An Interview with Forcer of Desire

Done by Magic of Nah-Kolor

Introduction

Magic:
Please tell us some things about yourself as introduction.

Forcer:
Hi, my name is Michael Rytel, also known on the demoscene as Forcer. I'm a graphic artist in DESiRE. In June of 2011 I decided to come back and continue where I left off thanks to Ramon B5 who contacted me via Facebook about one of the posters I did for @party 2011. It was quite a break for me. 11 years seem like a lifetime.

Magic:
What is the origin of the nickname Forcer?

Forcer:
I was using this nickname when I was playing computer games when I was a kid but I don't remember how I came up with it. To me it seems I was always using it and basically it stayed with me to this day.

Magic:
Please describe a normal day for you anno domini 2012.

Forcer:
A typical day for me is going to work, hanging out with friends, then going to the gym and after that making demoscene related graphics or working on some webpages for people. I usually do it late at night between 10pm and 1am.

Magic:
In which city have you been born, please tell us something about how you grew up, and what is it like to live in the USA today?

Forcer:
I've been born in Warsaw, Poland. I was a typical kid interested in computer games. I used to own an Atari ST and I was getting all my software at the computer market located at Grzybowska street in Warsaw where I fist learned about the demoscene. There were a whole bunch of people playing different demos, intros, slideshows and mods mostly on Atari ST and Amiga. That was in the early to mid 90's. Then everyone including myself started switching to PC. I really got involved in the demoscene after one of my friends gave me Bad News #3, which was a PC diskmag ran by Akira. Shortly after that I joined 2 groups. I moved to the US in '97. It's a fast-paced life but I got used to it.

Magic:
What things did you get used to? Was it hard for you to do this?

Forcer:
Working 60h a week and working on multiple side projects and still trying to keep up with my social life can be challenging. At the beginning I hated it but the longer I did it I became to love it. I basically became a workaholic.

Magic:
Workaholic? You live to work or you work to live? No family life?

Forcer:
A little bit of both. I'm sure if I didn't work that many hours, I would find something else to do. Perhaps some volunteer work or maybe I would start painting. I like to stay productive. Family life? Nope, I'm not married nor do I have any kids. Maybe in a couple of years when I live like a mature and responsible adult but I don't think I mean that directly ;)

Forcer and the demoscene

Magic:
Please tell our readers, in order of chronology past to present, which groups you have been part of and when and what is was you did in those groups.

Forcer:
Lets see... Grinders, Revolt, Hellcore, Mosaic! and now DESiRE. Grinders - I did a lot of gfx for Tankard (diskmag) issue 3 through 5 but that was really long time ago. A few months ago I found an old review of Tankard#4. I think it was Adok reviewing it and complaining that the mag was mostly in Polish language :] He mentioned that the presentation was quite good or something like that. I have to find that article again and read it.

I also did a joke animation demo called Commander Culp#5. There were also #2 to #4 but I did them before I joined Grinders. I don't think I did anything for Revolt since I was mainly focusing on working with Grinders until I joined Hellcore after Proba Generalna 3 demoparty in February '97. Hellcore released a couple of demos with my graphics and a couple of intros. Wintermuted, Sirius Orbiter, Trzecie Tysiaclecie (the Third Millennium) are the the names I actually remember.

Then around Spring of 1997, I decided to start my own group with one of my good friends, Cash/Hellcore. We came up with the name Mosaic! and signed up Revisq and Jim Goer who was/is a very talented coder. Short after that we were able to make 64k called Karmel with my gfx, Revisq's music and some really nice effects by Jim Goer. The intro placed 4th at Intel Outside 4 in 1997 but Jim Goer took 1st place with his 4k called Virgin beating Mrock/Hellcore. We also released a joke demo "Wildest Dreams" which was basically one of my animations about a guy on a motorcycle going on a little rampage. Revisq also made music for "Wildest Dreams" and of course everything was put together by Jim Goer.

I almost forgot about slideshow of some of my old images called Necroflesh. I think it was released under Grinders, I'm not sure, I don't remember. There were also a couple of projects I did with superplek in the late 90's. One or two intros and I believe I did gfx for his demo.

So, by the end of 1999 I was member of Grinders, Hellcore and Mosaic! then I lost interest in demoscene until I joined DESiRE last Summer. At the moment I'm working on a demo for Revision 2012 which will be a cooperation between DESiRE, TRSi and Rabenauge. There's a lot of people involved including spotter/TRSi, myself, Luis/DESiRE, Wodk/TRSi, 2 guys from Rabenauge and a guy responsible for music. I think he's spotter's friend.

Another project that is in postproduction is a demo I worked on with Guy Frost but there's not much I can say about that project since we decided not to talk about it. :] I believe it eventually will be released and I know it will be really impressive demo. In the back on my mind, I think Guy Frost will enter it at Revision 2012. It's just my gut feeling so don't quote me on that. Other than that I entered a whole bunch of graphics at different demo parties.

