The Safehouse

As PC games develop better graphics and more realistic play enviroments, and as more image capturing options open up to players, it shouldn't come as any surprise that people have taken the stories into their own hands. With the use of screen shot captures, and a basic photo editor, players of every stripe have begun to create their own comic series, paying homage to the comic serials of our youths. Our own Ruccus just completed another installment of his own heroic comic serial, Nightprowl
, which he rendered from City of Heroes.

And yet some have taken their love of story telling and creation a step further. Nathan Ciprick is the owner and operator of Gamics.com. For a few years now he's been tirelessly creating engrossing stories from some of the most popular MMOs out. And the crowds love them! His first "Gamic", Path to the Force, was a hit success among players, both inside and outside of the SWG community. What began as a personal project to enhance his own enjoyment of the game, has evolved into a full fledged creative work that now encompasses 5 serial comic strips, each with an on going storyline. Gamics.com is on the rise, and The Safehouse wanted to sit Nathan down and find out what it's all about. So...on to the questions!

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Safehouse: When did your interest in comic books begin? Did they influence your style and approach in designing your gamics?

Nathan Ciprick: Oddly enough for what I do now I was never really into Comics as a kid. It wasn't until my last year of high school that I asked I guy I knew at school to "show me the ropes" at a comic shop. I always liked Superman, I just didn't know where to begin or what to buy (seasonal specials, weekly issues, etc.). So I read Supes for a few years, through the death and rebirth, and then stopped once they turned him into a blue electric guy. That was a big risk they took, and it just didn't work for me.

Now for Comics, I just pick up whatever has a unique layout style. I'm always studying different layouts, seeing what works, what doesn't, what I can use to influence my own style. So I don't read any particular book regularly, just what looks cool. There is definitely an influence on my work from comics, but I'm always trying to find my own approach to each page.

Safehouse: What is the process for starting a gamic? Do you create story boards before going to game? Or do you just let it happen and edit the image to fit your needs?

NC: I have a few different approaches actually. For the MMO ongoing serials (StarWars "Path to the Force", Matrix "The Zero Man"), I always know what I want before I go into the game. I'll generally know where the story is going for the next month or so (weekly updates – 2 pages per), so I'll shoot several updates at once to carry me for that month. I see it as an organic process developing the Gamic through each step. I get the original idea of where it should go and jot down bullet points of the shots I'll need. Then based on what I find to shoot in game, that can influence and change the idea. For example, if I'm supposed to talk to a character, but then out of the blue I get attacked by a cool looking NPC I'll keep shooting and figure out how to work that into the story. Then when I do the layout, one shot might've turned out better than another so it'll be featured more prominently, which also changes the story. Then I'll constantly look at the layout while I write the story based on how each step has affected the next. I find it's a much more dynamic way to write than going in with a set script and limiting myself to that one idea. If something cool comes along, I want to be able to use it.

For the Mafia, or Tomb Raider short story gamics I'm working on right now I just play through the entire game and take screenshots all the way along. Then I'll think up an original storyline, while in the back of my head I know what shots I'll have to work with based on the game. As I make each page, I'll sift through the thousands of images available to get what works. So the images in my Gamic are completely unrelated to the same image in the game story. For Tomb Raider ("Domino Effect") I've plotted out the story based on locations in the game, I know what is going to happen, I just hammer out the details along the way. However, for Mafia ("…some Family") I'm challenging myself in a different way in that I'm letting the story unfold on it's own. Each day I make a new 3-panel gamic and I have no idea what'll happen tomorrow. This is a fun way to work, but you also have to keep your eye on the ball. You can't just tell a rambling story that's going no where, you have to be conscious of the audience and still tell an interesting, structured story.

Safehouse: Many MMO games provide tools (like screen shots) that can make the process of image capturing/formation fairly easy. Yet you have a number of non-MMO comic titles under your belt, like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Is the process different for developing scenes on the console medium?

NC: Actually I'm using the PC version for any game I make a Gamic of. I know there is a way to feed your console through a PC to get images, but I've avoided that so far since most games come out on PC as well. As for the stories though, I've yet to tell an ongoing serial with a regular single-player game.

SH: What editing program do you use?

NC: Photoshop's where it's at!! (Editor's Note: He means ADOBE Photoshop! ADOBE! Please no with the lawsuits!!!1) When I first got the idea for making game comics based on Star Wars Galaxies I bought PS without a clue how to use it. Luckily I have a few friends who are PS wizards and they shared a few trade secrets with me! The rest I've just learned on my own through experimentation, and from finding tips and tricks online. It's a great program because there are so many tools that your imagination is pretty much free to go where it wants to go, and I know PS will be there to back it up!

Safehouse: How do your inspirations for stories come to you?

NC: Outer space. Just joking, no I don't know. I figure it's just the brain of a writer. Our brains come up with story ideas because it's what we focus on, what we do. No different than a musician who can play a new guitar lick, or a Doctor who develops a new medical technique. That's what they do. Creating story ideas is where I focus my mind so reading books, watching movies, playing games, cultural influences, the media, life, they all come in to play when developing a new story idea.

