Hello, and welcome to Day 4 of what I’m dubbing Bomb’s Freaky Sweet Artist Appreciation Week, where I take an artist and one of their OC’s and make a cool little news posts here on Newgrounds, giving them a little showcase. This is 4 of 7 posts I'm planning to make for this week, with a final piece being posted on Pico Day.
Today's artist is @JoelG!
Mr. G. is probably one of the most well-known artists on Newgrounds at the moment and his most recent series, ENA, has gone nothing short of viral. ENA has amassed tens of thousands of views here on Newgrounds and MILLIONS on YouTube. Honestly, I was a bit apprehensive in regards to doing a post about Mr. G. because I figured most people would already know who he is and what he’s done, but with all the young blood Friday Night Funkin’ has trafficked into the site, I concluded that it couldn’t hurt to signal boost his work, even if it’s just a little bit. Besides, this series is in regards to MY favorite artists at the moment, so...IGETTOCHOOSE.
Anyways, you might have noticed I called ENA his “most recent” series. That’s because prior to ENA Mr. G. had actually put out content for two other series. One being “2 Ants, 1 President,” and the other being “HANDS UP!” “2 Ants, 1 President” is about, well, 2 ants named Derek and Melvin, and they’re going to assassinate the president of their country. There’s also an experimental worker robot in a wig and a skirt named Hally, whose presence nearly ends up causing a robot worker rebellion at the factory where she’s employed. The three characters eventually meet up and leave on an adventure.
(Screenshot from "2 Ants, 1 President- Episode 3)
“HANDS UP!” is a little easier to explain. It stars two female police officers, who both appear to be some kind of space aliens. There’s a green one named Margo, and an orange one named Ula. The main focus of the show seems to revolve around their contrasting personalities and character dynamics, as Margo is somewhat aloof with a laid back nature, and Ula is uptight and very by-the-books. Together, they fight crime!
(Screenshot from "HANDS UP- Elevator")
The amazing thing about all three of these series is how well produced each of them are. Each show has its own kind of art direction, with talented voice actors in the speaking roles, and it’s all accompanied by unique soundtracks. One has to wonder where Mr. G. finds the time to poop and breathe oxygen. If anyone has ever doubted themselves in pursuing the production of independently animated series, show them JoelG.
Now, I’ve told you what the other two shows are about, but to say what ENA is about is a little more complicated. The show's basic plot, so far, has not been as easy to grasp as his previous shows, and perhaps its obtuse nature is part of what has led to its success, as discussion around the bizzaro world of ENA has helped generate additional buzz for the series. Just type in “ENA theory” on YouTube and you’ll see what I mean.
Aside from its mysterious plot, one thing that draws people into ENA is it’s marvelous aesthetic, especially in regards to the landscapes and rooms presented in ENA’s most recent installment “Temptation Stairway.” The landscapes are wide and expansive in many parts, but sparsely populated and dotted with bizarre objects, figures, and architecture giving each scene feelings of desolation, wonder, and awe:
Many of the entities ENA comes across in these realms are anything aside from what we could regard as our own kind of “normal.” Even ENA acknowledges this in “Extinction Party”:
“What are YOOOUU even saying? Can’t you say anything that makes sense? JEEEEZ! LOUISE! Everything here is soooo weird.”
With all the talking I’m doing about ENA, I’m sure you already know what character I decided to draw for today’s post:
(Note: The man in the back is David Byrne, the singer for the band Talking Heads. Here he dances for a scene in the music video for one of the band's most famous songs, "Once In A Liftime," a video which ENA makes several direct references to. The image has been heavily edited and does not reflect the aesthetic of the actual music video.)
Just as so many game devs go with a pixel art style whenever they make something retro, I’d like to see more artists and creative types pursue the kind of polygonal art style that ENA, both the show and the character, portray. I think it's an aesthetic that doesn’t get enough recognition and I’m excited to see what Mr. G. has in store for us in the future!
Do what I did and buy some JoelG merch:
JoelG’s Stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmo3YHm8GaHk0ZWovjow65A
https://twitter.com/joelguerrac
ty 4 readin cool post XD