OC-tober 2020 Recap & Commentary
Happy Halloween everyone, and happy end to this year’s OC_Tober run! This spontaneous post is the result of a minor (major–) hitch is editing the Twitter Moment I intended to manage for my own # OC_tober run — one that couldn’t be “undone” nor readily remade in a timely matter. While the thread is still active, it’s may not be easy to navigate, at least not in order. Thanks a bunch, Twitter.
To make up for this, I’ve placed my recorded tweet commentary in this blog post — thanks to drafting all of them in Notion.so to keep things organized. Characters will be presented in the order of introduction for ease of access and scrolling. Feel free to catch up and learn more about my first 32 OCs under the cut!
#01 – VALOR
GALLADE GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- Stoic leader and protective big brother of his team
- Reserved demeanor, not openly expressive
- Not easy to anger, but fierce temper when provoked enough
- Enjoys training/sparring, frequently wields dual blades
Valor was created in early 2010, alongside the majority of T.C.’s team for the devART group Ultimate Battle Frontier. I revisited him in 2014 for the group Pokemon Amie, and he’s overall one of my more developed and solid main characters.
Valor’s gijinka design has only changed a little in his early years, I’ve been keen to keep it this way. And with his pokemon form, I had to adjust Gallade’s design to my drawing preferences.
#02 – PHIZZUROH
DRAGON GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Casual, even-tempered, and good sense of humor
- Occasional smartass, but brighter than he lets on
- Can neutralize poisons and venom with his magic
- Based on the amphisbaena — his pet snake Boa nods to this
Zuro first originated as my amphisbaena character in 2007, making him one of my oldest online characters. He was revamped in 2010 as a dragon gijinka for devART’s Voleros Saga, and since then he’s gone thru a lot of development and growth.
Zuro’s feral design got revamped near the same time Boa was created as his pet snake (and then featured as his tail). His gijinka design needs a new outfit, but it remains the same — occasionally w/ shorter hair.
#03 – RICKI
MOONRABBIT GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- An athletic, hardworking, and driven fighter
- Strong sense of integrity, but w/ room to grow
- Can be jealously overprotective when it comes to his friends
- Wields dual boomerangs and skilled in free-running
Ricki is another one of my older characters, at least pre-online… I think somewhere between 2003-2005, when he had his own (scrapped) headworld. He made his online debut in 2011 for a short-lived devART group, then again as an unofficial NPC for VolSa.
Ricki has two “main” designs, as a Moonrabbit (Mythical Verse) and a Kangaroo (Anthro AU). The Kangaroo form is close to how he originally appeared, and then his rabbit design came afterwards during his revamp. Ricki has several other designs, but his main alternate is still as a Rabbit — specifically in the Sonic Team verse as a Power unit.
#04 – ROSCURO
CHIMERA/BAT GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Bartending expert and professional escort
- Natural charmer within the role of a gentleman
- Takes pride in his livelihood and knows his worth
- Not a morning person; sleeps past noon if given the chance
Rosco was created in mid-2017. He was meant to lean hard into the “Mr. Steal Yo Girl/Guy” casanova archetype… but I ended up subverting aspects of this pretty quickly. His character became more mannerly, gentle, and genuinely charming.
Technically, I organize Rosco into Mythical verse as a Chimera — and he is — but he started as a Bat gijinka / Bat Sonic character. That’s his real main design, loosely based on the flying fox and other fruit bats.
#05 – REESE
KAMAITACHI GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Easily excited and naturally curious
- Liberally cusses, whether pleased or annoyed
- Fiercely loyal to his friends, will fight anyone who slights them
- Can manipulate temperatures at the tips of his claws
Reese had been a concept for a while before I finally designed him in 2018 as a Speed-type sanic. I think I first intended to make him a blatant troublemaker / more mischievous, but this didn’t really stick, so I’m still exploring his more curious nature.
Reese’s was initially designed as a Speed-type Sonic character and a kamaitachi. I call him a weasel, but he’s more inspired by martens, heavily so from the Pine and Nilgiri martens.
#06 – KHIMORÉ
HELLHOUND GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Soft-spoken and shy hunter, often hides behind her scarf
- Respectful to those of higher rank, and admires her friends
- Ability to manipulate her living shadow
- The younger twin to her brother, Kharuné
Khimoré was first created in 2012 for the DA group The Goetia. The concept for her and her shadow powers, however, was something that sat in the back of my mind for a long while, and that I decided to use for her character.
Khimore’s design is based on “hellhounds” generally, but specifically on the legend of (mythical) Black Dogs. Design-wise, she hasn’t changed much, though in some verses her shadow becomes her companion Warg.
