The EricJ Thread

[EricJ]

I did it! my very own thread, breaking out of the tyrany of the all-introductions-in-one-thread theme.

Well, I know many of you already of course, even met quite a few in person...but a little about me.

Name: Eric Johns (I really stretched for my screen name, didn't I?)
Birthday: Oct 1, 1978 (which makes me 27)
Location: Aptos, CA (just south of Santa Cruz, about 20 miles west of San Jose, right on the northern side of the Monterey Bay)
Profession: Marketing Manager for a Financial Products company (exciting sounding isn't it?) Also own my own Graphic Design business, which keeps me busy when I'm not at work-work. Nothing exciting, a lot of boring marketing materials and such.
Painting Background: Started painting in 1998, painting for D&D games, then got into Warhammer 40K. My painting then consisted of drybrushing armies for tournaments (I was big in the bay area tournament scene). Then in March 2004 I decided to try taking my painting to a new level...and try this thing called blending, and the rest is history!
Miniatures: I think the best gallery of my work is my cmon gallery - http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/EricJ

That's about it, I'm happy to answer any questions! I'm here all week :D

[SteveB]

Any questions eh? Okay...Fish or Guinea Pig?

[EricJ]

Fish!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v491/EricJ/Family%20and%20Friends/Fishyfish.jpg

[supervike]

Well met!!

I remember that year in 78...by october I was still standing in line to see Star Wars for the 3rd time!!!

[Duende]

That's about it, I'm happy to answer any questions! I'm here all week :D

Well, how about the obvious question? Boxers or briefs? Your fans are dying to know!



OK, how about a more serious question? Did you have any schooling in painting or arts before picking up minis?


:stupido:

[tzor]

I remember that year in 78...by october I was still standing in line to see Star Wars for the 3rd time!!!

I had just started my senior year of high school. I had my parents old Dodge Dart ('68) whic as a senior I could drive to school with. I was going to the state university for advanced classes where I first got hands on experience with the commorode PET computer, with the calculator style keyboard.

Painting wise, you really don't want to know. Mostly model railroading at the time, applying rust techniques to Lionel bridges and poor attempts at puting buildings together.

[EricJ]

Well, how about the obvious question? Boxers or briefs? Your fans are dying to know!



OK, how about a more serious question? Did you have any schooling in painting or arts before picking up minis?


:stupido:

Boxers! (except when playing soccer, lots of running and changing directions, need a little more...security)

Other than the manditory minimum art credits I had to take in highschool (I did 1 drawing class and 1 silkscreen class), and college (ceramics), I haven't had any training at all in the arts. Pretty much everythign I've learned is self taught or picked up from reading books. :)

[EricJ]

I had just started my senior year of high school. I had my parents old Dodge Dart ('68) whic as a senior I could drive to school with. I was going to the state university for advanced classes where I first got hands on experience with the commorode PET computer, with the calculator style keyboard.

Painting wise, you really don't want to know. Mostly model railroading at the time, applying rust techniques to Lionel bridges and poor attempts at puting buildings together.

The Dodge Dart. My roommate my freshman year of college had a 74 Dart, and it was our only way to get around since I didn't have a car. Boy that was a piece of crap car! (granted it was 20+ years old at that point) I even took it on a roadtrip once...which was a "fun" adventure...

[tzor]

The Dodge Dart. My roommate my freshman year of college had a 74 Dart, and it was our only way to get around since I didn't have a car. Boy that was a piece of crap car! (granted it was 20+ years old at that point) I even took it on a roadtrip once...which was a "fun" adventure...

The '74? Man I could only dream of the '74 because that was my parent's car. Those cars could easily go over 100,000 miles, and the engines could probably go over 200,000 assuming you could keep the rust bucket together past 150,000.

We used to drive everywhere in the old white '68 and the brown '74. From Buffalo to Boston and all points inbetween.

No, it was the post gas crisis Dodge Darts that were crap cars. The '82 had the talking warning lights. "A door is ajar." The car cought on fire at one point. (Electrical from going down a bumpy concrete road.) It was the car that made my Dodge Dart father buy a Toyota! (And he hasn't stoped buying them. My current car is a Prius.)

