Project Elementary

Earth | Fire | Water | Air – The elements are channeled through a scepter to engage physical phenomena. As you advance in a journey through storms, plagues, and more you will experience an adventure. Whether fighting for progress or battling a foe, you will need smarts as well as strength.

Interaction of the elements is intuitive, and this premise relies on interaction between player, elements, and an expanding web of situations. The goal is to remove the enemy from games and replace it with situations that can be overcome, to focus on puzzles with an element of good/evil removed, replaced by strategy, survival, and necessity. These can be presented in a sleek way in the closed realm of digital worlds.

Video games that I take a lesson from are Banjo–Kazooie, Metroid Prime, and Guitar Hero. Project Elementary at its least will compile the structure of a game that I would enjoy playing. -WT

• Illustration style of Keith Haring

Almost There

Here is an illustration of Van Wert Jazz, imagined in the style of a scene from “The Princess and the Frog”. As the song “Almost There” plays, Tiana sees the potential of her new restaurant.

The image is based on a photo from an early gig for Van Wert Jazz. Today, we have made progress by adding drums, making new arrangements, and even getting professionally recorded. As we pursue our goals, we can continue to say, “We’re almost there.”