The garbage truck appears. Tim’s eyes flare. The truck is bright green, Repco Domestic painted on both sides. Two tiny men sit in the cab…
The garbage truck appears. Tim’s eyes flare. The truck is bright green, Repco Domestic painted on both sides. Two tiny men sit in the cab talking about the weather. Tim rubs his tiny hands. Today the bastards are in for a fright. Eight stories up, high enough to see forever and close enough to call his mates on the ground. The truck turns right into the entrance, disappears behind the first block of flats. In two minutes it will be here. Tim jumps onto the walkway wall. Propped on his elbows he leans over. At ground level Toby and Mike are playing penalty shoot-out. Mike reckons he’s good enough to play soccer for Brazil. Toby’s in goal, he shifts his feet trying to be tricky. Mike’s already scored four times. Five means Toby has to call him ‘master’ for the rest of the day. Tim’s shout is a loud falsetto. “They’re coming, hurry up.” As Toby starts for the stairwell Mike shoots at the goal chalked onto the brickwork. “You have to call me master,” he says running up the stairs after Toby, “I scored so you have to be my slave.” Another day Toby would have turned around and lamped Mike as he rounded the next bend of the stairwell. He doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially no four-eyed weakling. But he knows that to reach the top in time they both have to keep running. He can sort out Mike later. They reach the eighth floor out of breath. Tim is gone. Toby curses whoever broke the lift and they push up the next twelve flights gasping, speechless. They summit the block wondering if ten year olds can die of a heart attack. Tim hangs over the walkway watching the garbage truck reversing into position. “Didn’t think you fat boys would make it,” he says. “Good job we prepared.” Three old bricks lie dormant on the concrete floor. Above the bricks a metal square is bolted into the wall in the centre of the stairwell. Pull the handle on the metal square and it opens like a post box. This is the garbage chute. Every landing on each block of flats has a garbage chute into which residents post parcels of domestic debris, unwanted cats, drug paraphernalia, and the like. When they were younger the boys took great pride stuffing trash into the chute. They would stand hunched over like old men, straining to hear the rubbish echoing it’s descent before crashing into the giant repository far below. The boys have never been interested in the giant repository, that huge metal dustbin squatting with it’s mouth wide open at the bottom of the chute. But they are interested in scaring the shit out of the bin men who come to empty it. Tim waits for the garbage truck to finish manoeuvring. He wishes he could have his own flat up here on the top floor. Where the air is wider and it’s easier to breathe. Where the bigger boys don’t hassle you because they’re too lazy to climb the hard cold stairs. Where the view across jaundiced suburbia makes you feel like you own the world. A place where he can come on bad days to get away from Mum. Where he can smoke the cigarettes he steals off her, silently wishing he had the strength to drag her up with him, kicking and screaming all the way, before shoving her over the edge, watching her fall kicking and screaming all the way down. A place where his child’s thoughts of merciless revenge can be real and nobody gets hurt. The garbage truck rolls back until only the front of the cab is visible. Tim smiles. “They’re in,” he says. + + + Ian jumps out the cab. Today is a good day, a special day. He made love to his wife three times last night. They haven’t done that in ages. Years probably. He laughs to himself, remembering. Metal arms project out the rear of the truck embracing the giant bin as if it were a long lost lover. “Hang on Macca,” says Ian, “it’s blocked.” Macca chews the skin off his lips and waits. He spends his life waiting. Driving a garbage truck for a living is not what he ought to be doing. But do it long enough and you’re not fit to do anything else. He grinds his jaw and his lip starts to bleed. Ian climbs over the lip into the giant bin. He keeps meaning to tell someone that the chute goes down too far into the bin. It needs to be a few feet higher. Then they wouldn’t have any problem with blockage. It’s not major. It’s not like solving this problem would stop kids starving in Nigeria. In fact probably the only people whose lives would be made easier from having a less intrusive garbage chute would be his and Macca’s. But if it’s such a simple thing to fix, if it’s so easy to put right, then surely it deserves to be sorted out? Ian whistles his wife’s favourite song. He supports himself by holding onto the edge of the chute with his left hand while scooping out the rubbish with his right. He spreads it neatly toward the edges of the bin. He knows there is something intensely satisfying about watching refuse tumbling out the funnel. Ian grins as he realises that what he is actually doing is relieving a blockage. That’s a good one. He has to tell Macca. That’ll put a smile on the miserable bastard’s face. Ian hears the sound coming down the chute like a kind of roar. His ears are filled with it and even as he looks up he knows he should be diving away. The first brick crushes his arm. It’s force draws him down and forward. Now his head has become a bullseye. The second brick nails it’s target. Bradley guns the truck’s engine. “Listen you bugger I didn’t come here for a fucking picnic,” he says leaning back out the window. But as he speaks he feels the air change and the tiny hairs rise up on the back of his neck. Later he will say he just knew something awful had happened, he just knew. That it was like an invisible force made him get out the cab to check if Ian was all right. + + + “Did you hear that?” says Mike, “Sounded like a man. Do you think we hit them?” “Shut up,” says Toby straining his neck like a tortoise so he can hear his own brick plummeting. It ricochets against the metal pipe once, twice, the reverberations chasing each other in the darkness. A dull wet thud announces the journey is concluded. Something strange happens. Silently, a noose of despair threads itself up the chute and fastens around the necks of Toby and Mike. Something terrifying is happening. They know it but they can’t explain it. “Let’s get out of here,” says Toby. “Yeah,” says Mike, “If we get caught I’m dead.” Tim picks up his brick. “Piss off you two,” he says. He hasn’t felt the noose yet. “It was my idea so I’m chucking my brick.” Toby holds open the chute. “Chocks away fuckers,” shrills Tim tipping his brick into the black. Mike starts giggling, then Toby, then Tim. Adrenalin is produced. Their arms and legs turn to jelly. Mike says he feels faint. Their mouths become sand dunes drifting in the desert. Tim’s pupils dilate and lurch in their sockets as his mouth spews laughter. Down the landing a door clicks open. Short-sighted Mrs O’ Driscoll steps out in her old pink robe. She squints menacingly towards the sound. The boys freeze, blink like rabbits, and run flinging their elastic bodies down the stairs to reach the safety of their own floors, their own homes. Like three separate armies that have been routed. Only Tim’s house is not a refuge. He slams his bedroom door shut as the neighbours’ gossiping voices crack like whips against the windows. A moment ago he was a young boy mucking around. Now he knows he is something else. Outside a commotion is rising up out of nowhere like a leviathan from the bottom of the sea. He can hear a man wailing. He can hear sirens in the distance. He knows one of them belongs to an ambulance. Another to a police car. He can feel his heart punching through his chest. How wonderful it would be to stand on the twentieth floor, watching the rapid lights rush between the yellow islands of suburbia. Tim is there now, watching as they weave through the scattered traffic, coming for him. His mother crashes through the door. Sees him curled on the bed. Her voice like a thousand shards of glass lacerating him. From the twentieth floor he hears her, feels her, but faraway. Up here he cannot drown in a river of his tears and her saliva.
