March 2012 Laika Creative Challenge Submission

For this month's challenge, Laika had us create a character that resembled Spring! I came up with this Spring sprite. She is the youngest of the Season Sprites, probably around 6 years old. Having been asleep for so long under Winter's blanket of snow she is eager to wake up and get started on preparing spring time for the world. Here in Oregon, the spring weather varies and can change dramatically within the hour, the Spring sprite is the same way. Her elemental powers change given the mood she is in, and being a hyperactive 6 year old, her moods can change very quickly. When she is feeling content she sports green skin and a green leafy cape and plant life blooms at her slightest touch. When she is feeling sad or melancholy, she turns very blue and rain falls from the sky as she cries. The amount of rain depends on her degree of sadness. When her pet deer passed away from old age, we experienced a week long downpour with several thunderstorms. When Spring is at her happiest her body glows the brightest yellow, and her happiness allows her to float up into the air and dry the world with her warm sunshine. Spring is never very happy when she has to give up her reign of the season and has to pass on that power to her older brother, Summer. She tends to pout around the world until its her turn to be the lead Season Sprite again.

The Paper Bag Princess

Princess Elizabeth's kingdom. Its a perfect morning for an arranged marriage!

The wedding ceremony of Princess Elizabeth and her betrothed, Prince Ronald. Unfortunately an uninvited guest is about to arrive.

The ruins of Elizabeth's castle after the rampage of the dragon. All of her belongings burnt, Elizabeth finds a paper bag to clothe herself with.

Realizing that Ronald had been kidnapped by the dragon, Elizabeth takes off into the forest, following the dragon's trail of scorched trees.

The cave of the dragon! Sealed by a very large door and guarded by the bones of fallen knights.

After tiring out the dragon and causing him to fall asleep from exhaustion, Elizabeth enters the cave and finds Ronald! But seeing Elizabeth in her grungy state, he refuses to marry her. Elizabeth leaves him captive and goes and lives her life. The End!

I've loved Robert Munsch's story The Paper Bag Princess, ever since I first heard it in 2nd grade, and its always been one of those stories that have stuck with me. I thought it would be a fun subject for a visual development project for myself.

Year of the Dragon

My entry for this month's Laika Creative Challenge:

Laika challenged us to create our own dragon since 2012 is the year of the dragon. When I think of dragons I instantly think of fire. I had this image of a bolt of fire with black smoke trailing behind it and that translated into the design of my dragon. I decided to go with the traditional designs of Chinese dragons, but with a twist. The top of the dragon represents the blazing fire. This guy singes anything he comes in contact with and one scratch of his white hot claws leaves his victims with incredible burns beyond medical repair. His long body ends with his tail literally made of black smoke. That's one benefit for his prey; he always leaves a trail of smoke so you know where he's been and know to run in the opposite direction.

The Gingerbread Lair

My Entry for the Laika Creative Challenge:

Ever since Martinez the gingerbread man was betrayed by the Baker, who created him only to try and eat him, he has made it his life's mission to track down the Baker and return the favor. He won't try to eat him of course, but torture him, the same way he was tortured by the Baker when he took a bite out of Martinez's head and dunked in a glass of milk before he was able to flee the Bakery.
This is Martinez's Laboratory/Torture Chamber in the basement of his gingerbread house. This is where Martinez tracks the Baker's whereabouts, plotting the perfect moment to kidnap the Baker and have his way with him in the torture chamber.

In this room most everything is edible. The theme Martinez was going for was "Sickly Sweet." He has installed a restraining table made out of a whole chocolate bar, perfect for holding down victims in case they get any ideas of escaping. Above the table is an electric shock helmet. The number of volts can be changed from a light shock to a deathly charge. Bottles of poison, and hallucinogenic potions litter the shelves. Martinez keeps his torture tools along with his notes and information on the Baker's whereabouts tacked up on graham cracker tack boards. And on the floor you will see a trap door marked "Danger." This leads to a pit full of blazing hot fudge, for when Martinez gets tired of torturing the Baker and finally decides to do away with him.

