An Interview With Cosplayer Jazzy Jenny

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Jazzy Jenny! Jazzy Jenny’s cosplays are among the most varied I’ve seen and what’s more she’s also pretty awesome too.  Let’s find out some more about Jazzy Jenny.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

My best friend @pockypants showed me the dark side!

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

Both!!!

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

I’ve made and pieced outfits together, sometimes with modifications. I’d say the hardest thing for me has been mastering makeup. I was really bad at it and cosplaying has really made me level up in that department. I love to do body paint!

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

Gamora!

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

I’ve always had a wonderful time at conventions and meeting people. I’ve gained so many friends from attending cons!

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

Yes! San Japan, Dallas Comic Con and Anime North Texas for sure! Hopefully more!

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

Sarah (ballgown version) from The Labyrinth and Cia from Hyrule Warriors.

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

Try to do what you think you can not. You’ll be really proud when you pull off a costume you didn’t think you could!

9) Where can we find you online?

• Instagram -­ Jazzy Jenny
• Facebook ­- Jazzy Jenny
• Twitter – Jazzy Jenny

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There you go readers Jazzy Jenny! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Prince Roxy Chan

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Prince Roxy Chan! The cosplays here were struly stunning, that’s what made me want to find out some more about her.  Let’s find out some more about Prince Roxy Chan.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

It all started back in 2007 when I saw some Kingdom Hearts cosplayers on youtube make dorky videos, It was one of my all time favorite games and I really wanted to be my favorite characters from the game really inspired me to make my first cosplay roxas. Now I cosplay sora crazy how much i’ve improved. I later on around 2013 started getting more serious with my hobby and started looking into how to sew with a machine and not hand sew stuff since it was too time consuming. Especially since I wanted to do more complicated characters.

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

My biggest inspiration has been Square Enix characters from Kingdom Hearts to Final Fantasy characters and a lot of Zelda they’re so beautiful! A big one is my childhood Magical Girls, my mom raised me on a lot of them from Sailor Moon, to Creamy Mami and Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne just a huge inspiration to me and big part of what I cosplay from.  

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

For me most of my costumes are either from scratch or ones I bought years back and have modified 98% from me scraping them and the seams and resewing them haha! I have to say my trickiest was my krul tepes dress I had to hand sew in a day before the convention since my sewing machine died on me, so many ruffles and ribbons still haunts me in my sleep! But usually costumes aren’t too hard for me i’d say the characters props are.

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

My favorite is Sora from kingdom hearts, bringing him to life is a huge accomplishment. He was a huge part of my childhood and to look and act like him with other fans and make them freak out over my outfit have to say that was one of best experiences. Some of the most purest happiest fans I’ve seen at conventions.

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

It all depends on what convention you go to I prefer mid sized conventions especially if you’re cosplaying it’s not so over crowded and can make good friends at them. Cosplaying at conventions is not the same as being a convention goer totally different feel especially the stares you get and having people stop you for pictures each minute! Everyone has to try it at least once if you enjoy cons it’s an amazingly fun experience.

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

Just finished anime expo just going to go to Sabakon in aug and maybe saboten in september that will be all for this year till next year Otakon Vegas and ALA!

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

Really want to do winged Princess Serenity but she’s gonna cost me a bit of an arm a dream cosplay for next year!

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

Just dork out and cosplay for the fun of it, do characters you whole heartedly love. Don’t cosplay for the fame of it and attention if you don’t have fun with a hobby it becomes a chore. Go make friends and have a fun experience it feels 10 times better. I wouldn’t give up the memories I have for anything in the world and people i’ve met through it all.

9) Where can we find you online?

You can check out my fb, youtube and instagram I’m always on those

• Facebook – Roxy Chan
• Youtube – Roxy Chan
• Instagram – Prince Roxy Chan

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There you go readers Prince Roxy Chan! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Michael Ajih

 

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Michael Ajih! The quality of Michael Ajih outfits are what made me contact him for an interview, they are truly stunning!  Let’s find out some more about Michael Ajih.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

It started back when I went to a fancy dress party in 2004, after the party was done I wanted to dress up again. The only excuse I had to dress up was themed parties which was poor because it only happened on those rare occasions.

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

The inspiration comes from my friends who are cosplayers too (which helps a lot), and things I see in film, television and in the comic books or anime.

