In Focus: Zinko
                                                                          
         Interrogatory Performed by Zoltrix 
                                                                       

Greetings  fellow  Amiga lovers.  This
time  I  have had the pleasure, and it
was  indeed  a  pleasure,  of having a
small  chat and interview, with one of
my all time friends.  The guy is cool!
he   has   the  ability,  he  has  the
motivation,  and above all, he has fun
doing what he does.  In times of need,
this  guy  was  there.  So who is this
mysterious man ?  Many of you may know
him  from  the  Northern  Palace  bbs,
others  may  know him from groups like
TRSi  and  Polka  Brothers.   Have you
guessed  yet  ?   Well,  lets cut this
crap  and Lets all meet the man of the
moment, ZiNKO.



ZOLTRIX:    Hiya  Zinko.   Thanks  for
taking  time  out  to have this little
interview  with  me.   First  of  all,
introduce  yourself  to the masses out
there :)

ZiNKO:    Well  I'm  as  alot  of  you
proberly  know  Zinko the sysop of The
northern palace!  I've got 24 years on
my back by now, and still heading on i
hope!   I  live  in a city some 100 km
West of copenhagen!


ZOLTRIX:    When  did  you  first  get
involved with Computers and why ?

ZiNKO:   To  answer that we'll have to
step  back  quite a few years!  it was
sometime  in  the year 1980 my old man
dragged  home  some old machine from a
place  where they were reconstructing.
And  I  tell  you i was the happiest 6
year  old  around here.  But it wasn't
able  to  do  much  than  play pacman!
still  i was so proud of it, it looked
like  the  design of the SX64 did when
it  came  out  in  '83 ( I still got a
SX64 :)


ZOLTRIX:   SX64 Now that is old, but I
also  know  that  you are an avid fan,
collector of the good old Commodore 64
machine.  So what happened to make you
go  to the C64 and then onto the Amiga
?

ZiNKO:   As you might know the C64 was
lauched  in  '81,  and since the other
machines  i managed to have befor that
in  '80  didnt  handle much stuff than
pacman  and  pong  I  was  all over my
parents to get me a c64 which for that
time was fucking expensive.  But as it
came out and I was crying my heart out
they decided to fullfill my desire and
gave  me  one!   and boy was I in love
with  it  back  then!   So  the  years
passed   and   I  got  more  and  more
involved in the buisseness, and all of
a  sudden  we  were  in  the year '85.
This  year brought a new woman into my
life, the lovely A1000.  I saw my call
in that machine and of course I had to
get  one.  We had been working a great
deal on the c64 and I was so amazed by
the  options  on  the amiga that I did
everything  in  my  power to gain one.
The  day  today  I'm  still  the proud
owner of an A1000!

ZOLTRIX:  A1000 was a nice machine for
its  time.  I was looking through some
old  collections a week or so ago, and
there was this name.  I knew the name,
but  had  to be certain :) So, You are
the  Zinko  from  the  good  old Polka
Brothers :)

ZiNKO:   Yes  the one and only!  Polka
Bros is great, and amazing how much we
managed  till now when you consider it
was  started  as  a joke from Kefrens!
for  us  to  lay  off the serious side
that  we practise in Kefrens!  But you
are  right,  it  was and is me!  so no
matter  where  you  see the name Zinko
from the year '80 and forwards its for
sure  in 99% of the cases me!  Since I
always used this nick!

ZOLTRIX:   So  tell us what you did in
Polka Brothers.

ZiNKO:    I   was   still   big   into
mailtrading  at  that  time but I also
made  some  gfx's  music and code back
then,  and  i  still do the day today.
But  as  some ppl know ( no names!  ;)
I'm   damn   lazy  when  it  comes  to
finishing   my  artworks  or  what  we
should call them!  :)

ZOLTRIX:   hehe  I guess so :) But the
thing  is,  that  the demos from those
days,  were  created with more feeling
than  those  of  today I think.  Names
Like   Kefrens   and  Polka  Brothers,
legends of Demo scene gone by.  I wish
some   of  that  old  stuff  could  be
restored  today.   Far  too many demos
are  CPU  hungry, where as before, the
machine  was standard, and Every coder
wrote  routines  to Capture every last
nano  second  and  effect  out  of the
machine.   It  was incredible.  Today,
too  many  effects  needing too bigger
Processor,  that  for  most, is out of
their price range, do you not agree ?

