20 Questions with Quink of Chipesten.com

whosers.com goes into interview mode with those who make & maintain the sites that we love - letting them say their own opinions on a few issues. These opinions may or may not reflect the opinions held by whosers.com. Not that that matters, but you know, we have to say it ;)

First stop? Quink, webmistress of the official Chip Esten website (www.chipesten.com). She started out wowing us with her first Colin site, & then went on to help redesign the look of the official Colin Mochrie site as well as becoming webmistress for Chip himself. Learn more about her in this, our 20 questions ...

Whose Line

1) What is the first sighting/reaction to whose line you had that you can recall? Were you hooked right away?

That would have been the Colin Hoedown episode. I had caught bits and pieces of the program before, but not enough to know who the performers were or how it was set up. I was drawn in by the 'having Clive's baby' press conference, but it was the hoedown that hooked me. Seeing the genuine affection these guys had for each other made me pay attention, and that's a big part of why I love the show now.

2) Who is the improvisor who had the first/initial largest impact on you? Who is the improvisor who has impressed you the most over the long run?

Initially it was Colin (See above). Over time, they've all impressed me in various ways. Greg is awesome at what he does, Brad's mind is so quick it amazes me, Chip's use of lyrics and his scene work are incredible and Colin is simply the best improviser I've seen.

3) If you had to choose your ideal cast of whose line (4 improvisors, one host, & either the american or british musician team), who would you choose?

Hmmm... This is a tough one. Clive hosts. Performers are: Colin, because I think he's an improv genius. Caroline, because she cracks me up. Chip, because I love to watch him work. And, to keep from going the all-alliteration route, Dan Joffre, who might be my favourite improviser ever.

4) Name one moment on the show that still never fails to crack you up when you think about it. If you remember, tell us what season/who was involved/what version etc.

Colin's LMAD quirk from the Ardal episode. There's just something about the absolute desperation in his voice that makes me laugh. "Look at me!!"

Online

1) Can you remember what made you go online to search out whose line related information?

I was curious about Colin. He kept showing up on all these shows on The Comedy Network, and I couldn't figure out who he was.

2) Can you remember what was the first site you encountered, & what you thought when you found it?

The first site was the CMC. I meant to post on the board there, but somehow I got turned around and ended up posting on Whoser, thinking it was Colin's board. My first impression was that the Whosers were a friendly bunch, and that's what I seemed to find at most of the WL boards I ended up posting on.

3) Name one site/community/messageboard that you once were quite fond of but now is no longer active/has disappeared. Name one site/community/messageboard that you visit regularly (other than your own sites/communities) and why you do so.

Hmm... I'd have to say the old CMC board. It's where I started out and my first group of Whose Line related friends. Right now, my favourite place to hang out would be Michelle's board. Very fun, intelligent people, and a strong community. But then, I tend to flitter around to all the boards out there.

4) What do you think is the future of whose line online? Of your own site?

I think the Whose Line community will continue to grow and change. Even when they're no longer making new episodes, people will still stumble across the show as long as it's on the air and the performers keep doing what they're doing.

Community

1) What's one of the strangest experiences you've ever had related to whose line communities/whosers (no names if they are involved please - you can use vague generalizations if you're worried as well i.e. just the type of experience)

Probably some of the email I get for both Colin and Chip. People who need to contact Colin NOW or their cat will die, or those who want Chip to father their children.

2) Which is more important to you in community - the fanship or the friendship? At the present time how much of your interaction in communities is to talk about the show, and how much is to chat with those who have become friends?

Definitely the friendship. I hardly ever talk about the show itself anymore. I think I went through the hyper-analytical stage a couple years ago where I was cross-referencing articles and going through scenes frame by frame (I didn't just admit to that, did I?). Now it's all about the people I've met because we share a common interest. As much as I love seeing the live shows I go to, I'm really doing it as a chance to meet up with my friends a couple times a year.

3) What do you think is the best thing you'll take away from the whose line community when all is said and done?

Apart from very long phone bills? *G*

Cliche as it sounds, friends and memories. Photo albums full of pictures I've taken from the places I've traveled, cheesy souvenirs, and other various things that make me smile. It's been a lot of fun.

4) What do you think of when you hear the term 'whoser'. Who do you think it encompasses? Do you consider yourself to be one?

Personally, to me 'Whoser' refers to something more than just a fan of the show. It's about a community. That community doesn't have to be exclusive to a certain message board or group of people, but it does represent something more than just watching a show on TV.

Impact (getting personal)

1) One thing you bring to the table is experience with other large fangroups in your past. What would you say are the most basic things that seem to hold true for this type of community, no matter what they happen to be focused on?

It has to be about the people. I've watched other shows that I've enjoyed in the past, but I haven't latched onto them because I haven't really felt a connection with other fans. In the case of both Highlander and Whose Line, it was almost an instant feeling where I realized that I really liked the people who liked the show. Even though I haven't watched an episode of Highlander in years, I still have a few good friends from that fandom who I talk to on a daily basis. The conversations have gone way beyond the show. I think that online friendships can be every bit as fulfilling as those formed in 'real life', but like real life, you can't focus on one thing.