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

I get my suit done from the RPC Studios they did a magnificent job on my Spider-Man (Miles Morales) suit, I have two more suits coming from them… WATCH THIS SPACE.

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

I’ve done the following…

• The Flash

• Captain America

• Star-Lord

• Spider-Man (Miles Morales)

Out of all of them I would have to say hands down it would have to be my Spider-Man cosplay as my favourite one so far.

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

The experience is amazing you get to meet like minded people, see cosplayers in their element as well as yourself. A lot of photos being taken. Meeting the writers/artist from the comics you read.

But most importantly of all of that is bringing the magic to the children where the world they see in their imaginations or in some sort of media is actually brought to life and real for them. It’s really great fun.

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

Yes you’ll, the next convention I’ll be at is MCM London ComicCon in October. I’ll be there all three days plus I’ll be making my debut in my two new suits.

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

That’s a hard one because I can’t just choose one, but here’s a few if the cosplays I would do if the opportunity was given…

• Spawn

• Falcon

• War Machine

• Cyborg

• Batman Beyond

• Deadpool

• Black Panther

8) Where can we find you online?

You can find me online on the following social media sites…

• Twitter – iAMmichaelajih
• Instagram –  michaelajih

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There you go readers Michaelajih! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Ice Queen OG

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Ice Queen OG! Ice Queen OG is not only a cosplayer, but also a writer and page model too. Now that’s an impressive triple threat! Let’s find out some more about Ice Queen OG.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

I have known about cosplay for several years, but always thought it wasn’t something I could do. Then mid-summer of 2015 a few friends of mine told me they were going to Anime Fest in Dallas, Texas, and invited me along. They were all cosplaying and were really encouraging for me to join them. So I cosplayed Darth Vader in a Suit (kind of Star Wars/Pulp Fiction crossover). It was so much fun! I knew I had to do it again, and now I’m obsessed!

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

Most of my inspiration actually comes from video games I play. I love that you can pull a character from any medium now, and cosplay it to your hearts content. Before I started cosplaying I thought only Anime characters were allowed, and if you did anything else it would be looked down upon. Thankfully, it isn’t like that and most people I meet while cosplaying are super encouraging!

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

I’ve only put together 5 cosplays since I started. However, I’ve put together one completely from scratch (I have plans to change that for next year’s con season). I’m a firm believer in closet cosplaying or buying pieces that are already made and putting them together. Especially if they are cosplays that involve school uniforms or basic clothing essentials where it’s more cost effective to buy they pieces than it is to make them.

So my trickiest cosplay to date has been my Dolmari cosplay from the video game Dreamfall Chapters. It was a couple of firsts for me: my first time using body paint, and my first time constructing something that had to hold weight. The body paint was a nightmare the morning of my photoshoot! I had originally only ever painting my face, which was terrible planning on my part, because I barely allotted myself enough time to get my legs, arms, and face covered. The neck piece I had to create for the cosplay was the worst part of the whole thing! The way I originally made it wasn’t strong enough to support the tree limbs that are supposed to rest in it, and it snapped on the day of the photoshoot! Thankfully I got great advice about stronger building materials from some cosplayers I met at A-kon this year and was able to fix everything!

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

It’s a tie between my Darth Vader in a suit cosplay and my Dolmari cosplay. I think it’s fun to put the suit and mask on, and everyone think I’m a guy. I get 100% more bro-fists and “Hey Dude! Sick cosplay!” then when I cosplay anything else. On the flip side I love dressing up in the Dolmari because it’s so pretty and ethereal.

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

It’s awesome! I recommend everyone go to one, because there is a convention for everyone! I’ve only been to anime and pop culture conventions, but it’s a great feeling to go into a place where there are anywhere from 50 – thousands of people who have similar interests as you.

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

Yes! I’m going to be at Anime Austin, Anime Fest, San Japan, and Ikkicon.

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

Right now it would be the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. It’s the final form of one of the main mechs in Code Geass. It’s really tall and has light up wings. I couldn’t even being to figure out how much foam I would have to buy to make it.

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

Don’t think you can’t do it just because the people you see cosplaying don’t look like you. If you want to cosplay then you should cosplay. No questions asked. Also don’t let cost or lack of skill be an issue to prevent you from cosplaying a certain character, there’s always a way to make something happen with enough research and planning.

9) Where can we find you online?

