Countryballs were once the internet boom. Today, the community, although decadent, never ceases to amaze us with so many artists. Today some users survive on Reddit, and on Facebook there are still many Latin American artists. On this occasion, The Countryballs Report had the opportunity to interview Bachi, administrator of Franceballe. What opinions do you have about the community? Let’s meet him!
Taxcy (TX): Ok! so first of all do you have a countryballs artist name? How long have you been in the balls community?
Bachi (BC): Yep as first i was “bigball” and after “bachi” I’ve been in for 2or3 years between 2016 and 2019 ^^
TX: Are you currently retired from drawing?
BC: Drawing not at all, about countryball: yes…
TX: Oh yeah, well it’s understandable anyway, did you found Franceballe?
BC: Yes, I was with some other friend who helped me but I always had been the owner 🙂
TX: Nice! interesting, tell me more about your countryball experience. How did you meet them?
BC: Well, I don’t know how I meet them actually but I know that I was really enjoying the work of Kazakhbrick and I started by translate their comics in french as the drawer was most of them from South America.
I had some idea about some comics and they refuse to make them , telling “it’s your joke, try to do it !” So I started to draw, I quickly take some skills and be able to do some good comics, after some time I try to find some french friend to make a Franceball as the old one is dead. So with a small group we start to do Franceballe, it was really funny and cool to had to manage all of this. As we was missing some drawers I started “l’académie du countryball” where I was giving some tutorial, advise and tournament to all the french speaker who wanted to try countryball. It was some really fun time really good memories for me. Time pass by and i’ve been bored by countryball so had stoped and now I’m working in lot of different drawing project with some friend on @atot_asso (instagram) where I do illustration for boardgame , book and draw for myself.
TX: Oh I’m glad you managed to forge a great project, I guess you have no plans to revive it but would you agree to appoint new editors?
BC: Of course! I would be really happy to see Franceballe reborn, everyone is welcome!
TX: What do you think of the current situation of the global community of countryballs on Facebook?
BC: Well I’m quite surprise to see how countryball is still alive, when I stopped to draw countryballs I was thinking it was about to die as all my friend and most of the drawer was stopping too. But no it’s lookalike some new people came and are really creative ! It’s amazing how countryballs is still really popular in South America.
TX: Yes, it is incredible that they are still alive, and new artists joined, on the other hand, because you were in the community for a long time, and I ask you, are there any or several artists that you came to admire for their talent, work, effort or administration?
BC: Of course! Well Raphael Melki first; and other page that I had really enjoyed or inspired me: GoldenPM, LTK, Zᴀʏ, Nenjx, Yalen , The Brazilian Second Reign Ball , Samurai , Zaireball , Heinrich, Ratontoni , Kaliningrad general, MacChaz and Vlad.
TX: Many veterans on the list, hope you get to meet them all!
BC: If one day I go to Chile and Argentina i’ll try to meet some of them, jeh!
TX: What do you think is the role that countryball artists play in the fandom in general? Make Funny, Entertaiment, Inspire, etc…
BC: Yes all that, countryball is a really good way to learn about history and learn how to draw by computer.
TX: About the future of the countryballs community, what do you expect from it?
BC: Well nothing I just hope it will stay alive , that some new drawer appear, and everyone had fun!
TX: What advice would you give to those interested in joining the countryballs community?
BC: For drawing , practice, practice and practice! Nothing come without drawing , some people use gimp, paint I used at first photofiltre , all of thoose are free! Start where ever are your skills and with practice you will be able to do everything! At my biginning I started to a draw by day for a month. Using wikipedia to find subject for my draw, “what happened on this day years ago?”. From the first day to the 30th day I gain so much skill it was unbelivable! So yeah! Better advice : Start to draw!
TX: Great tips! I’m so glad we were able to interview you for The Countryball Report. We are about to finish the interview. Any message for the audience?
BC: Well thanks you, it was a pleasure! Well… I would say : Have fun, and enjoy!
Thanks to Bachi for granting us the interview, remember to follow Franceballe, there is a lot of interesting content! What do you think of this interview? Leave us your opinions in the comments!
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