WikiFur - User contributions [en]

Virgil Rocca

2010-05-18T23:17:19Z

71.231.216.151:

'''River Dante Gates''', better known as '''Virgil Rocca''', is an American furry artist and writer from Seattle, Washington. He created ''[[The Caviar Kid]]'', which ran for a brief period in 2008. Gates' art style is distorted and rough, similar to that of a sketchbook. Gates accomplished this by quickly drawing the comics and using [[wikipedia:Correction fluid|correction fluid]] and computer enhancement to achieve his intended look.<ref name=FAQ>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/specials/FAQFUN.htm |title=WTFAQ |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> A short piece of animation in this style, ''Tougher'', was posted in two parts on [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]] in March 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPisDEoLHGg |title=Tougher Part 1 |accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7RRRT9icAo |title=Tougher Part 2 |accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref> Gates' influences include [[wikipedia:Kevin Smith|Kevin Smith]],<ref name=Vol3>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/Comics-Book3/THREE.htm |title=The Caviar Kid - Three - "New Romantics" |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> [[wikipedia:Ralph Bakshi|Ralph Bakshi]]<ref name=Vol3/> and [[David Hopkins]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=78300648&albumID=2276210&imageID=33118344 |title=abc book. |publisher=MySpace |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> Gates discovered the [[furry fandom]] while coming across a piece of animation by a furry artist on Youtube.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/Riverdante Riverdante] at [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]]

[[Category:1994 births]]
[[Category:Animators]]
[[Category:Comic artists]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Washington]]
[[Category:Writers]]

Virgil Rocca

2010-04-20T00:14:54Z

71.231.216.151:

'''River Dante Gates''', better known as '''Virgil Rocca''', is an American furry artist and writer from Seattle, Washington. He created ''[[The Caviar Kid]]'', which ran for a brief period in 2008. Gates' art style is distorted and rough, similar to that of a sketchbook. Gates accomplished this by quickly drawing the comics and using [[wikipedia:Correction fluid|correction fluid]] and computer enhancement to achieve his intended look.<ref name=FAQ>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/specials/FAQFUN.htm |title=WTFAQ |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> A short piece of animation in this style, ''Tougher'', was posted in two parts on [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]] in March 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPisDEoLHGg |title=Tougher Part 1 |accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7RRRT9icAo |title=Tougher Part 2 |accessdate=13 December 2009}}</ref> Gates' influences include [[wikipedia:Kevin Smith|Kevin Smith]],<ref name=Vol3>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/Comics-Book3/THREE.htm |title=The Caviar Kid - Three - "New Romantics" |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> [[wikipedia:Ralph Bakshi|Ralph Bakshi]]<ref name=Vol3/> and [[David Hopkins]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=78300648&albumID=2276210&imageID=33118344 |title=abc book. |publisher=MySpace |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> Gates discovered the [[furry fandom]] while coming across a piece of animation by a furry artist on Youtube. After researching furry fandom on Wikipedia, Gates began to read furry comics, attend conventions, and learn the fandom's slang.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=78300648&albumID=2276210&imageID=33118311 |title=abc book. |publisher=MySpace |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/Riverdante Riverdante] at [[wikipedia:YouTube|YouTube]]

[[Category:1994 births]]
[[Category:Animators]]
[[Category:Comic artists]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Washington]]
[[Category:Writers]]

The Caviar Kid

2010-04-20T00:12:08Z

71.231.216.151: correcting some misguided details

{{Infobox webcomic
| title = The Caviar Kid
| image = [[Image:Caviar-ad.gif|280px]]
| caption =
| author = [[Virgil Rocca]]
| url = http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/
| status = most Mondays and Thursdays
| began = 2008
| ended = 2008
| genre = Dark Comedy, Drama
| rating = [[Image:Censor MA button.png]][[Category:Rated MA]]
}}
'''''The Caviar Kid''''' was a [[webcomic]] created by [[Virgil Rocca]]. The strip focused on David, a high school dropout, his girlfriend, Bernadette, and younger cousin, Sebastian, and featured unauthorized appearances from ''[[Vinci & Arty]]''. It made a number of references to the author's influences, which included ''[[wikipedia:Clerks|Clerks]]'', ''[[Fritz the Cat (film)|Fritz the Cat]]'' and ''[[Jack]]''.

''The Caviar Kid'' featured a distorted sketchbook style accomplished by the author's admitted lack of effort into drawing each comic. Rocca claimed that this was intentionally done this way in order to create the comic's intended look. Music also played a strong role in the strip, which referenced multiple artists, songs and albums. The strip received little attention, and ended with multiple unresolved cliffhangers.

