Today I bring you an interview with Rob Orpilla, commonly known as Kuro the Artist, a popular member of the Ben 10 fandom known for creating the Ben 10 and Danny Phantom crossover comic, 5 Years Later. He also makes coloring pages, as well as merchandise with his designs on it such as t-shirts, stickers, cups and hoodies.
How did you get into Ben 10? Subsequently, how did you get into Danny Phantom?
I don't remember the first time I got into Danny Phantom, as it came out a little earlier than Ben 10 and I was relatively young. It was sometime during the first season as I remember a ton of the old commercials promoting the episodes. For Ben 10, the first episode I ever saw was A Small Problem, where Ben gets stuck in his Grey Matter transformation the entire episode.
Looking back, that was one of the weaker episodes, but even that was enough to get me hooked. To help promote the season 2 finale Back with A Vengeance, Cartoon Network aired a marathon of all the episodes that aired so far, so that is how I caught up. I saw every new episode when it aired since.
What gave you the idea of starting 5 Years Later?
Long story short, I wanted to produce a comic that had a more efficient method of editing and illustration that my previous work, and after drawing Danny and Ben for so long, I realized how much more there were to the characters than their networks have allowed them to grow, so I took it upon myself to give them justice. You can check out the full story on my YouTube video, 39 Facts About The Danny Phantom/10 Crossover.
Why did you decide to crossover with Danny Phantom and Invader ZIM out of all properties?
5 Years Later is supposed to do justice to shows that had incredible potential but their network treated poorly towards the end of their run. Danny Phantom's advertisements and airtime was cut down and given a poorly-received ending, Ben 10: Omniverse, after a long hiatus, had its final three seasons burned out with 6am time slots with no advertising, and Invader ZIM was cancelled halfway through its second season, even though its merchandise was profitable many years after its "ending", which is a big deal in the eyes of animation networks. All three shows were adored by their fans but got kicked to the curb. 5YL gives them their final epic chance they never had.
And how did you assemble your team, including famous Ben 10 artist Insanedude24?
Is your art influenced by anyone, if so, who?
Butch Hartman, Masashi Kishimoto, Tom Perkins, and Derrick J Wyatt comes to mind.
How did this comic impact your career as an artist, do you feel stressed, excited?
It was definitely eye-opening. Despite it technically being fan-fiction, I take producing this comic very seriously and try to keep it as accurate to the nature and continuity of each show, and I feel that reflects onto why fans are responding so positively and passionately. It's gotten attention by both Man of Action (Creators of Ben 10) and Butch Hartman (Creator of Danny Phantom), with Hartman even hiring me to work for him on a few projects - one major one coming in 2018. These opportunities have allowed me to pursue illustration as a full-time job, which is something I never thought would happen to me without college - at least, not this soon.
It can be very stressful at times. I have periods where I can't bring myself to work on it for days due to the amount of effort that goes into it. The scripting is the trickiest part, and ensuring where the comic lacks action, it strives in plot/ character development and captivating illustrations. I want people to genuinely care what's going on and be invested in what's happening, even if they don't agree with it. When it comes down to it, I want to make sure that this story is the best it could possibly be, with no missed opportunities.
You recently teamed up with Butch Hartman to create a Fairly Odd Parents anime-styled fight, how did come in contact in him, where did the idea came from?
To pay respects to the true creators of each show, I hid cameos of MoA and Butch in Chapter 3 (A Jhonen Vasquez cameo, creator of Invader ZIM, is planned). The cameo was noticed by Butch and he featured it in one of his videos. I sent him a thank-you message on Snapchat, assuming I was one of the many always trying to talk to him, but to my surprise, he responded complimenting my work, and asked if I was also an animator.
True be told, I'm not. Well, not primarily - I have dabbled with just about every form of animation aside from CGI for about a decade, but nothing to truly be proud of. But, when your childhood hero asks you for help, you don't turn the opportunity down. I spent three days hastily putting together an Animatic to show him what I'm capable of, and he asked me to work on a project he's been planning on for quite some time now. I'm under contract, so I can't go into detail, but he's been dropping hints on Instagram since January, but they can easily be missed.
The project has a lot of factors, and isn't quite ready for animation yet. So in the mean-time, he's having me animate shorter videos for his YouTube channel. Butch loves to do his own spin on popular trends, and he sent me a link to the viral Spongebob Anime Opening video saying "Do you think you could make a Fairly Oddparents version of this?"
He sent me storyboards to go off of, but they only amounted to about 25 seconds of the full minute of animation he paid me for, so I ran some ideas by him to help extend the video and he approved, such as Wanda slicing the F in half with her sword, all the Dragon Ball Z references, and Cosmo turning the butterfly net into an actual butterfly. Crocker's Mom showing up at the end was Butch's idea, but I requested to do that scene in the original FOP animation style, as Crocker's mom wouldn't look recognizable in an anime style.
