Pixel Punkz - Pt. 2
You lose your Gameboy - what's your gaming replacement?
- The Nintendo Switch, hands down. It gives me so much joy to play. Currently on my third play-through of Stardew Valley (which is surprising to literally no one haha).
What artwork do you have adorning your home? 🖼
- Lots of gaming and comic-related art. The newest piece was a present from my boyfriend for my 30th birthday. A beautifully framed piece of the album artwork from Lorde's Melodrama. That album is everything to me.
If you could pixelate anyone - who would it be?
- J K Rowling holding a trans rights flag. Or AOC as Ms Pacman eating the rich.
So, Pokémon! What was your vision in 'revamping' those little Japanese pocket monsters? Are you ever sceptical about pixelating + redesigning well-known characters? (please say, no!)
- As a kid, I always struggled to find toys I was comfortable playing with. I couldn't identify with boy toys, and I was too afraid of being bullied to play with girl toys. Pokémon was one of the first things I found where gender wasn't a deciding factor in whether you could participate or not. I always love to pixelate anything I can have fun creating. That's always the goal, for me to get joy out of making art, and hopefully, other people will too. I've definitely had some backlash from hard-right conservatives who think the queer Pokémon designs are ‘destroying child innocence’ and that I shouldn’t ‘be using a cartoon to forward a political agenda’.
Do you play any musical instruments, if no - what would you master? (It can't be a pixel drum kit!)
- Aw, I want the pixel drum kit! Okay okay... I don't play anything, but if I were it would probably be the guitar. I feel like anyone who plays the guitar instantly gets 10 more cool points. 🎸 🥁
What are you working on now?
- I finally finished the series of Harry Potter characters I started a while ago - maybe I’ll plan one big piece with them all. Or maybe some key Harry Potter scenes as platformers. I also have some ideas for more de-makes or crossovers of TV/Movies with games - watch this space!!! 🧙♂️
What did you miss most through the pandemic?
- I'm a natural introvert and work from home a lot anyway, so having to stay at home wasn’t too bad for me. I have parents who were both high risk and not being able to go and see them was tough! I live with my boyfriend, and while we get along great, I missed missing him. Also, code for 'I misses having my own space'.
Finally, tea or coffee?
- Coffee. Strong with one sugar. Drank straight out of my Stardew Valley coffee mug. 🌟 ☕️
