Interview with ^azarath and ^Damaged927

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Since joining the site I've become very involved with the Anime & Manga galleries, submitting my own work, reporting miscats, suggesting DDs and getting to know the Gallery Directors for these galleries.

I decided I wanted to know a little more about them and their work for the site and their own interests in the anime genres, so here I bring you my interview with azarath and Damaged927!




First things first, what got you interested in anime?

azarath: When I saw some random anime movies on the Cartoon Network, when it first came on, back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.

Damaged927: Drinking and lots of it :nod: Ha Ha, I’m kidding, kind of ^^;  I was in college and I went home for the weekends my first semester but all my stuff was a school so I would sleep on the couch at home.  One night after a nigh at the pub with my buddy I got home, plopped down on the couch and turned on Adult Swim and caught the last 10 minutes of Full Metal Alchemist where Ed was fighting Greed.  I though, “Hmmm, that was pretty cool” and the next show was Neon Genesis Evangelion.  I saw all of that and thought that was mighty bad ass.  Well, the following week (or week after) same scenario happened and I caught all of FMA this time and loved it.  So I check that series and Evangelion out and I have been hooked ever since.  I found Elfen Lied on demand as well and that may have sealed the deal (fantastic series :nod: )


So, how long have you been interested in anime and manga?

azarath: Since I'm about 12 or 13, so a little more than half my life now. :)

Damaged927: Probably longer than I have known honestly, but being a serious otaku it would be since December of 2005.  Ha, wouldn’t you know it, on the topic of Elfen Lied the theme song just came on on my play list, how nice :D  


Do you watch much anime? What is your favourite anime show?

azarath: I've gotten into watching more, mostly thanks to my friends who collect fansubs and DVDs like mad.  I never collected much myself, I prefer collecting little anime merchandise, figures and stuff.  :lol:  My all-time favorite anime is Giant Robo.

Damaged927: Yes, I’d rather not talk about it. :giggle:  Just kidding.  I watch roughly anywhere from 2- 4 hours of anime on a work night and significantly more on the weekends when I have more time to play.  My favorite series is going to come as no surprise to a lot of you, but it is Rozen Maiden.  I love that series and, more importantly, Suiseiseki.  Desu~  The characters are developed so well (as to be expected from Peach-Pit) and the art is fantastic!  The story is really great as well (and kind of creepy if you ask me) and you can’t help but love all the characters individual personalities (except Shinku, she doesn’t count to me :lol: )


Do you have any favourite anime characters or characters you feel you can idetify with?

azarath: I don't think I can really identify with my favorite characters.  :lol:  The ones I like don't have much to do with each other.  Katsuhiko Jinnai from El Hazard, the Paper from the Read or Die OAV, Urahara from Bleach, Gintoki from Gintama, Kamina from Gurren Lagann... they're all pretty different, and I have lots of favorites. =D  But I also have a thing for villian characters....

Damaged927: Yes, I have a few favorite characters.  Most predominantly the Lord o’ Desu herself, Suiseiseki!  She’s so cute and malicious, what isn’t there to love?  Her design is great and she has a very intricate outfit.  Also, I really like Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Zephyris from Scrapped princess.  They are some really fun characters that don’t say a lot but say a lot (you get what I mean?).  Also, I’m a big fan of the adorable Ayu Ayu from Kanon, she’s so cute! :faint:  I love how she says Uguu~ all the time.  As for a character I can relate to, Konota from Lucky Star is a spitting image of me.  So much so that I am not sure how I feel about this revelation :paranoid:  


Art-wise, what is your favourite anime style?

azarath: I like more down-to-earth anime styles, less green hair and giant purple eyes, and more stuff like Baccano and Giant Robo. (No DA links, but here is some Giant Robo art: www.animepaper.net/gallery/sca… and here is some from Baccano: www.animepaper.net/gallery/sca… )

Damaged927: I’m not really sure what style I like the most.  I really like cell shaded pictures and I like the larger eyes.  And I like shiny :lol: So I suppose you could probably classify that as a Shojuo style, but I don’t think that quite covers it.  I suppose I’ll need to use some examples :plotting:
:thumb88465829: . Elemental reunite . by hizuki24 Ishtera- Talvi Group by DejiNyucu


Cool :D How long have you been drawing in the anime style?

azarath: Since I'm about 14 or 15, though what I did back then could hardly be called drawings.  :lol:

Damaged927: I’ve been drawing it since (give or take) March 2006.


What made you want to become a Gallery Director for the anime & manga galleries?

azarath: I was so flattered because I was recommended for the position. :omg:  I think the gallery has a lot of potential, and wanted to help promote a style I love that carries so many stigmas on this site.  I wanted to show anime was more than scantily-clad girls and Naruto fan art.  A lot of people complain about the gallery, so I figured the only way to make things better is to step forward and help.

Damaged927: The monies!  Wait... what?  There’s no money?  You all lied to me! :shakefist:  Ok, seriously now, I love featuring work and getting people involved in things.  I really enjoy holding contests and educating people on the style and culture (as much as I can).  