Oh get your heads above your navels people! =)) This is an idea that I have stolen (with complete permission of course) from “Cathleen…
Oh get your heads above your navels people! =)) This is an idea that I have stolen (with complete permission of course) from Cathleen Tarawhiti. It goes like this… You show me your favourite five images of mine, and I will go riffling through your drawers (like the complete stalker that I am) and post my favourite five images of yours. I promise I’ll try not to leave a mess at your place ;) Its a quid pro quo kinda thing but without Hannibal Lector… although I do have a nice Chianti in the fridge if anyone is interested ;) First in first served… I’m off to pick up my boys from school, back soon! PLEASE NOTE – anyone should feel free to play… except Paul Louis Villani because I love every single thing he posts and will find it impossible to choose five… I may end up having a brain embolism
With due respect to Cathleen (the originator of this game) I’m also going to jump on the bandwagon and start my own choose five thread. / ...
With due respect to Cathleen (the originator of this game) I’m also going to jump on the bandwagon and start my own choose five thread. To take part you go through my portfolio and choose your 5 favourite pics out of my shots. / I will then in turn go through your portfolio and choose the five pics of yours that I like best. And the best of all is there is no winner…..... / :)
I don’t usually post this part of the wedding, but I thought I would, as it’s the fun bit! Most photographers want to go home after t…
I don’t usually post this part of the wedding, but I thought I would, as it’s the fun bit! Most photographers want to go home after they’ve done their mock shots, but I always hang around and wait for the alcohol to sink in.. that’s what you get really good shots! All these shots are at F4 or F2.8, 1/80 and ISO4000 with a fill flash. Anyway, here are the funny ones (aside from the formal cake cutting, speeches, 1st dance etc) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 – air surfing / 24 / 25 / 26 – I do this a lot, hold the camera up high and shoot down. / 27 / 28 – huge / 29 / 30 / 31 – B&G / 32 / 33 / 34 / 35 / 36 / 37 / 38 / 39 / 40 – air guitar / 41 – that’s me, doing something i have nfi ! (one of the guests took the shot) / 42 / 43 – the haka / 44 / 45 / 46 / 47 / 48 / 49 / 50 /
Yes Sydney group – we’re talking to you. / / / I heard from a little birdy…
Yes Sydney group – we’re talking to you. / / / I heard from a little birdy that you are very confident that Manly will beat Melbourne Storm at the rugby this Sunday. Well, we think you’re wrong. Melbourne is vastly awesomer at rugby and probably even has spunkier players. (not that I’ve ever watched a game) But since you are so convinced, we challenge you to a friendly group wager The group who’s team wins the rugby, can kidnap a group host from the losing side for 2 weeks and make them do all sorts of hosting chores. You could make them run challenges about how great your city is, or make them organise a meet up from another state, or make them responsible for doing 100% of the featuring, or make them blog in the forums every. single. day. Yes, you will have a slave host to serve your group while you sip martinis and read Australian Womens’ Weekly. and… To make this a serious wager – the winning group can also send one of their hosts to invade the losing side and make sure the loss is sorely felt! So, feeling confident still? Do we have a deal? it’s entirely possible that almost every detail in this post is made up, and that we talked about this yesterday, but the wager still stands!
On the weekend I threw and gave away about half of my clothing, and 26 bags of other stuff I no longer use. I wanted the space more than …
On the weekend I threw and gave away about half of my clothing, and 26 bags of other stuff I no longer use. I wanted the space more than the stuff, if that makes sense? Space to move, space to think, space to grow into. And as I piled things into bags I reminisced about where it had all come from, the stories which surrounded my possessions. In my prime time, I was somewhat truth or dare obsessed. It was my favorite way to meet new people – right down to business. What do you fear? loathe? How far would you go? What last made you cry? And with weekly games of truth or dare, it became a ritual to write down the best ones onto squares of cardboard. Later on, those cards, all beaten and torn, were typed and laminated onto the back of playing cards and passed around friendships for others to use. A deck of questions, poking into people’s souls. I’ve carried them around for years now. And yesterday, I threw them away. I expected to regret it straight away, but I didn’t. Because it isn’t the end of truth or dare, just the start of a new game. Anyone want to play?
Sssshhh….don’t tell anyone. I should be working on my novel, but I’m delving into the delicious word games and writing exercises that a…
Sssshhh….don’t tell anyone. I should be working on my novel, but I’m delving into the delicious word games and writing exercises that are sprinkled throughout my stacks of books. I’ve already done I have ......now it’s time for “I know”. What I know is….... • My snakes will always hiss, even when I think they’re sleeping / • Menthol cigarettes never taste good / • Boy George dolls will be worth money someday / • My parents are proud of me, though it took me thirty years to realise it / • German accents are unbearably sexy / • It won’t kill me if people know my real name…but it will draw blood / • Smile lines have to be earned / • Guns & Roses’ “Appetite for Destruction” is one of the best ever albums / • A gray haired man can knock me to my knees…and that ain’t necessarily / a bad thing / • You should never dance to a song with the lyrics “get funky” / • Shades of my dominatrix days spill their way into my teaching…and my / students love it / • Good posture is important / • Plane food is secretly delicious / • I am a natural strawberry blonde but an innate fiery redhead / • Dipping my fingers in honey and licking them is simply one of life’s / greatest pleasures / • You should never post on Red Bubble when you’re drunk / • Richard Burton has the best speaking voice I’ve ever heard / • Cowboys smell good and hit hard / • People lie / • Every woman should have books by Annie Sprinkle & Carol Queen / • If I keep pulling my hair out, I’ll just get a Bettie Page wig when I’m older / • When I walked into the Brunswick Street Bookstore and saw two books / with my stories in them, the world stood still and tasted of cherries / • I scowl. A lot. Even, apparently, in my sleep / • Berlin has stories for me, and I’m counting down the days / • Keep taking my pills; no matter how much I think I’m healed, I’m not / • As long as the whiskey is straight, the pen is in my hand and my girls are / laughing, I can do anything. What about you?
Read the prologue here..
