Here we go again with another look into the world of original characters and their creators in WGC!

Besides a hundred sweet OCs, this time we also have an interview with ~karniz, who tells us a little about herself and her characters!

Fanart is great, but these deviants decided they were going to make their *own* characters to draw, paint and sculpt - with beautiful and unique results! These characters have been drawn (painted, sketched, photoed, and photoshopped) in many different styles - the only stipulation was that they be original, and they have under one hundred s.

Enjoy the art, and don't forget to go say hi to these awesome artists


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Great work as always, everyone!!



Artist Interview



~karniz draws original characters. A lot of them. We asked her to share a little about them, and a little about what goes into creating them:

Do you have a favorite of your own characters?
- My very first original comic's heroine, Karniz, will always be my favorite character. Obviously her namesake is my Online Pen Name, she could also be considered as my Alter-ego.

Which is your favorite character to draw, and why?
- That can be a very difficult question... Since they all vary in detail and emotions, it's really hard to actually say. But if I did have to pinpoint one character, it would be Pin Alie from my comic, 3 Pillars. Why? Because whenever he is illustrated I make one particular person VERY happy. Hehe.

How do you come up with a new characters? Are they based on anything / anyone in particular?
- Usually in the process of creating a character [in my case, I work with my sister, since she co-writes my main story.] we'll go by what we need.
If it's a hero, a villan, or just a side character. We try to have a character based on at least SOMETHING. Animals, inatimate objects, THINGS.
And then the name'll follow, then the background, the design, and other characters that they might be attached to...
It's really an arduous process...

What are your inspirations for your artwork in general? Any favorite artists / works?
- I don't want to sound like a broken record, but usually Music stands out as an inspiration. My mood when I am working is usually directly affected by the music I listen to.
As for artists/works, I'm greatly influenced in my beginnings by Naoko Takeuchi [Pretty Soldier Sailormoon], Akira Toriyama [Dragonball], Kazuma Kaneko [Persona], and Kosuke Fujishima [Oh! My Goddess]. I've worked hard to seperate my likeness in art to these artists, but looking at each piece I can still see the bits of influence.

Do you generally start with a story and come up with characters for it, or invent characters and then write their story, or another process entirely?
- Determines. With my current major comic "3 Pillars", the characters were created first, then the storyline followed only because it started as a school project. Normally when I work on my stories [like Influenza] the actual plot will occur in my head and I'll fit characters to it, either from my personal arsenal or I'll create a new one if the excess don't/won't/can't fit.
I wish I could be more creative in the creation process, but I'm fairly straightforward! Hehe.

What makes a good character?
- History. Love for the character. Design! There are particular elements that make a great character, but I think these three sum it up quite well.
History: A character with a good background, because you gotta start somewhere. Do you have a general story for your character? Is there a purpose, or is it just slapped together? A long, intertwining web of circumstances, relation to other of your characters, and possible plot-twists will rear their ugly head and you've got yourself the basis of a multi-levelled character rather than just a person standing admist a background smiling at the viewer.
Love for the Character: If you drew a character, but felt nothing for them, then noone else will. I have plenty of my characters with planned deaths or major injury to occur; and trust me, my heart sinks everytime I think about that I have to eventually draw that scene. Your characters should always be your passion, never just someone to fill in empty space. If they have a personality that shines, you will have more imagination and creation in their outcome, and enjoy drawing them for many years to come.
Design: For a modern-day setting, A white t-shirt and blue jeans don't say much. But if the t-shirt had a Skeleton logo, and the jeans were ripped at the knees - THEN the character will attract the viewers eye. Having a great designed character will not only give you more artistic liberties in their attire, but the readers will enjoy watching them evolve! Who knows~ that day when you suddenly change the logo on their shirt into a rainbow, guess who will notice?

What is the best kind of pie?
- For eating or throwing? No, nevermind me. Never throw a good pie. Pumpkin, if I have to answer. It's not tart, it's not sweet. It's a savory pie that is not only delicious, but gives you an excuse to eat whipped cream!

What is the most challenging part of making your artwork?
- Digitally Coloring. It's the most tedious part, I believe, of producing artwork. Or at least it is for me! Hehe. I'm more about speed, so I'd rather get a bunch of monochrome illustrations done than one super pretty colored piece.

What's your favorite cartoon or comic character, and why?
- I don't watch too many cartoons, and I read very few comics, so I couldn't give a straightforward answer to this question. But I have a role model. The Tick.

How about favorite movie or book character, and why?
- There is no one favorite, there are many that I love based on the genre played. But if I go with my favorite genre; Action: Bullet Tooth Tony [played by the awesome Vinnie Jones] from "Snatch". He's what I look for in a character... Engaging, serious, and terribly Sadistic.

Do you have any aspirations for your art/characters? Where would you like to be with them in five years?
- About 95% of my created characters [of a roster of over 235+] are part of my numerous original comics. Ultimately I would like to at least produce ONE of them.
Namely, my dearest baby 3 Pillars since it's spanning many generations of characters and is currently my longest [in pages and story] comic.

Anything else we should know?
- Remember to brush your teeth. Pearly whites are important for those long nights drawing. Ciao!



Thanks, Karniz!!



Contributors



Contributors for vol.5:

Thanks guys!!



Past Issues



ALL 100: [link]

WGC vol.1: [link] collection: [link]
WGC vol.2: [link] collection: [link]
WCG vol.3: [link] collection: [link]
WCG vol.4: [link] collection: [link]



_{Have an OC of your own for next time? Note me, =drinkdecaf, with a link. Also feel free to harass / complement / comment me via the same method. Want to be a contributor? Yea? Send me links of your favorite OC's from other deviants!}