The gallery that you see in the finale of Modern Day manifested itself in more ways than one. These haunting photos not only looked out at Alex every time they opened their laptop, but can also currently be found lining the hallway to our bathroom. The gallery walk was printed out and physically curated for filming… and their gazes now haunt me every time I walk to the toilet.
2024-02-26 16:34:22 +0000 UTC View PostI’m so excited share with you guys this short video i put together of some of my favorite moments while trying to film for Footage of Final Trump Rally! The star, of course, is none other than Ripley, who was entirely too interested in what we were doing.
Some other fun facts:
This is an image that Alex created for THITO that ended up not finding its way into the series. Unsettling!
Keep an eye out here on the Patreon, I’m working on a blooper video for Footage of Final Trump Rally!
2024-01-19 14:25:07 +0000 UTC View Post
Alex likes to put all of their thoughts on paper before bringing them to life on screen. Their thoughts are conveyed in every margin and cranny that the paper provides, so the page becomes jam packed with information. Once a project is complete, the crammed ideas are sometimes removed from the notebook in order to have a blank slate to start again. These are notes that were recently torn from Alex’s journal as they continue to plan out the future of Modern Day. I am a very sentimental perso...
2023-12-27 16:29:28 +0000 UTC View Post
It’s been a busy month in the Manti-household! Once it reaches the last couple months of the year, time feels like it starts to whiz by. Alex drew this sketch, which captures how connected everything is to each other. I love when I glance over at their work expecting doodles, and seeing something that is quite lovely and poignant.
With the holidays coming up, I know that not everyone has positive associations with these seasonal gatherings. If you are one of those people, ...
2023-12-16 15:07:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Alex sat down to brainstorm some alternate Cornerfolk ideas, and this is what they came up with! All of them follow various levels of human distortion, with some being more disturbing than others. The original Cornerfolk design can be seen third from the left on the bottom. The quote in the top right comes from the poem “The Wild Iris” by Louise Gluck. Which design is your favorite?
2023-11-15 17:43:32 +0000 UTC View Post
As the start of a brand new sketchbook, Alex sketched out a spread of images from the latest Monument Mythos episode.
This episode was quite fun to be a part of, and Geebee is absolutely the star of the show as Mister Squirrel. This episode introduced several classic Monument Mythos themes and ideas, and opens up the avenue for many questions. What questions were you left with at the end of this episode?
2023-11-01 17:03:53 +0000 UTC View Post
Ever wonder about who made the drawings for WashingtonWonderland? You probably didn’t think that they were all drawn by hand in a spare sketchbook! Alex gave me almost 100 thumbnail sketches that I drew out page by page. I initially drew with my left hand to make the lines more jagged, but shifted to my natural right hand about halfway through.
I’ve included some of the sketches that were scrapped or not included in the final product, including the very first sketch for Everett. 2023-10-17 18:22:49 +0000 UTC View Post
Alex is presently preparing the prizes for six winners from a fan art contest a while back (hosted by Waltenews). Alex says he's grateful to be a prize-giver since the contest supported the Trevor Project, an organization he's donated to in the past. Each envelope contains two pages of illustrations featured in WashingtonWonderland. One winner will be awarded an original Crescent King plush.
2023-09-30 22:26:34 +0000 UTC View Post
The original Debate Demon design was very different initially. The first photo depicts the very first sketch produced when the idea was first coming into its own. The second photo depicts an expansion of those ideas into a form that we are now familiar with.
2023-09-28 17:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Art from The Ningen (1991 Deep Sea Video)
2023-09-17 00:21:55 +0000 UTC View Post
Throughout the morning at the university library, I sat beside Alex as we each worked on our own projects. At one point, I looked to my left and saw Alex quietly scribbling at his computer. Then, once he was quite satisfied, he turned to me and proudly asked, "What do you think?" This was when I first beheld the photo of eyeless Trump and words failed me.
"Is this what you've been working on for the last half hour?"
"Yes! What if I made a video about it?"
I consi...
