Michael Dashow
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mdashow.bsky.social
Michael Dashow
@mdashow.bsky.social
3.7K followers 1.1K following 1.8K posts
Illustrator, character designer, kidLit artist & gameDev art director.
Rep'd by @vickyweberbooks.bsky.social‬ @ CMA
Tetris-level ability to pack refrigerator & expert recollection of 80's new-wave song lyrics.
He/him.

https://linktr.ee/mdashow
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mdashow.bsky.social
Michael Dashow @mdashow.bsky.social · Jul 9
Hi, #PortfolioDay !
I'm Mike and I like creating fun, colorful character-driven art. I make lots of art for video and tabletop games and would love to create some MG book covers. I am also seeking representation.
Cheers!

#kidLitArt #characterDesign #characterIllustration #gameArt #illustration
A girl is trying to walk two fluffy samoyeds but has gotten entirely tangled up in the leashes of the two dogs who are happily running circles around her. The title reads "Zoey Crocker, Pet Walker" by Maureen Keene. Two kids explore a hallway in a dark mansion. They look worried, and the boy holds a flashlight. The hallway is lined with paintings in ornate frames, all of the eyes of the paintings watching the kids. We can see the shadow of some sort of horned monster coming up the stairs. The title reads "The Mystery of Mystic Manor" by Jo Barnett. Sherrif Saguaro, an old-timey western sheriff who also happens to be a walking cactus. He's wearing a dusty leather coat and boots with spurs and a red bandana, and while he wears no hat, his cactus head is the shape of a 10-gallon hat. He's dashing through a dusty old western frontier town about to throw a lasso. In the background is his trusty horse, who also happens to be a cactus. A panicked apprentice witch (she's human, with pink hair, glasses, and light academia clothing) makes a mess of her cauldron while being calmy advised by an older, wiser witch (who is a bear.) Aside from the exploding cauldron, the browns of the scene make it warm and cozy. The cover reads "DeepWoods Academy for the Magically Inept" by Jo Barnett, book 1: Trouble Brewing
Reposted by Michael Dashow
subliminalgaming.bsky.social
Surprise! The Button City: Soccer Days Demo is now available on Steam! Get a preview of Button City: Soccer Days and play arcade physics soccer as cute animals!

Check out the demo and wishlist today!

⚽ store.steampowered.com/app/2417530/...
Button City: Soccer Days on Steam
Rejoin the wholesome cast of Button City as they compete in this cozy soccer adventure! Build your dream team, plan your day, bond with teammates, enjoy action-packed soccer, and win the tournament!
store.steampowered.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:34 PM
mdashow.bsky.social
This is an absolutely essential plug-in for Photoshop. I use it constantly for line stabilizer and rulers of all sorts. Definitely worth getting, but now it’s on sale too!
lazynezumi.com Lazy Nezumi @lazynezumi.com · 1d
Lazy Nezumi is on sale until Monday night!
This plugin app adds stabilizers, perspective rulers, scripting, and more to Photoshop, Clip Studio, and many of your favorite art programs!
Please tell your digital artist friends! :)
lazynezumi.com
#LazyNezumi #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #IndieDev
New Lazy Nezumi Pro licenses are 40% off from Nov 27 to Dec 01 for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. A structure drawn in fisheye perspective, with LN's ruler grid overlay shown. Calligraphy lines drawn with LN's smoothing feature. A preview graph window showing the effect the current LN script will have when drawing with LN's ellipse ruler.
November 28, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
boringstorybook.com
Detective Turkey is on the case. 🔍🦃
#kidlit #kidlitart BrianKirbyStudio.com
Picture book illustration in an art deco mystery style of a constable measuring a blotch on the floor, various suspects in The Carver family, a smooshed cranberry victim, and the word’s greatest Turkey Detective.
November 27, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
botherer.bsky.social
Hooray! The first of the Thanksgaming 2025 posts is up on Kotaku, with an epic TWENTY unknown indies to check out!

I'm going to put up another 20 tomorrow.

Spread it far and wide!

kotaku.com/indie-games-...
20 Incredible Innovative Indie Games To Wishlist This Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgaming 2025 everybody! Celebrate with a huge pile of unknown indies to put on your radar
kotaku.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
saraalfageeh.bsky.social
"How do I find my art style?"
I've been a creative pro for 10 years, this is the number 1 question I get.

