Ad Personam: Pawel Kalinowski, Mirage Interactive
Sia 'Garrett' Manzari, 2003-07-17

Ad Personam is dedicated to the people behind the games: programmers, artists, musicians, directors, producers and many other professions involved in creating the stuff that fills our harddisks, lets us sleep less and eat more junk food. In each Ad Personam, we want to introduce one of these fine folks to you - and this time it is Pawel Kalinowski from Mirage Interactive (Another War).

Pawel Kalinowski: I am working as a Producer at Mirage and try to oversee what artists and engineers are doing here. Mirage is a small company so I am doing different things as well. My adventure with computer games started in the eighties when I was working as an 8-bit games programmer for own company and later for Mirage. During the nineties I have spent most of my time in import department of Mirage that was a large games distributor in our area. After Mortyr I quit games and started an Internet business (which still exist and is nearly profitable!). When in y2k Mirage transformed back into games developing company I returned to my mother organisation.

RPGDot: Your favourite game, both electronical and board?

Pawel Kalinowski: I run Half Life on my knees, but lost most time playing two simpler games - Wipeout and Banzai Bug - a hilarious, textureless adventures of an insect. Rearding boards - I was somehow engaged in WH40K community, but I was never a real player.

RPGDot: Your favourite movie and favourite actor & actress?

Pawel Kalinowski: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life is my film of choice. Favourite actor (and producer) - Charile Chaplin (and recently Robert Downey Jr.).

RPGDot: Your favourite singer/band and record?

Pawel Kalinowski: German electronic band Kraftwerk and their Electric Cafe.

RPGDot: If you could do any game, regardless of money and developing time, what would it be?

Pawel Kalinowski: A new incarnation of the Great American Cross Country Road Race - it would be a good people's GTA.

RPGDot: If you'd be able to choose anyone from within the game industry to work on your dream project, who'd you put in your team?

Pawel Kalinowski: Sid Meier - I am his die hard fan since his 8-bit games like F15 Strike Eagle (he was 8-bit programmer 20 years ago)

RPGDot: What character from a game or role-playing setting best describes you?

Pawel Kalinowski: In fact all the RPG heroes seem too brave, too handsome, too wise or just too strong for me :) Brian from The Life of Brian would be the best.

RPGDot: Your non-gaming hobbies?

Pawel Kalinowski: None so far but I work hard on developing a beer belly.

RPGDot: Your favourite author and favourite book?

Pawel Kalinowski: Stanislaw Lem / Solaris (but Soderbergh's movie is awfully boring and wasted the potential...)

RPGDot: What historical person would you like to meet and why?

Pawel Kalinowski: The problem with people is that we are looking after the correspondence of van Gogh with his laundress and can't see a contemporary genius who will die in poverty. I would like to meet with someone who creates the history right now in our times (pathetic I am, am I not?)

RPGDot: Thanks for your time!