ZiNKO:   Totally!   okay alot of it is
kewl  sure  but still alot of ppl code
really  lousy  routines running really
slow even on a fast processor and as a
mather  of  fact  alot  of it could be
done  just  fast and often better on a
plain  aga machine.  and to top it all
of  I  still  like  the oldskool style
better!

ZOLTRIX:     I    remember    watching
slideshows  of Pictures.  All pixelled
by  hand,  and  today,  its mostly Ray
Tracing,  as  it is faster!  and looks
very  professional, but to me it loses
something.   Oldskool drawings and now
new hi-tech ray tracing programs.  You
have seen one Ray traced pic, you have
seen them all.  But when a real Artist
draws   something,   it  reflects  his
personality  and  puts  over a greater
sense of achievment than a doing in my
opinion.   How  do you think the demos
have changed in this respect ?

ZiNKO:   I have never really taken the
time  to  look at ray tracings, and as
you  say  when  you've  seen on you've
seen  them  all.   Of course there are
some great ones from time to time, but
to me pictures should me made from the
heart and with the mouse, thats what i
consider  as  art  and not some balles
setup  in  eg.   lightwave  with a few
light here and there!  and pixeling is
definately  my style and as i said i'm
more to the oldskool side and we didnt
use  that back then!  and there wasn't
any  need  for  et either, dont get me
wrong  some  looks  really  great  but
still  too much look alike these days.
to  many just copy of others and there
are no real soul in the demos then!

ZOLTRIX:   In  my own opinion, I think
Ray  traced  logs  are  good  for just
that,  but  I  prefer  to  see  a real
pixelled  picture,  then  I can admire
the  work  of  the  artist and not the
software used ;)

ZiNKO:   As  taken  out  of  my  mind!
Programs  dont  make an artist!  Their
skils do!

ZOLTRIX:   True words indeed.  I think
some  artists  never  get  their  true
potential shown, until it is too late,
and  they  have  lost  motivation etc.
What   happened   to   all   the  good
slideshows ?

ZiNKO:    Not  many  around  nomore  I
really miss them!  The last good one i
recall is Sun from trsi where we had a
chance  to  catch up on the beautifull
masterpieces  of  lazur!  But I really
hope  and  wish that someone will take
up  the  old tradision again and start
giving us oldskoolers a joy!

ZOLTRIX:   That is the sad truth of it
all.   I  think  most  got left behind
when  Ray Tracing became the in thing.
You  said  that Polka Brothers started
off as a joke.  But tell me, it became
a legend in its own right, it gave the
scene  that much sought after feeling.
The  feeling  of Fun and friendship, a
happy  care free world, where all were
one  and having fun.  Most of the best
things  started life off, as a joke in
this scene dont you think ?

ZiNKO:   That the meaning of it all to
have  fun,  and  not  as so many today
seam  to  think as a buisseness!  They
day  i dont have fun by being in it is
the  day  i quit!  Simple as that, but
too  many  think  its only about being
somebody,  and  shees  i  really  feel
sorry for those poor bastards!

ZOLTRIX:   I  have  to  agree with you
there.   Today it is becoming more and
more  like  a  production  line.   The
quality  demos  are  saved for Parties
and  are  never  enough :( I really do
miss  them  old  demos, SCOOPEX Mental
Hangover, RSi Megademo etc..  Seems to
me as tho the feeling for coding demos
for  fun  has  gone.  Do you think the
Demo  side  really needs all these Big
effects  ?   what happened to good old
Scrolly texts, funny and fun to read ?

ZiNKO:   I like the oldies better too,
i  can  spend  hours  and  hours  just
reading scrollers!  and i ofthen get a
much   bigger  kick  out  of  it  than
wathing  some  wild  effect  that gets
boring after 20 seconds!  just as your
example  the  rsi  megademo  is filled
with nice and funny scrollers and some
amazing  effect  and even simpel stuff
can  be  cool just take a look what we
achived  with polka bros.  we went way
back  to  plain  text and small simple
effects!   and  when we add the fun we
had  producing  the  thing hell it was
fun!

