Pony: Eisen?
Eisen: Yep whats up
Eisen: I need to get new screen names
Pony: I don’t use AIM as much lately, but I still have it.
Eisen: So whats up?
Pony: Actually, I’m eatin’ a pizza lunchable, like a boss.
Eisen: Like a boss
Pony: You ready to do this thing?
Eisen: Yep whenever you’re ready
Pony: Hell yeah. Starting off: What’s the history on the gamertag Eisenzahn?
Eisen: Actually to be honest I took it from another game I know that zues plays alot of, Final Fantasy 11. The name is actually German for “Iron Tooth” and it just sounded like a badass Halo name I suppose.
Eisen: There is a possibility I may be selling out soon though.
Pony: Will TTL Eisenzahn fit? Iron Tooth is almost too badass to change.
Eisen: I was thinking of changing it to just TTL Eisen since everyone seems to just say the first part anyway.
Eisen: Or hear the randoms say Eisenhower lol
Pony: *Insert political joke here*
Eisen: Indeed. Vote for me because what would be more awesome than a Presidential gamer
Pony: Eisen in Oh-Twelve!
Pony: Okay okay, next question…

Pony: What do you think about doin’ an interview? Eh? Eh?
Radio:I’m down. Fire away, good sir.
Pony: Excelente. First things first. What’s the back story on the gamertag TTL Radiomond?
Radio:Ah, right. I remember Deej counseling me on how to pick a good gamertag (which is weird….Xerxdeej…really?)
Radio:Anyway, I’m a huge Radiohead fan and, with my last name being Arimond, some of my friends here used to call me Radiomond whenever we’d go see Radiohead in Chicago. So it just seemed to fit.
Pony: And luckily for you, TTL Radiomond was enough characters that you didn’t have to be TTL Radio, which would have welcomed a few Cuba Gooding Jr. jokes.
Radio: Oh trust me. Stu is good for that.
Pony: I would expect no less. Now, some of us may know the answer to this one, but what brought you to the steps of Tied The Leader?
Radio:I took many calls from several agents. I said I’d either surf or ski. It was Denver or San Diego. And at the last minute, my co-worker, some guy who goes by the name of TTL Xerxdeej, made an offer I couldn’t refuse. The last game console I owned was the N64 and Deej spent two years here in the office blabbing about his Xbox and some game with a lot of spaceships and aliens and guns and warthogs… He would drop something in about somebody called a Gunslinger or how they would gather in Chicago or Florida to play a few games.
Pony: Man, that guys was weird, right?
Radio:You said it, man. Weird guy in the office – stay away from me! So I finally (and happily) caved and bought an Xbox.
Radio:Before I knew it, I’m the noob running with a full party of Gunslingers…last man standing trying to figure out how to disarm the bomb in World At War (S&D, of course) and then…..BOOM! Radiomond’s all blown up.
Pony: It’s the only way to be broken in, really.
Radio:Pretty much.

Interview with TTL Demag0gue

Dem is a long time member of Tied the Leader (Member since July 25, 2006).
I was excited to do this interview as there is more to TTL Demagogue than just gaming.
~Enjoy the interview~

Let’s start this interview out with, of course, gaming questions:

When did you start gaming and with what game?

Well, I picked up my first controller when I was 4.  It was an Atari, but really my first gaming system was the original Nintendo and Super Mario Brothers.

How did you cross this fine clan’s path?

A while back, there was this new blog called Tied the Leader, written by some guy with the weird name of Xerxdeej.  I read his first few articles and became an instant fan.  A short while after that came the announcement that Tied the Leader was starting up its own clan, but since I didn’t have Xbox Live at the time, I wasn’t able to enlist.  A short while after that, I heard about a new gaming blog started up by a few Gunslingers called Dead Man’s Hand.  I started reading that one, as well, and leaving comments.  Stuey and Dweezle ended up inviting me to write for them, so I became the only non-Gunslinger to write for DMH.  I finally acquired Xbox Live access shortly after that, put in my application with TTL, and had my guns within a couple of weeks.  I’ve never looked back.

What made you want to be a part of the TTL family?

