jouste's daily highfive

DH5: 080 Yorick, The Gravedigger

2011-06-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Horay! it's our 80th DH5! that means I got all the released LoL champions done! Whoohoo!

It's Yorick! and Crabthief Fridays! Looks like that crab is at it again! Stealing Yorick's Urn from him and scuttling away!

I love shovels as a weapon and the idea of a gravedigger champion sounds really cool but Yorick comes off a little plain. Shambling around like a tent with a dangling lantern. Luckily the shovel saves the silhouette by being a pretty cool design. The ghouls themselves seem a little too simple and ethereal. I thought they should be actual corpses crumbling up from the ground but they seem to be more spirits that only variance is a color swap. I understand limitations and whatnot but the summoned mobs seem a little weird.

so i didn't get duped into buying him even though I was totally excited for this champion but it turns out he's pretty underpowered. No one is reporting good things about him and it sounds like he's going to need some serious bufs if Riot wan ts to make some cash off of this guy. The big thing that's instantly noticablee in the spotlight is that he only really does well when it's a giant team fight. Does anyone have anything to say about this grim groundskeeper? if so break out the shovel and scoop up some comments below!

and thanks SO MUCH for following me down this crazy path! we got them all!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 079 Orianna, The Lady of Clockwork

2011-06-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Holy Cats! It's our 79th highfive! we are nearing to the end!

Today it's that clockwork caster Orianna! It looks like she might have been a little over-wound here as she's losing some springs!

Orianna looks pretty cool. Her other skins give her a real Tim Burton or "9" vibe. I like the choices of skirt and chest design with the gear and arrows, and her color palette is predictable but works quite well. Her ball is a neat design as well and has some pretty neat looking effects as well whenever Orianna's spells are being cast.

In game I'm not sure how to read Orianna, I've never played her but I've heard that she is a lot of fun to play. I also noticed that all of her moves require precision and timing to the degree that it seems easier to just play someone else and achieve the same effect. Does anyone main this gear-filled girl? if so take off your hour-hand and scratch in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 078 -Leona, The Radiant Dawn

2011-06-22T07:49:00.000-07:00

It's the 78th DH5! A Champ that isn't even out yet! Leona!

Leona is going to be the first female pure tank in the game and she appears to be a blood elf paladin or a warhammer knight of the blazing sun. The design is solid enough but I feel that it doesn't really push the envelope that far. I always love the sword and board set up on characters and am a big fan of the shield slam. Hopefully her flashy effects will be wicked as she takes to the field!

Only a few more champions to do everyone! thanks for coming along for the ride!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 077 -Jarvan IV, The Exemplar of Demacia

2011-06-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Holy cats! It's the 77th DH5!

Today it's that spear-stabbing slayer Jarvan the IV! here he is nestled in his crater that he made through sheer awesomeness!

I actually put off drawing Jarvan for a while because his armor is a bit of a pain in the butt to draw. I really like the pauldrons and the hio guards but the rest seems a little superfluous and his spear just has too much going on. Jarvan tends to get lost in his own details and cold use some bigger shapes to make him stand out. his abilities look awesome though and while he stomps around the map he looks very badass.

In game Jarvan is a really cool tank pick if he can snag multiple enemy champions in his crater it gets really awesome. During the season 1 tourney he was a very strong pick and a lo of fun to watch in the capacity of a roaming jungle tank. All in all a solid champ to play with some really strong abilities to boot. Is anyone a big fan of this beastly Demacian? if so then take your telescoping spear and jab in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 076 -Karma, The Enlightened One

2011-06-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Oh man, We are nearing the end of the LoL roster with our 76th DH5! And I hope you like it breezy because it's Karma that fan flapping support champion!

Man I gotta say I find this champion dull. Even from her initial concept I could tell that there wasn't much of anything to go off of when she was first designed. Her back brace has some interesting geometry on it and the fans and figure make for kind of an interesting silhouette but all in all she's just a really basic design with not a lot of originality to offer. I suppose the majority of the Ionian champs tend to rub me that way. Give me more Zaun! Although i gotta say that a Fan Dance Uhura skin would be super awesome.

In game Karma has some interesting abilities and no ultimate that makes her have some pretty cool synergies with a lot of champions. Her tethers, shields, and fan shotgun are all pretty effective on the field. I've seen a lot of support Karma's keep their team fighting for a long time making her another pretty interesting support to watch. any one a fan of these fans? If so, waft some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 016

2011-06-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

Time to get some friendly sparring on with these patented "Spar-Bars"! hold tight for episode 16 of the weekender!

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Ugh what a week.

A pile of idiots decided it would be awesome to riot in Vancouver and they thoroughly trashed a very nice looking area in downtown. An embarrassing and disgusting display of spoiled morons which got out of hand way to fast.

The whole thing leaves a really lousy taste in my mouth, and it's a really shame that it was over something as pathetic as a hockey game. Lets hope this upcoming week fares better for us all!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 075 -Miss Fortune, The Bounty Hunter

2011-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Oh boy! Crabthief Fridays and our 75th DH5!

Here's that busty bounty hunter Miss Fortune! Looks like Crabthief might have clawed off a little more he can chew here by stealing Miss Fortune's very Booty! I gotta be honest and tell you that I'm not a fan of her design, she's pretty much like Caitlyn, slender, chesty girl with a giant silly hat and firearms. Her hair is a lot of fun but the pistols are just awkward looking. I do love pirates though unconditionally so she does have that going for her.

In game Miss fortune can be a real problem if topped up with some gear and a strong player. I remember thinking that Double-Up was one of the most OP moves in the game and that her lane was borderline unstoppable. Her Ult can really mess up an entire group and make it rain can slow enemies just enough that they can get snagged by other players. Does anyone brandish this buxom buccaneer? If so then grab your cutlass and slash in some comments below! today I'll be writing back to everyone at some point!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 074 -Sivir, The Battle Mistress

2011-06-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's That time again! Time for our daily highfive! And this time it's number 74!

It's that deadly dodger Sivir! Sivir's design is a pretty cool one, she comes off as a Xena or other amazonian type with a very cool and large throwing weapon. Her proportions are classically pushed in the old LoL style and her abilities are constantly bouncing around the screen. I drew her here slicing up a turnip and throwing one of her smaller blades.

In game Sivirs can be a real menace. If they can telegraph enemy moves they can use their spell shield at just the right moment and get back some MP as well as take no damage. There aren't very many champions that can push like her, and if she has a teleport or other means of getting to lanes quickly, she can pretty much double push lanes all day. Her ult is a nice steroid that can help friendlies speed up and catch an escape attempt or tactically retreat on their own.. She's squishy sure, but super helpful if played right. Anyone main this boomerang blade babe? if so just slice in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 073 -Rumble, The Mechanized Menace

2011-06-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Alright! the 73rd highfive!

Here We have that robot riding runt Rumble! His war machine is stomping its way towards the fray while Rumble makes some minor adjustments with his wrench. Rumble Is a Yordle, so again I'm not the biggest fan of the things but this one rides in a big robot so that's always pretty awesome and I can forgive him for being such a small jerk. O'm Not sure if Yordles are supposed to look so different but Rumble's facial patterns and fur seem to set im apart from the others. Although I suppose there's a lot of different varieties of other races so these little vermin should be no different. The Robot looks like it's dealing with a little more complicated tech than the usual affair but it's such a neat design that it's totally forgiven.

Rumble in game is another example of the scary direction that all the newer champions seem to be going towards. Tanky? check, shield? check, speed boost? check, self heal? check. giant ranged ult with slowing and big DoTs? check. the little jerk as like everything. Including basically a Demacian spin that's almost continually on. I do like the heat mechanic but it's frustrating when you are playing an older character against the newer ones like these. It feels like taking on a machine gun with a bow and arrow. Anyone roll with this robot wielding tinkerer? then take out your finest wrench and torque in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 072 -Lux, The Lady of Luminosity

2011-06-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Alright! it's Lux that laser launching lady of luminosity! Here She is getting a little tired of yelling out Demacia! while another beam tears across the lane!

Lux aesthetically has a neat story because her original costume was changed after a then fan of the game gave it a makeover and the community has a fit on the forums. Now she works at Riot full time and is re-doing a lot of the original splash screens. Either way I believe that she was originally going with a magic girl/Sailor Moon type character design with some pep-squad baton twirling elements as well. Her laser looks great and the warp effect that her spells have look pretty cool in game.

In game I've seen Lux play a mean support but also just ruin the other team with insane damage. She ends up being a little squishy but a well place binding can lock down two potential gankers. Man does that ever get frustrating. Her shield can get pretty strong with enough AP and you can put that on your beefy champs and tear through towers in no time. Her singularity can check bushes which comes in handy and of course her Laser can snag kills from long range and surprise your enemy when they think they are safe by their tower. Anybody main this Light slinger? If you do then laser beam in your comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 071 -Lee Sin, The Blind Monk

2011-06-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hooray! A new week of highfives! Here's our 71st!

Looks like its that blind basher Lee Sin! Here he is practicing his sweet moves, totally unaware of the banana peel at the ground ready to ruin everything!

Lee Sin looks pretty good in game. The animations are awesome and he's like 3 feet taller than a lot of the other human characters as well for some reason. His moves make him feel like a super martial artist and his costume apart from being very symmetrical, looks great in game. His other more classic skin is my favorite with the emo bangs, the Tapout shorts, and the tiger tattoos on his arms. This is one character who the fans have been clamoring for for a while and it was great to finally see him hit the field.

In game Lee Sin is a pretty powerful character, his super kick Ult is awesome for knocking around foes with some well placed separation or some isolation. His mini shield is quite strong and his 2 part strike where he snags right onto the struck enemy is a wicked tool for closing the distance. I haven't played as him too much but I'd like to give him a try for sure. Anyone main this mysterious monk? if you do or have some good stories about him, put on that blindfold and punch some comments out below!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 015

2011-06-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's some much needed pest control in this weekender! Looks like the fly problem has gotten out of hand and it needs some Major Shark and Frugal Spaceman attention!

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Last week was a beast of a week. Alot of work and a lot of loose ends to be tied up. I've been a little exhausted as of late and should probably start taking care of myself a little more.

Got into experience "Super 8" in an AVX theater. Super 8 was a really great movie. I know I only seem to mention movies I like but it was really well put together. The period felt really great and the acting was superb, the monster was mysterious as well and the action was awesome. AVX theater seats are awesome and the audio was like a rock concert (except much more clear). All that and reserved seating? sounds like it's worth the 3 extra bucks to me.

Have a great week everyone!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 070 -Karthus, The Deathsinger

2011-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! Time for that crafty crustacean to leave with some loot!

This Friday on our 70th DH5 we are visiting that skeletal spell-slinger Karthus! It seems that our friend the Crabthief has stolen Karthus' favorite book! A first edition of "The Deathening" and it looks like he's about to get a horrible taste of Requiem For his troubles!

Karthus' look is that of a lich. Flowing robes, a bright scepter, and bony appendages gained from selling out his body to the dark arts. I found his design pretty fun but it got really interesting when i started seeing the Chinese version of this guy with the cowl and gloves because showing bones over there is a bad idea. I always liked the idea of a lich, it's like the ultimate commitment to power and Karthus pulls it off pretty nicely.

In game there are some pretty good Karthuses and I am of the school of thought that he's a little more trickier to play than "press R and profit". His wall is awesome and very strong, his lay waste can deal out tons of damage, and his Requiem can really ruin an enemy's day. I've seen him get hard canceled by Soraka and I've also seen him rush a soulstealer and hit 20 stacks before hitting 15. Champions with global Ults are a lot of fun and Karthus really brings the mean. Does anyone main this monstrous mage? if so summon some dark powers and carve in your comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 069 -Nidalee, The Bestial Huntress

2011-06-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

Our 69th Highfive is here!

It happens to be that babe turned beast, Nidalee! Here she is realizing that one solid breeze can really leave her feeling a little exposed to the elements!

Nidalee is a pretty cool champ aesthetically because she can turn into a jungle cat as well as be a primitive amazonian warrior. I like how her spear is totally crooked and looks as if it was one of the earlier designs by the riot team with some fun wide jungle boots and wacky bone accessories. I believe that when she first was coming out, people believed that she was a pet class which would have been interesting visually to say the least.