Read the prologue here
The astonishingly-talented-in-her-own-right Cathie T has recently interviewed me about The Game of Kings project, and you can read all ab…
The astonishingly-talented-in-her-own-right Cathie T has recently interviewed me about The Game of Kings project, and you can read all about it here For those of you who aren’t familiar with this upcoming multi-artist extravaganza, head on over yonder to see both the trailer and the prologue. Cheers, / Si
*_Rubyred (or more correctly Roger) is another member of the collaboration behemoth that is Game of Kings, so when the chance came to int…
Rubyred (or more correctly Roger) is another member of the collaboration behemoth that is Game of Kings, so when the chance came to interview one of my favourite koi covered artists, I jumped at it. Thanks for this Roger, could you start by telling us a little about yourself ? A bit about me, well, I’ve been a graphic designer for over fifteen years. I started out in design working on consumer hobby magazines. For the last ten years I’ve worked for the same company, and we publish trade magazines and organise a number of trade exhibitions. I’m responsible for the design and branding of all the projects. I studied graphic design and illustration on the same course as James (quigonjim), in fact we shared a flat with my girlfriend (now wife) during our final year. I haven’t seen him for a few years but got in contact again through RedBubble! As you hinted at in the question, I have an interest in tattoo design (particularly Japanese) and currently have an arm sized project underway. Most importantly of all though, I’m dad to two beautiful young girls. Which artists influence or inspire you? My background is more graphic design than illustration, so I tend to be inspired by designers. Classic names from the field of graphic design like Neville Brody, David Carson and Ian Swift. To be honest, I’ve never been a follower of fantasy art or the comic book genres, so some of the references that fellow GoK members were mentioning were new to me. It was an interesting journey to see who inspired my fellow members. I appreciate most forms of design and illustration and like to think that I’ve absorbed a lot of influences over the years, especially in the last year with the wide range of talent on shown on RedBubble. You’ve been a member of Redbubble now for over a year, as well as being a host of “A Tshirt Revolution, how did you get involved with Game of Kings? I got to know Simon’s work during the London Calling competition and we built up a rapport during the long ride to Simon’s eventual success. He came a’knocking one day with the idea of a multi artist collaboration. I jumped at the chance to be involved and when I saw who else he had snared, I found myself in the company of some of my most favourite artists on the site – daunting to say the least! What’s been your experience being part of the project to date, and how do think it will be received? Having said I was daunted by the collection of artists around me, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. Simon explained the project and gave his initial vision (since then it has grown into something potentially huge) and divided up the characters from the board. Happy with my two allocated pieces, I attacked my sketchbook with some ideas. One of the best things about this project has been the development of all the pieces. From the very early stages, Simon encouraged everyone to use the WIP (work in progress) forum within the group – initial sketches were posted and comments and advice flowed freely. This process really helped me with my two pieces, and they have taken quite a different direction from my original sketches. Danny jumped on board fairly early on and it was his early thoughts and writing that helped me solidify my characters. We are hoping to display the WIP process in some form, something that I would love to see because I think it is one of the real gems to come from the collaboration and will give a real sense of journey to the project. If everyone gets to see some of the behind the scenes work that is going on I think it will add another really interesting dimension and I hope people will enjoy seeing the process some of the artists have gone through – I’m sure they will, as much as I have being privileged to be able to watch things unfold. How much have you enjoyed creating your characters – have they been fun/interesting/tricky for any reason? As I said earlier, my characters have changed quite significantly from early sketches. I had to step up my game to keep up with the quality of the others in the group, and I’m sure the overall standard of the work produced is a direct result of the support and collaboration of everyone involved. At times I felt a little out of my depth because I haven’t got the background interest in fantasy/comic book genres that some of the other artists have. But that is one of the key elements of this project, Simon selected people who already have their own distinctive style and it’s these differences that would add flavour to the collaboration. The idea of the Black side all coming from Simon and his distinctive style up against an artistic white army made up of conflicting yet complimentary techniques, really works and I think the end results are testament to the initial idea. Is there anything else you’d like to add? I’d like to thank Simon for giving me the chance to be part of this project, and working with the others has been the highlight of my time here on RedBubble. I’d like to think that this project will open the door to other collaborations on the site and if anybody gets the chance to work with a similar group of talented artists, grab it and hold on, you’ll be in for one hell of a ride!
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/ Closing Time And every drinker every dancer / lifts a happy face to thank her / the fiddler fiddles something so sublime / all the women tear their blouses off / and the men they dance on the polka-dots / and it’s partner found, it’s partner lost / and it’s hell to pay when the fiddler stops: / it’s CLOSING TIME Thank you so much
*James Grey or Quigonjim as he Red Bubble profile states has been described by “Game of Kings” creator Simon Sherry as one of the most cr…
James Grey or Quigonjim as he Red Bubble profile states has been described by “Game of Kings” creator Simon Sherry as one of the most criminally neglected artists on Red bubble. Group member Danny says he is the fastest communicator of ideas that he has ever worked with. The speed that he can produce and the quality is just amazing. / Jim as he is best known as in the group has amazed his collaborators with stunning art and quirky images that go beyond his brief. Jim (along with Glen Smith) regularly come up with faux viral marketing ideas that are hilarious as well as effective. Jim is also responsible for the development of the current logo and is a driving force when it comes to keeping the standard high with his enthusiasm and drive and through this has become a respected and popular member. / We recently cornered Jim long enough to find what makes this man tick? Can we have a few words about your good self? Father, husband, illustrator, designer, painter, rocker, reader and motor sport fan! Is that not a enough? I’ll expand on that a tad shall I… First and foremost, I’m married with one, beautiful, five year old daughter, a border collie, an ancient cat, three bonkers rabbits and two goldfish. We live in a village in the Sussex countryside, fifteen minutes walk from the coast, with a stunning view of the River Ouse valley. At school, I decided that a career in the creative world was the path for me. I always enjoyed drawing and painting as a child and I seemed to do well in creative subjects. So in 1990, at Thanet College in Kent, I was lucky enough to be able to take three A-Levels: Graphic Design, Fine Art and Textile & Surface Design. While there I was taught by Mike Trim who worked on various Gerry Anderson projects and painted Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds album cover, and Russ Nicholson who spent his time illustrating the Fighting Fantasy role-play books and contributing to White Dwarf magazine. Those two in particular had a massive influence on me and I have been forever grateful ever since. From there I did a Foundation Course at Kent Institute of Art & Design (KIAD) Canterbury, which lead onto Northbrook