Tickle artists #173: interview with Oneortheother

1)Do you want to tell us something about yourself and your art?

Sure. Hi, I’m Oneortheother. I’ve been around for ages. I’m mainly a writer, but in the last few years, I’ve branched into making tickling RPGs.

2)What techniques do you use to draw? Do you have a favorite artist that inspires you?

As I said, I don’t really draw! But there are many writers that have inspired me over the years. I remember the old tickling website. That was probably the first tickle story I read, and I really appreciated the imagery, the tight language, and the descriptive techniques, even if the grammar was sort of all over the place.

3)How much was the passion for drawing born in you? And the one for the tickle?

I remember writing fanfiction back in secondary school, and I always enjoyed worldbuilding and stories. I think the tickling came from a TV show, actually. There was a game show where contestants had to sing while getting a ticklish/painful foot massage, and I’m pretty sure that was the trigger for it all.

4)What are the tickling scenarios that you prefer to draw?

I do quite like ‘under the table’ ticklish situations, where the lee has to hold it in and conceal her hysteria. Interrogations are lots of fun too.

5)What are the aspects of tickling that you intend to represent with your art? Example: the laughing, the wriggling, the relationship between tickler and ticklee?

I’m someone who has always appreciated variety. My friends know I always like to say variety is the spice of life! So something I like to try to do is have something different each time. My tickling games all feature very different settings and scenarios. For instance, I’ve done a game where you are in charge of a dungeon and you’re out to conquer the world, a game where you’re a cowboy in the wild west, and a game where you have a ship and are sailing the seas in a fantastical world

6)Online there are countless photos and videos of tickling sessions. In your opinion, what do illustrations offer more than images of real life?

Perhaps I’m the wrong person to answer this, but I’ve always admired how certain artists can unique pictures that are beyond the generic ‘girl in stocks getting her feet tickled by feathers’. I recently enjoyed a comic by bocho bocho that captured the plot magnificently through use of angles and shots.

7)In your opinion, what makes tickling so interesting for fans of this phenomenon?

Personally, I’ve always admired the dichotomy. It’s childish, playful, and silly, yet it can also be dark, intense, torturous. But at the same time, it’s about laughter, giggles, and smiles. Both sides are beautiful, and I find myself sometimes going back and forth between what I like more.

8)What are your works of which you are most proud?

Ticklish Tomb, a game I made inspired by Darkest Dungeon, has to be one of my proudest creations. I had so much fun trying to capture the art style and also writing in a Lovecraftian way. It was a challenge, but it was so much fun, too.

9)Do you have any particular artistic goal?

To be honest, I’m pretty content with how I am. I’ve written a ton of stories, and I’ve released over 30 games at this point. I think I’ve explored just about every world I mean to. My recent TRPG: ‘Diary of a Ticklish Girl: Cissy’ was sort of my farewell as I head into semi-retirement. I might come back with another story or a game in the future, but life is busier these days, and I’m not sure. I guess I’ll follow my passions and see where it leads me!

10)Do you think AIs will end up enriching or impoverishing the art of tickling representations?

It’s difficult to say, isn’t it? I think tickling chatbots have some interesting potential, but I’m not a fan of the ones that generate art (stories or writing). Maybe AI will result in more art being produced, but it might appear more soulless.