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We have lots of threads to ask questions to or about characters, but what about the users? In the vein of the Say something to the TH user above you! thread and the I want to see a TH user who... thread (and serving basically as a non-anonymous CuriousCat), this is a thread to help you get to know your fellow TH users better by asking the person above you a question. In return, the person below you will pose a question to you. After you're asked a question, edit your post with your answer!
If you're uncomfortable or don't want to answer the question you were given for any reason, just say so and leave a fun fact about yourself so the game still serves its purpose. If a question is truly problematic, message me with any concerns.
Rules:
- Don't ask questions that are very personal or could be uncomfortable, and bear in mind that many TH users are minors, so while I encourage you to look at the profile of the user above you and ask about something mentioned if you like (like their pets, their hobbies, or their current project), please don't ask very personal questions like exactly where someone lives.
- Try to ask something fun or interesting, but it's fine if you don't know the person above you at all-- getting to know each other better is the point of this thread! It's fine to ask something general like what their hobbies are, who their favorite fictional character is, how they came up with their username, which of their own characters is their favorite, or how they found ToyHouse.
- Of course, it's great if you ask something more specific, too! If you know they have a lot of fandom characters, you might ask how they got into that fandom, or if they have a unique art style, you might ask how they developed it!
- There's another thread for specific questions about characters, and another for worlds, but you can ask general/broader questions about a person's creations here, like how long they've been working on their story, or what inspires or influences them. I'm not going to keep writing examples, but you get the idea. Just use common sense and try to get to know your fellow TH users better!
- You can ask multiple questions in your comment if you want to, but only one is fine, too. This can be as in-depth or as casual as you like.
- Please ping the person above you so you make sure that they see your question! If you're not sure how to do this, you simply type @THEIRUSERNAME, and they will be notified! This will not work if you edit the ping into your comment later (like if you wanted to claim and then edit your question in); you must put it in when you first submit the comment.
- You are NOT ALLOWED to skip anyone in this thread. If you cannot see the post above you because the poster or you have blocked each other, wait for another person to comment before replying to the thread. Feel free to bump the thread to encourage others to participate!
- Wait at least a couple of posts before going again.
- Edit your original comment with your answer to keep this clear; please DO NOT add new comments to the thread just to answer someone's question. This gets confusing. Take it to private messages if you want to have an ongoing conversation.
- You can bump the thread as often as you like; I don't mind.
- Be nice and have fun! Please don't be rude if someone asks you a question you've already answered before! If that happens, you may link your previous response if you don't want to go over it again, but I recommend adding something new to say about the topic, if you can!
- Want to play the game in reverse? Answer a question from the user above!
The first person can either ask me something or just claim a spot!
Edit: my answer
"Hedgemaze Expo" is the name of the main characters' band in my comic! I've been using either HedgemazeExpo or Hedgemaze as a username ever since, which is to say since 2003! Most people just call me Hej for short now.
The name itself doesn't mean much of anything, other than that I liked both words and liked the sort of paradoxical nature of an exposition dedicated to huge structures that can't be moved (what do they exhibit, photos? bush samples? tiny mazes?). In terms of the comic, it's just supposed to be a unique, kind of awkward, and silly band name, because in-story, it's an inside joke between my characters Jill and Amber.
kittyee In your profile, it mentions that you really enjoyed stories based around history (Hamilton etc) I was wondering if you have taken inspiration from history in your own stories? Are there any periods that interest you the most? Apart from that has there been anything you would say has inspired the way you make your characters/stories (especially in regards to you Legacy project, it sounds really interesting!)
Oh man, I have had so many. Back when I was little my favourite past time was making my own picture books. I think I still have a box of them packed away somewhere. When I got older I got super interested in writing my own novel. I actually have a passage of one that I wrote when I was twelve uploaded in my library (It's pretty awful.) Some of the other ones that I can remember that I was really passionate about for a while include: a story about personified seasons that get turned into humans and have to find a way to get turned back; a sci-fi dystopia based off medieval history but with futuristic technology, where two princesses join a rebel movement after their kingdom gets taken over; and a fantasy story about some kids who discover they are magic users even though they supposedly all disappeared centuries ago. I mostly just lost interest with them when I got stuck for new ideas but I would definitely like to rework some of the concepts/characters that I had.
