Interview
Handle: Paleface -/- www.melon.dk
How did you come up with your alias ?
Hard to say, I think I started using it when doing lame Basic-stuff on my C64. When that had been blown away and I finally got an A500 the first thing I coded was 8 sprites saying "Paleface" sinewawing on my Workbench-screen. I drew the sprites on checkered paper at school, converting then to hex values when I was being bored.
City / Country:
I spent most of my youth and 100% of my scene time in Slagslunde, a small town near Stenloese, Denmark. That's some 30 km from Copenhagen, were I moved shortly after starting my CS studies.
Born year:
1974
What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
My first machine was a C64 which I bought for money I had made in the happy days of my first enterprise -- distributing bread in my home town on Sunday mornings. I did some programming on it, mostly Basic and some machine code, however my only programming tool at that time was the monitor in my Final Cartridge (probably why even today I shy away from chrome-plated IDEs and prefer plain VI for my work). Unfortunately some experiments wiring the user-port to diverse electronic devices killed that dear machine, leaving a gap in my digital life until I got my first Amiga 500 four months later.
How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
Me and a few friends joined a team called "The Magic Brothers" (yeah cool eh? someone else invented that name), and after I while I got into contact with Rebels who let me join if I'd code a cool intro for their swappers. I did.
What was the proudest moment in your career ?
Hard to say, when I was in my first group we won the democompo of an Amiga-Exhibition in Copenhagen, I guess that was pretty awesome for us back then though the guys from bigger groups were really pissed about a bunch of lamers like us winning... Being a Main Organizer of the first "The Party" in 1991, including desktopping the invitation and the logo was also pretty neat, especially when you're out on a date and see someone with a TP-T-Shirt it's nice pointing & saying "I made that" (though Seen will tell you he did which isn't entirely false or true for that matter). And then there were a bunch of nice "Melon Rules"-moments.
For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered ?
Probably mainly for founding Melon Dezign with Seen, and making that first intro which actually quite a few people were copying from at that time. Seen will tell you he designed it, but actually most of the colors&logos etc. were my work (you may sense an old disagreement here, actually most of the intro had been used in a nonreleased 2nd-price taking demo I made with Gonzo of Flash for the Lowlife Party in Silkeborg around that time but never mind people also liked it the second time round).
What would you like to be remembered for ?
For making people appreciate aesthetics in demo-design. Before we started Melon, everyone were always doing stuff with $dff180 constantly 0 and choosing the rest of their colors in similar tasteless manners. I think we changed that forever, and I lot of people hated how that changed focus from pure programming to the symbiosis of art and technology.
What made you stop the scene activity ? (and do you remember when?)
Shortly after we started Melon in autumn 1991, I started coding the game "Naughty Ones", plus I got a girlfriend (the dead of every decent nerd). I concentrated on the game and quit making demos, as Melon was full of other cool coders at that time. And unlike many other scene-games, this one actually was finished and released in the beginning of 1994 (more than 2 years later!), receiving 3-page reviews as high as 90% in English mags like "Amiga Power" and "Amiga Format".
Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
I did start a small war with the guys who restarted Kefrens, and I guess now would be a good time to say that I regret. However, I don't.
What was your favorite
GAME(S)
Rocket Ranger from Cinemaware and Rick Dangerous from Core (guess that's why Amiga Power denoted Naughty Ones "Rick Dangerous the way it should have been"!). I still enjoy playing Naughty Ones on my CD32 too.
DEMO(S)
There were many. I guess apart from the Melon stuff Seven Sins from Scoopex, the RSI Megademo, Vectory 1990 from Rebels, and one with a vectorballscroller from a guy named Felix in Norway I think...? Hardwired was also a great demo, as was Global Trash 2.
PROGRAMMER(S) (OR PROGRAMMING TEAM(S))
Probably Crionics.
CRACKER(S) (OR CRACKING GROUP(S))
Crystal! The unstoppable cracking machine.
OVERALL GROUPS :
Crionics+Silents, maybe RSI, and -- Melon Dezign!
COMPOSER(S)
Static though I guess we were never excactly friends. Liked his techno, still go out dancing every now and then.
BEST GRAPHICS
Seen / Melon if he would be a bit easier to work with... ;-)
EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY)
Silents+RSI Amiga Convention 1990, The Party 1991.
DRINK ?
A nice dry champagne with your food, and then I like Ouzo too.
What are you doing nowadays ?
Studying CS at the University of Copenhagen, and coding stuff under UNIX!! (Linux rox etc.) Used to head some game development projects for Interactivision in Denmark, among them SAR a very cool helicopter sim, but quit doing that (see http://www.iavision.com). Also did some work for the UN in China and New York (pretty damn cool flying the Concorde to over there).
What are you doing on your spare time?
Unix!! And smoking ganja while listening to Clinton giving the "State of The Union". Playing some underwater-rugby too.
Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
Peace, love & harmony, be responsible; fuck Microsoft - use free software, the usual stuff. And greetz to Felix of Acon whatever that is, he is the coolest coder that never was.
What is the meaning of life?
Doing things you like with people you like. Learning by doing, being digital, telnetting from China, ICQ'ing from New York (sorry guys I'm a geek I know).