Niko Geyer's Journal

Yuu

2010-01-05T15:50:00.002-08:00

Online, Yuu was well-known as a master of monster-collecting games, but in real life, his only friend was his chronicly ill sister Ai. When one day she disappears he sets out to find her. In his search he miraculously meets and befriends an escaped genetic experiment. With a real-life monster companion at his side, he will find his sister, no matter the cost!

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Ai

2010-01-05T15:50:00.001-08:00

Ai awoke one day with no memory of who she was. Scared and alone, all she knew was that scary men in black coats followed her wherever she went. Avidly dodging her pursuers, Ai also had to come to terms with a strange gift: the ability to read the thoughts of others -- and even change them.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Grant Zurkrieg

2010-01-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

After overcoming a difficult, impoverished childhood, Zurkrieg swore to become the richest, most powerful man alive. Now a brute of a man with bottomless pockets, he's never-the-less unsatisfied with his achievements. With his Men in Black, he now seeks out the most powerful people in the world, forcing them to test their might against him.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Miho

2010-01-04T09:05:00.002-08:00

Though built as a ruthless war-machine, Miho exhibited characteristics no one ever expected, the ability to feel human emotion. After barely escaping the coorporation that owned her, she was rescued by a hapless young inventor. Now in his debt, she tries her best to be of use to him, while learning more about the world...and what it means to be human.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Braun

2010-01-04T09:05:00.001-08:00

Once just a nerdy loser surrounded by countless questionably useful inventions, Braun's life changed when he came across an amazing sight: a battered but very much alive humanoid robot named Miho. Using all his knowledge, he nursed her back to health. But whoever made her is going to want her back -- his simple life just got much more complicated.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Natsuki

2010-01-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Using her business prowess and unyielding tenacity, Natsuki crawled her way to the top, but the journey there has left her a bitter, intimidating woman. With the technology of her military coorporation and a firm mastery of martial arts at her disposal, nothing will stand in the way of reclaiming her escaped pet project: MIHO.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Dr. Tomori

2010-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Drafted to create the perfect robotic soldier, Dr. Tomori was surprised when his work conveyed real emotions. Incapable of letting something so human be left to slavery, he aided in her escape only to die in the process. But using his mastery of science, a perfect copy of his brain lives on in cyberspace, forever looking after his precious Miho.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Looking Back

2009-09-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Thea Cooke, the administrator of ArtBloom, about being featured on their website. The idea is to display the pieces of established illustrators next to their old work, hopefully to inspire budding artists about how much progress can be achieved in just a couple of years.

You can see my own evolution as an artist here, and be sure to browse around the archives for many more interesting contributions.

Naming Conventions

2009-06-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

I started a collection of random titles to be used as inspiration for new illustrations. The idea is to draw or paint my personal interpretation of the names that strike a chord with me. Anybody want to donate some?

The one I started my list with is "You and I and Months of Snow."

You Make My Heart Sing

2009-06-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a little kid, my only encounter with Where the Wild Things Are was a poster on my dentist's waiting room wall, the one where Max and the monsters are hanging down from the trees. It scared the hell out of me then.

Fast forward to 2009, where I spot the Where the Wild Things Are movie trailer. I was totally captivated by the art direction, and after re-watching it for what felt like a hundred times, I decided to order the book off Amazon. It's an enchanting little story. In hindsight I don't quite understand why the wild things creeped me out so much as a boy; Maurice Sendak's illustrations make them look like friendly fellows after all. I wish I hadn't discovered the story so late in my life.

This picture is part of Cory Godbey's Where the Wild Things Are tribute collection, Terrible Yellow Eyes. Be sure to visit his site for heaps of wonderful illustrations by all kinds of talented artists!

Tweet, Tweet!

2009-06-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

I caved in and decided to find out for myself what the Twitter sensation is all about. For those of you who don't mind being spammed with trivialities and other unnecessary messages, feel free to follow my tweets!

Ganbatte!

2009-04-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog, mainly for the lack of personal artwork I have completed over the past months. But that's going to change! You will be seeing updates here a lot more frequently, and not just of the doodle department.

Speaking of updates, my good friend Clay is producing a revised edition of his OVA Role-Playing Game; expanded rules, extra content, all-new artwork! If you're a fan of the system or just curious about RPGs with an anime flavor, make sure to follow his production blog. He'll be regularly posting snippets of the new book, including new illustrations of mine that you won't be seeing anywhere else.

