Dan “Artosis” Stemkoski is one of the most well-recognized names in the Starcraft Community. He is one of the most popular casters in the world, with a huge fanbase and is one-half of the “Casting Archon” with Nick “Tasteless” Plott. Many people recognize him from casting in the GSL, but his impact on the community reaches far more than just casting, from interviewing prolific members and players to bridging and fostering a connection between the Foreign and Korean Starcraft scenes.
In Brood War, Artosis was one of the top players in the USA, qualifying multiple times for WCG USA and leading the premier USA clan [Media] in multiple Clan Wars. While he was a top player, his greatest contribution to the scene was not as a player, but as one of the first foreigners that would pave the way for others in South Korea. Artosis went to South Korea in 2008 and began to provide interviews for the foreign community with just a Sony Handycam and a passion to provide content to the community. Not many people would leave a familiar environment for something new and unexpected with a risk of failure. Years later, with foreigners clamoring at the chance to come to Korea, and an exploding scene that continues to grow, it seems that this risk paid off.
In 2008, he was approached by the IEG Company to come to Korea and produce content for the international scene. Artosis jumped on the first chance he got, becoming one of the first foreigners in Korea and living in the eSTRO house in the beginning. Under a meager salary and poor conditions, Artosis began to provide content to the community with a small video camera and doing weekly recap shows to provide more information to the community.
The transition from the USA to South Korea was not as easy as many people believe, especially back in 2008 when there were few, if any, foreigners in Korea at the time. Living with the eSTRO team, one of the poorest sponsored teams, was an exceptionally difficult task for Artosis. Being a vegetarian, he limited to only eating eggs and seaweed for a period of time. During the first few months, he did not have a salary and was forced to save and conserve his money through various methods; from rooming with over ten other people to jumping over subway stalls in order to avoid paying the fee. It was not an easy life, but Artosis did not regret it for a second.
*dramatization of subway hopping
“ Hahahah, the good old days. I don’t regret it a second. A wonderful experience. Mr. Hong’s IEG company and SCForALL.com gave me a stupendous chance, I did with it what I could, and it was totally worth it. “
While in Korea, Artosis began commentating more and more and would soon become one of the best foreign commentators in the world. Before he went to Korea, Artosis started and commentated his own tournament, Ascension, and soon began to take on more responsibilities as a caster. Headlining both the TSL 1 and TSL 2 in 2008/2009, multiple WCG events , and smaller regional events like e-Stars Seoul.
With the beta release of Starcraft II, international attention flooded the community. Small tournaments sprung up overnight with prizes that would have been huge just six months before, YouTube became the ideal site to share commentaries and VODs, and an influx of new players pumped life into a slowly dying scene. Commentators like HDStarcraft and Husky became forerunners in Youtube Casting, community figures like Day9 exploded with popoularity, and interest was sparked in the Korean Scene. Many people wondered if the Koreans would take interest in the game, and if it would be just as popular as Brood War was.
Artosis became rose to prominence early in the beta, from taking part in podcasts like State of the Game to being Mothership-rushed by a Blizzard Employee. He began to post VODs of his play and cast exclusive replays of players like IdrA combatting the Koreans. However, many people wanted to know what was in store for both Artosis and his casting partner Nick.
The GSL was announced and is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking announcements to hit the eSports world. The Global Starcraft League became the first major tournament entirely devoted to Starcraft II . While it is a primary a Korean Production, the GSL would be commentated by both Artosis and Tasteless. With a near unheard of prizepool at the time, and a rapidly improving production, many people believe that the GSL is the best Starcraft II League in the world.
With the surge in popularity from a combination of being a longstanding member within the community and being one of the primary casters of the GSL, Artosis began to spread his influence and knowledge into more and more areas. From qualifying for the first ever GSL, to casting at events like MLG and Dreamhack , to producing content like “Imbalanced!” , Artosis continues to be one of the most essential figures to the community.
