Robots take over Buenos Aries

Coolest thing about this is that I actually own some of the robots. I always wondered what they got up to...

New tee designs in store now.

We have two new HiiRagi Tee designs in store now. First up, the tee version of the 'Sunday Outing' Art Print...

Imagine this. You’re staggering through the desert, you’ve used up the last of the water, eaten enough scorpions for protein to last a lifetime and contemplated drinking your own urine. You can barely take another step when you see it. It’s not a mirage, it’s not a cardboard cut-out, it’s a group of rescuers looking for you. They gather around exclaiming how you should not be alive but you know. You’re alive because you are a HiiRagi minion and you know your stuff. Now, what are you wearing? Your HiiRagi ‘Sunday Outing’ Tee because HiiRagi tees survive the distance with you, especially when they’re in a tank.

Available in both Mens and Womens. We have completely sold out of the Men's Small but they should be back in stock in two weeks.

And secondly.... Recon Unit: Parachute:

Do you remember those army man parachute lollies? I’m not quite sure what the army had to do with the lolly to be perfectly honest but I loved dropping my army man from great heights whilst filling my belly with enough sugar to fuel a small country. It rarely worked properly, and his descent was much too fast for him to survive but it amused me none the less (which may have been an indicator to my current profession…)

However, you need never worry about plummeting to your death with the Recon Unit: Parachute tee. Made of sturdy 100% cotton, which has been double stitched for reinforcement, it will survive even the most arduous of plunges. Just make sure you do the safety check before launching yourself out the plane, no one need take unnecessary chances… And should you be caught behind enemy lines (it happens), we will totally infiltrate their camp and rescue you. HiiRagi leaves no one behind, especially you.

Why we think our work is never good enough....and starting out.

I always think I can do better. I can work harder, draw more, make more, be more. This is generally a good thing. I like challenges, I like to strive to be better, I think it keeps me honest. Usually I am right. I can do better, but it only comes well after the moment when I have developed and learnt new stuff (ah, the power of hind sight).

I'm always asked how did I get started. To be honest I was in a place where I had no choice but to start otherwise I was going to be trapped in a dead end job, with a life I really didn't want, and that is all you have to do - START. Below is one of the first images of the HiiRagi Army I put together. There is even a character that I haven't been able to do anything with, I found it impossible to make him look good as a 3D toy. The robots look different too, I had no idea really what I was doing. It's pretty funny to look back at them and what they have developed into today.

Being creative comes with challenges. It requires you to put yourself out there. Expose yourself a little bit. The key is to not care about others opinions. We are all entitled to them, but we don't have to take notice of them. I'm lucky that I have a megalomaniac personality type which thinks that the whole world is wrong and stupid, and it is up to the world to prove me wrong (I'm still waiting...). Where am I going with this? I had an email from a friend who has just landed a dream job and her fight to get there reminded me of a great quote from Ira Glass about creative people and our struggle to create something worthwhile. I can tell you that sometimes it's a real shit fight but if you're starting out this quote is a good reference:

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.

It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

Return of the Brooch

Yes, it's true. Just as surely as the Jedi return in Star Wars so too do the HiiRagi brooches. And this time they are armed for both survival and attack.

First up, the Occupational Force: Pilot and Jungle, flanking the Berserker: Jungle (what else do you do with a giant purple monster thingy in the jungle than cover his head with camo?).

And Recon Unit. Jungle, utility belt and explosives. What more could you ask for?

All the brooches are 5cm in height and will be in the online store soon but for now you can get them from Salamanca or Spacebar Gallery.

Sketches

Someone growled at me yesterday for not showing my sketches. Normally I would ignore such an incident but when she asks me to do something I tend to do it. SO here are some sketches from my nice new sketch book. I have a love/hate relationship with new sketch books. I feel like there is going to be so much greatness in the potential they hold but tend to crack under the pressure of having to make it all look awesome. The first page is the worst. So in the style of the original Battler Britton epics I made a beautiful cover page...

I have been formulating new ideas for the army and how they look, including a more military edge. Head wear is important for this so I sketched out a few ideas for Recon Unit. I think the simple version is best, it looks more hard arse and we all know how hard arsed Recon Unit is...

And everyone loves a bunny....

Occupational Force: Ninja

Secret, stealthy and deadly.  The Occupational Force could very well be the perfect Ninja with their amazing hand to hand combat skills and scurrying four legs.  Our ninjas enjoy skulking in dark corners, running and leaping across roof tops on silent feet or undertaking training on some remote snow covered mountain temple, and that’s before we mention the twin katanas he comes equipped with.  Play your cards right and he might even let you remove his hood, or he might cut off your hands before you manage to reach for him, we can’t say.  Purchase at your own risk.

