Kick. Punch. It's all in the mind.

November 30, 2007 11:08 AM

New York artist Rodney Allen Greenblat's new show starts tomorrow at BCB Art in Hudson, NY. His paintings and sculpture evokes Picasso and Calder while maintaining a whimsical charm.

But he's still best known for creating the floppy two dimensional characters and whimsical backgrounds of PaRappa the Rapper. Step on the gas, now turn to the left!
posted by rouftop (13 comments total)

I loved the art in that game. I wish more video games would take chances w/ art direction. (like Katamari Damacy). Fuck realism, lighting, and polygon counts.
posted by jcruelty at 11:15 AM on November 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

I like it. It looks very much like a lot of the design I see on Yo Gabba Gabba. Meanwhile: Rodney Allen Rippy is working on a new reality show!
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 11:15 AM on November 30, 2007

Cool stuff! Greenblat also did the art for the PaRappa spin-off Um Jammer Lammy (which my daughter played like an addict).
posted by amyms at 11:17 AM on November 30, 2007

he rocks--someone buy me an original painting of his from the 80s or since for my bday, pls--thanks! : >

(he used to have a thing on his website--if you send him something cute/weird, he'd send you some tiny stuff--i sent a Bill and Ted/Keanu little figure, and i got stationery stuff)
posted by amberglow at 12:22 PM on November 30, 2007

A decade before Parappa (which I loved, loved, loved) Rodney painted the gate-fold cover to They Might Be Giants' debut record.
posted by JBennett at 12:34 PM on November 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

Better image of that TMBG cover. (well, the front half…)
posted by JBennett at 12:40 PM on November 30, 2007

I just logged in at work to say one thing:

LOVE KARATE!
posted by SassHat at 12:56 PM on November 30, 2007

Thanks for putting a name to the artist. I've seen his artwork many times, I'm sure, besides the TMBG album and Parappa (which convinced me to buy a PS1).
posted by not_on_display at 1:40 PM on November 30, 2007

U postin' GOOD
posted by absalom at 2:01 PM on November 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

Oh, and I cannot tell you how many hours I spent enjoying that album art from "pink" in Jr high and high school. It is so rich with detail and cool little shit going on everywhere.
posted by absalom at 2:02 PM on November 30, 2007

This is a very good post.
posted by JHarris at 4:17 PM on November 30, 2007

I loved the art in that game. I wish more video games would take chances w/ art direction. (like Katamari Damacy). Fuck realism, lighting, and polygon counts.

In that case, you might really enjoy Okami, which is done entirely in Japanese brush art style.

Good post, thanks!
posted by tickingclock at 9:24 PM on November 30, 2007

More great art in games:

Psychonauts, Beyond Good & Evil, Team Fortress 2, Viewtiful Joe, Sly Cooper, Ico.
posted by cthuljew at 5:56 AM on December 1, 2007 [1 favorite]