IF: "Ghost" Series #4
Yeah, it's an old one, but I still like it. I really didn't want to post any of my older artwork for this series, however I'm just too busy today to come up with anything new. Plus, it might be new for some people.
I originally did this illustration for a German based video game company called 'Mac-Yun-Soft' (at that time – they are now 'Zhang Games') for a sequel to one of their games, 'The Big Quest'. This was going to be one of three bosses that you would face at some point.
I illustrated all three bosses, plus their room backgrounds and various texture sets. Then I fell out of contact with the developer, partly because they kept wanting more and more without offering me anything tangible for my work, and partly because I was far too busy to continue with it.
The last time I emailed them, a few months ago, I was told that the game's still "in production".
They are currently using one of the backgrounds that I did on the page for the original game. You can see it here. My illustration is the one at the bottom of that page, but it's also being used as the game image on the main page. I was assured that, in spite of this, the game being sold is a slightly modified version of the original and not the game I'd been working on.
So, as much as I would love to break into the gaming industry, either video or traditional, I've certainly learned my lesson on offering up my art for nothing more than "future shared royalties" and without a contract of some sort. I don't mind doing work for free as long as we all know going in that's what it's going to be. For example the cherry pie illustration I did for Looney Lab's upcoming game.
As for Ghost #5, we are supposed to be hit by a blizzard tonight so there's no telling if it'll be done before Friday or not. We'll see.
1: 
... 2: 
... 3: 
IF: "Ghost" Series #3
This is a ghost that almost didn't happen. I'm feeling a bit under the weather today and I had no idea what I wanted to do for the third ghost – which isn't a good sign as I still have two more to do – so I started doodling. Then, when I had something I kind of liked I refined it a bit. I'm still, once again, not entirely happy with it. But really; when am I?
Have a great day all.
1 of 5: ... 2 of 5:
IF: "Ghost" Series #2
Here's the ghost of the day. I'm still not completely satisfied with it, however if I'm going to stick with the idea of getting a new ghost up each day until Friday, I just can't keep dinking around with them.
Now, although this might look like a few of the characters from a hugely popular Namco video game by the name of Pac-something-or-other, for all intents and lawsuit purposes it isn't. See, in "reality" these two ghosts went to a party and the one on the right ate damn near all of the cheesecake and marshmallows, and now he's pink with embarrassment. Ignore the 'x's on the cheesecake. My stylus slipped.
See you tomorrow.
UPDATE: Too much looking has lead to a slight modification (still not sure I like it), and a new version of Ghost #2.
IF: "Ghost" Series #1
Like the title says, I plan on posting a series of five ghosts for this week's Illustration Friday theme. I'll also be placing them all in this post and then submitting the whole thing next Thursday, so be sure to refresh. I changed my mind about that. Instead I'll do a new post for each one and just link back to the earlier posts.
The first ghost is a whale ghost. Why? Because the first ghosty sketch I did looked a bit like a whale, so I went with it. So it goes.
Have a great weekend everyone. I should have the next ghost up sometime on Monday.
Game Art
Andy Looney – of Looney Labs, makers of many fine games including one of my all time favorites "Fluxx" – put out a call-to-artists back in June for a new game they are developing called "Just Desserts". I tossed my tablet into the ring and offered to illustrate either 'Cherry Pie' or 'Gingerbread' andincluded a link to my Style Portfolio Flickr set.
He wrote back telling me I could do the 'Cherry Pie' which was kind of a shame because I really wanted 'Gingerbread'. Oh well.
This took place on July 29th. I then got involved with buying a house and totally forgot about it until I'd finished moving.
Oops.
I went back to the site recently to see if he'd replaced me, but he hadn't, so I finished it up the other day and sent it off to Andy today.
Anyhow. Here's my cherry pie:
Hooked On Banking Scam Spam Vol. 2-Can’t Stop the Spam!..
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From: don_newport@ivenus.com
Subject: GOOD DAY.
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 2006 10:40:11 +0100 (BST)
---
STANDARD BANK LONDON Pretty official so far...
5TH FLOOR CANNON BRIDGE HOUSE ooh, doesn't THAT sound regal?
25 DOWGATE HILL (Swinging) LONDON
EC4R 2SB UNITED KINDOM. Aaaand...Crap. "Kindom?" What the fuck is a kindom? This guy must have next of kin on his dirty Nigerian brain...Anyhow, let's begin:
GOOD DAY TO YOU, And a fine day to you, but please, don't shout so.
