As with most things, one of the hardest parts of this challenge was knowing where to start.
I decided to start with Chell, a companion cube, and a turret from Portal - something fairly straightforward and (I hoped) recognizable.
It was fun adding little details like the bird and the potato, but I wasn't really sure where this project was going...
From the start, it was important that there be some interactivity to this project and suggestions were (and are) more than welcome!
One of the first suggestions was from my pal Z. (@hipsterplease), associate editor for the GeekDad blog, all-around cool guy, and fellow fan of BBC's Being Human and Cartoon Network's Adventure Time.
His suggestion: "BMO & Alex go on a date".
Lesson learned? Crossovers are fun!
Given how much I'd enjoyed drawing the crossover on the previous day, I hadn't planned on going back to "straight" fan art all too soon. However, you can't plan your enthusiasm...and right around starting this project, I got sucked into Bioshock Infinite.
So, of course, I had to draw Elizabeth and the Luteces.
I just had to.
Plus, it seemed like a nice companion/parallel to the Portal doodle from Day 1.
Some days, I knew exactly what I wanted to draw.
For instance, Day 4: Pinky and Pinkie Pie.
This is something I've wanted to draw since Animaniacs became part of the Hub's regular rotation alongside My Little Pony.
I simply could not think of a more perfect friendship waiting to happen.
Other days, inspiration was simply a matter of sheer dumb luck. Stumbling across this tweet...
So there was that time when I met @team_barrowman and said, "Hi. I'm Wil Wheaton. I love you, and I have to leave before I make it weird."
— Wil Wheaton (@wilw) April 26, 2013
...Led to this.
I am a sucker for meta-fandom.
Somewhere along the way, in dreaming up goofy crossovers, it occurred to me that Snape and Sherlock have a lot in common -- the dark hair, the cello-like voice, the superior attitude and fondness for chemistry... it was fun to imagine how they'd work as lab partners.
...poor Watson.
Having successfully reached Day 7, I wanted something silly and celebratory to close out the week.
For reasons I can't fully explain, Jake's wandering through the Nightosphere with a banana in hand and his earnest inquiries as to "their deal" has been a source of constant entertainment.
Naturally, the Doctor would see it as a sign of a party. "Always bring a banana to a party! Bananas are good!"
A couple of thoughts moving forward:
- While the challenge was originally set up such that each drawing would take no more than 15 minutes, this is a surprisingly difficult rule to stick to! Some drawings took less time; most took more. Often, I wouldn't notice that time was up - 15 minutes was frequently just enough time to get started! In the spirit of the project, it seems like it should matter less how much time is spent on the drawings, so long as there is a new piece of art each day.
- Crossovers make this project much more interesting and entertaining for me (and I hope to anyone following it). That said, it also means that I'm burning through fandoms very quickly! A revision to the "no more than twice" rule may be in order... or more suggestions from followers!
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