Announcing an Indie Game

Last year, I made a discovery about myself. I was searching for the answer to one of those simple questions whose answer can sometimes be elusive but is of great importance. What am I on the Earth to do?

I thought I would find the answer by pondering the future of my life, and my future legacy. But I realized that that’s where my question is coming from. I needed to look elsewhere for the answer. I started looking backward instead, and I realized that I have been given gifts and passion and it is in bringing those to the forefront that I can become the best version of myself.

I discovered that I need to make a video game.

And not just any video game. The Video Game. If my working life only produced one product, what would I want it to be? A video game. If I could only make one video game, what would it be? If I could only write one kind of story for the video game, what would the story be about? This is self expression. I need to express the ideas I’ve had since youth with the skills I’ve developed since then.

I think that for my entire life I’ve wanted to make a video game. I remember in kindergarden I drew cross sections of ant hills. There were red ants. Black ants. And when they mixed, there were fighting ants. Dead ants. The drawings were formulaic. There was a surface, there were tunnels winding underground, and there were ants. Lots of ants. I loved inventing new ant hills and finding new things to do with this simple formula.

I was designing a game, I think. Even if I was only playing at designing a game. I didn’t know much about computers at the age of 5. This was 1991. And it would be years before I would take up an interest in programming (I wish I could go back like Biff Tannen and show myself how to do it).

The designing trend continued through all my schooling, though with different types of games I progressed. Each game had its own rules. Even today, I can remember how to design scenarios on paper in all the games I played at creating. There were space battles, there were Indiana Jones style archaeology adventure games, there were puzzle games, etc.

As I looked back on all of those designs I invented with so much detail it was clear that that was what I really wanted to do. And I was shocked when I realized that I possessed most of the skills necessary to make a video game, I just need to improve and combine them. I’ve always drawn. I’ve studied animation. I’ve made sprites for web design. I’ve always been analytical, paying careful attention to details. I’m a self taught programmer. I have a BFA in Graphic Design. I’ve been interested in music for a long time. And I possess a great appreciation for the fine arts, including storytelling (novels, films).

So I’m making a game. I’m doing it alone (with input from trusted friends). It will take years. When the game is maybe 60% done, I’ll be able to share more. Down the pipe I’ll shed light on the name, genre, style, platforms, characters, etc. I’ll also share art and videos, etc. But for now, I’m brewing. I’m iterating. I’m keeping secrets.

Moonlings site launch OR How the passing of Steve Jobs lit a fire in my soul

Announcing a new website for Moonlings! Yes, moonlings.com is here!

How did this happen? I’m about to tell you. At length.

When Steve Jobs passed away a month ago today, I was shaken. Despite my prediction that his death would be imminent at the time he stepped down from his role at Apple as CEO, I was unprepared. Here’s the guy that gave us personal computers. Gave us MP3 players that were usable. Gave me the only phone I ever wanted to use. The list goes on but others have doen it better justice.

The point is, I felt lost. In a world without your hero, what do you do next? What do you believe now? Who should you follow now? I was without direction. Jobs wanted “to make a ding in the universe.” I think he did. He was a big deal, but after enough time, even he won’t be remembered. So of course neither will I or my work. So what’s the point in it all? I’ve recently found answers in Ecclesiastes.

A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.

Ecclesiastes 2:24

And again:

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

Orientation. You are mine.

My work seeks after greatness; I want to find satisfaction in my toil. When I’m not working I’m being happy– eating and drinking– the way that all the living ought to each day. And in all of this I’m trying to do good. I’ve taken as my personal mantra the family motto of my mother’s maiden surname. The Sinclair family motto: COMMIT THY WORK TO GOD.

Thankfully, this new orientation gave context to words he spoke at the June 12, 2005 Stanford commencement that I treasured yet struggled with. Here’s an excerpt:

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Full text and video

All of these reflections caused me to decide to follow God and follow my heart. This is the first step in what I hope will be a life-long journey, the principles of which are simple enough to remember always, yet they emphasize being present in the moment.