In game Nidalee can pretty much do it all. A strong Nidalee player can end up ahead of the curve in kills and gear and really start to mess up your entire team. health low? BAM a fat heal coming from her wicked AP build. Need some extra eyeballs in those bushes? BAM a bear trap hits the most commonly used areas. Need to chase? turn into a chain pouncing cat, need to harass? throw a giant spear that can destroy champions from very far away. In case you couldn't tell, I've been destroyed by a few Nidalees and didn't have a very good time of it. Anyone main this mistress of the jungle? Then pull out your war paint and write down some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 068 -Sona, Maven of the Strings

2011-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Alright! It's our 67th highfive!

It would appear that we have Sona the strumming support champion!

So I guess that Sona is kind of an homage to that vocaloid character Miku Hatsune or it could very well be a coincidence that her appearance mirrors hers. She floats around the battle field and twangs on her weird harp thing looking complacent. The harp, or "Etwahl" is an interesting design that looks like it could totally work as an instrument if one had the proper apparatus to hold it in place. It sure would be a pain to bring it to a party and show off though.

In game, pretty much every thing Sona does dumps out a buff and shoots tracking crap at her enemies or heals her friends. She was pretty much the ultimate face roll character and it was highly infuriating to play against her. Her Ult is pretty hilarious and have ruined a whole lot of tower dives for a whole lot of people, as their champions foolishly dance within tower range while the rest of her team pulls you apart. I've liked having her in my Mundo lane and she seems that she has an easier time supporting everyone than other support champions because everything seems to home in on their own targets. Is anyone a fan of this musical madam? Tune up your key-tar and blast out some sweet, melodic comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 067 -Xin Zhao, The Seneschal of Demacia

2011-06-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

Demaciaaaa! It's our 67th Daily High Five!

Today we have that Spear-wielding slayer Xin Zhao! Here he is getting some sweet martial arts down while his flag flutters furiously in the wind!

Xin Zhao looks like an homage to Zhao Yun from the Dynasty warriors series to a degree. His fast looking attacks and charges look pretty impressive on the battlefield but he has that generic Demacian feel that the Heroes from the D always seem to have. I like the plates of armor and the split spear and stuff but something about his design just doesn't really do it for me. His animations are great though and he always looks like he's ready for a fight.

I always laugh and remember when Xin First came ou and he was like the Chuck Norris of the LoL community because of how strong he was. Nothing could stop him and it came down to who had the better Xin of the teams that would decide the outcome. Now he's still pretty strong, maybe a little too strong but a lot better than the original or the super nerfed version that would just vaporize on impact. He's one of the strongest duelists in the game and can really deal out the beats. Anyone a fan of this fearsome warrior? then pullout your trusty spear and stab in a comment below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 066 -Kog'Maw, The Mouth of the Abyss

2011-06-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's our sixty sixth daily highfive!

Today it's that slime-shooting fiend Kog'Maw slipping in his own goo! What a fool!

Kogs is a pretty neat looking character with a lot of cool looking skins and skills. The only problem I find with his design is there really isn't much to break up the monotony of his void-creature texture. I know he's supposed to just be a creature but some contrasting carapace elements would really help break him up. The skins available to him prove this point by being a lot more interesting to look at.

I remember when Kog first came out and there was that bug when his attack speed would increase exponentially instead of on a flat number scale. That was hilarious and frustrating because of how much damage this little brat could output. His range is ridiculous and just when you thought that you finally had the little bastard cornered, FLASH! Damn it! Now he's toned down quite a bit but I'll always remember when he was a super powered menace that would be constantly ruining my games. Is anyone still a faun of this caustic combatant? Any good stories involving his hilarious ult? Then load p your mouth with an acidic burst and spray in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 014

2011-06-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

Theater time with our un-dynamic duo! Looks like Frugal Spaceman's lack of spending has left him in lousy shape when it comes to movie etiquette! Way to talk through the second act chump!

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Alright! man another week gone by! I feel a sever lack of advancement in my artwork due to side projects and some pretty mindless work. Hopefully I can pick up some personal projects and get my chops sharpened up soon!

Okay so I saw X-Men: First Class and man alive was that ever a home run of a movie. The period, the action, the effects, the casting, everything was awesome. I'm hearing the ticket sales aren't doing so hot which is crap because that always happens on good movies but I'd like to blame the last X-Atrocities for this lack of box-office. The movie was really good and probably one of my favorites of the year, so go see it if you want to see some marvel redemption and the most bad-ass Magneto ever.

I'll be seeing you guys next week! And thanks so much for dropping by the daily highfive!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 065 -Kayle, The Judicator

2011-06-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

It's Crabthief Fridays! Along with our exciting 65th DH5!

Today it's that Holier-than-thou bringer of retribution, Kayle! Here she is after that crafty crab who managed to scuttle away with her helmet!

Aesthetically Kayle comes off a little strange because of her very thin frame that is wearing massive plates of armor. I always liked the idea of martial angel type characters and aside from a small physical presence, Kayle hits the mark pretty well. Her abilities are all very fitting with reckoning this, and righteous fury that. Her skins tend not to stray too much creatively, but it was very cool when she lost the helmet.

In game Kayle has gone froma pretty crazy support, to an unstoppable champion, then back down to a reasonable level. Or maybe even lower? because I don't see her too often anymore. But with her old Ultimate that rendered someone invincible for 4 seconds was it? Got really out of hand really fast. When she got over buffed she was just the worst, she could heal through everything and deal bigtime damage, and slow you, AND turn invincible. Luckily now she isn't as fearsome. Does anyone still run with this vengeful vixen? take aim with your beam of righteousness and scrawl in your comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 064 -Tristana, The Megling Gunner

2011-06-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

Alright! the 64th highfive!

It looks like it's that tiny turret Tristana! Ready to carry her team into victory with some super rapid revenge!

Tristana is another one of those overly cute pipsqueaks that manage to get their way into League. I can put up with her because a friend of mine absolutely destroys with her but as fas as aesthetics go, I find that she's almost too small to get a lot of her elements across. The gun is cool and the goggles and backpack of shot is neat but the palette isn't too striking and aside from her skin it's kind of a just a flat gray. Her skins make up for this by being pretty great and mixing it up as well.

In game she can get really nasty, i remember a Tristana who midded against us and only ended up buying spell pen boots and like 4 Doran's rings and there was NOTHING we could do about her, she could dive, gank, and counter everything we threw at her. She's one of those characters who's skills are so strong that you can kind of build whatever you want. Of curse end game Trist becomes a menace as well, but it was both interesting and frustrating to see that she could pull off a ridiculous early game as well. Any one a fan of this girly gunner? then load up your hand cannon and fire in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 063 -Vayne, The Night Hunter

2011-06-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Another daily highfive! Our sixty-third in fact!

This time it's everyone's favorite Van Helsinger Vayne! Shown here fixing her wrist mounted crossbow and hunting down a fierce Lord of the night! Vayne is another character who's design I'm not too crazy about. It's Like an amalgamation of Trinity from the Matrix, Bayonetta, and a female Blade or Van Helsing. One of those characters that's just "Too cool" and serious. Her attacks look pretty neat and her constant tumbling around and pinning enemies into walls makes her visually interesting on the field.

In game Vayne Is a menace, usually at the earlier stages of the game if she stays aggressive enough she can pretty much take apart anybody. The only thing that I've learned about dealing with her is to remain calm and wait till mid and end game where you can gear up and deal with her properly. I've had a few games now were she'll snag a ton of early kills but we eventually turn it around once our tanks tank up and everyone else gets some armor or other way of dealing with her. Sion and any on demand stunner can usually hard counter her in a way thats very satisfying. Nothing quite compares to seeing a well timed cryptic gaze stop her constant tumbling and prime her for a death's caress burst. Is anyone a fan of this fang stealing female? If so, then load up your wrist mounted crossbow and dial in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 062 -Teemo, The Swift Scout

2011-05-31T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hup two, three, four! It's the sixty second highfive!

Better stay clear of those bushes, it's that mushroom dropping doom-bringer Teemo! shown here atop one of his nasty creations!

Teemo is a total punk. I've shown my distaste for him in Caveman Udyr Many times and I stand by my decision to dislike everything about him. How can this thing take a hit at all? A minion should be able to massacre this pipsqueak! he's got a dumb little hat and a blow gun! I mean seriously! In all seriousness I see the draw the small guy has being cute and all but I'm just a fan of the meaner and goofier champs myself. I have never been a fan of these Yordle characters, I'm hoping that the lore takes a dark turn and they become a delicious main food group to all three kingdoms and that will be the end of them.

In game Teemo can be a real mess. I've played against one that I swear had over a hundred mushrooms down on the map and could 1v1 anyone without an exhaust. Damage or hybrid seems to be able to stay deadly and as long as he stays out of any clutches of enemy champions he can deal out some pretty serious damage. Luckily when you finally do grab him he vaporizes like Kleenex. I remember when you'd get gold for killing his mushrooms so at around midgame, your ranged carry would go "Mushroom farming" and buy an oracles and clear the map of enemy shrooms while making tons of money. Anyone a fan of this fierce little fighter? Then blowgun in your comment below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 061 -Veigar, The Tiny Master of Evil

2011-05-30T07:40:00.000-07:00

Our 61st highfive! hooray!

It's that pipsqueak powerhouse Veigar! Armed to the teeth with ability power and ready to rip down casters and anyone foolish enough to be stacking AP!

Veigar is an obvious homage to ViVi or maybe the Black Mages of Final Fantasy in general. He has the strange staff top that a lot of the classic League of Legends characters have and a very cool giant hand that constantly twitches with power. He walks really hilariously and his spells look great. All in all a pretty fun design with some neat things that bring some originality to a mage character. When dark matter comes hurtling down to the arena floor, everybody pays attention to this tiny terror.

In game if theres a Veigar who knows whats up and can pick on someone with a large amount of AP then the other team has their work cut out for them. Veigar can build up that baleful strike and just destroy characters. His event horizon can lock down multiple foes and I've seen a few use flash as an initiator and really tear things up. A super squishy but mean little guy on the battlefield, he may take a bit to get used to but holy cow can he deal out the magical beats. Anyone a fan of this miniature magic user? charge up that chaotic energy and blast in a comment below!

-jouste the drawarian

Weekender vol. 013

2011-05-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Swinging into action on extension cords, it's the thirteenth weekender!

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Another busy busy week. Between work and side projects I've barely had any time to actually sit down and enjoy drawing. There was a great post from Monster Brains that showed a bunch of old VHS monster movie covers. It really made me feel nostalgic, I always saw these Horror VHS covers growing up and began making up how the movies would be inside my head. I found out quickly that a very cool cover can become a very disappointing movie.

But I still find so much potential in the damn things, I remember going through tons of video rental places in the used bin and finding solid gold in the form of monstrous covers. I would always make up what would happen in the movie in my head to save myself the disappointment of watching another bomb, it was really inspiring stuff and probably a good exercise.

So everyone have an awesome week! and lets get some more highfives done up!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 060 -Maokai, The Twisted Treant

2011-05-27T07:30:00.000-07:00

Timber! It's Crabthief Fridays alongside our 60th DH5! Big thanks to Cycrum co. creator of Tales from the Tarpit for the idea!

A twisted treant tank Maokai gets his sapling stolen by that cunning crustacean! I'm not sure you really want that little guy crab, plans like this might end up blowing up in your claws!

Maokai has some great asymmetry happening in his character design. A giant, shield like wedge of an arm along with a hulking head and lumbering movement. His saplings are hilarious and are animated extremely well and he's over all a fun and intimidating champion to look at. I only wish that he kept some of his accessories that were around in his initial concept art but his skins look amazing and make up for that shortcoming. His palette also seems to have very little variance or contrasting colors so a lot of the details end up muddling together.

In game Maokai's are a pretty sweet deal, at least as far as he ones I've had on my team. I'm not sure where he falls into now but having that great AoE area to fight in and a solid stun and LoS sapling for harass makes him a pretty cool package for tanking and support. I'm not too sure how strong his passive is but I'm sure it helps him during the laning phase with that little bump of healing. Is anyone a fan of this wooden warrior? Rig your saplings to explode with comments and toss them below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 059 -Heimerdinger, The Revered Inventor

2011-05-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Holy cow! It's the 59th highfive!