#07 – ENZI
UNICORN GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Friendly and outgoing, but likes playing coy
- Enjoys her fair share of praise & attention
- Likes to push her luck, but doesn’t like heated conflicts
- Magic ability to track different materials, gems, and items
Enzi is actually a very old character concept from a very old headworld. I revisited her online in 2014, when she featured as Tyson’s Absol for Distortion OCT. But I didn’t dive into her character until she properly debuted in 2016 in her Unicorn design.
Enzi’s main design is a Unicorn gijinka inspired by Zebras. I’m fond of how round the ears are on the Grevy’s Zebra, so that’s why her ears lean ‘oversized’ for an equine (at least that’s what I tell myself—).
#08 – DIANA
LIEPARD GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The fun big sis (and potential bad influence) of her team
- Playful but ruthless, with a cunning mind and wild streak
- Enjoys riling others up, but “chooses her battles”
- Has high pain tolerance and durability
Diana was created not long after Gen 5 of Pokemon was announced in 2010, when Liepard was revealed later that year. She was my first true attempt at a ‘femme fatale’ OC, and once I got used to writing her, she kept that archetype pretty faithfully.
Diana’s main design has stayed pretty consistent since she was created. Her Liepard form took a bit to figure out, and I ended up trying to channel a build closer to a cheetah to suit her in my style.
#09 – STERLING
MAWILE GIJINKA (PokemonVerse)
- The pedigree prima-donna teenager of her team
- Can act smug & bossy, but inwardly self conscious
- Loves music, fashion, and crushing over cute guys
- Prefers PKMN contests to battles, but has a fierce “bite”
Sterling holds the honor of being the first pokemon I fully “gijinka-fied” for the UBF bandwagon in 2010. She was initially meant to be more snobby and bratty, but she’s since mellowed into a typical teenager girl archetype who’s still finding her place.
Sterling was my first try at creating a pokemon gijinka, but I’ve more or less kept her base design intact, with a few adjustments. She still has the oversized ponytail and fang motifs as her trademarks, though.
#10 – KUDZU
SERVINE GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The class clown + hype master of his team
- Loves teasing, good gossip, and crude humor
- Good ear for rhythm and sound from PKMN Musicals
- Doesn’t aspire to battle. When he does, he plays staller and annoyer
Kudzu was created in late 2010, along with Diana and the others when PKMN Gen 5 was revealed. He used to be designated as a dorky, sleazy little troll, but he’s been revisited because of impromptu interactions with friends, and his potential for growth.
Kudzu’s main design remains as a Servine, and aside from chopping his hair & giving him a set of drop pants, he’s been pretty consistent. While he does have alternate designs, I haven’t really explored them just yet.
#11 – MORGUE
MISMAGIUS GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- Eccentric but friendly ghost of the team
- As expressive as they are dramatic, but quite polite
- Former shadow pokemon, before they were purified
- Rare ‘talking pokemon’ w/ ability to talk aloud to humans
Morgue as a concept existed as early as 2010, I just struggled deciding on the type of character I wanted them to be / where to place them. Finally designed Morgue in 2015 during PMA’s shadow pokemon event, and shifted them to join T.C.’s team this year.
Morgue’s main design is a Mismagius — former shadow pokemon, reformed into a mannerly ghost. Their friendliness is genuine, but when they were ‘shadowfied’ and their heart was locked, they were nastier than usual.
#12 – TANJA
HUMAN (Mafia Verse / Pokemon Verse)
- Codename “The Starling,” heads the Starling faction (Mafia AU)
- A humorless, no-nonsense ice queen
- Less guarded around subordinates, allies, & friends
- Experience in whip-fighting, has raised scars from past training
Tanja was created in 2011, as my main operative for the group Liar-Liars. I attempted an OC w/ opposite traits to myself — didn’t work out, but got a neat character out of it. She also has the distinction of knowing and supervising many of my other OCs.
Tanja hasn’t changed too much design-wise, and slightly by coincidence I ended up having her right eye constantly covered by her hair — for no reason other than as a rule of thumb when I draw her.
#13 – TYSON
HUMAN (Mafia Verse / Pokemon Verse)
- Codename “The Oxpecker,” ally to the Starling faction
- In PKMN Verse, tracks and catches pokemon for clients
- Laidback and sociable, but very business-oriented
- Best suited for catching ‘mons rather than league battles
Tyson was created in 2014 as my “main” NPC Trainer for Distortion OCT. While Tanja was meant to be my opposite, Tyson — her cousin and ally — was meant to be hers. He’s more like a direct foil for Tanja now, with room for development past that
This is the only visual design I’ve explored for Tyson so far, but I’m still pretty fond of it. In a way it’s meant to contrast with Tanja’s in color, and mirror it with other motifs (like their headbands and locs)
#14 – T.C.