It didn’t take long, once I started playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live, to quickly
grow sour with the experience. It was frustrating and distasteful to have to deal with the constant quitters and the Timmys screaming obscenities in my ears.  When Deej laid out the manifesto for Tied the Leader, I was immediately on-board with the idea of a clan of mature gamers who had good sportsmanship as their primary rule-of-thumb. I had been just about to give up Halo completely when the Gunslingers formed up as a clan, and they became my inspiration to keep playing.  Becoming a Gunslinger is the best thing that ever happened to my gaming habit.

What did you like the most about H2 and what was one of your favorite memories in H2?

I have always loved the social aspect of Halo, and Halo 2 allowed me to meet up with some close friends on a weekly basis to play and laugh and just generally have a good time. 
I love the Halo franchise, but the biggest part of what makes it so much fun for me is the people.

What are you enjoying the most about H3 and what game or event stands out in your mind the most so far?

Halo 3 has continued and improved the social side of gaming, and the game play has just been stunning.  My favorite event was the 2008 ChicagoLANd, where I was able to finally meet so many of the people I play Halo with every week.  It was a fabulous event, and I’m looking forward to this year’s LAN already.

I always have to ask the standard questions about Halo.

What is your favorite weapon and why?

My favorite weapon is definitely the Warthog.  I’m not so good with the turret, but I love to drive around with someone capable on the guns and rack up splatters and Wheelman medals. 

What is your favorite map and why?

What is your favorite game type and why?

Avalanche has become one of my favorite maps to play Capture the Flag on. 
There’s just something about hopping into a vehicle and providing support to our strikers that makes game play on that map so much
fun.

On a more personal note:

Where are you from and what do you do for a living?

My wife and I are currently living on a 40-acre horse farm in Colfax, IN (about 20 minutes south of Lafayette).  We’ve been here about three years now, and we’ve really enjoyed being out away from the city.  I work at Purdue University as an Enrollment Analyst, which is a fancy way of saying that I produce reports on our students’ enrollment information – things like graduation rates, enrollment numbers, numbers of degrees earned, etc. 
 
 
How long have been married to your wonderful wife, Liz?

We’ve been 5.5 years now.

You and your Wife not only work but care for horses & cats!  Give us an idea of how many animals you have that you care for.  That takes special people because some people don’t understand the time and dedication it takes to care and feed horses let alone cats & dogs.

The number of horses on our farm is always changing but we always have at least eight or nine.  Right now, our herd is up to 11 horses.  We also have six cats – four barn cats and two house cats – and one German Shepherd.  Depending on the season, we also have any number of squirrels, birds, raccoons, gophers, and the occasional possum roaming around.
What do you get from caring for so many animals?

Just the satisfaction of knowing that all these animals have a good home and are being well taken care of.  Both Liz and myself love animals, and it’s satisfying to spend time with them.

So tell me Mr. Dem…how does it feel to get frisked in the lobby of  "The Palmer House" hotel??? I feel this one will need a little explaining.

Hehe, yeah, that was an experience, to say the least.  I’d been awarded a replica firearm by the TTL Overlords for rebuilding parts of our website on a WordPress platform.  I made the mistake of bringing that replica to the ChicagoLANd this past September and leaving it lying out on the bed.  Apparently, the maid saw it and panicked (to her credit, the gun DOES look pretty real on casual inspection) and informed the hotel staff about it.  Later, when I found my room key didn’t work, I went down to the desk to get a new one and found myself surrounded by no fewer than three of Chicago’s finest, who proceeded to pat me down and ask me where my partner was. (Apparently, they thought I was about to engage in a shooting spree and just wanted to make sure I didn’t have any trigger-happy friends.)  They took me to a back room to discuss the situation, and when I realized what they were talking about, I explained that it was simply a non-firing replica firearm.  We all took a walk up to my room so they could inspect the piece, and by the time all was said and done, there were at least half a dozen cops in and out of my room.  They did let me keep the piece, fortunately, and by the time we were all done, we were all laughing about it.  Next time, I leave my replica firearms at home. 

There is one main reason I chose you to interview TTL Demag0gue and that is your huge success with The Reclaimer” comic.

http://reclaimercomic.com/

You dedicate so much time into your comic. It is amazing what you have to do just for one comic strip/page. Not only do you have to come up with storyline but I all your comic shots are I believe are from games that you have to take snapshots and edit over and over to get the “right” shot. I am so very proud to know someone with such dedication and creativity.

What made you  start doing the Reclaimer Comic?

