An interview with Bugsy - Ascii legend & EP founder.
with black jack

For the people that don't know, NCage is me (Black Jack) and eufanasia is Bugsy (EP).

ùíù Starting logfile /home/blk_jack/bugsy.log
IRC log started Fri Sep 11 18:23:52 1998 ùíù
Value of LOGFILE set to /home/blk_jack/bugsy.log

NCage:
Alright.

Working & stuff.

Lets start this show.

(:) +i

Eufanasia:
Wonderful.

NCage:
Ok, lets get your history down, first. When did you start drawing ascii?

Eufanasia:
Years back, I'd say 4-5; I've always drawn, on paper, placemats in restaraunts, walls, etc.

NCage:
So you're a natural artist, or you just doodled?

Eufanasia:
brb

NCage:
Ok

Eufanasia:
I'd say I'm a natural artist, which is why the shit I do on the computer is so original, not like these other motherfuckers who claim they're "oldschool", been drawing for years and shit, and still come out with collections using my style. And when you ask I'm about it, they'll get all flustered like a fuckin' girl that you noticed, and come up with some excuse; All they have to say is "I like it, and I wanted to see what I could do with it, put my own spin on it", but I never hear that, I just get all kinds of shittalking, people claiming they don't even like my art. But back to your question; if they were natural artists, they'd have their own thing going, not sit there with someone's ascii on the screen and draw under it.

NCage:
Well, I remember joining the scene, and dialing those wack 800/888 bbs' back then. I guess thats when I first saw your art. I remember it as being totally different than any other oldschool art I had seen at the time. Do you think that your art has had a great influence on the oldschool scene?

On the artist's styles today?

Eufanasia:
I think so. Look at some packs, new or old, and you'll see people doing things that I pioneered. Like look at Miasma, isn't that my style coming out of his keyboard, just fucked-up, because when you bite, you can never do it right. It's not that I mind it, but as I said above, if you wanna draw like me, just give me my proper tribute, that's all I ask, don't try to say that you came up with your art before you ever saw mine, because everybody knows it isn't true. I like to help out new artists too, if it's someone I've helped, and they familiarized themselves with the asthetics of lettering through my art, and then went off on their own direction, and never forgot who taught them to draw, then that's real. It's the same thing on or off computers.

NCage:
Alright.. I also know that you're a big fan of the hip-hop scene. How would you say the music you listen to influences the way you draw? If at all?

(I'm going to be doing an article about artists & their music.. how it affects them, etc.)

Eufanasia:
Music definitely influences me. Not necessarily the way I draw/letter, not like that, but they state of mind when I draw, why I draw, and what I draw is usually somehow connected to music. Like the way I try to get the imposters out, it's the same as the music industry. If I see a piece all over a wall out here and it's using someone elses style, I'm gonna get out my fuckin' cans, markers, or what-have-you and let him know, one way or the mutherfuckin' other.

brb.

NCage:
Ok

Eufanasia:
back

NCage:
Yah.. I see you talking about that a lot on irc. So you believe that if someone starts, or creates something that's based off someone else's work. That the other person should get at least some credit for it?

Eufanasia:
SOME kind of credit, as I said above, a proper tribute, a "greet", something to let the originals know that you're not just out there biting their shit without acknowledging that what you're doing isn't 100% yours, because if you stay silent, to me, that's the same as taking credit.

NCage:
Right.

Eufanasia:
(more coming)

NCage:
How do you feel about the artists that 'remix' art? Haji had a whole project going on the idea that people should try & remix other artist's work.

Oh, ;)

Eufanasia:
Like one thing I can think of is in the old kTS collies, TinyZ would draw some asciis using other people's styles, but he'd let everybody know that's it's not like he started the shit. For example, he'd draw an ascii and use Posk-like lettering, and instead of just signing in his usual +tZ, he'd put +tZ, pOSK^sT; Meaning TinyZ drew it, but giving Posk proper credit for his style, that way you still have a good piece of art, and everyone's happy.

Next. >=]

NCage:
Did you catch the remix thing above?

Eufanasia:
As far as Haji's shit, it was a cute little pack he put out, re-doing 8 or so asciis, but at a time when there's next to nothing coming out, REALLY nothing good coming out, is this really the time to encourage people to become even less creative, and 'remix' other people's art? Or maybe his thinking was that it would motivate some people if they had a basis, and it would be just like getting help off somebody, but giving them proper credit, to enhance their own confidence, understanding, and creativity of art, which would be a better idea. I can't speak for Haji, though.

