Gideon, The Cool Kid
An incredible admired waller, artist, and innovator, I present to you the spoils of our interview with the esteemed Gideon xD.
1. Where did you get your username from? (And how many people would you say have realized you’re a girl? xD)
You know those bibles you find in hotel drawers? They say “Donated by the Gideons?” Saw it one day and thought “Hey, this seems chill.” And from then on. . .
But for reallies, I saw it on a ticker on TV while in the Weight Lifting room for PE my freshman year of High School. I was on that one machine where you sit, and you put your shins against a padded bar and push (You essentially left your legs straight out? Yes?) to lift the weights. I caught a glimpse of the name Gideon right as my PE teacher came over and told me to go to another machine. Those machines were prime for watching TV. 8D
I originally went by RedXV (Original right?) on AnimeDJ until I found AL in . . . 2000? 2001? I found it when it was leaving Pro-Boards for it’s own URL (whenever that was), and it was at that point that I decided to get a new name.
As for finding out people realizing that I am not, in fact, a he, it was a regular occurence until recently. I used to joke about it on AL, teasing that it was a yearly tradition when someone new would realize it. I think it’s become more common knowledge now.
2. What made you want to start walling?
I made wallpapers with Bryce for myself for the longest time. Then I discovered anime art online (The first image I found was of Rei. I’d never known of anime as a form, they were simply cartoons on Saturday mornings.) and tried my hand after discovering walls (PS 5 ♥). I didn’t start walling consistently until I found Anime Layer, which I found in a roundabout way from AnimeDJ. I frequented ADJ, and one of the artists on the board participated on an anime art board on IPBoards. While there, I started looking up other anime art boards, and came across AL.
3. If you had to describe your walling style in one sentence, what would it be? Would you like to share your desk?
WHY CERTAINLY: Workspace Jay aside: lol XD – and that’s my lamp!
I’ve been working the last few days so it has collected a random assortment of items. I also like to consume delicious hot drinks. The cup on the corner is a favourite, but it’s coating seems to be cracking. ;___;
I have no style, I’m sure, and if I did, I would want an outside party to define it. I am a person of whims and fancies, as noted in Questions 5 & 10.
4. You’ve definitely made some insane design walls! Where do you get your inspiration from?
Everything! I once wrote 40,000 words based on an idea that stemmed from a motivational poster I’d seen while waiting to take my SATs, if that helps explain it at all. I tend to take inspiration from everything and anything, it all just depends on if I want to wall it, write it, paint it, build it, etc.
5. What would be your ideal “walling soundtrack”?
I don’t have one. I’ll move from The Ink Spots to Modest Mouse to Flying Lotus to Olafur Arnalds and back over the course of a day. It’s simply a matter of whatever strikes my fancy at the time.
6. Were there any walling trends that you’ve observed over your long walling career and thought, “oh, that’s interesting/weird?”
I don’t think I’ve ever thought much about the specific trends in walling so much as how concentrated those trends are. Walling trends are self-propelled; you don’t often see many outside influences in walling trends like you would when looking through other art communities, both online and off. When you do see outside influences, it seems wallers tend to gravitate towards that “new” trend instead of following suite and looking outside for their own. Case in point: Art Noveau, specifically Mucha. I’m not trying to say they were bad walls (obviously, I made a couple myself). I simply think it would have been nicer to see some variation, such as using Henri Thiriet or Henri Privat-Livemont. (HA! Two Henri’s /Dork) Or picking another decade/art movement all together.
7. How many WIPs do you have right now, and how many do you think will make it past Spring Cleaning? x)
Eighteen. I imagine about four of those will be finished, and two or three will make it through Spring Cleaning.
8. What’s the best present that you’ve ever received?
Every gift I get feels like the best I’ve ever gotten, so I’ll go with what I got for my last birthday instead: Process Recess 3 by James Jean & a Bulbasaur backpack. And by Bulbasaur backpack I mean a backpack shaped like the green bud on his back. ♥♥♥
9. What’s your current desktop?
Desktop: Werking
Wall: Spectrum Minimal Noise by Ikaruga
10. You’ve started tons of fun projects, including the AP Battlegrounds and Pool Party which is going on now. What makes you want to start these projects, and where do you get the ideas for these?
Space Olympics? All my ideas start as whims and fancies. I have constant plans for grandiose projects (just ask Tate), although very few are brought to fruition.
11. Are there any other RL or online projects that you’d like to share with the rest of the AP community?
No? The closest I’d have to offer is talks of another Battlegrounds. And I suppose screen printing T-Shirts for the coffee company my fiance is helping start. I’m always doing stuff as far as Real Life stuff is concerned, I hate being idle.
12. Finally, any thoughts on the competition so far, and any words of wisdom for our Clash contestants?
Be your awesome self, and don’t fret.
That’s right folks! AP Clash was partially inspired by the AP Battlegrounds, and the final round was inspired by Pool Party – both inspirational projects led by none other than Gidders, the Cool Kid
.