HUMAN (Pokemon Verse)
- Young pokemon trainer originating from Johto
- Active lifestyle, open-minded and friendly
- Resettled her team in the Galar region, while taking on the Gym Challenge
- Has also participated in the Pokeathelon and Contests
T.C. is, quite literally, a younger self-insert for my 2010 entry in UBF (Pokemon OCT) — it’s why her nickname is my initials. But I’ve been content to separate her character from that designation, and consider her potential with Galar’s introduction.
Aside from refreshing her outfit and letting her hair grow in between OCTs, T.C.’s design as a pokemon trainer has been pretty steady. She also ages dynamically during her journey, so her age range reflects this.
#15 – QUINCY
QUILAVA GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- Friendly and lovable goofball, and T.C.’s starter pokemon
- Curious and at times naive, but overall optimistic
- His favorite snack is Lava cookies
- Enjoys battles and Pokeathelon, but no desire to evolve again
Quincy was one of my first pokemon characters during UBF 2010, cuz I decided to make my favorite pokemon my trainer’s starter for the OCT. While he’s no longer a “main” OC, I feel Quincy’s nature lends well to gradual development alongside his team.
Quincy’s design as a Quilava hasn’t changed much. There are still no plans for him to evolve, but I may refresh his gijinka outfit sometime. I’m likely keeping his reversible vest tho, I’m still fond of that motif.
#16 – MIRABELLE
MILTANK GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The cheerful sweetheart and “team mom”
- Gentle disposition with everyone, especially younger ‘mons
- Designated caretaker and healer of the team
- A fast heavy-hitter in both battles and Pokeathelon events
Mirabelle is another UBF 2010 original team member. I was fond of Miltank for a while, but didn’t give them as much thought until I trained one. She’s been a fav since, and she actually got some decent screen time in both UBF and HC.
While Mirabelle’s hair and colors have remained pretty consistent, I’ve been a bit indecisive about her outfit. I think I’ll return to overalls when I revamp her again, but the cowgirl boots are staying put.
#17 – CHARITY
GARDEVOIR GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- A gentle soul and peacekeeper of the team
- Very polite manner of “speech,” even among friends
- Highly empathetic and perceptive to others’ emotions
- Has selective mutism and prefers to speak thru telepathy
Charity was created nearly in tandem with Valor in UBF 2010, though I didn’t decide to make them a paring until midway that year. She was also reintroduced in 2014 for the devART group Pokemon Amie, where she got some more development as her own character.
There’s probably nothing extraordinary about Charity’s gijinka design or outfit, given she was one of my first attempts, but I like it and don’t plan to change it much once I have time to revisit her.
#18 – CASSANDRA
DELPHOX GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The level-headed “team aunt” and designated therapist
- Mature, compassionate, and at times somber
- Low tolerance for needless negativity or animosity
- Enjoys helping others, and thrives on being w/ company
Cassandra’s first concept was made in late 2013, not too long after Pokemon XY was released. Then in 2014 I finally put a personality to her design for the group Pokemon Amie, and recently I’ve added her as a part of T.C.’s team roster.
I remember designing Cassandra after Delphox grew on me. In hindsight it’s pretty coincidental her outfit fit her in PMA since she lived in Laverre Town, where furisodes were the local fashion (at least in the games).
#19 – RAY
LANTURN GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The easy-going and chill bro of the team
- Easily impressed by new experiences
- Powerful swimmer and surfer (with & w/out a surfboard)
- Large appetite + high metabolism + iron stomach = can and will eat anything
Ray was created in 2010 for the OCT Helios Conference. I originally wanted to use him for UBF, but for w/e reason thought a fish pkmn would be impractical to keep on the team for the challenges. I was happy to change that up for the 2nd attempt at an OCT.
Ray’s main design is a Lanturn, and I had the opportunity to flesh him out as a part of the “Gijinka-fied” meme from HC. His outfit is due for a good refresh, but I’ll plan to keep some of his other motifs.
#20 – LORELAI
ALOMOMOLA GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- The quiet wallflower of the team
- Shy and easily flustered around others
- Knowledgeable with applying first aid and other medical care
- Pacifistic, doesn’t like to battle but will act as support and healer
Tho I had her concept in mind, I designed Lorelai in 2012, a few years after Gen 5 was revealed. I’m amused this pokemon didn’t have many gijinka takes on it at the time I worked on Lorelai’s design, but I really liked her as a part T.C.’s expanding team.
