A Moment with… Eric Schwartz
(Transcribed from Retro Gamer issue 80, 19 August 2010, pg. 16) by
FrDougal9000
Who is Eric Schwartz? Back in the days of the Amiga, Schwartz was Mr Animation, producing popular cartoons on the system, perhaps most famously the introduction to Team17’s Superfrog. He is also the creator of Amy the Squirrel and one of the world’s longest-running web comics, (Sabrina Online, NSFW) and has won the Bit.Movie contest several times.
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Which of your
animations would you recommend to our readers and why?
‘The
Anti-Lemmin’ Demo’. I wouldn’t call this parody of Lemmings my best work,
but it’s probably my most famous, at least back in the day. Also my Amiga
tribute, which can be found
on YouTube and elsewhere. It takes the song ‘Still Alive’ from Portal, and subverts it into a twisted
history lesson for the Amiga and its fans. Admittedly its entertainment value
is proportional to one’s familiarity with the Amiga, so your mileage may vary.
What is your proudest
memory?
Probably when I discovered my work was being covered in
magazines like Amiga Format. It was a
bit of a revelation that my creations were being viewed outside of the United
States. I’m pretty proud of that press coverage, and held on to many of the old
magazines.
Which game or
character do you wish you could have worked on?
Sometimes I think it would have been fun to be a part of one
of the big ‘character’ franchises like Mario
or Sonic. I also wish I could have
had a greater influence on the in-game graphics of Superfrog, the majority of which were completed by the time I was
asked to work on the intro. I might have steered the game toward a more fully
animated style, similar to Earthworm Jim.
What opportunities
has computer animation given you?
My animations have given me enough exposure to attract a
fair amount of work. I could have animated for a feature film if the timing had
worked out - I was in college at the time, and reluctant to abandon it.
Starting with my own projects gave me confidence that I could follow my own
path, for whatever good that did me.
What’s your darkest
memory of being in the computer industry?
For me that would have to be when Commodore computers filed
for bankruptcy in 194, along with the year or so of uncertainty that followed.
That was a difficult time for any Amiga user or fan.
And your best?
It was nice to find out that the end of Commodore was not
the end of the Amiga. I was always happy and eager to learn about any new
developments that could add to my toolbox.
Can you share one
interesting anecdote about your time in the industry?
I never really considered myself part of the industry as
much as just a person viewing from the sidelines. However, I often found it
funny that in the magazine coverage of my Amiga animations, the columnists
frequently mistook any feminine character I drew for my first ‘celebrity’, Amy
the Squirrel. I took it as a cue to diversify the design of my creations more.
How has the industry
changed?
A couple of decades ago computers will still strongly in the
territory of the technophiles and hobbyists. Now computers are more like a
commodity, a standard tool for everyday tasks. I wouldn’t call either era
better than the other, though I do miss the ‘old days’. I’m not sure I would be
the kind of person I am today if not for the tech and culture of 1989, when I
was making the most of the Amiga.
FrDougal9000’s notes: The article has been lightly edited to include links for the animations mentioned.
From https://archive.org/details/retro_gamer
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