Interviews
Interview with Gotcha
Published in Vandalism News #32
Performed by Jazzcat
J)
Welcome to the magazine, as normal with interviews, introduce yourself to the audience..
G)
My Name is Dário Krobath, I was born 1972 in Berlin. I’m working as an art-director in an agency (advertisement) in Köln (Cologne). You just may remember me as GoTchA - the graphician from the good old C=64!
J)
Could you tell us a bit about your C-64 history. When did you start in the scene? What groups have you been in? What are the main events and highlights of your scene career?
G)
Umhh... Toughest question right to the beginning! I’ll give it a try: I bought my first C=64 in the early 80´s, probably around 1985... Like all my friends at this time where totally freaked out about those games you could play (coloured!) I discovered the legendary Koala-Painter and had another type of fun with the 64! Soon I got contact to the scene, as my pictures got spread on mysterious ways... Tyrant, a good old American Voice-Hacker and the new founded "HellCats" made me join the scene! I did some graphics for them and got their latest calling cards in return - so I got hooked on the most worst drug: telephoning for free! I raised my list of contacts to an amount of steady 25 and meanwhile some guys in HellCats joined Crazy/Switzerland, I followed! Crazy was the best time in my life on 64! I enjoyed it keeping a quite good friendship via phone and the party-trips we made! The cologne-section of this group made Crazy what it is in history 64 today and together with Lotus we kicked! As the group split for Enigma, I retired, had a short time at Bod's Talent, but quit the scene after a couple days "forever"... Well, never say forever, since I measure the main highlight, I found out, that all the Crazy - Lotus members somehow are still friends, as we still stay in contact! (Cologne - Munich that is!)
J)
I remember reading the issues of Mamba, the nice little animations throughout the magazine by you (including the Little Comic chapter, cool idea!), also when the Propaganda magazine by Antichrist and later by Newscopy had the anti-Mamba intro in the front of their magazine. The magazine also was later produced under Ikari+Talent, Enigma etc... Please tell us about the days when you and others in Crazy were producing this magazine...
G)
Well, there’s not much to say: We came up with the idea of a magazine, to do a better job on it, as the other already existing magazines at this time! We gathered information from all over the world, mostly rumours and we just kept an eye on what the other groups did, because the main-business was cracking! So we came up with the idea, to collect the information we got and put it together, not realizing, that it would fit a whole magazine! So we invented Mamba. But we wanted Mamba to be not only pure info, we wanted it to be funny and worth downloading from our TSM-board! Mamba was great fun up to the point we got disagreements on its further production. There even was trouble about money we earned for Mamba when it was sold monthly. But most of the time we just had fun doing Mamba - it kept us alive in hard times!
J)
What is your idea on demo design and style or with the presentation of any project?
G)
Uhm! I don’t quite get this one! I hope this question is related to the times when I was active! When I was active, I enjoyed everything we produced. I just had fun doing what I did. I would never have finished anything I lost fun in. This would be for a job, but graphics haven’t been a job at this time, it was a hobby. Demos are and have been always a good way showing what you like to do, like tricky coding, amazing music and lovely graphic. I always enjoyed a good demo, but I didn’t like the demos, that just were made to say: Look we are still here - we want to be like you! Those demos, which names I even don’t remember killed the respect towards good group-names (I don’t say which names!). I always kept a look on the presentation of my contacts. The contacts I had, delivered me with first class products, always!
J)
Ever have any disagreements with any sceners or C64 related people or groups?
G)
Yes - there have been some, but I wouldn’t say those disagreements would have become outrages! I had some trouble with OMG, Spitfire/Action and even Tycoon/Crazy. Not a big fuzz, just different opinions - just funny people come up with this question. I hardly remember those disagreements and I guess this ain't a topic today. Besides I always respected what they did, because they did it for the scene on C=64.
J)
I think you have been involved in commercial productions such as games on C64 and maybe other platforms. Which ones? anything ever go unfinished?
G)
Yes, the most work on 64 games I did together with Cosmos Designs, Mc Sprite that was! I did some additional work on several webpages, as it seems there is a lack of people, who can animate graphics and create innovative sites. Since I work as an art-director in a creative agency in Köln, just some of the German people may remember the campaign from "Hol Harry". "Heizung im Arsch", "Dach im Arsch", "Schloss im Arsch", a campaign which had big response (positive and negative) - shown on big-sized-posters in many German cities was done by me. I invented the corporate identity for Bouvier-Gonski, a German book-store, finished my first children’s book and many more stuff and I do have steady customers of different known firms. I would be very interested in doing graphics for games on any platform, but had to reject the latest offers, due to a lack of time...
J)
Any hints and tips for the learning C64 graphician out there?
G)
Ha, ha, ha, no, not really. Just do, what you like, even if it is graphics on C=64 today!
J)
How would you describe the differences between scene personalities in the DEMO scene and CRACKING scene?