A long while back, somewhere around the time Halo 3 first hit store shelves, there was a Bungie news item showing off three or four screenshots taken on High Ground.  The challenge was issued for readers to take those screenshots and make some sort of short comic from them (I’ve since gone back and tried to find that news post in the archives, to no avail).  To my knowledge, no one ever did, but the idea of using Halo 3 screenshots to write a comic stuck in my mind.  I love to tell stories, I love the Haloverse, and I love comics and the visual medium.  The idea for a comic just sat in the back of my mind for a couple of months and percolated while the beginnings of a story began to form.  I knew I wanted something that didn’t center around the Master Chief and Cortana, so I needed a way to create a new hero – and the idea for an alternate Haloverse was born where the Master Chief still exists but is off doing his thing.  This left room for other challenges, other villains, and other galactic crises.  The Reclaimerverse is my take on a Haloverse, if events had happened a bit differently.  It’s still basically the same place, but with some key alterations to open up a way for the Reclaimer to step forward as a new hero.

What was your first comic draft about?

That one was literally a proof-of-concept comic.  I knew I really wanted to write a Halo-based comic, and the first ‘comic’ was a dry-run I just kind of slapped together as a teaser and posted to get some community feedback.
How long does it take to put one comic strip together?

From start to finish, it usually takes me about an hour to complete one comic.  This includes staging the scene, capturing the screenshots, downloading them from Bungie.net, and pulling everything together in Photoshop.  I’ve actually got a tutorial on the Reclaimer site (http://reclaimercomic.com/2008/09/08/howto-make-a-reclaimer-comic/) that walks readers through my whole process.

Do you plan on going outside of the Reclaimer to create more comics?

I don’t really know right now.  I do that I have at least a couple of spin-off comics I’d like to work on after this, and at some point, I’d like to write a gag strip that I’ll actually draw.  For now, though, I just want to complete the current Reclaimer story arc and then see where things go from there.

The Reclaimer is always highlighted on Bungie.net (The Bungie Blog)

http://www.bungie.net/default.aspx

Rock the Vote for Reclaimer at Hawty McBloggy:

http://hawtymcbloggy.com/2008/12/29/2008-best-of-halo-awards-best-fan-made-contribution/

2009 has just begun…what is your New Year‘s Resolution?

Well, I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, but I’m looking forward to expanding the Reclaimerverse and growing the fan base community.  I’m also looking forward to really getting Halo 3 Webcomics off the ground and expanding that as a Halo-based webcomics collective.  I’ve got a couple of dozen requests from folks wanting hosting that I’ve gotten backlogged on over the holidays, so I’m hoping to bring at least some of those writers into the fold and adding some new faces to the webcomicking community.

TTL Gunslingers are very proud of you and your accomplishments!

Enjoy the interview!!!
~TTL Venus~

Why did you pick “Fock” as your first gamertag?

• I was a beta tester for XBL and wanted a gamertag that would be a bit tongue in cheek. I ended up choosing it from the writer Art Kumbalek:
  His BLOG!
  Art Kumbalek is a freelance writer up in Milwaukee and writes for the Sheppard Express, a free newspaper. He’s quite the character. He uses the word Fock in place of the more common term often heard spewing from Timmies on XBL.

How long have you been gaming?

• Since pong.

What is the most satisfying thing about being an Overlord?

• Our secret meetings in the Star Chamber. And the orgies.

Now for some gaming questions:

What is your favorite weapon and map? Why?

• The stickier grenade. It’s very satisfying to hear it charge up like camera flash then go boom. My favorite map is Guardian as it has lots of stickiest and plays to my playing style – lots of places to attack from and escape to.

What is your most favorite “in game” memory since H3 has come out?

• Logging on at 12:30 AM on launch day to find my friends list full of Gunslingers playing campaign. There had to be at least 40 on that night.

While in the pre-game lobby would you say that you spend more time in the kitchen or in front of your TV?

• At my computer actually. Looking an PRON.

What is your favorite drink while gaming?

• Coke.

Now let’s dig a little deeper…..we know that you are Actor….so with that being said, give us a little information on the following:

What was your first role?

• I played three characters in Oliver! when I was 12. One of the orphans plus two speaking roles. Can’t remember them right off though.

What stars have you worked with?