College, East Sussex, in 1994,to take an HND in Graphic Design & Illustration and from there into the big wide world. I’ve been a freelance illustrator/comic artist/cartoonist and sometime graphic designer, website designer, portrait painter, nursery mural artist and sign writer for the last fifteen years… Yup, I’m a Jack of all trades really. The thing I fear most is the “white rectangle of doom” and silence. I can’t work without a heavy rock cd blaring out from somewhere in the house, I’m particularly partial to a starter of Progressive Metal with a twist of cheesy ‘80’s AOR spinkled over the top and for dessert a large bowl of Power Metal and a nice cup of Hanz Zimmer to wash it all down with. Sunday’s are my day off, where I’m either feet up beer in hand watching the Superbikes, MotoGP or F1 on the box, or actually at a Superbike meet. Currently I specialise in Superbike and MotoGP art, which I sell a fair few prints of, mainly through my website, www.quigonjim.co.uk and my eBay shop. Clients include: / Aon Insurance, Caravan Magazine, Paramount Care Homes Ltd, AccentUK Comics, Underfire Comics, Quellheart Publishing, Zel Pubs, and A La Mode Entertainment to name a few. And of course many, many private commissions for portraits, caricatures, custom leather jacket paintings, tattoo designs, nursery murals and one off design jobs for logo designs including stationary and headed paper, wedding invitations and brochures and what not. INFLUENCES & INSPIRATIONS: - / Commercially: Drew Struzan, Richard Amsel and Bob Peak (movie poster artists), Roger Dean, Brian Froud, Dave McKean, Cam Kennedy (2000ad), Mike McMahon (2000ad), J. Scott Campbell (Danger Girl), Adam Hughes (Ghost & Cat Woman) and Jim Fitzpatrick to name but a few. / Historically: Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt, Arthur Rackham, Norman Rockwell… the list goes on. / Have I said too much now??? Nope, but I bet a few people are reading this and going “In one lifetime?” / It’s now very obvious the “Game of Kings” is very lucky to have you aboard / So that leads to the question how did you get involved with the project? Well, I’ve been a RedBubbler for a while now and I was aware of all the other artists and designers on board the Game of Kings express and many of us had left each other comments on their creative works on numerous occasions, one of which was Simon Sherry… or Dr. Sherry as I’ve come to call him . / He Bubblemailed me one day, asking whether I would like to hitch a ride on his rollercoaster of wonder and delight. Already being aware of his wonderful Killbots and Fulldeck series’ he did, it was a no brainer to grab that ticket and jump aboard. How do you personally think it is going and do you think it has potential? Oh, wow. This project has masses of potential. I’m stunned into silence every time I check on the other guys work in progress, the quality and quantity of work, idea’s and WIP’s are amazing. And the different styles and techniques being used and abused is a wonderful site to behold. / Dr. Sherry has been lucky enough to get a fantastic team of available artists, illustrators and designers together along with some incredibly well thought out and executed narrative from Danny / If this all goes flat and down the plughole come launch time, I’ll be very, very surprised. I can’t wait to see and read Joe public’s response to The Game of Kings. Do you want to flog some other projects you are involved in? Ooh, why not … Firstly there’s my previous comic art, for AccentUK Comics, most of which has now managed to get onto the Diamond distribution list, meaning it’ll be available worldwide now. These are three anthologies entitled “Zombies” (2007), “Robots” (2008) and “Western” (2009), available from all good comic shops or can be ordered through Diamond or the AccentUK website. Then there is “Rock Night” from Underfire Comics, which was a blast to do. It was, as GOK is, a collaboration of ten comic artists and writers, all thrown in a mixing bowl and baked into a cracking tale about what you would do if tomorrow was going to be the last day of life as we know it. Armageddon to you and me! / Unerfire Comics Lastly, this summer should see the release of my latest book “The Pubs of Hastings and St Leonards: 1800 – 2000” written by David Russell. / Over 100 illustrations have been done for this book and I can’t wait to see it in my sticky mits: ) / Some of the illustrations from the book can be seen on my website or here on Redbubble. / Quigonjim Web site
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The Game of Kings is a collaboration bringing together Red Bubble artists from Australia and the UK. Initially starting out as a series of character-based t-shirts, GoK has expanded to include an accompanying narrative and will be spinning out into other media. The basic theme of the project is the game of chess. The initial brief was that the project’s creator, Simon Sherry, would illustrate the black side of the board, while a team of eight other artists would tackle the white. As the project gathered momentum and the members of the group shared ideas and artwork, a story began to evolve around the pieces in this celestial battleground. With the addition of Danny to the group as ‘biographer’ of this strange cast of characters, this story took on a life of its own, and everyone involved knew that the scope of the Game had grown beyond the cotton canvas. Due to the clever skills and imagination of those involved and the epic scope of the theme, the GoK group are creating a wonderful series of artworks, stories and multimedia to hopefully fire the imagination in others. The first ‘phase’ of this project are the character tees making up the board itself. Every two weeks four pieces of the board will be revealed along with a section of the story, adding another piece of the jigsaw to build a final picture. Accompanying the artwork and writing will be interviews with the people involved, adding further insight into the project, their role in it, and the thought behind their creations. Every other week, previews for the next ‘wave’ of characters will be released, along with other behind-the-scenes material to whet appetites for what’s in store. A blog, facebook page and twitter account is also online, providing fans with updates and additional extras that may not appear in the main Red Bubble profile. The Game of Kings Group on Red Bubble will open its doors in the future to accept members who want to contribute ideas, stories and art as well as compete in competitions that will stretch the boundaries of fun and excitement with prizes worth the effort. The Game of Kings is more than Tee Shirts. It’s wall art and animated story lines, vignettes and artist clashing styles against each other. It’s books and games. It’s audience participation and contribution. It’s something that we hope you can watch grow and enjoy as a whole new world opens up before your eyes in the next few months and beyond. We hope you enjoy the ride! - The GoK Team The GoK team is: Simon Sherry / Scott Robinson / thickblackoutline / rubyred / sjem / quigonjim / Jordan Clarke / Nofrillsart / LilyM / Danny
Could you start by telling us a little about yourself? Do you have a “day” job? I’m a graphic designer by day, graphic designer by …