We have two more videos planned before the final big project, one of which I'm animating right now. But I cannot disclose any details as of yet.
You have gotten more popular thanks to your Ben vs. Goku video, how do you feel to be able to reach to so many people who probably didn't even heard about Ben 10 before? Also, how was it like going up against popular Dragon Ball YouTuber, SethTheProgrammer?
I'm thrilled to bring more attention to Ben 10. Due to how much the show changes, it's hard for it to have a consistent fanbase - most people dropping the show after the Classic series, and the negative reception Omniverse's promos received due to the major art-style change didn't help, either.
Although it was a but unorthodox, that video helps define the amount of respect and potential Ben 10 could have by comparing him to other popular heroes. I believe a lot of people took it the wrong way, but I've learned that controversy gets the most attention, and so far, nothing but benefits have followed.
Seth is a very respectable guy. I've seen his videos far before the whole "Ben vs. Goku" trend, but he didn't really hit my radar until his name kept popping up in the comments by irate Dragon Ball Z fans. I found his Twitter, and from there, his Discord, and we both privately talked about the subject for a while. Despite what many believe, I don't think he's a jerk at all. Everyone has a persona to make themselves entertaining to their fans, and with Seth's 205k Subscribers and growing, he must be doing something right. I have no resentment towards him, and we have plans to help each other with videos in the future.
What are your plans for the next year?
This year I will have five chapters of 5 Years Later done, so I'm hoping next year I will at least have three, as starting with Chapter six, each one is going to be a lot longer than the previous. I also hope to reach 100,000 subscribers. I don't have many big projects planned as 5 Years Later and Butch Hartman eat up most of my time (it's a good thing, though!) so I like to play the smaller projects by ear as they come to me.
Any tips to aspiring comic artists?
Always put something out there. People get discouraged because they can never draw their characters exactly how they see them in their mind. Fact is, you're never going to. You may look at your artwork and see all the parts of it you believe you could've done better, but when others see your art, all they can see is what you've created. They can't see inside your head. They can't see what you wanted to make - only what you actually did.
The only thing that matters when it comes to art is making sure your message gets across. Focus more on what can you do to make sure your art captures the emotion, movement, or personality you want your audience to perceive, not "what looks better" or "if this will look cool or not."
How did you get into Ben 10? Subsequently, how did you get into Danny Phantom?
I don't remember the first time I got into Danny Phantom, as it came out a little earlier than Ben 10 and I was relatively young. It was sometime during the first season as I remember a ton of the old commercials promoting the episodes. For Ben 10, the first episode I ever saw was A Small Problem, where Ben gets stuck in his Grey Matter transformation the entire episode.
Looking back, that was one of the weaker episodes, but even that was enough to get me hooked. To help promote the season 2 finale Back with A Vengeance, Cartoon Network aired a marathon of all the episodes that aired so far, so that is how I caught up. I saw every new episode when it aired since.
What gave you the idea of starting 5 Years Later?
Long story short, I wanted to produce a comic that had a more efficient method of editing and illustration that my previous work, and after drawing Danny and Ben for so long, I realized how much more there were to the characters than their networks have allowed them to grow, so I took it upon myself to give them justice. You can check out the full story on my YouTube video, 39 Facts About The Danny Phantom/10 Crossover.
Why did you decide to crossover with Danny Phantom and Invader ZIM out of all properties?
5 Years Later is supposed to do justice to shows that had incredible potential but their network treated poorly towards the end of their run. Danny Phantom's advertisements and airtime was cut down and given a poorly-received ending, Ben 10: Omniverse, after a long hiatus, had its final three seasons burned out with 6am time slots with no advertising, and Invader ZIM was cancelled halfway through its second season, even though its merchandise was profitable many years after its "ending", which is a big deal in the eyes of animation networks. All three shows were adored by their fans but got kicked to the curb. 5YL gives them their final epic chance they never had.
And how did you assemble your team, including famous Ben 10 artist Insanedude24?
My manager Hurshie has been my long-time friend for about 7 or 8 years. He handles the logistics of things, and keeps it all together. He allows me to rely on him for everything that doesn't actually have to do with writing/illustrating/editing the comic, which is a HUGE help.
I was a fan of Alex (insanedude24) for a while and was amazed by his designs. His talent goes beyond his art style as he's very unique with the way he comes up with his ideas and how he applies them. He really brings something new to the table every week that I would've never thought of. My fiancé, Yvonne, is the "fashion designer" and comes up with all the outfits each character wears.
Is your art influenced by anyone, if so, who?
Butch Hartman, Masashi Kishimoto, Tom Perkins, and Derrick J Wyatt comes to mind.
How did this comic impact your career as an artist, do you feel stressed, excited?