MY NAME IS MR. DON NEWPORT, Hi there, Donny! WORKING WITH THE MINING FINANCE DEPT. WITH STANDARD BANK LONDON. Conveniently located in the United KINdom. Seven locations in the Swinging London Metro Area to Serve all of your fraudulent banking needs!
WE HAD A FOREIGN CUSTOMER go figure WHO DEPOSITED A HUGE SUM OF MONEY no WAY WITH OUR BANK, WHO LATER DIED you don't say AS A RESULT OF PLANE CRASH hey, these guys only have the one plane, too! IN 1999. BEFORE HIS DEATH at the hands...er...landing gear of that vile plane, HE TRANSFERED THE SUM OF US$26.5M did you say "US?" (TWENTY-SIX MILLION FIVE HUNDREDTHOUSAND UNITED SATES DOLLARS OH! OH! My prayers, they have been answered! No more will I have to handle Hella big stacks of British pound monies! It's finally time for the real folding monies! AMERICAN DOLLARS! Oh hot shit, when can we get started?) TO A BANK IN AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND. just a guess: he was planning on spending it on dope, hookers and pomme frites (with mayonnaise), not necessarily in that order (and not necessarily just on the pomme frites)
SINCE THE DEATH OF THIS CUSTOMER Lousy foreigner that he was, I PERSONALLY HAVE WATCHED WITH KEEN INTEREST See, I had him in my "ghoul pool" TO SEE THE NEXT OF KIN had them too BUT ALL HAS PROVED ABORTIVE AS NO ONE HAS COME TO CLAIM HIS FUNDS OF ohh, tell it slow US oh yeah $26.5M OH yeah (TWENTY-SIX MILLION YES! FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND YES! YES! UNITED STATES DOLLARS Oh sweet JESUS! YES! yes! um...oh...sorry...go on.) WHICH HAS BEEN WITH THE BANK IN HOLLAND dope, hookers, slathered in mayonnaise FOR A VERY LONG TIME since 1999, even!. ON THIS NOTE I DECIDED TO SEEK FOR WHOSE NAME SHALL BE USED AS THE NEXT OF KIN AS NO ONE HAS COME UP TO BE THE NEXT OF KIN because there HAS to be a next of kin! This is the united KINdom, for Christ's sake! What kind of empire would we be here if we didn't have A NEXT OF KIN!? Seriusly, I'm asking....
IN VIEW OF THIS I GOT YOUR CONTACT THROUGH MY COUNTRY'S FOREIGN TRADE MISSION 'cause, you know, you do so much trading with us foreginers AFTER I WAS CONVINCED BY PROVIDENCE she works in shipping and receiving, we go out for drinks from time to time THAT YOU COULD BE USED and by "used," of course we mean "bludgeoned to death for your monies" AS THE NEXT OF KIN. In fact, you, currently, are in a state of "Next of KINdom!" Ha ha! Get it? A little scammer humor! Ha ha...Why aren't you laughing, dammit?
THE REQUEST OF THE FOREIGNER AS A NEXT OF KIN IN THIS BUSINESS IS OCCASIONED BY THE FACT THAT THE CUSTOMER WAS A FOREIGNER and you all look alike, so... AND YOU SHARE THE SAME SURNAME your surname, for the purposes of this transaction, is Pfaltergrast. Seriously, you better learn to spell it, there'll be "documents" for you to sign, AND SOMEBODY IN LONDON CANNOT STAND AS THE NEXT OF KIN 'cause, DUH, we ain't foreigners! TO OUR LATE CUSTOMER plane fall down, go boom. I AGREED THAT US$5 MILLION wait, what? OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR YOU AS A FOREIGN PARTNER well, thanks...but... FOR PROVIDING AN ACCOUNT sure, I can do that, but..., WHILE THE REST WILL BE FOR ME you greedy ASSHOLE! THEM'S AMERICAN DOLLARS AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR ME! You dirty...AAAAAAHHHHHH! Dammit!, THEREAFTER, I WILL VISIT YOUR COUNTRY FOR DISBURSEMENT oh, you'll get your "disbursement," pal! You'll get disbursed right upside your foreign head...Measly 5 million, you asshole... AS I AM ALMOST DUE FOR RETIREMENT and you'll retire, by God...I'll see to it PERSONALLY.