G)
I can hardly imagine there is still a cracking scene today! For the differences they are obvious - it’s two ways approaching a media. Some like to be illegal for the kick and some get a kick out of DEMOnstrating what else can be done on a machine! I learned to know both scenes, I liked both.
J)
Out of the following, which are your favourite on C64 of all-time...?
Demo Group: Crest (no doubt!)
Demo: Blackmails Dutch Breeze
Programmer: Magic Man
Musician: Deek
Graphician: Hobbit! (Although he never really accepted the contest using the joystick!)
Game: Zak McKracken
Cracker: Bod (Not because of his abilities, but because he has cracked the most games!)
Cracker Group: Ikari - Talent
J)
How has the internet changed your computer activities?
G)
Not much. I met people I thought they would be dead! It’s just easy - I’m in - Like Boris Becker!
J)
Do you still remain in contact with any other people from the C64 scene?
G)
Just a little bit: The Lotus people (Modern Bob, Weasel, Axiom, Deejay), Action Jackson, Flex/Contex contacted me some days ago, Shine/Crazy, Jinx, Bod, some Chromance guys and that’s about it... Maybe Radwar 2000 reveals some zombies?! (Meet me there!)
J)
Scene parties in the past sure would have been fun. Which ones did you go to and which is your favourite one?
G)
Venlo always was exciting. But the best time we had on Horizon’s Easter Party way back! Those Censor guys are from outta Space to make this planet a party-space-ship! I’m looking forward to Radwar 2000. I hope this one kicks.
J)
You did graphics for various things on C64 such as Mamba, crack intros, gfx-collections, demos... but which picture was your favourite you painted?
G)
None of these really! When I look on them today I’m about to puke. I’ll see if I can take some latest pictures to the Radwar Party in may and everyone who is interested can take a look on some new artwork... But I guess my pictures on C=64, they were quite okay at the time, when I pixeled them...
J)
Anything from the past that was quite funny, shocking or impressive that you would share with the readers?
G)
Yes! Funny was, to hear about the marriage of OMG with sorceress. (I still don’t know if this is a rumour...) Shocking was the nude photo, this crazy woman Aycee/TSM sent me! Wow! impressive were the boops she had!
J)
Feel free to say hello to anyone you know out there in C64 Land...
G)
Okay: "Hello!"
J)
Any words to leave a final impression on the audience?
G)
We ain't back - But we are History! CRAZY (thanks for reading from an old bone!)
Published in Vandalism News #32
Performed by Jazzcat
J)
Welcome to the magazine, as normal with interviews, introduce yourself to the audience..
G)
My Name is Dário Krobath, I was born 1972 in Berlin. I’m working as an art-director in an agency (advertisement) in Köln (Cologne). You just may remember me as GoTchA - the graphician from the good old C=64!
J)
Could you tell us a bit about your C-64 history. When did you start in the scene? What groups have you been in? What are the main events and highlights of your scene career?
G)
Umhh... Toughest question right to the beginning! I’ll give it a try: I bought my first C=64 in the early 80´s, probably around 1985... Like all my friends at this time where totally freaked out about those games you could play (coloured!) I discovered the legendary Koala-Painter and had another type of fun with the 64! Soon I got contact to the scene, as my pictures got spread on mysterious ways... Tyrant, a good old American Voice-Hacker and the new founded "HellCats" made me join the scene! I did some graphics for them and got their latest calling cards in return - so I got hooked on the most worst drug: telephoning for free! I raised my list of contacts to an amount of steady 25 and meanwhile some guys in HellCats joined Crazy/Switzerland, I followed! Crazy was the best time in my life on 64! I enjoyed it keeping a quite good friendship via phone and the party-trips we made! The cologne-section of this group made Crazy what it is in history 64 today and together with Lotus we kicked! As the group split for Enigma, I retired, had a short time at Bod's Talent, but quit the scene after a couple days "forever"... Well, never say forever, since I measure the main highlight, I found out, that all the Crazy - Lotus members somehow are still friends, as we still stay in contact! (Cologne - Munich that is!)
J)
I remember reading the issues of Mamba, the nice little animations throughout the magazine by you (including the Little Comic chapter, cool idea!), also when the Propaganda magazine by Antichrist and later by Newscopy had the anti-Mamba intro in the front of their magazine. The magazine also was later produced under Ikari+Talent, Enigma etc... Please tell us about the days when you and others in Crazy were producing this magazine...
G)
Well, there’s not much to say: We came up with the idea of a magazine, to do a better job on it, as the other already existing magazines at this time! We gathered information from all over the world, mostly rumours and we just kept an eye on what the other groups did, because the main-business was cracking! So we came up with the idea, to collect the information we got and put it together, not realizing, that it would fit a whole magazine! So we invented Mamba. But we wanted Mamba to be not only pure info, we wanted it to be funny and worth downloading from our TSM-board! Mamba was great fun up to the point we got disagreements on its further production. There even was trouble about money we earned for Mamba when it was sold monthly. But most of the time we just had fun doing Mamba - it kept us alive in hard times!
