I ask fwooshmembers questions.
They answer them!
This week is Pablolobo.
An interview with Paul or Pablolobo
What is your phone service? Who is your provider?
TDC Mobil, they are mobil provider in Denmark. We do not have landline phones. My wife uses a competitor.
How did the fwooshnet come about?
Basically I needed a place to host my burgeoning portfolio of customs. I was mad at hell at yahoo and I found a place to host my pics. At the same time I started using a free message board service as a couple of us RTMers wanted to have a place to talk Marvel Toys a little more in depth. Once I had the url and the hosting package in place we moved the conversation to the fwoosh
How did you find PhPBB group?
Google is our friend. I googled until I found something that fit my needs. I can’t remember if we came before MillarWorld, but they were also using phpbb at one point. I used to surf there so it’s possible I stole it from them.
I really like the fwoosh when I found it and then later I would see new websites with the same type of format. Do you think the popularity of the fwoosh had something to do with this or is it simply the best public use code out there?
I wish it was popularity of the fwoosh. Sadly no, it’s a really easy plug and play open source forum that is of course free. That is the draw, free, open source. It is really easy to install and user friendly for the most part. I think that is why people dig it.
Have you met all the MODS in person?
Not yet. It is on my to-do list. I have to make an East Coast/North Carolina pass one day, since we have a few staffers out there.
Did you know Robokillah was voted number one fwooshmember to meet in person?
Not surprised. It’s his online and in-person sexuality. Women and men find him hard to resist. carl is a close second.
Could you comment on how the MOD process works? Is everyone from the RTM boards? I remember reading "Wannabe Mod!" In someone’s post and I could not decide if that was an insult or praise? It’s still a difficult call. I also remember Sniper petitioning for a MOD job. To me it is a thankless/payless job. Who are these people that Moderate?
There is no process. We just look for guys that would fit with our staff, alot of that is determined how the various staffers interact with one another on the board. We try to find hardliners and softliners to balance it out.
Fwoosh is the product of guys from TNI, RTM, and ROC primarily. We took our experience from those boards and tried to build a place that we wanted to visit everyday.
Wanna be mod is a joke amongst staffers. It just means that a board member has identified a problem that we haven’t gotten to yet. So we razz the fwoosher. There are times when it is our fun way of saying, "Let us handle this, we are aware of the situation."
Sniper will sadly never be a mod. He asked too many times. Never ask to be a mod.
Being a member of staff is payless, it is volunteer and often times thankless. I think there is a natural internet disposition against moderators and fwoosh is no different. Which is too bad, these are a great group of guys and they love customizing and toy collecting, bigger fans than a lot of the members.
I don’t tell them enough how great they are.
Does Industrial actually work behind the scenes? Or does he just ‘say’ he is working behind the scenes?
Indy is actually a key member of our staff. He’s helped out with a lot of decisions and ideas that are implemented and NOT implemented on the site. He has a great understanding of the toy industry and how fwoosh should grow in regards to it.
Do you go to SDCC every year?
I started in 2005 and I plan on continuing for as long as possible. It’s great to meet with fwooshers, see new toys, meet other toy fanatics, and spend some time in the States.
Is SDCC when you first met Jesse?
In person yes. Unless our paths crossed before that and I don’t remember. Otherwise in person yes.
Will there be another customizer’s room at SDCC?
How did that come about? Who is in charge of that?
Yes. I think it started out as STARRO and ran under that name for a good number of years before 2005. In 2005 when I attended we had a lot of fun doing it and the guys that were there wanted to make sure it happened again in 2006. We had a huge turnout in 2006. It was great to participate and meet some customizers that I had not met before. If we have another turnout like last year we are gonna have to rethink how we organize it. Alot of people were there to look at the customizers work and we need to figure out a better way of making that happen.
Anna Scipione is in charge of making sure that the event is in the books. She totally rocks for making this happen.
(And is she Hot..? That’s not a question. That is what every guy is now thinking about.) I’m excited about the comic book legendary heroes line. It should have everything you ever wanted in an action figure. What properties would you like to see being done?
Looks to be a great line. I just love 6 inches and super poseability. Think Dr. Phil would say I have issues?
You know I’m not a huge "indy" fan, but I would like to see Cerebus made. And Concrete, but I think that chances of those seeing the light of day would be slim.
How about Some Ninja High Schoolers or Boris the Bear?
You say your mother is where you get your artistic side and the ‘use of your hands’ comes from your father’s side. Do your parents Fwoosh ever? Do they know about it?
My dad is an artist as well, he is a vascular surgeon and probably one of the top in his field. I’ll give credit to the magic fingers to him.