Artosis is, without a doubt, one of the most passionate members of the Starcraft Community. His contributions to the community is invaluable, and a great resource to the scene. He has given us countless interviews, casts, information, and is someone that will always be irreplaceable to the community. Whether it’s a passionate cast with tears in his eyes, or a simple tweet, almost everything he does drives the community forward in some way.
So Artosis, this is to you, cheers you sick nerd baller.
Yes Artosis isn't perfect, but he is someone to be respected in the community. I combed through alot of interviews and whatnot. Major thanks to those sources, from Liquipedia to Gosutrolling and sites like SKGaming and TL itself. Have a good year everyone, and if Artosis reads this. I love you. <3
On December 19 2011 13:24 jjhchsc2 wrote: nice! where is that gif from?
I think the GSL World Championship, during the team match between Team Korea and Team World. Coach Artosis vs Coach Cella with some FANTASTIC games, and the vods are all free!
Truly, Artosis is a great person and figurehead of the community.
haven't been in the sc scene in awhile but artosis and tasteless both became such big casters... during the bw days i woulda never thunk it haha but yeah hats off to him and tasteless for sticking with it ^^
I'm pretty sure I've read a lot of this stuff somewhere else, nothing wrong combining articles and putting them in your own words, as long as you give proper credit. I know in your spoiler you listed some of the sites, but I feel like you also need to include links to the actual articles :O and give credit where credit is due.
Wow, 2008! That's REALLY long ago. Unless some forum lurker speaks up, I can't think of anyone anywhere close to 2008 that travelled to Korea for eSports reasons.
Artosis, like many other BW playes, did the hard yards and that allows current sc2 pros to move to korea hassle free. He deserves everything he gets. Im glad he is know so successful flying around the world casting tournaments, living his dream, he has earned it 10 fold.
Artosis is one of the most hardcore nerds I have ever heard of in the pursuit of his passion.
I really didn't follow BW early on too closely, and I am not going to source this, and things like "truth" or "fact" are irrelevant, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the foreign BW scene was single handedly held up by a massively idolized pillar in the form of Artosis. Its not an exaggeration to call him the Jesus of Starcraft.
I kind of think that old BW vets who give Artosis are hard time here and there, don't do it because its just a couple of old friends playing around, but because they are a bit intimidated by the magnitude of his presence and of the sacrifices he as made for their sins.
It is a shame that as a veritable prophet of the game (i.e. mech is the future of terran, 4gate is good, Banelings are good), he doesn't get the vindication he deserves. I think people forget to give thanks to him not because they think he is wrong or out of touch with the meta game, but because his ideas approach such a high level of correctness, that it is hard to believe such words were ever truly spoken.
On December 19 2011 13:55 Xxio wrote: His interview with Bisu remains the greatest act in human history. I will never forget. He is also my favorite caster, along with Chill.
Is there any link to the Bisu interview? I somehow missed it :o
On December 19 2011 14:01 Torpedo.Vegas wrote: Artosis is one of the most hardcore nerds I have ever heard of in the pursuit of his passion.
I really didn't follow BW early on too closely, and I am not going to source this, and things like "truth" or "fact" are irrelevant, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the foreign BW scene was single handedly held up by a massively idolized pillar in the form of Artosis. Its not an exaggeration to call him the Jesus of Starcraft.
I kind of think that old BW vets who give Artosis are hard time here and there, don't do it because its just a couple of old friends playing around, but because they are a bit intimidated by the magnitude of his presence and of the sacrifices he as made for their sins.
It is a shame that as a veritable prophet of the game (i.e. mech is the future of terran, 4gate is good, Banelings are good), he doesn't get the vindication he deserves. I think people forget to give thanks to him not because they think he is wrong or out of touch with the meta game, but because his ideas approach such a high level of correctness, that it is hard to believe such words were ever truly spoken.
In a draft I was working on, I stated that in some ways, Artosis was a symbolism of the foreign community in broodwar.
