This interview was a lot of fun because Cass was able to watch the interview take place live. Neko and Cass live a long distance from each other obviously. My biggest regret is that when I first started this project they were actually together but I didn't know what I was doing and was still putting things together so we weren't able to do an interview with them physically together. I want to wish them the best of luck and hope they're able to spend more time together soon.
A/N:
Creator questions
What's your name (real or screen, your choice)
I go by Nekomimiranger. You can call me Neko for short.
Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.
I'm 35 years old and live in Germany. I'm male. I work in a Tool-Store and in my freetime I browse the web or talk on various discord servers, mostly with Zootopian topics. In the heights of the Zootopia-Fandom I used to write fanfiction.
What's a Tool-Store in Germany? Is it the name of the store or just a store that sells tools?
It's a store that sells tools. Like Home Depot in the US.
Do you work in a specific department?
I'm the head of the incoming goods department.
So you sort through and account for incoming inventory?
Basically. Well I'm responsible that everything works out. more like a supervisor.
You said you used to write fanfic. Why'd you stop?
Lack of inspiration. The famous writers block I have one or two ideas I want to put in stories one day but im mentally stuck so far.
I think you mean infamous and yes, I'm stuck there too.
Hahaha I think all artistic mammals, authors and artists alike know it.
What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?
After seeing the movie I was going to look for more about Zootopia and meet people and stumbled over Tumblr where I joined the fandom and made a bunch of friends and met my now fiancee.
Who is your OC today?
Andy Ranger
What animal are they?
He is a Snow Leopard
So why a snow leopard for Andy?
Well he started out as just a fun thing in the old tumblr days. and i used a random generator to decide what mammal. thats where destiny actually proved to be true cause it turned out to be a snow leopard and I can identify myself as one pretty well
How's that?
they are big compared to most mammals in the fandoms. Im 185cm so thats going well. they are very fluffy and like the cold
Are you fluffy?
According to my fiance, yes
What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.
He is on average size for his kind though a little chubby compared to many of the athletic specimens around. Besides that he has brown eyes and a usually friendly aura.
What inspired you to create them?
It basically started with a tumblr Post about creating your Zootopian. I thought, why not give it a shot.
What are they like?
Andy overall is a very friendly character who always tries to be on good terms with everyone. He is calm and patient and hard to aggravate. He has a big fantasy which gives him bonus points in his job as a Kindergarten teacher.
How much of yourself do you see in Andy?
That's hard to say. He is very much like me in many ways. i think his character is similar to mine. but not in all regards also.
Any reason you made Andy a kindergarten teacher?
Not in particular. i imagined him being good with kids and see him as a big fluffy playmate
What's their family life like?
His mother died while he was in his teens and his dad did a great job taking care of him and his sister after that. He remarried a Panther a few years later giving him a half sister. She now is married and has two children.
So Neko's dad remarried a panther and they had a child. Obviously you think hybrids are possible in Zootopia. So how do you see them?
Do you mean socially? or physically?
Physically
Depends on the parents I guess. just like with humans. For example if I think about Andy and Cass' possible offspring I can't stop but wonder. Will they look like snow leopards just with more orange or brownish fur? Or will they just be small snow leopards since ocelots are small felines? I think both are possible. They certainly will have things that can be seen in the parents as well.
So not really a 50/50 mix of the parents but more of a favoring one over the other with traits from both?
Yes basically like it can be with humans.
Do they have a love interest?
He is engaged to Cassandra Pardal Aguisand.
How does Andy meet Cassandra?
He was a passenger on a flight. She was a flight attendant. Actually it was kinda love at first sight though he forgot to ask for her number so it required a little bit of research to find her again.
Would the phrase dumb struck fit?
Hm probably. I mean they clicked both instantly but both were too shy and/or too stupid to inquire further. Actually there exists a written story about that.
Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?
I collected some trivia about Andy over the time and many more things in my head. Nothing in story form is put down though.
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 think that is a too big topic to answer in a few little sentences. I'm sure there are differences to some level. Since Zootopia is a "made up city" to unite pred and prey animals, I assume there are other cities or even countries with species native to there and in those regions, I can imagine, are other cultural differences as well just like it is in our real world.
Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?
Wildehopps for life! I don't judge people who prefer other ships though but for me, they will always be the perfect fit.
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 your host Vicky Chola and joining me today is Andy Ranger. Thank you for coming on Andy."
Thank you for having me.
"So how long have you lived in Zootopia Andy?"
For almost 10 years by now.
"Where did you live before then?"
Before I moved here I lived with my parents.
giggles "Where was that?"
Near the mountains in the north.
"Do you currently live in Tundra Town?"
Yes, I moved there after my mother died.
"I'm sorry for your loss. Was her passing the reason you moved?"
One of the reasons but certainly the biggest.
"Why is that?"
You mean why I left my hometown or why my mothers death is a major reason?
"A bit of both I suppose."
Well, for one, I kinda was looking for adventure. The place I grew up in is nothing but a small village and for a growing mammal that can fast become boring and frustrating. So naturally I was looking to escape from that melancholy. When my mother died, it gave me another reason to go, since she was the main reason I stayed as long as I did.
"How old were you when you left?"
i just turned 20. Barely grown up and having the wide world in my eyes giggles
"So you've been out in the world for, was it 10 years now?"
Yes, that sounds about right. Though "world" mainly means Zootopia chuckles
giggles "How does Tundra town compare to your homeland?"
