[Editor's Note: I totally screwed up the intro on this originally, my sincere apologies to dblade. Apparently basic cutting and pasting is beyond my skill set. Corrected copy follows.]
dblade has been responsible for not only fantastic character illustrations, but also in the last few weeks for creating some brand-new, fantastic looking live items for you to choose from right in the program itself, only the second person besides me to have done so in the history of HeroMachine. My hat's off to him, and I hope you enjoy learning a little more about him as much as I did.
- A photo (or drawing) of you in "real life":
- Online name used in HeroMachine environs: dblade
- Real name: Daryl Blasi
- Real city/state/country: Chicago, IL
- Real job: Graphic Designer
- Real age:40
- Gender: Male
- Married/single: Married (by definition "complicated")
- Online archive of your creations (if any): http://forums.ugo.com/showthread.php?t=41758
- The best piece of HeroMachine art you've created: I'm kind of partial to Armageddeth. He took a lot of time putting together a variety of assets to create his armor.
- Favorite all-time geeky movie if any: My first instinct is to go with the Matrix. I have never experienced a movie the way I did with the Matrix. I went in knowing nothing about it other than seeing a few seconds of footage from an ad. I actually started the movie thinking Trinity was a villain (she did kill a bunch of cops in the beginning of the movie) and Mr. Smith & friends were the good guys. I had no idea what was going on and my brain had to work overtime to piece things together. It was a very "Matrixy" experience coming to terms with the reality of the movie. Of course the sequels squandered all that awesomeness...
- Favorite all-time geeky book if any: The Game of Thrones series by George R. Martin. This series has totally redefined what I want out of a fantasy story. Magic and real grit rolled into one package. Although sometimes I want to punch the author when he messes with characters I love.
- Favorite all-time geeky TV show if any: Firefly. I want to cry every time I think about the episodes that could have been. DAMN YOU FOX!...SIGH.... It just doesn't get better than this.
- Favorite all-time comic book character if any: I've always been a Wolverine fan. Maybe because I'm short and I think I have awesome reflexes. Did I ever tell you about the time I drove a car going about 65 mph between a mama deer and baby deer who were crossing a highway? Oh, is this the 10th time?
- If you could have one super-heroic power in real life, you'd choose: Flight. It would be amazing to just go where I want whenever I want. Plus I could save a lot on gas. Plus plus, how awesome would it be to buzz some airplanes and wave at kids looking out the window?
- In your leisure time you like to: Roleplaying games, video games, board games. Anything with games. Watch movies and television. I would say martial arts as well, but I haven't participated in anything martial since my daughter was born. Need to get back into it, though. Daddy's packing on extra weight.
- Character design turn-ons (things you love to see that make for a good design): Great color combos. I love seeing a good palette of colors brought together in harmony.
- Character design turn-offs (things you hate to see that make for a bad design): Lack of depth in the color. When there are too many flat shapes things start to get monotonous and the image fails to jump out at me.
- Best tip for a HeroMachine newbie: Play around with all of the assets. Half the fun of Hero Machine is finding new uses for objects. Need a cool belt? Go to the Headgear section and stretch out a helmet across the waist. Hero Machine is super flexible so let yourself go crazy. Also check out the other Machinists' artwork. You will be inspired and amazed at the things people do. Then you can steal their techniques and inspire and amaze other people.
- Any personal message you'd like to share with the HeroMachine community about Geek Life: A wise Geek once said that a Geek is never bored if left to his own devices. Her brain is always coming up with the next cool thing to spend time on. Hero Machine is one of those cool things.
