SykoGrafix
SykoGrafix.com
February 21, 2017

My favorite stuff of 2016

I wanted to get this done much earlier, but I just didn’t feel up to it. Unlike the list I made for 2015, compiling a list 2016 wasn’t as straight forward. There wasn’t always a clear choice for each category for one reason or another. Besides, let’s face it, 2016 was kind of a dumpster fire in general, and I don’t need to go into detail as to why.  Still, there were some great things that came out which I enjoyed, and will likely keep enjoying for years to come, so they’re worth talking about in spite of all the stupid stuff that happened last year. Let’s get to it then.

Favorite Game – The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

I haven’t played this very much and I have been meaning to get back to it. I just don’t know what else to pick. I haven’t played most of the other big 2016 releases that everyone else went crazy over. Maybe someday I will, but for now I’ve got a backlog of games to play, including this one, which I’ll enjoy until I get a chance to play Breath of the Wild.

Favorite Book – The Art of Atari

Actually, I don’t have this book yet, but it’s been on my wish list since being announced and I have taken a brief look at it. The artwork on the packaging and marketing materials from this era of video games is so unique and special. I’m glad that this book exists to help chronicle video game history, and can’t wait to give it an in depth read.

Favorite Toy – Transformers Combiner Wars Generation 2 Bruticus

There were a lot of great options, in and out of the world of Transformers, for this category. Not the least of which was Fortress Maximus. But what can I say? I’ve just got a soft spot for this crazily colored combiner. He’s so eye-searingly ridiculous, and yet so powerful and menacing. Plus, he comes with a bonus Shockwave! There’s a more in-depth look at him on my Tumblr, so check that out.

Favorite TV Series – Stranger Things

Another great series from Netflix, which is proving that intelligent and creative programming can find an audience. This show is like an all new 80’s movie, but as a series, and I love how it’s keeping that 80’s spirit alive. Definitely full of surprises and suspense. It’s no wonder this show captured so many people’s imaginations and I am looking forward to seeing more.

Favorite Anime – Cyborg 009 vs Devilman

I thought I’d have to wait forever to see this, but, out of nowhere, Netflix came to the rescue back in April and released this ass-kicking crossover between two of Japan’s most awesome old-school anime franchises. Love the modernized designs while still keeping that retro flavor. Hoping so see more love for Go Nagai and Shotaro Ishinomori franchises on these shores in the future.

Favorite Movie – Captain America: Civil War

There were some really great movies this year. Deadpool, Doctor Strange, and Rogue One could have topped the list. But this movie, to me, is on another level. It could have been a disaster, with so many characters, but the story and action were all expertly executed. I’ve seen it at least 4 times and could still watch it over and over again. Not only is this my favorite movie of the year, but it’s also got to be my most favorite thing of the year.

So there’s a look at the things I liked. I was thinking about maybe posting more about all the disappointments and things that were not as good as they should have been, like Batman v Superman and Mighty No.9. But who has the time or the patience for that when actual real important things in the universe have turned so mind-numbingly moronic? So, let’s just move forward and try to enjoy whatever cool things manage to happen in 2017.

Sayonara.

Hello and Happy New Year if you are into that sort of thing.

I think 2016 was a pretty good year for me as far as how much artwork I actually finished. Between all the fan art, commissions, Skeletober, reaching 100 entries in Ninjapocalypse, and miscellaneous sketches, I did a lot! I haven’t counted and compared, but this is probably more artwork than I had done in the past few previous years. With that in mind, I thought I might put it all in one place to see what it looked like together. So, here’s an image of almost my entire artistic output for the year, minus a few things that I did for other people and maybe a couple other things I could have forgotten about.

There are a few things that I haven’t added to the gallery here on SykoGrafix.com yet, but I’ll get to them soon.  It’s all there on my  DeviantArt, Tumblr, and Twitter.

Even though this might seem like a lot, I’m certainly not satisfied. This is still not anywhere close to the amount of artwork I would like to be producing. While I would like to say that I’m going to try to do even more this year, I think that instead I’m going to spend my time going back to basics, try to improve my skills, and learn new stuff. That might equal less finished drawings like this but should hopefully put me in a better position for creating cool things in the future.

2016 was a bumpy ride for everyone but I certainly appreciate everyone who has taken their time to look at my artwork and gotten any kind of enjoyment out of it. I’ll keep working hard to deliver more.

So, hey, which of these artworks do you like best?

Sayonara.