Could you start by telling us a little about yourself? Do you have a “day” job? I’m a graphic designer by day, graphic designer by night. Apparently I actually have real human sleep! I have a day job for a Japanese company, which I adore. I am the only Aussie there, and have been working there for about a year and a half now. There’s an office dog, a big black great dane, who is a very loud doorbell! He’s just a puppy, 9 ft tall on his hind legs! Then thickblackoutline is a another part of my day job – anytimeoftheday job really. I freelance, and I also extract designs directly from my brain, in some sort of ritual, and post them here on “The Bub”: http://www.redbubble.com/people/thickblackoutline… they must be free!!!! Which artists influence or inspire you? There are so many, it’s hard to put into perspective sometimes. From Alphonse Mucha, to Yoshu Chikanobu from Gustav Klimt to Patrick Woodroffe ~ something different inspires me in all of them, which I guess makes up what my style is. More recently I am very inspired by fashion. Fashion Illustrations, I love a bit of the Project Runway, and although I don’t sew, lately I’m so influenced by all the details of fashion, which I try to put in my work. I have been much inspired by Leigh Buchanan’s work from PR Australia from last year – he placed 2nd, the commander of the corset!! Just heavenly! There’s so many artistic elements I see in his work, he is a true craftsman, a sculptor, magician …and yes there is a few stitches in there too! I’m also heavily inspired, and under the influence of, a nice cup of Tea …. What was your introduction to Game of Kings and what decided you on getting involved? I was very flattered by a bmail from Professor Sherry, placing me in such an illustrious group of Red Bubble artists, and proposing such a fantastically huge collaboration, how could I resist? What has been most noteworthy about your involvement to date? To be involved with such a brilliant and talented group of artists is such an honour! A gaggle of creatives that are so supportive, willing to do what it takes, and encourage and praise with no ego, no judgement. We’ve all pushed each other that step further, and I know in myself, that I am a better artist now because of these guys! I can’t thank them enough! We bring out the best in each other. °sniff° °sob° Is there anything you’d especially like us to know about your characters? My two pieces are the White Queen’s Pawn, and the White Queen. Bit of pressure there as ol’ Queeny is the most powerful piece on the board! Of course, jumping the gun, I had a lot of changes to the style of my main piece, I believe it was 16! There was a lot of evolution, soul consultation, moral questions, and a lot of concepts in my head about why they look the way they both do, but I think things got there in the end. Like I said, these guys bring out the best! I wanted to make my pawn, a “hired goon” of the queen, which is why the tag line Are diamonds enough in exchange for your soul? The diamonds are as payment, which will make sense once the Queen is released, don’t really want to give anything away! Is there anything else you’d like to add? “In the taste of a single cup of tea you will eventually discover the truth of all the ten thousand forms in the universe” ~ Attributed to the Venerable Kyongbon Sunim, Zen Master
*Jordan Clarke is another member of the Game of Kings collaboration. / Jordan is almost a f…
Jordan Clarke is another member of the Game of Kings collaboration. / Jordan is almost a foundation member of Red Bubble coming aboard in the very early days. Her style of Graphic design is both eye catching and original and was a perfect choice for the myriad of styles that make up the mix that is Game of Kings Thanks for this Jordan, could you start by telling us a little about yourself ? / No worries! Well, I finished studying graphic design back in 2006. It was a great course and I met some amazing people – but by the end I realised that I didn’t really want to be a graphic designer. I’d stared experimenting with graphic illustration in the last few weeks of the course – something just clicked and I knew I’d found my direction. / Now I’m trying to combine traditional techniques with digital – I’m not sure where I fit in yet – but I’m loving the whole process. I’m also working on some new tee designs which I have big plans for. One day I hope I can make a comfortable living out of my artwork! Which artists influence or inspire you? / My two all time favourites are Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman. I love Kahlo’s bold, colourful and emotionally raw paintings. Sherman’s self-portrait photos have really cool themes and I love that she does it all herself. / More recently I’ve been really influenced by Shepard Fairey – his work has made me think about my own early work and how I can push it to the next level through screen-prints and stencils. I’m also influenced by Gil Elvgren’s quintessential pin-ups – especially seeing some of the original photos he used to reference. And of course I’m hugely influenced and inspired by tattoo art and digital collage (which is evident in my portfolio!). How did you get involved with Game of Kings? / Simon got in contact and told me about his idea. I’ve never been involved in any collaboration so I was keen initially for that reason. But when I understood the scope and possibility of Simon’s idea I was even more excited about joining the fun. I was totally surprised to be asked – especially when I saw who the other artists were. I knew I’d have to really bring it to the table and put in my best work, which was exciting. What’s been your experience being part of the project to date, and how do think it will be received? / I’ve been really surprised at the sense of camaraderie between all the artists, helping each other as we’ve developed our work. It’s set a high benchmark for future collaborations! The development has flowed really easily and the quality of work is phenomenal. I’m confident that people will receive it really well – we’re keeping our releases small so it’s easier for everyone to take it all in! How much have you enjoyed creating your characters – have they been fun/interesting/tricky for any reason? / It’s been quite challenging for me to execute the creation of my characters. The idea is the easy part! I’ve really enjoyed researching mythological creatures and seeing how I can work them into the character piece. I can get a bit carried away with the concept – to the point where I’m not sure if I can live up to the image in my head! / This collaboration has definitely helped me develop my artistic skills – trying new techniques and taking more risks. It’s easy to get stuck in your comfort zone, so I’m grateful for the challenge. Is there anything else you’d like to add? / I have to thank Simon and his genius for this awesome idea and for inviting me to participate. Huge thanks also to the team for all the advice, critique and encouragement – you made it a wicked experience. I can’t wait to see the GOK characters on the streets soon! (Oh, and we’ll be back my friends. This is only the beginning…)
*Well, we’ve just begun releasing wave five of the Game of Kings …
Well, we’ve just begun releasing wave five of the Game of Kings project, and as we’ve officially reached the halfway point of this phase, I thought it would be a good idea to offer a bit of a recap of events so far. / At this point, we have released 18 of the 32 characters that make up the pieces in this cosmic conflict, with nine of each side of the board revealed (click on any of the pics below to view their character tee): / / / / / There’s a lot of story work going into the project, and if you haven’t taken a look you’re missing out! From the prelude to the contest through to the introduction of the players and hints of dissent within the ranks, the board is being set for conflicts between and within. Look for further hints as to the true allegiances of some of the pieces over the coming weeks as the rest of the board is revealed. / So far, we’ve had interviews with the following members of the group: Simon Sherry / Quigonjim / Rubyred / thickblackoutline / Jordan Clarke / nofrillsart Scott Robinson has lent some insight into the collaborative process with his journal on the creation of the White King’s Pawn and the group has outlined some of the future plans for the project. We’ve also been reguarly providing updates on the project via the GoK blog, facebook group and twitter feed. Our resident animator and tale-teller, Danny Nolan , has also tapped into the spirit of 60’s Marvel comic animation by way of the roaming essence of Terry Gilliam to create a myriad of animated vignettes adding to the overall flavour of the series. Big things are afoot for the project as we move into the second half of Phase One, with more stunning character artwork, behind the scenes info, added narrative content and a glimpse at what’s in store once the board is set. We hope you’ve enjoyed the ride so far, and strongly suggest you tighten your seatbelts for the next few laps. The Game itself is yet to begin. - Simon Sherry
*Known to most Bubblers as nofrillsart, Glenn Smith is a vital addition to the Game of King…