You can find me on Instagram and Facebook, as well as Twitch where I livestream video games, social eating, and making cosplay.

• Facebook – Ice Queen OG
• Instagram –Ice Queen OG
• Twitch – Super Scrub Brothers

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There you go readers Ice Queen OG! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Corcid Cosplay

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Corcid Cosplay! Corcid Cosplay is what I’d like to call a mini internet celeb, it’s not hard to see how she’s got over 10,000 instagram followers,with most of her work being quite frankly awesome! Let’s find out some more about Corcid Cosplay.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

I got into cosplay late sadly, but dressing up was always my favorite! I went to my first con and saw people dressed up and I knew that was what I wanted to do as soon as I had the time! I wore a halloween costume to my next con, no shame!

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

I get my inspiration from just anything I love, movie, tv, comic books, videogames and etc! A little but of both, I love new things every day!

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

Some of my outfits are 100% scratch, some I commision, some i buy some and alter, all depends! My trickiest was sewing my original Harley Quinn, first time using spandex, that was really stressful.

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

My favorite cosplay is probably my original Harley because of all the work I put into it, and because its my favorite version of Harley.

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

Its the best, I’ve met so many supportive people and its changed my life for the better!

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

I’m a guest at North Texas Comic Book Show and Bam Fest! Also I’ll be at A Fest, Alamo City Comic Con and lots of general events in Dallas!

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

Alice Madness Returns Siren dress! I’d love to start using LEDs

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

Love what you do, or you are wasting your time, don’t worry about impressing people who don’t care for you!

9) Where can we find you online?

• Facebook – Corcid Cosplay
• Instagram – Cordcid Cosplay
• Twitter – Corcid Cosplay
• Tumblr – Corcid Cosplay

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There you go readers Corcid Cosplay! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Miss Torii

Hi Readers

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Miss Torii! What can I say about Miss Torii?  Besides being an amazingly cool person she’s also an awesome cosplayer, so an interview was a no brainer. Let’s find out some more about Miss Torii.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

I started cosplaying about 3 years ago. It all started because a local horror convention was happening in my area. I decided to dress up just for fun. I noticed a lot of people dressed up and started talking to them. They asked me what other cons I cosplay at. This was the first time I heard of the word cosplay. The more I talked to other cosplayers, the more cosplay interested me. I didn’t know there was a word for it. Finally others who shared what i loved to do.

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

My inspirations come from comics (MARVEL/DC) that I read and collect. I also get ideas from Disney movies that I have watched since I was little girl and recent Disney shows that I have watched with my daughter.

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

I think it all depends on the character I’m cosplaying. Most of my cosplays are either from thrift stores or I sew my own. If I buy them from the thrift store, I have to alter them to fit the character. The most difficult part of sewing some of my cosplays is that there is no pattern. I like to do my own rendition of character I like. So just depending on the ncharacter either I will make it from scratch or I have to alter certain clothes to fit the character.

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

Gwenpool has to be my favourite and the most fun!

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

Amazing!!!!! Seeing everyone dressed up and seeing their cosplays always amazes me. I love being around that atmosphere! Plus meeting others who love what you do is awesome too!

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

I just attended Comicpalooza. Any conventions that are in Texas are the ones I attend. I want to attend Alamo City Comic Con, Omnicon, Realms Con. Hopefully you will see me at some of those!

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

I would make a HULKBUSTER cosplay just to do it!

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

Just have fun! There is no right way to cosplay! Try not to get caught up with negativity in the cosplay community….example cosplay bullying, fat shaming, slut shaming, are just a few. I have been a target for some of these. It happens to a lot of cosplayers and a lot give up because of hateful comments. My advice is to ignore it, have fun, and remember why you wanted to cosplay. Go out there and have fun!

9) Where can we find you online?

• Facebook – MissTorii
• Instagram –M1ss_Torii
• Twitter – @misstorii956

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There you go readers Miss Torii! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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An Interview With Cosplayer Mori Cosplays

Hi Readers!

It’s time for another cosplay interview, this time we meet Mori Cosplays! Although she’s a relative newbie to the internet cosplay scene; she’s not a newbie to the world of cosplay and this shows by the awesome outfit that inspired me to contact her to appear on the site! Luckily for us she said yes so lets find out some more about Mori Cosplays.

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1) How did you get into cosplaying?

