Davy is the only character mentioned so far that has a face, but on the other hand he has no story. I’d like to keep it that way though. While researching Hello Kitty I kept coming across the notion of Kitty being an icon rather than a character, something that bends and molds depending on the audiences tastes. She is anything her fans want her to be and more. This is her appeal, but it leaves little room for character development and growth. I was quite taken by this, but I knew since I want a message for my project this would be very difficult to do. If I left characters too vague my point would definitely be unclear.

Davy, however, gives me the option to do that.

Davy was first created in Italy in my, at the time, brand new sketchbook. A fuzzy blue creature with no eyes, big red lips, and a creepy grin. No doubt inspired by the Gorillaz and a show I used to watch growing up called “Aaaahh! Real Monsters!” Davy became a slight doodle obsession of mine since then, creepy and yet able to bring me a certain sense of comfort.

Then when I visited London during my semester break abroad I came across an exhibit about Gargoyles (I wish I could remember any information about the gallery and exhibit but I can and it’s so frustrating). The Gargoyle featured in the exhibit was frightening and grotesque, but upon reading the artist’s statement on the work it made sense. Simply put, gargoyles are good demons that we create and control to scare away other demons.

That is what Davy is. He is a gargoyle. He has no character really, he is just an icon. I want him to represent both a protective force as well as stand in as a reflection of what he is to protect against. He will probably never speak or have any said personality of his own, much like Hello Kitty. It’s up to the audience to decide what he’s like.

I already feel I’ve succeeded in giving him life after creating his ceramic form. When I think of him I do sort of feel a sense of protection, but naivety. There are dark things in the world and though he could be considered “good” he’s one of them.

He’ll appear everywhere; character’s clothes, keychains, notebooks, doodles, etc. Yet, very rarely if ever will he actually appear in person.

He’s the hero, the good force to counteract Reaper evil.

EDIT: It’s also important to note that though Davy is the Gargoyle Guardian of Tha City, he is not the only Gargoyle in the world. There are others out there just like him.

She feels no fear
She feels no pain
What she kills is
What she stands to gain
She’ll do it with a smile
Life’s just a game

Lil Miss Bubblegum POP’s character comes from a few places. First, I wanted a foil to G Boy. Someone who was actually from the hood but you’d never guess it. So I decided a sweet, cute, and lovable little girl would certainly do the trick, but I needed more than that to truly foil G Boy. Then I began to think about the child soldiers in Africa and how desensitized they are. Then I thought, what if this girl has been around so much violence, death, murder, and destruction it has just ceased to have an impression on her any longer. What if it has become so ingrained it is simply seen as a natural thing–as essential to everyday living as breathing.

Now I didn’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of all urban places being hyperviolent murder zones with guns going off everywhere all the time and people fighting and killing each other in the street. But, violence does happen, and it would be naive to ignore it. Yet, the violence at the level in which Bubblegum POP has experienced it is unlikely to happen in even the worst cities in this country. So, in comes the villians..ha.

Lil Miss Bubblegum POP is super sweet and friendly. She enjoys cakes, candies, and anything cute. There doesn’t seem to be a mean bone in her body.
In truth she’s deadly. She could shoot a man dead without a second thought and keep smiling. Abandoned as a baby Bubblegum POP was taken in by the city’s most notorious and dangerous gang; the Reapers. She was raised to be a killing machine and her aim is good. All Bubblegum POP has ever known is the violence the Reapers have exposed her to. She is not heartless, she is misguided.

EDIT: While thinking about POP’s little tag poem I realized that her dissensitivity to violence could mirror the same sort of feelings younger generations who play violent games such as Grand Theft Auto have. In those games players hurt kill and murder without a second thought, taking joy in it as they gain points and rewards for it. As POP is rewarded in a similar way by the Reapers this seems relevant.

RESEARCH

I guess…the most helpful research I can do for Bubblegum POP is the affects violence have on children in different scenarios. Of course child soldiers seem to be the most relevant. How are they brainwashed into becoming killing machines? Do they really show no remorse for their actions? How do they become so desensitized? Furthermore, I’m interested to know what kind of people do this to children? I think this research may disturb me the most but it also seems to fascinate me the most as well so I’m prepared for it.

A concern I have, not just for Bubblegum POP but for all my characters is portraying them without glorifying gang violence.

EDIT: Something else to research – video game violence and how it dissensitizes youth.

G Boy think he so damn hood
G Boy say he wanna play
G Boy says he from tha hood
but he live 10 blocks away

Ah. G Boy I didn’t really need much research for except for my own life experience. I have come across many interesting people in my life, but none perplex me quite as much as the gangsta/thug wannabes. I just…I find it very difficult to understand why anyone would want to lie about or exaggerate their background and upbringing to make their lives seem worse off then they actually are.

G Boy acts hard, tough, an impenetrable. He’s got guns, knives, the works. He is not above illegal activity to get what he wants and is entirely absorbed in material goods. He claims he’s one of the nastiest heartless fighters the earth has ever seen and has the scars to back it up.
Truth is, G Boy wasn’t raised in the hood, but right outside it. His parents, both of which are alive and well off, drive him to school and pick him up everyday. He’s never known what it’s like to go a day without a meal or have a presentless Christmas. He doesn’t know what it’s like to loss a parent. He doesn’t even know what it’s like to experience death of a loved one since all his grandparents are still alive and well.
Everything he knows about the streets comes from his music, his video games, the shows and music videos he watches on tv, and by observing kids at school.

