2K introduces the BioShock 2 Artists Series today, with a rendition of sisters both big and little by Jhonen Vasquez, creator of Invader Zim and Johnny the Homicidal Maniac.
Several talented artists will be contributing to the BioShock 2 Artists Series, which celebrates the impact the look and feel of Rapture has had upon the gaming community, but none will be as exciting to me as Jhonen Vasquez. I've been following Jhonen's work since time began, owning most of the things he has created in various formats, from the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic book and its spinoffs - Squee, I Feel Sick, and Fillerbunny - to the entire run of Invader Zim on DVD. His art is lovely, but his words....his words have influenced me far more than they should. From his description of the creation process for "The Sisters":
Who says kids are good for nothing other than emergency food in disaster conditions? I don't, because at this point my badass nieces helped out quite a bit for reference. I dragged them, much like Big Sister there, out for a quick photo session and we had a damn fine time in freezing winds posing like little the little, demonic wee ones that they are. Being my niece, the youngest had no problem finding that place in her heart that allowed her to simulate the howling face of a child being dragged down a nightmare alley by an unspeakable horror. Throw in a tall, monstrous friend of mine to stand in for Big Sister and you have four people with chattering teeth and trying to steal my jacket. After that, the line-art came pretty easily enough, save for an adjustment period of finding the balance between a more realistic style and not losing the strange cartoonishness.
It all makes sense now, doesn't it?
How can you get your hands on a print like this, signed by Jhonen himself? Simply be at the San Diego Comic-Con next week, where 500 prints will be given out at the BioShock 2 booth (#5033) on Saturday from 2-4 PM. I just found out I am attending, which means I will finally get a chance to be very close to Mr. Vasquez while my schedule keeps me from standing in line. The sense of loss will be much sweeter if he is only a few feet away. Oh the weeping I shall do. The weeping!
BIOSHOCK 2 ARTIST SERIES PART ONE: JHONEN VASQUEZ'S "THE SISTERS" [Cult of Rapture]