I first got into cosplaying when I was in middle school. I started dressing up as different characters from animes or games or even comics just for fun, though I never actually called it cosplay. They weren’t my best, but I can say that was a base to where I am now. I don’t have pictures of back then (and I am kind of happy I don’t because they were so basic haha, though I also kinda wish I did so I could see my progress!) My first cosplay was Misty from Pokemon, I think every girl has done a Misty in her life!!

Then I did various other coslpays such as Jill Valentine, and afterwards various more. I stopped for years,but now I’m trying to get back at the scene.

2) Where do you get your inspiration and ideas to cosplay from? Is it from programs you watch now or childhood programs or both?

I get inspired from my favorite games at the moment, or if I want to cosplay as a character that’s deep into my memories. Most of the time I mix characters because I don’t really like to be normal, and I like to complicate my life and make myself cry and ask myself why I came up with the idea in the first place when I start making the outfit overall or props. But overall, my inspiration comes from anything that I love personally. I would never dressup as a character that I don’t personally like.

3) How do you put your outfits together are they 100% from scratch and if so what’s been your trickiest part to date?

My outfits are 80% from scratch. At least I try them to be. Sometimes because of lack of time or laziness, I just buy some pieces off the internet and just fix them when I get the chance. Though the props are 100% from scratch and they are a pain!!.

4) What’s your favourite cosplay to date?

My favorite cosplay is Jade from Mortal Kombat. I think I have a very big resemblance with her in many ways, and well, we’re both fierce, so a piece of her is inside of me every single day.

5) If you’ve cosplayed at a convention what was the experience like?

I’ve been to a lot of cosplay conventions and I could say that the experience is unbelievable! The people coming and complimenting you is one of the most precious thing a cosplayer can feel! It’s like recieving a solid A + for your hard work, and when they ask for pictures it’s freaking awesome, since it boosts your self confidence a ton!

6) Can we expect to see you at any conventions this year?

I am planning to go to Kaisen Puerto Rico on the 30th of July, and Aguadacon in December. I am planning on going to other cons outside Puerto Rico, hopefully soon enough, but I need some pointers in where and when they are going to happen. I will love to go and meet new people and cosplayers around the US and hopefully the world.

7) If you could cosplay as anyone and budget wasn’t an issue who would it be?

Hmm…that’s a tricky question, since you need some money in every cosplay that you do. But if I was going to choose one, it would probably be Jill Valentine (I basically used things I had in my closet back then though the gun would be missing). Misty from Pokemon (a classic and most of the items you could find in your closet!). I think some of the anime school girl outfits are super easy to make or if you have a plaid skirt, you could eventually pull it off!

I am a huge gamer and had played lots of games, but sadly most of the outfits are difficult as hell!!. Ness from earthbound is another great and easy choice to make and wear! Gender blend or not, still great and would look good on anybody!. I remember my friend was going to Puerto Rico Comic Con this year and she decided to cosplay the day before! but she didn’t know what to wear since she had no time, and I just suggested her she should dressup as Ness, since it’s her main in smash and I was convinced she had the things on her closet, which she did!

8) Do you have any words of advice for up and coming cosplayers?

One of the things I tell cosplayers all the time is to have patience!!! It’s the key to everything specially if you are going to make something from scratch and with props! Oh god my sander broke and I ordered one online and I can’t wait for it to arrive so I can continue working on my future projects, and I can only have patience for it, since panicking won’t solve anything. Another tip is to make sure you buy wigs and NOT paint your hair with spray. It’s a no-no! I’ve seen people done it and they ruin a great cosplay! It’s like cosplaying as Kratos (kind of spoiler for one of my future cosplays) and not painting the Deimo’s birthmarks!!

9) Where can we find you online?

You can find me at:

• Instagram – Moricosplay
• Facebook – Mori Cosplays
• Patroeon-  Moricosplay

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There you go readers Mori Cosplays! Don’t be shy go say hi and say ‘Skatronixxx sent me!’

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ICYMI – This Week in Skatronixxx

Hey Skatronixxx followers and occasional readers!

You guys are AWESOME, just in case you didn’t already know that. (Occasional readers, we love you and we really, really want you to follow us, lol).

