Interviews

J)
Hi there Kim and welcome to Vandalism. You are quite known already in the scene, but for those who came in late please introduce yourself…

C)
My name is Kim "Creeper" Nordstrom. I am 21 year old and my main part has always been graphics.


J)
What would you regard as your best personal achievement on C64?

C)
Been charted as the Nr.1 graphician for a couple of years in all the magazines.

J)
Yes, that’s true, especially after your release of Creep Show by Flash Inc your position rocketed. Anyway, could you please give the audience a history on when you joined the C64 scene, what groups you have been in and any major highlights of your scene life...?

C)
I started in 1989, quite late, but I was only 14 years old. It was the time when the old and gold people thought the C64 scene was dead because of the Amiga. Well, I formed groups with people that now are in groups like Antic, Fairlight and Dual Crew. In 1990 or 91, I joined Antic. My time there was very good. I learned a lot about the scene and what good graphics was. In 1993 I jumped around a couple of groups like Deathsector and Fairlight but I ended up in Flash Incorporated that was one of the biggest groups at the time. A couple of weeks after I joined we released a demo and my only graphic in it was a helicopter that was two pages wide.

After that I was charted in almost all magazines top 10. I had been discovered by the people. From 1993 I entered the first place almost everywhere and I won a couple of graphics compos (and second places). In 1995 Flash Inc was almost dead, nobody did anything. So, I rejoined Antic. Me, Depeh and Zyron was a great trio. We made Lunacy 7 that was our best demo so far! (That’s what I think...) Now nobody does anything in Antic. Zyron left for F4cg and me and Depeh both work in the multimedia area.
Under all this time from 1991 I made a lot of stuff for Dual Crew (or DCS) with my good friends Metal Maniac and Jordan. Find DCS on: //www.algonet.se/-mm

I think that I am one of very few that has succeeded so well in the C64 scene and I am very grateful for it because my computer experience helps me so much in my job. The way to think! all the ideas.

J)
Hope to see some more products from both Antic and Dual Crew, get the guys motivated! What are your jobs in Antic and have you ever done anything like music or programming?

C)
Mainly graphics but also programming. No music, never!


J)
Can you please give us an update on the current activities of Antic, is the rumour true that you all left and joined Dual Crew? What projects will be released by you in the future and what has Antic got installed on C64.

C)
There will probably never be anything more from Antic, but you never know! The people of Dual Crew are more active but not on the C64! On the Internet. I do what I want for any of these two groups or what they want me to do!

J)
That’s a pity about Antic, hope Depeh can get active again sometime. What words of advice could you give to the learning painters out there, how should they go about things to improve their skills?

C)
Just practice and never give up. Have fun and study the best!


J)
What is your opinion on the Dane scandal with him being accused of ripping graphics? What’s your opinion of the conversion of graphics from other formats to the C64 format?

C)
Well, what I know he and Joe/Wrath is quite good at it. My opinion is that Joe is the worst because I know he repixels scanned pictures. Dane should do music instead of graphics.


J)
I personally think Dane is a very capable musician and graphician and he should continue with both. By the way have you seen the new graphics formats developed by the guys in Crest lately?

C)
Nope?! It’s probably nothing I'd die to see. What’s so good with it?


J)
Well, I myself don't know the technical improvements it has over other editors, but the result sure looks nice. I will email them to you for you to examine. What graphicians do you respect and why?

C)
Mirage/Censor because he and I made the same kind of graphic at the same time that was a new way of painting (without seeing each others graphics!). Ogami/Fairlight because he made the graphics in a way that no one thought of. I can't remember so many more that was good. Sorry!

J)
What made you go inactive on C64, will you again be painting on the C64 or release any projects containing gfx? I also understand you are involved in the Bouncy Balls project with Bob/Censor, when will this be out and what did you do for the game?

C)
I did not have the time for the C64 anymore. I hate to say it but that’s the way and I have to accept it. I really want to make some more stuff on the C64 but I don't have the time. I made all the graphics (except for the sprites in the game) in Bouncy Balls and I think I made a quite good job. BB has been ready since early 1996 and I really don't know why it hasn't been released. Bob is so busy with their PC game but calls from time to time to Cherry Software to ask! I really want it out before its too late.

