How did you come to work on EverQuest?
I started playing EverQuest about 6 months after launch, and I knew I wanted to work on it. I was just finishing up art school and still working for Terminix at the time. Then I started networking with GMs on test server and got to know the names of some of the developers. Turns out my wife worked at Boll Weevil Restaurant, where Jeff Butler and some of the devs would lunch at. So, I put together an EverQuest restaurant menu for my wife to give to Jeff the next time he was there; it had all my contact info on the back of the menu. Then I applied and got interviewed a few times and when I talked to Michelle Butler and mentioned the menu thing, she said, “Oh!? That was you?” So, I think it helped me stand out a bit, and I got hired as a Game Master. I was GM on Xegony for a year, and during that time, I volunteered to make any artwork I could. I ended up doing a lot of the artwork for the Fan Faire, badges, pins, etc. Then I apprenticed for EverQuest for a few months and became an environment artist.
How long have you been working on EQ?
On and off for the last 22 years (I did a few years on EverQuest Next and about one year on H1Z1).
What was the first creation you worked on for EQ?
My first creations were a lot of the objects for the Plane of War. The first zone I worked on was Veksar.
What is your favorite design that you’ve worked on for EQ?
I really like the way Brell’s Rest and Temple turned out.
How did you break into the game industry?
I guess I answered that in the first question, oops.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to break into the game industry?
A lot of it is networking. I would also do some game jams for experience working with others or enter art competitions for feedback.
Who is your favorite NPC in EQ?
Scruffy the rat.
What was the most challenging creation / design you’ve worked on?
Since I’m not a character artist, being on the team that first implemented the Hero's Forge armor was pretty challenging. Now I actually enjoy making the armor.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you got started?
I wished I had learned to use more programs; when I started, I only knew Lightwave for 3D modeling.
What’s the first thing that got you interested in working in the gaming industry?
I always liked arcade/video games, but I think what really got me thinking about working in the industry was when I modded the graphics for an Amiga game named Legends of Valour.
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