• Not a lot. The most prominent is Michael Gross, aka Mr. Keaton from Family Ties. Randal Duk Kim aka the Key Maker from the Matrix Reloaded (Randy also taught me Shakespearian Folio Technique, he is by far the most amazing actor I’ve worked with), Bill Norris who co-wrote Reanimator with Stuart Gordon, I had John Malchovich cut in front of me in line once at Steppenwolf, and a buddy of mine Nick Offerman is married to Megan Mullally (the crazy woman on Will and Grace). Nick has done a lot of work since moving out to LA which includes getting his lights punched out by Bruce Willis in Sin City. Another buddy of mine (Pat Healy) is standing on the brink of success out there – all of you should put his movie World of Sound on your netflix cue. And I spent my 40th birthday in the L&L (a dive bar in Chicago at Broadway and Clark) with Guy Van Swearingen and Michael Shannon – the creative team behind the original production of BUG which was made into a film last year directed by William Freidkin (director of The Exorcist). Shannon is one strange dude, but very cool and Guy is one of my favorite folk in Chicago.

What role will you NEVER forget?

Getting my thumb stolen in Action Movie the Play.

Parting words?
Copy that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had to post this picture with your interview because you are the sole reason why we all throw grenades from the start of Standoff! I hear your voice yelling “Throw Grenades!”

Crim is very respectful to other gamers and reps TTL with nothing but class. You wear your Gunbelt with great pride and it shows.

Now let’s get down to this interview. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did.

Enjoy
~TTL Venus~

How did you chose your gamer tag?

• That’s easy, it’s actually just my last name which I’ve gone by among friends for a long time. My first name is Matthew and that was a popular name in the 80s, so in school a bunch of us Matts started going by last names.

How did you find TTL?

• I ran into a group of Gunslingers in BTB matchmaking, and was equally impressed by their teamwork skills and game behavior. As the rest of my random team quit, leaving me to be slaughtered alone, I thought to myself “There has to be a better way to play this game, and these TTL guys seem to have figured it out.” I checked out the website, was entertained by the blog, and decided to hit up the forum. It was all good games from there on out.

Do you enjoy any other games other than Halo?

• Oh yeah, I like a wide variety depending on my mood. I’ve favored FPS games since PC Doom, but I also enjoy RTS games like Command and Conquer and Starcraft. I just hooked up my old Super Nintendo in the guest room at my house, so I’ve been playing a bunch of sweet old platform games like Super Metriod and Megaman X. I actually have a old console archive of sorts, I’m only missing a few of the weirder ones. All of them are functional, because unlike the xbox of today those old cartridge machines were built like tanks!

Are you a bumper jumper, default or boxer guy?

• Default all the way, I never even changed my sensitivity in any Halo game until recently. I can see the benefits of Bumper Jumper but I’ve already got an effective system down, why mess with something new?

Do you have a goal that you strive to achieve in Halo other than being kickazz Honor Guard?

• Not specifically, I really just play to have fun. I stopped playing for rank a long time ago, I’m just in it for the action now. I do really like to see my teammates win, hopefully with my assistance, that’s my only general goal. I’m certainly not the best player out there, but I’m comfortable with my skill set in that I usually make a constructive difference in my team’s games. There is one other goal that I have – I try to provide a positive example for others on live, which is the spirit of TTL, so that the community as a whole will improve the treatment of it’s members.

What is your favorite memory so far while being in Tied the Leader?

• Stealing the majority of Utopia’s kills over the course of several games…wait that’s just my favorite memory from last night! And it wasn’t stealing, it was just team shooting, honest!! Though it’s not from one specific instance, I love participating in our big team rushes. There’s something undeniably epic about a convoy speeding through a hail of bullets and explosions to deliver punishment to an enemy’s door. That coordination was apparent in the first game that led me to TTL, and I’m thrilled that I now get to participate instead of just being a victim!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a more personal note…

What do you do for a living?

• I’m a freelance photographer, currently specializing in youth sports pictures.

Do you attend school? If so, what are you majoring?

• I’m not currently in school, though I’m seriously considering going back to finish my degree. I attended the VCU School of Art for 3 years, but I got very frustrated with the whole ‘art scene’ and dropped out to pursue photography and play in a band. I did get an Associates Degree of Social Sciences (whatever that means) recently.

Where do you see yourself in 2 years?

• I’ll be here, in good old Richmond. I like it around these parts, so much that I bought a house last year in laid back neighborhood right outside the city. I’ll definitely be taking photograph too, though of what I can’t be sure.

What is your favorite ice cream?

