This is a fun interview conducted by Brutusdeagon

Creator questions

What's your name (real or screen, your choice)

Creativespirit63

Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.

I am probably the old guy, judging by my interactions with others on a couple of the Zootopia discord servers thus far. (But age is really a mind thing isn't it.) Okay, I am 58. The first movie I went to on my own was Disney's animated version of Robin Hood and I think I was eighteen maybe? (Could have been older, it's been a while). I am male and married to an RN with a daughter that is also an RN and a son that is about to be an engineer. I wanted to be an Army Helicopter Pilot but medical kept that dream from me. My creative abilities leaned me towards art but I needed to make a living and so I went into graphic design (Visual Communications). I have been doing that for almost 30 years in various capacities : Agency, In house marketing, Freelance. I have taught graphic design as an adjunct at a Business College as well.

What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?

I have always loved Disney animation - well any animation to be fair as until Zootopia my favorite until then was the original Happy Feet. Zootopia was over the top for me though. There is something about a world that has the issues of humanity without humans but also adds the interesting diversity of various species. And when you add the "Shipping aspect" there is an innocence that I feel can come into play by including animal cultures and instincts that come into play that new couples must explore and work around. So I loved the love story from Robin Hood and the potential of one from Zootopia. I started writing ( for myself) right after I saw the movie. I had never heard of FanFiction, AO3, Wattpad, etc at all. It was just creative therapy for me. I suffer from autoimmune issues that give me severe pain at times. These creative outlets help me keep my mind off of that and on a more positive outlet. (Art therapy) I was scrolling through Pinterest when I came across Kulkum's The Savage Dark, while trying to randomly look up "Zootopia Art" one day. And down the "rabbit hole" I went. I had already written about 5 steno pads worth of story lines by then. It took me until last year to get the courage to actually start typing it up and make the go ahead to post my story on AO3.

Who is your OC today?

I guess I will go with my main OC - Jackie Hopps

What animal are they?

She is a genetic twin of Judy Hopps so of course Rabbit

What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.

Simple answer - She looks identical to Judy.

What inspired you to create them?

I wanted a character like Judy that flew helicopters. Someone that lived out my dream for me I guess. Also, I am a romantic and as a male I think I wanted to write a strong female OC that will have a slow burn angsty road to a romance. I am a guy so I know… when it comes to romance, we are mostly clueless.

What are they like?

She is a lot like Judy but like many twins, has her differences. She is a bit of a hot head. She is a military helo pilot and as such is part of a diverse team so she is a bit less ideal than Judy.

Ok so Jackie is Judy's twin sister, she's a pilot and just as adventurous as Judy. Why go with a female as the main character? Why not a brother of Judy?

First, I like the character of Judy Hopps. One of the goals I had going into my story for a rabbit OC like Judy was to eventually pair them romantically in an interspecies pairing. And a predator as well. I just don't find that as interesting with a male rabbit and a female predator like as I learned Jack and Sky are. In a mammalian world gender is not necessarily a major role in size and strength but emotionally I like the duality of a character that has spent her life trying to overcome a stereotype of being meant for a life of motherhood so she becomes in many ways walled off like a Nick Wilde or a Jack Savage but she has a greater battle of both instinct and emotions on an empathetic and nurturing level to find and desire companionship. Plus... it maybe that I am a hopeless romantic and a guy... so a strong female lead is just something I wanted to write. I do have a brother in her litter though. His name is Jason. She is in a litter of 3.

What's their family life like?

She loves her family but like Judy she just felt out of place. Warren life was not for her. And as one of Bonnie's oldest and born while Stu met Bonnie in the Midwest Territory, there was always a bit of rivalry in the Hopps siblings ( cousins from Stu's Brother's and Sisters.)

Do they have a love interest?

This will be a spoiler at this point. She will have a tragic mission but get rescued in the Anafrica nation of Sarrangi by Major Jezo Avu, A Caracal and member of the Royal guard. She will blame him at first, but soon come to trust him and the slow burn and angsty love story begins.

Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?

My Current FanFiction is up on AO3 /works/27965216

The Sisters Hopps: A Zootopian Saga

So you are pairing her with a pred? Interesting. And what about Judy and Nick? Friends or more?

Slow burn to more for sure. I love angst. My favorite scene was the bridge. I think Judy wanted to apologize right off the bat but was terrified and just a bit awkward about relationships so she went with the "I know why predators are going savage." Nick, well he wanted to hear that rabbit come over that bridge someday. That's why he held onto that pen. Probably had her scent. But... he sure as heck did not want to hear about the case first thing... that cut deep. Deeper than he expected. When she apologized he did not want to let her see how much he was hurt so he went with humor.