Might has been a blessing that Alolomola wasn’t super popular; I was able to claim a slot to feature her design in the giant Gijinka collab a few years back. Aside from some minor adjustments I’ve kept her outfit the same.
#21 – AVALON
TSAREENA GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- Entrusted to T.C. after ‘retiring’ as a poke-influencer
- (In AUs, is still a well-known model and influencer)
- Prim and proper, but assertive and strong-willed
- Not delicate in battle; will stomp foes out
I created Avalon as a standalone character in 2017, a year after PKMN SuMo released, cuz I couldn’t shake of the urge to have a Tsareena gijinka OC. Then recently I caved and added her to join T.C.’s team roster.
I created Avalon in 2017, but didn’t flesh out her design until a year later — and so far it’s the only design I’ve explored. She’s a model, so I ought to find time to dress her up in some alternate outfits.
#22 – NIGELLUS
CORVIKNIGHT GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- Gifted to T.C. after moving to Galar
- The polite gentleman and occasional mode of transport
- Likes preening himself — and others, affectionately
- A tailor in AUs, admires sharp & well-made clothing
Nigel was originally created in 2013, as a griffin gijinka for Mythical verse. He became a dormant character for a while until I named my SWSH Corviknight after him. I grew to enjoy using him on my team, and decided to revamp him and let him join T.C.’s.
Nigel’s primary design has become his recent revamp as a Corviknight, from about a month ago. I tried to retain his preference for sharp/dapper attire, so… dark blue tuxedo for the metal raven, it was.
But Nigel wasn’t always a pokemon, his original design was a griffin that was heavily based on a rooster, and completely differed in color scheme. Sometime it’ll be nice to revisit his feral design, since it was one of my favorites.
#23 – DZHOKAR
DRAGON GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Zuro’s father
- A charmer who enjoys good banter (& a good time)
- Prideful and vain, likes having his ego stroked
- Skilled eye for the rare & valuable
- Problems w/ commitment, dislikes being called out on it
Dzhokar was created sometime in late 2011 / early 2012, initially to fill the role of Zuro’s absentee father. I didn’t intend to develop him past a side character, or make him redeemable, but he unexpectedly took a life of his own and developed more depth.
It took a bit before I could nail down Dzhokar’s gijinka design, since I was working “backwards” from Zuro’s. I knew I wanted them both to share green eyes, but the rest was me indulging in dragon features I liked. In contrast with his gijinka form, Dzhokar’s feral dragon form came a bit easier and remains a favorite… esp. for commissions >>
#24 – ZELDA
CHIMERA GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Zuro’s mother
- Soft-spoken and gentle scholar, knowledgeable in botany and herbalism
- A good listener and a patient teacher
- A pescatarian who diets on fish and seafood
- Her snake tail is named “Nasha”
Zelda was created sometime in early 2011, not to long after I created (revamped) her son, Zuro. At first she was more of a side character, but as I developed Zuro I developed her as well, along with her relationships and dynamics with others.
Zelda’s gijinka design didn’t give me nearly as much difficulty as Dzho’s, but it has changed a lot since its initial concept — mostly with her horns and snake tail, and small parts of her color scheme.
#25 – MEHNDI
LEVIATHAN GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- Mellow and easygoing, w/ a creative drive
- Specialty in applying body modifications (piercings and tattoos)
- Skilled at fishing and swimming
- Hypermobile (i.e. “double-jointed”), her body is super flexible
Mehndi was created in 2012, as my secondary OC for the devART group Voleros Saga. I was interested in the idea of a body modification artist, and she became my go to character for where many other OCs received their piercings and tattoos.
Mehndi’s features were loosely based on the Gray Reef Shark, but most of her design was experimental and playing around. I may revisit her color scheme to better suit her namesake, but I’ll give it more thought.
After leaving her as a dormant character for a while, I finally revisited Mehndi to draw her as a shark mermaid for my first Mermay entry, and ended up really liking it as an alternate design.
#26 – KHARUNÉ
HELLHOUND GIJINKA (Mythical Verse)
- The appointed prodigy child of his family line
- Carries a stoic and indifferent demeanor, often very deadpan
- Skilled archer and mastery over his living shadow magic
- The older twin to his sister, Khimoré
Kharune was created in 2012 alongside his twin sister, Khimore, but I didn’t give him a visual design until 2013. He’s considered a secondary character though, and his status as a prodigal ace is meant as a foil to Khimore’s more gradual growth.