• Any of the cold kinds. I eat’em all.

Anything out of the ordinary that you would like your TTL family to know about you?

• Hmmm. I’ve had classical music training and I play several musical instruments. I used to write Sci-fi short stories in elementary school. I go hiking and camping periodically in the Blue Ridge mountains. I’ve studied woodworking and furniture design and occasionally make things that I need. I love to read books and have many favorite authors. I remember almost everything that I read, books or otherwise. I’m a dog person, I have 2 that are my bestest buddies. I like to paint but I’m pretty terrible at it. I like getting tattoos. I hate running but love swimming. I don’t know which of those things are out of the ordinary, so I figured I’d just list
  some stuff!!!

Crim with his best bud, Tyco

Crim in San Diego

So I wanted to do a little something different and I thought it would be nice to do Spotlight Interviews with Old Timers & Newcomers.  This interview with TTL Thrasymachus is the first Spotlight with a Newcomer.  Thrasy stands out for many reasons. 

1. Thrasy brings laughter to the game which is one of the main reasons we are here to HAVE FUN. 
2. Thrasy also brings a serious side to the game with his way he can take charge in a game (if necessary) and get his team to communicate and work together. 
3. Even though Thrasy could not be at the FloridaLan he still took time to send Gunslingers stickers that he had made to the Lan just to show that he was still there in spirit. Your Gunslingers “Thank you”.
4. Last but not least, not only does Thrasy come here to bring laughter to our games and life but he also does it in the ER.

Thrasy has a ridiculous work schedule and still finds time to come here after being in the ER for hours on end and having I am sure NOT SO NICE days, and graces us with his comical stories, his antics, his laughter, his jokes (that are dorkish at times) and his dedication to this clan.  I myself hold the utmost respect for Sir Thrasy as a Gunslinger and as a Friend.  Thank you Thrasy for your time, your laughter and your TTL friendship.

Enjoy the Interview. Venus

1. I know you have answered this question a bazillion times but what made you choose Thrashymachus?

Well a long time ago in a place far far away I studied philosophy.  In fact I mostly just studied the Greeks.  Plato’s book on the theory of justice is done through the dialogue of two characters.  Thrasymachus was the character who took the stand that might makes right.  His position is that the ones that make the rules are the strong.  It seemed appropriate for an environment where you are attempting to dominate all around you to take that moniker as a GT.  Now in hindsight it’s a long and ridiculously hard name to pronounce and maybe I should have picked something easier but Chubbyhands was already taken.

2. Where are you from? What do you do for a living? (I asked this as I know the answer and want everyone else to know what he is truly about)

Yeah so I’m from Hotlanta but now am living in La.  I am a ER physician.  This will the first time I have ever really publically stated this.  I don’t really like to talk much about it cause once people figure out you’re a doctor they treat you different.  I don’t know.  In reality I’m just some dude who liked school too much and figured out the best way to prolong it would be to go to medical school.  It’s a great job but you have to give up your whole life to do it. 

3. How did you find your way to TIED THE LEADER?

Noka. Hate to admit it but all you who have to deal with my hyperactive, over-caffeinated  pregame lobby incessant chatter can blame him. We randomly matched in a MM game.  I ended up partying up with them. I got on his FL and then one day a few weeks later I get this message from Noka saying that I should come over and check TTL out. At first I figured it was a spam message but thought Id give it a shot anyway. When I got to the website it was just the type of community I was looking for. 

4. What made you want to become a part of TTL?

Man tough question without answering like some kind of prepubescent dweeb in love with the prom queen.  Well I think it’s the high quality of gamers.  Not necessarily a clan looking for a bunch of ringers but one that you can enjoy your gametime with.  I am constantly impressed with the good sportsmanship of the group.  I really like the professional attitude of everyone and I enjoy my H3 time more now than I ever have.  I have never really had this kind of gaming experience before. There is so much good sportsmanship here I feel really lucky to be a part of such a great group.

5. What is your favorite weapon?  What is your favorite vehicle?

Well certainly the BR has to be my favorite. I know that MLG can be a touchy subject around these parts to some but its where I used to spend a whole lot of time trying to learn and improve my game.  I am by no means the best with it but it is one of the most versatile weapons in the game.  I don’t think that there are many good/great players out there who can get to that level of skill without mastering this weapon.  Lately I have been trying to learn about leading my shots but its always a work in progress.  Vehicle you say?  Well probably the hog.  It’s the only vehicle Im decent at using.  I don’t do it much cause there are soo many RK that are better at it than I am but you get a good hog team out there and they can totally dominate the entire game. 