If I had to describe it in one word, that would probably be "Busy". Nothing compared to the village I came from. It was kind of a cultural shock when I arrived first.
"How so?"
You must understand, I spent most of my life in a tiny village. The only "towns" I ever met were several miles away and I went there only rarely so when I first came to Zootopia, I was stunned by its size. Sure, I read about it and saw it in the news quite a lot but that was nothing compared to seeing it in real life. The same counts for Tundratown as well. It is big, it is loud and full of mammals. I must admit I felt pretty intimidated at first. Silent pause It is also the small things like greeting a stranger on the streets. In my home village it was basically mandatory to say "good day or good morning" to people you pass at the streets even though you don't know them but here I think some thought I wanted to mug them laughs
"Oh my gosh, I can kind of relate to that. How long do you think it took for you to fit in?"
I wonder if I ever managed. laughs I think some things will always appear weird to me but I dare to say, I enjoy life in the city quite a lot!
"What's the city's biggest pro and con to you?"
The biggest pro, no doubt, is that everything I want or need is close. Supermarkets, cinemas, swimming pools, and so on. I also don't have to worry about opening hours or public transport. laughs In the countryside, past 8pm everything is dead. The biggest con for me must certainly be the noise 24/7. I think that is also what took me the longest to get used to.
"It's normally cold where you're from and in Tundra Town. How do you deal with constantly going back and forth between the different districts?"
Better than I actually expected. I thought I'd be dying by heat every time I change districts or that I would constantly have a runny snout but surprisingly it's not as hard as it looks. Only thing is, you have to plan ahead. On a workday for example, I'd wear my summer outfit and cover myself above it with my winter jackets. Also, commuting is pretty easy. The subway is pretty close and its all heated to an acceptable degree for all passengers always.
"Is there any district you like visiting in particular?"
Oh I love them all. You can go wherever you want if you feel like it. Ok Sahara square might be a bit too extreme most of the time for me but even then, the beaches are dreamy. Also, my better half likes them so going there together is not half as bad. Said dreamily. But If I had to decide for one district, I'd probably choose the Rainforest district.
"Why the rainforest district?"
I love the smell of the trees there and the "Rain" is soothing to me. It makes me feel relaxed. I like to go there to just chill and relax from time to time. Though before entering tundra town after a visit there, id recommend a short walk through sahara square for a moment chuckles
giggles "Might get a little frosty otherwise."
Exactly! Frozen fur looks and feels weird laughs
laughs "Walking around looking all spiky and stuff" sigh "So let's talk about going to the beach, more specifically, who you're going to the beach with."
Most often, of course, with my better half, Cass winks but sometimes, if she is not in town, I go alone or with friends. I've been a few times with classes and teachers from work as well.
"We actually have you and Cass booked for an interview together at a later date so we won't dive too much into your relationship right now. But just tell me a little about her."
Yeah, I can't wait for that! What is there to tell about her. She is perfect. She is the fit I never thought I'd find... she is everything I could ask for in a mammal, smart, funny, interesting, sarcastic giggles and good looking too!
giggles "Sounds like you two are very fond of each other."
you could say that laughs like we say, "every pot finds its lid" and I found mine!
laughs "That's too cute. So tell me about what you do for a living?"
Well, I am a kindergarten teacher. So, I take care of a group of little ones.
"Is that what you've always wanted to do?"
Well, when I was a little kitten, I always wanted to become a firefighter. laughs "But when I grew older I knew pretty soon that I wanted to do what I do now. I often had to take care of the little ones of family members and neighbours and it always came pretty natural for me so when I came of age, I pursued this idea and luckily managed to now have the job I always wanted
"Can you tell us about how schools work in Zootopia? Specifically with the different size classes?"
I can only speak for the Kindergarten I am at. We don't separate classes based on the size of the kids. It is important that the kiddos learn to socialize with each other and to know each different mammal. During the Nighthowler crisis, this policy was put to the test I have to admit but I think we managed well.
"How does someone your size manage to work with an elephant child for example? The kids weigh a ton when they're born."
We have a good team of teachers that work together in problematic cases though we haven't encountered any troubles yet. May be also about the fact that we are on outback island where elephants are pretty rare chuckles
"What size ranges do you have in your class?"
Kangaroos, Wombats, Koalas are the most common I would say but we also got some wolves and bunnies this year as well. It's generally hard to say because It depends on what parents decide to send their little ones to us.
"So you're commuting from tundra town to outback Island. Sounds like quite a trek."
honestly, you get used to it. The metro connections are pretty good and combined with a little walking time it's not too bad.
"Do you think the city does a good job at maintaining the transportation infrastructure?"
Yeah I think so. The trains are on time usually.
"As a transplant to Zootopia, what would you suggest to anyone new moving to the city?"
Keep an open mind and don't be intimidated!
"Would you have done anything different?"
That's a tough question, you know? I mean, speaking as a more experienced Zootopian. giggles I actually don't think I would have done anything differently, I mean, I am who I am and that wouldn't have changed even though If I knew what would await me. Probably I'd have been less naive about life in Zootopia but besides that, I don't think I would have acted differently
"We're certainly glad you were able to join us today. And I look forward to having you and Cass together next time. But I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today."
Thank you for having me and I can't wait to speak to you again together with Cass!
"I look forward to it! And thank you listeners for joining us once again and see you next time!"