They want creative work to be recognizably theirs in an instant-- like Miyazaki or Wes Anderson movies.

This is the formula for art style, it's much simpler than you think.
November 26, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
marbmallow.bsky.social
I've been working on my personal game project for fun this year and totally forgot to share progress pics anywhere... (does this count as a devlog lol)
November 24, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
mmasnick.bsky.social
Next week the House E&C Committee is looking to run something of a shock and awe campaign, debating at least 19 bills that they say are related to "protecting kids online." Most of which are actually about censorship and control. Don't buy the framing. It's always the same damn thing.
Comic by John Jonik showing Uncle Sam and someone dressed in a suit labeled as "Corporate Media" talking about how they should wrap a present that is labeled "control of internet speech." The Corporate Media guy says "How would you like this wrapped" and behind him are two rolls of wrapping paper. One (with American flags and stars) is labeled "anti-terrorism" and the other with flowers, suns, bunnies, and cats is labeled "Protect Kids"
November 26, 2025 at 12:50 AM
mdashow.bsky.social
Yesterday for my wife’s birthday we had a “Frankenplushie party” where everyone made new stuffed animals by combining (or combining parts of) older stuffies. These are just the ones that my family and I created.
( @taliad.bsky.social )
Stuffed animals, but each of them is composed of 2 or more other stuffed animals, like a two headed teddy bear or a doll with four wildly different heads, or a bunny with wings and flamingo legs.
November 23, 2025 at 11:02 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
janeprigent.bsky.social
I really wanted to make a thread of cools devs and cool projects to follow so let's go!

Let's start with @sekamelica.bsky.social and her game Vindica Secrets of Blood! She's so cool and talented, should really should check her work 🩸🩸🩸

bsky.app/profile/seka...
sekamelica.bsky.social Sekamelica @sekamelica.bsky.social · Apr 1
TITLE REVEAL: My metroidvania about a revolutionary butch in an underground industrial dystopia is called Vindica Secrets of Blood and it's releasing right NOW!
(Yeah, before Silksong)
🔥🔥🔥
🩸🩸🩸
⚙️⚙️⚙️
November 19, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
garanceroy.bsky.social
I’m starting my first indie game! It’s a small murder/mystery dating sim with cozy autumn vibes 🍂

I’m handling art, writing, and design, all on my own.
 I’ll share my progress along the way. 👀”

#screenshotsaturday #indiedev #gamedev #DatingSim #MysteryGame #cozygames
November 1, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
pixelfortress.bsky.social
my indie game for 15 seconds

#Darkworld #steam
February 4, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
pixelfortress.bsky.social
Reeeaaady to catch? ⚾️
The first demo of Robo Catcher is now available on #steam! (1/2)

#creaturecollector
May 12, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
nozomimats.bsky.social
It's my birthday today! ☺️
If you could spare a repost, it would be much appreciated!
A woman with pale skin, white hair in two braids, and delicate gold tattoo on her face floats in the night sky with a full moon and starry sky behind her. She is wearing a thigh length purple dress with long sweeping sleeves. There are glowing blue lines etched on the fabric of the dress, and two ribbons of light with geometric patterns are trailing behind her. A ring of magic with glowing orbs is circling around her as she floats. Commission work done for YeetMaur A dark skinned man with dark brown hair and a beard framing his jaw, dressed in a white robe and dark brown pants crouches with one hand on the ground as he swings at demons with his katana. The enemy demons are dressed in red rusting armor that looks worn and damaged. The scene is set in a bamboo forest with a path cutting through it, red banners on either side of the road. It appears to be in the afternoon, with a rich orange glow streaming in between the bamboo. A man sits in his study, contemplating a dark, box shaped artifact, while a dark spirit looms behind him. This was a commission work done for JacenLandry
November 20, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
donmoyn.bsky.social
This is...sort of brilliant.
Six years ago, after watching my circle of friends surrender one too many evenings to insurance wrangling and doctor portals and DMV confusion, I emailed them a proposal: Come over next Tuesday. Grab a six pack. And bring your bills, your credit-card statements, your school forms, the streaming services you need to unsubscribe from, the airline miles you need to manage, the expenses app you need to figure out. I’d be throwing the lamest party ever. At the heart of this party was a truth that has gone under-acknowledged in recent years: We’re all sinking. We’re sinking into a quicksand of tiny, dumb administrative tasks. It is the most tedious quicksand imaginable. Tasks once accomplished with a quick phone call now require logging into a new website, which requires remembering yet another password. Disputing a charge means arguing with a chipper chatbot, or submitting to an hour of brain-melting hold music—call volume higher than expected!—only to be disconnected.
November 19, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
agentepsilon.bsky.social
As of this morning, PSI is Puzzle Complete: Every puzzle is fully coded, in-game with final art, and has all working hints. There's still PLENTY to do, including puzzle testing (especially for the one we just finished) & story and art, but this is a big milestone! 🎉

