“I tested their import tools and made the tutorials that were supplied with it,” he said. As far as 3D work goes, he was able to help out Volition with their Weapon Modding tools, released in August of 2014. Joe currently runs his own game development company Impromptu Games, and Matthew Pierson currently Netherrealms in Chicago - thanks, you two! - From then on, I kept learning until I felt confident enough to start uploading to the TF2 workshop.”Īside from that and TF2, Rausch has been working on visual arts, one way or another, since grace school. He was extremely kind, and basically tutored me on modeling when I was new to it. “The lead developer, Joe Wintergreen, put me in contact with the modeler for Shotgun Sunrise, Matthew Pierson. I didn't contribute a lot to the mod besides a logo, but I kept in contact with the developers.” “Eventually, one of the Penny Arcade members started development on a community-created mod for Half-Life 2 called Shotgun Sunrise. I made connections with lots of people that played on their private server.” I played religiously pre-economy with folks from the Penny Arcade forums. “I had been playing TF2 since launch, initially on the version of The Orange Box until a year later, I built a new PC that could run Team Fortress 2. Since then, I've been a huge fan of Valve Software's output.” “It really started with Half-Life,” said Rausch, “which made quite an effect on my then-9 year-old mind. Now? It’s his goal to continue his 3D art career and work in the industry full-time. The majority of his work has revolved around TF2 items, but, he’s also been known to have worked on content for Saints Row IV.

Currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, at the “ripe, old” age of 22 is freelance graphic designer Tom Rausch.

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