Known to most Bubblers as nofrillsart, Glenn Smith is a vital addition to the Game of Kings team, not only bringing his unique style to the project, but also a great deal of input into the promotional side of it as well. Can we have a few words about your good self? I have been making art professionally for the last ten years or so. In recent years I have also crossed over into the realms of being an arts worker running a lot of exhibitions and festivals. For bread and butter I work as a high school teacher. In terms of my approach to art, I often have dilemmas about what direction art should take whether it should be originals hanging on the walls of exclusive galleries or at ground level such as street art or t-shirt design. I am yet to reconcile this within myself, so in the mean time I attempt to do both. So how did you get involved with the Game of Kings project? The talented Mr.Sherry gave me a personal invitation to take part. This was a honor from the start. I have some decent skills at doing what I do within say my t-shirts designs here on RB, but this project has proven to be a real challenge for me, due to being well outside my comfort zone and in some very intimidating company, such as the talented bunch of artists that are the Game of Kings. Thought that being said, you could not find a more supportive group of artists. How do you personally think it is going and do you think it has potential? I think the project is going great. The GOK has grown in scope considerably since it was first mentioned, with writers and YouTube videos…but that has just added to how special this all is. If the general public had a peek inside the workings of this project in the private forum you would see how huge the planning, ideas sharing and feedback on it has been. So far so good in my opinion. As all the public support and feedback has been very positive. And besides, how could we go wrong with Simon creating half of the works to an outstanding level of quality and style! Do you want to flog some other projects you are involved in? No! hehe…Currently I feel a little drained and have a great desire to quit making art and find a nice deserted island. But give it a week or two and I’m sure I will be back having a whole bunch of new ideas. Honestly, I have a few books for sale at Sticky in Melbourne, a few longer term projects for festivals and workshops due to eventuate before the end of the year still being kicked around(Well i thought they were long term!)...and apart from that I need to get some ideas, time and energy to concentrate on make some art just for me. BREAKING INFORMATION…....... Glen was born into a pirate family where he had a strict upbringing and had an education based around the three Ahrrrs: ‘rson, rape and runnin’ amok. / Much to his family’s dismay Glen was a sensitive child and faired poorly in his pirate studies where he drifted out of Pillage school and settled in a career as a street vandal. / This at least gave his parents some hope for his future because it had a touch of disgrace attached to it and it was also an Ahrrr related study. / All this come to a disastrous end when Glen was kidnapped by circus folk and transported to the Melbourne colony of Geelong. / Believed for many years to be working as a clown with the local council, Glen was discovered by a touring music pirate band who recognized his scribblings on an alley wall whilst plundering an ipod. / News filtered back to Glens family who showed no interest at all and as far as anyone knows, Glen actually does work as a clown for the Greater Geelong City council where he occasionally defaces public art in the name of mischief. / The moniker NoFrillsArt refers to the fact that Glen’s art has no frilly bits around the edges like most art in Geelong. Reference – Who’s who of Anyone in the known universe (Geelong Edition 2005)
Thanks for taking the time for this interview Lily, could you start by telling us a little about yourself ? I’m 24, born and raised …
Thanks for taking the time for this interview Lily, could you start by telling us a little about yourself ? I’m 24, born and raised in Upstate New York. I moved to Melbourne, Australia with my family when I was 14. I have always loved creating things. I spent every spare moment as a small child up right up until the end of University filling the sketchbooks which fill my room. I started with drawing, moved from working with clay to painting and then to sewing. Over the years I’ve enjoyed a range of artistic styles and mediums of expression, and I’m always interested in trying new techniques and mediums. I studied Graphic Design at University, uncertain of which career to follow. I got a job as a concept artist for a Games Design Studio straight out of University, and after 2 years I returned to graphic design as a freelance artist. I still spend every spare moment I have working on one side project or another. I’m currently learning how to build websites in the process of building my own, designing and making soft toys, trying my hand at jewelry making and finishing off a small sculpture. I’m always interest in new commissions if people wish to contact me. Which artists influence or inspire you? Jim Henson (Muppets Creator), artist from the Art Nouveau movement like Alphonse Mucha and Gustav Klimt, Art Deco illustrations, Frank Frazetta (Legendary Fantasy Artist), and a great many Disney and Warner Bros. artists. As I headed into my teenage years I was introduced to comics. Wendy Pini (ElfQuest), Joe Madureira, Casey Jones, Chris Bachalo, J. Scott Cambell, Joe Quesada, have been a huge influence on my style of drawing from those early years. I later discovered Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl), Mike Magnola (Hellboy) and David McKean (Sandman, MirrorMask) all of whose distinct styles influenced my approach to illustration. Recent inspiration comes from great comic book artists like Adam Hughes (Catwoman, Wonder Woman), Ashely Wood (Popbot, Spawn), Oshitaka Amano (Final Fantasy, Vampire Hunter D), James Jean (Fables, The Umbrella Academy), Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch), and counter culture artist like Glenn Barr, Derek Yaniger, Audrey Kawasaki, Angelique Houtkamp, and Shag. I’m also a fan of classic pin up artists like Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas and George Petty. I am fascinated by art history and old commercial art and I’m constantly inspired by the works of master painters, photographers and illustrators from the past. What was your introduction to Game of Kings and what decided you on getting involved? One day I got a Bmail from Simon (who was helpful and encouraging from the moment I joined RedBubble, (he made the first comment I ever received!) asking me if I wanted to take part in a new series he was working on. I thought his previous series were so original and so well executed. How could I refuse the opportunity to work with such amazingly creative people?! To create something original! To really get involved in RB community (despite my hermit-like tendencies)! What has been most noteworthy about your involvement to date? I am in awe of the creativity and support I found in the GoK forums. The collaboration and development of ideas between so many and such different artists that has happened there is a rare and wonderful thing. And I can’t believe that what started out as a “new take” on chess pieces has exploded into a whole world full of stories and meaning. Is there anything you’d especially like us to know about your characters? I wanted to create characters that told a story, that were not just pretty images. I went back to look at the origins of chess for inspiration and found that in its most ancient form it was developed in Persia. The name “Rook” comes from the Persian word “Rokh” used to describe their armored war chariots. I can imagine stories of monstrous moving castles inspiring images like this in the minds of people of the ancient world. For my rook’s pawn I wanted to create more then just a simple pike man or solider. My pawn is based on the ancient Arabic Djinn (a lesser type of angel), which became known in the west as a Genie. The Djinn remains concealed and its power could be good or evil. My pieces are formed from nature, one of rock and one of sand. I wanted them to demonstrate the enormous power like that of nature, not violence. Chess is a composed and strategic game. Is there anything else you’d like to add? It has been an honor and a privilege to work with everyone on the GoK project. You are all amazing artists and I have been truly flattered by your praise and grateful for your advice. Thank you, Simon for inviting me to be a part of something special, your endless enthusiasm and creativity is an inspiration. I’d also like to thank my wonderful partner, James, for his continual support and encouragement.