Deviant art has given me so much and a “home” so to speak.  A place where I can rest my E-Head (that sounds so weird).  I have a hang out place and I hung out with the Manga and Anime peoples the most here.  Where I work I work with people that are not in my age bracket so I can’t hang out with them or talk anime with them.  I couldn’t be like, “Hey, come over to my place a drink some beers and watch Soul Eater with me” :lol:.  Deviant Art has given me this, it has filled that void.  The longer I stayed here the more attached I got to it and the more involved I got.  

Because of this I wanted to give back to a place that gave so much to me.  I wanted to give time to the place that gave its time for me.  But most of all I wanted to make the Manga and Anime gallery as fun and exciting place as it could be!  I wanted to bring everyone together and make them feel comfortable with the place (cause we all know how overwhelming dA is at first).  

I could go on and on and on about this, but I think you know why now ;)


:giggle: sure do! Do you enjoy the work?

azarath: Very much so, that when I was offered to stay on the team longer, I jumped at the chance. =D

Damaged927: I absolutely love it!  There is nothing more rewarding to me than getting a random note or comment saying “Thank you so much for the feature” or “Thank you so much for looking at my work” etc.   The smile that gets put on someone’s face because I did something for them (as simple as putting a thumb in my journal of their work) makes it so rewarding.  


What is your favourite part of being a Gallery Director for anime & manga?

azarath: I love all the great people I've met here, and how helpful and nice they've all been.  I get to help other artists and create projects, and I've gotten more help with my own drawings. :)

Damaged927: I love interacting with everyone on a regular basis and knowing that what I am doing is making dA a funner place.  I was recently told by someone that they didn’t start watching anime until I got this position, that right there, that’s the reason I love it so much.  And I was also told (after AnimeNext) that it was good to have me back because dA falls apart with out me around.  To me, that was the best compliment in the world (and I didn’t know how to take it).  Things like that, that show that I am making a difference and making people happy in the Manga and Anime community here on dA is my favorite part.


And how about your least favourite part?

azarath: The fact that no one seems to get that Fan Art does not belong in the Anime gallery.  :noes:  No matter how much we stress it, people will always get it wrong... most of our miscategorizations we have to move are those, and it'd cut our work so much if people could realize this...

Damaged927: This is a tough one, but I would probably have to say the DD write ups.  They are tricky, cause sometimes I love a piece but have trouble putting it into words, you know what I mean?  And I personally feel the write up is important so I want to put my all into it, so sometimes I have a DD in hand but can't get the words out for it :giggle:


azarath, what's it like working alongside Damaged927?

azarath: I am so grateful for him... I was absent a lot recently, due to lack of internet and then health problems, and he was great at keeping the gallery together.  I don't know what would have happened if I was alone! :faint:


Damaged927, what's it like working alongside azarath?

Damaged927: She’s evil :nod: Just kidding of course :D  She’s awesome!  I went down to AnimeNext just to meet her ^_^  She’s been really helpful to me, especially when I was new and she really helped show me the ropes.  


What are your hopes for the anime & manga galleries?

azarath: Bigger turn outs for the projects and contests!

Damaged927: Right now I am pretty happy with how things are going.  I can’t think of anything right now, we have regular contests and news articles and the community choice, so I think things are going great!  People seem to be really enjoying M/A right now (in my opinion)


Are there any tips you can give to aspiring anime artists?

azarath: PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!  A lot of kids say, "Oh well I only want to draw anime, I don't need to know how to draw anything else..."  It's not true at all.  To stylize something you need to have a strong foundation in the basics so you know how to make it work.

Damaged927: Study anatomy!  It was my biggest mistake by not doing it first! :noes:   Though anime is a stylized art form, it still has its roots on the basic human figure.  With out knowing at least the basics you are gonna get discouraged when you look at those artists that you aspire to be because you won’t know what you are doing wrong.  So, yeah, study anatomy!  They eyes and hair and coloring will come in time, but study that first *is still learning it because he was a late learner*


Ok, so are there any tutorials here on deviantART that you think are particularly useful in learning to draw in the anime style?

azarath: browse.deviantart.com/resource… is a good place to start looking. =D

Damaged927: Oh yes yes yes indeed!  Here are a few that I found particularly useful:

Deji’s Way - These are fantastic!
Anime Bangs - Lovely tutorial
Drawing Clothing Folds - So helpful, especially with skirts


And for a bit of fun, if you were going to switch galleries with another Gallery Director, who do you think you'd trade with?

azarath: Fan Art, or Digital.  When I go out looking for DDs, I end up sending a lot of suggestions for their gallery more than I find for my own.  :lol:

Damaged927: I would think that if I was going to switch I would want to switch with aunjuli.  There is so much fan art of dA and I think that would be a ton of fun! :#1:


Wicked! Anything else you'd like to add?

azarath: I'm very flattered to be interviewed.  :noes:  Thank you!  And keep sending in those DD suggestions, all!



Thank you both very much for your time! I've enjoyed doing this interview and I hope people have enjoyed reading it :D

To finish off here are some thumbs from azarath and Damaged927's galleries!


azarath:

:thumb80945740: the good doctor by azarath catscratch fever by azarath osamu by azarath

Damaged927:

The Dark Aeon: Anima by Damaged927



Thanks again!
Interviewer Max Chase,
The-Max-Factor
© 2008 - 2024 The-Max-Factor
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OH LUCY AND LAN :D THE TWO ELZ OF THE ANIMU. <3333