To begin with, I made a list of everything I needed to do to create the greatest Moonlings site I could. Then, to make sure the site got online before my “Moonlings Presents: Thirteen Days of Halloween” project launched, I drew a line somewhere fairly high in the list. I set out to accomplish everything above the line before that project’s launch date, so that I wouldn’t put off my dreams any longer.

When your hero dies, you have to remember that as you honor and celebrate their spirit in a part of your heart; they’re still with you. There is no replacement for Steve and there never will be, but that’s okay. What we loved about our hero, we own a part of in our own souls and we live it out in our lives.

He told his colleagues at Apple not to ask “What would Steve do?” after he was gone. He said to just do what’s right.

Pro tip: It’s easier when you don’t think it either.

Steve Jobs Farewell

People who know me well know that I’m a long time Apple fanboy. Two nights ago, Steve Jobs resigned from Apple. I wanted to do something. Click the image for a larger version.

Happy anniversary, Benjamin and Sara! I did this set in August 2007 for my friends’ wedding. The bride and groom framed them and gave them to the wedding party.

This was one of my earliest ventures in doing the actual art for Moonlings digitally. There’s something great about the raw ones, but the benefits of the digital execution can’t be denied either. At this point, I’m looking for approaches for doing hybrids, seeking the best of both worlds. We’ll see!

Bosses have “redo”

The Future Future

Harvey Pickle started out life in this comic strip which I produced while working on my undergraduate at Oklahoma Christian.

After doing comics for a semester for OC’s paper, the Talon, I began to move away from the multi-paneled comic strip format. I funneled my smaller ideas into Moonlings and longed for a deeper format for bigger ideas. I imagined a vast universe wherein Harvey Pickle might live. I imagined many more adversities that a future future man might face, and several friends that would help him along the way.

I hope – one day – to have the chance focus on Harvey and see where he takes me. It’s a big universe. Who knows where we’ll end up.

When it is not apparent to me that logic is on my side, I preface my vehemence with this disclaimer.

This is a photo of a print from a limited run I did based on a previous Moonling. It is entitled “I saw it poop!”

This piece was created using woodcut (three blocks). The mutliblock woodcut process goes something like this:

Carve the surface of a block of wood leaving only the area that you want to print. Do the same thing for as many other blocks of wood as you want in order to make up a complete picture, one block for each color. Then you ink the block that needs to be printed first and press it into the paper. You have to let it dry before you do the next color. The last block to print on this piece was the black.

I Like Spike

Sometimes you just gotta find a vision you can sustain and stay interested in long enough to output some work. I designed this for my sweet wife who geeks out over Buffy.

I thought I would share some photos from the process of creating this last piece. Above, the canvas has been coated with flat latex. The linework is already on the piece at this point. I apologize that I don’t have images from before this stage. I work from much smaller sketches that give me an initial idea of how I want to work the composition.

I don’t draw under-drawings directly on the canvas; I use a simple graphite transfer from a sheet of large paper where I have drawn a large version of my sketch. With the impression of the linework now on top of the latex, I then ink the lines in various weights.

Above, I’ve secured a sheet of paper on the canvas with the lettering written out on it.

The reverse of the sheet is covered with graphite.

As I write over the lettering, the loose graphite is transferred onto the canvas.

I then ink over the impression.

More inking.

It’s not an exact process, but I’m always trying to get the final piece to be faithful to the sketch.

After the initial ink, I add acrylics. The red is mixed, but the white is straight from the tube. Afterward, much of the linework needs redone before the piece is complete.

Also – happy birthday, Dad!

Happy valentines day!

I’m excited to share this new piece I just completed last week on commission! If you didn’t catch the reference, I must advise that you watch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou! I hadn’t seen it when I was asked to do the painting, and to tell you the truth I’m still trying to figure it out. I don’t usually prefer to reference other works overtly, but in this case, I made an exception; If the reference isn’t cryptic enough, the movie certainly was.

I’m making a color palette change. I hope you like it!

Incidentally, this is a remake of a previous post.