Better put on your thinking cap because it's that irritating inventor Heimerdinger! Here he is taking a few important measurements while he hides behind his trusty turret!

As much as I can't stand ANY yordle character, I do like the Looney Toons styling of Heimer. His rickety turrets that flop down on the field are hilarious and his arcing bombs look great when exploding all over the enemy. His massive amount of hair has led to some interesting skin directions and his character is pretty fun to just look at overall. The tech of the earlier champs like Heimer tends to look a little cheap but it eventually grew on me.

I remember when nobody built the turrets on Heimer and it was all about AP stacking and those damn rockets. man was that ever a raw deal. Those things would track like three enemies at once and just decimate them with that brutal AP ratio. Luckily now he plays more to his initial design but that still makes him one annoying character to deal with. he can hold a lane forever and eventually just push it apart. So is there any fan for the frazzled fan-dangler? be sure to take out your commenting wrench and torque out a few words below! We always enjoy hearing from you!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 058 -Taric, The Gem Knight

2011-05-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Our 58th DH5 is here! Hooray!

It's everyone's favorite gem-encrusted champion Taric! looks like he lost a couple lustrous stones on that last battle!

Taric's desgin always made me laugh a bit. I like the idea that gems are magical, and the more un-cut gems I cram onto my person; the more magical I become. There's not a lot of rhyme or reason to the placement of the blue jewels that don his armor, but rest assured he's gone all out. The weapon and shield combo isn't used too much in League of Legends which is kind of a shame because it's so classic. Tarics abilities and cheesy voice work make him a really solid design and a fun character to draw. I've already tackled him before but need to complete the whole roster!

Taric was probably one of the first champions that I played and kind of "Got". It was back in beta so support and healing in general was pretty powerful and his shatter was one of the coolest abilities ever. Now he doesn't really fit my playstyle too much but I remember having loads of fun as this guy with his awesome stun and strong heal. You could go a little crazy and build him attack speed and damage with some funny results and now it's still pretty great to run with a Taric if your a Sion and looking for a lane partner. Anyone a big fan of this fabulous foe-smasher? take your finest gem-comment and socket it below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 057 -Ryze, The Rogue Mage

2011-05-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Sweetness! Our 57th highfive! How shocking!

BRRRZZZAT! Sounds like it's that lightning-based lunatic Ryze! Ready to deliver bolt after bolt of electrical eradication!

Ryze may have belts all over his legs but i'm a fan of his design anyways. I love the idea of spell books and giant scrolls and the more you have of them the more powerful the character would be. I like Ryze's atmosphere, he seems calm and collected but behind hat demeanor you get the feeling that theres an unbelievable wave of destruction just crackling to escape out of his enchanted fingers. The tribal runes all over his body are like magical scarification and add another layer of runic savagery to this already imposing character design.

In game I don't normally take on the role as a caster but I've seen enough to be able to tell when a Ryze is unbridled and decked out in gear. He's been re-worked a bit which is always interesting in League of Legends on the rare occurrence that it happens, but he always seems to remain a strong ability power based champion. I've faced and have played with some very strong Ryzes, ones that would take flash as an initiator and use it to maximize the destructive spell flux and rune prison and then explode the rest of the enemy apart with an overload. While he unleashes all this power he's usually activating desperate power, gaining a ton of spell vamp and making all those spells cause AoE. Anyone a fan of this shocking soothsayer? Read some runes and channel out some comments below! It's always great hearing from everybody!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 056 -Brand, The Burning Vengeance

2011-05-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Onto week 13 and another daily highfive!

Today it's that thigh-belted fireball Brand! ready to give enemy champions the hotfoot!

Brand is a dude, on fire, with 6 thigh-belts. The skin set up is pretty neat with the underlying magma and what-not but I don't find him all that compelling as a character design. I always liked the idea of fire based characters but this guy needs some accessories or something. A weapon? An apparatus for greater fire-focusing? Maybe some more intricate caster armor or something asymmetrical? I guess the things that draws me to castes as far as aesthetics go is that they can be donned in anything and still be powerful, Brand is supposedly this Ancient force of burning hatred but comes off looking like a magical hobo who's thighs keep falling down.

In game I haven't faced to many Brands. I know that he can really tear it up and has limited escape tricks and that whenever I'm fighting him my character is mostly aflame. I'm never that good at the ranged casters but maybe Brand's searing form of slaying is up my alley? What makes him a fun and effective caster to use? Anyone out there a fan of this fearsome and fiery foe? please leave a comment with why or why not I should give this guy a try! thanks in advance!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 012

2011-05-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Looks like its time for some yard work on an epic scale!

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The twelfth issue of the weekender has arrived! last week was awesome as most weeks go, I made it to the 1 year anniversary of the Fullindie Meetup which is always an awesome time. I entered Stexe's way cool champion contest and made it into the final 4! All in all a pretty productive week. So I'm going to be trying to get my act together and finish up my side stuff but man alive have I been biting off more than I can chew. I'm not really sure why it keeps on happening but I believe that I was close to a breaking point last week.

All is good tough! and this next week marks another pile of stuff that I can get completed! so thanks for all the comments and support everyone! It really helps me keep going!

have an awesome week!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 055 -Tryndamere, The Barbarian King

2011-05-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Crabthief Fridays along with the 55th DH5! how fancy!

It would seem that crabthief has struck again! this time digging deep into the pockets of a champion and stealing their items! Looks like Tryndamere has had his brawlers glove taken from him! And he's not very happy about it!

Tryndamere is a barbarian king which pretty much makes me like his design by default. I love the oldschool armor and the giant sword with the barbed blade. The blue orbs kind of confused me as they look a little mystical and I tend to like my barbarians like Conan, who's very superstitious of magic and would much rather use a sturdy axe over an enchanted blade. Tryndamere has gone through a few aesthetic overhauls as far as splash screens have gone, and he now looks totally battle ready and prepared to take on anything. I'd need to be corrected but I believe that Marc Merril's Tryndamere was an Everquest character of his? either way I think that that's awesome that they've carried over their avatars from previous games, almost like they've gotten digitally resurrected!

Oh Tryndamere, when you see him in a game it's like a giant clock is hovering over your head. You are thinking "Ok, if this guy gets his hands on some late game gear there is NOTHING that we are going to be able to do.". Tryndamere has some really awesome spells and some cool synergy with moves, the idea that he gets to be completely immune to damage for 5 seconds is a horrifying thought and I've seen some Trynds whirl right into a group of 4 folks and just start killing everything. Is anyone a barbarian main? or just a big fan! sharpen up your giant sword and carve in a few comments! Thanks everyone!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 054 -Ezreal, The Prodigal Explorer

2011-05-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Alright! It's the 54th DH5!

This time it looks like that mobile missile launcher Ezreal! ready to blink through walls and mystic shot you into pieces!

I'm not too sure where they were going with Ezreal's design. I think I came to the conclusion that he's kind of like a young Indiana Jones with some character from an anime that I've never seen before mixed in or something. Ezreal's proportions always seemed a little off to me for being so even, usually characters are much more varied but Ezreal has some thickness to his boyish frame that looks a little weird to me. Ez always gets a bad wrap for looking a little more feminine than the next champ but I really gotta say that it's the communities fault for being so strangely infatuated with the idea of gender swapping champions from League of Legends.

Ezreal used to be kind of the circuit when the game was shifting to the Poke mechanic. He'd keep you at range, constantly dealing out the damage and then be able to zip out of there no problem with his abilities.I believe there was a point where he was touted as the most powerful character in the game by some high-ranking players. Now though the Meta has shifted and Ezreal just doesn't seem to cut it as much anymore. After seeing some nerfs hit him pretty hard it looks like he'll never tear the map up like he used to. Is anyone an avid explorer like Ez? Then dust off some relics and leave some hieroglyphics below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 053 -Irelia, The Will of the Blades

2011-05-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hooray! It's our 53rd highfive!

I have no idea what you are going to do. It's that crusher of carries Irelia! lets hope you have some hard CC to counting this monster maiden!

I'm not too sure what's up with Irelia's character design. It does look like some changes were made to make her appear more contemporary or human than her initial character concept. So it's my understanding that she's a super martial artist that wields these floating blades around her and can totally take down a ton of people. All of the "Ionian" characters are starting to have obvious similarities in theme, it's interesting that it appears to be the light red and silver/white in chunky armor like in Ionian Master Yi where you can clearly see some similarities even in the weaponry.

In game Irelia has fluctuated a bit but remains a very powerful character. If your team cant stun her or knock her up right away she'll be all over your squishier champs and there will be nothing you can do as you watch her rip them all new ones. She can jungle and lane and get a ton of health back with a well placed Ultimate. Her character can also deliver a ton of self healing and remain quite tanky with zero tank items, making her a viable off tank with minimal effort. All in all a super effective character. Is anyone a fan of this she-slasher? then sharpen your blades and slice in some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 052 -Shaco, The Demon Jester

2011-05-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Alright! the amount of cards in a deck AND our next highfive!

Ward those bushes and try and keep a straight face! It's that killer comedian Shaco! Ready to jam a twisted joke right into your stomach!

Shaco's design is pretty balanced with the majority of everything aside from color being mirrored across the character directly. I am a fan of his over sized weapons and pushed proportions. I suppose you could argue that he is a little generic looking but the whole killer clown is a fun angle to play with with a roster this crazy. His abilities aren't too flashy but they get the job done and he gives off this haunting aura that makes other players happy to not be dealing with him.

In Game good Shaco's can end them pretty fast. Sunfre Shaco used to be a popular build because when you'd split in half the effects would carry over to the clone and you could really dole out the damages just in an AoE. A good Shaco jungler can set up brutal ganks from a bush or nest together some jack in the boxes and lead enemies into a brutal surprise. I could never get the hang of this guy down but have seen some really strong players on streams and stuff that know everything there is to know about using this creepy clown, and it's brutal. His deceive has made me want to put my fist through my computer on more than one occasion and some teams can just build around setting up Shaco ganks and win by the 20 minute mark. A powerful champion indeed. Is anyone a fan of this fearsome fiend? put on your best harlequin suit and drop us off some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 051 -Nocturne, The Eternal Nightmare

2011-05-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Zounds! our 51st highfive! How gnarly is that!?

Looks like it's that nihilistic nightmare Nocturne! Better keep that night light on and hope that you didn't eat anything weird before going to bed or this guy is totally going to get you!

Nocturne's Design is pretty neat for something incorporeal. I'm a big fan of his lobstery battle-blades and I like how he swoops around the field doing all sorts of scary crap. His abilities really mess with the game itself by making it super dark across the whole map and leaving creepy trails as well as scary tendrils that grasp onto the enemy. All in all a very flashy assassin.

In game Nocturne is a newer champion, so he's got those kind of swiss-army abilities that do like 4 things at once and he is just overall a lot more flashy than the older champions. I know that updating the older champs would be an arduous task but sometimes taking some classic guys and fighting the newer guys with all those super combined abilities feels like your attacking a laser gun with a wooden spear. Nocturne's Ult alone is pretty much a global debuff that can lead into an easy kill if he's positioned right. Is anyone a fan of this spooky slaughterer? drop us a line with your jungle strats or experiences! or even if you just have a comment on his crazy design!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 011

2011-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Time for some Vespa violence in this weeks Weekender!

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One little hiccup last week but we are rolling again!

Yikes, what a pile of busy last week. work was loads of fun but a little extreme in some cases, I spent most of my spare time working on some smaller games and I think it may be catching up with me. Last week was a full 5 highfives of females! I've never been the greatest at drawing the dames but I'm glad that I got the practice. I'm actually over half done the League of Legends roster although I'm sure that there will be a few more releases in the weeks to come.

So everyone should head over to polycount and vote for thier amazing BRAWL competition! holy cats was that ever a cool contest! it was taking any fighting character/environment in any game and re-imagining them/it! was it ever a toss up for me. I was torn three ways between rv_el's fisherman Haggar, Massbot's Ken the Eagle in Aztec attire, and JFletcher's surreal Super Mario. And the Environment guys are absolutely astounding!

A pretty amazing thing about this contest is the only thing you win is rights to brag and say your awesome, no I-pads, ball-caps, or t-shirts here. Just competition for the sake of competition. so I salute all entrants for showing up to BRAWL!

have a good week everybody!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 050 -Caitlyn, The Sheriff of Piltover

2011-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

Crabthief fridays and the 50th DH5 is here!