6. Is there a certain achievement that you set out to accomplish?

Another set yourself up to sound like a db question (obligatory shout out to the squad).  I’m guessing you mean in Halo and not in real life (I just deleted my real life answer.  It was something about medicine and doing the right thing but I forget).  No no real achievements except to help my team.  I don’t think that I’m the best player but I do think that I have a good idea of what needs to happen in game.  If I can be an influential force in the game and help my team to win then that’s enough.  I enjoy doing the roles that don’t get too much credit but really help the team (support slayer etc).  For a time I really wanted the General but I think Ill be ok without it.  In reality I don’t think that Im good enough to be a general anyway.

7. What is your favorite game variant? And why?

Slayer….all freakin day…Although I will admit the coordination and teamwork of playing with the GS has made objective games pretty fun.   I guess it’s relatively obvious why I was always going to go strike.  I will admit that although that I find slayer more fun I find playing objective games with GS more satisfying/rewarding.  We played a game the other day (assault on Standoff) where the coordination was phenomenal and it was so satisfying to have that much teamwork. 

8. On a more personal note: What is a secret passion you have? Sports? Hidden Talents?

Secret passion: please insert rude and disgusting sexual comment…No just joking…Uh lets see I love to cook.  I used to cook in a variety of restaurants.  I was going to go to culinary school but ended up down the medicine path instead.  I cooked for 7 years and ended up learning enough to be comfortable in the kitchen.  I really enjoy cooking for others(I almost never cook for myself  I just don’t care enough) and most enjoy my cooking.  I love trying to cook new things.  As a side note I am currently cooking Beer can chicken on the grill for some co-workers

9. Where do you see yourself in your life a year from now?

Well pretty status quo but living in BR (that’s Baton Rouge).  Working in the hospital while trying to squeeze in as much H3 time as I can without ruining my studies.  I still have 2 more years of my residency so I committed to BR for the short term.

10. What is one of your most favorites memories since you have joined TTL?

Well one of my most favorites (WTF?)…uh…anyway is that I was inducted as a total random. I guess I never really figured out how hard it was to get into TTL until I was a GS. I was just some random that got paired up with Noka in MM and then (for some unknown reason he sent me a note to come check out TTL) came over to the forums and started posting.  I found some really good games and through some stroke of luck (which probably means all the overlords were drunk on the same day) got inducted.  Most of the GS knew someone in RL prior to getting in but I was just another random posting love notes on the forums trying to get some games in with GS.  I remember getting onto the forums (that day) and seeing all this extra crap that I had never seen before. That’s when I knew.  I was soo pumped. It was only after checking my messages about “Welcome Thrasy, There are a ton of new boards to read so DeeJ’s letter may give you a few tips to where you can go…” that I deduced I was in…the funny thing is I was so excited I wanted to tell everyone but ,of course, no one would understand.  I told my girl and she was excited for me(probably placating my juvenile enthusiasm again).  It’s an honor to be associated with such a group and hope to have many more great games with everyone here at TTL.  Looking forward to Chicago…Look for me Ill be the white guy drinking Miller High Life.

Enjoy the Interview. Venus

1. What inspired you to pick TTL Al Capown?
Well, it took me a couple of hours to come up with this one. I wanted something unique, as I don’t like adding numbers or “x, l, o” to my tags. I really like gangster movies, and I had just recently seen The Untouchables, with Robert De Niro playing Al Capone. I took Al Capone and added a gaming twist to it with the word “pwn”, but also wanted to keep the name similar to the original spelling, so that lead to Capown.

2. You have been a member of TTL since 2/23/07 but how did you find your way here?
If my memory serves me right, I was first introduced to TTL through bsangel. As most know, she is from The Cavegirls, and this was the first gaming community I come across while in my first clan, Truth Regret. After that, I was later introduced to Dweezle, and from that point we
were always gaming together. When my clan fell apart, Dweezle convinced me to apply for recruitment for TTL. The rest is history.