..I think I had to draw the line somewhere though.
Haha, I remember those ScForALL vods. At the time, I remember thinking how bad they were, now it is really hard to believe he is the same person. All of the mistakes have been cleaned up, and polished so you can see the razor sharp mind that was there all along. The only noticeable thing that past and present have in common is the incredible passion for the game. He was absolutely crazy to go to Korea when he did, and live in those conditions. But it's often said that insanity and genius are two sides of the same thing, and I have to admit he has proved the sane people wrong and become widely successful. Kodos to you Artosis!
On December 19 2011 13:55 Xxio wrote: His interview with Bisu remains the greatest act in human history. I will never forget. He is also my favorite caster, along with Chill.
Is there any link to the Bisu interview? I somehow missed it :o
I was unsuccessful in my endeavors to find it two months ago. It is not on the scforall youtube account so it might be gone forever
On December 19 2011 13:55 Xxio wrote: His interview with Bisu remains the greatest act in human history. I will never forget. He is also my favorite caster, along with Chill.
Is there any link to the Bisu interview? I somehow missed it :o
I was unsuccessful in my endeavors to find it two months ago. It is not on the scforall youtube account so it might be gone forever
Without our Artosis, all our gates would be unpowered =( and if you read this Dan, remember, you said at WCG 2005 youd still be playing starcraft when you were 50, you better believe were gonna hold you to that.
Anyone who makes a choice and sticks with it when they're down to eating seaweed and eggs and having to jump turnstiles to use public transport because they can't afford it has a passion I can only admire.
One of the things I appreciate about Artosis unlike a couple of other big name personalities in the industry, is that everything he does for the community, all of his content, seems to come from his passion for the sport.
Certain others are so obviously about marketing themselves, that it's almost impossible for me to watch their casts without seething.
He just seems so much more genuine than the other casters/personalities who are of equal footing in the community.
On December 19 2011 14:59 Juvant wrote: One of the things I appreciate about Artosis unlike a couple of other big name personalities in the industry, is that everything he does for the community, all of his content, seems to come from his passion for the sport.
Certain others are so obviously about marketing themselves, that it's almost impossible for me to watch their casts without seething.
He just seems so much more genuine than the other casters/personalities who are of equal footing in the community.
Wow really nice tribute to Artosis ;o. He's really enthusiastic about what he does. I hope he's able to work in SC2 one way or another until he retires. It would be a shame otherwise.
Great write-up... coincidentally I just came across his fan-club and the old video from WCG where he had a really disheartening loss to Day9. Really emotional stuff...and then I see this and read it and can't help but feel like Artosis (and Tasteless, and Day9, and even Idra, despite all his negativity) is one of the key reasons SC is so available to foreigners now. Without their link to Korea and their devotion to still bring stuff back to us, where would we be?
I for one am glad I found this community, and I give a huge thanks to Artosis for making it big enough for me to notice. Can't think of my life without it now!
This may or may not be relevant to the content of the OP. But I personally view Artosis as the best caster in SC2, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I've also always thought him to deserve a better (ahem...more "competent") co-caster than Tasteless...
In times when SC2 has still been criticized heavily for its volatility, one "Artosis pylon" stood strong to guide us: it was the "Artosis curse". It has been so reliable that even the most consistent player Clide, a Sage, and the titan-god himself Nestea, could not withstand - we wish them return and "Ascension" in the new year. And to our favorite Artosis we wish happy sniping in 2012! <3
Nice write-up, <3 Artosis. The nitpicker in me wants Artosis not to be labelled as one of the first (SC-related) foreigners in Korea, as he came a few years after the real first-wave (with people like Grrr, Elky, Nazgul & Rekrul). That is all.
I remember watching Ascension when I was just getting into esports and Artosis struck me as a true nerd baller with immense passion for the game. Then I got into Warcraft III and I watched Tastosis' memorable casting of that game at a major tournament. When it was announced that they would cast the GSL I was over the moon. Artosis is the greatest member of the esports community.