Looks like that crafty crustacean is at it again! this time thieving from that sassy sniper Caitlyn! Oh no! it's one of her totally practical thigh-belts! whatever will she do without one!?I suppose she sports four for occasions just like this!

Caitlyn is another character design that I'm not the hugest fan of, she's basically the exact build of every 20-something League of Legend girl with a goofy steam-punk hat. She's sporting the Victorian-esque sort of corset thing that comes off as confusing because she's supposed to be some sort of authority figure but it looks like she's on her way to Comi Con as opposed to enforcing the law. Her weapon is pretty interesting but, as I find with a lot of details in League of Legends, gets lost very fast when viewed from so far away. I suppose that the draw to her design is the eclectic approach, but again it just isn't my cup of tea.

In game I'm pretty sure Caitlyn was underpowered upon release and had to get shifted around for her to be viable. I read that people weren't to happy with her not really behaving like a sniper. Her abilities are actually pretty cool, the cupcake trap, the net cannon, and the peacemaker are pretty neat and I like the martyr mechanic of the ult but am pretty sure all Caitlyn players hate it. Any players out there rock the steampunk-sheriff? leave a comment below as our Women Week comes to completion!

-jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 049 -LeBlanc, The Deciever

2011-05-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Let's try this 49th Highfive again!

Blast it all! the Blogger Gods deleted my previous post on LeBlanc! now I msut attempt to re-type what was said before! Here goes!

I've never been a fan of Leblanc's design. The whole "Sexy caster" thing seems to be trying to score high with the lowest common denominator. I like some of the geometry used on her acessories but she's pretty much the typical League of Legend girl with pink skin and a staff. Casters have always fascinated me because they can wear anything and still be powerful. They don't need layers of armor of a giant weapon in order to do their job. LeBlanc is a fine example of a mage in my opinion, just not a very interesting one.

In early game noone can ruin someone's day like LeBlanc. She can dash in and out super fast abd basically deal damage as if she was right beside you only to disappear before any retaliation shows up. I'll always remember playing against her when she runs a flash as well, so she can basically triple blink away from ANY attempt at a gank! Luckily once you get some MR and the game picks up you can catch up to her power curve. Is anyone a fan of this femme fatale? I know I lost a comment previously due to the Blogger headache but please post again! I loved it!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 048 -Soraka, The Starchild

2011-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Looks like it's our 48th highfive!

Better be aware that the enemies have a healer on their side! It's that super supporter Soraka! ready to wish away those ailments and drop the very stars onto her foes!

Soraka's design is kind of a satyr like Draeni. I'm a fan of her obscure weapon and her hair is an interesting element that breaks up her back visually. the horn seems kind of superfluous and I decided to opt out of the swirly tattoos just for the sake of simplicity. So again there's some interesting ideas going on here but they may have been simply too many suggestions going into the design of Soraka.

In game Soraka has had to deal with the changes to healing. Healing was once very strong and almost every team had a Soraka or a Taric on it and it would change the tides of battle very often. I remember playing with a mid lane Soraka that would just wreck the other team and use wish straight away to aid in a tower dive or a baiting that was happening halfway across the map. The ability to globally heal your team is pretty powerful, especially when you are organized on vent supremely well. Is anyone a fan of this Starchild? heal up our fingers and post some comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 047 - Janna, The Storm's Fury!

2011-05-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

The 47th highfive is here!

It's that howling wind storm Janna! always on the move and ready to deal out some devastating tornadoes and support her team through the art of the hurricane!

Yikes where to start, Janna's design seems to be missing a lot in my opinion. Her recent visual updates have helped but I've never really been a fan of the bathing suit magician types. The geometry on her staff is a little confusing and I may be wrong but I believe her original voice acting was changed? Either way, visually Janna is a little on the dull side. Luckily her abilities make a big impression on the map and her floating presence is always a good one to have around. Here she is pushing a kite with her super cool air-powers!

In game Janna is pretty powerful, she's so mobile and she makes everyone else move super fast as well. Her tornado can be cooked and unleashed for big knock up and damage, and her ultimate can move people around the immediate area. Janna tends to fall into the realm of support but I've seen a few that just ruin the other team with very aggressive playstyles. Those kind of champs are always my favorite, the ones that can fill a few different roles depending on the player. Anyone a fan of this master of the airs? Blast a comment or two below with the first spell you have off of cooldown!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 046 -Katarina, The Sinister Blade

2011-05-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Our 46th highfive is here!

Let's stab out the first ladies of LoL week with that killer Katarina!

Katarina is a pretty neat looking character. She's totally decked out in darts and blades and her hair becomes very cape like in game. She's gota swashbuckler vibe that totally works and her spiky braclets add another layer of dangerousness to her already mean physique. Her abilities are pretty much ninja stuff which is okay but I'm still looking for another Poppy kind of character that can crush foes with brutal strikes, like a she hulk kinda character or something. Kat's still cool though and a pretty big player favorite.

In game Kat has been shifted around power wise for a bit, she becomes super strong when working with a team that can maximize the power of her death lotus ultimate and as long as she can't be hard stunned or interrupted she'll usually be scoring tons of kills. Plus when her damn Ult kills somebody the cooldown like goes away and she can do it again! what's with that!? with bouncing blades, healing de-buffs, and extra gold and CDR on kills Katarina can snowball out of control pretty quickly if she isn't kept in check. Any fans of this cunning killer? throw down some daggers in the comments below and let her know you care!

-jouste the drawbarian.

Weekender vol. 010

2011-05-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Some old-school archery gets drawn into action!

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Alright! getting into the double digits of highfiving!

Last week was another busy one. I had some great meet-ups with some very cool people and am getting really excited about some future projects. I always have a habit of taking on way to many projects, recently I haven't even thought off picking up a new game (I bought portal 2 but haven't even torn into it yet). I can maybe snag a match or 2 of league but I'm just always finding something else to be working on.

Doing fast stuff like the DH5s has been really fun and to be honest I never thought I would be getting this many done. So many times I've proven to myself how great I am at starting something and how lousy I am at finishing. I think if I approach this project as always starting then I'll be able to get a lot of it done.

So everyone have an awesome week and i'll be getting back to you all soon! next week will be all the ladies of LoL! Well not all of them but all 5 will be females so wish me luck because nobody likes my girls!

Oh and just because I haven't linked anything for a while, do yourself a favor and if yo appreciate games at all check out the extra credits series on the escapist. It's amazing and super cool.

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 045 -Amumu, The Sad Mummy

2011-05-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Crabthief fridays and the 45th DH5 together at last!

Better bulk up and strap on those merc treads! It's that bawling brawler Amumu! Totally ready to wrap up your whole team in a bandage bombardment!

Amumu is another character that relies a lot on the look of his abilities in order to stay interesting. His appearance is after all just a small character wrapped in green bandages with yellow eyes. Amumu's spells look pretty cool, I'm a fan of his tantrum and despair graphics and when his big yellow cataclysmic ultimate drops you definitely know that your dealing with a pint-sized powerhouse. I suppose that it's a nice balance and lets yo appreciate the effects of the spells on top of a simple character. I've always been a big fan of the more simple designs. Looks like Crabthief got a little personal on this one and has truly upset the small mummy! what a jerk!

In game Amumu can be a real beast. a jungler that can hook shot his way right to an enemy and unleash a team destroying ultimate that turns off everybody in a pretty large radius. Lane Amumu's are a little less crafty and can sometimes be out zoned and harassed. Having a tanky Amumu on your team is usually a lot of fun as you can plan some really big team fights knowing that 2-3 of their champions might not even be able to participate after the mummy unleashes his curse. Anyone a fan of this tiny tank? Bandage toss out some comments and keep that crying crusher zoned!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 044 -Evelynn, The Widowmaker

2011-05-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

Double fours! It's the daily highfive!

Let's all hope somebody has oracles, It's that sneaky assassin Evelynn! Totally ready to twist out of the shadows and take down the injured!

Evelynn is a spiny, fetish gear garbed stealther who has a teased up hairstyle and blue skin. There's a lot of "femme-fatalizm" in League of Legends but Evelynn is probably ranked pretty high or at least the first of them. Her outfit is pretty outrageous but I guess that it's pretty much the only thing that sets her apart as her own champion. She's gone through some interesting skin changes and even a recent splash page revamp.

Man, do I HATE stealthed champs, the only thing that I like about them is when they jump me and I turn around, toss up an exhaust, and melt them apart with Mundo. I would think that balancing these guys must be the biggest pain ever, or at least instill the most ire in newer player who get dominated by them. Evelynn has some neat abilities but her Ult really takes the cake, she pops it after killing a champion and gets a ton of health back and some movement speed, then it instantly refreshes and she can do it again, chaining through your team like a horrible plague of spikes and slices. I understand that stealthers have their place and I actually really like the spin they end up throwing on the game, it's just super easy to get bent out of shape by a couple stealthed slayings. Fan of the obfuscated oblivion-sender? Write down or sneak some comments in and tell us some tales or strategies for this blue skinned babe!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 043 -Anivia, The Cryophoenix

2011-05-04T07:35:00.000-07:00

It's the forty-third highfive already!

Better put on a scarf and some gloves because it looks like it's Anivia that chilly artillery!

Nothing too much beyond an icy bird but Anivia's spells are fairly interesting with the likes of a giant frozen wall and an on command blizzard. Perhaps the most memorable aesthetic is her passive where she forms into an icy nest and egg to be reborn i a flash of freezing frost. In Anivia's skins we start to see some interesting variants, like her Noxus Hunter skin and Hextech skin. All in all, I've never really been blown away with her design but find her to be an interesting approach to an ice mage.

I don't think I've ever played Anivia ever, but I know her playstyle and have really seen a lot of players light it up with her super long range and powerful spells. I'm sure we've all been in the jungle at one point or another and had a crystallized wall pop up and separate us from our friends or totally screw up your escape. getting nailed by her big combo usually wields some insane damage as well and just pray that the skilled enemy Anivia isn't stacking or those kills are going to steamroll into a real mess later on. I enjoy playing alongside a skilled Anivia, usually the ballsier ones that aren't afraid to get right into a surprise fight from the bushes. So are you pretty cool? do you like the frozen flaps of this frosty phoenix? then drop us a line! we've recently had some great discussion on the previous champs regarding some game balance and favorite strats! It's been awesome!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 042 -Fiddlesticks, The Harbinger of Doom

2011-05-03T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hooray for forty two highfives!

Hear that sound from the bushes? get ready for a crowful demise because it's none other than Fiddlesticks the super scary spell slinger!

I've always liked scarecrow characters and fiddles is no exception. I've done him before but had to tackle him in the DH5 format!I think my favorite thing about him is his super twiggy legs and how he hobbles around on them while throwing crows at you. His palette is a little simple and could use some more interesting geometry on his model but there's a tendency for most of the original champions to need a little bit of an update when compared to the more recent characters. Fiddles skins are great, my favorite of course is "Fiddle Me Timbers" where he's a drunken pirate, apparently made from drift-wood and peg-legs.

In game I've played with some real mean fiddlesticks. You know the ones that get their ult and are instantly ready to ruin a team fight? And every time that sucker is off of cooldown he's ready to scream in again and fear everything apart with bouncing crows and life drains. I know he's gone through a series of hard nerfs and changes and i think now he's a little underpowered but he'll always be a neat champion with some pretty nifty abilities. I like that he can jungle although I'm not sure if he can do it anymore? Any fans of that stumbling stick man? sharpen your scythe and scrawl in a comment before bouncing crows silence you!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 041 -Rammus, The Armordillo

2011-05-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

The 41st of the highfives! happy new-week everyone!

Ok. Lets get things rolling and taunting with that armored initiator Rammus!

Rammus is one of the more monstrous looking champions and I'm a big fan of how he looks. The array of back spines, his hunched over defensive curl, and his Sonic power-ball form make me picture him gouging trenches into the ground as he tears around the map. the segmented shell makes for an interesting design and the color choices are a lot of fun. His skins have been pretty slick although mostly just elemental in nature which is understandable because of his unique character geometry.