I WILL NOT FAIL TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT THIS BUSINESS IS HITCH-FREE Oh, well that makes all the difference then! You go ahead, take $21.5 million American folding dollars for you whilst I get $5 million. Without hitches, I feel so much better! AND THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTERTAIN ANY FEAR you should HAVE fear. Don't get me wrong, you should be as fearful as ever: just do not entertain that fear. No singing, no dancing, no jokes and FOR GOD'S SAKE, no fucking Vaudeville acts...I hate it when fear is entertained AS THE WHOLE REQUIRED ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE bludegeoning...er...TRANSFER. YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU RECEIVE THIS EMAIL OR CALL ME ON MY NUMBER +44 704 0128295. I'm putting you in my address book right now, dirty scammer!
TRUSTING TO HEAR FROM YOU. Keep on trusting, pal...
YOURS RESPECTFULLY, Mine? Cool! It's like the first Valentine I've received in YEARS!
MR. DON NEWPORT Foreign scammer extraordinaire
+44 704 012 8295
NB: SEND ALL REPLY TO:
(don_newport@yahoo.co.uk)
Am I a sociopath?
In this boing boing post Cory Doctorow writes:
"Content isn't king. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd choose your friends -- if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath."
Now, that's not the point of the post. It's basically an addendum wrapped around an opinion. However it really got me thinking about the scenario that he presents. He didn't provide many details, so I'm going to flesh it out a bit based on "I sent you to a desert island". Also, keep in mind, Cory Doctorow is a published author who is paid to write and think, and I'm not.*
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So, I've been approached by a guy who tells me that I'm going to be sent to a desert island forthwith and I can either choose to take my friends with me, or my movies. This will be a one-way trip. There are secure structures on the island with electricity and water, and there will be a once-a-month food drop, although at times foraging may be necessary. They might also forget about me after a few years and I'll have to be prepared to go full-on Robinson Crusoe. What's my choice?
Here is what I'm thinking:
- I have over 600 movies and TV shows on DVD, many of which I've seen only once and some I haven't found the time to watch at all – mainly the TV shows – and a fair number of VHS tapes as well.
- There are around 20 people, including close family, that I would consider "friends".
- At a guess, I could live another 15-20 years tops on a desert island if nothing goes wrong and I'm lucky.
- Do my friends have any say in the matter? Or do large men in black coats load them in a cargo van at gunpoint, bundle them onto the plane/ship/whatever and off we go? Let's assume they have no say, lucky little pumpkins.
- Do they know that I'm the reason their lives have been disrupted?
- Assuming they don't, can I live the rest of my life on that island with those 20 people and the knowledge that it's my fault we are all in this situation?
- And if they do, how long will it be before they exact their revenge? Can I spend the rest of my life sleeping with one eye open?
- Or can I count on my friends being forgiving and understanding?
- Do my friends have the skills and knowledge to build a boat or a raft so that we can get off the island and back to civilization?
- If they did, and they blamed me for being there – since it IS kinda my fault and all – would they leave me on the island, friendless and movie-less, laughing the laugh of the avenged as they paddled for freedom?
- Can my friends bring movies?
That all said, my ideal answer is that I would bring my friends AND my movies: "Yeah, I know, this is my fault and you all hate me, but look! I have three seasons of 'CSI', three seasons of 'Monk', two seasons of '24', the full set of 'The Prisoner' (huh? huh?) one season of 'Lost' (c'mon now, that's funny!) and a ton more! I have comedy, drama, horror AND I even managed to toss in some last minute "survivalist" DVDs before they were able to finish packing! It's movie time! ...please don't hate me."
But, if I had to choose one or the other, I'm afraid I would have to choose the movies simply because they won't blame me for being there.
Does that really make me a sociopath?
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Sociopath
so‧ci‧o‧path
–noun
A person, as a psychopathic personality, whose behavior is antisocial and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience.
One who is affected with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior.
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* If you're ever told, "I'm not paying you to think!" believe it or not, the best response isn't, "Consider it a perk." That just gets you labeled "not a team player" and "smart ass" if not outright fired.
Illustration Friday: "Trouble"
This is another one of those "I didn't wind up where I thought I would" illustrations. I'd planned a looming guy, but there was originally going to be a knife and an unsuspecting victim to be loomed over as well. And then when I'd finished, it didn't. All-in-all I like it, although it might have been interesting the other way too. Perhaps I'll do a second version at some point.
Two posts in two days! Could this be a comeback?!
Tune in tomorrow to find out!
(although the Magic 8-Ball says "not likely".)