I include a lot of pre-story... Wilde/Hopps before the Ottertan case. (using time jumps) I think one case does not get over a lifetime of distrust and country prejudice that these two had to work out. And it will take a while longer for Judy to break out of her Clan Rabbit traditions. She may see the good in Nick... but she has her back story too and she is a hard nut to crack.

I also have a slight back story with Nick having a history with a doppelgänger of Judy named Amber Ash... A rabbit female, he tries to get out of the seedy nightlife but fails and ultimately she takes her own life. That is a ghost Nick has to get over.

So the time jumps a lot in your story. How long has Jackie been in the military when Judy meets Nick?

Judy is a late bloomer. Jackie enlists at age 17 the age of consent for her species. Judy of course goes through college and the academy for quite a while. I need to mention though I have not tagged it yet. Judy's back story includes an attempted gang sexual assault at her senior prom. (Attempted) though horrific where she will actually be rescued by Gideon Grey. She will tell no one except her closest siblings who force it out of her. This will in effect be a major factor in Judy's ability to connect with male's on a relationship level, especially buck rabbits.

How hard was it to write such a difficult subject into your story?

Well, that had some real life connection. My oldest sister was raped while out on a bike ride when we went to Florida. She refused to tell my parents. I guess it's common not to speak of these things. She told her sister. I learned later. It messed her up permanently. My parents eventually found out. I needed a catalyst for Judy to not be part of the usual rabbit dating scene like many of her sisters. I wanted Nick and Judy to both be the ones to help each other but I wanted a sense of awkwardness to move into that stage of their relationship once they get there.

Tell us how you see culture in Zootopia. For example, do all foxes or rabbits have the same culture or is there a difference depending on subspecies or region?

I see the world of Zootopia as a blending of many cultures. I do not use our world as a template though the geography is similar. I see Zootopia as a historical meeting ground for explorers from the north, west, south and the indigenous mammals so it became the first Signing of a covenant of peace between cultures and mammalian nations and kingdoms. Now in the modern world many mammals retain semblances of their cultural heritages. Judy for instance comes from a family of traditional Warren Rabbits that migrated from Europe. I am a Richard Adams (Watership Down) fan and so that has inspired some of my versions of the Hopps Clan. I see them similarly to Mennonites or Quakers in our world today—very steeped in tradition and extended family Clan laws.

Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?

I am a Wilde/Hopps super shipper but I love the slow burn with a lot of angst.

Are Hybrids possible in your headcanon?

Yes...short answer. My view for the majority of sapien mammals is that they are more alike in basic biology then different. Rather than being duplicates of the species we know. Evolution has created this world to bring these mammals into closer relative biology... down to chromosomes. Size for instance...larger mammals like elephants and Rhinos to walk upright have evolved smaller, Mid sized mammals like rabbits , squirrels, skunks , foxes are a bit larger. Some though are relatively unchanged like small rodents. Species barriers of similar order mammals have created hybrids but rare, canines, lagomorphs. Thomas Savage , a hare , has children with Jill Hopps, for instance.

For the purpose of the OC interview the setting is the creator's OC is about to be interviewed by the oc of BrutusDeagon, Dr. Blackfur. A tall black wolf in his mid 30s. The scene is Dr. Blackfur is conducting a psych eval on the creator's OC. Dr. Blackfur will ask questions based on the answers provided by the creator. Enjoy!

"Good morning Lieutenant Hopps. I'm Doctor Blackfur with military intelligence. This is not a debrief, it's a psych eval. Sorry they didn't tell you before I got here. My superiors are kinda dicks like that. I prefer to keep things like this above board and loose from formality. Do you mind?" The black furred wolf sits on an uncomfortable office chair and gestures to another across a plywood coffee table.

"Pffft, sounds like something Jack would pull but okay. This isn't going to get my ticket pulled or something. I've spent the last 18months training my tail off and I don't need to get grounded by some psy-ops BS... Sorry, It's been a tough road getting here. What do you need to know?" Jackie has a hard time looking at the wolf. does not sit down but prefers to stand for the moment as it keeps her at eye level

"My older sister is with military intelligence. Perhaps you know her? Commander Jill Savage-Hopps?" Jackie was not comfortable with the wolf's evaluating penetrating eyes. Least of all the momentary silence.

