Weapons Rack? Put a Bird on it!

Who among us hasn’t gone a little bird-brained while hidden away, working hard on a big project? Heck, once for an animation final, I spent so much time at my desk I went through three bottles of eye drops and untold boxes of Hot Pockets.

(Don’t judge, we all make bad decisions in college; it’s part of the learning process.)

Fortunately, some of us find more creative ways to cope

Senior Game Art student Jordan Powers was plugging away on a modeling and texture project when inspiration struck.

Asked what made him add Pepe’ to the first scene, Powers elaborated:

“My style is much more exaggerated (and all hand-painted) with a lot more color, but the essence is still very similar to what Baolong tried to do which was breathe some life into his scene. The reds and orange hues were originally very isolated in my scene, so I had to spread around the color with little props and color accents, and that’s where Pepé was born. …He was a two birds one…stone…bird, kinda deal. He was essential. …Plus he’s adorable, so it’s really a win-win scenario.”

Pepe’: Badass Bird of Mystery

Amused friends soon asked about his backstory, and Powers stepped up with a saga worthy of the latest X-Men recruit:

“Pepé is actually an ancient wizard in avian form. He shoots lasers from his eyeballs, can poop acid on unsuspecting people, and can see in x-ray vision (if he wants). Obviously, he doesn’t take bullcrap from anyone.”

[I don’t always shoot arrows, but when I do, I prefer they hit this target.]

Pepe’s second appearance led to a groundswell of grassroots support for the wizened and adorable avian character:

Somehow, He Just Makes it MORE Threatening

As the project progressed, Pepe’ made his way into all parts of the work, and fans learned more about his penchant for morning stars, his lack of a halberd, and his tragic inability to sew. 

It’s not his fault; I mean, have you ever tried to hold a needle in your beak?

Drum Roll Please…

He may be done with this project, but Powers assured his friends they hadn’t seen the last of Pepe’:

“Thanks for the comments, everyone! And yes, I will be sneaking in Pepé into my final few projects for the last few months. That ought to make critiques and lectures more interesting…”

Thanks for letting us feature your work Jordon! Looking for more? Check out Jordan’s work on his site: jordtron5000.tumblr.com.

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Editor’s Note: Jordan and I are friends on Facebook. Jordan’s posts from his final year at FullSail University in Game Art has allowed us all to get a peak inside what it’s like to go to video game school. Thanks Jordan, for sharing your stories, and Pepe’!