Like his sister, Kharune’s based on hellhounds and “black dogs.” I never quite got to this aspect of his shadows, but their “natures” were based on the 4 humors — sanguine, melancholic, choleric, and phlegmatic.
#27 – BLAKE
HUMAN (Digimon Verse)
- A young tamer, his digimon partner is Cristatamon
- Affluent but non-social grump who tries acting mature
- Likes playing racquet sports, especially tennis
- Enjoys video games, enough to play multiplayer with friends
Blake and Cristatamon were both created for the 2012 devART group DigiWars. I had been fond of the Digimon series for ages, and I finally caved and made a tamer character + designed my own digimon line to participate with others in the world.
Blake’s design hasn’t changed too much, but mostly cuz I haven’t had much time to revisit it yet. If anything, I may revisit him for some other verses and AUs outside of digimon… eventually.
#28 – CRISTATAMON
ROOKIE DIGIMON (Digimon Verse)
- Rookie digimon, her digimon tamer is Blake
- Energetic and affectionate, tho her nature shifts w/ each stage
- Evolution: Civemon (Fresh) > Genettamon > Cristatamon > Yenamon > Pachyenamon > Matriamon (Mega)
Blake and Cristatamon were both created for the 2012 devART group DigiWars. I had been fond of the Digimon series for ages, and I finally caved and made a tamer character + designed my own digimon line to participate with others in the world.
I still need to actually finish the designs for Cris’s stages, but it follows the general canon order of the Digimon world. I recently renamed her Champion and Ultimate forms tho (Yenamon and Pachyenamon) just to give it a better sound.
#29 – PITCH
MORGREM GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- From SWSH playthru, part of Zuro’s team (PKMN AU)
- Wannabe delinquent, but friendly and naturally curious
- Prefers to avoid conflict, but he can hold his own
- Wears an Everstone earring to avoid evolving again
I literally made Pitch this year in 2020 haha — it was in response to some headcanons and dynamics between my SWSH Team and my friends, though I eventually added Pitch as a part of Zuro’s team roster (in PKMN verse).
I was initially lukewarm about this evolution line, but Morgrem grew on me pretty quick — as did Pitch’s nature — thanks to that in game encounter. Design-wise, he’s basically a 90s fashion disaster with no shame.
#30 – MOXIE
SALAZZLE GIJINKA (Pokemon Verse)
- From SWSH playthru, part of Zuro’s team (PKMN AU)
- Cocky and prideful diva-to-be
- Skilled and fierce in battles, she enjoys the rush and vies for attention
- Envies others who get the recognition she wants
Moxie is another new character I created this year — tho I’ve wanted to create a Salazzle OC for a while, and drew a concept for one last year. After catching an especially feisty Salazzle in SWSH, I adjusted and renamed her into who she is now.
Initially I was trying to subvert the whole, uh… typical dominatrix motifs that many Salazzle designs lean towards. I’m not sure how much I succeeded for Moxie, but I ended up with a design I’m fond of, at least.
#31 – SYTRI
COCKATRICE DEMON (Fantasy Verse)
- Flashy and charismatic, but mannerly nature
- Intel and stealth-work under his demon lord
- Outside work, keeps wardrobe of intricate outfits and accessories
- “Eyes” form on his hair & tails for more viewpoints
Sytri is technically my newest OC created this year, meant to serve one of the larger plotlines my friend and I have worked on. He’s still in early development, but I’m starting to settle in with how to write and play him.
Friends and I considered adding a cockatrice to the plotline, and I considered borrowing features from peacocks. I was indecisive about his tail tho, until I returned to the basic motif for a peacock’s tail + fan.
Myths say a cockatrice can kill with one glance… which would be useful if Sytri were an assassin. He’s not though, but his glare is meant to stun, paralyze, or entice.
#32 – ZEPHYR
ANGEL (Fantasy Verse)
- Formal and polite demeanor, he serves alongside a revered phoenix
- Was raised to mistrust demons, he’s since learned better
- Skilled violinist, practices casually
- Angels cannot lie, so may struggle w/ hiding the truth
I created Zephyr near the tail end of 2019, but finally got to his visual design near the start of this year. He’s my first character who’s primary design is an angel, added to the larger plotline collaboration with my friends.
Originally Zephyr was meant to fill the role of the angel wary of his new demon allies, until he learns better from his prejudices. He’s also the support specialist of the party, who happens to know his way with the violin.
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CONSTELLATION OF STARLINGS 
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