"So psych eval...I did go through combat stress training and advanced evade and capture training. Did the whole captured by predators headshrinker game... " Jackie sits down and looks uncomfortable. "I... I well, I'm a bunny... if I get captured... anyway I guess I passed as best as anyone does?"

"We haven't met. Sorry I've got a pain in the tail Major yapping at me in my ear. 'Scuse me." he removes an ear piece and drops it in the trash after smashing it in his paw. "Let's start with him. How long have you known that philandering piece of crap?"

"Seriously, so Jack IS behind this. Okay... well I can give you some stories about that hare...wait... is this on the record? Like patient doctor confidentiality?"

"Actually he had somebody patch him in. Yes it's technically on the record but confidential unless there's a problem."

"Okay, I get it sir. Anyway... the Major and his brother were on some down time. They came into Bunnyburrow where my family's farm is. They rented a cabin out on one of our irrigation ponds. Oh that had to be about 4 years ago. I was only like 16 maybe. Jack and his younger brother Tom were around most that summer. Downtime they called it. He was the most handsome creature to... well... Anyway... My older sister Jill was in charge of rentals. Jack I guess laid it on thick with her, but it never went anywhere. They were too much alike. Or so Jill says. Tom was the boyscout innocent type. Guess she was attracted to his innocence. Jack was a constant flirt. But you know, he only flirted. Never went past that and frankly... for a lagomorph, flirting is like saying hello. Still, there was always a sadness with Jack below the arrogance and the flirting and the confidence. Tom couldn't even drag that out of him. Just another mysterious side of Jack Savage?"

"So he's never really grown up is what you're saying. That explains it." The wolf seems to dislike Jack greatly. "and you've been a helo pilot for how long now?" he says changing the subject.

"I don't know if it's a matter of growing up? I mean now that I have been in service all the female officers either think he is a womanizing jerk or swoon over him. I think it's all an act. He wants females to see him as non-commital. You're the psyc doc... I... I was one of those girls that wanted his attention once. she looked away from the wolf Tom got me into flying. He came home to our farm to propose to Jill. He flew in on one of those Hughes 500 little birds. I asked him to take me up. Rabbits in general do not like heights so when I took interest in the small helo he took notice. It was on his word that I was tested after enlisting into the FMNAF. My aptitude test for eye paw coordination and reaction was off the charts and they had the airframe in concept for a mammal my size. I was put into Rotary wing training right out of basic... spent ten months of simulator training on the... Well I guess you have clearance? Let's just say my baby, up at Boeing while they debugged her. So... with the accelerated training schedule... about 26 months of six days a week.

"I've seen the report on her, yes. An absolutely beautiful machine. How does it feel to fly that responsive of a helo?" he straightens his glasses. "I ask out of curiosity because my eyesight ensured I would never fly one."

The Alpha-X Dragon... she's my girl. It's hard to explain the feeling beyond normal flight dynamics. With the second generation IHADS helmet display, all the readouts, sensors, cameras, are right in front of my eyes. I can look down and see the ground under me going by in a blur. She has an AI that responds to threats and adjusts the flight dynamics so I can push her hard and she responds like a Furrari on pure nitro. I feel like a different mammal when I'm in the dragon... I mean at this point we know each others actions and reactions. I don't even look at the controls... Have you ever driven home and realized you drove several blocks out of sheer muscle memory? It's like you don't even remember using the brake or the gas... but you made it home. That's how we are. We get the mission parameters and it's like dancing in the sky she looks at him like he must think she is crazy

sighs while grinning "That sounds amazing. Actually I think I drove home asleep once. Scared the heck outta me. Tell me, is there someone you lean on when you're stressed out before or after a mission?"

My sisters and I are very close. We have always been as long as I can remember. My littermate... Judy, She's my genetic twin, though due to an illness when she was young she was a late bloomer. Anyway... I think we talk or text at least three or four times a week. Jill is like a second mom to us both but her job keeps her out of the loop more often than not. Oh, and I can't forget the Ziggy Brothers". She chortled "They don't talk much but they make good listeners. I... I haven't had time for much else. I'm the only lagomorph in the squadron ... " pulling one ear over her face "not that it matters. If I'm not in the simulators I am laying back in the cockpit talking to Iggy while reading advanced avionics manuals. I am not a very bunny-like rabbit... I can live with that... for now.

