Diesel Sweeties Block Party!
If you’ve ever wanted to see yourself in hand-drawn 8-bit form, here’s your chance! I’m still digging out of a mountain of debt brought on from expenses incurred while I was syndicated, but hopefully this can put a dent in it.
The portrait studio is open and will run until October 31.
All donations are extremely welcome! I’ll list all donors on the Block Party page, whether or not you buy a portrait.
A $50 donation gets you a full-size DS-style portrait of any one person or kitty, plus 100px and 32px icons of the same image. If you want a DS character in the panel with you, that’s free. Your portrait and name will also be added to the Block Party page where you can hang out with other patrons.
A $100 donation gets you the above, plus a one-of-a-kind 5×7″ signed print of your portrait.
Additional people and/or cats are $40 each. Please contact me at dieselsweeties AT mac.com for extra-custom and/or commercial commissioned work.
What you will need: Clear photos of your face from the front and at a 3/4 side angle. You should be fully visible from the waist up. If there are specific items of clothing you want to be depicted in, I’ll need one or more photos of you wearing them.
This example portrait I drew of Mr. Cloud should give a good idea of what I need and what you can expect. Also, take a look at the portrait of Wil Wheaton and Xeni which inspired me to do this whole donation drive!
Disclaimer: Not all clothing or prop requests will be possible in a pixel style. Trust me, I’ve tried a *lot* of different character designs over the years and may make modifications in order for your portrait to “work” at this resolution. Costumes are fine, but clothing or lack of clothing racier than PG-13 are not. My aim is to be accurate, so please keep that in mind when choosing your photos!
How can I use my portrait? You are free to use your portrait forever in any non-commercial manner. Use it as your Twitter icon, Facebook picture or as an author image in a book or CD or on your blog. If you wish to sell this image as a t-shirt, album cover or for any other commercial use, we can come up with an arrangement!
What’s the turnaround time? Depends on the response, but I’ll do everything in my power to keep it under two weeks without missing comic updates.
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Please! Once you donate, send an email to dieselsweeties AT mac.com with photos attached, from an address you check daily.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Are you going to put up a portrait gallery during/after you make these? I’d love to see them, even if they aren’t mine.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Yessir, the gallery’s gonna get filled in while I work on ‘em.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
The only reason my $100 didn’t whisked its electronic way to you the moment you posted this is that I can’t find a 3/4 picture of me to save my soul. Damn me for looking at the camera! Tonight, good sir. Tonight.
October 8th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Wait, what the crap? I thought the print deal was just too much work for the amount of money it generated. You actually went into debt because of it? Was it just from lack of time to work on profitable projects?
October 8th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
Chris-
Lack of time to keep new merch and ads flowing, had to get more help in the office, upgraded my desktop and tablets to deal with carpal tunnel issues, lack of brainpower at the end of the day leading to some bad decisions. No one huge thing, just a general slow drain that exceeded what was coming in.
John-
No rush, no worries, no harm, no foul!
October 8th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
As a crazy fan, I’m so bummed I can’t afford to do this! But I have until the 31st so who knows what miracles might happen! Regardless, I can’t wait to see the photo gallery because I know everyone’s going to be chomping at the bit to get one.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
if you want to check out the absolute total coolness of this, enough so
that i got a religious excuse to use the computer on a holiday, check
out new profile pic on facebook for “hal stern” (the sun microsystems
one, not the iowa state or arizona realtor one). and that’s the *draft*.
clango rules. very much.
October 9th, 2008 at 1:36 am
I am SO excited for this. As soon as I get home this weekend I’m taking 3/4 angle pictures.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:39 am
I sooo wish I had the money for this!
October 9th, 2008 at 11:05 am
is there a bulk discount for skinny-necked white guys with short brown hair, full beards, and dark rimmed glasses? ::he said with a raised eyebrow::
October 9th, 2008 at 11:16 am
@Heidi- These are fun, so I might be able to keep it going through Christmas. Let’s see how my hand holds out.
@Hal- This is my first time creating a religious exemption in Photoshop!
@ifatfree- Heh. Don’t you want to be special, tho? Unique and utterly without precedent?
October 9th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Well here’s to 2009, a year of more brain power and a healthier wrist!
October 9th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Aghhh Stupid Paypal account is not working correctly! I want one!
October 9th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
[...] Diesel Sweeties Newsblog » Blog Archive » Diesel Sweeties Block Party! – … "If you’ve ever wanted to see yourself in hand-drawn 8-bit form, here’s your chance! I’m still digging out of a mountain of debt brought on from expenses incurred while I was syndicated, but hopefully this can put a dent in it." [...]
October 10th, 2008 at 7:01 am
THIS is a great idea and very cool work. I wish you ALL the best!!!
October 10th, 2008 at 11:07 am
[...] Check it out here [...]
October 11th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I caught the part about “cats,” but how about a dog? I could take nice headshots of my adorable will Boston Terrier, Zelda, this weekend. Are you extending this offer for puppies?
October 11th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I’ll be honest- I’m not 100% sure I could do a pug in this style. Would definitely try it if she’s on-camera with a person for scale!
October 13th, 2008 at 5:07 am
Uh, Rich?
About today’s (Monday, 10/13) strip — what exactly is that supposed to be on Pete’s paramour’s chest? A really colorful bra? A tube top? Or just an “I can’t show you her nips, kids” blocking strip?
Not a criticism of your art; rather, a criticism of my eyeballs and my brain. I just can’t figure out what I’m supposed to be seeing here at an 8-bit resolution.
Thankee, sir,
October 13th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Click back a page, old bean. It’s her headband.
October 13th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Ah, yes! Headband! Thank you!
Is it a sad commentary on my life that even the fictional misanthrope Indie Rock Pete has wilder rumpy-pumpy than I do?
Let’s pretend not.
Cheers!
MacDon
October 14th, 2008 at 12:31 am
[...] The first two rooms of the DS Block Party are open. Click for full-sized image and names. More to come tomorrow! The queue is about one week at the moment and you can still order portraits until 10/31. [...]
October 15th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Hey there!
Would it be possible to get my boyfriend done with Clango and Lord Tacopuss? That would be an awesome Christmas present!!
xx
October 15th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Abso-tootly possible as long as your boyfriend can be photographed!
January 17th, 2009 at 4:48 am
[...] This would be it! [...]
January 29th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
[...] If you want your own hand (tablet) drawn, 8-bit pixel party shot, complete with slimming transform, anti-aging bits, and appropriate derisive expression (and the Islanders aren’t even in the vicinity of the Rock yet!), all this can be yours for a very nominal fee. [...]