ITA-BAT (FriendLY, ZANY COLLECTOR BAT DESIGN)

The name Ita-Bat refers to the Japanese phenomenon of Ita-Bags (literally “painful bags”), which are handbags, backpacks, purses, or any accessory bag that is “covered in badges, buttons, figurines and other merchandise pertaining to anime and manga fandom.” They typically feature a viewing window so that onlookers can see the merchandise kept safe inside.

This is a character design for a “friendly, zany collector” bat based on my own personality. For this character, I first chose an animal to represent myself, and then I gave it some of my personality traits and hobbies (I am an avid collector of figures, trinkets, tickets, comics, used gift cards, and stuffed animals). I did many studies of Little Brown Bats before stylizing the species and drawing this character as the final product.