Naming Conventions

I started a collection of random titles to be used as inspiration for new illustrations. The idea is to draw or paint my personal interpretation of the names that strike a chord with me. Anybody want to donate some?

The one I started my list with is "You and I and Months of Snow."

You Make My Heart Sing

When I was a little kid, my only encounter with Where the Wild Things Are was a poster on my dentist's waiting room wall, the one where Max and the monsters are hanging down from the trees. It scared the hell out of me then.

Fast forward to 2009, where I spot the Where the Wild Things Are movie trailer. I was totally captivated by the art direction, and after re-watching it for what felt like a hundred times, I decided to order the book off Amazon. It's an enchanting little story. In hindsight I don't quite understand why the wild things creeped me out so much as a boy; Maurice Sendak's illustrations make them look like friendly fellows after all. I wish I hadn't discovered the story so late in my life.


This picture is part of Cory Godbey's Where the Wild Things Are tribute collection, Terrible Yellow Eyes. Be sure to visit his site for heaps of wonderful illustrations by all kinds of talented artists!

Tweet, Tweet!

I caved in and decided to find out for myself what the Twitter sensation is all about. For those of you who don't mind being spammed with trivialities and other unnecessary messages, feel free to follow my tweets!

Ganbatte!

I've been neglecting my blog, mainly for the lack of personal artwork I have completed over the past months. But that's going to change! You will be seeing updates here a lot more frequently, and not just of the doodle department.

Speaking of updates, my good friend Clay is producing a revised edition of his OVA Role-Playing Game; expanded rules, extra content, all-new artwork! If you're a fan of the system or just curious about RPGs with an anime flavor, make sure to follow his production blog. He'll be regularly posting snippets of the new book, including new illustrations of mine that you won't be seeing anywhere else.

Books

The love of my life ever since I was old enough to read. There's nothing better than a nice book on a rainy day.

Dragon Quest V

I felt inspired to doodle a little Dragon Quest V illustration after I finished the game yesterday. The hero's son looks like he is about to go postal. I do not want to be in the shoes of whoever made his sister cry...

Out There

Meet Nicholas Nova and his newfound alien buddy, Meep. And the shrimp is only the start of his problems.

Doodles

Random scribbles! There's no real story to any of these, except the little guy in pajamas. We may be seeing more of him in the future.

The Whole New World

Phantasy Star Online has to be one of my favorite video games. After I had grown up with Phantasy Star II and III, PSO was my first serious venture into online gaming. I played every single version of the series -- Dreamcast Ver. 1 and Ver. 2, GameCube Episode I & II and Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution, Blue Burst on the PC. I just love the campy style, the visuals, and of course the wonderful soundtrack. It's a true testament to the qualities of the game that it managed to keep me entertained for almost a whole decade.


There are a lot of great character designs, but I guess if I had to pick one that represents Phantasy Star Online, it would be Red Ring Rico. So here's my tribute to a great game.

The Dreamland Chronicles

When my friend Scott Sava asked me whether I would do the cover illustration for an issue of his all ages comic book, The Dreamland Chronicles, I happily agreed. Finishing it took a lot longer than expected though, and I do hope Scott didn't cause his editor too much frustration with all the delays.


A very interesting aspect of the story is that Daniel -- the twin brother of the book's protagonist, Alexander -- cannot visit Dreamland, unlike most children. I wanted to capture Alex telling him all about the wonder of his nightly adventures. The focus of the picture is of course the iconic character designs of adult Alexander and the elven princess Nastajia.

If you are interested in purchasing this variant cover, look for The Dreamland Chronicles #5 by IDW Publishing to be released on November 26, 2008.