In terms of what I like in other people's works, I think a big one is worldbuilding, especially when the writer is able to develop it without you even really noticing. I also really love interesting dynamics between the characters. Characters, in general, have always been something that has drawn me into a story but I love seeing how they interact with each other. I can really bring an interesting depth to a character you might not expect. I've also started to notice that a lot of the books that have really had an impact on me have centred around characters in a morally grey area. I find that it can be an interesting starting off point to break down common genre troupes and take things in a really interesting direction.
FellowPigeon I know you're currently working on two stories, but have you had any other ones before those two? Have you ever had to scrap a story idea you somehow already started but didn't consider worth pursuing after? ALSO when it comes to other people's creations, what kind of things do you enjoy the most in terms of story themes and characters?
A friend jokingly suggested me an idea of an RPGmaker game but all the sprites are drawn in the classic 70s shoujo manga style. I thought it was a hilarious idea, but since I suck at using RPGmaker I thought a visual novel would be an easier option for me. Everything I start out as a joke gets serious alarmingly fast
Caine What inspired you to start making a visual novel in the first place?
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I do! Though the stories are largely kept to myself or told to personal friends. And while I've got connections with friend's characters too, we haven't really had much of a chance to do any roleplay stuff with them. It's easier for me to work characters out if I stick them in a universe with other characters they fit with, since it gives me a way to work out how they interact and a lot of my characters are in the same universe. (I should probably add a tag or something for the ones in the same ones in hindsight)
An example would be how Chance actually briefly stayed with Bartley under one of their prior aliases, since they needed a place to stay, and he's more than willing to take in someone who needs it. Because of this, Chance still will occasionally send him a card on the holidays(though still using their alias), and if they asked for his help, he'd probably be willing to help if he could.
Thanaturgist I'm curious about your characters! Some of them are connected to each other-- do you have any overarching stories or roleplay settings with them? Could you talk about any of those, if you do?
Haha, I don't have any particular opinion on hedgehogs (I've never even played Sonic), but they're cute!
Sure, I can always talk about Cookie. : ) He passed away last summer, but he lived a long and happy life. I guess one of my favorite stories is the time he broke his leg (not that part of the story, of course!). We used to let our cats out onto our fire escape, and he must have jumped after a bird or something, because this silly cat had fallen into our backyard and broke his leg. He got it set and got this lovely fluorescent pink cast put on it. This guy was famously a good patient, a big gentle mush who would let anyone do anything to him, but he absolutely hated this cast. He stomped around the apartment every day vigorously trying to shake it off, sounding and looking exactly like Thumper from Bambi. And he succeeded a couple of times! The vet would have to put a new cast on every time, but eventually they gave up and decided that while it wouldn't heal perfectly, his leg would be good enough as is. He was stubborn when he wanted to be! But he did look very pretty in pink. (There's more about him here if you haven't seen/are interested)
Thanks for the questions!
hedgemaze
So... everytime I see your name. I think hedge and then think hedgehog.. so do you like hedgehogs?? Also.. your cat is/was[?] the cutest thing.. so do you mind if I also ask for a fun fact about The Cookie?
Ahhh oh sweet lords. Such an excited response?? I was not expecting that and ahhh so happy. Wow. Hello -- also your pfp is super cute.
I'm.. a part of fandoms that probably can't even be considered fandoms sometimes. Like.. i'm obsessed with the Belgariad and Mallorean series even though no one else knows about it, I'm a HEAVY Steven King reader and if Edgar Allen Poe had a fandom count me the hell in. Same with the Junji Ito crowd. Also while I'm not a fan of more traditional Creepy Pastas I'm a sucker for homebrew horror and have a MAJOR soft spot for the Holder Series. Kinda have my own dang conspiracy theory type story for that which I may or may not ever continue... Really not sure yet.
But traditional fandoms it's like... ahah. I search around a lot. I lurk.
