LEXICON COMMENT:
This author interview was written on April 1 1998 - and that's no joke!

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1.What is your name/nick?

Lizard.

2.What is your E-mail address?

lizard@mrlizard.com

3.How old are you?

32

Lexicon Comment: This was in 1998. You do the maths... ;-)

4.Are you female or male?

Male

5.What is the name of your home page name and its URL?

http://www.mrlizard.com, but there's no TF related stuff there...just a lot of insane political/philosophical ranting.

6.What Transformers fanfics have you written?

Sale of the 24th Century, Assimilation, Horror Beneath the Sea, Operation: Desert Storm, Beast Wars: Preludes 1&2, Hero, A Change Of Tune, To Walk Among Them,4 parts of Renegades

7.Where can your Transformer fanfics be found?

Scattered about the web. Sadly, there is no complete copy of 'Assimilation' online; every online version is missing Chapter III.

8.Which Transformers fanfic that you have written is your favorite and why?

Well, "Assimilation" is my 'epic', so I like that. "To Walk Among Them" I like because it shows the war from the viewpoint of the grunts...specifically, the Decepticon grunts. "Operation Desert Storm" is my attempt at slapstick comedy in prose, not an easy task...

9.Which is your favorite Transformers fanfic written by someone else and why?

Oh, probably anything by Raksha, simply because she brings an emotional intensity to the characters that few other writers manage. I also really enjoyed "Cybertron Dreams", part of the Undocumented Features universe...that was the story that inspired me to write fanfic.

10.Name the Transformers fanfics that you wish you'd written.

Cybertron Dreams, above.

11.What influences you to write Transformers fanfic the way you do?

I like stories with strong characters and strong action-I like to write cinematically, to not always reveal what's going on to the reader. That's why I'll have characters speak without identifying who is speaking, or have shadow figures skulk about.

12.What inspired you to write Transformers fanfics?

Cybertron Dreams, simply for showing me how much you can do with the universe and the characters, and the great fanfic written by other Transfans.

13.What drew you to Transformers in particular?

The strong characterizations and the rich history and background. It's a marvelous universe, and it can support stories from comedy (Operation: Desert Storm) to emotional melodrama(A Change Of Tune) equally well.

14.Who is your favorite Generation 1 or Generation 2 Transformers character (fan-created or official) and why?

Swindle. Because anyone who would sell his partners for scrap metal is my kind of guy.

15.What do you like most about the official Generation 1 and Generation 2 canon?

The scope and scale of it.

16.Who is your favorite Beast Wars character (fan-created or official) and why?

Dinobot is one of the most complex characters ever in a 'kids' show, so I like him. But I also really like Waspinator, which is why I wrote 'Hero'. Why? Because he doesn't give up. He takes everything life can throw at him and keep plugging away, even if he has to drag himself to the regen chambers.

17.What do you like about the Beast Wars canon the most?

The willingness to acknowledge the original canon.

18.What parts of your Transformers fanfics are based on events in real life?

Uhm...well, I don't know about YOU, but I haven't seen many 40 foot robots around...

19.What would you like to change about the Transformers fanfics you've written?

Though a lot of people liked "Sale Of The 24th Century", I'm a bit embarrassed by it now...it's so 'fan boy', and a lot of the plot just happens because I thought it would be cool.

20.What do you consider to be a trite or overused theme in fanfics and why?

Mary Sue characters-that is, the author inserting themselves (or a thinly disguised version) into the fanfic.

21.Have you had any interesting feedback as a result of your Transformers fanfics?

Yes, but I always want more.

22.Have you any other comments to make about Transformers fanfic?

Er...write more good stuff, people!

The End