Truth Interview Thursday Spotlight - Onehandedbanditt

Welcome to our Clan Truth Community Spotlight! This week, we decided to highlight one of our newest admins, Onehandedbanditt!

CT: So, Bandit, tell us a  little about yourself (without revealing too much identifying information you don’t want to give away. Maybe just give us your shipping address or something)

Bandit: I currently work as a Supervisor of Staff Development and Quality Assurance for my company. Basically, I help train new hires, and ensure all our departments have up-to-date information and resources.

CT: Aside from videogames, what hobbies or pastimes do you enjoy?

Bandit: I love art – I have been an artist basically my whole life. Baking and cooking are enjoyable, and I love learning new cuisines and dishes from all different cultures. My newest hobby is Dungeons & Dragons and watching Critical Role!

CT: What is a skill you have that you take pride in?

Bandit: Humbly, I would say my artistic skill. I come from an artistic family -- my mom is a photographer and oil painter, and many of my relatives dapple in different arts and crafts. I'm an accomplished and published illustrator, having my work published in a few magazines.

CT: That’s really cool, most of us couldn’t draw a conclusion, let alone art like yours.. Any fun facts about yourself?

Bandit: No. (Just kidding!) I don't taste salt or salty foods! I have a mild form of anosmia -- typically salty things such as ketchup or soy sauce are actually sweet to me!

CT: How long have you been playing video games and what are some of your earliest and/or favorite video game memories?

Bandit: I've been playing games since I was very young -- I remember playing Sonic & Knuckles on the original Sega when I was a toddler and playing Pokémon on the original Gameboy for HOURS. Some of my favorite gaming memories honestly center around Destiny – I've been playing it since the D1 beta and have met wonderful people through the community.

CT: What are your favorite foods, music, movies, shows, etc.?

Bandit: I am terrible with current movies and shows! My absolute favorite TV show though is Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. Earth Kingdom, best Kingdom. (This is true, Bandit never gets my movie or tv references)

CT: So, let’s talk Destiny and Clan Truth specifically. When did you first start playing Destiny, and can you tell us about what drew you to the game?

Bandit: I played the D1 beta and I fell in love with the atmosphere and designs. I am a sucker for cool looking creature and alien designs (Riven is the best design, don't fight me on this!). The idea of space magic and exploring seemed like a cool enough concept, and I loved Bungie and the Halo games, so it seemed like a cool game to try out.

CT: So, after all these years of Destiny, what is your primary/favorite class and why?

Bandit: Those who play with me often make fun of me switching my main so often, but Warlock through-and-through. It's been my main class since D1, being the first character that I created. I will always love blinking as a Slowva Bomb Warlock. Grenades for days. (Damn right)

CT: Tell the people about your history with Clan Truth

Bandit: Fun fact! This is actually my second time in the clan. I had originally joined when my old disbanded. I ended up leaving to join my friends in the attempt to start a new clan, but there were not enough active players. I was in the Discord for Truth, and through some subtle persuasion from friends, reapplied to Forbidden Truth (FT best T). And now, for some strange reason, they decided to make me an admin. Poor souls... (Side note: Shua and Bandit first met when Corvian King asked her to fill in for someone that had to log off during a raid-a-thon. OneLegWonder was already in the group and Shua’s brain nearly exploded).

CT: If you could remove any one weapon from the game, which one and why?

Bandit: SHOTGUNS. All of them. Don't care which ones. Get rid of them. Learn to snipe. ;)

CT: If you could design an exotic weapon or armor, what would it be?

Bandit: I've been having fun playing as a middle tree Solar Titan, so either gauntlets or a chest piece that allows you to recall your thrown mini-hammer would be pretty neat. No more lost hammy's out in the wild.

CT: Let’s get to the questions that the people have truly been clamoring for! First, while many of us have seen a few pieces of your truly incredible artwork, how did you get into art?

Bandit: I've been doing art since I was a child. My earliest memories or drawing were sitting for hours tracing those "how-to draw" books with the circles and the crosshairs. I would trace them over and over until I had it memorized, then would try it on my own. I used to spend a lot of time designing my own Pokémon, which seems to be the craze now with Fakemon. (I can just see a young Bandit drawing the little cartoon turtle from the commercials over and over)

CT: What is your favorite style of art to create? Do you have any favorite pieces you have made?

Bandit: Illustration and pet portraits. My preferred traditional medium is pastels. I started digital art when I was in college, but didn't stick with it too much, only recently getting back into it. Some favorite pieces: my Riven sculpture (which I need to finish!), the Truth clan picture (that won Artist of the Week!), and my very first pet portrait I've ever done of an Australian Shepherd named Sage (RIP).

CT: Who are some of your favorite artists? Are there any particular reasons?

Bandit: Oh man, so many. I studied abroad in Italy, so many of the Renaissance artists are integral to understanding composition and shadows -- Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Hieronymus Bosch, etc. Beth Cavener does amazing animal sculptures. Evan Tortorelli creates wonderful creatures and is helping to spark my interest in 3D design and printing.

CT: What is the backstory of your name for those who may not be familiar with you already?

Bandit: Well you see, I am a bandit, and I am a bandit who happens to have one hand! I was born missing my right hand from the wrist down -- I have my arm up until the wrist, just no palm or fingers. The name came from a teacher in high school who called me as a joke, but it stuck. So since high school I have just always gone by "one handed bandit". (I still think you need to tell people that you lost your hand in a high stakes game of the Hokey Pokey)

CT: I know that you have a pretty great sense of humor about your arm (you haven’t blocked me yet over my jokes), do you have any favorite jokes, pranks, stories, etc. related to your arm?

Bandit: SO MANY! Some random good ones: I love pranking people around Halloween with a fake rubber hand and blood packets. I get half off when I get my nails done. I can drive stick! There have been some not-so-great times as well – kids can be very cruel, and I dealt with a lot of bullying growing up. Adults can be just as mean – but this is why I joke. Being different is not bad, and nothing to be ashamed of. I joke to make light of something many may find awkward, or weird, or even a "bad" thing. Some days I wish I had two hands, but then I would be TwoHandedBandit, and nobody thinks that is cool. (I saw Bandit sitting up in a tree once and waved to her. She fell)

CT: What would you like to tell us that we haven’t already asked?

Bandit: I plan on starting to stream soon! I am slowly building up my Twitch with overlays and info and emotes and such. But I plan on streaming both games (mostly Destiny) and art! Hopefully will be starting in the next few weeks, so if you want to, check me out over at twitch.tv/onehandedbanditt_

CT:  That is awesome! I have no doubt that many members of Clan Truth will be watching your streams! Thank you so much for your time!

That concludes this installment of the Community Spotlight. Our goal is to make this a weekly occurrence or close to it. Stay tuned until next time!