This has to be the strangest interview I've done so far. There are more coming so don't be surprised if I say that again.
A/N:
Creator questions
What's your name (real or screen, your choice)
side-fish
Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.
31, Philippines
What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?
I didn't really interact with the fandom at first when I got into the fandom. It was mostly just commenting on people's work back when deviantart was still the go to place for fanart. It was only when I started supporting one of the zootopia artists about two years later that I started interacting with the community more. One day, I joined his discord server and then I got to meet more people in the fandom. It was only about a year later that I started joining more servers.
Who is your OC today?
Fishy Fish
What animal are they?
Fish
So do you consider Fishy Fish to be an OC or your Zoosona?
In some way, it's sort of half-half, but when you mean my zoosona as in the definition being the personification of myself in Zootopia, then Fishy is just an OC
What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.
I always tell people that want to draw my fish sona to imagine drawing a chicken nugget in the shape of a fish. Add a face, and voila!
What inspired you to create them?
Fishy didn't really start out as a zoosona. Fishy was just developed from my original name side-fish, and I had used my fish character in other things like gaming and buy and sell (no, I don't use bots unlike those scalpers and I only sell in my country). Only a small scale seller since it's kinda scary holding so much assets not knowing if you'll be able to liquidate them quick enough. Only when I started participating more, did I make my fish character a proper sona… sort of. Technically speaking, fish are not sentient in the world of Zootopia, so he's a magic talking goldfish because that makes a lot of sense.
So he's a magic talking fish. Is there a story behind how that happened or just an easy explanation?
Not really. We are from an ocean far far away. But the serious answer is that there really is no story behind it. It's more like once upon a time, there was a group of talking fish that no one ever really knew existed until contemporary times. You know those movies where the animals talk and they talk to the hoomans (by the way, what are those) and they get surprised that they talk and then just live with it. Yeah, kinda like that.
Is he anthropomorphic or is he like a regular fish?
He's more like a regular-looking fish. Anthropomorphic has arms and legs, right? Perhaps in terms of the traditional definition of anthropomorphism, the only thing anthropomorphic about him is that he can talk. He kinda stands out that way. He's a not so anthropomorphic creature living in a world of anthros.
Can he live out of water?
Yes, but they need a water source nearby. They can even stay out of water but not for long. That they can also stay out of water means they can breathe air. I would imagine that they just evolved to be able to. So in a way, imagine he lives in a regular house. Maybe he has a roommate that is a mammal and that he stays in a fish bowl or whatever container that has a water source. He also has to go around the house with a said container full of water. Maybe the container has wheels or maybe it doesn't. In a way, it's a challenging life.
What are they like?
He's a very happy-go-lucky type. I can also say the blissfully ignorant type. I think those types with a friendly face and a positive outlook have some sort of positive attraction.
What's their family life like?
I don't know. I never really thought much about it. His family must be far away in the ocean or something. But really, they're probably around. Just leaving this open-ended.
So how does he get around in Zootopia?
I don't know if you'll believe it if I told you He uses a can of beans to go around the city. It's not filled with beans but maybe plastic bags of water, preferably cold. He makes the can jump forward so that it can move. Imagine it like you're on the chair and you use your hands to grip the sides and make it jump. It's a very inefficient way for sure, but he's gotten the hang of it. Of course, one can just roll the can then again, you wouldn't be able to see where you're headed. Maybe someday, the next iteration would be the can on wheels and he drives it like one drives a car.
Do they have a love interest?
Maybe. One day we might see a Mrs. Fish. Just as open-ended.
Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?
This one is a secret.
Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?
If what you mean in a ship is that they interact with each other more, then yes. But in a relationship, I'm sort of whatever goes kind of person. Perhaps they do become more than just friends or perhaps they find other mammals to fall in love with. That said, the simplest path is the path of least resistance. Nick and Judy's chemistry is perfect. I would probably lean more with Nick and Judy being together provided it's done in a believable way.
For the purpose of the OC interview the setting is the creator's OC is about to be interviewed by my co-owned OC Vicky Chola. A north american grey fox vixen in her mid 20s. They're both in a studio booth with headphones on and microphones to speak into. The interview we did earlier about the creator and their OC is considered a pre conversation between these two before going on the air. Vicky will ask questions based on the answers provided by the creator. Enjoy!
"Welcome everyone to another edition of the Characters of Zootopia show! I'm Vicky Chola and joining me today is a very unique guest. Everyone please welcome Fishy Fish. Thank you for coming on Fishy."
"Wow, that's me."
"Yeah, that's you. So do you go by Fishy or something else?"
"Well, sometimes they call me Fishy. Sometimes, they call me Fish. They also call me Mr. Fish too, I guess."
"Alright, we'll stick with Fishy. How's that sound?"
"That sounds good, Vicky."
"And what type of fish are you?"
"I'm a goldfish."
"So to be perfectly honest, this has to be the strangest interview I've ever done. I never in a million years thought I'd be sitting here talking to a fish that gets around using just a can. Are there other fish who can talk?"
"Oh yes, my mom and dad. We're from an ocean far far away. I hope my parents can visit me to Zootopia one day. It's a very beautiful place."
"Is it just your family that can talk or is there an underwater city full of talking fish?"