I'm a League of Legends groupy as far as the lore goes and absolutely no further. I'm a sucker for Overwatch story, but don't play the game. Final Fantasy - at least the old ones - will always be my favorite games. I nerd out over Pokemon, Yugioh, and fricking Digimon. Anime and manga is hit or miss, but sometimes the story-line is worth it. I'm currently immersed in Gangsta, BNHA, & NGNL right now, and dear lords I don't know if anyone will ever save me haha. I also used to be a HUGE Naruto and Soul Eater fan, but... Just couldn't get past some of the stuff in both. So like... Still in the fandom sorta but also ehhhhh??
I'm probably most invested in Gangsta and BNHA right now though strangely enough Naruto is probably a close runner up? I'm working for OCs for all of them and am building worlds around all of them. Gangsta is only like... Barely begun - i know I want a tag and have a few ideas but that's about it. BNHA I have a full set of OCs that I'm fleshing out: a villian, a set of hero siblings [a pro and a trainee], and a COMPLETE anarchist. The anarchist is, believe it or not one of my "sona" OCs. Naruto has fricking 7 different OCs and I should really just not haha.
Yes I'm studying abroad, but I usually live in the good ole U.S. Of A. ugh. It's fabulous here, I've been here since September and will be here till about August. It's stressful considering I'm going to University, but... It's also semi rewarding. I'm with a host family with two little girls and lords let me tell you being a big brother is a THROWBACK. It's nice though, forgot how much I adore working with and spending time with little ones. Makes me miss my dojo where I taught. I'm out here studying because I really want to go into translation and interpretation. I'm not all that great, but I was hoping the time out here would help. it seems to be doing so a little bit?? We'll see though. I have an internship in the backwoods next month that I'm excited for.
what's poppin!!!! cati
ok heck so! i noticed on your twitter //im sorry i looked around a bit ;; // that you talked about characters called Tsubaki and Outa? :0 what are they from? i thought it'd be an anime since they're,,,cute anime looking characters but ;; when i tried looking up their names i found nothing. also! if you don't mind me asking, when did you start drawing? :0 bc heck i love your artstyle its so clean and nice aaa,, one last question i have! what's a mobage and how'd you get into loving them? ovo)b
and uh,,,,
hit or miss? >:3c
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o! what got me into drawing humans? ///also ignore the fact that they all face forwards, im horrific at drawing side views///
i actually started off using those anime/manga art books since all i had really seen online at that time was humans! i kinda tried drawing cats and things but,,,it didnt work out and i didn't feel happy with it (this was back in like,,,,6th grade) n then over the years i saw more and more humans and was like "yup!! im gonna draw humans!!" (plus i have no idea how to draw proper anatomy for non-human/anthro characters,,,,oof,,)
shikyoriipaa Most of your characters are facing forwards, which leads me to the question on what got you interested in drawing humans?
When did you start doing digital art? I see your background is a photo you took, are you interested in photography?
u say ur focusing on ur project called 'the sisters' which sounds rly interesting from the description on ur profile! what kind of media is it (eg, comic, novel ect) and have u started work on it already? what was the hardest part of the creation process (if u haven't started, maybe a part of the plot that was difficult to piece together)?
Thank you! The Sisters is a novel and I have started working on it! Right now the hardest parts are flushing out my plot and trying to explain my world without dumping a bunch of information on every page.
u say ur focusing on ur project called 'the sisters' which sounds rly interesting from the description on ur profile! what kind of media is it (eg, comic, novel ect) and have u started work on it already? what was the hardest part of the creation process (if u haven't started, maybe a part of the plot that was difficult to piece together)?
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which character has changed the least and which character has changed the most:
hm... i've got a handful of characters i haven't developed much so i'm gonna choose from my mains for the first one!