I'm sure we've all played against a strong jungle Rammus. That guy is a monster out of the river. spinning into you with a knock up and a quick taunt to lead you into his friends. A good friend of mine rocks Rammus and spends mostly the entire game at 20% health, diving into turrets and dragging foes out into he open to get crushed by the team. A super powerful tank and a great initiating character that can also turn on the tremors and melt towers down in no time. Anyone a big fan of this scaly spinner? Comment your spiny stories and thoughts below!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 009

2011-05-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Budget aerial combat training! Frugal spaceman is saving up for a bargain jet-pack but wants to hit the skies running with some punching practice!

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The ninth week of highfiving and my hand isn't even sore!

The week was a pile of fun and I feel like i'm getting a handle on working on a web comic. It's faster and simpler than my finished work but I'm really excited to see things starting to come together. It's really quite strange revisiting characters form over 8 years ago and drawing them again, I remembered a lot more stuff than I thought I would about them and I never even wrote anything down.

So if you have a hankering for following the pre-production phase of a funny book on the web you can check out the Rooftop Seven blog and watch 2 amateur web comic guys bust out some cool, pulpy monster killing action! Thanks everybody!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 040 -Zilean, The Chronokeeper

2011-04-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Crabthief Fridays and our 40th highfive!

Looks like its time to buy some magic resistance! It's that chronokeeping king Zilean!

Zilean is a really fun looking character that fits into the classic mage role very well. I usually don't care for the floating champions but Zilean's mode of transportation really fits his character. The large time piece on his back really adds to his silhouette and his spells are just cool enough to get a mention as well. Newer champions are getting better and better looking spells and the original champion's effects are really starting to show their age, luckily Zilean's looks are staying timeless! Uh-oh! That cunning crustacean is back! It looks like he's stolen Zilean's favorite wristwatch and Zilean isn't too happy with him!

In game i'm sure we've all had a BRUTAL experience against this time-bombing terror. Or maybe almost gotten that enemy only to see some wispy clouds form around him and him resurrect and get away? sure we've been on the giving end as well but we can agree that Zilean can really be a really powerful champion. I remember getting nailed with a rewind double timebomb and watching my health just blast down to nothing when i was first getting into the game. Zilean used to be able to sip in and naily you with one without even pulling turret aggro! So is there any time keepers out there that fancy talking about this time-bender? Drop us all a line in the comments below so we can stay on schedule!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 039 -Kennen, The Heart of the Tempest

2011-04-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Alright! 39 highfives!

Man that's our third ninja in a row! it's that storm slinging shurikener Kennen!

Kennen is the third ninja in the ninja trinity and he is a pipsqueak in purple pajamas. He hurls shuriken and zaps around the map in lightning bolts and for the first 2 weeks of his release I thought he was a girl. The trouble with yordle characters I find is that the designer has to try and cram as much stuff onto their small frame as they can to keep him from looking overly simple. They remedy this by giving characters large weaponry or vehicles, Kennen falls into the category of the former with a shuriken he could eat off of. Here he is tossing that ninja-star backwards at whoever is chasing him and applying a shocking mark of the storm to the poor guy!

In game Kennen is a menace, I remember after a buff where he would gain more armor when he does his lightning rush, fighting Kennen made me cry. He's so shrill and can escape from almost anything as well as tie up nearly whole teams with his electrifying ult. Kennen is a monster than needs to be stuffed all game or else you're going to be in trouble. He tends to be built as a AD and AP hybrid and I always found those to be interesting builds because you usually have a greater variety of items to choose from. Although he isn't my kinda champion I know that theres gotta be some folks out there that love storming around with this guy! Sound off below as we wrap up our ninja triniity.

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 038 - Akali, The Fist of Shadow

2011-04-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

Alright! Number 38!

Another ninja!? bah, alright let's get these guys all out of the way. It's Akali! That side-boobin' slayer!

Another basic ninja with not too much going on in the design department. But it must be said that a good friend of mine (Ipsquiggle) brought up her dynamic posture and silhouette and I have to agree that with the twin kamas and stealthy, widespread pose she does look interesting on screen. I like the whole smoke bombing thing with lightning quick strikes and it could be totally by accident but she is quite reminiscent of the two ninja type sisters from MK. Although she is most likely derived from some Anime or Manga series that I'm not familiar with and i could just be using my typical ignorance on the subject to totally westernize this character's inspiration, Mortal Kombat invented ninjas right guys?

I have to give a shout out to the player "bogieman" who played a really solid Akali with me a few days ago, I could play a pretty strong push game while Akali would be taking on multiple threats and tying up a lot of the enemy team. I initially thought that Akali was one of those characters that you needed to snowball to be good with but I've been proven wrong on a lot of occasions now and even though she's a ninja I still appreciate her presence on my team. Any fans of this kama-slinging slicer? drop a comment below along with your favorite smoke bomb!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 037 - Shen, Eye of Twilight

2011-04-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

37th highfive! no way!

Ewwww it's a ninja! How did he get in here!? looks like it's that saving shinobi Shen! ready to stop those assailants with a well timed shield!

I gotta say that the ninja champs that hang around in LoL are a bit on the generic side. They are all extremely symmetrical with hardly any variety at all. I think the main problem is they tried to be too authentic with these designs and the weapons and armor stray so little from the norm that they fall on the side of blandness. Shen is still a neat champion regardless though because of his toughness and tanky nature usually reserved for character types other than ninjas. the dual ninja-tos on his back and spiky shoulder armor are a nice touch and his surgeon skin is pretty slick as well. I'm also a pretty nostalgic guy, so to see him look like the ninjas in MK is pretty cool. (even though pirates ARRRR a lot better).

I pick on Shen a lot in some of my other sketches but it's really because he can save people at the perfect time and totally ruin a fight for the other team. He has a neat playstyle and is hilarious when put on a global team with TF, Pantheon and Nocturne or something. I was always a little suspicious of the energy system in LoL but I figure that they are adding even more systems like rage and heat so there's gotta be something in the balance. Shen can taunt and although I hate getting hit by it, i love that it force taunts characters. It really makes you think before committing to a team fight or even a tower dive. So is there any Shen fans? sound off here with your stories of ninja saving action!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 036 - Gragas, The Rabble Rouser

2011-04-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

Our 36th Highfive! Hooray!

Get out of his way! it's that bruising boozer Gragas! Ready to body slam his way right into your team!

Gragas is a really fun looking champ, there definitely aren't enough giant bellied champions with lightning bolts war-painted to their bulks. He's probably got some of the greatest skins out there that range from gentleman to scuba, to hillbilly. His weapons are the casks that are rolled around and thrown around. he also slides into combat gut fist ready to bust up the enemies with his barroom brawling. A giant beard to go with his Giant Girth and you got yourself one hell of a champion! I've already given this one a shot but had to revisit him in the daily highfive style and get him a sportier cask for those champions on the go!

I never really got into caster Gragas, I primarily was tank Gragas and on the odd time attack damage Gragas. Those roles were a lot of fun to take on and you could get a lot of control to start happening in team fights. Then a nerf came that ruined my game, they added one more second to the cool down on body slam. It's weird but this totally ruined my Gragas game. I was so used to body slamming a certain way, that to add a second to the timer would totally throw me off. It was really interesting to notice how one second can make all the difference in the world. Now I'm more focused on caster Gragas, but I think that I'd miss rocking that AP burst machine Sion too much to switch. Any Fans of the Grags? Drop us a line so we can Revel in this Rabble Rouser's glory!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 008

2011-04-23T14:33:00.000-07:00

Time to detect some metal with that deranged duo!

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The eighth weekender is here!

Another week has blown by and with it a series of daily highfives! I'm racking up something like 35 pictures so far and 8 weekenders it's actually going by pretty good! Picked up the Mortal Kombat this week and boy is it great. I've been super blown away at the amount of content on the disc and how trapped in the 90's the game is. It's a video game that knows it's a video game and isn't afraid to embrace the cheesiness of the characters and situations.

Lets follow some artists! I know these guys get billions of press anyways but check out the daily chops of Skottie Young and Scott Morse when they tackle characters daily right Here! Its so great to see that whimsical style applied to some of the most famous characters ever created. Those champs even sell thier originals! what an awesome collaboration!

Have an excellent Easter pals!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 035 - Nasus, The Curator of the Sands

2011-04-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

Crabthief Fridays! And our thirty fifth highfive!

Keep an eye on that steamrolling Anubis! Looks like it's Nasus the biggest dog on the block!

Egyptian stuff is pretty sweet. Nasus has a pretty cool look about him sans his strange staff that appears to be made from jade and incorporates an eye of Rah motif. The staff just doesn't read too well and if a had to say something else it would be that his proportions are a little too even and could use some mixing up. I'm probably picking on him too much, the fact is, when Nasus hits that steroid ult and all that sand whirls around his avatar form it's a very cool thing to behold. And it looks like that sneaky Crabthief is back! Taking away Nasus' favorite remains, a juicy bone!

In game a few of my close friends rock the Sand storming stomper that is Nasus. They get his siphoning strike stacked up to stupid amounts and crush towers and champions alike by late game. A really cool champion that fits a role of off tanking with a sever punch. And man do I love wither, it's like a poor man's exhaust that can really take the wind out of an AD champ's sails and allow your team to take them out of the fight early, or catch up to that straggler. Any fans of that dog-faced destroyer of doom? Drop a comment right here and howl!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 034 - Vladimir, The Crimson Reaper

2011-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

Hooray! it's the 34th highfive!

Hold onto your blood people! It's that pooling powerhouse Vladimir! Did you think that you could have brought this slippery slayer down? Shink again! Sanguine pool!

Oh man do I detest this cool whipped topping, castlevainia clothes wearing, creep. His look really never impressed me because it felt so familiar. He's got the metal finger set up that's kinda cool and his abilities seem to match what a hemo-mage might be doing but other than that I could never really find anything to endearing about this character design wise. I do understand the draw however, he's a romanticized version of that regal vampire lord that we are all familiar with and to be able to play that arrogance is a lot of fun.

In game I cannot stand this guy, he's got a stupid blood pool that basically lets him slip away from practically anything, the ability to build straight damage and still be tanky or build tanky and still be able to dole out huge punishment. I hate the fact that at level nine he feels like the most powerful champion there ever was, and the list goes on. As you can probably tell I never really got into Vlad, i know people play him and can really abuse his power and that's great but this is one champion that really gets my blood boiling. Anyone main his monster? drop us a blood-soaked line in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 033 - Swain, The Master Tactician

2011-04-20T07:28:00.000-07:00

The thirty third highfive! Alright!

Stay on your toes! it's that hobbling horror Swain! ready to go all death crow-transformation on your ass!

Swain is another character who's design initially just didn't gel with me. He has he sweet laser-crow and some fun skins but he boils down to some old guy with a cane and a smothering of robes. After doing this highfive I started to appreciate his simplicity a little more and now kind of like the way he looks. When he transforms, it makes the ultimate spell seem all the more intense when his regular form appears to be a little mundane so I suppose that was the direction his designers were going in. I love familiars and his 6 eyed purple crow monster is a perfect addition to this lean design.

Swain seems to fill a strange role in games. His CC is pretty awesome if aimed correctly, his lifesteal can make him tank straight through certain situations, and his laser-crows can really add a huge amount of damage if they get off at the right moment. So he's kind of a bulky caster with some specialized attacks, a character that i'm not very strong with but I know a few players that can really become a menace with this guy. Anyone main this monstrous man? A few comments regarding his regal reputation would be welcomed!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 032 - Garen, The Might of Demacia

2011-04-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Alright! the thirty-second highfive! Hooray!

What's that thing spinning out of the bushes!? Why it's everyone's favorite helicoptering hero, Garen!

Garen is a pretty typical design of a buffed out knight but I really like his presence and heroic proportions. He was one of the first champions, in my opinion that really started showing some great modeling and design work. his abilities are pretty straight forward but the real show-stopper is his ult where he lets out a mighty bellow and a giant sword comes right down from the sky to impale his enemies. He's one of the only champions who can be heard constantly by the other team, Garen's war cries are definitely a part of his character as well as his heavy armor.