"It's not like I am a social pariah. I mean, secret unit, no designation, most my peers are predators, I fly a multimillion dollar prototype aircraft that I cannot talk about, I am trained to be skeptical of almost any mammal that approaches me... its not bringing the bucks running ya know and even it it did; what could we talk about unless he walked out your division. Wait, that is not an invitation to give out my contact info... get enough of that from my mother whenI do get leave. " Jackie laughed at that "I do have my regulars in the squad though but we are an odd crew. Major Netomy, he's a a black roof rat and the drone pilot instructor. The Alpha is designed to carry both unpiloted and piloted drones called Dragonflies. Then there is Thunder, he is a black panther. Sorry, protocol, he's mission active so call sign only. They call me 'Dodger' by the way. So when we hit the base cantina its usually Scooter...oh thats the Major, Thunder and I. Thunder sometimes hangs out with the fighter jocks when they are feeling kind of randy... I mean they are kind of alpha's. But when we want to talk about home and just dealing with the stress... yeah... Dodger, Thunder and Pappa Scooter. We get by."

"So no significant other, except possibly Jack, but a lot of friends in your unit. Not a loner. You seem rather chipper considering you may be ending lives soon. Have you thought about the consequences of your profession?"

"First...yeah...Jack is like handsome and well there is an appeal there but honestly behind all his flirting and aloofness there is a distance he keeps from anyone. I honestly don't think anyone will capture Jack's heart." Jackie looks past him as if trying to focus on some event in the future "I know ultimately even though I fly an unarmed recon bird, my goal is to gain intelligence; and that intelligence may... well will be used to put weapons on target. I may be asked to use the Dragon's on board laser to guide weapons to targets or to mark targets with marking rockets. ... I... I, Well the Dragon has a 20mm chain gun with limited capacity and I've been trained to use it against drones and... moc mammal targets. her details were helping formulate an answer "Honestly, I don't know how I will feel? Smart weapons helps minimize casualties. Doctor... I am a spiritual mammal. I believe there is evil in this world and I believe I have chosen the path to stand up against it. I am relying on my training when that time comes. I have trained to take a life with my paws if necessary during evade and capture training. That... I don't know? I know I would give my life for my family. We are trained that the mission comes first. There may be levels of attrition but we have to suck it up and mourn after. All of this is muscle memory until the first missle takes down one of my squad mates or I am asked to lase an armored troop carrier for an AGM to end a dozen lives... " Jackie turns away "Sorry, it's the best answer I can give for now."

"I'm sorry Jackie. I hate that question. But... That is probably the best answer I could expect. Would you mind doing me a small favor?"

"What's the favor Doc?"

"Tell Jack to quit hitting on my wife. I get the flirting is a 'hi how are you' for you bunnies but it makes her uncomfortable. And pisses me off." he chuckles. "I swear when I caught him doing it the second time I nearly did something drastic."

Jackie laughs hard

"I can tell him sure... but telling he's like my sister Judy, you tell him that and it's just a challenge to do it more. And besides.. I think telling that buck not to flirt with a female is like telling my father not to plant carrots "

"Eh, was worth a shot." shrugs

"I was thinking back to you asking me about who I lean on... bunny libido aside, Thunder, he's probably the only mammal I ever got even a bit ... well... you have to understand we may have both been a bit tipsy and... well it never got past a little bit of pawsyness. But we're close. He's such a big goof ball that panther. That NEVER LEAVES THIS ROOM Doc! Anyway, I have one thing to worry about now and that's the mission coming up. Thomas Savage's team is setting up my FOB and that's a distraction enough. His mate, my sister, just had kits.

"Well, well." he smiles as though he's just heard something very interesting. "You seem to have no problem getting 'pawsy' with a predator. Most civilian bunnies I meet won't even talk with me on the street. There seems to be something about those bunnies in service that marks them differently in that regard. Good for you my dear. As for your brother in law. Do you think Tom will be heading for home soon to be with them?"

"I hope you're right about Thomas and he takes some leave to see them. What about you? Are there kits in your future? By that I mean do you want kits?"

"Can't even imagine that right now. I mean my nieces and nephews and even the youngest of my brothers and sisters are adorable at times. But I have had my share of time in the warren nursery for now. But sure someday maybe. A long-off someday."

"Well Lieutenant, I think everything is in order. Thank you for your cooperation. Good luck on your mission and come home safe."

'Thank you Doctor. And if Jack hits on your wife again, tell her to kick him in his smug little bunny balls... ah hopefully that was not on the record."

snorts then laughs. "Oh don't worry I won't put that in my report. I try to keep things vague. In this case I believe it will read a delightful conversation with a dedicated pilot. Approved for duty."

Jackie jumps straight up, knocking a hanging lamp and causing it to swing around "Oops, sorry sir... I need to go... I have a date with a dragon."