English version: captainhowdie (Randal's Friends) interview from 『FEECO』vol.1 (2018) + α
this interview was taken in the end of 2017 via email. It was just before "ranfren" tag got blasting on SNS. I asked a little more questions on Spring 2023, Captain kindly sent me the reply.
Q1. What does the lives of Randal and his friends describe to us?
Cap: Their concept and system of time is not the same I would say, but it can be very simple things as sleeping then waking up as normal, playing Diddy Kong Racing, meeting new friends and trying to find some kind of meaning to their lives if that is what they want. Luther's pets just want to live comfortably under his rule, but Randal seems to want more than that I think for it can be boring. The graveyard despite what you think is a place than can change frequently upon each visit and can find many things.
Q2. When did you start Ranfren?
Cap: 2010 and Randal was first created from a random drawing I did to make several characters. His name has always been Randal Ivory from day 1.
Q3.You (and Randal) seem to love the Japanese otaku culture of the 90s. What does it give you?
Cap: What interesting about 90's Japanese culture is that it portrays a specific time period that's unique to its time. It was before big cellphone use became rampant so it's interesting to see. Character design styles and animation also feel nostalgic to me, especially because computers weren't used as much as today. Even though work was harder for artists, animation like Neon Genesis Evangelion and hand-drawn background and cels and cels being painted by hand, has a comforting feel in the overall presentation.
In Randal's case, in his environment, he usually gets what he can find while outside or if ask his brother, to which is more limited to older media such as VHS tapes. However they have been seen with something from modern day, its more rare. They haven't encountered smart phones for instance. His standard clothing has been to said looks like traditional Japanese school uniform for boys a bit, however it's just black shirt with white shirt underneath. The collar gives it away lol. But he has some other classic clothes as well, so I think it's all intentional on his part.
Q4. What kind of Japanese stuff(Manga, Anime, Videogame etc.) do you love today?
Cap: I've recently been into visual and sound novels. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni and Danganronpa series in particular. I feel more immersed in this medium compared to just watching an anime, and they're more indepth with the experience and characters I feel personally. I also have been into Touhou Project since 2010 and it's active indie culture is fun to explore. I like to play the main games by ZUN and I keep up with new releases he makes. Here in Canada it is not easy to require anything like these in person, so I resort to online shopping and the net to obtain goods from these series I like.
Q5. What music were you listening to while working?
Cap: I guess it's the usual, which is Touhou remixes by different circle groups lol. But when I'm working on something, I prefer listening to narrated horror stories on youtube as it's less distracting than music and sometimes can get inspired by something in the story. For me it's easier to concentrate. Music genres that are good for working on art or writing is also ambient/industrial/experimental music like groups Throbbing Gristle or Aphex Twin.
Q6.What are your plans for 2018?
Cap: Plans for the new year....would have to make more comics, since last year I did experimentation and learned new things like sewing (to make plush dolls), painting etc. Last years resolution was to print out a volume of Ranfren, but the publishing place I used for doujinshi in the past seems to have disappeared, but maybe this year can finally print it (lol) if I can find another place.
Randal's plans, he did say he was looking for another brother...back in the haunted mansion. Maybe something will come out of that haha.
Q1. It has been 5 years since the last interview, and you put many more Ranfren episodes. Did you come up with that storyline while you were working it up, or was there some sort of plot prepared long ago from the beginning?
Cap: I have sketchbooks full of plotlines for the story but the characters tend to influence things on their own as well which is part of the fun.
Q2. Satoru Tsukada makes me aware of that Ranfren is kind of lucid dream. Where did he come from?
Cap: Satoru Tsukada is a reoccuring character within Randal's dreams, and it becomes so due to Randal's abilities that he became more prominent and started gaining his own consciousness. Hence he is a dream entity but it's only within Randal's own dreams you are able to meet the original one. That's not to say that other Satorus are invalid though! :333
Q3. As you mentioned before that playing Aphex Twin as BGM, are you familiar with the movements called Hauntology? The artists who belong to this group like Boards Of Canada also output the vaguely of dreams and childhood memories in their creations. I think it's similar to what you are doing.
Cap: I haven't heard of them but will check out at some point because I like to listen to new music from time to time. Childhood memories and dreams are great themes for sure.
Q4. I love the phrase you said before: "Do dark things at the Walmart". Will it be drawn in Ranfren someday or already happened?
Cap: It would be funny to have an episode where Randal is banned from the local Walmart equivalent in their world.
Q5. Finally, please tell readers your future plan.
Cap: I've never been good at predicting or foreseeing the future, but I will continue to make Ranfren stories via comic form and animation and whatever medium comes naturally (´・ω・｀)
I like to put them into scenarios such as "what if they had a fighting game? Or visual novel?" Then I like to make art and assets of what their "win and lose" conditions/ animations and such would look like, so I've been having fun with that too. (´・ω・｀)
I also encourage others to make their own stories involving these characters or anything they want, or even their own characters! I'm not a company so sometimes things come out slower because I like to also learn and engage in the world, and things come back from there into my art through influence. I'm pretty intuitive I think ..(´・ω・｀) (I am infp personality type)