You may have noticed that we are growing…. we are aiming for World Domination! To get us there, in addition to the writers and regular articles you have come to know and love, we have new writers, and new features. My contribution to the newness of it all is going to be a weekly post called ICYMI – This Week in Skatronixxx, which will feature a few of our weekly posts and news,  just in case you missed them. This is the very first article, and since it is the first, I’ve included quite a lot. Read on for details of the past week.  It was a busy one!

Interview With UK Crime Writer Tom Bale

UK Crime Writer Tom Bale

After my review about Tom Bale’s recent book  ‘See how they run’, I can proudly announce, that he agreed to give me an interview too! How cool is that? I’m pretty excited to share this awesome interview about an incredidbly talented writer with you . Let’s find out some more about top author Tom Bale.

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First of all, the question you’ll probably answer the most.

How did you become a writer?

A lot of reading, and a lot of writing: it really is as simple as that. I’ve never taken any classes, never belonged to a writers’ group or had any kind of mentoring. I just read a lot of books, and taught myself how to analyze what worked and what didn’t. Over the years I wrote short stories, novels, TV scripts, comedy sketches, poems – I sent them out and got nearly all of them rejected, but gradually I began to get a few encouraging comments from editors, and I used that feedback to improve my writing.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how your job as a fulltime writer changed your life.

I was submitting my work from the age of fifteen, but it took nearly a quarter of a century to become a full-time writer. Before that happened I had various other jobs – I was an insurance claims handler, a project manager and business analyst, and I also had a few years at home as a house-husband when my children were very young. When I finally had the break-through it was literally a dream come true – I still have to pinch myself, almost, at the thought that I earn a living from making up stories.

What is your writing progress? Do you have a strict process from the shape of the idea to the finished book?

Often I set out to write a detailed plan, but I tend to reach a point where the notes start to morph into the book itself. My main goal, once I’ve begun, is simply to get a finished draft, no matter what kind of state it’s in. That means I usually end up with a large, messy document, full of odd little ideas that I’ve thrown in on impulse – and then the real work begins! I love the process of rewriting, throwing out the ideas that no longer fit, and building up those that do. Typically I will cut around 25% of the total word count in order to get the story as streamlined as it can possibly be.

What do you feel when you have finished a book? And what is the first thing you do, when you’ve finished a book? Probably sleeping the whole day, right?

That’s a good question – and very relevant right now, as I’ve just finished an intense period of rewriting. For several weeks I was working from 8am till 2am, seven days a week, so catching up on sleep is certainly a high priority! There’s always a great exhilaration when a book is finished, and but the strange thing is how quickly it wears off – within a few days I’m usually starting to feel a bit low, a bit grouchy, and then my wife will remind me that I’m always like this when I’m not writing, and that means it’s time to think about the next project.

Let’s have a look at your recent work, how did you came up with the idea for ‘See how they run’?

See How They Run is different to most of my books in that it was inspired by a real event. Someone tried to break into our house one night, soon after I’d gone to bed. Because I was still awake, I heard a noise and then saw our outside light come on. When I opened the bedroom window, the intruder escaped through the garden. But afterwards I realized that if I’d been asleep I probably wouldn’t have heard him – and the thought of someone prowling through the house where my family were sleeping was very scary. From that I came up with the idea of a young couple, Harry & Alice, who wake to find two men in their room, demanding to know the whereabouts of a man called Renshaw…

I have to say, that I really liked the bad guys the most. You really have a talent for bad guys, don’t you?

Thank you, that’s very kind. I have to admit that I love writing the scenes with my bad guys, though I have to be careful not to become too sympathetic to them. It’s a case of getting the right balance, so that they come across as human rather than cartoon-like, while also remaining nasty enough to truly unsettle the reader.

What inspires you during writing? Do you listen to music, or do you got out for a walk and just let the nature inspire you?

Most days I try to leave the house and walk or cycle to a local café. I find that a bit of fresh air and exercise helps to get me in the right mood to write; and odd as it sounds, I often find it easier to concentrate in a busy environment – especially if I make sure there’s no wifi! But for the rewriting and editing I prefer to work at home in my study, and then I’ll often listen to music. As long as it’s something very familiar, I find it easy to concentrate with music playing.

Do you have some ideas, which you want to put into a new book?

I have lots that I haven’t yet been able to use, some of them going back twenty years or more. Although I mainly write thrillers, I sometimes get ideas that are better suited to other genres. At the moment there’s a supernatural horror novel that I’m desperate to write, but it’s probably going to have to wait a while.

