Behind the Scenes Heroes of DCUO

Who are the behind-the-scenes heroes of DC Universe Online? Today we'll begin the first installment of an ongoing series to introduce them to you. How great of a responsibility is shaping the back drop of two of the greatest cities in the DC Universe, Metropolis and Gotham City not to mention countless other areas? Meet Katie Houston who tackles that challenge every single day and helped shape the world we all know and love!

What is your name and what do you do for DCUO?
Katie Houston and I'm the Environment Art Lead. I lead a group of artists creating all the backgrounds for the game.

What is something you've worked on in the game that you are particularly proud of?
The sheer expanse of the open cities we were able to create, and the distinctive look of both Metropolis and Gotham.  I was very geeked out to work on Metropolis. I also love the art deco skyscraper style. It was really fun combining that with Jim Lee's art to create the buildings, especially some of the crazier shapes in Tomorrow District.

Who is your favorite hero or villain in the game and why?
I like The Joker because of his unpredictability – a great combination of fear and humor that is always on edge. You don't know what "weapon" he will come out with next.  He is my favorite for "Play as Iconic PVP" as well.

What inspires you in your work?
I work with a team of extremely talented and hard working artists that inspire and challenge me to be better every day.

What was your most awesome moment in game?
I had worked in console games for a long time, but this is my first MMO.  Jumping into the game on launch day and seeing all the players zooming around the cities and headquarters we built was awesome to me.   And not so awesome, but the first time I got killed on the PVP server (trying to "help out" another hero I thought) I actually laughed out loud. Loved it. Our world had come alive.

Can you describe your game character to us?
She is a sort of steampunk tech-angel hero named after a  street in my hometown Chicago.  I had fun in character create and cant wait to layer on more gear as I play!