Magic:
What is it that you respect in the demoscene of today?

Forcer:
I respect all creative people and everyone who is supporting this movement. All sceners who are pretty productive and anyone who's involved in organizing demo events are making a difference. There's so many people I would have to list here.

Demoscene vs Graphics

Magic:
In general what are your views on the quality and quantity of demoscene graphics made today? Any demoscene pictures from 2011 which really stand out?

Forcer:
I don't think there's that many gfx made by demosceners these days but there is little need for 2d graphics in demos or intros so it seems a lot of graphic artists got lazy or simply left the demoscene. For instance, when you look at the results from Riverwash 2007, there were all together 14 images entered while at Riverwash 2011 there were only 9 images. The number is getting smaller. Back in the mid to late 90's, I remember more than 20 graphics being entered at Polish demoparties. I think there were around 22 graphics entered at General Probe '96 and most of them were quite good entries. Bullshit pics usually didn't make a cut. When it comes to the quality... we have Photoshop CS5. I think it sums up everything :] I really like Blade Runner by Anne Marte Markussen. I want to make something similar soon.

Magic:
You got a second place at the ultimate meeting 2011 party in the modern tools gfx compo with a picture called Morphine Generation 2. Could you tell our readers the story of the making of this picture ?

Forcer:
Morphine Generation 2 was my second choice for the Ultimate Meeting 2011. Before I came up with Morphine Generation 2 I did a pic called Morphine Generation which I thought I would enter at tUM 2011. When I finished Morphine Generation, I had enough energy and time to make another image. So basically Morphine Generation 2 was inspired by Morphine Generation. It's a sort of continuation of that gfx but when it comes to the meaning behind the graphics I was more happy with Morphine Generation than Morphine Generation 2. I think the 2nd is very straight forward. The original gfx has a skull wearing old pilot goggles with hiding face of a man and hiding face of a woman. There are some WWI overtones in that pic as well. I'm sure you know Morphine was a quite popular drug among soldiers during WWI and WWII used as a pain killer. For the 2nd Morphine Generation I decided to mix whatever came to my mind, skulls, futuristic cityscape, crazy looking sky and making it look modern but people seemed to like it. Both graphics will be featured in the DESiRE/TRSi/Rabenauge wild demo called Funky Fresh. I'm also finishing another full screen graphic for that demo that I'm quite happy with.

Magic:
Looking back on the pictures released on the demoscene in 2011, would you please be so kind to comment the underneath 4 pictures. They represent some of the best pictures released in 2011 imho. Next to Morphine generation 2 of course.

Azathioprine drawn by Peach

Very cool gfx. I like the colors but I think I would put a couple of extra textures of top of it with different blending modes. I also would smudge cretin lines so that the elements wouldn't look so much cut and paste. Overall very cool image!!

Steam Shock drawn by Surround

Great colors. Red, Yellow and Blue. You just can't go wrong with that.

Babe Runner drawn by Anne Marte Markussen

Definitely my favorite 2011 gfx. I love that style. Retrofuturism at its best. Amazing color schemer, lots of details, reflection on the wet street, futuristic city with neon lights and a hot chick on a street bike. This gfx is really good.

Call to Prayer drawn by Korpi

I'm not a fan of this one. This motif is way overused. You can see very similar images on a lot of graphics forums. I think even PSD.tutsplus did tutorial or something similar. Saw this motif many times and I'm not a fan, sorry.

Epilogue

Magic:
Really looking forward to your Revision demo! What can you tell us about Funky Fresh? For example, what is this demo about? Why this name?

Forcer:
Funky Fresh is a wild demo which is being developed by DESiRE/TRSi/Rabenauge. Everything seems to be on schedule so it will be definitely released at Revision 2012. The demo itself will probably be a combination of different styles with some funky music and colorful apocalyptic graphics. I did 3 full screen graphics and 3 different logos including a flying-by credits part. Why that name? I'm not sure, I think it has to do something with the track since it has some "funky" vocal with mixture of drum 'n bass. The demo itself is not ready yet but we have all effects and graphics done. I'm guessing Battlefield and spotter are remastering the track at the moment. People involved in this project are: Luis Gonzalez of DESiRE, spotter/TRSi, myself, Wodk/TRSi, Battlefield, Bodo and Titus of Rabenauge.

Magic:
To have a nice ending to this interview what would you tell our readers? Any greetings to anyone?

Forcer:
I would like to say 'Hi' to my friends from DESiRE as well as people I met in the 90's including Cash/Hellcore, Mrock/Hellcore, Jim Goer, DJ Regal, Fiszi, Falcon, Revisq/Hellcore^Floppy, Storm and Cortez...

Magic