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BLADESMAN_

 See Also: A-Z of Fakirs for other interviews
 

THE INTERVIEW
 

CelebFakirs.com: Why the Faking Alias?
My online alias has always been Bladesman, long before I even was a faker. It comes from my favourite football team, Sheffield United. Their nickname is The Blades, and their fans are known as Bladesmen. Literally, I am a Bladesman!

CelebFakirs.com: How did you find out celebrity faking existed?
Like most everyone else I know, started out just generally surfing for porn, mostly on the alt.binaries.nude.celebs newsgroup, looking for genuine celeb nudity. This was in the early days of faking when they were almost always attempts to pass them off as the real thing, and you would see, for example, the infamous Gillian Anderson 'real' nude pics in among all the genuine caps of celeb nudity.

CelebFakirs.com: What was the first fake you ever saw and who faked it?
Almost inevitably, it was probably a Yovo...I don't remember the exact first one I saw that I knew was a fake, but I remember being blown away by Yovo's Nat Portmans. It could also possibly have been one of Crying Deadman's, as I found his stuff pretty early too.

CelebFakirs.com: What made you get into faking?
From the newsgroups I found The Strip and lurked there for about a year and a half from early 2003 to mid-2004, just enjoying all the fakes. Then I found the tuts section, read Vincent and MrOwl's basic tuts, got curious, 'acquired' me a copy of PS, found some mats and basically followed MrOwls tut (the one with Courtney Cox and David Arquette, its pretty well known) step-by-step using my mats. I expected the results to be awful, but it actually, by massive luck more than anything else, turned out to be not bad. I posted it up, and the lovely compliments I got addicted me!


CelebFakirs.com: Who was the lucky celeb who was first faked by yourself?
Michelle Trachtenberg, using a Kyla Cole BS. Here it is

CelebFakirs.com: When did you do you're first fake?
Early July 2004.

CelebFakirs.com: Who has been the biggest influence in you're faking career to date?
Indirectly, MrOwl, because without his noob-friendly tuts, I would never have started faking, I don't think. Directly, DrHeinz and Proto. I'm lucky enough to be good friends with Proto, and having that guy as your wip-partner can only help you improve! I literally learn something new in every wip-session with Proot. Heinz has been an enormous influence to me in the area of actually helping to run a fake board, rather than faking itself. The guy has been around so long and knows the ins-and-outs of keeping a board running smoothly, that his advice is always the first I seek in anything. Also, the two of them serve as the kinda bar I aspire to with my faking...I know I'll never be as good technically as Heinz or as creatively as Proto, but if one of my fakes gets a compliment from either of them, I know I've done well!

CelebFakirs.com: Who would you consider to be the best fakir around at the moment?
Proto, hands down. There is no-one even near him. What that guy can do with photoshop is scary. I wish I had one 100th of his talent.


CelebFakirs.com: Who would you consider to be the best fakir of all time?
Well, I've only been around the fake scene the last two years, so I would have to say Proto.

CelebFakirs.com: And for the future, do you see any fresh faces that you think will go on to be the best one day?
Teeceethree has got VERY good in a scarily short time...not surprising when he wips with Heinz though. I challenged him to a duel when he was a relative newcomer and beginner to the scene, and he kicked my ass!

CelebFakirs.com: What do you consider to be you're best fake to date?
Can I cheat and give two? Technically my best fake is probably this Thora Birch I did recently. The mats were a perfect match and it came out well :

My personal favourite even though the fake isn't as good technically, is this Natalie Portman nude Star Wars action figure I did for the Great Fake Challenge at NFC. I'm a massive Star Wars nut, and this fake is sorta a long-standing fantasy of mine! Also I put way more work into this fake than any other I've ever done. It still got beat by Teeceethree though!

CelebFakirs.com: What has been the highlight of you're career so far?
Probably playing in Cup X at the Strip. Played in the Dishonourable Knights team, a bunch of friends from Underworld. It was great fun, great camaraderie, and a humbling learning experience. I'm so glad I got to taste that before the Strip ended.

CelebFakirs.com: Why the alter-ego choice?
I actually started out with Johnny Depp as my alter-ego, because Pirates Of The Caribbean had just come out and he's always been very cool to me. Of course, Abberline also uses him, and that was actually the spark that generated our friendship and got me involved in The Strip and Underworld! We actually almost duelled, at Monty's egging-on, over the rights to use Depp in our avs! I eventually recognized Abber's undying love for Depp was greater than mine, and decided to use Jason Mewes, who plays Jay of Jay and Silent Bob. I love those films and Jay is the best bit about them. He's a comedy god!

CelebFakirs.com: If you could marry any celeb who would it be?
Christina Ricci. If I was a mormon, Natalie Portman would be wifey #2.

CelebFakirs.com: And who would be you're bit on the side?
Hey, 2 celebs is enough for any man! I would never cheat on my two babes.

CelebFakirs.com: Do you have funny stories to tell us?
Well, there was the one New Years eve where me, Abberline, Sprung and Mark49s all got drunk during one MSN conversation and Abber ended up marrying me to this girl that I'd recently started talking to from another forum. Without her being there or knowing anything about it of course! Abber makes a great priest.

CelebFakirs.com: Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years time?
Fake-talent wise, I think I've started to plateau, there is only so much I can learn from Proto and Heinz before I reach my own glass-ceiling. So probably I'll be one of those old-timers who doesn't fake any more but just bitches about how the old days were better!

CelebFakirs.com: Where do you see the faking world being in 5, 10 years time?
Well its changed so much in just the few short years I've been around, so I dunno, but I'm certain it will keep changing. Perhaps realistic fake movies is the next step?

CelebFakirs.com: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Yeah, Star Wars is the shizzle and geeks are cool! Always wanted to shout that at people.

CelebFakirs.com: Finally.... Celebrity fakes, art or porn?
Pornart. Art is defined as something that conveys an emotion, makes you feel something. Fakes make me feel fuller in the trouser-area so I deem them art.