3. What is your favorite game variant and why?
I have many that I like, but if I had to pick one it would be Multi-flag. This variant allows us Gunslingers to perform to our full potential. Having squads allows everyone to go do their thing, knowing that everything else is taken care of. Ex: If I’m in a Banshee controlling center field or helping strike team, and see a Mongoose drive by, I know I can let it slip by. Having some HG in the party, I feel confident that they can take care of it with a heads up, which allows me to not be distracted by it and help else where.

4. What is your favorite flavor Jelly Belly Bean ?
(if you have never tried them, go buy a bag and come back and answer this!)

Hard to know my favorite flavor, as I haven’t tried that many kinds of Jelly Beans. There are around 50 total I believe. Of the ones I have tried though, Watermelon was one of my favorites. Flavors that I would like to try, that I haven’t, would be: Blueberry, Coconut, and Piña Colada.

5. When did your love for the Banshee begin?
It all started with the campaign of Halo 2, and I never stopped enjoying it. It has definitely changed since Halo 2, but I have adapted, and turned it into a force to be reckoned with.

6. Did you try other vehicles or was the banshee just your first love?
I have always enjoyed driving/flying all of the vehicles in the Halo series. Believe or not, my first love was not the Banshee. Back in Halo 2, I really loved to drive around in the Warthog…especially in the campaign. It took me awhile to get the hang of the Banshee in Halo 2, but with everything else it takes practice.

7. When did you decide to go for 10k and how does it feel to achieve that goal?
I don’t remember when I first decided to make this a goal of mine, but it was probably in the 1 to 3 thousand range. This was back when I wasn’t the top pilot out there, and had a lot of competition. It wasn’t until I hit my 7,777 mark (which by the way was to show appreciation to Bungie) that I realized I had pulled ahead of the pack, and was in the top spot. From that point on, the others had no chance. It feels nice to set a milestone like this, and be the first person in the entire Halo community to have that many Banshee kills.

8. What is next for you and do you have plans to master another machine?
I don’t have any plans yet, but I am sure something will come along. Maybe I could get 7,777 Ghost kills and splatters at the same time. I have already mastered a majority of the vehicles in Halo, but if there is one I would like to be better in, it would be the Warthog. I want to learn better routes on the maps, and if possible, I want to perfect a
way to get away from those damn Choppers.

9. How many of those 10k kills were accomplished while flying drunk?
(Nodak’s personal question)

I believe the exact number is 9,989. I had to be sober on all the even numbers (1,000 through 10,000, and one for 7,777), so that I could hit those numbers exactly. LOL

10. Would you say this statement is true? Popeye + spinach = Capown + alcohol (another personal question from Nodak)
That is true at the beginning of the night. The number of generals we have beat on Friday Night Shots is amazing. I wish I had the numbers for it. As the night goes on though, I start to miss a lot of my shots and eventually start gazing at the clouds and stars if we are playing on Valhalla. That is actually a true story. I watched some films clips of a FNS one day, and noticed that I was doing that during the last game I played of the night.

Extra bonus question: What is one of your favorite gaming memories that stands out since you have been a member of TTL?
Ouch, that is a tough one. It is hard to recall many memories after playing 7k+ H2 matches and 6k+ H3 matches. I really do have a lot of stuff I could mentioned here, but one that comes to mind right away would involve a game of Halo 2, on Containment. The game type was Multi-flag, and the person involved was Tortacular. The only reason I bring this one up, is because it was discussed a couple of months back. Don’t ask me how either of us remembered this moment, but since we did, it must have been memorable. At the time I was part of Strike Team, and the situation was me sitting above their base for a full minute straight waiting for a perfect time to grab the flag or to wait for backup, which ever come first. Well, backup arrived in the form of Tort sneaking up behind me and before anything could be said, him bursting into the base giving away both of our positions. We both went down in flames, but had a good laugh after that, and again, not sure what made us bring it up in a recent conversation.

That was a memorable online moment, but if I had to give a memorable offline TTL moment, it would be L Askan getting me drunk and….well, you can PM me if you want this to go on :o. My first meeting with the Gunslingers was at the Penny Arcade Expo, up in Seattle, where I got to meet L Askan, L0coM0tive, KP, and bs angel. I had a blast all weekend,
and can’t wait to go back.

TTL Al Capown only does TTL appreciate your Banshee skills but so do other communities!

Just a little something to show you are admired within the Halo Community!

Special Thanks to Louie Black (from H3Wheelmen.com) for the “Shout Out”!

TTL VENUS
(Newcomer interview coming soon)