All graphics and the picture © by Vasyl of Joker, Nah Kolor, TRSI. Introduction and questions by Lars “Ghandy” Sobiraj.
There’s no need to introduce this person. He has painted many wonderful pictures over the years and won a place in many people’s hearts as a result. We recently spoke with Vasyl, who is also part of the reactivated Polish division of TRSI.
Ghandy: Demozoo says your first graphics were released in the year 1994. How did you come to join the Amiga demo scene? Was there anybody who showed it to you or who was responsible?
Vasyl: I joined the demoscene in 1992 as a swapper. Although I had already been creating graphics on the Commodore 64, I didn’t prepare my first competition entries until 1994. I heard about the demoscene from Latro, a swapper from the Polish group Obsession. We had known each other since childhood, and it was he who introduced me to this world. Shortly thereafter, I attended my first demoparty – the Intel Outside Party in Warsaw. From that moment on, I fell in love with the demoscene.
“Norby persuaded me to return to the world of the demoscene.”
Ghandy: That’s a long time to be active. What has kept you motivated all this time?
Vasyl: Well, I hadn’t been active in the demoscene for over 20 years. The last time I had any involvement with it – before returning in 2021 -was back in 1997 or perhaps 1998. I made my comeback right after finishing my career as a volleyball coach, when I didn’t know what to do with my free time. That was when Norby reached out and persuaded me to return to the world of the demoscene.
It’s incredible that you paint on so many different computer platforms, such as the Amiga ECS and AGA, the Atari ST and Jaguar, the C64 and the ZX Spectrum. How did that come about?
Vasyl: To be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself – perhaps it had something to do with my friends from the Joker group? That group was primarily associated with the Spectrum computer, so it was only natural that some of my work was created with that platform in mind. However, I wasn’t fond of its color palette, so I created graphics using just two colors: black and white. Since most Joker members were from Gdańsk and the surrounding area, preparing work for Silly Venture – an Atari fan gathering held there – was a natural step. It gave me the chance to enter the graphics competition, as well as to meet up with friends and spend a few days with them.
The Amiga has always held a special place in my life; I am a huge fan of the platform and the community surrounding it, which is why I have been creating graphics in ECS and AGA modes continuously from the early 90s right up to the present day.
” I was born about fifty years too late.”
Where do you get your ideas for the motif from? Is the picture finished in your mind before you start, or does it change as you work?
Vasyl: I draw inspiration from real-life situations, though I also turn to films (I love the atmosphere of film noir or sci-fi movies). I often joke that I was born about fifty years too late. Of course, I don’t have a complete picture of the finished work in my mind. I often tweak details as I go, but the core vision stays with me from start to finish.
Congratulations on winning the Amiga demo competition at Revision last year – the demo ‘Lupus Reditus‘ was fantastic! Are you going to win again at Revision next year? What are your plans?
Vasyl: Thanks; creating such a successful production together with the Mystic and TRSI crews was a real pleasure. Now we have Xenium on the horizon, and we want to present our new demo – Lupus Animus. It will be the second part of the Lupus trilogy. We haven’t decided yet when we’ll show the third part. Maybe it will be Revision, maybe Xenium, maybe Roma.exe… or perhaps a completely different party. I also have some plans involving Joker and Nah-Kolor, but it’s still too early to talk about the details.
The Polish scene has caught up
Meanwhile “Lupus Animus” came second at the Xenium 2026 party. Was the Polish scene always very special, or do you see any difference between it and scenes in other countries?
Vasyl: In the early 1990s, the Polish demoscene lagged far behind Western Europe, but over the years we have made significant progress. We want to collaborate with other European groups, compete with them, and create great productions. The Polish Amiga demoscene has a unique character – we typically don’t bring computers to parties. I was surprised to see so many machines at Revision. In Poland, parties are primarily about meeting people, heavy drinking, and having fun during competitions. It is hard to say which approach is better, but I would like to attend events like Xenium as well as those like Revision or Silly Venture.
I see that you are a member of the Joker group, which is active on the ZX Spectrum. Is that scene different compared to others?
Vasyl: The demoscene is, first and foremost, a community. The Spectrum demoscene is no exception; it is defined by wonderful people, fantastic events, and the breaking of barriers. Joker is one of the most active groups on the Spectrum scene, and I am delighted that Dalthon invited me to collaborate with them.
Are the strict limitations of the C64 and ZX Spectrum interesting to you? What does motivate you to work on these platforms?
Vasyl: To be honest, I haven’t created anything for the C64, and I’ve only drawn a few images for the Spectrum. I haven’t worked on any other projects so far. I love limitations, but I usually try to use them to create limited-palette graphics for the Amiga or Atari ST platforms.
The AI discussion is still ongoing. Of course, you still need a lot of talent; the computer won’t do all the work for you. At least, that’s what I thought while looking at pictures by Facet, who was once one of my favourite graphicians. What do you think about using artificial intelligence to paint pictures? Or is that not so special when people have always faked things with Photoshop and other software?
“AI poses a significant challenge for the demoscene.”
Vasyl: AI poses a significant challenge for the demoscene. It affects not only the perception of graphic artists’ work but is increasingly impacting music, programming, and animation as well. I believe the demoscene will rise to this challenge and emerge victorious – just as it successfully handled the issue of image scanning in the 1990s. I hope I am not being naive in thinking so.
The NRG party wants to bring a fresh perspective to the demoscene
In October, you are organising the party NRG once again. What special events are you planning there?
Vasyl: I’m not the best person to ask this, as my contribution to organizing the event so far has been limited to designing the logo and banners and having just a few conversations about the event’s format. .misha would be a more qualified person to answer this. I do know one thing: the idea behind NRG is to bring a fresh perspective to the demoscene. We want to invite pixel artists – of whom there are many – into the demoscene, show them what graphic competitions are all about, and welcome them into our community. Time will tell if we succeed.
I saw that the Poznań Game Arena 2026 is happening at the same time. How are you collaborating with them? It reminds me of The Gathering and Assembly, which are more gaming meetings nowadays than demo parties – or am I’m wrong?
Vasyl: These are two separate events, even though they are taking place at the same time. I think NRG’s attendance might increase thanks to such a major event happening right next door. That is our hope, especially since we plan to invite people from outside the demoscene to join in.
Will you still be active in 5 or 10 years’ time?
Vasyl: Oh, I really hope so! The demoscene is a lot of fun for me right now. I can’t imagine ever getting bored with it in the future.
“I believe the scene will survive for another 10–20 years.”
The average age of sceners is increasing. What will the scene look like in 10 or 20 years, especially considering that many active sceners won’t be alive then?
Vasyl: I left the demoscene in 1998 because many of us believed it was dying. It is now 2026, and the scene is still alive. I have met many former demosceners, but also a great number of people who joined the community after 2000. Most of them are much younger than I am, so I believe the scene will survive for another 10–20 years.
Thanks for your replies – keep on rocking! You can find more of his pictures for example here. And his logos there.
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