The following is a faux interview for a faux magazine company. Enjoy! ^_^Ralph Edwards (Animé FanFic Weekly): Welcome, Mr. Seltzer. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.
Joseph Keith Seltzer (President, Founder, and CEO 2-Hype Productions): It's an honor and a privilege. And please, call me Joseph.
RE: Sure thing, Joseph. So, tell me, how did you get the idea for one of the most popular FanFictions on the web?
JKS: Honestly, it happened in a dream while I was back at Alabama State University.
RE: A dream?
JKS: Yes. But, before I go into that, let me tell you how it all started. It began shortly after my freshman year ended. I was at home for the summer, and I was taking my sister to summer camp on a daily basis. Well, one day, I decided to watch something besides SportsCenter, and I stopped on this cartoon that was playing. Quite frankly, I didn't think much of it at first; as a matter of fact, I considered it an amusing diversion from reality.
RE: An amusing diversion, huh?
JKS: Yeah. Now, I want you to look at this not as someone who's been watching Animé for a very long time, but as someone who has no idea what Animé is. Some guy is getting bullied by some monster that comes out of a camera, these three fourteen-year olds come and try to save the guy, then, they transform into girls with sailor suits, short skirts, and long legs. You with me so far?
RE: Yep.
JKS: Okay. After that, they try to fight the monster, but end up getting beat up, and two of them are actually sucked into the camera. After a saw that, I almost went on a trip to Delusion-ville, but I decided to stick around to see the end of this. In the end, some overdressed guy in a tux and cape throws a rose at the monster, and this girl with unbelievably long pigtails zaps the monster with a wand. Then, some loser guy with a bad perm job comes and vows vengeance on the girls. Now, after watching this, the first thing that came to my mind was "What the hell was that?" (Editor's Note: The episode in reference was "Shutter Bugged.")
RE: Interesting reaction.
JKS: I sure thought so. Anyway, it appeared that something about the show stuck around in my subconscious, and I just had to see it the next day to see if the show was this...
RE: Unique?
JKS: Weird, but unique will do. So, I watched it the next day, then the day after that, then the day after that, and pretty soon, I began to understand the big picture, not to mention the fact that I was actually enjoying it. I started taping episodes, and before I know it, I was at the local grocery store buying up Sailor Moon stickers and putting them on letters that I sent my family and friends.
RE: I bet they found that rather interesting.
JKS: As a matter of fact, they did. They were happy that I found something that I enjoyed so much that I would try to purposely brainwash them into liking it as well...wait a minute. I take that back. They were beginning to enjoy it as much as I was, even though they didn't get the big picture like I did. But, I digress...
RE: No problem.
JKS: Well, one day, I was talking to a newfound friend named Brett...
RE: ...who just happens to be one of the members of 2-Hype Productions...
JKS: Yep; one in the same. Anyway, I was talking to him and I asked him if he had heard anything about the other princes. He said no, and I took that opportunity to make one for my favorite character, Amy.
RE: Amy's your favorite?
JKS: Sure is. Initially, the story was only supposed to be about her prince, but after reading a rough first draft, Brett asked me if there were going to be any more princes showing their faces. I honestly said no, but that sounded like a good idea.
RE: So, Damien was to be the only prince.
JKS: In the beginning, yes. But, after that suggestion, I started creating more princes for the others. It wasn't easy, but I ended up having a ball.
RE: Now, let me ask you a question. I'm sure other people have asked you this, but I've just gotta know: what race is Damien?
JKS: (laughs) Actually, yes. Plenty of people have E-Mailed me this question...that and "Is Damien Gordon based after you?" Well, let's get these questions out in the open. For starters, yes; Damien Gordon is black. Initially, it was mentioned in the early goings of the story, but when I posted it on the Internet, I decided to take that part out of the final draft. So, it's fairly easy to be confused about that one. And, as far as the other question is concerned, yes and no. Damien is sort of like me. He was created in my image. Now, parts of his personality are identical to mine, but as far as being exactly like me, no. Certain aspects of Damien, like being ultra-suave, are not like me at all. I've never been one to pull the "Billy Dee Williams/Colt 45" moniker, but I have seen it done. That's how I got that persona into him. But, the compassionate gentleman and friend, that's me to a "T".