"I guess you can call it a city. Fish usually like to move around but we settle around a certain part of the ocean. It's a community of fish. Though I think you call the term a school of fish. I don't get it."
Oh Vicky, just wondering, have you heard of Icelandia?"
"Yeah, it's an island around the arctic?"
"No, that's Iceland, but that's okay. Not many people know Icelandia. The little community I was talking about is in Icelandia, my home. It's a large part in the ocean where there are lots of icebergs, but they usually come and go since they float. It's a nice and cool place because of all the icebergs. You know, you could make a lot of ice cubes with that and it's more than enough to build a giant igloo. "Now that I think about it, It's very tricky to find place since it's called Icelandia, but there's no land and the ice comes and goes, so it's all water. But we fish colloquially call it Icelandia because of the giant icebergs."
"So you're able to breath out of the water. Do you have lungs or have your gills adapted to breath air?"
"You know what, I never noticed. Yes, I can breathe air. I try not to do it often. I'm still a fish."
"Wow, alright, so tell me how you as a fish are able to get around in Zootopia?"
"Zootopia is a big place for a small fish like me, so I move around with this can I'm inside of right now. It used to be a can of beans, but I did find it empty one day. There's a saying that mammals kick the can down the road. I jump the can."
"That must be tiring."
"Well, sometimes, I hitch a ride with my roommate. But yes, it was very tiring at first, but I've been doing this for quite some time now so it's not so bad. Also, maybe one day, I'll be able to put wheels on my can and drive it like the rodents of Little Rodentia. Do you think my can is too big for Little Rodentia though."
"I'm not sure. We'd have to look up the size limits. So how much of Zootopia have you seen so far?"
"Having stayed here for quite some time, I would say pretty much most of it. My favorite place is Tundra Town since it's so nice and cold and you get all those ice cubes and they don't melt. Also, snow. I remember when I first saw snow in Tundra Town. There was this pile of snow and I jumped into it and I was covered in snow. It was one the happiest days I've ever had. The Rainforest district is my next favorite place. It's so nice and cool and shady. My least favorite part is Sahara Square because it's sooo hooot. I might turn into fried fish sticks. I try not to go there often." "But the best part in Zootopia is its people. Everyone here is so nice and friendly and inclusive. So inclusive that I went to Tundra Town one day and I saw a fish market. They made a market for fish like me. I'm so touched. When my parents visit, I'll be sure to show them around this place so that we can all see it for the first time."
"Um... yeah. Do you think you'll ever leave Zootopia to see other places?"
"Maybe to visit my home again, but Zootopia is my new home now. I always dreamed of going to Zootopia one day and making a name for myself one day. And now that I'm here, it's like a dream come true. All that's left is the making a name for myself part. I used to hear stories of Zootopia from the other fish that travel a lot when I was a little fish of this big city where animals big and small are getting along just fine. And I'm small so I'll get along just fine too. "But you know, I don't mind seeing other parts of the country, but only for vacation, I guess."
"So do you have a job or some kind of work?"
"Oh yes, I did tell of my love for ice cubes that I opened my humble ice cube factory in Tundra Town. How did I do it? It's a funny story. Basically, I was still out of work at that point and so I just hang around with my room mate. One day, he came back with two lottery tickets and gave me one just for fun. His ticket lost, but mine won. My roommate is a nice guy. He didn't ask for the ticket back. It wasn't those mega lotto with the big jackpot prize so the pot was not big enough to retire forever, but it was enough to buy this old abandoned ice cube factory that was selling for cheap. With a little work, it's been making ice cubes again ever since. I'm a VIF now. Very Important Fish."
"Wow, that's pretty impressive."
"Yes, I feel like the luckiest fish in the world."
"You mention your roommate a few times. Who is he?"
"He's a nice and friendly fox. Very gentle. Sometimes, I get to ride on his head, sometimes on his chest pocket, and sometimes, inside his ear. It's a funny story how we met. You know this can of beans that now doesn't have beans? Well, it used to be full of beans. I know cuz I was in it. It was so dark. The next thing I know, I fell on to a plate full of beans and Christopher was looking at me."
"Oh yeah, his name is Christopher."
"How'd you get into a can of beans?"
"Ah yes, that one. It's also a funny story. So a couple of fish that I know told me there was this boat that cleans garbage from the sea and it comes from Zootopia. So I told my family and friends I was finally going to Zootopia and swam inside a floating metal can. Yes, it is a recurring theme. I get picked up by the boat while inside the can. It was scary and also exciting. "I somehow ended up in this giant building where I get mixed up in another pile of cans. I guess it was in this building that I got into the can of beans that you see today. I told Christopher and he explained that it may have been a recycling center that made cans and one of its customers was for a supplier of beans."
"Sounds harrowing."
"I guess it does sound like a rollercoaster, but everything turned out wobbly good in the end."
"So you've made it to Zootopia, own a successful business, what's next?"
"I mean, it's not really that successful yet, but I guess it's wobbling along just fine. What's next? I don't know. I never thought I could get this far. Maybe put wheels on my can of beans that I've been talking about for a while now."
"Well, this has certainly been an interesting conversation. Unfortunately we've run out of time. Thank you for joining me today Fishy."
"Thank you, Vicky. I had a wobbly good time."
"Thank you listeners and we hope to see you next time on Characters of Zootopia."