Power User Profile: Vampyrist

Vampyrist is one of the first HM creators who I thought had a distinctive "style"; before that, I hadn't realized that the same set of drawings could be manipulated in such a way to even have a style. But I can always tell a Vampyrist illustration immediately, which I think is very cool. So without further ado, here's more about the unique eye behind the Vampyrist!

  1. Online name used in HeroMachine environs: Vampyrist
  2. A photo (or drawing) of you in "real life":
  3. Real name: David
  4. Real city/state/country: Chicago land area
  5. Real job:None.
  6. Real age: 15
  7. Gender: Male
  8. Relationship status (married, single, in a long-term relationship, dating someone, "it's complicated", etc): Single


  9. Online archive of your creations: My archive on UGO's HeroMachine forums
  10. The best piece of HeroMachine art you've created: This picture was inspired by a Nietzsche quote. “Battle not with monsters, lest you become a monster, for when one gazes into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back into you.”

  11. Favorite all-time geeky movie if any: "The Princess Bride". Goldman is a genius.
  12. Favorite all-time geeky book if any: "Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
  13. Favorite all-time geeky TV show if any: "Doctor Who", I grew up watching it and it has stuck with me. The Fourth and Tenth doctors were always my favorite of the Doctors.
  14. Favorite all-time comic book character if any: Spiderman
  15. If you could have one super-heroic power in real life, you'd choose: Telekinesis, due to all of its various applications. With it, you could fly, lift heavy objects and even create a force field. Also it just looks cool.

  16. In your leisure time you like to: When I have free time I like to watch classic movies and watch some TV. I’ve also been watching a lot of Anime recently. And last but not least, Heromachining.

  17. Character design turn-ons (things you love to see that make for a good design): When a character is obviously a work of love. Not something thrown together in five seconds, but something you spent time on and worked for.
  18. Character design turn-offs (things you hate to see that make for a bad design): When a character has blaring flaws that could be fixed in an instant, but is left there anyway. An example would be backwards hands or lacking certain facial features. It irks me because it looks so wrong, but it can be so easily fixed.
  19. Best tip for a HeroMachine newbie: Take time with your work. Create something you can be proud of and if that takes a little bit longer, so what. The end result is always worth it. Also don’t be daunted by those masters like SDR and Dblade. Through some hard work and perseverance, you will succeed.
  20. Any personal message you'd like to share with the HeroMachine community about Geek Life: To tell the truth, I haven’t experienced much in the geeky ways of life. I haven’t been around long enough to have experienced some of the geek staples. I do, however, have some advice. My advice is to be yourself. So what if your likes are different than everyone else’s. You are your own person and embrace that fact.

34 Responses to Power User Profile: Vampyrist

  1. Kaylin88100 says:

    Thanks for the tip 🙂 Yes I do think of myself as a newbie. I will continue to do so until I have created something that wins a contest. I expect a long wait.

  2. ajw says:

    Cool, and now I know I’m not the youngest,we could’ve gone to school together if I hadn’t moved to Colorado. I always check your gallery, almost daily to see what you’ve made, so congratulations.

  3. ams says:

    15..? The way you write, you come off much older. Even quoting Nietzsche lyrics. Great stuff! Congrats.

  4. Kaldath says:

    Welcome to the Club Vampyrist!

  5. Dan says:

    Congrats Vampyrist!

  6. Zaheelee says:

    Yay! I finally realized that I am not, in fact, the youngest person who uses HeroMachine! Also, the Princess Bride is one of my favorites as well 🙂

    Congrats on the Power User Status!

  7. Zaheelee says:

    Oh, but I hope you won’t feel bad, I am probably only older than you by a few months 🙂

  8. Kaylin88100 says:

    I am even younger, I turned 14 last month 🙂

  9. Vampyrist says:

    Thank you all! It is truly an honor to become one of the Power Users. As for my age, it is actually closer to 16 than 15. I was born in the tenth month of the year. Thanks again!

  10. Jeff Hebert says:

    Hey now, we’re all supposed to be bald 40-year-old plus males with goatees, here! No fair skewing the demographics!

