Chocolate covered crickets

A dumping ground for my weird sketches, OC's, cannons and bayonets.

[chococricket]

✨ Soft Garten #9 ✨

I was unable to find a similar enough brush from Photoshop in Krita, so half of the doodles are a bit different 😅

We have Captain Fiddles receiving a pirate hat (only fair, since Sheriff Toadster has one). The Janitor has definitely gone wild in some sort of toy shop, getting children-safe gifts for everyone.

Bittergiggles doing his two favourite things - pupeteering and doing pranks (there is definitely something weird inside that cake).

Nabnab's favourite programs are definitely nature programs about insects - spiders in particular. He can sit and watch them for hours, enthralled. We also have a small showdown, when the Janitor employed the tried and true method of getting spiders off of ceiling (and into a bath).

Due to the amount of work he does (self-imposedly) in the kindergarten every day, the Janitor has a penchant for falling asleep in different places, sometimes standing up. It is up to the nearest available mascot to carry him to bed.

There is also some Banban merch, because, let's be honest, I stopped watching people playing the game after 4th or 5th chapter (it was becoming too complicated for my liking) - and made my own headcanons which I will probably make a seperate post about.

+ a squished in Zolphius, he definetely can get stuck inside smaller spaces

+ an "amazing!" sticker from Banbaleena pack (she uses them to grade students' work)

[chococricket]

A Lackadaisy-Inspired OC 😺

Inspired, because I don't know the whole lore - I saw a few panels some time ago and watched the Pilot on YouTube (go check it out, it's amazing!)

And as always, my imagination ran rampant. Cecil Nex is an ex-circus acrobat who, after falling into debt, decided to take a dubious job of offing a supposedly bad person. Wanting to provide for his siblings, he goes to do the job with a borrowed pistol, but the thought of murdering someone freaks him out so much that he runs out of the mark's building and gets hit by a car.

[I am not a medical professional]

He wakes up a few hours later and, as a result of the head trauma, he develops Cotard’s Delusion, paired with lowered empathy. Having lost the gun, he grabs a rusty hammer from the bins behind the building and successfully (and brutally) takes the life of the man, finishing the job. In some ways, he understands that he cannot return to his family and leaves the circus, instead taking various unsavoury jobs in the underground, sending his siblings money whenever he can.

dont worry, it's jam u guys

[chococricket]

✨ Soft Garten - Group Hug ✨

I haven't been posting for a while - I was changing my art software from Photoshop to Krita, and needed some time to get used to it.

But mainly, I haven't gotten any new ideas lately - or at least not enough to fill a whole page.

So, if you have an idea you'd like to see illustrated, feel free to ask!

In the meantime, have this enormous group hug! Perhaps I will color it - if I remember.

I hope I remembered everyone 😅

[chococricket]

A Pixar's "Luca" OC

Did you know that both "Scorfano" and "Paguro" (surnames of the main characters) in the movie are types of fish in Italian?

Anyway, Seppia means "cuttlefish" or "squid" according to google.

he gets much bigger

[chococricket]

✨ Soft Garten #8 ✨

I feel like Sheriff Toadster would love the idea of a six-shooter, based mostly on Western movies and toy TV commercials. The Janitor is not a fan of this, knowing the reality of a firearm, even an old one. Eventually, he decides on a compromise, buying a toy and making a very important rule: it's not leaving the holster around children, ever.

The Sheriff agrees and the Janitor has to change the plastic bullets to foam darts pretty quickly (he regrets the purchase only a little bit).

+ The fate of the fly which Bittergiggles failed to catch came to an abrupt conclusion.

+ Reimagination of Banban and Sheriff Toadster as "regular" pets

+ Silly, funny Banban

+ A "Good Job!" sticker from a Sheriff Toadster pack

[chococricket]

✨ Soft Garten #7 ✨

Bittergiggles making one of his puppet shows, trying to catch an annoying fly and being subjected to an internet way of solving issues with one, giant shirt. Neither Bittergiggles nor the Sheriff would speak of the experience after. (The Janitor took pictures :)

Since being able to order groceries to the Kindergarten, the Janitor often cooks for everyone. Pancakes are a general favourite. Unfortunately, Banban can be impatient and stick his tongue in places that should not be touched.

