TIME FOR ANOTHER CONTEST! Calling All Grasshopper Manufacture Fans And Fan Artists

Time at long last for something I’ve wanted to pull trigger on for a VERY long time.

Unfortunately, things kept getting in the way, and my timing now could not be worse on a number of levels. But because time is running out…. how about another fan art contest everyone?

The last Persona related one was a gigantic hit, and I’ve been aching for the chance to do another. And this time, I’m hoping for even more spectacular results, since the prize package is even more impressive!

RULES & GUIDELINES:

Initially, the theme this time around was originally meant to solely revolve around the lovely ladies of No More Heroes. Anyone from Sylvia Christel to Bad Girl to Margaret Moonlight. And why just one of the females and not the male star? I’ll get to that in a second. But as I began to acquire prizes from a certain party, it began to make sense to open up the criteria as it pertained to subject matter.

So first thing’s first: what I’m looking for is a rendering of a lovely lass from ANY Grasshopper game. This includes No More Heroes, Killer 7, FSR (Flower, Sun, Rain), plus whatever else. Not gonna lie: I’m mostly interested in NMH babes, though I’d like to believe that game provides the greatest variety of potential subjects, so no one feels too constricted.

Next: technical specifications. The final piece needs to be around 11 x 17 inches big, either vertical or horizontally oriented, it’s up to you. And the final resolution also needs to be 300 dpi. Why? Because the winning piece will be featured in my upcoming next edition of the FORT90ZINE! The stand-out Grasshopper hottie shall serve as that issue’s pin-up girl; past editions have featured Claire Redfield, Mona from WarioWare, and Samus Aran, for those who haven’t been keeping track.

Anyone familiar with my zine knows that it’s black & white, so be mindful of how it’ll look like that. Though if you want to submit a colored piece, that would be totally awesome! Just remember how it’ll be printed up (though more importantly, be sure to keep in mind the canvas you have to work with). Along with how she needs to be nice and sexy! Nothing totally rated R or anything like that; I’ve always used PG-13 as the basic guideline in the past.

BUT, given the subject matter I’ve asked everyone to draw from… one of the reasons why Grasshopper games are so kick-ass is how they always push the envelope… what’s most important is if it stays true to its inspiration.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

I guess now might be a good time to say a word about this contest’s sponsors! The prizes this time around is courtesy of two fine parties. First off is Jap-Sai!

Long story short; I’ve done business with a number of parties based in Japan that deal with classic games and hardware over the years, and none have been as flat-out excellent as Jap-Sai. The prices are quite reasonable (especially when compared to the scammers on eBay) and the customer service is simply top-notch (sup Gary, hey there Mike). Anyhow, they were able to provide a good portion of the offerings, with the other half is via… wait for it….

Yes, this contest has the official blessing of Grasshopper Manufacture! Most of my thanks on that end is aimed squarely towards John Davis, GhM’s PR guru and Community Manager, who hooked me up to an insanely awesome degree. He’s the reason why the pot has some truly (and ultra rare) items up for grabs, including….

THE GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES:

Both Sets Of No More Heroes Erotic Portrait Postcards
Not sure if you folks remember, but when NMH 1 was rereleased for the Xbox 360 and PS3 in Japan, both platforms had pre-order bonuses; two entirely different sets of postcards depicting the women in the game, and done by some of the hottest artists in the motherland. Guess what? I have both sets, still in their original shrink-wrap…

No More Heroes For Xbox 360 & PS3 Guidebook
In addition to giving you a detailed guide to everything there is to see and do in Santa Destroy, this available only in Japan, there’s tons of behind the scenes material and the such…

No More Heroes 2 Erotica Comic
When the NMH2 was finally released in Japan, those who pre-ordered were able to snag an ultra limited edition comic that told various sexy tales featuring assorted characters from the universe, again featuring some of the hottest talents GhM could snag. For those wondering, it’s titillating, but nothing over the line, completely XXX…

Killer 7 Art Book, Autographed By Suda 51 & Various Staff
Here’s where we’re getting serious: in addition to an absolutely stunning tome that chronicles their breakthrough title, which for many is what made the world take notice of Grasshopper, it’s been autographed by the various folks that created the game. Including Goichi Suda himself…

Bizarre Jelly 5 Shirt
This pre-order incentive for NMH2 in Australia (maybe other places in the world as well, not certain) is extremely rare. In fact, according to John, I was given the very last one that they had in their office! The one you’ll be getting is brand new, still in plastic. No real size designation, so it’s meant to be one sized fits all, though it’s from Japan, where stuff tends to be snugger…

