About the artist
Name: Keivan Dow
Cards created: 144 - Edmontosaurus annectens
Reference techniques: Traditional design, digital finalization
Paleoartistic era: Future
Historical era: Mass extinction/Late Cretaceous
Before “Release the Creatures: Dinosaurs!” did you already have a connection with dinosaurs?
“As a child, I used to watch my older sister play Playstation; she played Crash Bandicoot, Ico, and Final Fantasy IX, but when she played Dino Crisis, I would run away and play outside because it scared me! From that day on, I always feared dinosaurs until I got to know them better and calmed down because, deep down, they're all dead, more or less. Anyway, I saw the first Jurassic Park, but honestly, it didn't seem like much to me... "The Land Before Time," the one with Littlefoot, I watched often as a child. The first part scared me a lot, but then I always loved the rest of the movie. I think I ate a lot of leaves as a child because of that movie.”
This is your first time collaborating with Tomodachi Press. Did you expect it when you started your journey? And how did the first contact happen?
“Yes, it's my first time collaborating with Tomodachi Press. As a humble artist, my only expectations at the beginning of my journey were to smile and have fun. The first contact happened with Dario Moccia, who simply wrote to me after my mentor Mattia Di Meo secretly sent him my portfolio.”
Beppi The Clown IV illustration by Mattia Di MeoHow did you meet Mattia Di Meo and how did you become his disciple?
Which characters do you use and who is stronger?
“I use Jack, the famous robot, while Mattia uses Xiaoyu. Anyway, if we play on LAN, I'm stronger because thanks to Jack's heat smash (which is 10 frames), without Wi-Fi lag, I can use a punish-on-reaction strategy.”
This set was created under the artistic supervision of Dario Moccia and the scientific supervision of Willy Guasti. Do you have any particular anecdotes?
“Yes, so Willy is truly great; I asked him a lot of scientific questions about dinosaurs, for example, if pinecones existed and things like that, and he always answered kindly and exhaustively. For the rest, honestly, everything went smoothly, back and forth from all sides, and no one was left with a bad taste in their mouth, so I'd say it was a positive experience without too many plot twists. I mean, it was a pretty simple process, in my case probably because Dario already knew what he was getting into.”
“A curiosity: I suggested Jinenji to Dario for Dinosaurs. He had asked me if I knew some artists, and I sent him a few suggestions, including him. In the end, the only way to catch the more underground artists is this, at least until they become very famous.”
Was it complicated to make the artistic and scientific parts coexist?
“Well, in my case, I adapt well to these kinds of needs because coming from fighting games, I've learned to change strategy on the fly and turn the tide of the game. I imagine that for someone with a more complex style, adapting to new forms and scientific needs can be more difficult. Personally, I really chilled out; I mean, I had to make some changes, but that's normal, and honestly, I didn't have any problems.”
Can you tell me some details about the Edmontosaurus annectens card?
“The dinosaur on the ground is a carnivorous predator, I don't remember specifically which one, but Willy surely knows. Anyway, it's without blood because it was stunned by the Edmontosaurus, which, being a herbivore, didn't eat it. The basic concept was that even though they were herbivores, they could still defend themselves; in fact, it "knocked it out with headbutts," very simply. If I remember correctly, I had made mistakes with the legs, those kinds of "big thumbs on the hand," the "gullet," and the tail attachment. I just felt like drawing the lines in the background; there's no specific reason, and they don't represent anything particular.”
If you could choose a dinosaur and a paleoartistic era to interpret, timeshifted style, what would you choose?
“I would have liked to draw an underwater dinosaur, so I could have drawn some ancient algae, perhaps, or I would have asked Willy about marine fauna. Otherwise, the Pterodactyl because its name makes me laugh. For the paleoartistic period, I would stick to the future.”
Author's note: Yes, Willy, we know. Pterodactyls are not dinosaurs
How has your view of the world of dinosaurs changed after this project?
“Well, despite our differences, I've always loved skeletons, so there's always been a lot of respect for our prehistoric friends. Come to think of it, it's absurd to think that dinosaurs existed for a loooong time longer than us, in the sense that when they were alive, they dominated the planet, kind of like they had solved the meta... it took a giant meteorite to knock them off the podium. If they hadn't gone extinct, we would never have existed!!!”
Is there a final message or thought you'd like to leave for collectors and those following us?
“Never stop smiling because a smile is worth a thousand words.”
Keivan Dow's favorites
- Layout: Future
- Paleoartistic era: Future
- Historical era: Mesozoic
- Favorite card from the set: Mine
- Artists: Maria Luisa Petrarca, Walter Baiamonte, Mattia Di Meo, Yarghiza, Jinenjipeke