This week’s chosen artist is Dimitris Plavoukos, AKA Steve Rogers, from Athens, Greece. Dimitris is the creator of the very popular Facebook group X-Files Revival. You can find his work on Tumblr, Instagram and Facebook.
Here's a little about Dimitris:
1. When did you become an X-Phile?
I became an X-Phile long before the word even existed lol so one night, my sis and I, we are watching TV, nobody got abducted though, and on TV, in Greece, the promo comes up for The X-Files. My sis was like, "isn't that the guy from Red Shoe Diaries?" and I was like, "oh wow who is she, she is beautiful" and then the line "do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?". We were hooked. So we watched the pilot, which we both think that to this day remains one of the finest pilots in TV history, and I have been a Phile ever since :)
2. What is the first episode you watched?
"Pilot" :) (and when it re-aired at midnight, I taped it (VCR lol) and re-watched it). Couldn't believe it was that good.
3. What are you looking forward to seeing in the revival?
To be honest, if this is the last time we get to see them on the small screen (or last time in general), all I want is a conclusion of the journey. I don't want it open ended. I want explanations and a really good story. I know nothing is fully explained and that's the magic, but some answers must be explained, after all these years. I would like to see how in this tech obsessed reality we live in, secrets, government conspiracies and aliens can still be relevant and remain a well kept secret. I'd like to see science over assumption and a little bit of that "What if" element that started it all... and of course, it wouldn't be an X-File without Mulder and Scully and their relationship. So, for the last time, I would like these two to act like an everyday real couple, no angst, no UST, just everyday down to Earth people who have been through hell and love each other and are together, still agreeing to disagree about everything :P
4. What inspired you to draw X-Files?
Not so much draw as in manip and "play" around with photoshop really :) but basically it's the fact that art through such an amazingly visually stunning work, whether it's just DD and GA or MOTW or anything really, just draws you to "play" with and create equally beautiful images. The only thing I could compare to this art that The X-Files brought to the screen would be Six Feet Under and the artistic marvel of Hannibal.
5. Who is your favorite character?
Well, truth be told I can't pick just one, between the two of them, so as one coin with two sides I'd say Mulder and Scully of course, but besides M&S I'd have to go with Cassandra Spender. Besides the duo, she was one of the best characters of the show to me, and she was so brilliantly performed by Veronica Cartwright that I would love to see her back in the Revival, since "One Son" didn't really give an answer to whether she died or was taken by the Rebels.
6. List your top 5 episodes.
That's a really hard one, but I'll try. In no particular order: "Pilot", "Memento Mori", "This is Not Happening" (with the exception of Doggett), "Gethsemane" and "all things".
7. Favorite X-Files quote.
Wow that's even harder lol okay, "Well, it seems to me that the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere. And the person who was just a friend is... suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with"
8. How has The X-Files impacted your life?
Well, it made me think about what's out there, it changed the way I looked at art, screenwriting, direction and acting, and basically made me question the things that we are told...always try to see behind what's presented, if there's something hidden underneath. Personally, it might sound funny to some, but losing myself in the stories and the characters, helped through some difficult times. Like having an old friend who would take your mind off of things. I watched it with other Philes in college, I graduated from college when The X-Files ended. I met some incredible, amazing people through The X-Files, chat, websites, and of course it created this new world of conspiracy theories and unexplained phenomena that made me follow parapsychology and the unexplained as a background (unofficially). Overall, it was, is and hopefully will be pure fun :)
Thanks, Dimitris! Come back next Wednesday for a new artist!