  11. Sutter_Kaine says:

    Congratulations. Nice picture to go with the Nietzsche quote. Personally, my favorite Nietzsche quote is “Is there cinammon in this? I swear I can taste cinammon.”. Hey, did anyone tell you about the Power User membership dues?

  12. I really like Fugu and Janus. They have that block-style along the lines of “Batman: The Animated Series.”

  13. CPrime says:

    Personally, I think that Vamp’s induction into this elite group has been long overdue. He’s been a great influence to my work and has been a very highly valued source of feedback and encouragement to me over the last year and a half.

  14. Zaheelee says:

    @Vampyrist (9): Yep, I’m only a month older than you

    @Jeff(10): sorry for screwing up your demographic 🙂 I can’t grow a real goatee (mainly because I’m a girl), but I can draw one on my face using eye liner if that would make you happier 😛

  15. ams says:

    Hey Jeff, we might be 40-year-old plus males with goatees, but we’re all 16 at heart!

  16. dblade says:

    Congratulations, Vampyrist. Well deserved. You may not be a 40-year-old plus bald human with the ultimate in mouth frames but you’re alright by me. The goatee can come later and by the grace of the gods your hair will make way for glorious baldhood!

  17. Myro says:

    Congrats Vamp! I’ve enjoyed your design style for a while now. But, yeah, if I had to guess your age, I wouldn’t have been anywhere close on that one.

    Also, stay beardless! Don’t give in to the peer pressure!

  18. Jammer says:

    Wow. All my HeroMachine creations are blown away by “Abyss”. You are awesome!

  19. Tarkabarka says:

    Congrats Vampyrist.

  20. Watson Bradshaw says:

    congrats Vampyrist, inside the minds of all good artist lies a balding goatee sporting 40 year old just waiting to get out 🙂

  21. MartianBlue says:

    Congrats Vampyrist, I’ve to agree with the others, I thought you were older, solely based on the quality of your work, which has tremendously improved, as has most everyone elses, over the time you started posting.

    Jeff I’d like to nominate anarchangel or Isia, granted I haven’t seen them on the forums for awhile(from their threads). Along with many others so deserving of power user status, either of these two do tremendous work.

  22. Zaheelee says:

    What about Zyp? I just checked, and they don’t have a Power User Profile. I personally think that they deserve to join the greats that have achieved Power User Status.

  23. Vorpal Laugh says:

    Vampyrist, I just want you to know, I thought your Abyss, image was so good, I put it as my desktop background.

  24. Trekkie says:

    Congrats Vampyrist!
    Also, I’m younger (14).

  25. Solander says:

    Congrats vampyrist, that was well deserved considering how your work has tremendously improved over time. Bravo!

    Man, I wish had more time for HM these days. But, real life is to hectic these days.

    Looking forward to seeing more of your creations. I may not post on your thread very often, but that doesn’t mean I’m not visiting every now and then.

  26. Dan says:

    Jeez, who let all these young’uns in here? Why do I have the sudden urge to shake my fist and tell stories that start with “Back in my day…”? I think I’ll go change the tennis balls on the bottom of my walker.

  27. Hammerknight says:

    Welcome aboard.

  28. Panner says:

    Congratulations, Vampyrist, very well deserved indeed!

    And don’t you worry about that naked chin, good things come to those who wait.

  29. Zyp says:

    Congrats on the profile! 😀

  30. Gero says:

    Congrats on the profile, Vampyrist! Nice choice in books, bty…

  31. Jeff Hebert says:

    I would love to do one of Zyp, but I can’t get him to reply to my request! I sent one to him on July 18 but didn’t hear back.

    Which is cool, no one has to do these, I just wanted you all to know that I tried 🙂

  32. Anarchangel says:

    Vampyrist, someone who has improved tenfold since joining the HeroMachine community and is now one of the best creators around. Not only a great creator but a great person too.

    It’s been an honour getting to know you Vamp and I can’t wait to see your future creations as they’re bound to be awesome.
    🙂

  33. spidercow2010 says:

    Congratulations, young whippersnapper.