We had a wonderful time talking to Joe Kucan at the Command & Conquer summit a couple of months ago, and the interview can be read in the October issue. However, due to page restrictions, it was cut short, which made it seem less comprehensive. Joe is an absolutely hilarious person to chat with and we thought it would do this interview more justice to put the complete transcript up. So, here it is.

Be warned though, it’s quite long, so we’ve split it into two pages.

GAX: Evil genius, sociopath, mastermind, nut job leader of the Nod. Kane has been called all those and more. So Joe, what’s your take on Kane? Did you wake up and decided to play a bad guy?

Joe: Who wakes up thinking he’s evil. No, no way. Kane’s not evil. His motivations might be bizarre, and they’re certainly misunderstood, but I can assure you that they’re certainly pure.

I was one of the original developers of C&C back in the day. The Kane character was a collaboration between myself, Brett Sperry and the lead story editor at the time, and we were looking at biblical mythology, a larger than life character to inhabit a larger than life world. We knew right form the start we would create a relatively mythic story revolving around Tiberium as a global resource.

GAX: Did you have any inkling how big the Kane character would become?

Joe: Oh I knew immediately that I would be the biggest star in the universe. As soon as we said the word Kane, I put a down payment on the Beverly Hills mansion. When I sat down to write the name down C-A-I-N, I knew it didn’t look right, so I scratched it out and it came to me…K-A-N-E. Perfect. I immediately picked up the phone and called Claudia Schiffer to marry me, cause I knew I’d be huge. Does anybody know who Claudia Schiffer is anymore? Anyway, she said no, and then she went out with that weird magician guy.

GAX: Speaking of huge, why is it that you’re the most iconic bad guy in all gaming history, and yet no one cosplays as you?

Joe: I honestly don’t know, but it could be a certain commitment to fashion. You know, they’re all going to have to shave their heads to be me.

GAX: You’ve outlasted quite a lot of actual TV/film characters playing Kane and even got into the Guinness Book of World Records. How long have you played Kane?

Joe: I’ve been Kane for about 15-16 years. Yeah! They listed me as the longest recurring portrayal of a character in a videogame – which is great, but I didn’t really do anything except not stop (and not age). I mean, it wasn’t like I swallowed 12-dozen eggs or anything.

GAX: This question gets asked one time too many, but since it’s the first time I’m meeting you, I’ll consider it an original. How do you do it? How does Kane not age for the past 16 years? Is it the Tiberium?

Joe: Nah, I had myself encased in plastic. After the first game came out, I went through an incredibly painful procedure in Las Vegas where I had my whole body shellacked.

Joe giving us grooming tips

Joe: Yeah I know, but really. Do the math, nobody has ever done the math before, it’s not that hard to believe. The game has been around for about 16 years. When I started developing the game I was 14-years old. So now, I’ll be what, about 30 just moving on to 31. It makes perfect sense.

Actually, a lot of the questions regarding Kane’s longevity will be answered (in C&C4). We’ll be tying up a lot of loose ends and revealing explanations of the character’s mythos.

GAX: C&C4 is the closing chapter of the saga. Can you tell us what happens to the character or the series after this?

Joe: You really want to know what happens?

GAX: Coming from you, it must be the truth…but let me venture a guess. The game starts, Kane comes out and briefs you (the player), “Commander, your missio…”, (lightning strikes) and Kane dies. The end.

Joe: (laughs) Yeah, I’ve never been known to tell a lie, not about something as important as this. Actually, when you say that, there aren’t really any mission briefings like that in this next game. Not a lot of talking heads, not a lot of kill X, do Y. The storytelling is a lot more dynamic, the camera is more fluid, not a lot of shooting on green screen, shots are done on set. The camera is actually the player character, so it really feels more intimate. You’re a part of the scene as a player.

As for Kane; At the very end of C&C4, the Brotherhood of Nod has finally been forced to set up in a cave outside of Istanbul(you know the Nod is actually very high tech, but they’ve been driven back recently). Kane is in his cave, and he turns to deliver his final pronouncements, and out of nowhere, a herd of mountain goats comes down and gores Kane in the stomach. Killed by mountain goats, true story.