#puzzleGame #indieGame #gameDev
One of many different puzzle screen from Puzzle Spy International: Here, Agent Epsilon - retro style art, dark skin, mod dress - is holding up a puzzle and thinking about it. The puzzle is to deduce the 8-number passcode for an airlock-like door on the far right, but the sheet of paper - shown in detail in the center of the screen - is blurred out so that you, the viewer, can't solve it without purchasing the game.
November 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
joelchaimholtzman.bsky.social
Turned 33 yesterday and had a great time celebrating! I understand the ancient laws on this website states I can ask for retweets for my work on this special day? Haha.

Cheers!
November 18, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
raynegrimm.bsky.social
I know it's a tad early but I know those bitches with the buckets will be out soon. Don't gove them a penny. The volunteers may not know but the salvation army is no ally and actively combative and harmful to many queer minorities especially during the holiday season
A I age showing a typical collection bucket for the salvation army which is read with a lid holding mechanism on a tripod holder. There is a big stop/do not symbol over the hand depositing money with the words "we don't donate to the Bigot bucket" over the bottom bucket section
October 20, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
scalzi.com
You mean the company that's currently being struck by its workers and the company that's currently being boycotted because of its terrible DEI policy rollbacks? Why not just call this the Chocolate Mint Racist Scab Frostie?
wishtv.com WISH-TV @wishtv.com · 11d
Beginning Monday, a Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate drink will be available exclusively at Starbucks cafés inside Target stores.

The chains are hoping the drink can drum up excitement from customers this holiday season.

🔗https://tinyurl.com/yrshv45s
Image 1
November 17, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
emiliusdraws.bsky.social
#3157 A helpful tutorial
A digital drawing of one of those drawing tutorials that says 'don't do this, do this.' The drawing is of an almost naked middle-aged man doing a flying kick. The 'Don't do this' one has a bunch of areas circled and a cross under it. The 'Do this' one is exactly the same but without the circles and a tick instead of a cross. The text reads 'Needlessly adding red circles will ruin your art' and a smaller bit of text at the bottom reads 'Bonus tip! Add a tick under all your art so people think you did it right.'
November 17, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
moomanibe.bsky.social
Alright! It's Tomorrow so time to turn this into a thread!

Welcome to IGF Games I Want To Talk About 2025, my annual tradition where I bring up a selection of games I played as an Independent Games Festival judge that I thought were interesting and deserved further highlighting.
November 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
mattcohen.bsky.social
“As the Governor of California, I regularly throw trans people under the bus… but it’s an ELECTRIC bus, so that makes me a good presidential candidate, right?”
November 16, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
whatevermaranda.com
Love this so much. 💜
Meme: a quirky hand-drawn cat beneath the script "AHEM - please don't give billionaires more of your money this holiday season - buy something cool and handmade from some fun weirdo instead & help them eat. Shop small, y'all." Image credit: "Small businesses need your support more than ever 💗 By Sugarhouse Ceramic Co."
November 15, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
scazrelet.bsky.social
I know most people are probably already familiar, but in case anyone isn't, I also recommend referenceangle.com
reference angle website screenshot
November 16, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
soundaholism.bsky.social
Insulting to the players, insulting to the IP, insulting to the medium, the developers. And the craft itself. Fuck you executives who pushed this garbage.

frvr.com/blog/call-of...
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI art slop, because your $70 means nothing anymore
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is littered with AI generated artwork which makes the $70 feel like a complete rip-off.
frvr.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Michael Dashow
thinkygames.com
All of the talks from ThinkyCon 2025 are now on YouTube! If you missed them or if you want inspiration for the jam happening right now, you can find them here!
ThinkyCon 2025 · Thinky Games
On 5th to 7th November 2025, Thinky Games held the second ThinkyCon event, an online conference for creators of thinky games.
thinkygames.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:22 PM