RYZ: The Lost Interview

Remember the Goblin Stompers? RYZ was kind enough to interview me way back when I won that competition a few months back but somehow, through their sporadic update schedule or due to something I said, the interview never got published. Now, with their permission, they've allowed me to reproduce said interview because, well, they'll never use it. I was kind of proud of it so, well, yeah. Enjoy, if you're curious.

RYZ: How long have you played D&D?

Jared: Actually I'm a new recruit to the D&D Army. I've played Dungeons & dragons for a little over 2 years, I think. It all came down to me making fun of some stupid monsters a few years ago and some D&D folk here in Berlin "dared" me to give it a shot. I fell for their clever trap and have been hooked on the game ever since. It taught me an important lesson: Be careful what you mock, it'll get you in the end.

RYZ: What was the inspiration behind your design?

When someone told me about the RYZ contest, I immediately knew I'd have to make Goblin Stompers from the Adventurer's Vault. The name alone is funny and I wanted to paint something that captured the horror on a minion's face whenever an adventurer comes stomping in. The fact that RYZ literally let me put a flattened Goblin on the sole of the shoe was the final nail in the "I must make Goblin Stompers" coffin.

As we grow older our influences constantly change. Have your influences changed, as you have grown older?

I don't know if I'm self-aware enough to really know what influences I've outgrown and which I haven't. I will say that when I moved to Germany the first thing that struck me was the powerful graffiti...I have no qualms in saying I've learned a lot from some of the unsung vandal artists out there.

Any Artist(s) excite you right now?

I'm embarrassed to say that I'm incredibly ignorant about what other artfolks are into these days. Seriously, guys and girls, I'm sorry. That said, I've made a great many friends who are digitl artists/entities in the webcomic scene and I'm constantly jealous of what they can do. Ryan Estrada's work ethic is definitely something I've emulated in years past and I STILL wish Dave Kelly would get back to doing the voodoo he does (did) so well.

Who, What, or Where do you find most inspiring?

Bad movies may potentially be the most inspiring thing I have in my creative ritual that is painting. Raised MST3K and weaned on the American (Cheesy) Horror Renaissance of the 1980's, a lot of random elements from some downright abysmal horror flicks show up when I'm working on something. Today's painting session was accompanied by watching the 1983 masterpiece "Arena" where a guy puts on some tight pants and wrestles people in rubber costumes in Space, followed by "Killer Klowns from Outer Space", which is, surprisingly, about killer clowns from outer space. People familiar with my work shouldn't be too surprised by this, I'm sure.

Do you prefer digital versus fine art or vice versa? What's your favorite medium to work in?

Oh, this is a trick question. I'm a Luddite when it comes to digital art. Beyond owning a scanner and some crude Photoshopping skills, I'm really just a painter who keeps putting his stuff online. I love digital art...because I can't do it. Like I said before, jealousy is a constant when looking at the work of others. As for a favorite medium...at the moment I would have to say Ink. It's messy and unforgiving, which makes it a lot of fun to play with.

Anything specific (colors, patterns, genres of Art) that you embrace or reject?

No one believes me, but I studied traditional painting and anatomy/perspective for years when I was younger. What did I learn? Realism is over-rated. It's an important skill set to be sure, but I think people should focus on painting what they feel & how they think. That sounds a bit like hippy-talk now that I reread what I've written here, but I'll stand by it.

Do you listen to music when you're creating? If so, what do you prefer?

If I'm not playing a movie in the background, there's definitely some music being played while I paint. I'm not proud of my musical tastes but I'm happy with anything that's visceral and fast. A lot of Goth Industrial (SanctuaryRadio.org is my best friend for this) and Mindless Self Indulgence (in particular) can be heard in an endless loop when I'm working.

Do you have a specific style that you are drawn to?

Anything that's expressive. If my style continues to evolve/devolve as it has over the past few years, I may end up just stabbing paint at a canvas and calling it a cartoon. Which is, for better or for worse, what some folks are saying I do already.

What are some of your favorite things to eat & drink? Do any of these things inspire your work?

I hate to admit it, but drinking definitely influences my work. Years ago as a joke/fundraiser I did something called "Art Smash Tequila", where I'd paint something, have a drink, and then paint something else, repeat the process until said process cannot be repeated. The results were interesting and more enlightening than I thought they would be and it's taught me that sometimes being uninhibited can be a benefit. I say sometimes. I'm not telling people to go out there and poison themselves for Art. Though, to be fair, many have done so before me to greater success and excess.

Do you collect anything? If so, is it Art related?

Right now I'd say I collect 3 things: Bad Movies, D&D Miniatures (I've a weakness for Plastic Elves, what can I say?) and my own paintings. It's my three big pastimes, each competing for space on my self.

What's the best or most interesting present you've ever received? Did this present encourage you to pursue Art?

While my first instinct is to mention the taxidermy armadillo I go for my 16th birthday, there's a better answer to that question. Six years ago I got a set of acrylic paints for Christmas from my wife as a "maybe you should try your hand at painting again" kind of gift. At the time I hadn't done anything Art-related (correction: Excluding Film, which is what I went to school for) since High School. A half-dozen years later I'm actually making a living playing with ink and paint. If I hadn't received that gift and started playing around with cartooning again, I wouldn't be where I am today.

What are you most proud of designing or creating?

A couple years back I got hired into designing some dresses/outfits for a budding fetish fashion company that was just getting started and wanted something weird. They ended up only making one dress (ever...the company did not do well) but it was one I designed out of metal plates. They hired a welder and actually built the thing. I don't know why, but seeing something of my design in 3 dimensions struck a chord. In a similar vein, I'm definitely excited to see the Goblin Stompers on someone's feet.

Any Interesting or Current Projects you're working on?

I've gotten a lot of attention over the past few months which has been great. The downside of which is that I've got lots of Non-Disclosure agreements bouncing around meaning I can't talk about them so much. That said, I've got a card game that I designed/illustrated YEARS ago that looks like it'll finally be getting a chance to go into print, a children's book project on the backburner, and am negotiating my 1st real gallery show, which is really thrilling.

If you could known for saying one thing, what would it be?

"The Enlightening Hand is So because it is on Fire."
Anything worthwhile is eventually going to burn out, but the pain of the flame makes you shine all the brighter. Kind of deep and weird (and maybe even pretentious) to hear from a guy making a living out of painting cross-eyed monsters, but it's what I like to believe.

Thanks for the questions and thanks for hosting such a fun contest. Definitely look forward to seeing what comes out of the RYZ community next.
-Jared