Fun_AdmiralHomie

Ok, here's the real piece we were working on to get us back into art mode. It's like a mock-up hype poster for Homie Airport, based on my old Cancun Kid character design, though oddly enough, I finished this piece first, then that sketch, then the Pocky piece. The story behind this piece is oddly complex. I couldn't draw anything anymore--that stupid election just made everything seem meaningless and futile, especially art.

This was the first time that I've had zero will to draw in a long, long, long time. But I knew I had to force myself to snap out of it because of the upcoming hullabaloo. Eventually I inched my way to sketching, but everything that came out was utter gutter garbo balarbo. So I thought I'd baby-steps it by being super specific, giving myself a clear template to follow, namely tracing and refining my old Homie Airport sketch.

Now here's the twist, drawing this was punishment. I usually use things I like to sort of punish myself. Like, back when I was playing Magic regularly, if I ever screwed up heinously, I'd force myself to buy single cards, something I seldom do cuz I don't like Constructed. If I'd screw up again, I'd buy more expensive or voluminous cards, sorta like the classic dad punishing his cig-sampling kid by making him smoke a whole pack--just heap on the "good" thing in a sarcastic "take that" move.

So in this case, I knew I had some other important pieces to get to, but as punishment for not being able to control my emotions, for caving into misery and not channeling it into productivity, I dove into this piece. It was therapeutic, of course, listening to Adrian Simon's catalog and drawing fan art, so it was definitely a positive experience. But obviously, it was time away from what should have been my main focus. I still have a lingering feeling of uselessness as always, so I have a hunch it doesn't make a difference either way.

Anyway, I concepted Homie as a cocky, but laid-back, fun-and-music-loving hippy-dandy admiral guy. He's the boss/only DJ of a deserted island radio station, where he plays tunes (the AdSim catalog) for all to rock to. He can manipulate space and time through music, warping the very island to his taste, but unfortunately he can't ever leave cuz the signal only extends to the coastline. Rather than bleep for help all day, he just plays his jams and enjoys absolute command over this, his island HQ (and de facto paradisiacal prison).

What he doesn't know is he crash landed here and is going (or has gone) insane alone on the island. Even the real-world audience doesn't know this, unless they read and interpret the liner notes carefully. So while they only see a suave admirally guy playing those slamming grooves for all the chipper islander chaps, away from his musical magic he's actually something like an unkempt hobo raving in the night from atop a broken-down radio tower on a lonely, lush island. Fortunately he plays music nigh constantly, rarely breaking the illusion.

Working on this piece was just the thing I needed. I don't feel back at 100%, but I do feel there's enough juice in the tank to get us going again. Excited for the new album. Don't actually know if it's going to be released as Homie Airport, but fingers crossed there's more rock afoot.

Not normal,

Reuxben