Hey adventurers!

Thanks for checking out this week's MythForce interview with Jill Hollett!

Jill Hollett studied digital illustration and sequential arts at Edmonton Digital Arts College and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta. She previously worked as a tattoo artist and illustrator before joining the games industry as an intern Concept Artist at Beamdog.

What games first attracted you to game design?

I first fell in love with game design when I was a preteen and saved up all of my babysitting money to buy a Gamecube from Blockbuster. I was obsessed with the art style of games like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and Chibi-Robo because they brought whimsy and humor to everyday things like chores and gardening.

I think that was what really influenced me to pursue drawing. I wanted to create my own little world to escape into.

What are some of your artistic influences?

I love everything weird! I've always been drawn to things like aliens and cryptids and I'm really passionate about art that challenges our reality and makes us think. I love surrealist art like the paintings of Mark Ryden or books by Chuck Palahniuk. I've had the privilege of exploring a bunch of different avenues of art throughout my career, but I'm always drawn to those who go against the norm and embrace the strange and unusual.

How does your background in tattooing influence the work you've done with MythForce?

I'm so grateful for the time I spent as a tattoo artist because it taught me so much about symbolism, composition, and line work. I've really enjoyed drawing on traditional tattoo symbolism for the graphic art I've done for MythForce because I think the intention behind imagery adds another element to the work that connects to people.

What are some of your favorite 80s' cartoons (or other pop culture)?

Before COVID I probably would have said Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Inspector Gadget, but I gotta be honest: during the peak of the pandemic I discovered Murder, She Wrote and got absolutely hooked! Jessica Fletcher is my hero.

You've done both concept art and graphic art for MythForce. What makes these forms unique, and why do you like them?

What I love most about MythForce is the art style. The 80s' cartoon aesthetics combined with the painterly background makes for a really beautiful and fun game. When I was working on concept art, I got really wrapped up in the lore and had a ton of fun sneaking little references into my designs. It's funny: creating icons is kind of similar to designing tattoos because I get to work alongside the narrative team and explore the best way to visually represent their ideas.