Dear Insane Children,
American here… feeling a bit recovered after last week’s battle with Massive Migraines of Mayhem. I think I’ve identified the cause – my computer monitor setup + staring at said monitors for too long every day. But I’ll get my MRI results tomorrow… so fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, our team continues working on Design and Concept Art Work for Alice’s escape from Denial.
Omri Writes:
Attaching concepts and references.
thought of making it a humpty dumpty inspired Balloon but when it will “hit” the moon it’s like 2 faces who are kinda identical in concept and it looks not creative.
1. I think that the classic hot air balloon but with wings to control the movement and with icecream colors can work well.
2. the bottom, i think a gravy bowl with a broken or a full one- handle can work. it’s like the moon “drinks” Alice visually.
3. Should someone work the Balloon? will there be a secondary character?
4. i don’t know where it will be placed in map so how things will look next to it yet, but theoretically it should work with the look of the general tents and rides. i think it should LOOK like a broken/Closed ride so it’s naturally planted in the realm.
To Which I Replied:
Since the balloon is not designed to be (or planned to be) something that interacts with The Moon – let’s not add elements where the two things are made to interact. Having the balloon basket be something that looks like it’s designed for The Moon to drink from… no.
Keep in mind that my idea here is Grand Theft Balloon + Grand Theft Moon. She *steals* a balloon and tries to use it to escape. The Moon, in his duty as Alice’s Prison Guard chases after her but they end up crashing into each other. The crash should be violent, unintentional, chaotic, and dangerous. And it provides Alice with a dramatic shift in expectations… “That’s not a moon… it’s a flying contraption!” At which point she’ll board it and fight her way to the control room – much like Pirates of Ye Olde Times.
This is a prison break. It’s a multiple high jacking. And it’s turning all the orderly, beautiful, purpose-built things in Alice’s world upside down. “Toys become weapons!” and “Little girls become pirates!”
So…
Let us know in the Comments what you think about everything presented here. Should the Balloon be based on Humpty Dumpty? How do you feel about Alice as a Sky Pirate?
More updates, art, and design this week – plus we’ll announce the Live Stream (usual time on Thursday, Hong Kong Time).
PS: Thank you, everyone, for the kind wishes and understanding in response to my situation last week. I hate feeling ill and hate when I am unable to post updates and keep everyone in the loop.
PPS: To all of our Insane Children in the USA… Holy Sh!t… stay safe over there! I can barely make myself look at all the crazy stuff being shared across social media. I sincerely hope everyone comes through this alright. And my heart goes out to everyone impacted by what’s going on.
PPPS: I have lots of opinions on the political and societal issues underlying these upheavals… but the strongest statement I can make is this: I left the US back in 2004 in response to injustices and disparities – within the borders of the US and through its actions abroad – because I felt I could no longer be part of what I saw as a broken system. As we talk about when discussing Alice: Asylum, I believe that the first stage of true transformation is “solve” (dissolving) – and perhaps that’s what we’re finally seeing in the US. If that’s the case, then I hope it leads to rebuilding around principals of fairness and equity for all. And… That’s what I have to say about that! Apologies for the political aside!
From Shanghai with Relief (from migraine pain),
-American