspiration, so the code wasn’t finished. There’s of course a few things hanging around on the discs, but it needs a lot of work, and as things look right now, they are gonna stay there, untouched.
We have all moved on to my challenges in life, and to be honest with you, I don’t think I'd ever draw something on the c64 again. But never, say never. I still have a huge interest in the commodore 64 and when ever ZODIAC, THE SPY or any of the other coders gets the inspiration back, we might do something for fun.
V)
You used to edit the magazine HOTSHOT which was one of the better magazines going around in the nineties, do you miss editing this magazine? was it a hard job? and would you ever edit a magazine again ?
M)
We were working on a new outfit, in 1994, I think Warp 8 was the coder, and things looked promising. But as far as I saw it, the news had dried up and I was tired of copy parties, I wasn't swapping no more, so what was I supposed to write about? I actually looked at an old issue the other day and I wasn't very impressed with myself. The text was more or less crap. But I'm not ashamed of it, and I don't regret writing it. It was a good learning period, and the design of the mag was quite sophisticated (which was something I was responsible for too). Do I miss it? No. Hard job? Yes, I think I thought it was hard work at the time.
V)
Have you ever been to any major scene parties? If so can you remember the best one you were present at? or can you remember some funny stories or moments from any scene parties of the past you might like to share with our readers?
M)
There are really too many memories. If I ever meet you in the future, I'll tell you all about them! But you can always check out the pictures at www.flashinc.c64.org. They give you a good glimpse of Flash Incorporated's time at the parties we went to (especially the pics of Zodiac while he was asleep). I went to the HORIZON parties and even got to attend a Venlo meeting, but I never got to the parties in Alvesta, Sweden. All my heroes were there, but I had no money to go and it was too far away. I remember the Flash meeting in Tyreso/Sweden 1992 where we worked together on Prometheus Unbound, and I remember that we had a Fab week together with lots of stupid things going on.
V)
What’s happened to the other FLASH INC members? like Zodiac, Moon, The Spy, Crept, etc. What are they doing these days? Do you still have contact with them? and what are they and yourself doing in real life these days? Still involved with computers?
M)
The problem with this group was that we weren't real friends in real life. You know, I would only hear from Zodiac whenever he had new demo parts ready. He never called to ask how I was doing. The Spy has been a friend forever and Crept was always cool to be with (even thought he was Norwegian). I'm not really in contact with anyone except The Spy, and I know he’s in computers. Crept was a handball star the last time I talked to him (which was in 1998) and Zodiac is probably programming at some company. Moon moved to Stockholm a couple of years ago, but we don’t hang out. I don’t know about the rest of the pack. The real friendship was missing, and so when all of us got tired of spending our summers indoors working on the next demo. I guess we went separate ways without really caring about what happened to the group or the other members. At the present moment, I work on www.c64hq.com and write music everyday.
V)
How did you come up with you handle?
M)
It was a guy called Uffe Meskanen (a member of the Fire Force) who helped me get it. he used to give me the games he cracked and coded routines and explained how they worked, without really asking for anything in return. The year was 1986/87 and my handle then was hook2001, and Uffe thought I needed a new one. Together we made a list of names that could work. I first picked The Phantom, but we later found out that the name was already taken. We went back to the list and agreed on that Morpheus was cool. Morpheus equals the dream god, and later on it showed to be a good pick. Because I was always dreaming.
V)
How did Flash Inc, get formed? are you an original member? and how did you guys come up with the name Flash Inc?
M)
I don't know the real deal, but Zodiac and Sharp used to have a group called Acid, and together with some guys from Redline 2000, they formed Flash Inc. The year was 1989. It was actually a very unknown and very lazy Flash member called Epsilon. arranged so he, Moon, and I could join. We didn't have to show anything we'd done, and I think that was because Zodiac thought it was rather flattering that we wanted to join his group. Zodiac was the ultimate coding monster, and I saw that he had something special in him. Really dedicated and interested in programming.
V)
What about your personal scene history? How did you get started? have any different handles and what groups have you been involved with?
M)
Hook 2001 and Morpheus are the only names I've used. The other groups I was in: Thundersoft (me hacking away in basic), Quick Quartet, Peek and Poke, Pentagel, Gemini, Eltronic/Shine, Zone 45, Flash Inc and my retro group The Increasing Popularity Crew (we haven’t released much, but what an excellent name that is!!!). If you wanna know more about my scene history, I suggest that you download the demo Still Cruisin' from www.flashinc.c64.org
V)
How many demos, products and tools have Flash Inc produced over the years? do you have any personal favourites or projects you have had a lot of involvement with?
M)
God, I don’t know. If we talk demos, I think its about 25 of them. There are various ripps and stuff like that, and a couple of tools too. My favourite must be receiving the many kind comments about the font I did for the intro to Party Attraction. Its a huge 8x8 font and was just a living hell to draw. Also, seeing HOTSHOT up among the 3-5 top mags in the world was a thrill.
V)
What were your jobs on C64?, if you had your time again do you think you would choose a different profession on the Commodore 64?
M)
I was doing graphics, designing and editing Hotshot. I should of gotten involved in writing music, but I’m happy with what I did and I hope that I was able to inspire people.
V)
Name your favourite...
Demo: So-Phisticated 3, Larch 3, any Judges demo.
Demo Group: 1001 of course, The Silents (huge inspiration), Relax, WCC, etc.
Coder: Zodiac, Kjer, Hacktec, Dezed & Utopia, Mr. Cursor.
Musician: Daglish, Hubbard, Galway etc but also Zyron and the very talented often under credited JCH (glider plot is so emotional).
Graphician: Stevenson, Dokk, Wahid, Mcdonald, Sleigh, Levy.
Cracker: Mr.Z, Janitor, Gollum.
Cracking group: Triad, Fairlight.
Game: Mostly the sport games and hardly ever the adventure games.
V)
Did you ever work on any C64 games or did any of the other members of Flash Inc?
M)
There were a few of us in Flash that had the Octabits together with Redstar. Zodiac, Moon and Redstar did 3 games : Pair of memory, Psycic Koas, and Funball. I was working on a Tetris clone, but it never happened. I thought about this a few weeks back actually. I find it a bit peculiar that not more of us demo guys went on to produce games. It would have been amazing to be a part of that if I think about it now!
V)
What is your opinion on the c64 scene still being alive and actively productive in the year 2002?
M)
I don’t know much about the scene these days, but I think that guys like yourself are doing a fab job! I imagine it can be really tough at times. I've also seen some of the demos released lately from groups like Booze Design which are amazing stuff!
V)
What do you think were/are the differences between the cracking scene people and the demo scene?
M)
The cracking dudes always seemed to have a lot more attitude than us demo dudes (even though we used to fight with each other from time to time:-)).
V)
Here is your chance to say hello to any freaks on the C64 you know and remember.
M)
Zyron, Unlock and Druid - for excellent friendship and wok on www.c64hq.com! Too many to mention from the past... No one named, no one forgotten, well Jack Daniels must be mentioned thanks for the 0% alcohol beer man! :)
V)
Thanks for you time and I hope you enjoy this issue of VANDALISM NEWS, any last words to leave a final impression on our audience?
M)
Well, I had a blast being a part of a successful group and an amazing scene! If it wasn’t for my father bringing the computer home back in 1984, I don’t know what I’d be doing today. I learned how to draw and design on the Commodore 64 which has led me to where I am today! Cheers!!