In game, Garen was almost always picked when he first came out. a monster who owned the bushes and could pull back for a second and regenerate up no problem for longer laning. no cost to any abilities? check, a solid silencing ability for casters? check, the ability to finish off low HP stragglers in one move? check. The guy was a beast. you didn't even need to get that many items on the guy to really ruin the other team. Sunfire stacking Garen was a force to behold, but he soon was met with some nerfing. Sunfire capes became unique and his stats were brought down as well. We'll all still look fondly on Garen and being able to "spin it to win it". Any fans of Garen? original Sunfire stacking slayer, or the newer, toned-down terrorizer? Drop us a line in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 031 - Trundle, The Cursed Troll

2011-04-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Zounds! our thirty first highfive!

Stay out of the jungle folks! It's that creep from the cave Trundle!

Trundle is another champ that came out amidst a pretty long stint of boring looking champs. I already took a quick crack at him, but honestly could probably draw rotting trolls all day. I like his giant club and the way he hobbles all over the place, and his colors are simple but effective as well. Trundle's spells are nice and nasty, with my favorite being a stony monolith rising out of the ground in a pool of filthy slime that slows down your foes. His story is a tad tragic as well because of his martyrdom to his tribe. All in all an interesting character design from multiple angles. I even picked Trundle for my Pony entry in a Forum contest.

In game I'm slowly getting the hang of Trundle, my jungling is getting tighter and i'm figuring out where to jump out and when to dive into their jungle to mess up the other team. I've seen Trundles pick up thorn mail and just ruin champs, and with his "invisible" ultimate, also bring down tanks. I say invisible because amidst the flashing of a team fight, a lot of players can't see his filthy dandruff DoT style ultimate and quickly forgets that their armor and magic resistance is down. Anyone Trundling? drop us a line! we'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 007

2011-04-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Did it just get a little James Bond in here?

Looks like it's service with a bang! Our degenerate duo have come across a box of active grenades! It's a good thing Frugal Spaceman brought along his neighbor's tennis racquet!

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Week six is over! Huzzah!

This week was ridiculous, I almost wrecked my arm from drawing so much. It's time to seriously start organizing the amount of things to start up and commit too. Work has been a lot of fun and it's been refreshing being able to talk comics and artists again with a pile of people who really appreciate it. A friend of mine is wanting to get into writing, so I told him to write, like now. It bothers me that writers spend a lot of time and every not writing or hunting for excuses on why they aren't. If I can draw on a sky train a writer can write something down on one just as easily.

Lets follow up some blogs! Here's Gorrem! A slick art-jockey residing in NY and rocking out at 38 Studios. Gorrem always cranks out high quality stuff but the biggest draw for me is how he can swing so seamlessly switch from monstrous to mass-appeal with seemingly no effort. The guy is all over the place with awesome and can pull off a seriously convincing Dan Hibiki to boot.

Have an excellent week pals!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 030 - Corki, The Daring Bombardier

2011-04-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

Crabthief Fridays and our thirtieth highfive!

Better get some thornmail son! today we're visiting that aggressive aerial attacker Corki!

Corki exhibits the pushed geometry of most of the mechanical creations in League of Legends. Most Yordel technology tends to have this warped look to their structure and Corki's bomber is no exception. I do think that the bomber itself suffers from that same generic look with little to no visual breaks over it's body, but the welding and paneling makes up for the stock gray of the body in a few ways. the mustache is awesome. It appears that Crabthief has pilfered a wrench! Watch out crab! looks like Corki isn't afraid to open up on thieving crustaceans!

In game corki is a monster (and pretty broken in ARAM). He's a high damage carry that can escape pretty easily and keep pounding his enemies a range. the minigun at the front cuts down armor adding big utility in team fights and he can pop stealthers with his phosphorus bomb. He's kind of a jack of all trades and if he isn't handled with some strategy, an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Anybody fans of this high-flying fiend? drop us a line in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 029 - Kassadin, The Void Walker

2011-04-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

29th highfive! Hooray!

There is no escape! it's that vicious voidwalker Kassadin! ready to silence you forever with his void sphere!

I've already given Kassadin a shot but not in the style of the highfive and I also gave him feet which some people did not like very much so here he is! Kassadins design is a little strange. He's got this mess of a respirator on his face like some kind of metal squid and the blacks and purples aren't different enough in value to really let anything pop. The most noticeable thing is his "Void" powers that are represented by kind of a static blast noise pattern on a very bright purple/pink, I feel that it's a good representation of something foreign in the world but it comes off as a little too strong. It cold be that Malzahar's Void attacks are more recent so appear to be better looking due mainly to the more practiced effects team.

In game I haven't seen to many Kassadin's lately but when a good one shows up and snags a few kills the get to be these roaming, un-catchable monsters. With a teleport on very low cooldown that deals damage and an on demand silence he really is a mean character to be fighting. Kassadin has a pretty difficult playstyle that definitely isn't for everyone, I really admire strong Kassadin players because the few times I gave this Voidwalker a shot I was soundly thrashed. Any fans of the teleporting typhoon Kassadin? Drop us a comment so we can catch up!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 028 - Galio, The Sentinel's Sorrow

2011-04-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

The 28th highfive is hot off of the presses!

I hope you're all wearing your mercury treads! Looks like it's that grand gargoyle Galio! Ready to waltz his way into your entire party!

Galio is a pretty neat design over all, he feels like a very durable character and the animations carry a lot of weight even though he is constantly airborne. He is another champ who's body pattern is a little too consistent and could use something to break up the visual monotony. Again we are seeing those pushed proportions on another champion that Riot seems to nail on their more bizarre characters consistently. His spell effects mix up his look nicely and he has a real visual presence on the battlefield.

I remember when Galio was the most popular tank out there. It seemed that he was in every game, and the team whoever Idol-ed last laughed last. A tank where stacking magic resistance made him deal more damage? yes please. Galio could lane like a monster, poke with his abilities, and then wrap up entire team fights with his brutal crowd controlling ultimate. He curved well into all parts of the game and was nerfed into obscurity. I see the odd Galio now but he's not as crazy as he used to be. I always like champions that use flash for initiating and Galio is no exception to the power of a bush flash ultimate! Any of you goons think the grand gargoyle is great? drop us a line in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 027 - Poppy, The Iron Ambassador

2011-04-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

Alright! The 27th highfive is here!

Better get running away because it's that durable damsel Poppy! Totally ready to beat you down and body check you into oblivion!

Poppy is a neatly designed character, I worry that her unique approach might have turned some people off because she's one of those characters that teeters on the edge of "cute" and "circus freakshow". Recently she's been given some better splash screen art that I'm pretty sure was drawn by the talented Katie of Riot games. She's kind of a squat bruiser that has a bit of that World of warcraft gnome/dwarf thing going for her, unfortunately the weapon and armor designs are a little too obtuse and lack the clean efficiency that other fantasy games tend to execute in their designs.

In game Poppy can really tear it up. She Makes carries cry and just ignores everything but her target while she utterly destroys them in a very barbaric series of boisterous moves. I hear that she farms pretty slow so you can out pace her in creep score but I think we've all been in a position as a caster or squishier character, and seen this miniature monster come tearing after us while sporting a banshee's veil and move speed quints. Anyone a fan of this furious female? Leave some stories or strats in the comments below!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 026 - Mordekaiser, The Master of Metal

2011-04-11T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Week 6!

Get ready for some durable lane work. It's that notoriously nasty Mordekaiser! Swinging around that massive mace must get pretty strenuous for that metallic monster!

Mordekaiser is a pretty neat design, A living suit of armor with a giant weapon covered in spines. He's got a great silhouette but has a no visual breaks in his metallic body. This makes him look like a big,sharp and shiny blob at times. The huge Mace is swung well in the attack animations and his clunky stride looks great in game. Another home run on the proportional side of things and his spell effects add an interesting touch of shrapnel to his design. Here we have him taking a break to appreciate some small yellow birds.

In game Morde can really push a lane, he can just stay in there forever, charging up his shield and regenerating health from his ultimate spell. I remember when he was a little more buffed, you could just throw him solo mid or top and take the tower down super early because the jerk could out push like anyone. One of the more interesting things I head about Mordekaiser was that a team in one of the tourneys based off their entire strategy on his ultimate and the slave it made. The team would roam around and when they got into team fights they'd throw Morde's Ultimate on a champ, focus him down in seconds and get the ghost to help them make the fight a 6v4. it was a really neat strategy.

-jouste the drawbarian.

Weekender vol. 006

2011-04-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Power zip line doubles!

Frugal Spaceman and Major shark take to the skies with some cheap zip line action! looks like even major shark wasn't too sure about this idea!

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Week five is no longer alive!

I'm wrapping up some side projects and continually drawing for cartoons at my work. Trying to decide which, if any, of my own characters would fit well into a web series. I'm tied between a long story or a series of short ones, although I've found that setting your standards too early can be a pain like in my Tales from the Tarpit series. The 15 panel set up was established without me even really thinking what I was getting into and all of a sudden I was trapped in this Pseudo-Sunday funnies format that requires a whole bunch of gag-panels.

How about a couple Blog shout outs! Here's my good friend Jake Collinge on the blog deal. A tight artist who is up to his armpits in creature and environmental skills (that may be undercutting him a bit because he is pretty short). And how about everyone who' a fan of monsters! check out that awesome blog Monster Brains that gets in some amazing retro and contemporary monster art, everything form classic paintings to VHS covers, one of my faves for sure!

Have an excellent week everyone! More LoL characters on the way!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 025 - Twisted Fate, The Card Master

2011-04-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Crabthief Fridays! And our 25th highfive!

Hope you travel in packs! Because here comes that crafty card-slinging comrade Twisted Fate! Always ready to deal out some damage and fold his enemies in half!

Twisted Fate seems like a pretty classic design in League of Legends.He's got a simple palette, bulkier and slab-like chunks of armor, and pushed proportions making him an interesting looking character to say the least. He seems to be in control and very confident which is a great bow to his design when it can procure those kind of elements out of nothing but his silhouette. he's also got a bit of a Gambit feel which is a fun 90ish throwback. Here he has been playing a game of poker with the crabthief, it looks like the crabthief decided to change the game and bolt away with some cash in the face of an obvious loss!

In game TF has been changed a few times but has always remained a tricky character that can keep the entire enemy team on their toes with a full map reveal and a teleport anywhere. He can backdoor quite easily and end up dealing so much damage that any 1v1 instance will usually end in his favor. I do find him pretty squishy and remember a game where we solely picked on the enemies TF over and over, keeping his levels low and is moral even lower. You gotta be pretty crafty to keep this card-slinger in the runnings and stay out of the big scraps and choose your fights well. Any fans of this full-house flinging fiend? share your strats or stories on this super-quick sultan of the straight!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 024 - Renekton, The Butcher of the Sands

2011-04-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Alright! The 24th highfive is here!

Keep a wary eye out everyone. It's Renekton! That crocodillian killing machine!

Egypt is a really cool place to pull inspiration and design ideas from. there's that symmetry and almost mathematical air about Egyptian aesthetics that traditional medieval warfare just wont have. Its cool that Riot brought Renekton into the mix as the second Egyptian influence after Nasus. He's got a great looking weapon and is a crocodile man, a cool combo of design choices and a solid looking champ for sure.

In game Renekton is my kind of champion; Burly and Scrappy, ready to get knee deep in a fight and stay there. His steroid feels really strong and his move kit is a pretty tight one. I believe that currently people are claiming that he's a bit too strong but I think that it's just this whole "tanky DPS" problem that the current meta game might be running into. Are you crazy for this croc? drop a story or strat in the comments and keep this scaly slayer sated!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 023 - Jax, Grandmaster at Arms

2011-04-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

The 23rd highfive! Alright!

Yikes! Leap strike! It's that dodging and damaging death-dealer Jax! flying through the air to end your time alive!

I like the proportions of Jax quite a bit, he's built like a very tough looking guy with some speed in him. I actually remember first seeing him and his street-lamp wielding set up really early in the beta and being drawn to a pretty well laid out color palette and interesting accessory choices. Riot tends to cram every element of eastern culture into their champs but I believe that with Jax they scored a healthy medium of their own influences. His skin selection is very interesting and "Vandal Jax" is very well done with a much meaner looking masher.