Recon Unit: Explosives Specialist

As all HiiRagi minions know, being diabolical can lead you into a variety of different specialities such as explosives.  And here is our Recon Unit Explosives expert in all his glory.

The utility belt is packed with dangerous, unstable elements such as dynamite and /or small bomb fixtures, wire that can be run from explosives to the detonation box and a pocket to hold the all important plans for our next sabotage.

Now, we also know at HiiRagi HQ that in these dangerous times it’s ‘Safety First’ so each explosives expert has goggles to protect their eyes for when the action gets too close for comfort.  Just how they like it.

Minion Inspiration: "The Lawyer" (take note other minions)

When you are the leader of a diabolical robot army, you need a certain amount of self belief and ego to maintain the faith in your cause.  Luckily for me I have a horde of awesomely inspiring minions to keep me going.  Check this out:

Yep, this minion, let's call her "The Lawyer", has amassed an army of her own to take the HiiRagi cause out into the world.  Soon she will be unstoppable.  Brings tears to my eyes to be honest.... 

"The Lawyer" - we salute you.

Sneak peak of upcoming propaganda

Here is a quick peak at something that has been in my brain for ages. I'm never much for putting ideas onto paper, I much prefer to think about it for ages and then just do it. And now, finally, some of it is being put onto paper.

This drawing is for a blurb about the core values of the HiiRagi Army, the names of which sit in the banner that the robots are holding. It's featuring in a small publication I am doing as an Introductory Guide to the HiiRagi Army. I like the wings (again, somethign that's been in my mind for ages) and I'm well into Steampunk so I thought making the robots into little cherubic angels complete with mechanical wings was cool. Now I just need to figure out how to make them in real life. Would you like a cherubic Recon Unit, complete with mechanical wings guarding your lair? I would. I guess it's like the monkeys out of the Wizard of Oz, the perfect henchmen. Ah, happy thoughts...

Occupational Force: Jungle

No, he doesn’t want to be your friend.
No, he won’t listen to you spill your life story.
And no, he definitely won’t want to share a tent.
He will however lend you his unsurpassed jungle skills and help you to complete your mission quickly and efficiently. If you run into any kind of trouble, our Occupational Force will deal with it in the blink of an eye. Yep, he’s THAT tough and he has the scars to prove it. With his machete in hand ready to wield, an ammunition belt that may or may not be full (depending upon the action he’s already seen) and an army headband to keep the sweat out of his eyes, he’s the ultimate Jungle Warrior.
All we ask is that you don’t mention Rambo….

HQ: The nasty side of Recon Unit

I know. You can't believe it. Recon Unit? Nasty?! I have warned you, all of you in the past. You all said how cute he was... and I warned you of the diabolical nature of the Recon Unit, and now here it is for all to see. The Recon Unit Assassin:

I can hear you now "but that's just a Recon Unit with a utility belt" but look closer. The belt holds all the details....

First up, a vial of quick acting poison (is there any other kind?)

My personal favourite: the garrote. Looks relatively harmless doesn't it? But in the hands of a trained killer...

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Survival DIY: How to tie a Shemagh

So today we are going to learn how to tie a Shemagh (pronounced “schmog”), which is also called a keffiyeh and ghutrah. The Shemagh originated in the Middle East as a scarf-type wrap commonly found in arid regions to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well to protect the mouth and eyes from blown dust and sand.

To start with you will need a large scarf, either triangle shaped or a square one folded in half to make a triangle. Pop it on your head with one side shorter than the other.

Take the longer end and wrap it around your head to the shorter end. You can either do a face cover or wear it under the chin, depending upon your needs.

Tie the ends at the back.

Pop on a bit of rope or cord at the top and hey, presto! You're ready for action in the desert!!!

Doesn't he look grand?

HQ: Minion runs riot in HiiRagi Tees

Lately I have been developing the girls range of tees to include v-neck and scoop neck tees that are a bit more 'girlie' (as seen previously here). Recently I enlisted another of my favourite minions, we'll call her 'Rachel' with a soft 'ch' like she's French or something.... Soooooo, after making her do a set of poses to show the tees off on the website we thought it would be a grand idea if we took some tees, some props and some weaponry (thanks to another minion who we shall call 'Jon') for an impromptu photo shoot on location. The wind was blowing like a b*#ch, it looked like rain was coming in but we managed to get a few shots in and have heaps of fun in the process! A win-win situation. Hope you like them! And yes, I do realise that the tees aren't really easy to see but who cares?!