After two months of waiting, the Janitor decided that enough time passed for him to not be searched for in the area and sometimes runs necessary errands. Some of the mascots take it better than others...

Doodles of Kittysaurus sleeping in a typical cat neck-breaking fashion and having some very fishy dreams 🐟

+a calm pool day +The Janitor in a dust mask +Banban being grumpy about the only shirt of the Janitor's that would fit him

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #6

Opila and Tarta were good parents even when in an extremely stressed state and I have nothing but praise for them. After a long period of the Janitor bringing the adult birds food regularly, Opila basically decided "you are my big chick now" and started trying to preen him, form covers on his bed into more of a nest, making sure to leave a portion of the food for him to eat and dumping the chicklets on him when they need some time to themselves.

What genders are Opila and Tarta? Good question. Checking the gender of a bird is hard enough on its own, the Janitor does not know for sure which one laid the eggs and they are technically a lab-grown, non-existent bird species. They seem happy either way. (I might make the heart scene into a sticker)

The chicklets cannot speak or fly (yet?), but their superpowers are getting to extremely bizarre places on their own (as pictured), gently fluttering down from those places and being extremely cute.

Sneaky Snake makes the appearance once again with my headcanon that Bittergiggles sews his own puppets and sticks his tongue out when threading the needle.

I wrote in one of the previous posts that the Banban Crew had to undergo some repairs and cleaning. Well, some of them might be more opposed to this idea than others. Let's just say that Nabnab is not an aquatic species. I tried to make him at least a bit cuter, but he is still supposed to be a bodyguard - and does not have to interact with children much. Unlike a spider, he has great eyesight and even night vision! Like a spider, he likes to be a creepy little dude, hiding on the ceiling.

+naps on very large, fluffy mascot! sounds like a dream +additional hats for Banban and Nabnab +an graphic from a water safety poster featuring Stinger Flynn and many life rings

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #5

Further adventures of the Janitor and Bittergiggles - as a third mascot who got very attached. Double-loop hugs are administered often and the jester always makes sure to squish his human companion against the soft half of himself.

I also thought it would be nice to show Bittergiggle's stretchy arms more prominently. Grabbing kids so they would not fall, gags and pranks to be made, application would be endless!

The Janitor is also working on expanding jester's repertoire, by researching different kinds of comedy and teaching him differentiation between good and bad (or harmful) jokes.

As to Sheriff and Bitttergiggles, they still do not get along. The jester being a natural prank master and the Sheriff taking his job very seriously, they have somewhat of Pink Panter and Inspector Clouseau relationship, if both of the characters were locked in a basement of a kindergarten from early adulthood.

Also, Opila talks! Just like a parrot, she was not very talkative when stressed and hurt. More relaxed and comfortable, she started to communicate in simple, croaky phrases. The first thing to do was of course scare the hell out of the Janitor.

All the birds are also keen on baths in the small kiddie pool, especially on hotter days.

+The Janitor explained the idea od Valentines to the group (romantic and platonic) and received multiple ones :)

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #4

Pictured are some extracurriculars in which the mascots partake in their free time: Flynn and Zolphius play chess, Sheriff Toadster knits and the whole cast plays Uno (Opila often wins).

All of the mascots had to undergo some sort of cleaning, from simply cleaning with a cloth (e.g., Slow Seline), baths, and blowdrying (any creature with fur) to previously pictured hardcore repairs.

But the most favourite activity is of course - napping! Imagine that your plushie is larger than you, warm and hugs you back. Best sleep ever, guaranteed.

The Sheriff, being an appointed keeper of peace, has a hard time getting over his own mistakes. He beats himself up for each one, no matter how small or accidental. The janitor had to find him in the sewers after that particular incident. Luckily, he had some glue.