[EricJ]

I have a prius now too, love that car! This dart may have been built strong, but it had 250,000 miles...so a bit beyond the expectations...

[vincegamer]

I am jealous of you prius drivers. Couldn't afford one so had to settle for a Toyota Camry.
Of course with the highest gas prices in the country, you could be making it up.

[EricJ]

well, the thing is, I've found, is that because I have a Prius, I drive people everywhere!! If it is ever a group of friends going out, I drive 100% of the time because "it's cheeper". Yeah, cheeper for THEM!!! It also sucks because it has sort of made me the permenant designated driver :(

I think I probably drive 3000+ MORE miles a year because of this damn car, which pretty much ofsets the savings...that and the relatively high gas prices here.

[Ritual]

Hey, c'mon.... we're miniature painters!! Things we should be COMPLETELY uninterested in include:
sports
cars <-------- :rolleyes:
girls (except in films, comics or if they're made of pewter)
fashion





:p:

[Duende]

Hey, c'mon.... we're miniature painters!! Things we should be COMPLETELY uninterested in include:
sports
cars <-------- :rolleyes:
girls (except in films, comics or if they're made of pewter)
fashion



Well, I am uninterested in sports, cars, girls, and fashion. Am I a qualified miniature painter? Do does being a girl count against me??

:thinking:


I drive a '89 Chevy Celebrity, but it only has about 68,000 on it.

[vincegamer]

Well, I am uninterested in sports, cars, girls, and fashion. Am I a qualified miniature painter? Do does being a girl count against me??

:thinking:


I drive a '89 Chevy Celebrity, but it only has about 68,000 on it.Hey there! make your own thread. This one is about Eric.:tongue2:

[Ritual]

Well, I am uninterested in sports, cars, girls, and fashion. Am I a qualified miniature painter? Do does being a girl count against me??

You fit the bill perfectly! :)

[supervike]

You fit the bill perfectly! :)

So, who is this Bill character and when do we get to meet him?

LOL

[Sergeant_Crunch]

well, the thing is, I've found, is that because I have a Prius, I drive people everywhere!! If it is ever a group of friends going out, I drive 100% of the time because "it's cheeper". Yeah, cheeper for THEM!!! It also sucks because it has sort of made me the permenant designated driver :(

I think I probably drive 3000+ MORE miles a year because of this damn car, which pretty much ofsets the savings...that and the relatively high gas prices here.Well, you can either say no, or tell 'em to pony up the gas money.

[EricJ]

yeah, you're probably right, but while I complain, deep down I like taking care of my friends. You called my bluff :D

[tzor]

I bought my Prius in 2002, before it became a fad but after the 2001 model so it had cruise control. It replaced my Geo Metro, which I originally used in Key West, but having moved to Long Island and faced with a 50 mile one way commute meant I had to fill the gas tank every 1.5 work days. Not only was I getting far better MPG with the Prius but it had a bigger gas tank.

Extreeme happiness was in returning from Upstate New York, filling up at the Throughway and getting over 50+ MPG going downhill to Long Island. I have a GPS system as well, although the DVD hasn't been updated since 2001. I also have a EZ Pass device.

But the big thing is that now I can drive in the HOV lane with only myself in the car. My current 30 mile one way work commute can be done in 35 minutes as opposed to an hour.

It can seat four comfortably, a pitty it can't hold four people's luggage comfortably. Favorite comment when at a store, "Oh *BEEP* we took you car didn't we, well I guess that limits how much we can buy."

[EricJ]

The HOV stickers are definately a big plus, when I head over the hill and try to make my way through San Jose traffic. I think my 2005 may have a bit more space, I've gone camping with 3 others with it and managed ok with luggage.

[vincegamer]

I've gone camping for a week with 2 others (plus loads of camera equipment for a job they had later) in a 73 vw beetle. It's all in technique.

[tzor]

Yes the 2004+ models went hatchback and have more room in the trunk. This is what the 2002 model looks like. As you can see the trunk is smaller.
http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL291/1756382/4939657/183443115.jpg

Compare this to the hatchback version.
http://pic9.picturetrail.com/VOL291/1756382/4939657/183443731.jpg