Andy Warner recently put together a slew of crafty character designs that appeal just as much to one's sense of whimsy as to one's curiosity.
The characters are colorful, imaginatively rendered and oddly proportioned. They are, in a word, cartoonish. Still, these light-hearted aesthetics do little to dispel quite involved back-stories one naturally invents to explain the scenes these characters find themselves in as well as the curious expressions they wear. This potential for narrative is obviously a welcome aspect to any character design, as it allows for growth and depth.
Warner's creations range from perplexed and puzzled to maniacal. Each of them is far from well-adjusted. Yet their off-beat, not-quite-all-there personalities invite sympathy and curiosity rather than alienate the viewer. One wants to know the stories of these characters.
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