Oy oy… I’d better keep this short and sweet. Dawn broke three hours ago and all I want to do is makeout with my pillows!

The second volume of Popgun, a comic anthology put out by Image Comics, is debuting at San Diego Comic Convention this week and I’m extremely proud to say that I’ll have a 12-page story in it (title page shown above)! This is my first comic published, and it’s being published by Image, whose books I grew up with… I think I still have my Spawn #1 bagged up nicely somewhere, with the slight crease where my cat Rascal (R.I.P.) stepped on it. So needless to say, I’m pretty excited. Not only that, but my best bud Anthony is also in the book! YAY! We’re STOKED!

I haven’t seen a hard copy yet, but there is some serious talent in there… I’ll let you check out the website and see for yourself. It’s a great mix of steely-eyed vets (like Paul Pope and Erik Larson) to fresh-faced “rising stars” (like Corey Lewis and Ming Doyle) to total greenhorn newbies (like me and Tone). I think you’ll really dig it.

My own story (”The Lifecycle of the Mysterious Manjuu”) is a strange one - I wanted to stretch my brain a bit for this book. Ended up experimenting with a style that mixed my linework with my digital painting. In the end, I think it turned out pretty well. It’s about an odd little creature that lives in the swamp. It’s kind of sad. Okay, it’s really pretty sad…

If you’re at SDCC check out the Image booth! I’ll try to sign some books when I make it down on Sunday. Maybe I’ll bump into you!

But for now, it’s makeout timezzzZZZzzz…

Here’s the second piece I did for the World of Wonder gallery (oil on canvas)! I brought my moms to the opening and we had a good time. Then we saw Wall-E. I got misty.

I may be wrong, but I didn’t see any obese Asians on the space ship? Maybe they preferred to die out rather than drink smoothies all day…

And hey, if you’re so inclined, check out The Indie Game Database! It’s me and my buddy Jeff’s pet project. Like IMDb for independent games. Humble beginnings, but now that there are nearly 400 games, and lots of browsing options and features, including user reviews, it’s pretty much the bee’s double-jointed knees. We’re having an absolutely silly time working on it, and we hope you enjoy it!

I looked at Gundams for reference. Drawn for this thread on The Independent Gaming Forums.

Also, I finally fixed the Pixel Tutorial for the new site template and added a link to it. A lot of people have sent me pixel art they’ve made after reading the tutorial and I’d like to showcase some of them on the first page. Really cool stuff! I’m glad it’s somewhat useful.

Every day, the fact that I get to draw and develop games makes me feel very fortunate, and very happy. Some days I’m just floored by it. Paralyzed with giddiness. Lucky Charms spinal tap. Larry Bird’s moustache. Seriously. Aquaria cosplay.

This young woman’s fiancee was given Aquaria as a Christmas gift, and I guess they both liked it so much that she wanted to make a Naija costume for this year’s Anime Expo! Gad, she really got it spot on… hair, ears, green skin, armor, feet. Not to mention the song circle around her! THAT IS ATD (attention to detail). Her fiancee also made an Aquaria “crate” prop that had an iPod and speakers playing Aquaria music, too. Apparently the costume was really popular!

Definitely check out all the photos - they’re great. And take a look at her Midna (Zelda: Twilight Princess) costume from the year before. Amazing. Thank you both so much!

Here’s something else that’s cool: “tjp7154″ finished his “Fun Run” of Eternal Daughter on YouTube. Not only did he play through the entire game, but he did it in 33 minutes and exploited glitches in the game I hadn’t even realized existed. He mastered the damn thing. Even I haven’t mastered it.

So yeah, a few points I’d like to make about these videos:

1. Watching these videos, I feel like I’m seeing a side of the game I never saw before.

I’m reminded that the interactive nature of video games implies active participation from both the creator and the audience and how unique that is. The “art” here is inert and/or non-existent without both parties actively participating. In my opinion, it’s really the only medium where both the creator and audience are collaborators. I find that to be utterly fascinating.

2. When I was watching the ending of the game, I actually got pretty emotional. I know, what a sap. What can I say, I’m attached to my characters. Especially the female ones.

Heh.

3. See? It is possible to beat Eternal Daughter! …okay, yeah, it’s hard. But it’s possible.

In conclusion…

I again reference the quote from Mr. Vonnegut on my “Artwork” page… “Practicing an art, no matter how badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake.” I use it slightly out of context, maybe. But it’s still quite clear. Me and Kurt Vonnegut (apologies) would like to say: today, tonight, tomorrow… whatever. Be creative now and again. Develop an idea. You know, don’t just transpire… transmute and transform. Make something out of nothing instead of watching something about nothing. Don’t make your bed, though. Cleanliness is only next to godliness, after all. God is a CREATOR, man.

And for God’s sake, play video games. If you’re already playing them, make them. Give respect to them. Catch up already.

Shit.

(Thanks for listening. I’m going to bed now!)

I’ve got a couple of pieces going up at World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Los Angeles. The show’s going from July 11th to August 8th. It’s right on Hollywood Blvd., so you can’t miss it! Here’s the flyer.

I’ll post the second one soonish!

I’m going on a sketch rampage. I want to see some serious improvement in myself by next year! Yearrrhhh…

This one turned out reasonably okay, but I labored over it. The hardest part were his arms and his gun… originally I had the stock of the gun sticking out the right side of his arm and it looked really awkward. I really need to do some studies of people holding weapons!

A couple of things I did really helped me out near the end. One was drawing the Joker’s body the way he should look under his clothes. That’s an easy way to tell that you’ve inadvertently made someone a mutant with the forearm of a Silverback gorilla… and I do mean the bad kind (of mutant). The other thing I did was I flipped the picture horizontally and vertically. If something’s wrong, your work will look like complete crap when you flip it. Really!

I have to remember to use these tricks more often! But at least I can safely say that I’m pretty decent at drawing bloodied lips and exposed gums. I like the way I rendered his Joker hair, too. ^___^;

By the way, the Batman game for the NES was great, as evidenced by this flippin’ amazing animation of the Batmobile:

]]> http://www.derekyu.com/?feed=rss2&p=213 http://www.derekyu.com/?p=212 http://www.derekyu.com/?p=212#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:16:23 +0000 Derek http://www.derekyu.com/?p=212

I drew a Qilin a while back. It’s a mythical Chinese creature that brings prosperity and punishes wicked people. It can on water and also walk on grass without trampling it. I’d love to have one of these for a pet/bestest friend!

Also, by popular request, I’ve rebuilt the world famous Pix Fu forums. About a year ago, the Red Army (of Spambots) invaded us and forced me to close off registration, leaving a contingent of sexy and stalwart Pix Fu-ers trapped inside. But now we’re running new forum software with mounted anti-spam turrets at every wall. BANG BANG BANG. The gates are open once again! Feel free to come and shoot the shiznit with other like-minded intellectual-nerd types about art and music and games and stuff.

Finally, is anybody else out there playing Shiren the Wanderer? I got it last week for the DS and it’s really well done. Highly recommended. I even did some quick fanart for it:

This game is so nifty. And when I say “nifty” I’m mean a most potent form of niftiness. That’s better than a medium-level “amazing.”

Wow, I haven’t had this much fun painting in a while! I want to start a new one immediately, but it’s time for bed. Rawr! Monsters. <3

Have you Achewood fans seen this? I wish it was playing on a constant loop in my brain 24/7.