Ah artosis, the second best caster in korea Will always be remembered throughout what will hopefully be a long and prosperous journey for SC1 and 2, well done sir and great write up!
On December 19 2011 17:42 Let it Raine wrote: decent writeup
artosis is THE man
i would really like a long, in full detail story of his starcraft life. sort of like daily number 100 from day9.
it could likely inspire people, to be quite honest.
I'd love something like that too, unfortunately Artosis hasn't really spoken much of his early years in Korea. Only tidbits like how he would sleep on a bed at the eSTRO house and Greg would be the one on the ground, and thank god for the gosutrolling interview for atleast some insight onto what he experienced.
On December 19 2011 17:42 Let it Raine wrote: decent writeup
artosis is THE man
i would really like a long, in full detail story of his starcraft life. sort of like daily number 100 from day9.
it could likely inspire people, to be quite honest.
I'd love something like that too, unfortunately Artosis hasn't really spoken much of his early years in Korea. Only tidbits like how he would sleep on a bed at the eSTRO house and Greg would be the one on the ground, and thank god for the gosutrolling interview for atleast some insight onto what he experienced.
It needs to be narrated by Morgan Freeman or Liam Neeson. Lots of black and white photographs, and dramatizations/re-enactments of key aspects of his past.
i love artosis for the extra gear he has when games go to an epic stage like mma vs drg g7 or nestea vs sc on crossfire. When he gets emotional and goes for the play-by-play he just gets me.
On December 19 2011 19:50 Cosmos wrote: What I don't like about Artosis, is that because of him I just can't listen to most casters without being extremely annoyed :s
Well everything has its downside ^_~
Thank you Artosis, for the all effort and dedication!
The best ambassador for E-sports there is IMO, because his passion for StarCraft is electric and contagious.
Watching the GSL made me obsessed with the game to a level I may never have reached otherwise, and the commentary of him and Tasteless is a big part of that.
I really enjoy artosis. He cares alot about the community and is always pushing E-Sports forward. Hes a very dynamic caster that provides a level of insight into the game that is missing from most other casters.
Love him like a brother even though I never met him. I think he could hack my bank account and make my (non-existent) gf pregnant while stabbing my mom and I'd still want to go out and drink a beer with him.
On December 19 2011 13:47 Cedstick wrote: Wow, 2008! That's REALLY long ago. Unless some forum lurker speaks up, I can't think of anyone anywhere close to 2008 that travelled to Korea for eSports reasons.
Unsure if troll or not ... obviously there were many foreigners that went to Korea "for eSports reasons" before artosis, i'd even say WAY before
Great writeup, you forgot to add that he's going to be a Father!
Anyone with the balls to do what he did, going to a foreign country like that, deserves what he has now. He's a pioneer in one of the fastest growing industries in the World and as recent "controversial" posts have revealed he earns a lot of money for what he does. Personally I think he earns every penny/cent/won/euro and still deserves more. He and Nick are my favourite casters to listen to and the guys passion is a beautiful thing to see.
Artosis is part of a small group of people in this community that I have a kind of admiration that I've not really experienced before; when I see Artosis or Tasteless or Day[9] (to name a couple of other examples) on my screen, their charisma and enthusiasm just leaks out. Put simply, it makes me happy to watch them.
Artosis is a champion among men, may he cast for a thousand years.
Artosis is more than a pillar of the community. He is practically an agent for change that is driving the community forward. It is purely because of him that Terran Players in Korea are starting to go Mech in TvT.
Artosis gets a lot of insult for over-hyping players, but without him this community would be no where near anywhere it is now. He has brought so many players in both sc1 and sc2 to Korea and he should be applauded for everything he has done.
