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 Spaztic PlasticInterview by muddasheep, December 27th 2003, 21:32:48 | |||||||
| "Spaztic Plastic" is a very funny online comic and very innovative too because it's made with 3D rendered pictures. At least I don't know any other webcomic which features something like that. This technique gives glasko, the creator of this comic, the ability to show us each scene in a unique style. But I better shut up now and let the master speak.
Hey Glasko, thanks for the interview! No problem at all, glad to be interviewed. Before we start with the questions I'd like to ask for an introduction of yourself. I'm a graphic design student at Kent State University in the second semester of my freshman year. 19 years old, I have a wide variety of interests. I've been working in web design and 3D graphics for about 4-5 years now, self-taught, starting in the emulation scene and moving into design. I also compose original music, creative writing, I'm in a band and I play/watch football as often as I can. When I'm not doing the creative things I want to or studying for school, I'm working full time in a wax paper factory that pretty much takes over those hobbies for awhile. Still, you have to make bucks for college- so you do what you got to do. When I was thirteen I was in a choir that traveled all through Europe and Asia, and got a good dose of the world around me. Life have slowed down since then, but no complaints here. I love all kinds of music, but I mostly listen to country (Grew up in Arizona, what can I say  ), and good Irish music (Respect the bloodline). I enjoy my life, watch History and Discovery channel all the time, and I've got a large family and an awesome girlfriend of three years.
How would you describe Spaztic Plastic? Spaztic Plastic is an entirely 3D rendered web comic about three, cliché minded super heroes. You got arrogance, intelligence and ignorance in three similar faced characters, who fight a classic nemesis bent on world destruction. It's beautiful  . Then you have a variety of characters that appear frequently and add to the ongoing storyline. Really, Spaztic Plastic is a humor/storyline comic and there's always an objective, with special attention to humor (which makes me laugh, I'm not always sure how other people are going to feel about it, though ). What makes me proudest of Spaztic Plastic, is that one of the most common comments I get is "Clever, Original". If everything I create gets those two comments, I'll be happy with it.
Why do you like comics? I like comics in general because they combine a diverse array of art forms into one, achievable project. This is second to motion pictures, which pretty much covers the whole spectrum of the creative arts. I never really read the classic comics when I was a kid. It's funny, because most people get into webcomics from the classics like Superman and the Hulk. I got into classics from reading webcomics. Why and when did you decide to do a web comic? April 2nd, 2003. I created this image ( http://www.glasko.com/spazticp(...) ). I had been really staying tuned to the war in Iraq as it was beginning, and I practically had myself glued to the news station for hours at a time. I modeled these fun loving characters to give my mind a break from the drama of the world around me. I'm very passionate about politics, but I'm also semi-crazy (you'd have to be to come up with a webcomic like this ). However, at first this wasn't even going to be a webcomic. It was going to be a collection of 3D images that I would post on Renderosity.com. I decided to create a comic, just to see how it would turn out. It was insanely gratifying, and I had found a new project that eventually became my #1 hobby.
How did you get the idea for the name "Spaztic Plastic"? Haha, right. I don't know, really. This just sort of came to me. It wasn't until after I created the characters that I realized they looked like plastic. I don't usually hesitate when naming things... I don't jot down hundreds of names and fish through them for hours. Whatever comes to my mind first deal is the name the character gets. Brotic and Raitic got their names the same way, totally out of the air the second they were created. It seems that you are a fan of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Why? It's an excellent platform. It's challenging and it holds my attention. Beating a game is about mastering it, patience and timing. I really don't play many new games. In fact, the last newer game I really played was Zelda64, and now THAT's considered a classic. I used to think people who played Atari games were stuck in the stone age, looks like I am too, now . I suppose more than anything, it's a nostalgia thing. The system itself and the games with it are reminiscent of my childhood years, the same thing that pulled me into the emulation scene so strongly.
Why did you choose a 3D rendered environment? Simple, really. Before I started the webcomic I had been working with 3D graphics constantly. I portfolio this work on Glasko.com. I knew that if I were to do a comic, it would be 3D rendered. That's how I justify the time spent working on it. I'm going to college to learn 3D animation, and working on something like this can only improve my skills in that area. I've recently been watching DVD tutorials by Jeff Lew, and have been finding ways to improve the comic. People will have trouble understanding when I have to take breaks from the regular update schedule... but I'm a very, very busy person. I love the comic, and I will continue to work on it with pursuit of great traffic numbers and #1 on the top lists. I'm very patient, however, and very driven. I know the potential of my work, and I know that it will someday be something great that all the world will know about. How do you get the inspiration for the comic? Good question. I'm going to give you a really overused answer to this question, but it's the right one. I get inspiration for everything from the world around me, and sometimes I get it from whatever pops into my head. I can't tell you how many times I've changed dialogue or scenes at the last second, even right before updating. I go with something that makes me laugh. I figure if I like it, then there's got to be other people out there who share in the same humor I do... it's just a matter of finding those people .