== Overview ==

''The Caviar Kid'' focused on 17-year-old high school dropout David Carradine, a drug user with an inability to hold a regular job. His girlfriend, Bernadette Vons, graduated with a C-average, and is a shoplifter, and sexually promiscuous. David's inability to use a [[wikipedia:condom|condom]] has led Bernadette to have several [[wikipedia:abortion|abortion]]s. David's younger cousin, Sebastian Valley, is a angsty, [[wikipedia:Pansexuality|omnisexual]] film fan. For the first two story arcs, Sebastian is unemployed. In the third story arc, ''New Romantics'', he is hired as a clerk in a video store.<ref name=Vol3/> The trio live in a small apartment in the fictional town of Sistray, 20 miles from Seattle, New York and Las Vegas. Rocca claims that the strip was inspired by his family history and stepbrother.<ref name=FAQ/> The main characters are portrayed as selfish, ignorant and immature. They often make hateful remarks at each other and usually laugh at their own comments. The title characters from ''[[Vinci & Arty]]'' appeared as reoccurring characters within the strip. Rocca did not seek permission to use the characters beforehand.<ref name=FAQ/>

''The Caviar Kid'' was drawn in a distorted, rough sketch-like style accomplished by quickly drawing the comics and using [[wikipedia:Correction fluid|correction fluid]] and computer enhancement to achieve Rocca' intended look.<ref name=FAQ>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/specials/FAQFUN.htm |title=WTFAQ |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> The strip also incorporated the use of live-action photographs as backgrounds. Acknowledged influences on the strip included [[wikipedia:Kevin Smith|Kevin Smith]]'s ''[[wikipedia:Clerks|Clerks]]'',<ref name=Vol3/> [[wikipedia:Ralph Bakshi|Ralph Bakshi]], whose films ''[[Fritz the Cat (film)|Fritz the Cat]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Coonskin (film)|Coonskin]]'' are referenced within the strip, and [[David Hopkins]]' ''[[Jack]]''.<ref name=Vol3/> Rocca also cited music as a strong influence on his work, referring to a number of independent and underground artists and songs within the strip, including [[wikipedia:The Velvet Underground|The Velvet Underground]] and [[wikipedia:Frank Zappa|Frank Zappa]]. Seattle bands are a particular point of reference. Following the death of [[wikipedia:Isaac Hayes|Isaac Hayes]], Rocca ran a tribute to the singer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/Comics-Book2/TWO.htm |title=The Caviar Kid - Two - "Venus In Furs" |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref>

Rocca referred to ''The Caviar Kid'' as an [[wikipedia:underground comix|underground comic]], citing the fact that he did not advertise outside of [[wikipedia:MySpace|MySpace]] and viral methods.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/specials/aboutcomic.htm |title=About ''The Caviar Kid'' |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> The first ''Caviar Kid'' strip, "Are You Smarter Than An 11th Grader?", was republished without the author's permission on [[wikipedia:Comic Genesis|Comic Genesis]], under the title ''Venus In Furs'', which was the title of the strip's second story arc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://velvetvicious.comicgenesis.com/ |title=Venus In Furs |publisher=Comic Genesis |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> The strip's only review was posted on July 15, 2008, on [[wikipedia:LiveJournal|LiveJournal]]. It described ''The Caviar Kid'' as being similar to ''Clerks'' and ''[[wikipedia:Swingers (1996 film)|Swingers]]'', and complimented the strip's dialogue as being highly realistic.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rdgvr.livejournal.com/#asset-rdgvr-722 |title="The Caviar Kid" The Furry Clerks |publisher=LiveJournal |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> The strip ended with multiple unresolved storylines, including Bernadette once again becoming pregnant and Sebastian's apparent death in a car crash.<ref name=Vol3>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/Comics-Book3/THREE.htm |title=The Caviar Kid - Three - "New Romantics" |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> Soon after, producer Logan Miller posted an update claiming that Virgil Rocca had been hospitalized for "[[wikipedia:heroin|heroin]] and [[wikipedia:Viagra|Viagra]] abuse",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://the-caviar-kid.bravehost.com/ |title=The Caviar Kid |publisher=Supersl@sher! Studios |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref> and later edited [[WikiFur]] claiming that "Rocca" died of a heroin overdose.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.wikifur.com/w/index.php?title=Virgil_Rocca&oldid=252736 |title=Virgil Rocca |publisher=[[WikiFur]] |accessdate=2009-12-13}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Mature comics|Caviar Kid, The]]
[[Category:2008 births|Caviar Kid, The]]
[[Category:2008 deaths|Caviar Kid, The]]