RE: How'd you come up with the name "Sailor Moon: Legend of the Silver Star"?
JKS: Hmm...that one is definitely interesting. Well, the story was initially supposed to be called "Sailor Moon: A", but I quickly changed my mind about that.
RE: I'm sorry, but I've gotta ask: what did the "A" initially stand for?
JKS: (laughs) Sailor Moon: American. Then, I changed it to "Sailor Moon: Legend of the Star." That didn't sound too hot to me, either, so I decided to add the "Silver" to it, and...there you have it!
RE: Now, tell the readers about yourself. I'm sure they like the story and all, but I'm almost certain they're dying to meet the man behind the story.
JKS: Sure. Well, as they know by now, my name is Joseph Keith Seltzer. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and I lived there for ten years of my life. I moved to Fairfield, Alabama in the summer of 1998, and I graduated from Fairfield High School in 1995 with an Advanced Academic Diploma. After that, I went to Alabama State University for three semesters, dropped out, and joined the Navy that summer. I've just been accepted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and I start in the fall. I intend to major in Management Information Systems, and minor in Theatre Arts.
RE: What exactly did you do in the Navy?
JKS: I dealt with Radio Communications. It was hard work, but it was fun, too.
RE: Cool. I'm sure everyone at home is proud of you and your accomplishments.
JKS: They sure are. Especially since they know how hard I've fought to get where I am now.
RE: Now, the fact that you're from Alabama and the fact that you're getting ready to attend UAB lends me to this question: why base the story in Birmingham?
JKS: Why not? It sounded like a good idea at the time, and I didn't want to throw it all away. Besides, remember I said it was from a dream? Well, the dream was based in Birmingham, and I didn't want to deviate too far from it. Besides, what was the last interesting thing you heard of to come out of Birmingham?
RE: Nothing, really.
JKS: Well, there you go!
RE: O.K. Now, to switch gears on you, how did you come up with the idea for 2-Hype Productions?
JKS: That started with a now-defunct project I was working on back in 1995 called "Richard Pyle: CIA." I wanted to make it into a movie, but I didn't quite know what to call my production company. Originally, I made up Keith Seltzer Productions, but that didn't sound too cool to me. So, one day, I was just mulling over the house when it struck me. "Hey, dummy! Try 2-Hype!" And, that's where 2-Hype Productions came from. Pretty cool, huh?
RE: Very.
JKS: Now, 2-Hype Productions also has two subsidiaries: Liquid Entertainment and Music Man Productions.
RE: Who runs those?
JKS: Liquid Entertainment, which is run by Brett DeJuan Johnson, provides the best in Japanese Animé FanFiction. Sedrick "Music Man" Woods runs Music Man Productions, and he is responsible for the music scores we use in writing and producing our FanFictions/Animé.
RE: So, do you have any plans for this once it's finished?
JKS: I hope to sell it to a major motion picture company and see it onscreen. But, I'll be just as content if Animé fans only read it.
RE: Okay. I only have one more question: how did you come up with Damien's attack?
JKS: Well, when I came up with the "tatewa-jedoukai-zoda-ken," I threw in afew of my favorite things. First of all, the "Tatewa" part came from Tatewaki Kuno from Ranma ˝. The "Jedoukai" part...I made up. The "Zoda-ken" part came from a video game on the PlayStation called Star Gladiators...or something like that. In the end, I put all of that together, and thus became the "tatewa-jedoukai-zoda-ken," or "Mercury Ice Fire Strike". Does it really mean that? No. But, it sounded cool at thetime.
RE: Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us.
JKS: I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks for the opportunity.
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