Silvermane Presents: “The Brony Chronicles”
A series of interviews given by
prominent members of the brony community.
Interview #1………David
Adams AKA “Derpy Drift”
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David Adams standing next to Derpy Drift
Good day, everypony.
My name is Silvermane, a journalist with FOB Equestria, and I have been asked by the staff as part of my job to occasionally interview distinguished or prominent members of the brony community, and this time it is my honor to introduce: David Adams, AKA: Derpy Drift. He was an active duty Marine from 2002-2006, and current racing/drift race driver/owner. What makes him unique in racing circles (well, more unique, he IS a brony, after all), is the artwork on his car. He has chosen to use Derpy Hooves as a Logo. (Which, as you may imagine, has generated quite a few questions and comments from the non-brony community. We’ll get to that in a moment.) To start with, here’s a few pictures of the car; “Derpy Drift.”  
And the right side
A view of the windshield decals
A closeup of the side panel artwork
And finally, a picture of Derpy Drift in action
David
asked me to extend his thanks to the nice folks at Planet Potency for getting
this last shot.
OK,
on to the interview itself. Like I said previously, I am Silvermane with FOB
Equestria, and today I have the honor to interview David Adams. (*Note to
readers; In an effort to keep these interviews fun and informal, I am writing
them as if Mr. Adams was sitting here in the room with me. This interview was
actually conducted via a series of email questions and answers, but I believe
the “face-to-face” format works better.) And let me say this right up front, a
happier nicer brony you’ll never meet. He smiles constantly and laughs with joy
at the smallest cause. It has been my honor to do this interview.
“David, as I understand it, drift racing is a driving technique where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels, while maintaining control from entry to exit of a corner. A car is drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle, to such an extent that often the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn. As opposed to other races, where final position is the most important factor, drift racing is also judged according to the speed, angle and line taken through a corner or set of corners during a race. Is this correct?” “So David, tell us a little about your military career and when you first got into Drift Racing.”
“Sure. To start with, I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2002 in which I
was entered as a 3043 which is Supply Admin Clerk. The Marine Corps, being what
it is, made sure that by my EAS date, 2006, that I did everything except
Supply. I served as an augment to Military Police, was part of the Crisis
Response Force, worked as a Barracks Manager and was even part of the
Presidential Inauguration Committee.”
“David, this
sounds like a pretty diversified enlistment. I hope you noticed in the
introduction that I didn’t say “Former Marine”. All the Marine’s I’ve known
usually say “once a Marine, ALWAYS a
Marine.” Anyway, when did you first get into drift racing?”
“I got into drifting when I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan back in 2002-2004. However the Marine Corps did frown heavily upon drifting so a lot of it was done on the streets. I actually didn’t do my first, REAL, motorsports event until 2008. Ever since then, I’ve been absolutely hooked!"
“How is this working out for you? Is it something you can see yourself doing for a while?”
“I personally LOVE drifting and motorsports. While I
plan on branching out into other motorsports (such as time trials and track
days) I think drifting will remain my primary focus for the foreseeable future.”
"Well I must say the car looks great. Did you modify it yourself?”
(chuckling) “Actually I’m the first one to admit that I’m no mechanic,
LOL! It’s not for a lack of trying; it’s just always a lack of garage
availability. I drive em, I let the mechanics and tuners build em.”
“I saw on D.D.'s Facebook page where you mentioned that your driver is traveling to New York. I thought you drove it, so I guess I should ask; "Are you the sole owner, and do you ever drive it?"
“Oh, haha, nah, I’m the only owner of that. The only
person crazy enough to drive that car like it gets driven. I’m also one of 3
admins on that page. We have a lot of fun, and it’s fun to “get in character”
when addressing the fans and friends of Derpy. It’s something that I feel they
appreciate and it seems they do.
I ask David if he has any prospects for getting a sponsor, or does he have one already.
“You
know, I’ve been down that avenue before. I’ve had a bunch of no-name
sponsorships and even a few big name ones. I’ve had lower-level sponsorships
from Falken, GoPro, Fiberwise, Motortabs, Clutchmasters and a few others. This
was also back when I thought my goal was to go professional with drifting. I’ve
since decided that route wasn’t for me and really don’t even compete anymore. I
mean, if I garner interest from a company or private party that’s willing to
invest their resources into me in some way and they request that I compete,
then we may change tunes, but for now; I’m just in it for the fun!”
“Do you enter Derpy Drift in many car shows"?
“I’ve never really
been a car show person, but as the popularity of her presence increases, I will
definitely be inclined to enter into more and more car shows. Basically, I have
more fun driving and talking to other drivers. It’s not as fun to just sit
around and talk about cars, in my opinion. I’d rather be IN the action, or
talking to other people who are IN the action!”