In game Jax used to be a monster, he's one of those champions that's gone through some fluctuation during his time in the roster. Initially we'd get first time players to try him out amongst our friends for his very direct play style. Now I don't really see a lot of Jaxes in the games I play but every now and then one will show up and remind me just how terrible that auto-attacking monster really is. Any fans of that weaponless wonder Jax? sound off here in the comments or that giant leap strike he's doing will land on you!

-jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 022 - Annie, The Dark Child

2011-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's the 22nd highfive! hooray!

Looks like things are going to be heating up! It's that pint-sized pyromaniac Annie! ready to rain down doom and destruction along with terrifying teddies!

Annie's design is a pretty interesting one. My favorite aspect of it is her giant stuffed bear golem who lumbers around and enters from the sky as a crazy flaming meteor. Her voice is like a concentrated ray of cuteness that gets a little overwhelming after about her third line. The firepowers are pretty neat and she skips along the battlefield instead of walking along it like a regular champion. Annie's always been a favorite from a community standpoint and they seem to be eagerly waiting for a teenager Annie to make it to the field.

Game wise she has one mean initiator, the giant bear named Tibbers that can crack down and stun everybody in a big blast of fire. The only time I ended up playing her was in an ARAM game and even with that unorthodox playstyle, I could use her pretty well. I also remember back when Leviathan would give you 2 stacks just for assisting and every caster in the game would buy the thing. Annie players would pick up a Leviathan and become unstoppable. Any Annie adorers out there? Let that pipsqueak know you care with some comments!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 021 - Cho'Gath, The Terror of the Void

2011-04-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

The 21st highfive is here!

Keep an eye on your health total folks, because here comes that violent void terror Cho'Gath who is always willing to take a bite out of anything!

I've always had a problem with Cho's design. Mainly it's because it looks very similar to Todd McFarlane's Violator with some of his Maleboglia in there for good measure. Both those designs are fine for the Spawn series, but it literally looks like they were just ripped right off and plugged into League of Legends. He's supposed to be a horrible monster from the Void but ends up coming off as a cheap imitation in my opinion. Luckily he has one of the most fun legendary skins with a monocle and dapper top hat as Gentlemen Cho. In this picture I made the greedy Cho Rupturing a piece of pie so he can chomp it in mid air!

In game Cho'Gath is a beast who can become such a giant battlefield presence that people end up never even engaging the monster at all due to his insanely high health pool and strong crowd control. Another character that can be turned into a mage for some really surprising burst damage and a feast that can rip the lighter characters apart. Any fans of the beastly Cho'Gath? Any players take up the terror as a tank or monstrous mage?

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 005

2011-04-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

Bargain bin of DvD action!

Looks like Frugal Spaceman got caught up in the deal of a lifetime! Major Shark might need to pull up a little more slack in this fight, at least until Frugal Spaceman makes a decision!
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Week four is out the door!

What a super week it has been, I recently got back in touch with a very interesting opportunity that I'm hoping goes through. My work's been a lot of fun, designing stuff for cartoons sure is a blast and I'm learning a ton.

I'm also learning that I might need to upgrade my home set up to a 21ux cintiq because I've tasted the sweet sweet nectar of the 21ux at work and would really like one for my personal projects at home.

Anybody excited for the new MK? I know I am, such a meaty and snappy game that's gonna bring back a ton of memories and make a few new ones as well.

Here's hoping everyone has an awesome week! I'll still be cranking out the LoL champions!

-jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 020 - Urf, The Manatee

2011-04-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Alright! the 20th highfive! happy April Fool's everyone!

Buy a flak jacket and turn on on your outboard motor because it is Urf, The Manatee!

Urf was announced as a champion for April Fools day and has snuck his way into some maps and champion spotlights. To be honest I was a little sad to learn that he was only going to be a Warwick skin (the BEST Warwick skin IMO) mainly because i was hoping for the character design to take a little bit of a surreal twist as the game went on. Urf has that eclectic and bizarre style that makes him just crazy and fun to talk about, he wields a mini-gun, a spatula, and a fish and flops around the battle field.

So today's hero is paying tribute to that flabby fighter with the fatal folds of fat. And it looks like crabthief is back! Stealing some fish and escaping as fast as he can! i think I will try to get crabthief in at least one picture a week. So sound off if you remember this great joke character! It's always great when developer's get into the spirit of April Fools, especially with results as zany as this one!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 019 - Blitzcrank, The Great Steam Golem

2011-03-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

The nineteenth highfive! *gasp* how awesome!

Hope you're mobile! Here comes that grabbing golem Blitzcrank! Ready to drag you too your doom!

Blitzcrank is a pretty classic design with way over-the-top proportions and a fun twist to a lot of his appendages. I love that he's always crackling with electricity and his voice has that great freezing automaton sound that really puts you in the mood for robots. I always thought his chest opened or something so I decided to add a little cuckoo to his person while he goes for a super long grab!

In game whoever lanes against Blitz always moans because that hookshot can really ruin your day by getting set too close to a tower, getting snagged into their whole group, or just getting hammered through your own tower when you're about to teleport home. I remember a while back (I'm sure it's fixed now) but if you Blue Pilled at the exact moment that Blitz grabbed you, you would port back to the fountain but then get pulled to his position wherever he was on the map, no matter how far and it looked hilarious. So sound off if this rampaging robot is for you! Anyone main this bruising bucket of bolts?

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 018 - Malzahar, The Prophet of the Void

2011-03-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Alright! eighteenth time!

Stay on your toes folks! it's another mean caster, it's Malzahar that villain from the void!

I kind of like the whole Arabian Nights vibe Malzahar has going for him. The gemmed up dagger and ninja like cowl keep him mysterious enough to be interesting. The design on his voidling is cool as well. The only thing Malzahar really suffers from is another dreary palette, there just isn't enough difference in his colors to break it up. Malzahar is also one of those champions that float, I usually don't like this approach to locomotion but here it seems to fit very well. I may be wrong but I seem to remember him initially having a different name? help me out if he did.

In game I'm not too sure what to think about Malzahar, his Ult can be really mean and snag just the right guy at the right time, and his silencing wall is really great, but his passive (voidlings) seems to generate something that just doesn't work that well with his game. Other than that he can become another wicked caster that can really shred down opponents with some pretty nifty spells. Any minions of Malzahar out there? sound off in the comments below with any stories of that powerful prophet!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 017 - Morgana, Fallen Angel

2011-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The seventeenth highfive is here!

Better start stacking MR, it's that magic mountain of a champion Morgana!

Morgana has a very typical design and reminds me a bit of Anson Maddock's Fallen Angel which was one of the more memorable and striking images I have of MtG ('93? wowsers that was a little bit of time ago). Morgana's ballroom attire was never one of my favorite things about her, she seems to be somewhere in the middle of an evening gown and a bikini contest, sacrificing the class for some awkward sexiness. The torn to hell wings are a neat idea but they just seem to be a little too much on the side of color, as her palette could really use some variance. I snuck in a magic muffin to represent her evil baking!

In the game, boy am I ever sick of Morgana. she gets to a point where she just can't die because she's so tough, and she just ends up killing everyone and making me cry. Her spells are pretty powerful and that ult of hers can really ruin your day. Any fans of that mean Morgana? sound off here with stories and strats and hopefully she wont be in any of your next games on the opposing side!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 016 - Master Yi, The Wuju Bladesman

2011-03-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

4th week! lets get some swords slicing!

better get yourself some thornmail cause it's time for that master of massacre Yi!

Yi's design always seemed a little screwy to me, unless he's supposed to be a guy with like over a dozen eyeballs or something. I liked the boot knives and the flared proportions the most on him and with some of the new skins they seem to really pull him together artistically. In this picture he's halving an apple with that ringed blade of his, how tasty!

In game i remember back in beta when Yi was a force to behold. Most matches came down to whoever had the best Yi. Now that theres a lot more variety in champions and team make up, Yi still shows his sword swinging self but in less instances. Always a fun champ to play, Yi's still a pretty good contender (at my abysmal ELO anyways...). So anyone with some bladed badassery in the form of a Yi strat or story should drop a line here! Let that slicing swordsman know who's side you're on!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 004

2011-03-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

Sweet deal on a used jet-ski!

This weekend our deal-seeking duo take a deserved dip! It's Major Shark's territory so Frugal Spaceman will take up the rear on his newly acquired aquatic vessel!
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Week three has come and gone with a flurry of fast sketches and it's been loads of fun for all involved.

I've started focusing my ideas into some semblances of story and working with Manga Studio is a total blast. After seeing the super great Webcast from Mr. TenNaple it really got me loving the power of the program and how fast my ideas can get down on the digital drawing board.

Still no themes for next week, and i still have a lot of League of Legends champions to finish so i'll just keep focusing on those guys while i try and start my web comics. A big thanks to everyone who's been stopping by and checking out my stuff. I really appreciate it!

Have an awesome weekend everyone.

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 015 - Udyr, The Animal Spirit

2011-03-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hooray! week three draws to a close with some badass martial arts!

Keep clear of that jungle and listen for a growl from the bushes, it's that martial monk Udyr!

In this picture i drew him in bear stance showing Tibbers that he's the only real bear around. Udy's design is pretty cool when you take the different animal cowls into consideration and he body type makes him look really beefy and dangerous. The stone beads, geta shoes, and graphic robes break up the monotony of monk's clothing nicely and beards always rock on characters.

In game I really like the jungle Udyr. I never could really get him down as well as some people I played with but he's still a great asset to the team. his bear bashes that interrupt stuff are super cool and he's a really fast character with some good chase. I remember when locket was still around and how crazy he'd get with his constant stance changing. Any ultimate Udyr fans out there? be sure to drop the comment section a line and let your support be heard for this kung-fu killer!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 014 - Twitch, The Plague Rat

2011-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Number 14! Alright!

ward up and watch your back everyone, it's that rancid rodent with the corrosive crossbow Twitch! Don't feed the rat people!

Twitch is another Zaun design (like Singed and Mundo) and I tend to like them a lot more than the generic Demacians and the Predictable Noxians. He might be a little too Skaven but that can slide as anthropomorphic rats tend to always rely on their Plague-y heritage for weapons. He's got a crazy crossbow that fires multiple arrows and his bulgy eyes and hunched posture just bleeds the fact that he's one toxic customer. His cackling adds a lot to his character's style and all in all he's a pretty cool design.

Game wise I've always hated stealthers. I prefer being an upfront guy and using my presence as part of my playstyle. I appreciate that the lack of a presence is a presence in itself but it's just not the way I do things. This Rat can get brutal and I've been on the receiving end of a few amazing Twitches and boy was I one frustrated customer. So any rowdy ratlings big fans of the Twitch? Squeak off in the comments below and let that vile vermin know you care!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 013 - Nunu, The Yeti Rider

2011-03-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

The thirteenth highfive! thanks for dropping by!

Stay frosty everyone, it looks like we're up against that ice tossing tyke Nunu and his yelling yeti! And what's this?! Crabthief has returned to confiscate some coco! Better watch out little crab! that yeti-rider means snowball business!

Nunu is a pretty cool design, I always liked the rider characters like the dwarf rifer in Golden Axe 2: The Revenge of the Death Adder. Nunu's voice grates on me a it but I love how powerful his yeti seems to be. Fun proportions on that giant creature make him very fun to interpret and the small element of Nunu juxtaposes the character in an interesting way as well.

This guy is pretty fun to play, I remember in the game when his ult was absolute king and then it went to an easily interruptible nuisance. Although I'm probably the worst flash user ever, I always loved seeing flash-initiating with that giant AOE. An on command slow, a built in smite with a heal, a sharable steroid? What a super fun champion to be playing! So if you are saving some snowy strats drop this Rider some words below! Show your love for that nasty Nunu and his yowling Yeti!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 012 - Malphite, Shard of the Monolith

2011-03-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's the twelfth highfive! lets keep rockin'!

Keep on your toes guys, it's that slate slinging, team toppling tower of tectonic plates Malphite!

Here's another character that I've visited before but he needed to be highfived for completion's sake! Malphite is a pretty neat design but i find that he only ends up looking really cool after his passive shield is busted and you can see the exposed magma under his skin. It breaks up the monotony of his base texture and makes him a lot more interesting to look at. All in all though, Malphite's design gets it across that he's one tough customer.