Based on the picture Laika/House gave us of Martinez, he looked like a very sinister guy who had an evil plan in mind. I felt like a Laboratory/Torture chamber would be a perfect edition to his gingerbread house.

Village Huts

Some ideas of what the huts in Kara's village could look like

A Jungle Story

This story takes place in a jungle surrounded with mystery and guarded by a god sent beast

Kara is a quirky little girl who lives in a village within the jungle. In her village it is tradition that every boy grows up to become a brave warrior so that they may bring food home to their families and protect the village. And it is tradition that every little girl is given by their mother a patron goddess to guide them along their path through life and that they should aspire to take on the qualities of that goddess. Usually girls are given goddesses of fertility and motherhood so that they may become the best wives for their husbands and mothers for their children. However, Kara's mother wanted Kara to become a strong and independent person so she was given the goddess Karadica, the goddess of justice and order, as her patron goddess (this was also how she got her name, but shortened). Having this goddess was out of the norm of the village so Kara has become a bit of an outcast amongst the kids in the village. Kara often plays by herself in the jungle, making up stories, and going on her own daring adventures with her Karadica doll.




The guardian beast of the jungle was sent by the gods to guard the jungle and help it to grow and flourish when the world was first being formed. Kara's village used to be aware of the beast but over generations he has been forgotten. The village now tells the story of an ancient monster that stalks the jungle and it is every warriors dream to strike him down and prove himself as the greatest warrior of them all. The beast lives in a temple deep within the jungle where no human dares to go. His defining characteristic is that the foliage on his back changes with his emotions. When he is calm his back bares lush green leaves, when he is sad his back sprouts a shallow pool that trickles down his body along with his tears, and when he is enraged his back shoots out thick thorn bushes that can be used as weapons.




Kara finds the beast one day in the jungle. The beast, not having human contact in centuries, is about to attack her but upon seeing her Karadica doll, noticing her as one of the goddesses that brought him here, he drops to his knees and becomes friendly towards Kara. They become friends and play everyday. Kara tries to tell her parents about the beast, but they don't believe her (she often tells crazy stories).




Kaz is Kara's older brother. He is a sarcastic boy and likes to annoy Kara to make her mad. He is of the age where boys are meant to go into the jungle and strike down their first animal and take its tooth and wear it around their neck as a sign of manhood and of becoming a warrior. Unfortunately Kaz isn't a very good warrior and often comes back from hunting trips with his father empty handed and disappointed. Kaz actually witnesses Kara and the beast playing in the jungle and hopes to strike down the beast one day and take his tooth and prove that he is a great warrior like his father.




Kara and Kaz's parents. Kara's mother is very loving towards her children and encourages Kara in her wild adventures. Because of her choice to give Kara an non-traditional goddess, she has also become a bit of an outcast amongst the other women of the village. Kara's father is a very strong man, but easily irritated, he puts great pressure on Kaz to become a warrior. Kara's father is revered as one of the greatest warriors in their village and he hopes that Kaz will become one as well.




Some of the kids in the village. The two girls could be called the "Mean Girls" of the village. They often tease Kara about being so weird and how she will never find a husband.

The village elder. He once saw the beast when he was younger, but believed him to be evil. He is one of the people who enforces that the beast is dangerous and to never go into the deeper parts of the jungle.

Kara's secret hideout in the jungle. Its a little spot surrounded by trees that she plays in by herself.

The temple that beast lives in. Inside is a rock inscribed with the ancient writing of the gods that says that he is the guardian of this jungle and a servant of the gods. At night the writing on the rock glows and comforts the beast while he sleeps.


Some sketches!

Some ideas of what Karadica could look like

I've had this story in my head for a while so it was fun to flesh it out a bit and create my own tribe, gods, characters, and some environments to go along with it!