No More Heroes: Hellride Shirt
Yet another tee to make you look like Travis Touchdown! Much like the BJ5 shirt, this shirt was never released in America, and was only available via Grasshopper?s online style shop (and was a limited edition deal as well). The size is large, and as you can see from above, it’s actually closer to American large than what you might expect from Japan…

Flower, Sun, Rain Shirt
Easily the most obscure and hardcore item of the entire pot, it’s a shirt based upon my personal top game of the year 2009! Not sure what else to say, other than it too exceptionally rare and is definitely Japanese scaled large in size…

Killer 7 Shirt By Attract Mode & Cory Schmitz
Unfortunately, as most folks know by now, the Attract Mode shop is currently down. But it shall rise soon enough, like a phoenix from the ashes! Till then, here’s a great chance to snag one of the hottest items we’ve had in recent memory! It?s standard American sized extra large…

… I guess that’s it? So now you folks know what’s at stake, along with the requirements (PLEASE follow the directions if you want to make sure that the finished product qualifies for the printed page). BTW, I might have a few runner-up prizes, but that entirely depends on my resources in the coming weeks (perhaps its not such a shock to hear that everything above has pretty much left me totally dry) and various other factors.

One final note: don’t do it just for my goofy little zine, or all the cool stuff that can be nabbed, but do it for John and everyone else over at Grasshopper. Aside from making incredible games, it’s a company that love it’s fans (especially John, being their community manager and all). I’m pretty sure anything that’s produced will brighten up their day, especially at a time when they need it the most, as is the case with lots of folks in Japan unfortunately. Whatever I get, I guarantee that I’ll pass it along to GrH HQ, and I’m confident that everyone on that end will get a good look at everything. Hell, maybe even Suda 51 as well!

Anyhow, all that’s left to say is…

THE DEADLINE IS: MAY 1ST (at the very of the day, 11:59pm to be exact, Pacific Standard Time, which means you east coast folks have an extra three hours)

Apologizes for the very tight timeframe, but that’s when I need the file, which will be immediately rushed to the print shop. Till then, any questions and concerns can be left in the comments section, or simply emailed to me directly at matt at fort90 dot com. Can’t wait to see what shows up in my inbox this time!

UPDATE #1: Was just asked if this contest is only for citizens of the United States or Canada, and no it is not! Whether you’re from NYC or LA, from Tokyo or London, or Melbourne or S?o Paulo, show me your best!

UPDATE #2: Just got a question from an artist wondering if it’s okay to include more than one character in the piece. Sure! More the merrier! Though that being said, obviously the chances of winning is greater if one uses their time to make a single piece super strong instead of doing eight or nine quickly produced ones.

UPDATE #3: Another question I keep getting is if it’s cool to pass along more than one submission. Of course it is! After-all, there are a ton of awesome subjects to choose from. BTW, for the record, in addition to the ones I’ve already named from NHM, I’m a huge fan of Holly Summers, Jeane, and Alice Twilight. Just a head’s up!

UPDATE #4: To clarify a few points made above, what I need in the end is an electronic file, either a jpeg, bitmap, or tiff, doesn’t matter. All I do care about is how, again, it’s 11 x 17 inches big when printed out. That’s 3300 x 5100 pixels big as well. Once more, it can be either vertical or horizontal orientation-wise. As I also stated already, needs to at least 300dpi. If it the final product was going to be in color, I’d probably ask for something like 600 (its up to you if you want to go higher, especially if your piece is indeed color after-all, just in case I guess).

Needless to say, the end result is going to be a huge file that might not be easy to send via email. I can help figure something out, though I highly recommend Dropbox! If you’re not using it already this link will help you get started.

UPDATE #5: In response to Eric from Tiny Cartridge’s question (see the comments of this TC post), yes, Grasshopper employees are also suitable subject matter. In particular, Japanese Amy Poehler…

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Actually, one last thing, now that I have everyone’s attention. Last time I spoke of various ways to help the crisis in Japan. Well, time to add one additional option onto your list…

For those who haven’t heard, Peter Swimm, the man who runs True Chip Till Death, is putting together a chiptunes compilation to help benefit the cause. In a little under a week, he’s received over 90 tracks 9 (and counting) plus raised over $2,500 (again, and counting)!

Simply go to this page for more information, as well a chance to donate. Those who do will receive access to the every increasing cache of 8-bit music (which I’ve been listening to all morning, and I’ve been enjoying every single beep and boop thus far).