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HI EVERYBODY! It's MARS here, with our very first interview for our new
section, Inquiring Minds! This month, we are talking with a recent legend,
who has made a name for himself with GREAT pages such as the SM Zone and the
Sailor Mars Zone! So let's have a BIG hand for APATT! *claps*
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MARS: It seems like your site was built pretty
recently! With so many SM pages on the Web already, what made you want to
create your own?
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APATT: Recently? hmm... the SM Zone
was born early October 1997, it was a dark and stormy night... I dunno, it
doesn't seem that recent to me! "Recent" is a relative term.
I created my own NOT because most SM sites at the time were umm.... not
particularly good ^^;;, there were and still are many good sites around,
perhaps 10% of all SM pages? ... but I wanted to do it *my way*, put in
things which I do not see on existing pages. You could say Frank Sinatra
inspired me, but you'd be wrong, cuz I'm too young to know who Frank Sinatra
is ^_-
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MARS: You have surely made what is
currently one of the the most popular and high-quality Sailormoon pages!
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APATT: Really? wow! yeeha!
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MARS: *giggles* No, seriously! What
factors do you think led to your site's popularity?
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APATT: Well, my visitors are very
discerning you know ^_-. (apart from the ones that like to flame me
anonymously in my much abused guestbook). But apart from that may be it's
something to do with the way I update almost every day. The give-away stuff.
Oh, and that I believe in balancing graphics with *words* Not enough people
are making an effort to write original materials for their sites.
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MARS: A lot of people like your info
because it's NOT all that statistical junk! What made you decide to present
your info in the way that you did?
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APATT: Ummm... that's a toughie, there
was no conscious decision to present it like that. It's like you, of all
people, know how every great page has its own *character*, it's own
"essence" or "ambience"? I just did what was natural for me to do.
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MARS: You give away a lot of free
things on your site! How many E-mails do you get from people asking you to
make pictures? ^^
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APATT: I take it you mean banners? See,
I get requests to make background images, image maps, and even award icons
but I have to turn them all down otherwise I'd have no time to do anything
else! Uh, back to your question, I get ooooh.... about 10 to 20 award and
banner requests a week... and I'm way behind! ^^;; Can I take this
opportunity to apologize to frustrated applicants everywhere? I looks like
I'll never catch up, please do re-apply if you want.
I also get feedback via e-mail which is very nice, no e-mail flames so
far.
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MARS: Can you share some of your tools
and tips for making such beautiful images?
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APATT: I use Photoshop 4 with KPT
filter to do everything. If you don't have Photoshop perhaps Paintshop Pro
or Corel Photopaint or Micro$oft's Image Composer will do just as well, but
I have never really used anything else so I don't know. I occasionally use
Adobe Illustrator for text effects. Very seldom though because it's slow and
a memory hog. If you have Photoshop you must learn how to use layers, work
on many different layers to edit each bit of your graphic separately.
Perhaps I will put some Photoshop tips in the Toolbox one day, but I don't
know how many SM web masters have Photoshop, so I'm afraid it may be a
waste of time.
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MARS: What's your favorite beverage?
Turnons? Turnoffs? ^^ *giggles*
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APATT: Diet Coke! (even though it
doesn't "work" for me ^^;;;)
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MARS: What are some Sailormoon pages
that YOU admire right now? Maybe tell us a little about what makes them
special?
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APATT: Gosh! there are quite a few!
ALL the Kraiders' shrine pages, Psyber's Sailor Mars Shrine, Rowena's SM
Cyber City, Lunar Dragon's ESH, Janelle's SM Gateway, TC's...[Saturn Shrine],
Mara's PPP, Sailor Grub's [Reflections], Skeeter's [Evolution], Millenium IV,
SMP, ....aw! I wish you didn't ask me that now, I'm sure I left out quite a
lot of good ones! They are all linked at my
winners page.
I haven't included any galleries sites.. Bianca's, and several others, these
are great in a different way from info based SM homepages.
ALL these sites have their own "essence", they are made by intelligent,
literate people, there is also a lot of passion in their work. Everybody
should put as much of themselves into their pages as possible, you know,
write from the heart, express yourselves. Your graphics may be ripped off
left right and centre, but nobody can take your "essence" away from you.
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MARS: How do you feel about web page
reviewers, like the Amazoness Quartet, the Needleleaves, or us?
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APATT: Well, the M Squad and the AQ
have been really great for me, promotion wise. My hits really skyrocketed
since I got yours and the AQ's award. I think it's great and I hope every
SM webmasters who is reading this and has not received an award will strive
for one. As for the Needleleaves, they have a very nice web site and I go
there to read their stuff sometimes, but I believe they have a policy not
to review sites already covered by the M Squad and/or the AQ, which means
they never will review mine. So I guess I don't have quite the same
affection for them as I have for yourselves and the AQ.
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MARS: Any other comments you would
like to make before we wrap this up?
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APATT: YEAH! See, Sailormoon is really
about friendship, unity, and love. So, why is there so much hatred in the
SM internet community? All these people who have put up "hate sites" for the
senshi/scouts they hate, why?? and they people who go around flaming others
out of the blue via guestbooks and e-mails why?? Don't they understand
*anything* about the show? There is much to learn from SM if you pay
attention. I just wish people would be more tolerant.
Finally, my thanks to everybody (except the flamers) who visited my
site, especially those who sent feedback, you have made it all worthwhile.
"M" is for Moon :: "M" Squad Main Index
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