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<C> 1994 by GEnie ========================================================================== This file is brought to you by The Commodore 64/128 RoundTable on GEnie This file may be published or excerpted in User Group newsletters providing credit is given in this manner: "Copyright 1994 by GEnie From the Commodore 64/128 RoundTable File#:#####" This file maybe be distributed, if distributed whole and unaltered, on <RETURN>, <S>croll, <Q>uit ? non-profit BBSs or non-profit networks. For more information on GEnie call by modem: 1-800-638-8369 (8-N-1 300/1200/2400) Enter: HHH Then reply: xtx99018,commrt Then enter: Commodore And enjoy! ========================================================================== GEOS-TIM is the Commodore Round Tables most famous interviewer of late, but tonight he turns over the reigns to our very own C128-QT.PIE (Sherry) for this very exciting interview with Joe Ekaitis, the creator of T.H.E FOX Files! Sherry will be will be assisted by another of the Commodore RT's infamous staff, Lou Schonder! Watch the two of them have a good time with Joe and exploring the characters that Joe has brought to life in .GIFs and soon to be in comic books in your local store! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> one minute to go <Joe Ekaitis> House lights to one-half please. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> ::adjusting black sequined gown:: <[Tim] T.BROWN25> 10...9...8... <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> <<<<<<<< swabbing sweat beads <Joe Ekaitis> Cue Donahue! <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> hehe, thanks Lou! I needed that! ok, everyone ready? <Joe Ekaitis> Ready on this coast. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Tonight we have a very special guest, Joe Ekaitis. Joe is the author and creator of one of my very favorite cartoons, T.H.E. FOX! <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Here on the Commodore Roundtable we have a whole library devoted exclusively to his cartoons. First I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight! Tonight's conference will be divided into three categories: JOE EKAITIS - The Man Behind T.H.E. FOX 2. T.H.E. FOX 3. The future of Joe Ekaitis and T.H.E. FOX I'll be placing the room into listen only mode. At the end of each topic there will be an alotted time for questions. Please use the /RAI command to raise your hand if you'd like to ask Joe a question <Joe Ekaitis> Thank you. Fire away. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> First of all Joe, let me say I've been a huge fan of your's for many years! It is indeed an honor to finally meet you tonight. Thank you for joining us. <Joe Ekaitis> The honor is mine. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Tonight Lou will be co-hosting with me and helping with the questions. Joe, you have had success with using the Commodore computer to create cartoons. How did you ever get started with the Commodore, and with computers in general? <Joe Ekaitis> I was always interested in machines and stuff like that, so when they became affordable, I plopped down $240 for a VIC-20. Anyone remember those? <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I do! :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> yup! I have one. :) <Joe Ekaitis> From there, I moved to a Commodore 64, back when Commodore was giving IBM, Apple and TI something to be afraid of. After I added a KoalaPad to the 64, I was on my way from obscurity to borderline cult figure. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> When did you purchase that Commodore VIC 20, Joe? <Joe Ekaitis> When was Carter in the White House? :) I really can't remember the year, but it was possibly before some of the people in this room were born. I bought it at Toys R Us. If anyone remembers when they were selling for about $240, that would place it. I remember the price but not the year. Weird. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Please describe for us what your "first" VIC 20 system consisted of. <Joe Ekaitis> VIC-20, Datasette, a Tatung TV, a 300-baud VICMODEM, a PowerPad that they never made VIC-20 software for. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> What other uses, besides computer art did you have for your Commodore Computer? <Joe Ekaitis> Early on, I discovered the joys of C<censored>erve and ran up a bill that took me 2 years to pay off. And I was one of those early keypounders who tried to keep my checking account balanced on the computer. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> What were your favorite Commodore programs? <Joe Ekaitis> That Pinball type game, Defender by Atarisoft, mostly games. There wasn't a lot you could do with graphics on the VIC 20. The 64 was used for just 3 things: drawing T.H.E. Fox, uploading it and playing games. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Previously, in our special guest conferences, we had another rather well-known Commodore graphic artist named Susan Lamb. Susan had become very comfortable using GeoPaint, and it was her program of choice. Have you ever tried using Geos? Why did or didn't you use it? What were some of the softwear programs that you used to create your cartoons and why did you use that particular program? Why did you use the computer program as opposed to just drawing on paper? <Joe Ekaitis> I always preferred the KoalaPad because it was more natural to use a stylus instead of a mouse. In the beginning, I used KoalaPainter and hand-drew all of the text, one pixel at a time. When Advanced OCP Art Studio came out, I fell madly in love with it because of its text feature. The main reason I drew on the computer was because it allowed immediate access to services like GEnie where my work could be seen. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Ok, we are done with our first category of questions. Does anyone have any questions they would like to ask Joe? <Joe Ekaitis> <--squirming nervously under stage lights. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Tim Brown has a question... <[Tim] T.BROWN25> Joe, do you still use the 64 and if another program were to be developed, what features besides text would you like to see? <Joe Ekaitis> Tim: If I was still using the 64, I'd like to see a program that does the drawing and conversion to other formats all in one, like full-screen .gif for PCs and such. I now use a Packard Bell PC clone and a scanner to scan and upload cartoons drawn with pen and ink. <[Tim] T.BROWN25> Thanks. :) <Joe Ekaitis> We aims to plees, suh. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> David has a question... <[David] D.WITMER2> Joe, you mentioned earlier, your first computer was a Vic-20. With the limited graphics that were available,did you make any art on the Vic-20? <Joe Ekaitis> I wrote a program for the VIC 20 Super Expander that drew a raccoon's face. That was about it. :) <[David] D.WITMER2> OK, just curious, thanks. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Our very own, Lou has the next question <Joe Ekaitis> Lemme at him! Lemme at him! :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> giggle <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Thank you, QT.PIE! Joe, do you scan all of your work now? Are any cartoons done "on screen"? <Joe Ekaitis> The last thing I drew with a mouse on the PC was a Windows Wallpaper pattern of T.H.E. Fox truckin' back and forth across the screen. I might be able to convert it to .gif that could be viewed on the 64 and 128. Once you use a scanner, you become a convert, until you can afford a bit pad, which are impossible to find anymore. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Ok, moving along... Next we'll discuss a bit of Joe's Art History Joe, is cartooning your main vocation? <Joe Ekaitis> No. I'm a misplaced cartoonist who has to plug in phones to stay fed and clothed. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> What kind of work do you do now? <Joe Ekaitis> I'm a phone repairman. I take care of several of the hotels in Palm Springs, California. It's a cushy job, but someone has to do it. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Have you always had the desire to be an artist? <Joe Ekaitis> I think I've always had a desire to be onstage. In high school, it was acting. It wasn't until I was 18 that I even TRIED to draw because I always got F's in art classes in grade school. But, the more I worked at drawing, the better I seemed to get. Cartooning takes a whole different talent than creating realistic art. It's not easier, it's just different. I guess I was finally good at it when a local newspaper published a few opinion cartoons. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> What or who inspired you to begin cartooning? <Joe Ekaitis> What? Potential fame and wealth. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> hehe <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Have you had professional art training? <Joe Ekaitis> As to who, it's hard to pick a single favorite cartoonist. One's tastes change with age. "Calvin and Hobbes" is funny but in reruns. "Outland" is a never-miss for me. In animated cartoons, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett and Tex Avery are my Holy Trinity. <Joe Ekaitis> Lou: Not a single art lesson. And it shows. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> How long have you been cartooning? <Joe Ekaitis> Since 1986, because that was when I hunkered down and poured what little I have into T.H.E. Fox. It was originally uploaded to CompuServe, then Q-Link and finally, GEnie. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Other than cartooning, what other types of activities do you enjoy? <Joe Ekaitis> Fooling around with computers, but not as much into programming as those early days. Playing music on a keyboard that makes you APPEAR talented. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Do you do other artwork besides cartooning? <Joe Ekaitis> I've done illustrations for JB's TC-128 Magazine. Aside from that, there are more phones to fix than people who want cartoons. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> What programs did you use over the years to create T.H.E. FOX? <Joe Ekaitis> KoalaPainter and Advanced OCP Art Studio. On the PC, I scan the cartoons and touch them up with Microsoft Paintbrush. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> At this time please use the /RAI command if you'd like to ask Joe a question. Please end your questions with END Tim has a question... <[Tim] T.BROWN25> Nice to meet you, Joe. Gotta go. Nite all :) <Joe Ekaitis> Good night, Tim. Drive safely. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Are there any other questions? Ok, our next topic revolves around T.H.E. FOX Joe, I've been a fan of T.H.E. FOX cartoons for a long time. I have always loved your cartoon of T.H.E. FOX and his American Express Card. So much so that it is spending some time under our Software Spotlight in our Top Ten area once again :) For those of you that have never seen this cartoon... <Joe Ekaitis> Stop! Stop! My head is swelling up. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> T.H.E. FOX and his buddy BUNN.E. are standing outside of a bathroom stall and Bunn E. consoles T.H.E. FOX with the following line... "I'm sure American Express won't ask HOW you lost your wallet!" I think that will ALWAYS be my favorite! There have always been questions on my mind concerning T.H.E. FOX. When was T.H.E. FOX born? <Joe Ekaitis> In 1986. I was hoping to latch on with CompuServe as a staffer by creating and uploading the cartoon in .rle format. I picked a fox because foxes rarely get to play neutral roles in literature. I paired him up with a rabbit for a little comic tension. When you see the 2 side by side with one not trying to harm the other, there's just a little uneasiness that never goes away. I called the character T.H.E. Fox because it looked classy when written. When someone pressed me to spell out his name, I blurted out Thaddeus Horatio Eberhard. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> giggle, that's a mouthful! <Joe Ekaitis> Bunn's name was just a contraction of Bunny, of course. I used 2 n's because Walt Kelley already had a character in Pogo named Bun Rabbit. To give him more class, I said that his full name was Bunnington Ellsworth Rabbit, or Bunn E. Rabbit. Trite, but it works. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Was there some event that sparked your creation of T.H.E. FOX? Did it evolve slowly, or did it sort of come to you in a flash? <Joe Ekaitis> The "event" that turned me into a starstruck soul was in 1972, when Jim Henson and the Muppets were Dick Cavett's guests on the Thanksgiving Day show. The idea of using a friendly fox as a cartoon character was always on my mind. I always wondered why other animals were considered cute, like bears and raccoons, when bears and raccoons eat just as many rabbits as foxes do. If bears and raccoons and skunks, then why not foxes? Shake off the stereotypes, so to speak. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Can you please tell us about some of the other characters co-starring with T.H.E. FOX and BUNN E. RABBIT? <Joe Ekaitis> Grizz Lee, MD was created because I needed a very tall animal for Bunn to tower over with his enlongated legs in the "ankle weights" episode. Wilt the Wolf came about for the same reasons. I chose Thad Wolves have as many positive attributes as any "cute" animal. The coyote that appeared in a few episodes never got a name. I really should bring him back. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Do you create T.H.E. FOX cartoons on a regular basis? <Joe Ekaitis> Yes, with the hope of being syndicated. Things are moving very tentatively in that direction. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> What kind of things inspire you in the creation of your FOX cartoons? Is it everyday kinds of stuff, or is there a method behind it? <Joe Ekaitis> Since Thad and Bunn are more like people who happen to look like a fox and a rabbit, the gags seem to be funnier if their animal species don't enter into it. Everyday life is the best source for gags. Sometimes, a phrase will inspire a gag. I heard a radio commercial for "Satellite Wagering" and had a mental image of Thad behind the counter at an Off-Track Betting parlor. A robotic satellite is holding up $2 and saying "Telstar to win in the 8th." <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Some of the other cartoons appear to have taken a lot of time to think up and come up with a finished product. Others seem to be just a product of inspiration. How long does it normally take you to complete a T.H.E. FOX cartoon? <Joe Ekaitis> On paper, I can complete a simple panel in 2 hours. If it's elaborate, I may need to put half of a day into it. It's NOT the quick process you see when a cartoonist does a quickie sketch of his character. Even Charles M. Schulz wears out erasers. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> The Commodore area here on GEnie has quite a selection of T.H.E. FOX cartoons. Where else can we find T.H.E. FOX and his friends? Are they still being created? And what are you using to make them? <Joe Ekaitis> Aside from GEnie, Q-link was the only other online home for a sizeable collection of T.H.E. Fox episodes. On paper, Thad and BUnn have appeared in opinion cartoons in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper. You don't get paid for those, but they look impressive on newsprint. :) The file oj.gif was scanned from one of those opinion cartoons. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Has T.H.E. FOX been publish in any magazines? Which ones? <Joe Ekaitis> TC-128 has had covers with Thad and Bunn. The carousel gag was printed in the Carousel Trader magazine and the szchechwan gag appeared in a fan magazine dedicated to the Pern series. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I have several favorite FOX cartoons. Can you please describe your favorite FOX cartoon? What makes it your favorite? <Joe Ekaitis> That's a toughie. It's like picking a favorite child. I still laugh out loud at the multi-panel episode that starts out like a monster movie and ends at a miniature golf course. The one about getting a check approved is also a favorite. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Approximately how many T.H.E. FOX cartoons have you created to date? <Joe Ekaitis> Over 200. Whew! <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> What type of computer system do you currently own? <Joe Ekaitis> A Packard Bell PC clone. Since I'm going to try and sell a Christmas story I wrote, I had to get a laser printer, too. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Is it a 486? How many megs and etc? <Joe Ekaitis> Yes, 486/SX2 50Mhz. Why? Do you have a Pentium so you can show me up? :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Giggle, no, I don't. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> What did you like best about using your Commodore to create your cartoons? What did you dislike about it? <Joe Ekaitis> The KoalaPad was the most natural drawing tool around. My only complaints these days would be the lower pixel resolution. If bit-pads weren't so rare, I'd get one for my PC. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Ok, this ends our section devoted to T.H.E. FOX. Are there any questions for Joe? Ben has a question for you... <BEN.GELAMP> Joe, you've not considered a digitising tablet, like what CAD people use with AutoCAD? Example, Kurta? <Joe Ekaitis> That's what I meant by a bit-pad. I've shopped around and the least expensive tablets I could find cost as much as a down payment on a car. The days of inexpensive drawing tools for PCs have passed. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Lou has yet another question for you Joe :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Do you have any thoughts on additional/new characters in T.H.E. FOX? <Joe Ekaitis> Thad and Bunn do have girlfriends named Vikki and Roxi. They've appeared in a paper episode that takes place at a ballroom dancing tournament. I may bring back the coyote and give him a name. He was the one who told Thad that the Spanish word for "fox" is "el zorro". <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I know that one! :) <Joe Ekaitis> Sometimes, the gag itself suggests a new character. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Do the characters in T.H.E. FOX resemble people you know? (Not in appearance, of course!) <Joe Ekaitis> Usually, a cartoonist's characters are extensions of their own hopes and fears. Thad is a little like Pogo, an island of comparable sanity in a swirl of madness. I think we all wish we could stay so calm. Bunn evolved into a wilder character. I don't know how it happened, but it did. Bunn is more likely to push a button that says "DO NOT PUSH" than Thad is. Remember, he's the one who gave up his eyesight for the love of a Big Mac. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Our next topic is on the future of Joe Ekaitis and T.H.E. FOX. Joe, you're past success has been well documented and it apperas you are turning out great cartoons. Looking into the crystal ball, what do you see for the future of T.H.E. FOX and Joe Ekaitis? <Joe Ekaitis> Newspaper syndication has always been the ultimate goal, but I haven't worked up the nerve to send out a portfolio. Maybe a few more beers will help. :) (just kidding) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> LOL! <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> You sounded serious to me ;) <Joe Ekaitis> I'm going to keep drawing and uploading and offering my meager services to anyone who needs a mascot or logo. Frankly, I think T.H.E. Fox is better than some of the stuff on the funny pages. And, equally frankly, there's a lot of stuff funnier than T.H.E. Fox. You have to catch the submissions editor on the right day in the right mood. It's a longshot, but the experience is overall exhilarating. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I can't wait any longer...One of the things that made me real excited about our conference tonight is that I've heard a rumor you have some very exciting news to share with us tonight. Could you please fill us in on the good news? <Joe Ekaitis> The new car? Oh, that's no big deal. :) Actually, T.H.E. Fox HAS found a publisher. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Great! <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Congrats, Joe! <Joe Ekaitis> An independent comic book publisher called Super Crew Comics will be publishing a special edition this spring called the SCC Super Spiffy Springtime Special. It will feature 12 panels of T.H.E. Fox. You'll probably have to find a mall with a comic books dealer if you want to buy it. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> I'll look for it in my friendly local comic shop!!!! :D <Joe Ekaitis> It hits the racks in early April. The price is $2.25. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> That's terrific Joe. <Joe Ekaitis> Dare I remind the audience that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles started out in just such a small press run comic book? :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I feel it's long overdue <Joe Ekaitis> Well, I hope it was worth the wait. :) <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> I agree. T.H.E. FOX is contaigous. <Joe Ekaitis> Well, it's a pretty big leap from borderline cult figure to potential cult figure. :) Thank you all for staying interested. <Joe Ekaitis> T.H.E. Fox has bored weaker souls to tears. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Joe, it appears you have been online, if we only have to go by all your cartoons that are in our library. To give people a little idea of what you have done in Telecommunications: When did you first join the online world? <Joe Ekaitis> Back when I bought my VIC 20, I bought that old 300 banger VicModem. I was hooked ever since. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Which online services do you frequent? Do you have any preferences? <Joe Ekaitis> GEnie and Prodigy. Of the 2, only GEnie accepts uploads. :) Prodigy is where I ran into the comic book publisher. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Which Roundtables on GEnie do you frequent? <Joe Ekaitis> Usually, Comics, Disney and Commodore. I had a couple of files in the Disney library that were pulled down. Eisner is such a party pooper. :) They're still available from the Comics library. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Do you frequent local BBSes? Is there any kind of "local" T.H.E. FOX following? <Joe Ekaitis> Nothing local, but a friend in New York says that people as far away as Italy have been exposed to T.H.E. Fox via various bulletin boards. Like Sam Malone said once on Cheers: "Not many people know it, but I'm famous." :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> giggle <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> LOL! <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Well that concludes our formal session for tonight. Are there any more questions for Joe? <Joe Ekaitis> The "hooters" cartoon is EVERYWHERE, it seems. <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> My question is for the Flagship: I'm assuming that the file numbering system is referencing the year and # of each T.H.E. FOX cartoon. Am I right? <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Lou, I read that just today... If I'm wrong, please correct me here Joe Joe did a series of FOX cartoons each month <Joe Ekaitis> I did them weekly, based on the number of Saturdays in a month. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> I think the first number indicates the 1st, 2nd, 3rd...etc. cartoon for that month followed by the month and year <Joe Ekaitis> That's why some go up to 5 for a month and others go to 4. In the GG files, GGFOXSE289 would mean the second week of September, 1989. Does that clear it up? <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> So "F9488" is the ninth cartoon in April 1988? <Joe Ekaitis> No. 4th week of September. In the .gif filenames, the last three characters are the week and year. The letter or number before that is the month. By following the chronology of the files, you can see how I've progressed from mediocre to crude and sloppy. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Ok, at this time I'm gonna let Joe rest his fingers for a few and open up the room for general chat <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Thanks to everyone for attending tonight's conference!!!! Can I go change out of my formal attire now? <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Joe, thank you for a great conference tonight! <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> It was great talking with you, Joe! Thank you for speaking! :) <Joe Ekaitis> If anyone wants to search the libraries for my uploads, use the uploader name T.FOX5. Someone named S.FREEDLINE did the .gif versions of T.H.E. Fox, so use that name when you're in the T.H.E. Fox library. I'm going to try to scale my most recent scanned drawings to C64 size and upload them. <[David] D.WITMER2> Are the .gifs 16 color or 256 color? <[Lou] L.SCHONDER> Doing a search on "FOX" works rather well, too <Joe Ekaitis> David: I'll try to make them 16 for compatibility. If it doesn't work, someone will have to manipulate them. <[David] D.WITMER2> great, that could be a problem, if they were higher than the 16. <Joe Ekaitis> David: I believe 4 bits per pixel on PC is the same thing as C64 16 color. <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> Well, Joe as you can see...we hope we will continue to see new Fox files and we also hope to see you again in the future. <Joe Ekaitis> Sherry: Thank you. Decide AFTER you see the comic book if you REALLY want me to come back. :) <[Sherry] C128-QT.PIE> the decisions already been made :)