ZOLTRIX:   Yeah  too  damn right!  Why
not  get  Polka Brothers back together
and  start  releasing  this  fun stuff
again.   I  am sure many would love it
:)

ZiNKO:   we  never  split!   and noone
know  when  we heat up the oven again!
so  just stay tuned for the next polka
act!  :)

ZOLTRIX:   OH!   Now  I  am waiting in
anticipation  :)  So  apart from Polka
Brothers,  what other Scene groups you
had as much fun in ?

ZiNKO:  most of the groups i had to do
with  on  the  c64  and  on  the amiga
theres  deadlock  Kefrens where things
were  based on friendship and not only
buiseness  and  as today in TRSi where
we  are  more  like  a  family than in
anyother  group  I  recon!  The slogan
"its   no   simple   group!    It's  a
religion!"  really fits in there we do
alot   more   than  just  hang  around
computers!

ZOLTRIX:   What  is  your most fondest
memory,  during  your  scene  years to
date ?

ZiNKO:   I'd say when traveling around
and  meeting  my  friend!   and not to
forget  the  parties  and the hours we
spend  producing all kinda small demos
intros  just for the fun of it!  it is
hard  to  point  out  one  thing since
there  has  been  so  many things i'll
never forget!

ZOLTRIX:  Parties sound like real fun,
but  again  as  I  have said before, I
have sadly never been to one.  What do
you  think of the music today ?  there
are  so  many programs now to make it,
that  it  must  eb a bot of a tiresome
job,  trying  to  code  for  XM etc...
Bring   back   the   Chip   Tuners  :)
NOISETRACKER and PROTRACKER RULED!  :)


ZiNKO:   there  are  many  cool sounds
around  but  i  still  love oldie like
wizardry  from  4mat and not to forget
the  version  from  tdk!   Most of the
time  i  listen  to my old modules and
when  i  do  something i manly use old
style  tunes.  Soundtracker and sidmon
damn  romeo  knight inovated the music
side  with his "cream of the earth" in
the  RSi  cebit demo I still listen to
this tune alot!

ZOLTRIX:  Well, you have been around a
while  now, and you have lived through
the  cool  times,  but  lets come upto
date here with now.  The Amiga, Lost ?
Dead  ?  or really back for the future
?

ZiNKO:   The amiga is not lost as long
as  we still keep it going, just check
out   the  C64  its  still  alive  and
kicking  even thought many left it for
a perriod but many as myself went back
to it again!

ZOLTRIX:   YES!   as  long as there is
one  Amiga,  it  is alive.  But sadly,
more  and more turn their backs on the
Amiga  to go to other platforms.  Lack
of new Software, lack of Hardware, too
high  Prices.   But  still,  you  keep
going.   What keeps you going in these
sad  times  ?   Where do you gain your
inspiration etc..

ZiNKO:    there   are  several  things
keeping  my  going  for  once  my  old
mates,  all my memories over the years
and  the  love  for  the  amiga system
itself.   there  still  is  nothing to
compare  it  with.   I'm also into the
console  scene  as you might know but,
this  has not effected my love for the
amiga,  and  as  long  as I have fun i
wont  drop  out.   as said i can spend
days  going  through all my old stuff,
and belive me i have ALOT!


ZOLTRIX:  Looking on the old stuff you
can really see the changes.  And there
have  been  so  many.  Maybe Amiga has
grown  old,  to old to continue in its
present  form.   But  the  memories of
those  good  times,  live  on  in  our
hearts  and  minds, and so we keep the
Amiga  Alive.   Is  there  anyone  out
there, that you wish to send a message
or greet to ?

ZiNKO:   I could write a novel now but
I  will cut it down.  And send a hello
to  all my nice mates out there!  Keep
the  spirit alive, I know i will!  And
ofcourse  to  my  group mates, for all
the kewl parties we do!  TRSi - Mitten
drin  statt  nur  dabei!   :)  Not  to
forget you, Phil from sweden!  :)

ZOLTRIX:   I  have nothing but respect
and  admiration for you jACK.  That is
for certain.  In my hours of need, you
were  there.   This  is the thing that
makes  it  possible  for  me  to stay.
Friends   from  the  old  days,  still
sticking  with  it and always there to
give  a hand if needed.  On that note,
I  want to thank you for all your help
and  most of all, the one thing that I
seek from this crazy world, your trust
and  friendship!   may you never go PC
and  may you live long and kick ass on
this  scene :) Thanks for the time and
I will of course keep on Pestering you
:)))