2) Have you ever considered quitting/cancelling your site and/or messageboard? Tell us why if you feel comfortable doing so. What changed your mind?

Sometimes when you put a lot of work into something, it's discouraging to see a lack of response. Things slow down in general when the show isn't on TV, and during those times it's easy to ask yourself why you're doing this. But, in the end, I honestly enjoy doing it, I think the people who visit the site are great, and Chip is one of the nicest guys out there.

3) Tell us why you continue to work on this site - both why you do it for Chip, & why you do it for the fans?

Basically what I mentioned above. People seem to appreciate it, and I try to make it fun and keep it interesting. Before I started this site, I really stayed away from the typical actor fan sites. Many of them were obsessive and seemed to forget that the actor they were idolizing was a human being. I wanted to create something that found the middle ground between a cold official site that read like a resume and a gushing fan site. In terms of Chip, I really respect what he's done in his career, and I also respect him as a person.

4) What is your largest pet peeve of types of things that are either posted on your messageboards or emailed to you (as the administrator of your site)

Actually, I'm pretty easy going. I hate censorship and love off topic conversation. I think my biggest pet peeve is being told that I should be doing something a certain way. I don't get a lot of that personally, but it always bothers me a lot to see people posting about what a good fan of the show should or should not be doing. We're all individuals, and we're all going to look at the show and its performers in different ways.

Beyond Whose Line

1) Do you participate in or go watch live improv at all? What do you think of it compared to whose line? Do you think it ought to be compared to whose line really (or are they totally different things)?

I do, and I've found that there's a certain 'magic' that comes through from a live show. I've seen everything from the Las Vegas shows with the WL cast, to small local show, to a show where there were more cast members than audience members. Every single show I've been to has had me laughing more than anything I've ever seen on TV. There's nothing like it. People have argued that Whose Line isn't pure improv, and I do agree with that somewhat. But at the same time, I don't think that genuine pure improv comes through well on TV. It needs to be dressed up and cleaned up a bit, just because you lose something when you're not right there. Improv is about process and what's happening *now*. Unless you're watching something live, you're going to miss out on that.

2) Have you found that interest in an improvisor has led you to a new area of interest (new show, new type of comedy, etc) via something else they have been involved in outside of whose line?

Hmm... well, I've become much more of a fan of 'This Hour has 22 Minutes" since Colin started with it. I've also started watching Scrubs... I originally tuned in for Christa Miller, but I really enjoy the show on its own.

3) Do you find that whose line has similarities to other non-television things you have an interest in? If so, what connections do you see? If not, why not?

Most of my non Whose Line interests are related to art and design. I think that, for me, improv is more of an escape than anything. So much of design involves planning and going over things again and again. What I have found is that improv works its way into design concepts. When I'm trying to come up with an idea, I'll choose something as a starting point and then just see where it takes me.

4) What other shows that the performers are in (other than whose line episodes or tapings) have you seen? What other ones would you want to see?

TV shows - most of them. There's a reason they call me the tape whore. I think the performer who's impressed me most outside of WL is Chip. For one thing, I've managed to see most of what he's done. Of all of them, he's done the widest range or roles, taking on comedy and drama. In terms of improv shows, one of the best I've been to was Cooking with Gas at the Groundlings. I'd love to see that one again (preferably every Thursday, but I can't quite afford to fly down to LA on a weekly basis. Yet.)

Esoterica

1) Name the strangest (i.e. due to it being something you normally wouldn't listen to, or due to the content) song you've had stuck in your head recently.

I'm not sure what the song is, but I flipped past American Idol and got one line of some pop-ish song stuck in my head for the next week. Other than that, I frequently get little snippets of improvised songs stuck in my head.

2) Recommend one other tv show that is not at all related to whose line, and tell us why you'd recommend it to whosers.

I really don't watch much TV unless I'm taping for someone. Completely unrelated? Smallville is my guilty pleasure... It's a WB show and it's cheesy as hell, but there's just something about a slightly hot, shirtless, teenaged Clark Kent that appeals to me.

3) Tell us about either the city or region or country (your choice) you live in and why you would recommend people consider that as a place to visit someday.

Right now I'm in Calgary, right by the Rockies in Canada. It's a nice enough place, but if I was going to recommend a place to visit, I'd say the west coast: Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, anywhere around there. Victoria has many of my favourite places in the world... I love going for a drive along the coast and sitting by the ocean.

4) What were you doing just before you answered these questions? What are you going to do now that you've finally finished them?

Let's see... I was cleaning the house. I've slowly been answering throughout the day, and now that I'm done, I'm going to finish ironing this damn fitted sheet and go to bed.

Posted 31/03/2003

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