my influences (not all of them though)

I know I know, I haven't posted since finally uploading that progress video. This entry is actually for my professional practices class, and sharing my influences. I actually went back to an influence map meme that I did a year or two ago and that helped a lot.

But I digress, these are my biggest influences, inspirations, etc.

My number one influence of everything and my favorite artist ever is Moyoco Anno (http://www.annomoyoco.com/en/). Discovering and reading her graphic novel/manga, Sugar Sugar Rune, pretty much changed my outlook on doing comics. Everything about it was so fashionable, quirky, very expressive, and had these ornamental panel borders that I haven't seen in anything else in comics in general.

(For those who are into Neon Genesis Evangelion or fans of GAINAX, yes - she is Hideaki Anno's wife.)

Alphonse Mucha and art nouveau in general are really influential. The decorative borders, and use of line and color have inspired me since high school. Just...really really awesome. I don't really know what else to say.

A lot of cartoons I've watched as a child have inspired me to draw. One artist who has never ceased to inspire me with his style is John Kricfalusi / John K. (http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/) Yes, Ren & Stimpy was one of those cartoons kids really shouldn't have watched? Me? I loved it. And to this day, I just love how wonky, crazy, and wacky John's style is. And it really influenced me to really really REALLY love being not completely anatomically correct, and put a little cartoony wonkiness in my style.

 Another cartoonist that really inspired me is Jhonen Vasquez. Invader Zim was pretty much the sole reason of me going through a period of just, not liking being normal and embracing the weird in me (and here I am now - still weird as hell). And I've replicated his style a lot in repeated fanarts. I just love how deranged and crazy his style is. Later on I read his comic, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, and that definitely translates in comic form as well.

Here's a more recent influence in cartooning in the form of Christy Karacas. He's the creator of Superjail!, which is so visually mesmerizing that I am starting to stomach gory imagery. It makes the latter way more appealing to look at than usual, which says a lot from me - typically being REALLY squeamish towards that stuff. As with the previous two, his style is super quirky and wonky. And Superjail is really REALLY bright and colorful too.

Jamie Hewlett is just...amazing. His involvement with Gorillaz pretty much influenced a lot from when I was a kid when their self-titled debut album came out to now after the album release of Plastic Beach. The crossing between a music project and an illustrative side to it with a storyline is really inspiring for me since I love the heck out of music and art involved with music. I haven't read Tank Girl yet, but I really want to! Jamie's style is quirky and direct and...I guess slick in the smooth operator sense? A coolness factor?

(His website is forever under construction, so gosh who knows when that's going to happen.)

Rikka Sormunen (http://www.riikkas.com/) is one of a gazillion recent illustrators that I discovered on Tumblr. I love her use of pattern, line, lacking of line, and wonky anatomy. That and gosh look at this, FASHION. All her girls have a coolness and weird quality all at once. So cool.

Kaneoya Sachiko (http://yoiko-yokochou.com/yoiko_top.html) is an artist that has been on my mind since this past summer when I discovered their art on Tumblr (once again - straight up, you can find a lot of amazing artists on there). Their color use, line use, facial expressions, and aesthetics are just really inspiring to me. Not only is it manga-styled, but it feels a little cartoony and wonky too - which excites me greatly because that's what I am trying to do.

Jim Mahfood (jimmahfood.com/) is one of a few artists that have been inspiring me since high school. His use of line and ink and paints have always influenced me to embrace to go gritty and grungy. His use of type is also really inspiring and got me to kinda getting some bravery to do something pseudo-graffiti.