Can you remember your very first story, you’ve written?

I can remember it very clearly indeed. It was called The Other Side of the Hill, and I wrote it when I was thirteen. It’s about a young boy who takes his dog for a walk – they discover an alien spacecraft and come to a grisly end!

One last question: Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming book ‘All fall down’?

Yes, All Fall Down is another standalone thriller, which starts with the Turner family enjoying a Sunday afternoon barbecue. Suddenly a dying man stumbles into their garden, pleading for help. The family do what they can, but the man dies before he can tell anyone what happened to him. In the days that follow, the Turners experience a number of strange and unsettling events, but by the time they realize they’re being stalked, it’s too late…

So that was my interview with Tom Bale! I want to thank Tom, who took his precious time for this awesome interview and a special thanks to Kim Nash from Bookouture! She made it possible, that we can raffle a eBook version of ‘See how they run’ on our site! So here’s how you can win a copy: Make sure you’ve liked and retweeted this interview on twitter. I’ll announce the winner on Sunday, 10th July.

If you want to learn more about Tom, you can check him out at his homepage: www.tombale.net

Or use social media channels to be updated about his actual and upcoming projects at twitter @t0mbale and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tombalewriter

And for those who haven’t read my review of ‘See how they run’ yet, check it out here: https://skatronixxx.com/2016/05/23/review-of-tom-bales-see-how-they-run/

An Interview With Gaming Legends ‘The Oliver Twins’

It’s time for another interview on Skatronixxx.com,  this time we chat to gaming legends The Oliver Twins. Yes I used the word legends. Although you may not be familiar with thier names if you were a gamer in the 80’s or even the 90’s you’ll definately know thier work.

I approached The Oliver Twins to see if they would be interested in an interview as not only are they responsible for one of mine and my  older brothers’, favourite game series of all time ‘Dizzy‘ they also come from my neck of the woods too. So the chance to interview not only gaming legends but also local heores, was a chance that could not be passed up.

A few back and forth emails and the interview was done. Let’s find out some more about the newest members of #TeamSkatronixxx extended family and my new friends Philip and Andy Oliver.

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1) How did you get into the games industry?

Andrew and I had been first been inspired to make games when our older brother bought a second hand Sinclair’s ZX81. We were 14 at the time and were fascinated at being able to control what was displayed on our family TV. We’d wanted a colour computer after this and moved on to a Dragon 32 in September of ‘82, then a BBC Micro B. In‘85 we bought an Amstrad CPC 664 and then met the Darling Brothers who were just setting up Codemasters – this was where the success really started. Within 5 years we’d written 25 Amstrad CPC games and 17 Spectrum games – 42 games! We were working an average of 16+ hours a day, 7 days a week! After this we went on to write a LOT more games!

The longer version of how we got into the games industry and our first 10 years is in the book coming out shortly from Fusion Retro Books :-

https://fusionretrobooks.com/products/the-story-of-the-oliver-twins

(also more info onwww.OliverTwins.com & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Twins

 

2) Perhaps one on the most famous games you created was the Dizzy series, how did this idea come about and why did you go with an egg, rather than a human?

We’d created the platform game Super Robin Hood in September ’86, our first game for Codemasters and it was a massive success. We moved onto Ghost Hunters, where the player controlled a human running around a haunted mansion shooting ghosts. However, it was very difficult to get any personality into the sprite – since the volume of screen space he occupied and the resolution of the screen, meant we had to squeeze it within 24×32 pixels with a choice of just 3 colours, it really didn’t give us any room for an expressive character. So whilst developing it we played around with a large face, which meant little room for a body or limbs. So we designed the body into the head and dispensed with limbs, leaving only red gloves and boots which occupied less space. As we tidied him up, so he became egg shaped. We didn’t use him in Ghost Hunters obviously, and instead designed a whole new magical fantasy World for him to exist in. He got called Dizzy because we decided that rather than do a regular jump he would spin, a feature derived from a rotate command within our sprite package (Panda Sprites) we’d developed a year before and was used in all our games for speeding up development. We used to aim to complete each game in around a month.

 

3) You were also the brains behind Interactive Studios that later became Blitz Games Studios, one of the UK largest game producers for over 20 years, how did this come about?