RESEARCH

There are a few things I would like to research to be able to fully develop and understand this character.

I would like to further investigate the affect the media has on youth. More specifically I would like to research the change (or in my opinion the degeneration) in Hip Hop and particularly Rap music from their first appearances in the late 1980’s to their rather sad status now.
I find it interesting that Hip Hop at its peak offered words of encouragement and empowerment to inner city youth of color and now that type of message is no longer seen in the mass media. No one seems to want to hear about youth of color succeeding–or so the media would have us believe. Instead the only representations of people of color we ever seem to see on television is gangsta rappers whose only interest is sex, drugs, guns, and money; scantily clad voluptuous women without a voice or purpose except to please men; obnoxious and angry black women with flaring violent tempers and no sense of self control; and…well that’s about it.
So then I wonder, if these are the only role models youth of color have is there any surprise that this is what they strive to be? If the media continues to glorify and romanticize “hood life” how are children supposed to know any better? Then, the conspiratist in me starts to wonder…is this deliberate? Does the media purposely weed out role models worthy of a following and replace them with criminals on purpose? Is this some sort of act to continue to keep people of color down? Maybe, I’m thinking to much into it, but it does seem a bit suspicious that radio stations would rather play songs about material gain, violence, sex, misogyny, and drugs over songs–often by the same artists with similar beats–that speak of true love, respect, dignity, and doing your very best in life.
I suppose, we can take this as a message. By weighing the more prominent themes I guess we get a true sense of real American values.

“Stray” is what I’ve decided to name my line for my honors project.  It has that random edgy feel while still possessing some sort of relevance and meaning to my project.  The more I think about it the more appropriate it is to me.

I’ll list a few reasons I’ve come up with here.

I originally came up with the name because that is how I’ve often felt; like a stray cat or a mutt.  I often feel I have no background or place or sense of where I’m going or true understanding of where I come from.  I don’t fit into neat little categories and boxes, I don’t fit in anywhere.  I’m distinctly different and even when I try to fit in I’m found out as easily as a dirty mutt in a pedigree competition.

While this can be seen as sad and lonesome, especially when the rain pours and there is no shelter (metaphorically speaking in my case), there is a certain freedom to it.  I’m not bonded to anything.  The world is my backyard and I can go where I please, do what I please.  I don’t have to deal with the pressures of having to be one thing or another.  I’m free to simply just be me, whether people like it or not.

So that is how the name “Stray” originally became an option.

Then as I became to develop a clearer sense of where I’m going to take this project the name became so much more relevant.

First, for the obvious reason that my line is going to be very influenced by urban culture and dress.  It just seems fitting that the name follow the citylife feel.

Second, because of my characters.

I haven’t really fully developed any characters, though I have a few ideas of some I would like to create.

They will all be diverse in many different ways; appearance, idealoology, background, etc.  Strays in their own right because they are all on their own paths trying to make their own way.  Some have been lead astray and need guidance as they continue on their life’s journey.

Overall I feel the title is exactly what I was looking for.  Urban edge with depth.  Plus I seem to have a thing for S’s.  Go figure.

So I realize for my project I’m going to need a company name in order to be truly effective.  So first I’m going to list all the companies/stores/products I like and see why their names work and why I like
them or on the flipside why I don’t like them.

Sanrio/Hello Kitty
Tokidoki
Kid Robot
Yellow Rat Bastard (YRB)
Ice Cream
Juicy Couture

Alright, already I see a bit of a trend that I like.  A few of them focus on an object or a character that they use at a mascot or theme in their products.  So maybe I should start thinking about my own mascot or theme for my product line.   There’s also something cute and childlike in most of the names.  Since that’s what I’m going for that’s something I’ll focus on.  I like that Tokidoki took a word from another language and adopted it as their own, that could be interesting.

I don’t like Yellow Rat Bastard because I feel like it could cause unnecessary controversy and cut down my audience base.  I remember when I was scared to tell my mom what YRB stood for because I didn’t want to get in trouble or be banned from going there.  I also don’t like Juicy Couture because…well I find something very corny about it.  It could also be that I just don’t like the word juicy, it grosses me out for some reason.  But that aside I feel like putting Couture in the name of any fashion line is rather pretentious.  I’d like to avoid that.

This should help me make a list or two of possible names (and mascots)

Mascots/Themes

Fox
Phoenix
Flowers
Cats
Dogs
Animals
Rose
New York City
Tokyo
Harajuku
Shibuya
Ganguro/rebel girls
kawaii bunka/culture of cute
Islands
Summer
Sun
Urban
Rainbows
Colour
Creepy
Cute
Dark
Fun

Name Ideas so far
Since I want my products to be cute yet a little rough around the edges I’d like my product name to be the same. Nothing to rough or vulgar but cute with a little hint of something else.
* = currently really like

Collision
Animal
Stray Cat
Mutt
Happy Fox
kitsune bunka (Fox Culture)
Kitsune (Fox)
Vulpe (Fox)
Zorro (Fox–like it but too strongly associated with the masked crime fighter)
Fenix
*Hi Jack/Hi Jinx (names suggested by my mom)
*Sugoi
*Ganzo
Corrupter
Chameleon
Sounder
*Pet
Red Panda
Caribou
Lycaon
*Wasabi G

03/26/09 – I think I’m going to go with MIlk

04/06/09 – Yeah, changed my mind…the list continues…