Lil’ Monty The Bomb Kid
Monty first came about when I had the idea of a kid with a bomb for a head, on the brink of an explosive temper tantrum. The autumn season was in full swing at the time that the idea came to me, so I decided that this character would be at some sort of fall carnival or fair.
Lil’ Monty is an original character that I created. Curious, bratty, and charmingly mischievous, Monty is what my grandma would have called “a sweet ole’ bad boy”.
Monty at The Fair
As I began to explore this character’s facial expression, there was something about him that automatically brought to mind the name “Monty”.
Preliminary Sketches
After Monty at The Fair, I started imagining Monty as a more fleshed-out character, with a wardrobe and color scheme to reflect the kind of person (being?) that I envisioned him to be. I was influenced early on by the vintage aesthetic found in animation of the 1930’s and 40’s, and I wanted Monty to wear clothes that felt both nostalgic and timeless.
In doing research for character design, I learned that daisies can represent innocence and joy, and I knew that I wanted to include them as a motif in Monty’s universe in some form or fashion. I began with the idea that he would carry a daisy in his front shirt pocket, to gift as consolation to anyone who might find themselves entangled in his antics. What followed was a daisy come to life, simply called Daisy. It has an actual name. Monty just never took the time to actually learn what it is.
What started as a one-off illustration, turned into something more. My mind was suddenly teeming with ideas of the all the trouble Monty might get into.
Lil’ Monty
The Bomb Kid
Lil’ Monty is an original character that I created. Curious, bratty, and charmingly mischievous, Monty is what my grandma would have called “a sweet ole’ bad boy”.
Monty first came about when I had the idea of a kid with a bomb for a head, on the brink of an explosive temper tantrum. The autumn season was in full swing at the time that the idea came to me, so I decided that this character would be at some sort of fall carnival or fair.
Preliminary Sketches
As I began to explore this character’s facial expression, there was something about him that automatically brought to mind the name “Monty”.
Monty at The Fair
After Monty at The Fair, I started imagining Monty as a more fleshed-out character, with a wardrobe and color scheme to reflect the kind of person (being?) that I envisioned him to be. I was influenced early on by the vintage aesthetic found in animation of the 1930’s and 40’s, and I wanted Monty to wear clothes that felt both nostalgic and timeless.
In doing research for character design, I learned that daisies can represent innocence and joy, and I knew that I wanted to include them as a motif in Monty’s universe in some form or fashion. I began with the idea that he would carry a daisy in his front shirt pocket, to gift as consolation to anyone who might find themselves entangled in his antics. What followed was a daisy come to life, simply called Daisy. It has an actual name. Monty just never took the time to actually learn what it is.
What started as a one-off illustration, turned into something more. My mind was suddenly teeming with ideas of the all the trouble Monty might get into.
Spring Gleaming
Death Wish
Fall from Grace / Uncontrolled Burn
Monty's Grill
Rizz Bizz : a Prequel
If you let him tell it, Monty is a giver (he’s a thief) and an angel (he’s a brat). He’s an experimental chef (fireworks aren’t food) and the world’s most misunderstood gardener (again, he’s a thief). But above all, Monty is whatever he wants to be, whenever he wants to be. Wherever peace and order exists, Monty and his curiosity will somehow find a way to blow it all up.
My plans for Monty are to continue making illustrations that pull back the curtain of his expanding world, but I also want to bring him into the tangible world, with merchandise such as apparel, stationery and figurines.