Hey guys! In the process of getting in touch with certain people and having certain exciting conversations regarding our upcoming campaigns, I managed to cross digital paths with artist Wes Talbott, whose Zelda fan art and Zelda-related contributions to the LEGO CUUSOO project have been widely circulated on this and other Zelda fan pages. He was kind enough to give a short interview on Zelda, art, and Majoras Mask. Look for more involvement with Operation Moonfall from Wes in the near future ;) Scroll to the bottom for links to Wes webpage and places to buy his products. OM- You have illustrated a wide variety of Zelda inspired pieces. What are some things about the world of Zelda that inspire you as an artist? Wes- I am very nostalgia driven, which is ironic because I have a terrible memory. Maybe thats why I am always trying to find ways to re-experience the innocence and wonder of when I was a kid through my artwork. Ocarina of time was the first 3D adventure game I played and also the first I finished, so there are a lot of good memories wrapped up in that game but also in the following games. The reasons Zelda games inspire me are many, ranging from that fact that Link wears a green tunic (my favorite color :3) to I love how coherent the world feels and the harmony of the elemental themes. OM- Your proposed LEGO sets for the LEGO CUUSOO project have been met with great praise by the Zelda community. How did you get started designing LEGO sets based on Zelda encounters? Wes- Well it started when I got back into building with LEGO halfway through college. That lead me to discover Cuusoo, which naturally being a Zelda fan lead me Mingles project which at that point was still on its journey to 10k. It didnt take long after seeing his project to realize how awesome Zelda LEGO sets would be. Shortly after I hit support on his project I began painting the poster that was a pre curser to actually having the confidence to make the set. Being an illustration Major I didnt really consider myself a model builder so the poster was the best thing I could think of to show support for the idea. After the poster received an excellent online reaction though I decided it might be worth it to take a crack at making a set myself. OM- Is there a specific scene or moment that you have yet to create in LEGO form that you would like to do someday? Wes- There are a lot of zelda related builds I would like to do, some I actually have done, but since I work at LEGO now I dont want to release them, to the public in case they are ever used to make a final product. Its unfortunate but thats the rules so until/if Zelda LEGO is an official thing I wont be posting any builds of my own. :/ Unless Nintendo says We will never sell to LEGO then I might show them XD. OM- Which Zelda game would you say is your personal favorite? Wes- Thats a tough one, but Id have to say its an even mix of Ocarina of Time, Majoras Mask, and The Windwaker. OoT because it was the first I played and introduced me to the series and with the updated 3DS graphics it really stands up to the games of this generation which I think is pretty impressive. MM was a spectacular sequel that really offers a new vibe to the series that no other direct sequels or really any other zelda games offer, so naturally I am anxiously anticipating a 3DS version along with Operation Moonfall. Finally TWW is just excellent, the style is so fresh, and even though I prefer Oot or MM style Link, its still a Zelda game I can always go back to and play again, which is the same for the afore mentioned. OM- Which Zelda game do you find resonates with you most deeply as an artist and why? Wes- Hmm well I still need to play it again but I actually really enjoyed Skyward Sword. It was the closest thing to combining the freshness of TWW with the style and shaping of Oot & MM. I really enjoy bright colors with edgy idealistic shaping. OoT, and MM arent quite colorful enough, and TWW is a bit too stylized. Although Its tough because I am really happy with the 3DS Oot, and I wish SS would have been less blurry in some ways. I think there is still a lot of exploration to be done with the art style of Zelda games. OM- Zelda is a series which has a wide variety of artistic styles. From an artistic standpoint when do you think that Zelda is at its best/worst? Wes- Hmm well you can hate on me if you want, but I really dont care for Twilight Princess, its just too muted and depressing. I dont really count the 8bit games when it comes to art either, although A Link to the Past was ok. A Link Between Worlds was pretty nice but its hard to get immersed in a world you only see from above. OM- Majora’s Mask is a game that many recognize for its subtle, yet important aesthetic differences from Ocarina of Time. What do you think makes Majora’s Mask so distinctive. Wes- Definitely the edginess. The creepy feeling you get from the way the skull kid tilts his head, the massive creepy moon in the sky, and the sounds! That giggle, and the different songs were so memorable and epic sounding. I could go on but I think you get it. Im normally not into creepy stuff, but the usage of eerie imagery and sounds to give you that feeling of something evil happening really makes you want to be a hero and stop it. OM- As an artist, if Nintendo were to remake Majora’s Mask for Wii U or 3DS, what in your opinion should the updated visual style be like? What set the original title apart visually in your opinion? Wes- Ive always viewed MM as being more or less the same visual graphic style as Ocarina of time. It was more the character design and subject matter that made it different. I think at this point I would be happy to see the game remade for 3DS with the same level of upgrade that OoT got. Although I do think Nintendo should take notes from MM for whatever they are working on now. And flippin tell us more about Fierce Deity already! The tease in a Link Between Worlds was cruel. If they dont have some sort of tie in with MM in the next game then Nintendo can go bankrupt and sell the franchise to someone who listens to their fans XD. Interview conducted by Lyndon Willoughby. westalbott.deviantart go here for screen printed shirts of Wes designs: theyetee/shop/detail.php?itemid=WesTalbottTeeForce
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 22:33:17 +0000
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