Were you nervous when your page went online on April 2nd 2003? Nah. I don't really get nervous very often. When I opened the comic, the page was just an extension of glasko.com, so it was just like adding any other section to my already 3 year running website. Did you expect a large readership? I expect a large readership, but I run a realistic timeline. I'm not in a hurry to rush out and find readers, because I know that they'll find me as my work improves. It could be through other links, friends telling friends, or by people reading this interview and deciding to check it out  . I expect a loyal readership on a strong foundation of regular fans. So many sites get big on huge links and advertising schemes, but that kind of traffic dies down as the quality of the comic shows it's true colors. I plan to build like Biggercheese.com and Squidi.net do, on a strong foundation of people who think the same way I do, and enjoy a good laugh.
How did you manage to get more visits for your comic? Well, on a regular update schedule I got 200+ visitors a day. Anybody will tell you that in the world of the internet, that is nothing. When I ran an emulation site, we pulled in 10,000 a day without blinking an eye. However, there's a big difference between those hits. 200 people find the comic a day, many of them regular readers of Spaztic Plastic. When I ran the emulation site, 10,000 people wandered from search engines and random links looking for free games to play. Big difference there, and I'd take the 200 any day of the week. I manage to get more readers from simply continuing on the path I'm on and slowly, but surly, adding to that foundation. Do you think that you get more readers with a deep story than with just daily independent jokes? No way. It's much easier when comics are independent of a storyline. People have mixed feelings about the way I run the comic strip, but in the end it's only me who can decide what's best for the work. What are the advantages and disadvantages of web comics? Advantages, well you can do whatever you want and instantly your work can be shared with hundreds of people. The internet is a gift to the artist, and the webcomic is a true testament to that. Disadvantages are easy theft (Squidi.net, for example is often ripped off). Still, I think the advantages to a webcomic far outweigh the disadvantages. That's why today thousands of webcomics can be found by thousands of aspiring artists. How many visits do you have each day? Are they getting more or less? 200+ and steady growth with updates. Have you ever experienced traffic problems? Recently, yes. Working in a factory for 12 hours a day is probably one of the most draining things you can do mentally and physically. You don't feel good after a work day like you might after, say... a football practice. You're simply too tired and impossibly unmotivated to create anything but dreams. People hate it when an update schedule has to be put aside for things like work, and they don't really understand. It isn't a lack of effort or laziness, it's the pure fact that I care too much about to comic to put out half-assed work when I'm tired and mentally drained. One week without updates can destroy over half of your steady traffic in a heartbeat, and working to get it back is difficult. I'm confident that once I'm back in school, ready for several months of steady updates... traffic will be higher than it ever has been. But, once again... I'm very patient and I have faith in my abilities. Does the comic affect your real life surroundings? Sure does, but certainly not in a negative way. I take some free time out to work on the comic, and every now and then when I'm out I'll sketch down ideas as they come to me. My girlfriend loves the comic, as do my friends and family... and that's always positive support to have. I've met people who are ashamed of their creative ventures, and I've never understood that. What kind of people are your readers? Crazy people who like movies like the Naked Gun, and Monty Python . People with a little bit of insanity left from their childhood, and enjoy a flowing set of cliché and randomness from time to time. I'd assume, people just like me!
Have you ever thought about a PayPal donation option for your site? Nah, never had a request for it. If I were getting regular emails requesting a way to donate money, I would certainly take the time to add one. I sure as hell could use it. I pay for hosting and the regular costs of maintaining two sites on my own, while trying to pay for school. Would your readers actually donate some money? That's up to them .
What does the future of Spaztic Plastic look like? I see a springs of gold and fountains of milk and honey, midgets and racoons drinking the wine of life and glowing with Christmas joy. That and penguins. Of course I do see more chapters of Spaztic Plastic, also... and no planned stop of the project. What are your plans? Just trying to keep the idea fresh and entertaining for all the readers I've got, and me. To be honest, I see this comic matching Penny Arcade in popularity and becoming something truly great. Peopled thought I was joking when I took that first image to school and told them, "Say hello to the next Ninja Turtles". No surprise to my friends and the people who know me best, they would expect something like Spaztic Plastic from me . No hesitations in my dreams, my friend. I plan on being famous and sharing all my work with the world.
Okay, that's it! Is there anything you want to add? Hope you had a Merry Christmas, I know I did. Thanks for having me on your site! It was truly an honor to get the request to interviewed. I say we have a few beers and shoot some pool sometime .
The honor is on my side, man. Really. Thanks again for your time! Wish you luck for the future! Wish you luck as well! |     Links:
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| How readers rate this Interview: 7.87/10 (8 votes) | |||||||
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