The Art of Squidpunk!
Expanding on a video game idea I had pitched in 2022, I illustrated and designed an digital art of book to explore the the world of Squidpunk!Through using the punk aesthetic, Japanese video games, and 2000s publishing design, I was able to capture the mood of this story about a food delivering Japanese girl biker gang. Bold colors and illustrations of various styles helped me highlight the energy of my idea and make these characters feel more fleshed out, authentic, and real.
Click on the cover to read!
Instructor: Dermot Mac Cormack
Project Year: 2024
Publishing
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Illustration
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Publishing 〰️ Illustration 〰️
Process
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Process 〰️
Squidpunk! is an idea I’ve been sitting on for a very very long time. It was one of the earliest stories I wrote (dating way back into high school) and one of the first screenplays I had ever written. But I felt back then that I didn’t have the skills to take the idea beyond scribbles and notes. I never would’ve guessed that it would be one of the projects I’m most proud of seven years later.
(I promise I draw way better than this now.)
Squidpunk’s earliest concept art of Nanako Akagi circa 2016
Fast forward to 2022, I had further explored Squidpunk as a video game idea. It was a quick and rough sprint but it gave Squidpunk a more original and interesting story and the reception to my initial pitch was overwhelmingly positive. The audience I pitched to encouraged me to really dive into this idea so I decided to do just that.
First Explorations
My initial process was to dive into how art books are designed. I noticed how the layouts and type were mostly kept simple so that the artwork could take center stage.
From my first pass, I learned about how fast I could draw under such a short period of time to produce a completed book and what layout options I felt drawn too. I liked the suggestion of punk aesthetics but still with the clean layouts and vibrant color of Japanese publishing. I wasn’t too attached to my first pass so I ultimately decided that I needed to re-haul.
Illustration Style
With the Art of Squidpunk!, I really wanted to push my digital painting skill and to loosen up with my artstyle. What I love about artbooks is how they showcase so many different artstyles and it’s always inspiring to see just how much work went into making one collective work of art. This project helped me push myself and truly become a concept artist: that is someone who completely designs an idea from the ground up.
Logo Design
Squidpunk’s logo was drawn quick and rough, just like them. Originally, I tried some punk-ish set type solutions but a rougher hand drawn logo fit the brand of Squidpunk much more. I used a brush inspired by Sumi-e ink, a nod to their Japanese heritage and I wanted to feel like something one of them would quickly scribble kind of like graffiti.
First pass
For the little squid icon, I thought a tough but cute looking squid fit their aesthetic really well. I added five tentacles for symmetry and to represent each member and also gave it a hachimaki, which is a bandana that can represent courage and is also used practically by Japanese chefs to keep sweat out of their eyes.
Final
Inspiration
I knew that I wanted to create characters set in the early 2000s of Japan. But as a character designer, I felt that it was my responsibility to include more substance to my characters beyond just aesthetics. Through thorough research and the help of those around me, I was able to research some of the ethnic groups that make up Japan and what design looked like back then to add authenticity to what I was going for in my book. As for the story of Squidpunk, I really dove into that universal of feeling like you don’t belong but eventually finding your tribe. This is a story that stemmed from a personal anxiety I’d been dealing with in high school of feeling left behind my peers. What if I didn’t mature or progress as fast as them? What could I do if I was left behind? Just as the Squidpunk is Yumie’s second chance at life, I learned that a second chance is always out there for all of us.
Collateral
Since Squidpunk originated as a game idea, I made a few deliverables to promote it throughout Instagram and Steam. I also designed some stickers of my characters and the cute Squidpunk mascot!
Final Thoughts
Through creating an artbook, I developed a stronger appreciation for every aspect of design from publishing to illustration and branding. Developing the world of something that you’ve mostly daydreamed about proved to be more difficult than I thought, but the end result couldn’t have been more fulfilling. Thanks to the incredible guidance and help from those around me and my own intense research, I now have a bible of sorts that I can reference anytime and can also show to others as a way of clearly showing off my idea.