It's no secret that the quantity of demos has decreased, but what about the quality? To answer this question, The Dark Judge has decided to check out today's demos and rate all of them from 10 (very bad) to 99 (near-perfect). What do today's demos look like? Are they worth watching? You will learn in the first of this series of articles written by The Dark Judge of Focus.

[57] : 19. Oct 2001 15:55   

I think Courtesy of Soviet would have been better without the naked women hugging snakes. Joe's drawn much better things after that demo.

Puterman/CIVITAS

[58] : 19. Oct 2001 16:21   

They are Boris Valejo pics, aren't they??? Why drawing all da same BV images?

Optimus/Dirty Minds

[59] : 19. Oct 2001 17:17   

Because it's a tradition. And it makes you popular. And after all, they really are _great_ works of art.

Puterman/CIVITAS

[60] : 19. Oct 2001 18:07   

These BV pics bore me. And I am disappointed that graphicians just re-draw existing images instead of creating new.

ThunderBlade

[61] : 20. Oct 2001 15:00   

Boris Vallejo is the bore of the C-64 scene. A lot of technically good graphicians have been waisting their breath on producing bad fantasy art with loads of colors. Just because we have a tradition of it doesn't mean that the tradition is good, see? Certain tribes in Polynesia did eat persons from other tribes in the area, but just because they might have tasted good doesn't make eating enemies a good thing to do, just because it's a tradition to do so. Boris Vallejo on the C-64 isn't art. It's a sickness.

Twoflower/TRIAD

[62] : 20. Oct 2001 16:52   

Don't blame Boris, blame graphicians. They were unable to find more original inspiration, it really is THEIR mistake. BV on C64 is art unless it's copied zillions of times - then it becomes commerce. And commerce is not only in grphics, but also in democoding. All copying and overusing of the same ideas is sick blaming BV is not fair it's really not his fault ;-).

CreaMD

[63] : 20. Oct 2001 17:17   

Yes it is BV's fault, lets get 'im! And as for Puterman not liking Dutch Breeze; burn the heretic!! This cold medication is great stuff! [dribble =-] (My next demo has a wired Boris picture and a scroller in and nothing else, in honour of this discussion! =-)

T.M.R/Cosine

[64] : 20. Oct 2001 17:21   

Someone else out there who does NOT like Dutch Breeze!!! Yeah!!! I'm happy. This over-rated graphic show with the most disgusting pornographical part I've ever seen shouldn't be hyped any more.

ThunderBlade

[65] : 20. Oct 2001 20:48   

Mirage & Hein have both made shitloads of Boris pictures, while their original work (which they seldom produced for the c64) was much more interesting to me .. That's why Sander is my hero, he has the guts to produce graphics which are not run-off-the-mill, even though he has the ability to draw the normal stuff as well. And that's why Sander is the best Focus graphician, ever ;)

The Dark Judge/Focus

[66] : 20. Oct 2001 22:33   

yes, and thats why people slag on sander because 'he could do better' ;) now as the scene grows older it must be time to leave BV behind. The days of squeezing zits and wanking to girls cuddling with dragons must be over. right?

Hollowman/FLT

[67] : 21. Oct 2001 00:41   

So just because you come up with something different, you think you're kool? If your socalled "different thing" looks like crap, I still won't eat it.

Spectator/Xenon/Scs*Trc

[68] : 21. Oct 2001 01:04   

What do we count as "original" here... VB style fantasy art that isn't a copy or does it have to be a different genre? And if so what? (This isn't an argument against the above, i'm just wondering...?)

T.M.R/Cosine

[69] : 21. Oct 2001 13:40   

Spek: ofcourse being different doesn't automatically means something's good, but when it works the end-result is so much more valuable than the standard way, to me at least. TMR: It's hard to describe what Hein's original style is, if you haven't seen it: it's that original :) As for Mirage, you should see some of his paper-art: it's absolutely beautiful. Now, check our next demo to see a picture by Sander that I consider very original, plus it is an integral part of the concept.

The Dark Judge/Focus

[70] : 22. Oct 2001 20:25   

Ok. Less talk and more demos.

tempest/damage

[71] : 24. Oct 2001 14:08   

Tdj: i agree, when it works, yes. The thing is though, most of the people who claim to be different either suck at being different (you know, different doesn't have to mean ugly) or worst, aren't even doing any different! It is this, what bores me. Let's see how different X2001 will be this year. ;)

Spectator/Xenon/Scs*Trc