The avatar in this picture is Bone Mosten, nominated by New World Notes readers and style columnist Iris Ophelia as Second Life's Hottest Male Avatar for 2008. The man in this photo is the real life individual who created and owns Bone. (Note the family resemblance in the shared chin stud.)
When Mr. Mosten was designated the world's most desirable avatar, I wanted to know more. Who was the person behind him, how did he create a persona that managed to be charismatic and believably human, and what does Bone teach us about his real personality?
Perhaps even more to the point, what's the real life Bone Mosten actually look like? Find out in my illustrated interview with him after the break.
On creating Bone Mosten
Bone's a character I created a long time ago... Like five years ago. I started out in There.
He has certain features. Like having a more pronounced nose. I tried to match those concepts. The details, like my height and hair color just seemed to fill in the blanks.
I use Bone as a bit of a prototype for myself. We are about 95% alike, I'd say.
But that other 5% is what is important. The meatspace me, is sort of shy (hate that term, but it will do) and I decided that Bone wasn't going to be. Just to see what it's like... that 5% allows me to experiment with who I am.
On physical similarities to Bone
[We look f]airly different. I never tried to make him look like me. Some things elements I stubbornly kept. We both have the same facial piercing, for example. We also have the same height, which has turned out to be kind of annoying in SL. [I'm] 6 foot. It's a pain. [Ed. - Due to height competition and the ease of adjusting avatar size via the shape sliders, avatars in SL tend to be 7-8 feet tall.] I have no body art IRL. It's something I've always wanted but could never justify the time and cost.
On Bone Mosten's real life photo
I should point out, I was working 16 hour days when that was taken. My one and last time working in the movie business. It was brutal. Brutal, I tell yah!
I was working as an artist for a straight-to-DVD horror movie... I did the illustrations in a sketchbook that was featured. Girl has visions of people getting murdered and all that... I played her sketchbook.
I've moved away from the art business. It was perverting something I love into something I loathed too easily. [I now have a] glamorous life in the construction industry. Writing project manuals and such.
On what he's learned experimenting with Bone
I would say that it is comforting to know that I am the most comfortable being me.
On whether women are as attracted to him as his avatar
I doubt it. I would say at one point, yes. But conveying one's personality can be difficult. And personality is important. I'm trying to learn that from Bone. He seems really good at it. Bone projects it better than I do in real life.
Interview conducted, compiled, and edited by Hamlet Au. Some transpositions for clarity's sake. SL profile pic by Iris Ophelia. RL photo courtesy of Mr. Mosten's owner.
Nice AV I think..and is Head isn't smaller than his Pecs or Biceps. Not that there's anything wrong with that :)
Posted by: Connie Sec | Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Great post! I think Bone did a wonderful job in capturing not only his physical appearance but also his personality.
I think participating in a person behind the avatar type post is a very brave things to do. It turned out very well!
Posted by: Daila Holder | Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 09:53 AM
We love you Bone! You Rock! ~the ST Family
Posted by: Torment Thorn | Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 05:15 AM
/me smiles
And yes Bone, girls ARE attracted to you in SL. :P
Posted by: Bettye Dugan | Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 04:43 PM