We're in the third act, Toons – of our back-to-back-to-back backstage blogs! You can check the previous weeks here and here, but here today is Lost Hero with a breadth of wisdom in our Art Department!

Oh – where is it?

Has anyone seen my sketchbook?! I bet that darn Roger Dog is using it as a coaster again. I’m unsure who signed off an artist writing a blog post, but here we are! Greetings, Toons it is I, The Art Director, your 5th, NEW Cog Supervisor for this behind-the-scenes reveal. As you know, our relentless mission is to bring order, efficiency, and lots of gray to the whimsical –

BAP!

Yow! Alright. alright, I guess that sounds a bit dark... My name is Mike, some of you may know me as Lost Hero, and I am here to spill the oil on the art direction behind Under New Management, our latest and greatest update!

Descriptions to Distinctions

Our Game Designers kickstart the creative process by providing us with descriptions of characters' traits and imagery to visually represent them. These descriptors include details like a 'flat top with small smokestacks in the middle of the head,' a 'head reminiscent of a lock on a safe,' a 'nose drawn high with the head tilted upwards,' or an 'eerie grin or toothy smile.' Initially, our sketches closely bind to these descriptions.

However, as we progress through the feedback and critique stages, the characters evolve. Gradually, they shed some of the initial details in favor of more defining descriptors that infuse them with personality and weight. We strive to maintain the style of Toontown Online while also adhering to our design principles. Thus, you'll observe a gradual shift away from literal representations, such as The Factory Foreman with smokestacks or The Mint Auditor resembling a vault safe.

Personality Onto Polygons

The process was straightforward when it came to modeling the heads from concepts. Our Concept Artists, Munch & Hannah, translated flat lines into full shapes for our 3D Modeler, Gabe. Unsurprisingly, the biggest challenge arose with the Club President's hair! Despite creating a prototype and experimenting with neck designs, executing the hair proved problematic. We explored various concepts and model renders before settling on a combination of two different ideas. Can you see which ones? 

As part of Under New Management, we initiated a test wave and the first phase of our Toontown Remastered project. We revamped several Cog Facilities and Cog Headquarters to enhance gameplay flow. And no, your eyes aren't deceiving you – we also improved visuals with baked shadows and hand-painted portraits. I bet you've all been itching to explore new collisions in Cashbot HQ!

Paint Brushes & Bytes

Then, it was time to wield our digital paintbrushes to infuse life, color, and texture into the faceless Supervisor models. When texturing their heads, I referenced the current Cog models and added colors, shadows, and highlights to give depth to the flat surfaces. Thanks to the effective use of texture space and UVs, the process was remarkably smooth. Don't the heads look amusing from this perspective?

Our texture artists for this project utilized various mediums to achieve results. While most of the work involved vector shapes to create textures, we also incorporated unique and advanced texture brushes to finalize the details. Our textures for this update range from clear representations of text to icons, like the new Status Effects completed by Choopie, to brand-new, hand-painted portraits of the Lawbots by Hannah!

Animation Antics & Branding Brilliance

As time went on, we were able to increase the art "budget" for new animations and branding materials. These additions provided the perfect polish to close the project! The Clerk's "Shh!" animation combined previous animations, while new animations like The Auditor’s "Promotion" gave Austin & Gabe, our animators, the creative freedom to account for every joint and rivet on the suits.

Meanwhile, I made a mock-up website design, and our Brand Artists, Dixie & Little, rendered every pixel in a few weeks. The design highlighted our revamped lobby for the Lawbot DA Offices, with the landing page featuring our painted portraits and centered trailer to grab attention.

We also created a new game update logo with a textured gear, symbolic of the Cog theme. The glowing red elements signify that these Supervisors are different, with a flashier style. Celebrating our tenth anniversary, we updated the title screen with a revised Toontown RewritTEN logo matching the original, featuring a dark, oil-dripped Pick-A-Toon screen and our first-ever introductory cutscene!

And there you have it, Toons! That's the scoop that came with Under New Management from our artsy perspective, closing off this trio of backstage lineup! We're thrilled to bring you these updates, and we can't wait to see you continue outsmarting those pesky Cogs!

Join Us!

Oh, wait! What's that? How can someone contribute their artistic skills to Toontown? Well, I'm glad you asked! The team is accepting applications to join our Art Department right now! We're looking for passionate artists who love Toontown and have a keen eye for creativity and detail. Whether you're an experienced game artist, an illustrator, or someone who has always dreamed of contributing to the Toontown universe, we want to hear from you!

If you’re interested in applying to be part of our Art Department, check out our current openings by clicking here. We can't wait to see what you can bring to our team!

Extra: Toon Trivia!

• Our artist initially had a blast crafting the Clerk's planner (seen on the desk in the DA Office Lobby), brimming with playful puns and vibrant stickers. As her vision evolved, we carefully reconsidered the planners, opting for a more cogent approach that upheld the seriousness of legal matters.

• We loved the angry Clerk Status Effect icon so much that when it was scrapped, we made it into one of the pins found on the Slick Shirt.

• The Slick Outfit was a last-minute addition when I had extra time. It’s a play on the Cog Busting Outfit with an identified whistle, pink slips, and, of course, we made it dark after seeing requests for more black clothing. There’s also a hidden scrapped Trading Card in the back pocket.

• A skirt was included with the Slick Outfit but was initially excluded. However, with community support, we opened the vault and decided to release it.

• The Factory Foreman’s identification card has text on it that reveals the project’s internal code name.

• Gabe recorded himself doing the animations to animate them.

• The Factory Foreman’s rare drop accessory originally featured a stomped footprint from the man himself, but was later removed to simplify the accessory. The colors are a play on the endless battle of marketing and in-game Sellbot suit colors.

• The Bossbot rare drop accessory is the only unique, original model; the others (glasses and hat) utilized an existing base model and were revamped from there. Can you guess which models were used?