The DeathCurry Sushi Temple
The Sushi Temple
I started making sushi around the same time I started animating. I enjoyed building fish-on-rice for my friends who'd tell me I should, "do what I love and open a sushi restaurant." I avoid profiting from the things I cherish but I, admittedly, would imagine every element of my make-believe sushi restaurant. How would the logo look? What kind of Omakase would I serve and how would the brick-and-mortar take shape?
When the time came to structure my portfolio I decided to build a sushi temple, the first of its kind. This provided a foundation for my work and allowed me to expand my skill-set. The logic was simple: if I could build a brand around a fake restaurant, then I could be an effective designer. So like a true shokunin master, I thoughtfully constructed many of the things that make a sushi experience memorable.
The Legend of the Cat
When I lived in New York, much of my work came from live-event gfx for Barclay and Madison Square Garden. When the Covid pandemic hit I lost my stadium work, and thus, the jobless sushi cat was born.
I started building the feline sushi chef with the objective that it had to look good when it moved. Some thick painted whiskers and a headband gave perspective but I found the motions of a real-life sushi chef inherently dull. I thought making him an absent-minded spacefaring wannabe ninja Minx was a good way to liven him up.
Sub-Zero, Adventure Time, and Hook (1991) were the largest deviating inspirations and made the cat-on-fish violence more wholesome. With contracted work, I don't typically have the opportunity to toy around with childhood inspirations so this project became something of a treasure.
A Common Occurrence
Inquiring mind, “If your whole vibe is a sushi temple then why did you name it ‘DeathCurry?’ You’re an idiot.”
Me, “The name, 'DeathCurry' came from playing too much Call of Duty while binging highlights of my favorite Warrior's player.”
3's The Magic Number
Why study 1 form of motion when you can do all 3? Despite the mediums having the same goal, their unique structures don’t always create a harmonious workflow. If you're crazy enough you can try to blend them all together. Beware the master of none.
Go eat some sushi!
..and go easy on the soy sauce.