changed the least would definitely have to be TK in all honesty! i've had him for almost seven years - he was my first fantroll too - and he's still pretty much exactly the same in personality even to this day! only big difference is that he's less of an arrogant prick, but he can still be a bit of a dick at times lol
and who's changed the most? it'd be a tie between rahart and krypt'n - both my main boys :0 (fact, originally made rahart solely to be TK's bf in the troll verse (as he was ofc originally a fantroll) but they've since split up in all AUs)
tho... rahart changed SO MUCH that i ended up making an alter for him (or making him the alter?) in jaehyuk/kelion bc his personality had changed so much so quickly i spent a few solid years trying to figure out wtf to do w/ him bc like... was he mute/shy/weirdo or was he confident/dickish/depressed? the problem was that i loved both personalities but i knew deep down that the first one didn't suit him anymore. solution? split that confusion in two and have two separate characters! that was actually a decision i'd had in the works for literally like four years (including the few i was confused for) and honestly all that frustration w/ his ever-changing personality traits made me go 'yeah ok i'm doing this' - so giving him DID wasn't rly a rash decision by any means, i'd been researching it v much in depth long before i even made him but me not knowing what to do w/ him made me make the final decision rly
even after that decision was made, rahart STILL continued to go thru changes! he used to be super edgy and emo and just like... 'i don't like anyone and fight a lot bc i'm mad' but so glad that's over bc he's v 3 dimensional now as a character and is NOT EDGY and next to krypt'n, is probably my most developed OC
i honestly could go into way more detail for him but i find it rly hard to write him in words like this bc of how complex he is rip
and now to kryp! i've said it a lot but i used to fucking hate him lol like... i forgot he existed for over a year at one point
w/ his personality tho idek what happened? i have a huge mental blank between crybaby/bullied/anxious/loser to well...,,, him. the only thing he has in common w/ his original personality or w/e is that he still paints and sings. that's it.
sorry it's not too big of a description, i've been out all day and am too tired to think ;w;
Which of your characters would you say has changed the least since you've created them, and which has changed the most?
Hello there! I love the variety in your characters and how unique they are, especially given you created them all yourself! (Ive actually seen some around before haha!)
I'm curious, What was your biggest inspiration in terms of getting involved with characters? Did it start with a comic you read or book or tv show in particular? Its always cool to see where people began in terms of character development
Thank you so much!! I don't know, I guess I've always had "characters" ever since I was playing with my toys as a child and telling stories with them, soap opera stories where Barbie fell off the couch-mountain and broke her leg in the ravine, epic tales of my stuffed animals, stories at the Hot Wheels garage my brothers and I shared. Some of my characters on Toyhouse now are even inspired by my old toys. :)
It's sort of hard to decide where to start with inspirations. I read relentlessly as a kid, devoured media, so it's tough to pick something specific from that far back. More recently, when I started the first version of my webcomic in 2007 (the one I'm working on rebooting now), I was influenced by other webcomics at the time like Scary-Go-Round and Questionable Content and Templar, AZ, and the TV show LOST-- each in different ways, in terms of character interaction or structure and storytelling, and especially for LOST, having a lively world with a big cast and multiple POV storylines that tie in together eventually.
Thanks again! This was a fun question.
hedgemaze Hello there! I love the variety in your characters and how unique they are, especially given you created them all yourself! (Ive actually seen some around before haha!)
I'm curious, What was your biggest inspiration in terms of getting involved with characters? Did it start with a comic you read or book or tv show in particular? Its always cool to see where people began in terms of character development
Answer to mine;
I generally have collected them over time! I have a lot because once I've got a character and connected I have and suupper hard time letting them go, many of them are ones that have been with me for years. I also am kind of a softie and feel bad to see characters going unloved so I try to buy or give homes to one's that can't find a home or don't sell- since I'm honestly not that picky with designs myself. A lot of my friends and people I know also like to make adopts, so often I either get one to participate with them or to support them and their work
Design has some suggestion in it, but I love developing a large character world so the stories I can tell with each of them and pushing myself to make them all unique is a larger influence
My favorite type of characters in general are angels! I love angel characters, and examples of some dream characters of mine I got are Ba'al and Jo, and Robin (in humanoids) I'd link but I just got off work and I'm on mobile
though Myra (also in mains) is my absolute child/favorite character
As for what closed species I like, I like most types! Most of my friends are into feral ones so I get the species they like so we can develop them together, and honestly feral ones are cheaper and more easy to find a lot of the time (for me personally)
I also go for one's that have a lot of the traits I like as well, (fun to draw, wings, love glowing stuff, dragon-like features are fun too,suit my character world y'know) mostly story connection is the main reason