Subj: Emperor's Hammer Interview (Matt Busch) Date: 2/15/02 2:59:50 PM Eastern Standard Time From: MBFVisions To: RO KeiranIdanian Here's the interview! Please let me know when it's posted, and if you have a specific url address that I can send out in my upcoming Newsletter! Thanks! Matt! 1.) Why did you want to become an artist, and why? I like to entertain, and I like to express myself. For those reasons, I actually enjoy all of the arts quite a bit. I'm a storyteller at heart. 2.) Who are your inspirations? My main inspirations are film makers, like George Lucas. I think film is kind of like the grand daddy of the arts these days, since any given film encompasses art, music, theater, and the est of the arts combined into a single cohesive piece. 3.) What is your favorite book, and why? Right now my favorite book is THE WAY OF THE WIZARD by Depak Chopra. It's a very metaphysical way to look at life, and it's actually very similar to the Jedi lifestyle. 4.) What is your favorite movie, and why? If it had to come down to one, I'd have to say THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. 5.) Where did you first see Star Wars? Actually, I was four when STAR WARS first came out, and my parents saw it for themselves and decided it was a bit too violent for me. I actually had to trick my grandparents into taking me! I saw it at the Showcase Cinema, not far from where I live right now... 6.) What made you decide to paint many different Star Wars images? Well, before I was contracted to paint STAR WARS images through various Lucasfilm Licensees, I painted STAR WARS imagery for pure joy, as it brought me back to that special place in my childhood. I love going back there! 7.) What is your favorite thing about Star Wars, and why? I love the films themselves. Everything about the films blow my mind. They're our cultures' modern myths... 8.) What are some of your hobbies, and why do you like them? I've been very lucky that I've been able to incorporate just about all of my hobbies into my career, like writing, drawing, and I'm just now dipping into animation and film making. One of the things that I guess I have as an extracurricular hobby is playing musical instruments, like drums, guitar, and piano. 9.) What is your favorite thing about being an artist? I'm my own boss. I make my own hours and I say yes and no to the jobs I want and don't want. The creation of art itself is very therapeutic, too. 10.) Do you have any current projects that you are working on that you are allowed to talk about? Yes, I'm doing a number of things regarding EPISODE II, like book covers and whatnot. I'm not sure if I can really talk about them, but I'm really excited about them and excited about the movie! I'm also illustrating a wrap-around cover for Autograph Times Magazine, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of STAR WARS! The magazine will also feature an interview with me... 11.) What images did you design that you are most proud of, and why? Every new painting I do is my favorite, so I'm really digging the EPISODE II stuff right now... 12.) What kind of music do you like? I love everything, but I'm a rocker at heart. 13.) Who is your favorite band, and why? If I had to narrow it down I'd say Van Halen. If you know who they are, they you know why! 14.) Who is your favorite painter, and why? I really like Simon Bisley's stuff right now. And Bill Sienkewicz. 15.) Who is your favorite character in Star Wars (movies and books), and why? Since I was a kid, I've always admired R2-D2. My dream has always been to have a real, life-sized R2 that hangs out with me around the house. 16.) What do you think about the Emperor's Hammer? I think it's great! I used to be a gamer myself, and it's wild to see how these organizations can thrive online. 17.) How do you feel about being an honorary member of the Emperor's Hammer? I'm honored! Thank you! The Force will be with you... Always.