Ah,the grand poise and bearing of a HiiRagi minion... it brings tears to my eyes...

I can just hear the little Recon Units now: "Where? Where 'Rachel'? I can't see where you're pointing! We're short you know!"

Creeping, creeping, creeping.....

This is my favourite. THis image just says AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! This is why HiiRagi will eventually win the war.

Occupational Force

I've been making heaps of toys lately so I have them in numbers that I have never had before which is pretty exciting as it means I will have enough to start doing the photos that I have been crapping on about for ages to anyone who will listen to me. In the meantime I took a couple of shots of the Occupational Force in formation for the fun of it...

This is my pathetic take on the Star Wars film poster that showed Annakin Skywalker with the shadow of Darth Vader (awesome poster, shame about the film...)

And then there were HEAPS!!!!

Once again, adopting the "cute" disguise, Occupational Force peaks out. Minutes later he had maimed and destroyed a horde of HiiRagi disbelievers with his bare hands....

...unfortunately I can't post those images....

HiiRagi: Proud Supplier of the Trooper Lu Army

A couple of months ago I was approached by a cool guy named Justin, who wanted some 'vintage' looking designs for his motorbike garage label Trooper Lu. At first I thought he might be slightly insane but then so am I so it seemed to be a good match. We had an awesome chat and he seemed to get the jist of what I was doing, we swapped cards and to be honest I thought it would stop there....but no. He chased me down (I think we were off training in the desert at that stage, very limited mobile reception out there) and enticed me to do some drawings for him. This is the image I ended up sending to him (fingers crossed!)

I really wanted to capture a bit of the freedom of just hitting the road with nothing but a backpack, a map and a sense of adventure. And the Occupational Force just loves to get on his bike and go.

Anyway, to cut a long winded story short, he took a risk and put them onto tees!!! Hurrah!!!! The text on the tees states 'Trooper Lu: Proud Supplier of the HiiRagi Army'

This is the guys tee:

And the girls get racy red:

The tees are available on the Trooper Lu site, and I am hoping to get my hands on a few for the stall. Hats off to Justin for trying something different and letting me run amok with his garage.

What do you reckon?

Urban warfare and a sneak peek at a parachute

I may be a bit slack at posting but I am never idle. I have been in the sweatshop working away until my fingertips bleed. There are lot's of exciting ideas and projects coming up soon I hope that I can get out to you my little minions but for now you have to be content with a few crappy studio moments captured.

Here is a recent Recon Unit with utility belt. His specialty is Urban Warfare so I thought I had better give him some arsenal, hence the knife, explosives and random grappling hook. Oh yeah....

Lately I have been having heaps of fun with found objects and making weaponry and the like. I guess it's that Steampunk thing which I love.

And here is a new thing! Behold! HiiRagi Robots take to the air! I had hoped to have some more images of the robot insitu in the air but people keep buying them before I have a chance (Geez...) so hooked up in the studio it is.

I am currently working on soft parachutes aswell. I want then to be like those toy candy parachuters (spell check keeps telling me that 'parachuters is not a word, how can that be? What is the plural of parachuter then? A prime example of the rampant stupidity that runs riot in our society today that is.)that you can throw up in the air and they catch the air and float down. We shall see what happens with that one.

The Recon Unit Geisha: up close and personal

Sometimes when I look at my toys I think that I am too used to seeing them. I love hearing peoples feedback at the stall and emails, where a common one is the detail involved in them. So I thought perhaps I should try to show this a bit more in my photographs, and ta da! First up is the elusive Geisha....

Her description is:

The mysterious world of the Geisha. What secrets hide in the teahouses of Gion? Recon Unit goes undercover to discover the feminine skills behind bringing (salary) men to their kness with the flick of a wrist. This power must be harnessed for the HiiRagi cause.

And so behold!


oooooo...lovely ladies.....


I actually think their main secret lies in the beautiful red lips...


I actually use kimono silk for their dresses and then a beautiful shot silk for the obi. Feels and looks divine...


Another detail that only the geisha have is that they have two 'twinkle' spots in their eyes, if you look at all the other Recon Units, they have only one. I find two adds to the feminine allure...What do you think?

HiiRagi badge spotted on tropical island

One of the great things about Salamanca can be the people (and minions) that you meet (and convert). The following images are from an awesome Austrian guy I met and forced to take a badge with him, which he then took to Bali (unfortunately he resisted taking me as well). How nice does it look there?!





Some badges have all the luck....