+booping Opila and Tarta chicklets +Bittergiggle/Jester doubles +Naughty Sneaky Snake +Some leftover children's drawings from when the Garten was still open

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #3

In this round of Soft AU, I drew the Janitor again, without his mask this time. He does wear it since the whole kindergarten has a thin layer of dust over most surfaces.

Other than cleaning, his activities consist of teaching the mascots (?) how to behave around children and parents, trying to mediate peace between different creatures and showing them the joys of affection.

If someone has played the game more than I did (which is not hard, seeing how I didn't play it at all), they probably know which chapter I watched before making this page. Here appear the first sketches of Bittergiggles, Queen Bouncelia (who's name I have to look up each time for spelling) and Kittysaurus, who should be much more fluffy, really.

As the last one is a mix of a raptor and a cat, the aggression might also come from the lack of stimulation. Although the Kittysaurus is a bit big to be safely around children, they can interact with it in the presence of a handler or a teacher.

Bittergiggles could definitely use some more props than just the Sneaky Snake. Sometimes the easiest gags are the funniest ones! The arrow had to be very obviously fake, for safety reasons. The tiny paper hat would probably be taught to them by the children. The crown for a classic "court jester" routine and so on.

For the portrait, I just thought it would be a typical thing for a Queen to have. Made to immortalize her first day as the Ruler of the Underground. Also to try and get the front snoot perspective correctly.

+1 Banban meme of that one cat with the knife

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #2

Some more interactions with the Janitor trying to fix the Banban Crew the best he can.

From the top, on the basis that the mascots are a bizarre mix of biology and child-safe materials, Zolphius' face was fixed by using a blowtorch. His neck is made from rubber and a bendable, metal skeleton underneath. His faceplate is also made of metal and his eyes... grew back? Sure. The tongue was simply tucked away in his neck, away from the jagged mess of his mouth.

Stinger Flynn was found by the Janitor in Sherif's jail. The octopus (?) was in bad shape, both mentally and physically. Blaming himself for the fates of the children, he could at least soothe his aching body in the pool, made in one of the tiled rooms. Barely fitting, he was transported on a large flatbed for building materials. Perhaps he grows in water?

+ a bonus doodle of Sheriff Toadster investigating a very important case of disappearing cookies. He takes his job very seriously.

[chococricket]

Soft Garten #1

Actually, it was not "fluff" it was "soft". I forgot.

This was the very first bits of the AU. I think it all came from the idea - what if the Opila bird is so aggressive because of an underlying medical issue? Those bloodshot eyes? So, in the true medically dubious fashion, the Janitor decides to employ eyedrops. And what do you know! Opila is much calmer now. She is sort of a mix between a parrot and an emu in terms of behaviour. On another page, I have a doodle of her speaking to the Janitor for the first time and scaring the sh^t out of him.

After showing that he is not a threat to Opila, Tarta and their babies, using treats, medical help and patience, the Janitor is put somewhere "protector" and "unusually large chick".

Jumbo Josh reminds me a bit of a gorilla, but still going with a "they were supposed to take care of CHILDREN" premise, he just needs enrichment to lessen his aggression. Every time he sees a new person he just wants to play with them so much, that he forgets his own strength! After some play and a good scrubbing, he is nothing more than an oversized plush toy, perfect for naps and getting into high places.

Banbaleena wants to be a good and proper teacher. How was she supposed to know that human children do not learn advanced math in kindergarten? She woke up and just... knew those types of things! Additionally, wanting to be liked and needing to be an impartial party is a hard line to straddle. Especially if all you know about school comes from those 2000s High School movies! At least she is eager to learn about teaching.

Slow Seline is not my favourite character. But everyone has to pull their weight, so she is a P.E. teacher, who knows that being slow is not always a bad thing. Her slime is organic and perhaps maybe antibacterial? Anyhow, she is a big hit with kids who like finding bugs more then petting dogs.

[chococricket]

Garten of Banban Fanart/ Expression Sheet #1 - 3

I like sh^ty games and sh^tty movies because they make it so much easier to take and mould into what I want (or need). Garten of Banban for example is a pretty bad game for multiple reasons (disjointed plot, annoying mechanics, horrific 3D models (not to be confused with horrifying 3D models) to list a few). But for me, it has potential. Characters are easy to make into something fuzzy and smushable.