In game Malphite can really tear into a team fight with that sweet initiator, usually once thats used the team tends to turn tail or else find themselves in a fight that they might not necessarily have wanted to start. In ranked I've seen him get banned quite a bit because of his durability and utility. I still see this rocky beast all the time wen I play either on my team or against it so that shows that he's still fun to play and gets the job done. So any Malphite Maniacs around? sound off here with strats or stories and let that rocky warrior know that you dig him!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 011 - Gangplank, The Saltwater Scourge

2011-03-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Ahoy mateys! It be the third week of highfives!

Beware that Parrrley and cannonballs from the sky! Its everyone's favorite grog-soaked sadist Gangplank!

Gangplank is a pretty eclectic pirate character with another one of those vibrant early 90's action figure color palettes (like singed). To be honest his sword design kind of confuses me and he seems to be missing some of the more stereotypical injuries that we've come to expect on grisly pirate characters. But then again he's a pirate and I'm a pirate man so he's awesome. I drew him here trying to take down an annoying fly but accidentally signalling his ship for a cannon barrage! D'oh!

In game, Gangplank was one of the characters I got into after trying to branch from my 600 something games with Mundo and I really liked the playstyle of this sneaky little pirate guy. Opening up on someone with a giant crit would usually jar them right out of a fight in panic, or you could circle around back and pick of those stragglers with your super high mobility. A super fun champion to play and I love his built in cleanse which is just him scarfing down a swords worth of citrus fruit. Any other fans of the filthy pirate? Fire up your flintlocks, down that rum, and sound off for that sea-stained scallywag Gangplank!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 003

2011-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Time for some space surfing!

This weekend Major Shark and Frugal Spaceman get their boards waxed and hit the stars! (Frugal spaceman also snagged a sweet deal on a used hammer!)

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Hey there everybody!

Week two of the highfive extravaganza has hit home and it looks like it's going to be happening for a long long time!

So I've been trying to pick out one of my many stories to start focusing on with a webcomic but it's pretty overwhelming when you have so many characters floating around that all seem to have a viable story to tell. maybe I should focus on a few super short stories? Either way I know that the only thing I should be doing is just doing so lets hope that I can get something out there soon.

There's a totally awesome webcast this weekend with one of my favorite artists ever Doug TenNaple for buying Manga Studio cheap or something. The software was a great deal and from my milling around with it seems mega-powerful on things that always screw up my creative flow (dialog balloons, gutter designs, you know the drill).

So I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! highfives!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 010 - Ashe, The Frost Archer!

2011-03-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Double digit day! Our tenth highfive arrives!

Firing all the way from the fountain, it's that keen-eyed killer Ashe! Don't let her get to farmed or you'll be in heaps of frosty trouble as she hunts you down like an animal!

Ashe's design is another archetype of the slender female archer (usually elven) and I suppose it gets the job done. Her bow being crystal is a neat touch and the ability to fire a giant enchanted arrow across the entire field is pretty awesome. I always like it when characters are tied to an element of some sort and Ashe's affinity for frost makes her seem like a cold and callous customer which is very cool.

It's my understanding that Ashe is still the most played champion in the League of Legends roster. It makes sense because she can get really strong without too much experience on the part of the player. I do really enjoy how much depth a very good player can bring to Ashe, Crystal arrow saves and initiations, chasing stragglers and focus firing. All very cool stuff! So draw your bows oh fans of the frosty forest archer and sound off! Any avid Ashes out there willing to share some long ranged experiences?

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 009 - Cassiopeia, The Serpent's Embrace!

2011-03-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

The ninth highfive sees some snakeyness!

Avert your eyes summoners! it's that gorgeous gorgon Cassiopeia! Ready to riddle you with venom and Turn you to stone with her snakey stare!

The lack of a weapon or accessory on Cassiopea's design is a mixed deal for me. On one hand she has both hands free to menace her foes and contort into arcane symbols, but I'm sure there could have been some very interesting staves, or enchanted daggers that could pull from her serpent theme or Medusa like archetype. Her spell effects in game are pretty slick with a tangle of energy snakes being tossed around and her Stone Gaze attack is cool as well.

In game I've only played against Cassiopea a few times. She doesn't seem to be a very popular pick and I believe there was some range issues on her. Hopefully there will be some numbers moved around for this more recent hero so she'll be seeing more play soon. Sound off serpent slingers! Let that voluptuous viper know you care and drop a comment!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 008 - Urgot, The Headman's Pride!

2011-03-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sweet! getting close to those double digits! It's the eighth highfive!

Look out! it's that robust ravager Urgot! and what's this!? his croissant has been stolen by the thieving crab! better look sharp you conniving crustacean, that pudgy pain-bringer loves his pastries!

Urgot's design seems to borrow a lot from Mojo of the Marvel universe and the soulgrinders of warhammer 40k. I've always been a fan of the mounted platform look on monstrous characters and Urgot's design has always been a favorite if not a familiar one. The color scheme was a good choice with dark metals, gold detailing and a warped green crackling energy, making him definitely one of the more spookier fiends int the League of Legends roster.

In game I find Urgot to be a little weak, he's great early game with plenty of harass and sometimes his ult can really catch you off guard. but later on i find he's pretty easy to hunt down. Any Urgoters out there? I'd love to hear from you! Sound off for the ultimate Urgot everyone!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 007 - Singed, The Mad Chemist!

2011-03-15T07:43:00.000-07:00

Lucky number seven! the seventh highfive!

Stop chasing people! Its that vile villain Singed! Pouring potent poisons and hurling hapless heroes, this Crazy chemist is one beefy customer!

Singed design was always one of the more original ones for me, the vibrant color pallet suggested roots in mid 80's action figures or something like that. I'm a big fan of his shield design and after I figured out that his bandages are from when he went all Darkman the character really resonated with me. Fun proportions and exaggerative accessories makes Signed a pretty fun if not retro design.

In game I always wanted to get good with Singed, the guy just wont die in game and can waltz right into a giant crowd of everyone and flip out some poor hero and leave a noxious dose of poison in his wake. Maybe it was the fates, but when I read up on some guides and set up some runes, my maiden game with him left me with an abysmal score and a tragic loss. Oh well. maybe I'll get good with him later! So let's hear a shout out to that skinny slayer with the spiked shield, everyones star-slammer, Singed!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 006 - Pantheon the Artisan of War!

2011-03-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

The 6th highfive! Hooray!

Keep your eyes on the skies everybody! it's that spearing spartan Pantheon! He's looking a little focused at the moment which could explain his expression.

Pantheon fits into another archetypal design so there really isn't too much to go off of or expand on. But then again it's always interesting to see another design that can be boiled down into a broom helmet, a shield and a spear. I always liked his color palette and he has a really fun He-Man skin.

In game Pantheon has had the see-saw blues as far as buffs and nerfs go. I personally don't know where he fits any more but i do remember when he was an insane monster in game that could ruin your day every time his ult was up, and when he was nerfed into nothing but a nuisance. I do like the character though even though it's just my friends who play the guy. So give pause for that powerhouse Pantheon and let all who stand in his warrior way be crushed under a grand skyfall!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 002

2011-03-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Cheers with Tiki-Beers!

This weekend we see Major Shark and Frugal Spaceman take some time off in the Voodoo bar!

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Hey there everyone!

So week one of the highfives was full of league of legends fun and I figure I am going to keep the ball rolling with the LoL characters until I run out. I know that I didn't post anything on the Saturday but that's the day I hunker down and focus on the side projects I have so the Weekender is a 2 day deal to help me gather thoughts and stay sharp!

I'm going to be trying to get some web comic stuff started. Recently I've been realizing that my finished work is just not what people are after so I should start just focusing on what I'm good at and that would be working fast and getting stuff done.

Last week I'm sure we all followed the earthquakes and tsunami deal that wrecked Japan. If I had to say something about it, it's that Japan is the most set up to deal with something as awful as this. Go Japan and your awesome engineers and building practices.

So brace yourself for another furious round of highfives this week friends! Thanks for following and checking out my stuff!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 005 - Warwick the Blood Hunter!

2011-03-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

Alright! A full week-load of highfives!

Here's that jungling jaw-breaker Warwick! Look out low-lives cause this guy can smell your fear! (and low life...)

Although a pretty typical werewolf design, Warwick's proportions come off pretty fun and the finger shredder additions are a nice touch. In game he kind of attacks in a whirling fashion that gives us the impression that he's a deadly acrobat or something.

I really do like Warwick's playstyle but i rarely play him because I've seen absolute masters and know I couldn't do the character that much justice. the ambushes and ganks people can pull of with this pup are pretty potent. So buy some wards and let your howl be heard Warwick fans! The beast is unleashed in a jungle near you!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 004 - Mundo the Madman!

2011-03-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

It's day 4! thanks for keeping up!

Alright! it's everyones favorite doctor from Zaun, Dr. Mundo! again, he was tackled before by me but this guy is also my favorite champion so cut me some slack.

I am led to believe that Mundo's design changed pretty drastically from it's original version. I remember back in the beta when his icon's still had some mad scientist looking guy in some of the abilities. His character design is a great example of an archetypal "Mr. Hyde", I really like the over medication and the hulking stature as well as his unorthodox weapon choice of a giant cleaver. His attitude really shines as one of the most commonly referenced in the whole game making him a very strong character and a favorite amongst the community.

I've played the most games as Mundo, I remember falling for his super mobile and aggressive playstyle and staying power. He's got short cooldowns, can eat towers, massacre champions, and at the end of those big team squabbles; come right back at you with more cleavers and head butts. Anyone else a big Mundo fan? Let your voices be heard for that purple powerhouse of pugilistic prowess!

- jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 003 - Olaf the Berserker!

2011-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Day three's the way to be!

Here's Olaf the Berserker! looking all wall-eye'd and ready to chop the crap out of everybody!

He's a pretty typical character as far as designs go, but I've always been a big fan of vikings so I have an instant bias for this champion. My favorite part of designing vikings is that they don't need a lot of details or gear to show the viewer that they mean business. A perfect example is The Animation Workshop's Saga of Biorn.

In the game i could never really get a handle on Olaf's Playing style. There's this fine line of ownage that he stomps along that never ended up gelling with me. He sure is a beast in game though with those reckless swings and constant bellowing. Anyone a big fan of the blonde bruiser? Maybe some tips on tearing down teams with this terror?

-jouste the drawbarian.

DH5: 002 - Sion the Undead!

2011-03-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Hooray! day two!

For this highfive I wanted to do Sion. I know I already drew him but that was before i started getting into the character and playing him a bunch.

As a character design he's always seemed a little to simple for my taste, but recently by approaching these quicker sketches I'm finding myself appreciating the simpler designs more and taking that into consideration on my own characters. I hear that with color themes you want to keep it at like 3 with maybe a 4th for accessories, I guess you could use that number for visual elements as well to keep your character tighter and easier to read.

Sion is a pretty straightforward guy to play, as any hulking undead dude with an axe should be, and I always thought it was pretty cool that he could stun you just by looking at you. The ability to make him either a crackling arcane juggernaut that can burst down the strongest of foes, or a bloodthirsty melee monster that cleaves his way through everyone also makes him one of my favorite champions to play.

Anybody have any favorite or fearful experiences with this unholy-ultimate warrior? lets show some scary love for that frankenstiened fighter!

-jouste the drawbarian

DH5: 001 - Alistar the Minotaur!

2011-03-07T08:03:00.001-08:00

For the first highfive I've chosen that beefy bruiser Alistar the Minotaur! I always tend to gravitate towards the characters that rely on brute strength like this guy.

As far as character designs go I like Alistar's quite a bit, he instantly lets the player know what they are in for, a bashing, crashing, head-butting monster that wont fall very fast in a fight. the colors add a lot of fun to him and i'm a big fan of the mo-hawk.

I remember in beta back when they had the promote skill available and Alistar could eat a lane's tower at like the 3 minute mark. Any great Alistar players out there? I know he's not the most popular pick of late but lets hear some love for that battlefield bovine!

-jouste the drawbarian

Weekender vol. 001

2011-03-06T13:46:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone!

This weekend marks the beginning of jouste's daily highfive! every weekend I'll be summarizing the week's drawings in a volume of information I'll be calling the weekender. This upcoming week I'll be doing up some league of legends characters, super fast and super fun. If you have any funny stories regarding the champs I'm sure we'd all like to hear them so be sure to leave a comment!

-jouste the drawbarian