R.I.P.

The TOP SECRET PROJECT revealed!

Let me get this straight right off the bat -

Playmates was GREAT! They are NOT the Corporate Fun Smasher. They were very fun to work with and beyond fair throughout this project. The Giant Retailer who cancelled their order killed the project. Or maybe somebody at Playmates thought they had more of a solid deal than they really had. I can't really play the blame game there, I don't know all that. All I know is the folks at Playmates were awesome. Look at this! They said it was cool if I show a little art on my blog! That's pretty cool, coming from a company that develops big multi-jillion $ toy lines and has trade secrets and stuff. I guess they're pretty sure this thing is deader'n hell.

ENOUGH POLITICS! What is this stuff?

answer: I'm not sure. The Steves over at Goblertoys are involved in this electronic board game. Because, you know, you can't just collect cards or play a board game anymore - it's gotta be ELECTRONIC and digital and shit. I never knew what all the bar codes and scores and stuff were all about. Not my department.

I'm not sure if the Steves invented it, or are/were developing it. But Steve C pulled me in for character design and illustration. There were 50 cards. Somebody else illustrated the first 10. I was doing 40. And the idea was that there would be future characters, so this coulda been a really sweet gig. BOO HOO!

Below is a rough sketch, an inked card, and a finished card. Click to embiggen.

WAYNO: I was not trying to channel VIP for the cop. It just happened. No kidding!

MR. DOBBS: Can you guess who the Giant Retailer is???

TOMORROW: THE ONE THE OTHER MARK M WORKED ON!



10 comments:

Jed Alexander said...

It's hard to suss out just what this game could be about, (is that how you spell "suss"?) but the drawings are sweet. Gotta love those guys at Gobler Toys.

Marek Bennett said...

Mark --

Somewhere out there, there is an alternate universe with an alternate earth where they DID go ahead and develop this game...

I guess that's not much consolation.

Good lord, you're a genius.

-- Marek

Anonymous said...

These are super cool! What a shame.

James Robert Smith said...

Thank JOVE those were cancelled!

But how could they have not been a hit? For Playmates are:

"The Coolest Toys EVER!"

Says so right on their website.

Actually, I'm sorry the gig folded. I understand how tough it is to keep the work rolling in when you're freelance. (That first part was just a joke, and even though I've ruined it with this explanation, I'm still going to leave it there.)

Anonymous said...

It still reminds me of the old "Lie Detector" game.

These pictures are funny as shit.

Who "owns" the drorings?

Anonymous said...

Hey. On the cop picture:
shouldn't "interrogation room" be backwards?

Mark Martin said...

DAMMIT! Benny's right. I forgot to flip that text around.

Mike Dobbs said...

Oh I know this is a trap...I shouldn't even post a reply...but I'm a weak person who is compelled to say "Wal-Mart" and then compelled to make a statement about it doesn't matter how good something is, you'll never find out because a distributor has decided for the targeted audience before they got a chance to see the thing. We all know kids would have responded to these images.

And even if it isn't Wal-Mart, I'm forced to say that when ONE store makes a decision that affects an entire marketplace that is pretty messed up.

Now Mark will make a comment about how wrong I am and what a negative liberal I am and how it doesn't matter and isn't life beautiful.

The end

Mark Martin said...

See, Mikey, it IS all in your mind. You coulda just said Wal Mart and been a happy winner. But you had to go and smear your blood and tears all over everything.

Benny - I own the original sketches (except the ones I gave Dobbs and Bissette for Christmas). Playmates owns the characters and all rights.

~ tOkKa said...

-->> ..their loss..


..the bozos ..
>v<