If I wasn’t sure that Freedom Reborn was in a renaissance period before, the reappearance of Grenadier certainly cements the idea. As one of our old school meshers, Gren was one of the big dawgs that filled our FF libraries up with meshes ranging from DC’s Darkseid to Marvel’s Odin plus some of his own alterations. Now that he’s back and an official part of the Champions lineup along with newcomer Area34, FRP2 decided it was time to get some insight on this old school member to see what it took to lure him back into the community.

FREEDOM FORCE

You were active in the community before I was even a member, and you continued to do so until your second leave of absence, correct? What about Freedom Force attracted your attention, and how did you find out about its community?

I loved the fact that you could create characters and use them in the game. It was the first superhero game out there at the time, and me and my friends were playing Champions and Villains and Vigilantes. However, we could never see them 3 dimensionally until this game came out. After that it became addictive.

As I mentioned before, this isn’t the first time you’ve returned to the fray with new meshes in hand. What made you decide to jump back into creating this time around?

The reason I returned relates to why I left in the first place. Real life, work, and a creative drought. After making 200+ meshes, your well runs dry. The skills were still there but the drive wasn’t. It was a good time to step away for a bit, get a lot of work in, and enjoy other things.

Our avatar handles range from strange to unique. Is there a story behind your forum name of “Grenadier”?

I’m an actual ex-Marine, and I was a Grenadier for four years.  Then I was miserable when they promoted me to fire team leader. I had an m16 with an m203  grenade launcher. I lived the life of adventure when I was young and stupid :) .

Being a 3D modeler seems to be one of the tougher jobs of the community. How did you get into meshing, and what would you classify as your best mesh?

Meshing is a great way to blend my technical abilities with my creative abilities. I got into it while spending a year in Burbank, CA in computer graphics and special effects. My best mesh hasn’t been made yet; I’m never satisfied with my own work.  I always think something can be better. That’s why I usually go to a redo a lot of my meshes.

Animating, or keyframing, seems to be something that can be fun but takes a long time to put together correctly. How do you feel about the process of keyframing, and how long would a typical key take you to complete?

The time it takes for an animation sequence varies depending on what kind of effect or result that you want to accomplish.  It can be from 15 minutes to an entire day if you run across issues. The general rule is to make it look as real as possible while still being fun. Movement has to have the illusion of smooth flowing action. I’m still working on that aspect.

There’s always been some form of camaraderie within the community, especially when it comes to finishing projects. How do you feel about the response to your return?

I think my return was well received. This community has always been a positive influence and definitely a pool of creative ideas and viewpoints.

During your first homecoming, you used to release several new meshes every [Fun] Friday. Will we see a return of that schedule in the future?

Ha! Maybe every other Friday. I’m older now, so I’m not as fast as I was.

Most of the creators in the community have had to deal with their fair share of requests. Ultimate Evil would like to know: what was the weirdest one you’ve ever received?

I haven’t had a weird request, as a matter of fact. I have had a turd who PMd [me] a long time ago who worded his request more like an order. I’m a soldier; if you don’t rank in my book, what makes you think I’ll take an order. So needless to say, I gave the twerp a piece of my mind. Got a warning on my verbiage for it, too.

When you returned to the community, you said you were working on relearning some skills and attempting new things. How would you say you’ve improved as mesher since your first release?

I know how to make a mesh look like a character. My next learning curve is to create animation that brings out the character. I plan to start with basic animations that everyone uses and then I’ll start adding on to that to shape the characters movements to something people can recognize.

Although most creators decide to specialize in one or two skills, a few branch out and cover a wide selection of abilities. What other Freedom Force skills do you possess, and have you considered picking up more such as FXing or mapping?

I might make [an] FX or two, but I like meshing.  Skinning is something I want to get better at but not to the point where I’ll dedicate all my time to doing it.

It’s no secret that most content makers seem to gravitate towards skills they already possess when it comes to creating FF content. Have you discovered that talents you’ve utilized in FF are just as useful in a real world setting?

In the real world, I meet with people and I resolve their computer problems. From simple computer issues to big business networks that cover the entire U.S. I don’t do anything creative in that part of my life. I’m very analytical and systematic when it comes to getting results. When I mesh, I’m very similar. It allows me to do multiple meshes and get them done at a good pace.

Finally, what should the community expect to see from you over the next few weeks?

New meshes: Some you like; Some you don’t.

MISC.

Since you’re a new member of the Champions of Freedom, I have to ask: will they be remembered as indifferently as the Champions of L.A.?

I don’t know. I noticed the board went up slightly when I came on board.

Jokes aside, I’m a huge Marvel fan. What are some of your favorite characters, teams, and/or creators?

Alpha Flight, Avengers, X-Men

Captain America

John Byrne, John Buscema, George Perez, Dave Cockrum, Jim lee, Ron Lim, Jim Starlin, Frank Miller

Although TV is being overrun by reality shows, they’re still some gems out there, right? What are some programs you’d recommend to others?

Bleach

Full Metal Alchemist

As a giant book reader, I’m always interested in what others like to pick up and read. What are some of your favorite authors or books?

Michael Moorcock – Elric The Stormbringer Series

One of the better ways to clear your mind is to listen to music. If you were to create a playlist, what would be on it?

“Life is like a boat” – Rei Fu

“I’m Yours” – Jason Mraz

“Be happy”

“Escape”

You’ve said before that you’re more of an old school fan than a modern one. What was the draw of that era to you, and why do you enjoy it more so than current iterations?

Simpler times with simpler goals.

Outside of modeling 3d figures, I’m sure you’ve have your fair share of hobbies. What are some other extracurricular activities you participate in?

Spending time with my girlfriend. Yes, I actually manage to have a social life away from work and play.

It’s said that a person is harder on himself than anyone can possibly be. With that in mind, what three words would you use to describe yourself?

Focused

Unsatisfied

Searching

Goals are objectives that motivate us through life. If given the chance to complete one today, which of your aspirations would you like to cross off your list?

When you’re growing up, you make yourself a list of things to do. I’ve been fortunate to do most of the things on that list. The two still pending are going to Japan and Alaska.

Finally, if you found yourself transplanted into a world of heroism, would you become a “super”? If so, what kind of hero would you be, and what type of legacy would you want to behind?

I want to be a hero for hire with my legacy being that I carried a big honkin’ gun.

With Grenadier back in our presence, we now know where he got the inspiration for his avatar handle, why he likes the older era of comics, and why he constantly updates his older meshes. If you’d like to grab some of Grenadier’s new meshes, head on over to his Champions page. If you want some of his older stuff, check out his yahoo groups… all 14+ of them.