We are delighted that Andy Page, administrator of hugely popular Lost fan site DarkUFO has agreed to participate in our inaugural Lostblog.com Interview: The 16 Questions We Ask Everyone. DarkUFO offers "spoilers, theories, screencaps, recaps, contests and lots of other great things to keep a dedicated Lost fan occupied" and had an astonishing 41.2 million hits in 2009 alone. Read on to find out how Andy inadvertently became a spoiler hound, why he once got death threats and why he's sure there'll be life after Lost...
Q: How long have you been watching Lost?
A: I started watching from the pilot here in the UK although it had been out for a while in the U.S. This was before I discovered the joys of downloading! Channel 4 (UK) aired about 4-5 episodes back to back and the wife and I both fell in love with it and could not get enough. After that I managed to download the rest of the episodes as we couldn't wait a week for the next episode. We watched them all in a matter of days.
Q: How did Lost get its polar bears claws into you?
A: Pretty much everything - the mystery, the acting, the locations, the soundtrack. They all just combined into something magical.
Q: Favorite character?
A: Depends on my mood. Ben or Hurley.
Q: Least favorite character?
A: Paulo and Nicki.
Q: Favorite episode or season?
A: I loved the Constant but I also really enjoyed The Man Behind the Curtain. All finales, obviously. As for season it's very hard to say. Season 1 will always hold a special place in my heart but I'd probably say Season 5.
Q: Team Jack or Team Locke?
A: Team Locke.
Q: If you had to be an 815 survivor, an Other or a member of the Dharma Initiative, which would you be?
A: An Other.
Q: Which character's demise were you most upset to see happening?
A: Mr. Eko. What a great character. The scene when he died and walked off into the distance with his little brother brought tears to my eyes. Probably only the third time TV or a movie has had that effect on me.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your site.
A: In the run up to the Season 2 premiere I decided to try and find out everything I could about what was in the hatch and what awaited us in Season 2. I came across a report from someone who saw the premiere episode a week before it aired on ABC. (I now know he watched the beach party premiere in Hawaii.) His report sounded strange - a Scottish guy in the hatch, pressing buttons, etc. I posted this on the IMDB message boards and about 95% of people thought I was making it up. It was funny to see the reaction after the episode aired! From that point on I found myself unwittingly regarded as a spoiler hound. I started watching the episodes the morning after they'd aired in the US so I could take screencaps and keep up with the others in the discussions that followed. It was around this time I started a little blog for myself as on IMDB I couldn't post pictures, etc. The site got picked up by DIGG.com and we have 200,000 hits in about 24 hours. This was my 'lucky break' - I picked up a ton of new followers and RSS subscribers. Since then it has just grown and grown, from 4.4 million hits in 2006 to 41.2 million in 2009. We've already had 2.1 million hits so far this year. As for Post-Lost, DarkUFO is not going anywhere soon. We'll still have all the reviews and recaps, polls, boxsets, no doubt a ton of theories and plenty of fan generated media. The site will never actually 'close' but will become less busy over time.
Q: What are some of your favorite online Lost communities, blogs, podcasts, etc.?
A: I'm a big fan of the Jay and Jack Podcast. I always enjoy listening to them as well as their 'Listener Feedback' section. I use Lostpedia extensively as it's a fantastic reference site.
Q: Tell us something interesting/scary/amusing/downright weird about how your time in the Lost fan-verse has changed your life.
A: The best part about running the site is all the fantastic people I've met and interacted with, from the readers to the dozens of people who volunteer their own time and expense to help me run it. Especially people like The ODI, B3RT4, Dharmageddon and the great team he has assembled in the Forums. It's been a real eye-opener, seeing how a fan base can pull together for the common good of the show's fans. The scariest part was when I received death threats about releasing the Season 3 Finale spoilers. Well, I say scary but it was actually hilarious - I managed to get the person's e-mail and internet account removed.
Q: You're in an elevator with someone who has never seen Lost. You got on in the lobby and you're both headed to the fifteenth floor. How do you convince them to buy and watch all the DVDs before the elevator gets there?
A: Simple: I tell them that unless they do they'll be missing out on the greatest TV show of our generation and others.
Q: Has Lost sparked any creative inspiration in your life?
A: It inspired me to create SpoilerTV which is a spoiler site for all other TV shows. I've always been a techie so I enjoy trying to improve the design and function of the site.
Q: How do you plan on combatting PLDS (Post Lost Distress Syndrome) or do you think we're all destined to end up continuously re-watching our Lost: The Complete Series Ultimate Boxset for the rest of our lives?
A: Great question but I've no idea until we see the final season. I guess it all depends on what happens and how it ends. It it leaves fans disgruntled then I don't think we'll have much of an issue with PLDS! However if it's as good as Season 5 there will certainly be an empty spot that will need filling at some point. I've no idea how I personally will feel after it's over as it's been such a large part of my life for the last 4-5 years.
Q: What do you think will be Lost's legacy?
A: Hopefully, simply the best television show ever made and the last one that will truly have an online fandom like it does. I don't think there will ever be a show like it again.
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Thank you Andy from everyone at LostBlog.com!
