Technically, I don't really get asked many questions about myself, so this is more of a "questions I might get asked frequently if I were more famous," but FAQ is snappier than QIMGAFIIWMF. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, feel free to contact me or leave a note in my guestbook.
Are you the guy who created Hank the Cowdog?
Why do you often go by the name JohnRaptor?
Are you a furry?
Can I link to your website/blog on my website/blog?
Will you link to my website/blog on your website?
Can I use your art on my website/blog?
Can I make a chatroom/message board icon from your art?
Do you accept commissions for dirty pictures?
Are you the guy who created Hank the Cowdog?
Nope, that's another John Erickson. His website can be found here. For more famous and semi-famous people named John Erickson, check out the Wikipedia disambiguation page. I'm not listed and don't have a wikipedia page about me specifically (hint hint).
Why do you often go by the name JohnRaptor?
It all goes back to when my family first got America Online, when I was 13. Before I could log in for the first time, I had to pick a screen name. I tried John, JohnErickson, JohnE, JErickson, etc. but they were all taken, and I didn't want one of those screen names with a bunch of random numbers tacked on the end. This back in 1993, when Jurassic Park was in theaters and at the time it was my favorite movie, so I tried JohnRaptor. There was nobody else with that name, so I could use it without numbers on the end. To this day I still have the same AOL account, and I often use the same name on message boards and whatnot out of convenience. It also helps distinguish me from the many other John Ericksons out there.
Are you a furry?
Depends on your definition. The loosest definition is "a fan of anthropomorphic animal characters in art, entertainment and story," and if that's what you mean, then the answer is "yes." I like anthropomorphic animal characters. I often draw them, sometimes write about them, and enjoy art of them. On the other hand, if you're asking whether I dress up in animal costumes and/or believe I'm an animal trapped in a human's body, the answer is "no." Nothing against the lifestyle furries, but for me it's just a sub-genre of fantasy that I enjoy.
Can I link to your website on my website/blog?
Absolutely. In fact, I have banner ads for just that sort of thing.
Will you link to my website/blog from your website?
Maybe. If you are interested in exchanging banner ads or being listed on my links page, contact me and I'll consider it.
Can I use your art on my website/blog?
Depends. If you want to incorporate one or two pieces into the graphics of your website/blog (for example, using a piece of my art as a background image on your MySpace page), that's fine as long as you give me credit and provide a link to this site somewhere near the image. But don't set up a whole gallery full of my stuff, and DON'T claim credit for any of my art.
Can I make a chatroom/IM/message board icon from a piece of your art?
Sure, but credit and/or a link to this site would be appreciated.
Do you accept commissions for dirty pictures?
Depends what you mean by "dirty." I'd be happy to take commissions involving artistic nudity or tasteful erotic pin-ups, but I don't do explicit pornography.