In the early 90’s, we set up an office and started hiring talented, enthusiastic game developers. We created a productive environment, designing original games and for cashflow stability sought development contracts, like the GhostBusters 2 contract we’d done previously for Activision, for games based on major brands, movies & toys. By the end of the 90’s we had over 100 staff and renamed to Blitz Games Studios, by the end of 00’s we had over 230 staff!

There are so many games, about 60, a lot more if you multiple by the number of different versions we did of each, so it’s hard to select a few examples, but here are a few highlights: Glover, Chicken Run, Frogger 2, Fusion Frenzy, Dead to Rights 2, Pac-Man World 3, Karaoke Revolution, Spongebob, Puss in Boots and Epic Mickey 2.You can see them ALL here… http://www.blitzgames.com/archive + http://www.blitzgames.com/ (here’s a list …

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitz_Games_Studios)

 

4) Can you tell us a little bit about Radiant Worlds?

The technology and games market shifted widely as the world changed to digital distribution and adopted smart phones for casual games, so in late 2013 we set up a new company, Radiant Worlds, focused on delivering one constantly evolving awesome game called SkySaga. It has just over 100 people working on it and is in Alpha testing right now, with many features being constantly added. It is easily the most exciting game we have ever worked on. Find out more at http://www.SkySaga.com

 

5) Do you have any thoughts on the rise of indie developers and do you think this is a good thing for the games industry?

Digital distribution and great tools/engines have lowered the barrier to entry for developers across the globe. It’s exciting, but challenging. It’s easier to reach a massive global audience, but it’s easier for everyone else too. So the challenge is creating a great game that will get noticed and making sure the business side adds up well. It’s no good developing a great game and ignoring the finances. For game players, it’s amazing! There has never been so much choice, such amazing diversity and so many awesome experiences.

 

6) It seems like gaming is going back to the late 80’s with the return of virtual reality headsets, do you think this is a good thing for the games industry and how would you compare the virtual reality headsets from the 1980’s to those that are coming out today?

The ultimate aim of the game developer is to make incredibly immersive games, making players feel like they are really there. The dream of the holodeck may have started in the 80’s, but the technology wasn’t there to support it. Now the technology is getting a lot closer and you can have incredible experiences that do feel superior to simply watching a game on a monitor or TV screen. There’s still a long way to go, but the path now is very clear and we’ll see a lot of activity in this area over the next few years. It’s the biggest growth area of the games industry and will drive technology to exciting new places.

 

7) Talking of retro games making a comeback, I saw that the handheld Spectrum console on Kickstarter is progressing, could we expect to see any of your games featured and have you considered the possibility of releasing an emulator so we could see your previous games on the new platform?

There is a nostalgic value to playing the retro games and it’s fun to be at the heart of it. You can play a lot of our games from the 80’s in a browser at http://yolkfolk.com/playdizzy and I’m sure any devices supporting emulation of 8 and 16 bit games will support our games just fine!

 

8) You come from the same area as myself and went to the same school as fellow Skatronixxx writer Deadpool_1984 and amongst others Dragons Den star Deborah Meaden. How hard do you think it is for rural people to get noticed and do you think they need to move to bigger cities to progress their ideas?

It’s true we grew up in Trowbridge going to Clarendon School. We’d say that the advantage of a digital world is that when you’re online it doesn’t matter where you live! You have access to all the same information and access to the same market place as those that live in London, New York or Los Angeles. The opportunities are there, but so too are the challenges of rising above the competition. There will be winners, and with the games industry being so massive, the rewards can be huge… as Notch, author of Minercraft, can demonstrate.

 

9) What can we expect to see from you in the remaining months of 2016 going forward into 2017?

The answer from now on will always be SkySaga! We will just keep adding and adding, keeping it ahead of its competition and making it the best game possible and for the largest audience possible.

 

10) Tell our readers one fun fact about yourself

We may have been the best-selling authors on the Spectrum, but we didn’t program on a Spectrum! We didn’ t know how to use its quirky keyboard and never played any games on a Spectrum, except ours when testing them.

 

11) Finally what advice would you have for upcoming games developers?

Never be shy! Work hard, be ambitious and push yourself, creatively and technically and shoot for the stars.

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 You can follow The Oliver Twins at the following sites –

• Twitter – @TheOliverTwins

Or visit thier official website here

Check out some images from the Oliver Twins greatest games below:-

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