Illustrating for the American Bar Association

From late 2015 into early 2016, I did the chapter header illustrations for the second edition of the American Bar Association's Legal Guide To Video Game Development.  I had also illustrated the first edition back in 2011. 

Being selected by the Bar Association to work on a legal guide proved to be a good time; I had a lot of fun and the whole process was well laid out, even though the editions took some time to each come together completely.  I got to geek out a little bit, and illustrating these two books offered some interesting challenges as well.

For example, since my illustrations were used for chapter headers, I only had a small space to convey the idea of the chapter.  I also needed to use recognizable video game tropes and character archetypes without stepping all over the actual game companies' various IP, so characters like a Mario-type, or Lara Croft-type, would have to be slightly changed, maybe shown from the back, etc., in order to be familiar without being directly infringing.  The print being in black and white also meant I'd have to do everything in greyscale, so that became a composition challenge along with the small space.

I'll also say 'thank you' here to Ross Dannenberg, the lawyer who hired me to work on the books, and who guided me on the ABA's needs regarding the scenarios and the recognizable-but-not characters.  Below are a few selected illustrations from the two editions.

Second edition chapter on social media considerations, with a nod to several social media sites and to the sheer glut of zombie-themed games over the past several years:

Both editions, chapter on End User Licensing and other legal agreements; plays on the RPG 'quest' trope and the Military-stealth-game 'Alarmed!' trope.

Second edition chapter on legal disputes; another ensemble cast of archetypes:

The first edition of The ABA's Legal Guide to Video Game Development is currently available on Amazon.  The second edition should be published later in 2016, as of this writing.