Also, be sure to check out Gideon + her horde’s walling site @ Inky Monday!
For more reads on your Clash uber-judges, check out Interviews!
@All: Bulbasaurs are known to be stubborn. Surely a vine whip attack will repel them and give you enough time to escape. If not, try razor leaf. While they tend their wounds, you can leap out of there.
@Tsu: LOL. That would hurt. XDDDD
@Gid
Instead of getting frightened, they might whip out MasterBalls and start pelting you with them.
@Gid: You’re welcome.
@Phoenix: Given that I work at a school, this sounds like a fantastic idea. I may dress up for Halloween too. >D
Tates, you’re like, the person that keeps me in check. You are my rock. 8D You’ve told me when my ideas are ridiculous before. I need that.
*nods* Bulbasaur backpack noted. I bet you put it on and play leap frog all the time, scaring the neighborhood kids. At least that’s what I’d do…
Gid, Bonnie Tyler! hahaha I wonder what it was about and why the conversation went there xD
Lol…I probably didn’t care before if you were a boy or a girl unless I hafta construct a sentence that I need to use He/She, uand id I didnt have an idea I reconstruct the sentence so I dun need to use He/She xD so anyway, I usually don’t care that’s why I didn’t give any impression lawl I’m cool like that HA!
Regarding ideas… there’s Flyin xD and I’m sure you’ll suck in Ze pretty soon xD
BULBASAUR backpack FTW!!! <3 <3 <3
So it makes you look like one! Hahahaha. Kidding. ^^v IT'S CUTE!!! XD
And Tate, if you run, who will I run ideas by? .__.
I have the best typo in this. It’s more like a show of my thought pattern. 8D
Battlegrounds is tentative. Some people got whiny. I got strict. Said people whined more. So, it all depends. I’m trying to rewrite the rules to be more lax, but there’s areas where there isn’t much I can do.
@Tsu: I would agree with that haha.
@flyin: Mucha and Privat-Livemont have a similar painting style, but one thing people really latched onto with Mucha was the circular border thing he did, which was more what I was referring to. Privat-Livemont still did them, but they weren’t really as iconic for him as they were for Mucha, nor were they as often used. Mucha had circle thingies, Privat-Livemont not so much. If that makes sense. XD
Also, The Ink Spots
Andd, that was my thoughts on the walling trends for a long time as well, but, back to the Noveau case, Noveau shows up every now and then on dA, but it wasn’t as big a trend as say . . . I am drawing the fattest blank right now. You know what I mean! XD
@Tate: You never gave me the impression that you thought I was a boy either. I’d say Kim told you, but he forgot somehow and went back to thinking I was a he. .___. There’s a good chance you found it out before we started talking though. Most of what I remember from our first conversation was discussing Bonnie Tyler.
@Luna: Thanks!
@All: Bulbasaur backpack: Bulba Bulba Bulbasaur
Haha, I had thought you were a girl in my early years at AP, and then I started to think that you were a guy, and then I concluded that you were a girl o_O
And fiance? Congratulations~ ;D
*is one of those who had recently come to the conclusion that yes, you are a girl*. XD
Bulbasaur backpack! Me wants it! O:
Oi, Gid! I don’t remember if I thought you were a dood in my n00b days in AL… I usually think everyone is girl at first ahaha or I just don’t have an impression.
18 WIPs! amazing 2 wips is already a lot for me haha maybe because I’m different from you. Once I make another thing aside from the first one I did feels like I moved on from that first one xD (haha I know I make sense 8])
And maaaan you and your projects D: *runs*
Lol i’m one of those people who have come to realize that you’re a girl! I remember those days when i used to think you were a guy and thought you were a cool dude. xDD
Aww Bulbasaur backpack. Show a pic. Tweet eeet~~ 8D
And yes a new round of AP Battlegrounds would be nice.
I just went through and linkified your interview xD To be honest, I’m not sure if I see much difference between Henri P.L. and Mucha. The other Henri’s stuff is a bit more trippy in subject matter, which I approve xD But the styling is still very much in keeping with the overall look of Art Nouveau imo.
My theory on walling trends is that wallers pick up on big trends going on in other art communities like deviantART, it just happens a few years after it’s become the rage elsewhere xD
Also, oooh… Ólafur Arnalds <3 Reminds me of Sigur Ros. I seriously love these Icelandic artists! xD
Bulba! bulbabulbabulba
Interesting thoughts about the wallpaper trends. I think people are just ‘going with what works’. It’s always a huge risk trying out a new style and since AP is ratings-based they probably just want to avoid getting a low rating xD
On a side note, a new Battlegrounds sounds very, very interesting…
LOL. I had fun reading this interview. <3 OH. I want a BULBASAUR backpack too!!! (T^T) Hahahaha!
I shall support you for Space Olympics!
Seriously though, what a fun interview.
I’d steal that Bulbasaur backpack just out of principal, so consider yourself warned! ; D