On December 19 2011 22:20 The KY wrote: Artosis is part of a small group of people in this community that I have a kind of admiration that I've not really experienced before; when I see Artosis or Tasteless or Day[9] (to name a couple of other examples) on my screen, their charisma and enthusiasm just leaks out. Put simply, it makes me happy to watch them.
Artosis is a champion among men, may he cast for a thousand years.
I admire Artosis more than the other 2 simply because his passion for sc1 and sc2 are so huge. Like in sc1 he would sleep on floors and stuff just to stay in Korea. Guy is one of a kind.
On December 19 2011 19:50 Cosmos wrote: What I don't like about Artosis, is that because of him I just can't listen to most casters without being extremely annoyed :s
haha, this goes for me as well. Also, among all other things, I'm specially happy that he took care of my other hero Ret when he was in Korea.
2.999 Artosis, the forward pylon in Korea, allowing so many warp-in last few years.
I'm missing Incontrol's description of Artosis from a SOTG (hilerious stuff)
Honestly, I think Artosis is top 3 of all the English speaking casters, however I always thought it was Taseless who first went to Korea to commentate and Artosis followed.
A lot of people here say he was the first. What is the truth?
On December 19 2011 23:01 rEalGuapo wrote: I'm missing Incontrol's description of Artosis from a SOTG (hilerious stuff)
Honestly, I think Artosis is top 3 of all the English speaking casters, however I always thought it was Taseless who first went to Korea to commentate and Artosis followed.
A lot of people here say he was the first. What is the truth?
Artosis was in Korea first (because Tasteless wasnt in korea before GOM right?), but Tasteless was commentating for GOM first. Still remember poor tasteless, the storm observer, that was so happy to finally not have to talk 100% by himself when artosis joined.
As the chance is higher youll read this thread then if i direct message you or something: we're a group of ppl from germany who got into starcraft 2 as it was released, and since the first month of GSL SC2 we literally bought every! season ticket. We know your history with starcraft is way longer than ours, but you have become some kind of part of our daily life, and you dont fail to amaze me with how much passion you do your job - WE LOVE IT. GSL ceremonys are already amazing, but when we see nick and you casting and after all this time youre still feeling the love for this game and the love for what you do, it is just something different - we know this isnt just any game we play since a year now - its just way more than that The last few GSL finals really brought tears to my eyes at some points it was just so awesome ( but nvm im kind of a crybaby ) I just hope you sometime read this and feel good about making US feel good for a year now! PLEASE NEVER STOP CASTING xD or doing what you love i guess Greetz from Germany
Just going to repost again on this thread to reaffirm my deep appreciation of Artosis. Starcraft 2 would not be the same without him. His commentary is unparalleled (think of : Nestea vs SC), and his passion for the game is limitless and has been running for a long time :
This video is a must to understand what is Starcraft to Artosis :
Artosis is my favourite caster in Starcraft, His casting is amazing along with his passion for the game. His knowlage of the players is second to none. Great article
I loved Artosis since he become involved with Korea, casting and helping with tournament sending more players Korea, I can not recall the name of Korean commentator casting in English. SC would be half of the size without this man and nothing without him and Plotts. In couple of years he will become Boxer of foreign scene!
Artosis is definitely one of the best casters. A fantastic combination of both high level analysis and great passion, the starcraft community would simply not be what it is without him.
Artosis deserves all the recognition and love he can get. His passion is endless and his top tier casting wins over new fans to the community at every event he attends. To read about all the things he have endured and done for the community is an eye opener. After hearing the crew on inside the game, I think it was, complaining about Artosis and Tasteless earning more money then the players at some major tournaments I can only say that I think they deserve it and much more. Without professional commentators like this to hype and present the game like they do, it would never ever become the esport it is today and what it may become in the future. It's no suprise that Artosis and Tasteless attends almost every major tournament there is and gets the most important matches, they are simply the best. I can't wait for the documentary next year, it's going to be awesome.