From a more functional point of view however my story development technique is as follows. I'll sit down with a pad of paper, close my eyes, and start to think. I always strive to tell something new, to push an idea, yet still have it make sense in the game world it's based upon. Any idea that comes into my head I'll jot down. Any scene I want to make sure I use I'll jot down. Any theme I want to cover I'll jot down. Any character I want to use I'll jot down. Once I get this rolling I find the ideas start to bounce off each other, work together, lead to new ideas, and the next thing I know I'm scribbling down a story as fast as I can. Voila.

Safehouse: What genre of story do you prefer to create?

NC: Honestly, I don't think I have a favourite. I've done almost twenty different stories now and they all touch different genres. I love the idea of working in different genres, and developing different ideas. I'm working on a novel as well, which is satire/horror, and if I'm lucky enough to get it published I'd hate to be pigeon-holed in one particular genre. A lot of artists, be they film directors, writers, musicians, once they get success with one genre, that's it! That's all the public wants from them. And most times that's all they give them because that keeps the money machine rolling. Now, don't get me wrong, money is great, but I have the most respect for the artist that is going to do what is right for them, for their own sense of well-being. Johnny Depp has long been one of my favourite actors because he immediately turned his back on the pretty-boy roles offered him, and after a decade or more of him always being there and being great, it's amazing to see him finally emerge as huge star. He was always true to his work. So, I hope to always be able to write what I want to write.

Safehouse: Is there one gamic of which you're particularly proud, or thought it went together even better than expected?

NC: Of course I'm proud of all of them, but I suppose there are some that are just a little bit more dear to me. I can't say anything without mentioning "Path to the Force". This was my first Gamic and I've been doing it every single week for almost two years now (over 150 pages long). I've had people tell me that the main character E'nac (a big Wookiee) has become a part of the Star Wars canon in their minds because they know so much about him and he's had so many adventures. That is a huge compliment.

I also really liked "The Immaculates" based on EverQuest 2. That was my third MMO serial Gamic and I did a lot of prep work for it before I started the story. I dug back into collection of philosophy and mythology books to find influences for the story. I had two central characters, one good and one evil, who are born from the Gods of nature and were sent out blindly into the world of mortals to find themselves. So that one is a yin and yang struggle, a fish out of water story, and a philosophical discussion about "we are one" versus "we are many". And it has a sense of humour.

I also liked the GTA:3 story "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" because I took a risk with it. I told the story backwards, kind of like the film "Momento", where I showed one really bad day in the life a Private Eye in Liberty City. And I did it in black and white as an homage to noir films. Then, when the story finally works back to the beginning of his day where he makes one pivotal decision which throws his life into turmoil, I turn it all around and let him change his decision! Then the story plays forward, it's in colour, and all the events you just saw go horribly wrong, all end up working out for him.

I love the Matrix so I've made 3 short Matrix Gamics and I've just started "The Zero Man", a serial Gamic, so I'm excited to see where that story will go. I have pretty big intentions for it.

Doom3 was fun too because the story is all dialogue. It reads like a police transcript, and it's about an Insurance Investigator sent to the Mars Base because of all the reports of odd-behaviour up there. Then the **** hits the fan, and he's stuck with the demons. So it's his account of the situation.

See, I'm gushing now. I'll stop. I love them all!! Heh-heh.

Safehouse: Which MMOGs have you and/or do you play, and does your enjoyment of certain MMOGs influence your creativity in creating a gamic from that MMOG's world?

NC: My first MMO was Everquest Online Adventures for the PS2. That really opened my eyes to the world of online games. I was stunned by the massive environment and the way you interact with so many people. However, PC is the way to go for an MMO. I jumped into Star Wars Galaxies the day it came out and I'm still playing it. SWG remains my favourite MMO because it is so different than all the others I've played so far. I love that you affect the world, you change it. If you plunk a house down, it's there for all to see. I love that there are player cities with their own styles. I love coming across a massive harvesting field in the middle of no where. I love the variety of roles you can play in the game. It's not just about fighting, you can dance, be an armorsmith, a Tailor. You can have your own store where people can come in and see your merchandise. It feels the most like "living another life".

I was actually quite surprised when I started playing FFXI and then EQ2 to see that they were "static worlds" that I don't affect at all. They felt more like a single-player RPG with the story stripped away and other people sharing my copy of the game at the same time as me. I'm not very excited about the idea of grouping up with people and just killing mobs for hours on end. I do it, and it is fun, but I need more variety than that for the long haul. I like having my own house in Star Wars where I'm not sharing the front door with everyone else. I have this cool secluded place on my own little inlet on Naboo. I was kind of hoping you'd be able to "Rent an apartment" in the Matrix, and be able to set-up your own base of operations within the Matrix. I do like that it's all one big city and you're always there, you don't have to load up the next section you want to play in.