Hopefully I will release all the graphics in some kind of collection one day.


J)
I have seen the preview of the game and it looks rather original, would like to see it be released also! What are your all time favourites of the following?

Demo groups - (Melon Design on Amiga) on C64 - DCS 64.
Coders - Depeh/Antic, Flamingo/Light, Tron/Flt, MM/Dual Crew and Jordan/Antic.
Graphicians - Mirage/Focus.
Musicians - Zyron/Antic, Drax/Vibrants, Jeroen Tel.
Demos - Too many! I love demos! But I like Arla/DCS and Fairlight demos.
Sexual position - So many as possible that feels really good!
Woman - My girl.
Food - A lot of food in many different ways!
Drink - Water, milk, beer and soda - in that way!
Political group - The right!


J)
Very interesting, I hate political groups but it is topic of interest, none of them are right in my opinion. Your handle, Creeper, is there a reason for choosing it? have you any other nicknames?

C)
Well, I can't remember why I chose Creeper, but I know that no one else has taken it and that’s really good. Once I found out on a party that there was a guy there that called himself Creeper. Me and a couple of friends went and took a microphone for the place and called him to the entrance. When he came we found out that he was a newcomer and he promised to change his handle!

J)
Promptly so I trust! What do you think of the internet? have you been involved graphically in any World Wide Web projects and do you run your own page? What do you think of the internet becoming so commercial, everyone seems to talk about it, how do you think things will be in say, 20 years time?

C)
My job now days are more programming. I work at a school as a teacher to teach multimedia programs. Professionally I have made WWW.ELLOS.SE and WWW.NEVERMIND.NET and that’s it. Most of my time is for the students. In 20 years? I have no idea. No one has.


J)
Magazines come and go, from what you can remember from the past, is there anything you think that needs to be added to them? If you wrote a chapter for a magazine what would you have in it?

C)
What I remember is that Sex'n'Crime and Mamba was very big when I started. I think that the magazines split some there would be one made only for graphicians, one only for crackers and so on. So people don't have to read about things they are not interested in. Send some magazines to me! I like magazines.


J)
Okay I will send you some fresh magazines as well as those graphics editors! Getting back to the interview, out of all your pictures you have ever painted on C64, which one took the most time to finish and which one is your personal favourite?

C)
The one I got on second place on TCC 1993. It took me over 20 hours to do. It was a Boris Vallejo picture and what I like about it is that people thought it was the only copy that was like the original. Many people tried to make Boris pictures on the C64 but failed. Now I have seen many good Boris pictures on the C64. But notice, I don't this that the Boris picture is the best one I made. It's the TIGER who’s the best.

J)
Have you ever been accused of ripping graphics? or scanning pictures?

C)
Yes! When I made Girls Face, 2 screens high in greyscale. It was under 1994 or 1995 and people seemed to think that if the picture was in greyscale it was scanned. Also many said the picture was too good to be drawn and that’s a big joke! This picture was in the last Flash Inc
demo.


J)
Normally people criticize when they are jealous because they cannot achieve what the other person has. What are your goals in real life and the scene? Tell us what you hope to achieve…

C)
In real life I feel that I already succeeded. My work is my hobby and it's well paid. I have a really nice girlfriend and I just feel very comfortable with my life. No worries. That’s unusual I think. The scene is a great memory for me and I will always love the time I had.


J)
I'm sure you have quite a few people you wish to say hello to, please feel free to do so…

C)
Hello! Metal Maniac, Joker, Stookie, Snuskis, Iridon, Mutant/DCS, Jordan, Depeh, Incubus, Xor/Antic, Zyron/F4cg, Tron, Bacchus, Ogami, Spirou, Sledge, Bob, Dragon, Goblin, Flamingo, Scooby, Yabba, Morpheus, The Spy, Zodiac, Moon and all the rest of Europe and the people I know or knew!


J)
Thanks for your time, I hope you enjoy this edition of Vandalism News. Any last words to leave a final impression on the audience?

C)
Remember me? and as The Spy/FHI once said that don't be more active than you feel like but never quit the scene. If you want to quit you can't! The scene will never quit you!


J)
True words, thanks again Kim!

C)
Bye!