Easily my favorite caster, he is one of the members of the community I can truly respect. In fact, I only watched the GSL for a long time because Artosis and Tasteless were so good. He might get overly-excited about certain players sometimes, and might not always be perfect in his predictions (no one is), but he knows his stuff. When Artosis is casting, he DOES give deeper insight into the game than almost any other caster outside of day[9]. Here's to hoping Dan's e-sports career continues to prosper!
Haters gonna hate almost any prominent figure in the community. However for me Artosis is quite literally the most inspirational person, gaming wise, to myself. His passion, his living of the game, it seems to me (a distant observer who knows nothing ) to surpass that of any of the pros. He is a wonderful human being, and I hope one day I can ever get the chance to meet with him. I'd be in love ♥
On December 20 2011 04:59 IMABUNNEH wrote: Haters gonna hate almost any prominent figure in the community. However for me Artosis is quite literally the most inspirational person, gaming wise, to myself. His passion, his living of the game, it seems to me (a distant observer who knows nothing ) to surpass that of any of the pros. He is a wonderful human being, and I hope one day I can ever get the chance to meet with him. I'd be in love ♥
This sums up exactly how I feel. His passion is unrivaled and incredibly inspiring.
Artosis wins my person of the year for esports every year. There is no one more passionate and appreciative of the game than this guy...well except maybe me. Anytime this guy is casting something I'm listening.
Didn't bother to read if the joke was already done, and it probably was, but I'd say that more than a pillar of the community, he's our Pylon, powering us all with nerdchills and awesomeness.
Favourite caster and his commentary of Blizzard Cup was awesome. I purchased my Annual GSL ticket on the back of it. You deserve all the praise nerd baller!
Love this guy. I wish the article mentioned his incoming baby though. I think that's a really important part of his life and how our community is mature.
I love Artosis. He is so passionate. I mean he went to Korea with absolutely nothing but a true love for SC and e-sports and created what he is now and has been a huge factor in the growth. I hope that (Sons of Starcraft) documentary covers a lot of what Artosis had to go through to be where he is today... its really inspiring, not only for gamers but anyone else that wants to achieve whatever they want in life.
This should definitely be spotlighted! Seriously, all those amazing videos Artosis put time into interviewing the Korean gamer houses at the start of SC2. That is just one facet of what Artosis does for the community, a small facet. He deserves some <3. Congrats on being Fathertosis!
Great, great recap of Artosis's SC/SC2 career. And thanks for making it open and honest, and for being well informed! Thanks Artosis, also, for your awesome commentary and personality. Good luck with the baby too!
His contributions are definitely undeniable. And in his streaming session last night he said he was strongly considering trying at the code A qualifiers for next season! I'm not sure how the hell he's going to find time for that but it would obviously be cool as hell if he made it.
On December 20 2011 08:08 Fleebenworth wrote: I love artosis but I think most people can agree that he is pretty arbitrary and dogmatic in a lot of his opinions.
Man, good thing you showed up. I was worried that a thread made to support someone would, you know, support.
On December 20 2011 02:36 theatreofwar wrote: Is that Huk in the background of that last image making peace signs?
Lovely post. Artosis <3
I'm pretty sure it is. In the video of the classic White-Ra vs. MC from the series, as White-Ra comes back to high-fives, that's where Huk is indeed sitting.
Artosis always calls nerds sick nerd ballers. But I know in my heart he's the only one. It takes a certain type of person to be that passionate about StarCraft and it's community. And on top of that he's the best English color commentator SC has ever seen. Artosis, you are the tallest, handsomest, and most goddamn awesome person I know - and I don't even know you.
i also prefer green apples and use the floss action brush heads on my electric tooth brush
i feel like he is wrong and PB+J though, they key is to use a light amount of jelly so it doesn't overpower the peanut butter, whoever made his sandwiches as a kid probably used too much jelly
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/xfMNg.jpg)
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And to our favorite Artosis we wish happy sniping in 2012! <3
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