As we now have reached the penultimate release of the T Shirt wave of the Game of Kings (GoK) project I would like to reflect on some of …
As we now have reached the penultimate release of the T Shirt wave of the Game of Kings (GoK) project I would like to reflect on some of its aspects since the idea was first floated some eight months ago. This is a project of artistic and personal growth. / One man had an idea and was so excited at its possibilities he asked like minded artists to contribute. His own enthusiasm was enough to recruit his first choice wish list. That person of course was Simon Sherry. / The fact that this project has grown and evolved over these past months is testament to the other artists chosen. / This has been a project of testing ones comfort zones and abilities. / If I can draw attention to the artists themselves. / Incredibly popular members such as Scott Robinson, Roger (Ruby Red Design), Glen Smith (No Frills Art) and Jen Hacking (thickblackoutline) have all offered something outside of their usual styles. / It may not be evident at first but a closer look at Scott and Rogers work sees line work, half tone and colour experimentation unlike previous works. Jen has abandoned her usually whimsical style for harder and more aggressive character and experimented with effects like diamonds. Glen who usually works in themes and more topical issues has created a montage of images to reveal stunning characters that deserve their own tales. / Other popular members sjem and Jordan Clarke have shown us hidden skills and strengths and introduced totally new styles never exhibited here in their personal Red Bubble folios. / Sjem with his architecturally inspired CAD drawings of monster steam punk engines and Jordan with her hand drawn and masterfully coloured horse related creatures. / Criminally neglected Jim of Quigonjim Design and LilyM have stunned everyone with their unique takes on their characters, which once again move away from their traditional subjects. In doing so have found a whole new audience. / The collection of artists that comprise the White army have worked together, communicating ideas and suggestions to present the pinnacle of what they can offer. / Something not seen in the (soon to be opened to the fans) GoK Group is a forum called the Works In Progress (WIP) In this forum all artist come together to reveal drafts, line drawings, colour choices and any number of design ideas for their character. / Offering everything for artistic criticism. / It is a hotbed of creativity. / The way art is presented is also a wonderful concept with artists creating GIFs to animate colour options and the creative process. Sjem even created a 3D movie that revolved around his creation. Magic stuff and all will be available to view in the coming months. Then we have Simon who has designed and drawn the Black army. / This has been a magical experience as the creatures have evolved from dual colour, almost silhouette pieces to physically imposing monster made of metal and lava. / Simon ever the perfectionist has discarded totally finished pieces to start again because a better idea has caught his imagination. / The amount of artwork that Simon has produced to complete this project could be exhibited in it’s own book and hopefully will also be put up for viewing in the later months. / What people must also realize is that these are not simple works dropped off months ago to be released when it’s time arrives. / One of the reasons that the GoK releases have been fortnightly over the last three months is because art is being worked on right up to the release date. / No one is totally happy with what the have to offer and think they can do better. / I believe it’s this dedication and the acceptance of nothing but the best has made GoK so popular and given it good sales as well as great support from the Red bubble community and Administration. / Believe me when I tell you this is only the beginning and there are many other exciting things to add to the project as well as involving the community as contributors and as participants. As mentioned before, the GoK is more than T Shirts. These are characters in a story that relates to an actual chess game that has been created as part of a bigger story, the tale which has been growing, albeit cryptically over the last three months and as each piece is added we will move further along the the story path to the actual battle and the grand conclusion. So strap yourself in, it gonna keep coming and growing all the time. Danny / The setting of the board as stands. An exciting new collaboration that opens new possibilities of what can be achieved on Red Bubble. Nine artists and one writer come together to weave a tale of cosmic-level obsession, treachery and warfare around the game of chess. Featuring the talents of: / With additional behind-the-scenes content from:
Okey, so here’s the thing.. I’ve just published an image that I’ve had sitting on RB for a week or so, waiting for me to think of a title…
Okey, so here’s the thing.. I’ve just published an image that I’ve had sitting on RB for a week or so, waiting for me to think of a title.. And I still can’t think of one for it which is most frustrating! Here’s the image: / So, I’ve decided to do a fun and slightly silly competition with it.. The Competiton To suggest a title for the above image. (How simple is that? :D) The Prize A personalised photo of Little-Red’s bottom, tailored to your concept, idea and request. Go here for some examples of LR’s posterior :D Additionally, you will be credited for your title suggestion on the above image page and on the prize image page. Please see the rules for limitations on the prize image! The Rules Your suggestion(s) must be posted as a comment underneath here to be considered. You can suggest as many titles as you like. The competition is open until roughly Midnight (GMT) on Sunday. The prize image will be uploaded to RB, so your request must sit within the sites rules and be in good taste or we won’t carry it out. Please be sensible. Have fun with your suggestions! :) Oh, and if you are the winner, I’ll contact you by bmail to let you know and ask how you’d like your image done :) If this turns out to be a popular activity, we may well do something like this again in the future..
*Our interviewee this time is Scott Robinson, a man who has been here on Redbubble creating, in…
Our interviewee this time is Scott Robinson, a man who has been here on Redbubble creating, inspiring and giving since the very beginning. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself ? Do you have a “day” job? A little about myself? Well, yep, I’ve definitely got a day job, I’m a full time graphic designed and illustrator and I run my own little design studio in the evenings. That’s a fair few hours dedicated to designing per day, but it’s the only thing I’ve ever been relatively proficient at. I’m also 100% addicted to coffee, I think those 2 things are related though.. / / Which artists influence or inspire you? Oh, far too many to mention really, I’m really in love with art/design, so anyone that can provoke a response from me gets my admiration. At the heart of things though, It’s all about skate-art for me really. Artists Like Vance Courtland Johnson, Andy Jenkins, Sean Cliver, Neil Blender, A.Hourtley, the Mighty Jim Phillips just to scratch the surfaces. Then there’s people like Jeff Soto & Nate Van Dyke, both of whom I’m currently fascinated with. THEN.. there’s all my comic book heroes, Jack Kirby, Mark Silvestri, Romita’s both junior and senior… there’s just so many people I admire out there. On top of that, there’s all these people I’ve found here at Redbubble that I’ve had to add to that list too. There’s some truly gifted art ninja’s amongst us here. What was your introduction to Game of Kings and what decided you on getting involved? My introduction was that I’d talked to Simon a little while ago about doing some form of collaboration work, and then when he hit me with this tidal wave of an idea for the Game of Kings, I was just blown away, and knew that I wanted to get right into it, as I’d been finding things were getting a little stagnant here at RB, and I don’t know anything that shakes off the blues like throwing yourself head long into a huge melting pot of ideas. I continued to be amazed at every single person involved. It’s been an honour. / What has been most noteworthy about your involvement to date? The people involved are all passionate about what they’re doing, and it inspires you to push yourself harder and harder. With this many people backing you, you want to blow your own doors off.(artistically speaking). Plus they’re all just the most amazing sounding boards for ideas, and everyone’s taking suggestions, incorporating them where they see fit. It’s the truest form of group collaboration I’ve ever witnessed. Is there anything you’d especially like us to know about your characters? Hmm, well I guess I’d like you all to know that while I’ve been the hands that created the lines you’re seeing, the ideas, the concepts, pretty much everything about them has came about organically through this collaborative process. I don’t feel any ownership of them, so much as I shared their creation with everyone. It’s a cool feeling really. / Is there anything else you’d like to add? I just hope everyone can enjoy the works, the stories, the whole grand scale picture that’s been created here. I’d also like to publically thank my fellow collaborators, this has been one hell of a ride! An honour to work beside each and every single one of you.