Books

2009-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

The love of my life ever since I was old enough to read. There's nothing better than a nice book on a rainy day.

Dragon Quest V

2009-03-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

I felt inspired to doodle a little Dragon Quest V illustration after I finished the game yesterday. The hero's son looks like he is about to go postal. I do not want to be in the shoes of whoever made his sister cry...

Out There

2008-12-11T06:34:00.001-08:00

Meet Nicholas Nova and his newfound alien buddy, Meep. And the shrimp is only the start of his problems.

Doodles

2008-11-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

Random scribbles! There's no real story to any of these, except the little guy in pajamas. We may be seeing more of him in the future.

The Whole New World

2008-09-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Phantasy Star Online has to be one of my favorite video games. After I had grown up with Phantasy Star II and III, PSO was my first serious venture into online gaming. I played every single version of the series -- Dreamcast Ver. 1 and Ver. 2, GameCube Episode I & II and Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution, Blue Burst on the PC. I just love the campy style, the visuals, and of course the wonderful soundtrack. It's a true testament to the qualities of the game that it managed to keep me entertained for almost a whole decade.

There are a lot of great character designs, but I guess if I had to pick one that represents Phantasy Star Online, it would be Red Ring Rico. So here's my tribute to a great game.

The Dreamland Chronicles

2008-09-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

When my friend Scott Sava asked me whether I would do the cover illustration for an issue of his all ages comic book, The Dreamland Chronicles, I happily agreed. Finishing it took a lot longer than expected though, and I do hope Scott didn't cause his editor too much frustration with all the delays.

A very interesting aspect of the story is that Daniel -- the twin brother of the book's protagonist, Alexander -- cannot visit Dreamland, unlike most children. I wanted to capture Alex telling him all about the wonder of his nightly adventures. The focus of the picture is of course the iconic character designs of adult Alexander and the elven princess Nastajia.

If you are interested in purchasing this variant cover, look for The Dreamland Chronicles #5 by IDW Publishing to be released on November 26, 2008.

It's Wario Time!

2008-08-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've been playing Mario Kart Wii online recently and I've had a lot of fun. The way item balance works can be a bit random at times, but I guess that's part of the appeal. Is anybody interested in showing my Wario how the game is really played?

Friend Code
0989-3492-7730

Feel free to add me, but please post your own friend code here so I can return the favor. Let's hear who's up for some racing fun!

Star Crossing

2008-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

More speedpaint experimentation. I'm not used to coloring somebody else's line art, so this one took over 2 hours to paint, but I think I got the process streamlined now and will be able to cut it down to about an hour next time. Inks by Hai, colors by me.

I Am Nothing Without You

2008-08-05T13:32:00.001-07:00

This is little collaborative experiment; lines by Hai, colors by yours truly. We succeeded in finding a style that not only captures the kind of storybook look we were shooting for, but it also turned out to be a pretty speedy work process for me.

Jack and the Beanstalk

2008-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of old fairy tales; that's why I couldn't pass up on the chance of illustrating Jack and the Beanstalk when I saw it was this week's topic at Art Jumble.

I wanted to give my giant a more aristocratic look than what you usually see. The guy's got a magic hen, a talking harp to do his bidding, and a magnificent castle to call home -- he just didn't give me the impression of an unsophisticated oaf. And I must admit I had a lot of fun drawing a big ogre with a monocle!

The Orphan Prince

2008-04-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to do the new cover illustration for the reprint of The Orphan Prince, a YA novel by Jeremy Lee. It features the royal protagonist of the story and his servant boy, who are about to embark on the adventure of their lifetime.

Photoshop was being cranky and crashed on me while I was in the middle of painting the background -- corrupting the file in the process -- but the coloring came out much better the second time around.

Wanderlust

2008-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is the long overdue kiriban doodle for Leversa. The kids are going on a journey, but it appears poor little Simon got the short end of the stick.

I think I may be developing a liking for bright colors...

Break Time

2008-04-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is a commissioned cover work for the Razor Kid series. Relaxing with friends in the evening sun after a long day of martial arts training, playing video games or reading books -- sounds like fun!