THE GOBLIN NEWSLETTER 53

Someone asked me about influences a few days ago & I got to thinking about all of the things that go into making my flavor. When I was young & hadn’t put in my time these influences were more to the fore & less subtle. There were just also dramatically less things influencing my output. I always think of my stylistic base as one of those legendary ramen broths that a little hole in the wall spot in Japan has been making since they opened, so the broth is actually 40 years old, but it’s constantly being renewed with new basics. That said, the number of strong influences I have would take me a long time to document & I’d undoubtedly leave some things out. But I have to think about this stuff actively because I’m building up a studio of artists to do illustration work for me, not as me, but to communicate what I want to communicate. So at this point, it’s harder to point out overt influences & easier to point out principles or rules. There is a whole system that is guiding my output at this point. Let’s try & put these rules to paper, though as soon as I said that I realized that each project has its own rules.

• Something for everyone. 

• Don’t just play one note, play with contrasts.

• Make a clear goal for the project with all the elements serving the goal. If an element doesn’t serve the goal, get rid of it.

• Let the audience come away from the project with something new, a sense of purpose.

• Entertain, educate & inspire. 

Those were my larger rules for projects, as far as illustrating them, that’s another thing. I could write some rules for those as well.

• Go for impact. Dynamism, high-contrast & clear story-telling.

• The Devil is in the details. Always include details that add to the story.

• Realism only matters in terms of making things look right. The audience shouldn’t look at something & say, “what’s going on?” unless confusion is part of the goal.

• Emulating the style of limited technology that we have evolved with for thousands of years is better than being a leaf controlled by winds of the now. Those winds should be harnessed.

• Play with rigidity & fluidity, neither are merits unto themselves but are tools & things that can be used to build contrast. 

This is fun, I have thought about & studied a lot of art over the years & have a lot to say about it. I’ll think about this more.