“O.K., David; (I say); “Just a few more Drifting questions, then we’ll get into the MLP and brony stuff; ). Let me ask; Is there a regular drift racing circuit, or do you choose where to go?"
David says;
“In the south there have been and are a few places to
choose from when selecting which drift events to attend. When I first started
drifting in the US (with previous vehicles), DG Trials and SouthEast Drift
Association were the places where everyone met up, slid around and had a blast.
Those entities dissolved and S2 stepped in as one of the main providers of
drifting events in Georgia and the surrounding states. I’ve also attended
events with Streetwise Drift (in North Carolina) and Tennessee Drift in
Nashville, TN at Nashville Super Speedways. I’ve had a BLAST with each and look
forward to many more events. Derpy, so far, has only been entered into events
held by Koss MotorSports (KMS). These events have been at Atlanta Motor
Speedway and were insanely fun to be a part of. I look forward to entering more
events with her in other states throughout my travels through the US!”
“David, how long do you see yourself staying involved in the sport"? I ask
“Drifting will be a part of my life as long as
drifting remains active in the US! Even if drifting were to die off, I’d still
find my ways to get my sideways fix! [laughs] I also am looking into becoming
more involved with other forms of motorsports so the adrenaline rush will
always be there, even if the tire smoke is not.
“That should about do it for the Drifting questions, David, so let’s get into the subject of MLP and bronies. First of all, we’ll start with that awesome artwork! Who did the work?
“Actually,
much of the artwork was based off of resources such a Deviant Art, but the
person who brought the artwork to life and made this dream a reality is Brent
Knott, the owner of Performance Signs and Designs. Check out their Facebook at;”
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Performance-Signs-Designs/355164184577728?fref=ts
“Speaking of Facebook, it looks like the Facebook page www.facebook/Derpy Drift is actually the CAR'S website! If so, that's great. What made you decide to do it that way?”
“It was something
different to do from what I’ve seen as the norm. A lot of motorsports drivers
who create fan pages will create it for themselves, I’m not really anything out
of the ordinary in terms of skill or achievement, I’m just a crazy driver who
goes as hard as possible as much as possible. I figured fans would enjoy and
latch on to the car more than they would some dude who just drives it. Being a
brony, it gave me a way to combine two of my loves (MLP and Motorsport) in a
way that fans from both sides can appreciate. The Brony Community has been
EXTREMELY receptive and so very supportive. It’s hard to find love on this
level from any other group of people.”
“I know this is a silly question, seeing as
how you have an MLP character ON YOUR CAR, But I want to get this on the
record; So here goes.. Are you a fan of the show? Are you, David Adams (I ask with
a smile); a BRONY??”
"I’m
a HUGE Brony, LOL! Without a doubt in my mind. There are certain
segments of the fandom that I don’t get into at all, (I interrupt here; “Yeah, sigh, we all know about the (Quote);
“Segments”)
David continues;
“But I tolerate them all the same. I
thoroughly enjoy being a part of the Brony and Pegasister community and
honestly don’t think I would enjoy things in my day to day, even something as
regularly occurring as checking Facebook, if I wasn’t a part of it!”
“This next question is one I LOVE asking of
all bronies, and it’s amazing how I get a different answer almost every time!
Now it’s your turn, David. The question is: 'What do you think it is about MLP FIM
that has attracted such a large adult fanbase?' ”
“I can only really say what attracted
me to it. I watched the first episode and was instantly drawn in by the
character development, story arch and humor ingrained into each and every
episode. As the seasons progressed I became a bigger fan of the fan service
provided by the creators and animators who constantly throw nods to the Brony
and Pegasister community throughout. It’s also, as cliché as it sounds, a fun
and emotional ride. If anyone watched the Sisterhooves episode and didn’t at
least get a LITTLE choked up, they’re lying to themselves, LOL! It’s been a
blast and now, with Season 3, continues to be so.
“Where did you first hear of MLP FIM and/or Derpy Hooves?”
“Oh man,
when DID I first hear of Derpy? I’m a late bloomer in the Brony/Pegasister
community. 2nd Season was done for a few months before I watched
even my first episode so it was probably a few months after that before I
learned of Derpy’s existence. To be honest, Derpy was almost Twilight Sparkle
as she was the first pony that I associated with. Then something clicked,
something sparked and I really fell in love with the idea of modeling my car
after Derpy Hooves. The fandom is a ton of fun and every time I see a fan art
or talk to someone who is a Ditzy Doo/Derpy Hooves fan, it reminds me that I’ve
made the proper choice!”
“David, as we both know, the brony community
is very open and welcoming to members of the herd, not matter what their
vocation, or avocation. How much interaction have you had with the brony
community so far?”
“I interact every
single day with the Brony and Pegasister friends and family that I have made. I
also bounce around on sites such as Equestria Daily often enough to see what’s
going on. Also, although I’m not a member, I also visit Brony-based forums such
as Canterlot.com and others.”