NCage:
I think we need more artists to join the ascii scene, create their own styles and images, not remix someone else's shit, but.. I mean.. if remixing is what you get off on, so be it.

Eufanasia:
brb, throw out the next question tho.

NCage:
Ok.

Eufanasia:
back

NCage:
I know, myself, that a lot of my 'style' was based off of fear & ninelives of oil!ascii, were you ever influenced by an artist or group?

Eufanasia:
Not my personal drawing style, no. But when I looked at the old kTS packs, I used to love how they had their shit together, all cleaned and polished, and there was so much of it, so in that respect, yeah I was influenced like that, which is probably why I put out large collies with neatened-up formatting.

NCage:
What about today's art scene? What's your opinion on the current groups & artists that produce?(Or don't produce?)

Eufanasia:
It's rare to see anything really good or groundbreaking, because everyone with talent doesn't want to put their hearts and art into what I assume they perceive as a dying entity. It's like when a team of paramedics comes up on an emergency, they'll only help the people they think have a chance of surviving, not the severly wounded ones. The ascii scene is severly wounded in my eyes, not beyond repair, but I have no problem with the way it is now to tell you the truth, all the fly-by-nights are basically gone, and it's only people who are serious about groups/art that are left, the only problem is that just because they're serious doesn't mean they know what they're doing.

NCage:
I've noticed that all the new ansi groups don't have ascii divisions.. Any ideas on why the ascii/ansi scenes have separated?

Eufanasia:
I didn't even know that there were new ansi groups, but I think the scenes have seperated so much for a few reasons. One being total disrespect for a medium other than yours, another being the trend of every fuckin' group with 2 or more ascii

Eufanasia:
artists having to split off into it's own, seperate-pack releasing entity, even if they put out a pack with 1 person releasing like all of 3 asciis, like hIVE, dark's ascii division. Then there's the fact the ansi scene is suffering in itself.

NCage:
Alright, last question here. What's in future for Bugsy the don?

Eufanasia:
Last question already? Ok. The future for me? Well as far as ascii goes, I do it at my own pace, which is pretty much the way I've always done it. When I have something to release, I format+package+release it on my own with EP. I have a few things coming up, I won't say when because it doesn't matter, one of them is a colly with three people including myself that are all badass, three people you'd never expect to see doing a colly together. Everything's slow now, so whenever I do an ascii, I just drop it into the template for the next EP release, and maybe edit it out later. There's a few new groups that I wanna put out some guest work in, if I like the way they're handling things. Again it's kinda like the music industry in that it used to be that people were signed to a record label, and put out records with that label. Now everyone has their own label. Everyone's more independent in the art scene now, they're not bound to any big groups because they can't be, the big groups don't have the kind of 'power' they once had. So I'm just drawing when I want, and releasing when I want, but when it does come out, it's always bangin'.

NCage:
Alright then, :) It's been nice interviewing you Bugsy. You've got some interesting views & opinions here. Any last greets / shouts to?

Eufanasia:
Yeah as a matter of fact I do, have some greets. I have to say what's up to Omi, who always had some BULLSHIT to say about the fact that I listen to rap, and who now is all about 'wessyde', it's in his login and everything. Gotta give it up for Hiro, arguably the biggest bitch-made motherfucker in the history of the ascii scene, I'm almost tempted to fly to Canada. He's not even on my level though, so I'll stop there about him. As always, I love Miasma, because he's not afraid to say he "d0nut like yewr art" in reference to me, yet has the strength to try to immitate it, and release it anyway. That takes power. So greets and shout-outs to them, I don't hate anybody, I just seem to have a difference of opinion with so many people.

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Eufanasia:
Oh 1 more.

NCage:
Ok :)

Eufanasia:
Necromancer, the one person who I can't seem to stay mad at, I hope he does whatever he wants to do, gets his head together, and does it right, whether that has something to do with Remorse, or not. And that one's real.

NCage:
Bada boom.. that wraps it up. The interview is ovah, yo..

(:) blk_jack@dialin2170.toronto.globalserve.net

IRC log ended Fri Sep 11 19:09:07 1998