Did you get a sense of what I like there? I like my MMO's to offer variety, to be one big area, and to really let me feel like I'm living that life. So that definitely affects the Gamic. I still feel like there is so much ground to be covered in SWG even after 150 pages because of all the different planets that all have their own unique look. The Matrix offers a lot of diversity as well in appearances, locations, and play styles that I'm sure that Gamic will run a long time as well. Plus it has such a great story to draw influence from.

Safehouse: Many web comic and webzines that are based around MMOs have taken on the role of watch dog/commentator in relation to their host game(s) (like GUComics). Any plans to venture into that type of role, or are you focused on keeping your site for purely entertainment purposes?

NC: No plans for that. That's already out there, right. The reason why I'm throwing so much of my time into Gamics.com is because I haven't seen "this" done before. It's new. As I mentioned I'm writing a novel, but that is such a long process. However, as a writer you want people to read what you write. You want feedback. You want to share your stories. So with Gamics I write every day and I get all of the above. This website lets me hone my writing skills, think of new story-development ideas, and challenge myself like never before. I think it's a great outlet as well for other writers since the site is open to submissions. It's great to see other people also getting behind the idea and developing their own style of Gamic. Stories based in the game world is what it's all about. I know how much hard work goes into making a game, I love games, so I'm not about to try and tear it down with a sarcastic comment.

There are a couple of comedy Gamics at the site, however they're still in line with the Game they're based upon. For "World of Warcraft" there's a Gamic called "The Exquisite Dead Guy" and it is extremely funny. It's about a character from the game and his Summoned sidekick just wandering about and cracking-wise with each other. Nothing derogatory against the game, not a watchdog, just funny. There's one based on Worms3D as well, and that game, well, it's just ripe for funny situations with those chubby little worms wriggling around wielding massive weaponry!

Safehouse: With the glut of MMOs in development today, there are often too many to pay attention to. By what process do you decide which game is ripe for a gamic? Popularity? Aesthetics?

NC: I agree, and it's too bad really. I see all these buildings, cantinas, bandstands, meeting halls, etc., that they've built in SWG and they just sit empty. People are out there for sure playing the game, but it'd be great if the world was super-populated and you had to practically fight just to get a table in a hot Cantina. I suppose that problem will be fixed somewhat in the future when they won't need to split us up amongst a variety of servers. If 300,000 people all crammed into one version of the MegaCity for Matrix, well, that'd be a very different game.

As for myself, and picking which game to play, it's a balance of what I want to play and what I think the audience will want to read. I chose Final Fantasy XI because I knew it would be popular. I was also still new to the world of MMO's, and I've played the FF offline games so that was an easy, comfortable choice. For Everquest 2, I pretty much tossed a coin between that and World of Warcraft. I knew they'd both be good games so I could go either way. I still would've used the storyline for "The Immaculates" in WoW if I'd gone with that game. Matrix Online. I love the films, the comics, the animatrix so I've been itching to get into that game. I had a link up on my site for the Matrix since last November saying "coming soon", and it has received a LOT of clicks since then so I knew there'd be an audience for that Gamic!

I've also recently been approached by a Marketing firm to have Gamics.com promote games. "Act of War" was the first game I promoted at the site with screenshots, and a preview I wrote, but I also made a Gamic of it which is a unique form of marketing you'll only find at my site. I hope to work hand in hand with the game companies more in the near future, so that will definitely have an effect on what I play!

Safehouse: Are there any up and coming MMOs or games for which you are particularly excited to start work on?

NC: For MMO's I'm set for the time being with SWG and MXO. It's hard to do more than two MMO Gamics because I like to actually be able to play the game I'm making a Gamic of, and we all know MMO's require a serious time commitment! As for other games, I'm at a point right now where I do have to decide soon what I'll do next. My Doom 3 Gamic ended last week after four months of weekly updates. My Freedom Fighters Gamic "The Red Book" probably only has a week or two left in the story. I just haven't decided what's up next. Although I do have my eye on Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. With the spectacular graphics and camera mobility it offers I think I can come up with something cool for that one! I offer up a different Gamic seven days a week so with those two ending I need to pick up something soon! There are also four Reader Submitted Gamics updating every week as well, plus other reader submitted work available that I'd say there's easily 1000 Gamic pages at the site now.

What I'm most excited for though is definitely GTA:San Andreas!! I've done a short Gamic for GTA:3 and Vice City, but with San Andreas… That game is such a masterpiece; it's so massive, so interactive, so detailed and I think it is a stunning accomplishment. I have an idea to do a rather epic, ongoing story with multiple characters all intersecting with each other. Think Robert Altman films (Short Cuts, the Player, MASH, Nashville), and that's what I have in mind for GTA:SA. He creates a whole world with an amazing depth of characters that I hope to be able just to touch a piece of what he's been able to do over and over. That's my next real challenge for sure, and I'm definitely looking forward to that!

The Safehouse thanks Nathan for his great Q&A!

Nathan's site is Gamics.com
Gamic's, and Safehouse T-shirts available at Fricka's store: OffLineTshirts

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