So, the working title for this is Garten of Banban - Fluff Version. The characters are genetically engineered fluffy and child-friendly mascots with (dubiously given) consciousness and feelings. But, the head scientist in charge of creating them, like so many parents, was an emotionally distant workaholic. After discovering that he would have to care for or teach the creatures of his own creation how to process such icky things as emotions, he closes the front of the lab (the kindergarten), discontinues the project and locks all the creatures in the abandoned building.

I know there was a lot of discourse regarding "Child Horror" or "Mascot Horror" like Poppy's Playtime or Rainbow Friends, and this version would probably not make things better on that front. But, hey! I am not pitching a new horror game, I am making a softer version of a bad story in which the main character can fix things.

The MC in question is a patient called "23", who, after escaping a medical facility nearby and breaking into the abandoned kindergarten, shrugs and becomes a Janitor of the facility, trying to fix the place and its occupants. At the beginning, he gets killed. A lot. But, since he was a medical escapee, turns out, he has super healing. Neat! Now Banban can feast on his favourite pancreas without feeling bad about killing someone!

The rest of the Garten Crew suffers from a lack of understanding of human anatomy/ childcare, lack of enrichment causing aggression, ill-equipped habitats and various other issues, which the Janitor tackles one by one. Before being a medical curiosity, he worked in the zoo, and really, it is not that different.

[chococricket]

OC Dump #1 - "Night's Deceit", OFMD, Carmen Sandiego, etc.

These were named IDK #9 and IDK #11, but they are definitely more about my OC's. On the blue page, we have two OCs from my "Night's Deceit" story, about a strategist who gets metaphorically dumped by the British Army and saved by a pirate crew. He discovers anti-pirate propaganda and what size kink is.

However, "Ash" is from a different universe - being a he/them OC companion to Izzy Hands from Our Flag Means Death (a series I never watched).

The sniper is another, more fleshed-out OC called Reginus Penn, another companion, this time to Shadowsan from "Carmen Sandiego" (I watched this one (animate the OFMD and I will watch it too)).

Yes, older, morally dark grey Japanese men are my weakness. I feel the need to protect them, so I make up Companions for them. Maybe I should call those CompanionOriginalCharacters. Never mind, I just saw what the acronym looks like.

I do not remember who Theodore Carter is.

Wonderland Services were a group of OCs inspired by the old flash game called "Alice is Dead".

Spoilers? I guess?

who would play this game now anyways

In it, we play as a White Rabbit who wakes up with amnesia in a hole in the ground with Alice's corpse - or rather what is left of it. Alice and the gang are all pictured as some sort of hitmen for hire, with the Red Queen being the main antagonist. In the end, they kill the Rabbit, but they are also killed by... Mary Ann? Was she a part of the og Alice in Wonderland lore? Who knows.

And you will be actually able to play it - it has a Steam page! Alice is Dead: Hearts and Diamonds. I will check it out when it comes out in 2025.

Anyhow, I dreamed out a world in which the premise is very similar. Wonderland Services is an assassin/ kill crew/ cleaning crew for hire type of mess. White Rabbit is a sniper in a love triangle with his coworkers, Cheshire Cat (hacker wanted by the F.B.I.) and Mad Hatter (explosives specialist (probably wanted by O.S.H.A. or something)). However, all nicknames are just that, no deformed/ anthropomorphised characters. Most of them live together in a frat-house-type situation and, fun fact, I think this is one and only of my universes (universai?) in which the Knave of Hearts is straight!

Anyhow, we have some orange blorbos and another portrait of Ash in which they show their beautiful teeths.

[chococricket]

IDK's #1-5

Various sketches, weird characters and creatures, challenges, drawing exercises. Very aptly named IDK #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5

[chococricket]

Stickers #1

One of my first-ever sticker sheets. They are all terrible quality - drawn on one (1) A4 page with a million layers.