Is there anything special about the way Steve is drawn?
RONAT: I used a technique called “boiling lines” where you redraw the same frame several times to create a shaky, lively effect. It’s time-consuming, but it makes the result feel more organic and alive.
What has the reaction been like online?
ENAME: I didn’t expect it to go viral, but in France, just a few hours after posting, the video already had over 200,000 views. That’s when we realized something was happening. People were already adopting it, but we never imagined it would cross borders.
RONAT: I actually expected it to do well, because I was proud of the animation and found Tomo’s song super catchy. But I had very few followers, so hitting even 100,000 views would’ve already been a huge success for me. I was completely blown away by the response, tons of messages, people wanting to get Steve tattoos. Everyone loved him.
Why do you think that is? What about Steve makes him so lovable?
ENAME: I think it’s his blank expression and big eyes — he’s just so cute. But most of all, I think it’s the perfect combo of simple character design and simple music. Both are super accessible and easy for people to reinterpret in their own way.
Lots of people have made their own Steve-inspired creations. Do you have any favorites?
ENAME: Steve cosplay, 3-D Steve, Bossa Nova Steve, wooden Steve, Erik Satie-inspired Steve and this Steve dance.
What’s next?
RONAT: I’ve gained 90,000 followers so far, and I’m a bit nervous to post again. What if people expect only Steve content now? I also don’t want to overdo it and become annoying, so we’ll have to get creative moving forward.
ENAME: I didn’t expect it to bring so much attention to my profile. Now the challenge is to see if I can keep that audience and maybe get hired or if I’ll just be “Le poisson Steve guy” forever.
