Zub Tales

I finally had a chance last night to sit down and fully go through an advanced copy of Omar Dogan’s Girl Seven art book. It arrives in stores next month and, if you’re a fan of anime artwork, the UDON studio or Omar personally then you’re in for a treat.

Omar and I have known each other since college. We’ve worked together at three different companies, were roommates for a while, collaborated on the Street Fighter Legends: Ibuki mini-series and have traveled together to probably a dozen different cities for conventions. He’s the guy who introduced me to Erik Ko (head of UDON) and got me in at the studio 9 years ago. Last year I was able to repay the favor and bring him into Seneca College as a digital painting instructor in the Animation program and he’s done a wonderful job working with the students, pushing their skills.

Needless to say, I’m pretty biased when it comes to Omar and his artwork. Even still, I can’t properly explain to all of you how proud I am to see him with an art book all his own, pouring all his skills into these images and breaking through to a new level at the same time.

Girl Seven has been Omar’s pet project for just over a year. He set some ground rules for himself with it:

– He’d create all new artwork for the book.
– Each piece would have physical original line art (pencil line work or ink) and then digital colouring/adjustment.
– Once a piece was completed he wouldn’t go back and adjust it. The book would chart his growth as an artist over a year.

That’s exactly what he did. Not that I was surprised. Omar is absolutely one of the most dedicated and hard working artists I’ve ever worked with. He sets tasks for himself and carries through on them every time. When I first met him that intensity intimidated the heck out of me but, as time went on, I found it more and more inspiring. He’s a man of his word and an incredibly hard worker. When we teamed up for the Ibuki mini-series I never had to worry about where the book was at or how good it was going to look. He followed the script, enhanced the story and comedy beats I’d worked in and then rendered it all beautifully. That’s what you get when you work with Omar and having him on a project means I can concentrate on everything else.

We’ve both grown and changed a lot since college, finding our way in the art/creative business. We’re both married and he has two kids. Somehow, through all the craziness, we became adults who get to work in this business on comics, video games, toys and movies. It’s amazing to me when I get a moment to step back and think about it.

Next month you’ll get to buy your own copy of Girl Seven. It’s Omar’s “level up”, a time capsule of his art that means a great deal to him. I’m proud to see it, proud to work with him and proud to be at a company where artists can fulfill their crazy nerdy dreams.