Page 57 of The Broken Hearts Club

“I’ve always liked your style. I’ve never asked though, why do you always wear black?”

“It began as a mild form of rebellion. I figured I didn’t blend in anyway, so I might as well set myself apart on purpose. In junior high, everyone was so cookie-cutter, so I started rocking the all-black thing. After a while, it became less about rebelling and more about expressing what became my own, personal style.”

“I totally respect that.”

“Speaking of personal style, I actually have a similar question for you,” he said. “How did you develop your unique taste in music?”

I grinned and asked, “You mean, why do I have the musical taste of an old man?”

Collie grinned, too. “I never said that. But we both know it’s pretty unusual for a guy in his mid-thirties.”

“This is going to sound so dumb, but it all started with a TV commercial. I don’t even remember what it was for, but the song ‘The Girl From Ipanema’ was playing in the background. I was instantly smitten and started looking for anything I could find in that genre. This was back when I was still in high school, and believe me when I say, nobody got it.”

“I can imagine.” After a pause, Collie said, “In that game you’re designing, what if the apocalypse happened on a version of Earth that was still in that time period? All that sleek, mid-century modern stuff might look really awesome in a post-apocalyptic hellscape.”

“That’s called retro-futurism. There are a few games out there with that aesthetic.”

“Aw. I thought I came up with a unique idea.”

“We could make it unique. All I’d have to do is draw a highly stylized version that didn’t look like any of the other games on the market.”

“Show me.”

Collie moved back to his chair so I’d have room to work, and I picked up my drawing pad and pencil and quickly sketched out the scene in my head. When I showed it to him, he stared at it in awe and said, “You’re incredibly talented. I wish I was even half as good at literally anything.”

“Is this what you had in mind?”

“It’s better. It’s like Palm Springs meets the apocalypse by way of a modern art museum.”

“That’s exactly what I was going for.” I fidgeted with my pencil as I murmured, “I wonder if my team and my art director would be into it...”

“They will be if you sell it. Go into your next meeting with confidence and make them believe in this as much as I do.”

I started drawing quickly, as scene after scene played through my mind’s eye. This was an aesthetic I loved, and it was easy to let my imagination run wild.

After a few minutes, I’d filled several pages with rough sketches. I turned a full page interior sketch to Collie and asked, “What do you think?”

“It’s amazing! Seriously Miller, it’s so good.”

“I’m going for it. I love this idea, and I’m excited about it. That tells me I’m on to something here. The more I can show my art director, the better, so I’ve got my work cut out for me between now and Friday.” It was already Monday afternoon, so I really needed to get busy.

“I’ll be your pit crew while you work on this. You’re going to need someone to bring you coffee, and snacks, and provide moral support.”

“I don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

He shot me a look. “I’m pretty sure I won’t totally exhaust myself if I make you a cup of coffee.”

“Okay. As long as you don’t overdo it.”

“I won’t. I promise.” After a moment, he asked, “Do you think your quirky little Collie character might fit into this mid-century world?”

“I’m going to make him fit. I’ll draw him in the same style, and I’ll put him in a retro bowling shirt instead of a baseball jersey to give it a bit of a through line. He doesn’t have to totally match his surroundings, though. In fact, it’ll be more interesting if he’s a traveler who’s new to this world. That’ll also explain why he’s exploring and collecting things.”

A huge smile spread across his face. “This is so cool,” he said. “I’ve never been anyone’s muse before.”

Now it was doubly important to get my team and art director to sign off on this. I wasn’t just doing it for myself and my career. I was doing it for Collie too, and I’d never forgive myself if I let him down.

I spent the next three days producing intricate digital drawings of this new world—the environment, building exteriors and interiors, some of the ephemera. Then, because I really wanted to sell it to my art director and the rest of the team, I had my drawings printed as large posters and mounted to display boards, along with my renderings of the character inspired by Collie. I thought that would show off everything in its best light.