2023-08-25 23:35:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Another illustration from Alex! He says he would like to make this version of Loki look less inspired by Japanese samurai armor. He says that wasn’t his intention, but I think it looks fine regardless. He also explained to me that this isn’t a take on Marvel’s Loki, but rather an interpretation of mythical Norse Loki. It may be worth noting that Alex recently rewatched The Dark Knight trilogy. I suspect he may be feeling inspired 👀
What do you think of The Real Loki aka Techni...
Alex drew this a while ago. To unambiguously declare his distaste for Confederates and the Civil War (specifically the South), he added a footnote: "Fuck this asshole."
I couldn't agree more!
But whatever happened to "The Giant Weapon?" Was he ever used in combat? Do any of you have information about him?
Alex claims Sushi drew her persona last night. I have my doubts. It's awfully similar to his style.
2023-08-03 15:34:43 +0000 UTC View Post
Yesterday, Alex was surprised when I told him that you, the patrons, actually liked his dioramas.
The next morning, I found that he had hung both of them up on the wall!
Alex made these two dioramas one night. The one on the left depicts a general's cluttered desk during a third world war, while the one on the right depicts an ancient watering hole surrounded by dinosaurs. Which one do you like more?
2023-07-29 18:12:21 +0000 UTC View Post
A small note Alex wrote for himself and magnetized to the fridge.
2023-06-27 23:50:08 +0000 UTC View Post
Alex was sleeping over at a friend's house when he suddenly had an idea for an Atlantis/Alcatraz episode. He woke in the middle of the night and wrote his ideas down in an hour. His friend, Liam, was confused as to why Alex seemed so excited at 3 or 4 am. He never produced this episode, but if he had, it would have been released at the start of Season 2 of The Monument Mythos.
Because several fan videos since then have tackled Atlantis, Alex decided that it was best to move past the ide...
2023-06-15 18:27:42 +0000 UTC View Post
It’s been a pretty busy month! Creatively, Alex has been stewing on a variety of ideas, and we’ve also been trying to hang out with our friends now that they are more free. Sometimes months can pass in such a blur that it feels like simultaneously everything and nothing happened. When you look back on May, is there anything that stands out as a highlight?
Going into June and forward, I’d love to hear what you guys might like to see from the Patreon (more sketches, candid Alex pho...
2023-06-02 15:33:01 +0000 UTC View Post
These are some of the impression storyboards Alex sketched for “The Officer Ben Tape” in early May. He first pitched the idea to Daniel (animator for FreedomForever and creator of Monster World) and I in October.
2023-05-22 20:35:07 +0000 UTC View Post
A sketch Alex made while rewatching a movie.
2023-05-22 20:26:31 +0000 UTC View Post
If you were ever curious about what the traditional art of Alex looks like, here’s a glimpse! We’ve set out on the goal of trying to draw (or at least sketch) something every day. Even doing quick simple doodles is a great way to bolster creativity!
2023-05-13 16:34:49 +0000 UTC View Post
When Alex received his silver creator award, he inexplicably painted it entirely black. He still hasn’t disclosed the reason to anyone, including me.
What are your theories?
2023-05-03 18:21:16 +0000 UTC View Post
It is a beautifully sunny and windy day, so we’ve set up a place to read outside! I’m currently re-reading The Prisoner of Azkaban, and this is a peek at some of the books that Alex picked for himself.
Both of us are burnt out “gifted” kids, and we’ve had to remind ourselves this past year that reading can, in fact, be enjoyable and interesting.
If you have any book suggestions, we’re always looking for new reads!
2023-05-01 19:05:30 +0000 UTC View Post
In November, Alex drew the first sketches of Everett Arnoldson. He would go on to show these sketches to Daniel and Andrew in December, which prompted the former to begin building a digital model. The digital model of Everett made its first appearance in the episode “ArnoldsonAlone.” Alex was surprised when I mentioned to him that Everett looked a bit like the Crescent King. According to him, the King never came to mind during the production of Season Three.
2023-04-27 20:15:20 +0000 UTC View Post