J)
What is your idea on demo design and style or with the presentation of any project?
G)
Uhm! I don’t quite get this one! I hope this question is related to the times when I was active! When I was active, I enjoyed everything we produced. I just had fun doing what I did. I would never have finished anything I lost fun in. This would be for a job, but graphics haven’t been a job at this time, it was a hobby. Demos are and have been always a good way showing what you like to do, like tricky coding, amazing music and lovely graphic. I always enjoyed a good demo, but I didn’t like the demos, that just were made to say: Look we are still here - we want to be like you! Those demos, which names I even don’t remember killed the respect towards good group-names (I don’t say which names!). I always kept a look on the presentation of my contacts. The contacts I had, delivered me with first class products, always!
J)
Ever have any disagreements with any sceners or C64 related people or groups?
G)
Yes - there have been some, but I wouldn’t say those disagreements would have become outrages! I had some trouble with OMG, Spitfire/Action and even Tycoon/Crazy. Not a big fuzz, just different opinions - just funny people come up with this question. I hardly remember those disagreements and I guess this ain't a topic today. Besides I always respected what they did, because they did it for the scene on C=64.
J)
I think you have been involved in commercial productions such as games on C64 and maybe other platforms. Which ones? anything ever go unfinished?
G)
Yes, the most work on 64 games I did together with Cosmos Designs, Mc Sprite that was! I did some additional work on several webpages, as it seems there is a lack of people, who can animate graphics and create innovative sites. Since I work as an art-director in a creative agency in Köln, just some of the German people may remember the campaign from "Hol Harry". "Heizung im Arsch", "Dach im Arsch", "Schloss im Arsch", a campaign which had big response (positive and negative) - shown on big-sized-posters in many German cities was done by me. I invented the corporate identity for Bouvier-Gonski, a German book-store, finished my first children’s book and many more stuff and I do have steady customers of different known firms. I would be very interested in doing graphics for games on any platform, but had to reject the latest offers, due to a lack of time...
J)
Any hints and tips for the learning C64 graphician out there?
G)
Ha, ha, ha, no, not really. Just do, what you like, even if it is graphics on C=64 today!
J)
How would you describe the differences between scene personalities in the DEMO scene and CRACKING scene?
G)
I can hardly imagine there is still a cracking scene today! For the differences they are obvious - it’s two ways approaching a media. Some like to be illegal for the kick and some get a kick out of DEMOnstrating what else can be done on a machine! I learned to know both scenes, I liked both.
J)
Out of the following, which are your favourite on C64 of all-time...?
Demo Group: Crest (no doubt!)
Demo: Blackmails Dutch Breeze
Programmer: Magic Man
Musician: Deek
Graphician: Hobbit! (Although he never really accepted the contest using the joystick!)
Game: Zak McKracken
Cracker: Bod (Not because of his abilities, but because he has cracked the most games!)
Cracker Group: Ikari - Talent
J)
How has the internet changed your computer activities?
G)
Not much. I met people I thought they would be dead! It’s just easy - I’m in - Like Boris Becker!
J)
Do you still remain in contact with any other people from the C64 scene?
G)
Just a little bit: The Lotus people (Modern Bob, Weasel, Axiom, Deejay), Action Jackson, Flex/Contex contacted me some days ago, Shine/Crazy, Jinx, Bod, some Chromance guys and that’s about it... Maybe Radwar 2000 reveals some zombies?! (Meet me there!)
J)
Scene parties in the past sure would have been fun. Which ones did you go to and which is your favourite one?
G)
Venlo always was exciting. But the best time we had on Horizon’s Easter Party way back! Those Censor guys are from outta Space to make this planet a party-space-ship! I’m looking forward to Radwar 2000. I hope this one kicks.
J)
You did graphics for various things on C64 such as Mamba, crack intros, gfx-collections, demos... but which picture was your favourite you painted?
G)
None of these really! When I look on them today I’m about to puke. I’ll see if I can take some latest pictures to the Radwar Party in may and everyone who is interested can take a look on some new artwork... But I guess my pictures on C=64, they were quite okay at the time, when I pixeled them...
J)
Anything from the past that was quite funny, shocking or impressive that you would share with the readers?
G)
Yes! Funny was, to hear about the marriage of OMG with sorceress. (I still don’t know if this is a rumour...) Shocking was the nude photo, this crazy woman Aycee/TSM sent me! Wow! impressive were the boops she had!
J)
Feel free to say hello to anyone you know out there in C64 Land...
G)
Okay: "Hello!"
J)
Any words to leave a final impression on the audience?
G)
We ain't back - But we are History! CRAZY (thanks for reading from an old bone!)