*You’ve been a member of Redbubble now for over 2 years and we know enough about you so let’s get stuck into the questions shall we? How…
You’ve been a member of Redbubble now for over 2 years and we know enough about you so let’s get stuck into the questions shall we? How did you get involved with the Game of Kings? I was invited after the design crew was put together by Simon. It was on the recommendation of Glen Smith and Scott Robinson who I’ve done so much work with and they knew instinctively that this is something I would jump at the chance to be involved with. Mind you, at this point in time they didn’t how or why (neither did I at that stage) but I’m glad they did because after a few chats with Simon I cottoned on that his scope was far bigger than I first thought they would try to achieve and that was when I was hooked. This was going to be on an epic scale and had the potential to be a multi media bonanza, something I had wanted to achieve with Monk Rock. Simon didn’t think quick collaboration – he wanted to throw it into the air and see how far it could spread out in all directions. / It was obvious from the get go that it was going to work when a forum was set up and people started throwing ideas around like a pie fight. / The best way to describe it was like having ten people standing around a ping pong table and just bouncing the ball from one paddle to another building up momentum. / A lot of the designs, character traits and narratives came from these early days and the project grew from there. What’s been your experience being part of the project to date, and how do think it will be received? I don’t know how it’ll be received to be honest, initial reaction has been good and a few t shirts have been sold but as far as I’m concerned this is only the beginning. In fact it’s Phase / One of many yet to come. / As for my experience, I can say it has been fantastic and enlightening and came along when I really needed an artistic challenge in my life. But getting back to the original question When I got invited in to be part of this project I thought it was the most brilliant concept and from the start I wanted to do the most exciting things we could possibly do and that was all I could ask for. That’s what it’s always been about, really enjoying and getting genuinely / excited about the possibilities. Not necessarily achieving anything of my own ambitions just going into it with that sense of wonder and imagining what it could be if we got it right. How much have you enjoyed helping create characters – have they been fun/interesting/tricky for any reason? The fun part was the expectation, I had no idea what to write so I began by doing some descriptions and sort of faux biographies of each piece while still retaining some semblance to the board piece it represents – how it moves and interacts with other pieces, and as I did this some of the guys were running with these ideas for their pieces. As the pieces started to appear as works in progress I started to build a narrative around what the artists had created. I didn’t want it the other way round – and I made it clear –I would write the story around their art. This way the 8 different styles represented by the artists weren’t bound by any story boundaries. The story itself has a beginning, an ending with two possible outcomes and a long thin spine running between the two so that there is lots of room to move with narrative. The story itself could be summed up as two armies meet, battle, who wins? So rather than think up some long winded fantasy epic, the narrative is told in vignettes that reveal the characters, their worlds and what is happening in small bites. When you first see the characters you get this feeling of majestic splendour and you may be mistaken to think that they came from one of those dense fantasy novels that always seem to come in trilogies, I wanted it to be a little less serious under the surface. I decided to throw in a fair bit of left-of-centre weirdness to keep it interesting. I suppose this is to be expected because this is how I write and the style is close to my heart. So if you needed a reference point it is waving a big salute to Terry Pratchett. After a few of these vignettes started appearing and I got some positive feedback I thought why not tell the story in other ways and that is how the animations came to be. It’s funny how a 10 second short can say so much about one character. I hope these can be spread all through the pieces as they are released. All up it’s been a hoot, I love sending them off to Simon willy nilly just to get his reaction. That of course is one of the beautiful things about this collaboration it’s all about creating and pushing the envelope. Going back to the Black Army, thanks to Simon’s genius and creative style the Black Army was easy to write for because it was a dystopian society and everyone did what the King said. Easy. But this doesn’t mean they don’t have their own little chinks in their armour. Is there anything else you’d like to add? This is only going to get better. With this sort talent to work with this whole collaboration is going to rock big time. I feel totally honoured to be part of it. Also if you keep an eye on the Group Blog you’ll see some of the works in progress and discarded artworks and get an idea of how high these guys set the bench mark. Oh yeah and check out Monk Rock it’s fun and includes art from some of the guys here in an earlier lifetime.
_Ever-elusive, the artist known as Sjem has been a valuable contributor to the Game of Kings proje…
Ever-elusive, the artist known as Sjem has been a valuable contributor to the Game of Kings project. Managing to pin him down and restrain him with the aid of a crack team of commandos, we recorded the following before he managed to overpower us and make good his escape… Can we have a few words about your good self? / I spend most of the working week being an architect. Redbubble is where I come to share all other things that leak out of my brain. I also wish I had the ability to grow facial hair. So that leads to the question how did you get involved with the project? / I think it was shortly after the London Calling Competition that I recieved a bmail from Master Sherry. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, the scale of this collaboration is simply fantastic and the company I’m in is esteemed. It’s been a great experience in being able to give and receive feedback and comments from a pool of amazing talent. The place my work ended up is nowhere near where I would have predicted in the beginning. How do you personally think it is going and do you think it has potential? What an incredible ride this has been, and I suspect that ‘setting the board’ is just the beginning. Everyone in the team has produced incredible work and the diversity of styles is a testament both to Simon’s skilled selection of collaborators and the talent of the collaborators themselves. I’d love to see other people drawn in – a book or comic, followed by figurines and then a movie deal with Peter Jackson, early retirement, and then a 10 year reunion where we try to create a sequel but instead act like a bunch of spoilt divas and spend the rest of our lives bitching about each other. That could be fun I reckon. Do you want to flog some other projects you are involved in? / Not much in the project box at the moment to be honest. Sorry. We’ll be sure to find something to keep him busy …
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