“Still on the subject of the Brony community,
why do you think the brony movement has become such a huge phenomenon?
“I feel the Brony Movement has gotten so big
due to the love and camaraderie that everyone shows to one another. Even if people get into those
aspects of MLP fandom that aren’t as easy to approve of, there’s still a level
of tolerance that everyone emits. There’s also so much to be involved with,
from fan fiction, to fan films and from fan art to fan service provided by the
actual cast and crew of MLP: FiM. As the show, itself, once said . . . There’s
Something for Everypony!” (Here he laughs again)
I laugh too (I can’t help it, David’s laugh is infectious), and then ask him;
“You
mentioned “bouncing around” some of the brony sites out there, Aside
from the few you mentioned, do you spend much time browsing any other Brony fan
sites around the Internet, specifically FOB Equestria? (Hint, hint)?"
"FOB
Equestria has become one of my new favorite haunts for the internet involving
MLP fandom, more specifically, military-based MLP Fandom. The articles and
pictures presented are rather entertaining! I also peruse Equestria Daily and,
less frequently, certain forums such as Canterlot.com. I’m not a big fan of
forums. Mostly because inevitably, drama starts and I’m not a big fan of drama.”
“Heh, me
neither;”
“Now, aside from the drama on forums, what other contact do you have with the brony community? For instance, do you get many letters from bronies praising the artwork or asking questions about the car?"
“I really didn’t think I would, but as mentioned before, the support from
the Brony community has been HUGE! Absolutely unprecedented in any community
I’ve been a part of before. While I’m certainly not inundated (I’m no MandoPony
or Blackgryph0n after all), I do get the occasional IM, Facebook message, Blog
Comment or email from fans of Derpy and/or the car who are just writing to let
me know that they enjoy following the adventures both myself and my car! It’s
absolutely fantastic and a great way to feel loved and appreciated.”
“How about the non-brony community (or as I
like to call them, “pre-bronies”), do you get many questions from the non-brony
community asking who the character is on the car?
“All of the time and almost constantly. Those who don’t know or don’t understand the “pony thing” always ask the question “What’s with the ponies, bro?” (And that’s) almost verbatim. I explain what it’s about and those who are tolerant and open minded accept it and even think it’s rather cool! Those who are still confused and wonder why any grown man would be into a show about ponies, I simply say;
“Watch an episode.” So far, everyone who I have said “watch an episode” to has come back and said;
“Dude, this show is awesome!” To which I simply respond; “I know, welcome to the herd.” “While we’re on the subject of bronies and brony websites (ahem), (Insert shameless plug here) ------> The website I write for, **FOB Equestria**, is uncommon as it is a website primarily for bronies who are in, or WERE in, the military. Adult fans of MLP FIM who are also in the military face challenges that are perhaps not encountered by the larger non-military Brony community. Do you have any advice for military bronies who may be experiencing harassment or ridicule?”
“ I honestly haven’t met much
resistance from other military members as we all have our hobbies and whatnot.
Those who I choose to associate with are my friends to the end and I have even
had many of them come over to the Derp side and they now enjoy watching MLP as
well. If there is any ONE thing I can say to anyone who is a fan of MLP and is
facing harassing comments or ridicule is to simply be yourself, always and
never back down. People will always TRY to change you to see THEIR point of
view and will ALWAYS try to bring you down if they can. If you stand firm and
hold your ground, people will RESPECT that and, in turn, RESPECT you! If that
fails, do like I do, get sexy and stay sexy! (laughs hard) No seriously, I body build and
sculpt and, speaking as a guy at least, people have a hard time talking about
you if you’re in beautiful shape. 6-pack abs, defined biceps/triceps and
forearms. Sculpted legs and not to mention the dedication and wherewithal to
put your body through that torture while still maintaining a normal life! It
also helps that I’m an IT Consultant with . . .what some may consider, a
commensurate salary.”
“I
think we’re almost done, David.One last thing; have you had any contact or comments from Hasbro or Hub
about the artwork?"
“Not
yet! I’m a little apprehensive about that but I think all is well, so far. I’m
hoping that if I DO receive any contact that it’ll be positive affirmation of
their support for this project. You know, as opposed to . . .a lawsuit!” (Here he laughs again)
“OK. That should be everything I need to write
up the interview. I really appreciate your time and efforts in giving me these
replies, David, and I hope to continue to see you around the Internet. Again,
thank you for taking the time to do this, and I wish you all the best.”
That’s it, everypony, for the first interview. I hope it was fairly entertaining and informative. I really like talking to all the different bronies we have in our community. A more varied and colorful (And may I say, unique?), group of individuals you won’t find anywhere. Again, I hope this was worth reading, and stay tuned for more posts by your faithful journalist.
Silvermane
Hi, I am Miche, and I approve of this Message. /)^3^(\
SEMPER FILLY!
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