Who are you? This can't be a frequently asked question, can it?  I'm Dan! :)   I sometimes use the alias Universe Man, which you'd know if you've ever recieved an email from me.  I also use Bobafett, which you may have noticed is the account name for my web site.  I'm 25 (not for long) and live in California.  I've been into computers since my first one...hmm...that was an Apple IIc.  Yeah baby!  Remember Wings of Fury?  Artillery?  Oh, drool.   Those were the days.

Why Universe Man?   Why Bobafett?  Well, Bobafett is my favorite character from Star Wars.  Which reminds me...why don't I have a background design of him??!   boggle.  Universe Man came to me one day while I was listening to 'They Might Be Giants' song, 'Particle Man'.

What type of program(s) do you use to make your backgrounds? Right now, I'm using Photoshop 5.0.  The few early backgrounds were made using MS Paint and MGI Photosuite.

How did you get started making these backgrounds? Well, after creating some really weak backgrounds (for fun) using MS Paint and MGI Photosuite (which came with my $300 dollar video card - expensive!), I wanted to ... do more.  So, after I was introduced to Photoshop, I realized I couldn't live without it.  Originally, I was inspired by my friend Annie, who at the time I didn't really know.  I just sent a blind email about her work and she was more than willing to be friendly and helpful.  Thank you Annie!  You can visit the work that inspired me at BTTLonXENA's ARTifacts Gallery.

How long, on the average, does it take you to create a background? Hmm.  Now, that's a toughie.  My best guess would have to be around 4 hours.  This does not include the time I take to find pictures for the design, but it does includes the sorting out of the pictures I want to actually use.  Some designs are made quicker, while others take me a bit longer.  A lot of it depends on the number if pictures I use as well as how I put them together.

What steps do you take to create your backgrounds? Well, this is a long and detailed answer.   If you are really interested in what I do to create my backgrounds, you can visit my tutorial on creating wallpapers.

Why do you call them backgrounds and not wallpapers?   Well...the meaning of these words are a bit cryptic in my mind.  Most people tend to use backgrounds for little graphic images that tile, thus making a full wallpaper.   The problem is, most people that use the term wallpapers have some really simple designs (not that it's bad), and they also tend to leave space for icons.  I almost went with montages, but most of my designs are more than just montages.  Thus, I settled for the term backgrounds.  It also sounds better (Dan's Backgrounds :)

Why don't you leave space for icons?  I don't really design my backgrounds specifically for use as a desktop wallpaper.  The idea behind most of my designs is to have them printed...which I've done with a few.  The only reason I might call these wallpapers is because they are the proper dimensions for wallpaper.

Do you take requests? Yes and no.  You are free to request, but I don't always get to them right away...So don't hold your breath.  I do, however, keep a list of requests so I don't forget about them.

All your wallpaper is geared for the guys, you need to have a few for the ladies! You will have to excuse me on this account.  I generally create the backgrounds I'm interested in, and/or get requests for.  And, I'm not particularly fond of having men on my screen ;)  But, if you request one, then I'll have a reason to create one.   Ricky Martin was a request and I did one of him, sooo...Tell me what you want.

Why do you only post 1 size for each of your backgrounds? The most obvious reason I can think of is server space.  I just can't afford to be posting three versions of my designs.   I post all of my designs at the size I create them.  That way you all get the same high quality backgrounds I do :)  One exception, I keep the .PSD files.

Why don't you put your name on your backgrounds? The reason I don't put my name or homepage on any of my backgrounds is because I want you all to get the same design I create for myself.  And, most of the time I feel that having that little bit of text can ruin a design.

So, what kind of computer do you use to create these backgrounds? I have a Dan built PC.   300Mhz PII with 64 megs sdram.  I used to have a 15" monitor set to 1024x768 32bit color, but it died.  Now, I'm using a 17" with the same settings.

What the heck is a Dan built PC? It's a computer I built myself.  LAUGH!