Nickname : Trident
Birthplace : Belgium
Nationality : Belgian
Favorites animes : Saint Seiya...

1. Why choose Trident as nickname ?

In fact, at the beginning, on the first forum where I was registered (eclipsetotale), my nickname was Poseidon. Then, I wanted to register on another forum but this nickname was not available so, without reflection, I wrote Trident... I stayed there only some months but I kept the nickname. Anyway, on others forums like Animecdz or Ikki63, I'm always Poséidon so Trident or Poséidon, it's as you want ! ;-)

2. How and when started your passion about drawings ?

I think at the end of 2002 / beginning of 2003, when Saint Seiya restarted with first Hades OVA series... Suddenly, there was more and more drawers and, one day I tried...

3. Have you done special classes for drawing ? Which ones ? Any special class about Manga ?

No, nothing ! When I'm thinking about it, I think if I was ten years old less (I'm almost 30 years), maybe I would have studied computer graphics... So no, all is the result of years of practice, alone and that's all ! ;-) That's why I'm embarrassed when people compare me to people like Marco Albiero, because I'm not a professional drawer, it's only a pastime. I make that mostly for me because I like it...

4. Why did you start to draw Saint Seiya characters ?

When first Hades OVAs were showed in Japan, a fanartist started to publish drawings of characters on some forums. This guy is The-Ponk (http://fanart-theponk.new.fr/ a lot of people surely know him I think), I talked with him and he taught me how he made his drawings. And I started from this time so... thank you The-Ponk ! ;-)

5. Excepted Araki and Himeno, any artists influenced your works ?

Influenced, I don't know. To be honest, excepted them, I think nobody, my objective is to create drawings very very near of Saint Seiya design (animated version of course). So, what I do can be seen as copies. Some people don't like it but I do what I like do !

6. From what do you take some ideas to create drawings ? Do you wait to have some ideas in mind ?

During a period of time, I waited to want to make a drawing or another before start but with time I had some problems to choose the character so, sometimes I leave the random to decide for me !! :-D But I don't choose anymore like this since a lot of time. Currently, I draw according to what I want ; I take my screenshots on my computer or my artbooks... And I always find something to draw.

7. Which tools do you use to make a fanart ?

I draw all strokes with Illustrator, so I don't draw with my hand, all is made with my computer. Before the demonstration of this software by The Ponk, I didn't know it... When the vectorization is finished, I colorize the drawing with Photoshop. I already knew this software before because I made some covers for my CDs, videocassettes or others things like this... So, I never made any draw with my hands, all is made with a computer's mouse.

8. For you, what is the most important capacity needed for a fanartist to realize beautiful works ?

Application, serious and practice too. For example, when I see my first drawings made more or less 4-5 years ago, I think they are really UGLY today ! Because I've been progressing every year. Thus, I use Illustrator and Photoshop much better, I know how to choose more shining colors, etc... So, excepted if you are naturally talented, to make good drawings, you need to practice and to be patient... And I'm very patient ! ;-)

9. Do you follow some rules when you draw ?

Not exactly. Anyway, I'm always a little afraid to make a draw with bad proportions, with the head too much big for example, these kind of problems... That's why before colorize my drawing, I take some minutes to check all strokes are good.

10. Do you know some Saint Seiya drawers ? Which ones do you like ?

All most famous : Marco Albiero and Carlos Alberto Lam Reyes are the best ones for me. But I like a lot of other drawers, like Rachius, Jérôme Alquié, Cerberus-rack, The_Ponk, Juni-Anker. I also like colorizations by Jaxom or other drawers, even if they don't draw with Araki's style like drawings about The Lost Canvas by Maeva or MaxArkes' drawings. I surely forget a lot of people but there are a lot of very very talented Saint Seiya fans ! ;-)

11. Do you like others fanworks about the serie like fanfictions ?

Not too much now. Some years ago, I read some but it's old for me now...

12. Do you have favorites fanfics or fan-writers ?

No, I don't.

13. Do you think fanworkers keep Saint Seiya alive ?

Yes, it's a method like others.. The advantage of internet is now, all the fans of the world can stay in touch. Anyway, personally speaking, I'm a fan since 20 years now so I guess, for me, Saint Seiya will stay alive forever !

14. Do you have favorites websites or forums ? Anyway any places you often visit ?

Currently, I often visit AnimeCDZ or ikki63... Or of course Pharaon Website, I like a lot the Sunday update to see if there are any new drawings.

15. What is the first Saint Seiya episode you watched on the TV ?

Honestly, I don't remember. It's too old, it was on the first broadcasting on TF1 ; I guess it was the first one, about 20 years ago...

16. Which is your favorite ?

Whaouh ! What a difficult question ! Surely an episode drawn by Araki. Maybe the 45 in Gemini Temple (I love the ghoulish atmosphere inside) or maybe the 57 against Shaka. Those episodes are really perfect, extremely better than any OVA produced recently...

17. Have you any favorite characters ? And what characters do you hate ?

No, I don't have any favorite character, they are too many. Shaka is very elegant in the serie but in OVAs, drawings are made too much quickly. About characters I don't like, I could, for example, speak of Jango and Black Saints appearing on the episode where Ikki backs to Death Queen island and fight against Black Phoenix.

18. It's a very typical question but... why do you like Saint Seiya ?

In first, the mythological story, design of drawings (really amazing or sometimes very ugly, depending of episodes) and mostly musics. For me, there is no serie with so beautiful soundtracks like in Saint Seiya ! Neither !! Seiji Yokoyama is really the BEST !

19. Do you show your drawings on some websites ? Where can we found them ?

I published some myself on Eclipsetotale, then on Saint Seiya Database, then on Animecdz and to finish, my gallery on Pharaon Website. Excepted these ones, I don't know exactly because I receive sometimes emails from other fans asking to use my drawings on their website, so you can found my works on a lot of places. Truthfully, it's not a problem for me if it's not for sale them.

20. As fan... for you what is missing in Saint Seiya ?

Smart scriptwriters. Honestly, now it's almost the end of Hades Chapter with last OVAs and I can tell I was disappointed by all OVAs. I was not disappointed by quality of drawings (even if some are not too good) but by the adaptation of the story (and the lack of new musics). For example, I was INFINETELY disappointed by the fight between Mu and Myu, also the absence of Valentine, Gordon, Queen et Sylphide in OVA 13. For me, Hades Chapter was made too quickly and it would be easy to produce 56 episodes and show a better story with beautiful fights not expeditious. They could give more charisma to specters and much more things... There is only one good thing about Hades Chapter in anime, it's to exist. I also would like Masami Kurumada takes a global perspective but...

21. For you, how should be the last Saint Seiya chapter ?

Whaouh... To be honest, I never wondered about it because for me this last chapter will never come... I think Saint Seiya will be stopped in anime after OVA 31, excepted maybe an adaptation of Episode G or Lost Canvas.

22. What projects related with Saint Seiya do you have in mind for the future ?

I don't know too much, continue characters, characters' faces, etc.. (there still are a lot of characters to do), remake old drawings, notably cloths because now, I think some was drown badly. Also create posters, I like too... Also, I think I will make a calendar for the next year, only with specters... I won't anticipate more than that. ;-)

Interview by Tauro Aldebaran.
Translation by Pharaon and Christine.