This week we have a very special developer interview with Jacksmack himself, AKA David Fulton!
Dave is the brain behind Build A Robot 3, along with one of the newest AG hits, Globs.
1- How did you get started making flash games?
I guess it started with wanting to make video games. When I was 13 I started a video game cheat site and did game mods for Doom and Quake on the PC. That was a LONG time ago though. I went to college and learned Computer animation, then graduated and couldn’t find a job in my field so I started making flash movies and taught myself to program. After years of work I’m starting to get pretty good at it.
2- Do you have an educational background in flash?
No. Self taught in Flash. Though I do have an associates degree in animation I find I don’t animate as much any more as I use to since that knowledge is easier to get through tutorials on line for free rather than a college degree. I envy the 13 year olds of today with the amount of information at their fingertips.
3- Top three favorite flash games.
I can’t include my own I take it… There is an older game done years and years ago call Chasm. It had a platupus in it I really like that game and when it was made it was VERY hard to do something like that.
Chibi Knight is a really good game. And I’m also a fan of Alien Hominid though it makes my fingers ache from playing it.
4- If you weren’t a flash game developer, what would you be?
Homeless I guess. I do freelance web design as well as making Flash games to make ends meet. I suppose I would focus more on that… or perhaps I would work on the family farm.
5- Favorite food?
Chipotle burritos are the food of the gods. MMMMMMmmmm….
6- What is your inspiration for your games?
I walk around with a notebook everywhere I go. And when I’m not working I’m daydreaming and writing things in the notebook. I have WAY more ideas already than I will ever be able to make. The trick is taking an idea that you can get excited about and staying excited about it for the long haul of making the game. I find inspiration to be a very small part of the process, and hard work and self motivation are the real trick to making anything good. To quote Thomas Edison… ‘Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.’
7- What is Jacks Mack?
Did you mean “What is Jacksmack?”
Jacksmack was something I came up with back when I wanted to be the next Joe Cartoon. I wanted a name that was catchy and easy to remember and short. I am a Jack of all trades and know how to do a little bit of everything so I started there and just searched to see which urls were available. Jacksmack won out and I stuck with the name for nearly decade now.
8- Free for all- tell us anything!!
If you want to make flash games you have to learn to love adversity. If you want to make a living making flash games you have to learn to love darn near impossibility. If you love it though keep at it and treat it as a business more than a hobby and you will eventually develop the skills and knowledge to succeed. Start early if you can and don’t ever underestimate the power of a 13 year old.
Jacksmack is a pretty cool cat mang.
Neat interview. I especially like the epigram at the end about making Flash games. Good luck!
Cool, Jacksmack is quite a catchy name, good luck and you’re right about the Chipotle burritos :D!