It was definitely eye-opening. Despite it technically being fan-fiction, I take producing this comic very seriously and try to keep it as accurate to the nature and continuity of each show, and I feel that reflects onto why fans are responding so positively and passionately. It's gotten attention by both Man of Action (Creators of Ben 10) and Butch Hartman (Creator of Danny Phantom), with Hartman even hiring me to work for him on a few projects - one major one coming in 2018. These opportunities have allowed me to pursue illustration as a full-time job, which is something I never thought would happen to me without college - at least, not this soon.
It can be very stressful at times. I have periods where I can't bring myself to work on it for days due to the amount of effort that goes into it. The scripting is the trickiest part, and ensuring where the comic lacks action, it strives in plot/ character development and captivating illustrations. I want people to genuinely care what's going on and be invested in what's happening, even if they don't agree with it. When it comes down to it, I want to make sure that this story is the best it could possibly be, with no missed opportunities.
You recently teamed up with Butch Hartman to create a Fairly Odd Parents anime-styled fight, how did come in contact in him, where did the idea came from?
To pay respects to the true creators of each show, I hid cameos of MoA and Butch in Chapter 3 (A Jhonen Vasquez cameo, creator of Invader ZIM, is planned). The cameo was noticed by Butch and he featured it in one of his videos. I sent him a thank-you message on Snapchat, assuming I was one of the many always trying to talk to him, but to my surprise, he responded complimenting my work, and asked if I was also an animator.
True be told, I'm not. Well, not primarily - I have dabbled with just about every form of animation aside from CGI for about a decade, but nothing to truly be proud of. But, when your childhood hero asks you for help, you don't turn the opportunity down. I spent three days hastily putting together an Animatic to show him what I'm capable of, and he asked me to work on a project he's been planning on for quite some time now. I'm under contract, so I can't go into detail, but he's been dropping hints on Instagram since January, but they can easily be missed.
The project has a lot of factors, and isn't quite ready for animation yet. So in the mean-time, he's having me animate shorter videos for his YouTube channel. Butch loves to do his own spin on popular trends, and he sent me a link to the viral Spongebob Anime Opening video saying "Do you think you could make a Fairly Oddparents version of this?"
He sent me storyboards to go off of, but they only amounted to about 25 seconds of the full minute of animation he paid me for, so I ran some ideas by him to help extend the video and he approved, such as Wanda slicing the F in half with her sword, all the Dragon Ball Z references, and Cosmo turning the butterfly net into an actual butterfly. Crocker's Mom showing up at the end was Butch's idea, but I requested to do that scene in the original FOP animation style, as Crocker's mom wouldn't look recognizable in an anime style.
We have two more videos planned before the final big project, one of which I'm animating right now. But I cannot disclose any details as of yet.
You have gotten more popular thanks to your Ben vs. Goku video, how do you feel to be able to reach to so many people who probably didn't even heard about Ben 10 before? Also, how was it like going up against popular Dragon Ball YouTuber, SethTheProgrammer?
I'm thrilled to bring more attention to Ben 10. Due to how much the show changes, it's hard for it to have a consistent fanbase - most people dropping the show after the Classic series, and the negative reception Omniverse's promos received due to the major art-style change didn't help, either.
Although it was a but unorthodox, that video helps define the amount of respect and potential Ben 10 could have by comparing him to other popular heroes. I believe a lot of people took it the wrong way, but I've learned that controversy gets the most attention, and so far, nothing but benefits have followed.
Seth is a very respectable guy. I've seen his videos far before the whole "Ben vs. Goku" trend, but he didn't really hit my radar until his name kept popping up in the comments by irate Dragon Ball Z fans. I found his Twitter, and from there, his Discord, and we both privately talked about the subject for a while. Despite what many believe, I don't think he's a jerk at all. Everyone has a persona to make themselves entertaining to their fans, and with Seth's 205k Subscribers and growing, he must be doing something right. I have no resentment towards him, and we have plans to help each other with videos in the future.
What are your plans for the next year?
This year I will have five chapters of 5 Years Later done, so I'm hoping next year I will at least have three, as starting with Chapter six, each one is going to be a lot longer than the previous. I also hope to reach 100,000 subscribers. I don't have many big projects planned as 5 Years Later and Butch Hartman eat up most of my time (it's a good thing, though!) so I like to play the smaller projects by ear as they come to me.
Any tips to aspiring comic artists?
Always put something out there. People get discouraged because they can never draw their characters exactly how they see them in their mind. Fact is, you're never going to. You may look at your artwork and see all the parts of it you believe you could've done better, but when others see your art, all they can see is what you've created. They can't see inside your head. They can't see what you wanted to make - only what you actually did.
The only thing that matters when it comes to art is making sure your message gets across. Focus more on what can you do to make sure your art captures the emotion, movement, or personality you want your audience to perceive, not "what looks better" or "if this will look cool or not."
You can read 5 Years Later on kurothewebsite.com. Kuro the Artist can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and DeviantArt. He also has a Discord server you can join. Thank you Kuro for joining me for the interview, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your art to come.
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