In 2002 at the UO Fan Faire in Austin, I noticed that people were intrigued by me, but they acted just like I was one of them. The Internet eliminates how you look in real life, so you get to know a person by their mind and personality.

Online you get to know the person behind the keyboard before you know the physical person. 'In the real world, people can be uncomfortable around me before they get to know me and realise that, apart from my outer appearance, I'm just like them. It's not like the real world, where things are set for you.' You create your own avatar - it's not already chosen for you. Where you start determines where you end up. What matters the most is how much money you have, which schools you went to, and who your parents are. 'In the real world, you have to conform to the expectations of your parents, teachers, and peers. We're here to have fun rather than fight for justice in that American style. The team is a provocative supergroup - with a few comedians. Now, a year and a half later, Zero Cold has left JC and is in a new group, Team Xtreme. Zero Cold was their mentor, their friend, and their father-figure. My character, Zero Cold, was the leader of a group called Justice Corp, or JC, proudly fighting for justice in the world. Family is very important in my life, and my wife and I play City Of Heroes together.

'I am married to a beautiful girl and the father of two sons. Very funny, but also culturally revealing. The blurbs that accompany them are well worth reading. He spent the next three years travelling the world, and photographing avid male and female users of online simulations and role-playing games alongside their polygon-and-pixel gamer identities. His 2003-2007 project ' Alter Ego' was inspired by a photo shoot with a corporate CEO who revealed that he used Everquest to meet his children every evening without attracting the ire of his estranged wife. His work focuses on the similarities and differences between how people present themselves in reality, and their online personas. Robbie Cooper (b.1969) is a British artist working in photography, video, and explorable 3D.

Alter ego voice banks