Streetfighter II

Here's a pic I drew yesterday for #DLC4, the latest instalment of a monthly (?) twitter art jam organised by the incomparable Rusty Shackles. The idea was a bunch of artists on twitter all coming up with new artwork / game boxes for their favourite videogames. Go check out the hashtag, there's some fantastic work on there, including my particular favourite from Benjamin Birdie. I didn't think I'd have time to join in on this one, but you know what? Sometimes it is okay to draw things just for fun.

Here's the finished version, complete with nostalgia-inducing SNES game box:

In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that Streetfighter 2 is probably not actually my favourite game of all time - that honour belongs to either Super Mario World or Twister, Mother of Charlotte (don't ask). But it was what I felt like drawing so nah nah nah.

This was actually the first thing I've tried flatting / colouring using Manga Studio, and I have to say it was a bit of a revelation. After I finished drawing this I then got to spend a couple of hours watching Dave Gibbons demonstrate how he works in MS, and learning some cool new tricks, and all in all I have to say I'm pretty much sold on the new version, and can't wait to start using it to create some comics.

And on that note, I had better go do just that.

Bloggy bonus: here's the original pencil sketch.

MEGATONnage

Here's the cover to the first issue of MEGATON, a new gaming magazine for kids which launched this week from Skyjack Publishing! And a couple of my little robots, expressing their approval! It's a great package - 100 pages of reviews, tips, puzzles, stickers and general game-related awesomeness, with a big chunk of Cartoon Network comics generously crammed in the middle for added fun. And, of course, lots of ROBOTS.

On sale now in all good newsagents! And check out the MEGATON website for more fun stuff, coming soon.

MEGATON Noir

I've been doing a bunch of illustration stuff lately for MEGATON, a new kids' gaming mag from Skyjack Publishing, which should be hitting the shelves... oh hey, today! Anyway, while the finished illustrations are all very colourful, I really like how they look in the interim / 'inks' stage, so I thought I'd share some of the monochromatic fun here.

The dude at the top is the Big Robot Editor, and then the little guys are like his assitants.

And then this is what they look like in colour (which I like, too, I just really dig that stark black-and-white:

If you are a kid, and like videogames, why not go and pick up a copy? In stores now!