In Search of Artists
What do you do when you want to create a series of card decks, each with original art, but you can’t draw? You head straight for the Internet.
We knew that it wasn’t going to be enough to have a great game. Kids can be demanding, especially when it comes to the look of their heroes. So, what do you do when you want to create a series of card decks, each with original character art, but you can’t draw? You head straight to the Internet.
I went to a variety of websites where freelance artists were posting their desire for work. I put up an advertisement looking for “sci-fi comic book artists,” hoping to find at least two or three talented souls who could share our enthusiasm for this quest. I was soon bombarded with responses from around the world! They were sending samples that astounded me. There is so much talent available online in search of an outlet.
One by one, I sifted through the samples, resumes, and notes from these fascinating people. Each of them clearly had a deep appreciation for this unique art form, and each of them seemed eager to participate. They all recognized this opportunity to create their own character in their preferred style, empowering it with the personality they desired and using their own individual illustration technique instead of trying to mimic someone else’s. Herobits are not all cast from the same mould.
First, I connected with a young artist from the Philippines, Emmanuel Xerx Javier. Emmanuel had been working on independent comics, both print and online, for a few years. After hearing me out, reviewing early story lines, and sketching out a few drafts, Emmanuel created the look of the very first Herobits character, James Willstorm. Emmanuel was also responsible for the look of the LRX1 Reaper, a remarkable accomplishment given the description he was given: “It’s a seven-foot robot with a claw as one hand and a chainsaw for the other. It has pollution-spewing exhaust pipes coming off its back like a big tractor, and guts like a combustion engine.”
Then I found two other artists, Franklin Vincent Ouano and Samuel Vega Donato, who teamed up with a gentleman named Melencio to develop the second Herobits character, Li Kui. Franklin is a graphic designer with experience as an illustrator/penciller, and Samuel has been working as a digital colorist and a freelance illustrator/cartoonist. Then there is Ryan, Carla, and Scott, plus a couple others who shall remain a secret, each working on their own character in their own style.
The artwork you see in these decks, and those yet to come, represents a growing community of professionals with amazing artistry and creativity. Not only are they putting a face to the Herobits characters, but they are also actually building their heroes’ personalities. I look forward to finding more artists who want to share in this world and help the Herobits battle to save the Earth!
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