My mom does paint, which is funny since I hate painting, I think my brother would be good at that, he’s got the eye for it.
My parents do not fwoosh as far as I know. They know about the site and are simply baffled by it. They think the success of it is great but the whole Toy Collecting Community it alien to them.
So your parents are normal?
Define normal.
Are you more of a comic book person or a toy person or a sculptor or are they just different hats you wear at different times?
Different hats. Depends on where I am in my life. Right now I’m more of a computer guy, a lot of that has to do with the demands of my real life. I think it’s a matter of what I feel I need to reinvent myself into at any given time.
So yeah different hats for different seasons.
Customizing. From when the fwoosh first started until now… and in the next five years…?
I think customizing will continue to evolve. We’ve seen a lot of great painters come out of the woods the past 2 years and there is a growing trend by a lot of guys sculpting their own stuff.
I can see in the next 5 years guys developing their own custom studios and producing homemade figures. Licensing issues aside there are guys that I can already think of slapping together on the fabrication/sculpting and painting sides that would make great custom studios.
We see it in the auto industry and I would guess that the stats on eBay show that there is a growing market for custom toys.
Which direction would you like to see the fwoosh go in the future?
Ooof. Loaded question.
I really don’t know. I’ve never had a long term plan for the fwoosh other than using it as my launching ground to take over the world.
In all seriousness it’s a fun hobby and I’m enjoying seeing it grow. The community aspect is still the strong point. We have to make sure that what we bring to the site doesn’t take away from the community. But only enhances it.
It’s tough. If we really wanted to be a hard hitting news site we would have to drop the community aspect and be more objective. But that’s not what we want, despite our occasional attempts at sabotage.
In the past I’ve offered takeover bids for the fwoosh and in shrewd business moves you have ignored my offers. Now publicly I’d like to offer a nickel ninety-eight, and a picture of my sister getting dressed or undressed depending on your optimism.
How old is your sister?
Do you think you can meet your financial needs by just working at a toy house or sculpting studio?
No. But I would not work at a toy company/sculpting studio to meet my financial needs. That is what IT contracting is for.
At the clubhouse site there is no socializing allowed. You can only talk about the subject at hand. Although informative, it is somewhat lifeless. Fwoosh has comments and opinions in abundance. How is someone’s opinion better than someone else’s opinion?
That is a big question.
Regarding the Clubhouse, you have a lot of pro’s coming in there to talk about their vocations. You simply cannot have the chitter chatter in there, otherwise you could lose all the tips.
Fwoosh is different, we aren’t a vocational website. It’s a fan site a hobby site. In that it is about the discussion and idle chit chat. And Opinions. Everyone’s opinion is important.
I wanna ask about Jin but I won’t I can guess what happened.
Actually most people can’t guess, they don’t know the whole history. Maybe one day when I write my memoirs I’ll talk about it.
Or not.
My guess about Jin is he offended someone or someone offended him and it escalated…Lines were crossed, saliva was spat, things were said… and now it will be mythical like; Who shot first? Greedo or Han.
It’s complex. How he is remembered is not an issue. He is active elsewhere.
Is it unhealthy to fwoosh for too long of a time period?
Is it unhealthy? No. It’s healthy for people to sit in a chair surfing the fwoosh, reading every thread for hours on end.
Perfectly healthy.
Do you miss the U.S. of A.? Or just some of the people. Is your home a flop house for international traveling fwooshmembers?
I miss it hourly. But I’ve chosen to live in Denmark. It’s where my job and family are. Right now this is home. There are people that I miss. But that goes with the choice, I don’t dwell on it too much. Actually no fwooshers have ever paid a visit. Haters.
Do you sympathize with the rioters (Denmark, 3/2007) or do you think they should get a hobby?
I do not sympathize with the rioters. A hobby would have helped. But that won’t solve the problem.
Have you ever been to the northern part of Denmark where the seas meet and tested the lore that if you can survive swimming in and out of the maelstrom you will be given superpowers? People have done it but at the same time people have died trying. Are you a good swimmer? When are you going to try? I would like to witness your attempt.
I’ve been up to Skagen and seen where the Kattegat and Skagerrak meet. It’s cool.
You have to be pretty insane to jump in the waters up here in DK, even on a warm day, the North See is ass cold and not the best for leisure swimming. Top it off, those waters in Skagen are insane, you would have to be smart and pick a warm, calm day. So like once in a 100 years.
But the beaches up there are fantastic, great place to just sit and watch the world go by.
Part 2: http://www.thefwoosh.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=383&Itemid=54
Discuss: http://www.thefwoosh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38391