When I decided to do this one I actually knew what I was doing. You see MINIon #0317 and MINIon #0713 are married. So, I figured I would just reverse the design. I did try it a couple of different ways including reversing the entire design, but felt that was a bit much. I also had to change the number so it read 0713 instead of 7130. Playing in Photoshop which is how I do these. You see ( I really should check if I’ve said this before) I hand draw and ink each MINIon and then scan that into Photoshop to color and add to a template I have for the badge. So somewhere around my house are the actual drawings for each and every one of these.
I met MINIon #0713 at MINI United in 2009 and since then we run into each other (figuratively) at MINIs on the Dragon, and Mickey & MINI when I can get there. From what I understand he is nothing like MINIon #0028. See MINIon #0317 for further details. 
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A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0713
When I decided to do this one I actually knew what I was doing. You see MINIon #0317 and MINIon #0713 are married. So, I figured I would just reverse the design. I did try it a couple of different ways including reversing the entire design, but felt that was a bit much. I also had to change the number so it read 0713 instead of 7130. Playing in Photoshop which is how I do these. You see ( I really should check if I’ve said this before) I hand draw and ink each MINIon and then scan that into Photoshop to color and add to a template I have for the badge. So somewhere around my house are the actual drawings for each and every one of these.
I met MINIon #0713 at MINI United in 2009 and since then we run into each other (figuratively) at MINIs on the Dragon, and Mickey & MINI when I can get there. From what I understand he is nothing like MINIon #0028. See MINIon #0317 for further details. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0666 – take two
I keep saying that there was one design that sent out the message that I will draw some really cool and unique for you, even if you don’t ask. If I remember correctly, this was that design. Before I drew this one if I had a special MINIon it was something they held in their had, or something like that, this was the first one I went beyond on… causing many hours of cursing and asking myself “why?” and stranger and stranger requests started to come in. The funny part those people I really had gotten to know over the years, didn’t ask, and were happy with what they received. Sadly I can trace it all back to my attempt to channel Mike Mignola, Hellboy in monkey form.
MINIon #0666 is a bit of a hellion. 🙂 Actually, he is one of the nicest and caring people I know. I’d say that even if he didn’t wield the Hand of Doom. Creative and just plain fun, he’s a bit of a clown. Just avoid listening to him sing karaoke… trust me.
It seemed that I was possessed when creating this post… I’m sorry the image did not show up and decided to post it again for those folks on Facebook and Twitter… Social Media is a product of the devil. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0666
I keep saying that there was one design that sent out the message that I will draw some really cool and unique for you, even if you don’t ask. If I remember correctly, this was that design. Before I drew this one if I had a special MINIon it was something they held in their had, or something like that, this was the first one I went beyond on… causing many hours of cursing and asking myself “why?” and stranger and stranger requests started to come in. The funny part those people I really had gotten to know over the years, didn’t ask, and were happy with what they received. Sadly I can trace it all back to my attempt to channel Mike Mignola, Hellboy in monkey form.
MINIon #0666 is a bit of a hellion. 🙂 Actually, he is one of the nicest and caring people I know. I’d say that even if he didn’t wield the Hand of Doom. Creative and just plain fun, he’s a bit of a clown. Just avoid listening to him sing karaoke… trust me. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0625
As you travel in the MINI community you end up meeting so many wonderful people (reoccurring theme- sorry) Every person is so friendly and happy, except for those who aren’t, and I avoid them like the plague. In the case of this design I had already fallen down the rabbit hole and started working on more unique designs for people. When asked all this MINIon wanted was a scarf. Thank you for making my work easy. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0337
Yes, I’m a comic book geek… most of you know that by now. I grew up reading comics and for the most part I’ve stuck to DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Justice League, etc.). While in high school a friend of mine suggested I actually pick up a Marvel comic… He used the gateway drug of Uncanny X-men (Claremont/Byrne) and I started to stray from DC. Nowadays I pretty read anything, and have strayed away from both big publishers because they tend to bounce from war to crisis to rebooting to whatever it takes to get you to buy a comic. During those times as a kid, Marvel was creating some great stuff: Frank Miller on Daredevil, John Byrne on Fantastic Four & X-Men, and Walt Simonson on Thor. These were times when the limits were being pushed a bit and as a teenager, it was cool. So what does this jog down memory lane have to do with MINIon #0337? I knew I wanted to do a Thor-like MINIon, the hard part was coming up with a good number. A SuperMINIon? Easy! #1938 the year Action Comics was produced, SpiderMINIon? #0015, For Amazing Fantasy 15, but Thor? I have run into this with a number of MINIons, sometimes the number comes first, and other times the MINIon. When I drew this one, I didn’t have a person attached to the number so… I all came back to high school and the first Thor comic book I read- issue 337 the first appearance of Beta Ray Thor. If some alien could wield the power of Thor, why couldn’t a monkey?
No, I haven’t forgotten that Thor was a frog in one issue… crazy times, crazy times. and somewhere I do have a drawing of MINIon #0337 holding a Monkey Wrench instead of a hammer, if I could only find it. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0330
Do you know how hard it is to find a Hawaiian shirt that looks good on a monkey? Actually not that hard, monkeys look good in almost anything. It’s easy to come up with a design when you have a personality to attach it to.
Here’s how I remember it (this actually happens all the time- although my memory is faulty) our group was driving along on MTTS and we ended up getting separated. While many people imagine MINI Takes The States like any club drive because of the distances covered it isn’t a conga line of MINIs. It starts that way, everyone leaves in a line or two (sometimes escorted to the city limits by the police) and then everyone goes at their own pace. Some people take different routes, but in most cases people break off into groups and plan things like gas stops, lunch, and photo ops, together. Radios are a big help. This is how our group started- some days we’d lose someone, one of those days it was me, when I made it back we had added a few more to our group. MINIon #0330 was one of those, with a warm welcome and an infectious smile, MINIon #0330 always makes it a sunny day. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0303
There are times when things slip your mind (I heard it will happen more and more often as I get older- I thought it was just ADHD). That said, I have met so many wonderful people over the years, that sometimes I might leave someone out, accidentally. In 2012 a MINIon was running around with “Ryan’s MINI” I would go into the story completely, but could never do it justice, just go to Ryan’s MINI Adventure a read about it.
So a MINIon is running around with Ryan’s MINI and I realize that I haven’t done a MINIon badge for Ryan’s MINI. I’ve taken Ryan’s MINI on an adventure or two (I learned I can’t run around taking pictures of Cecil and Ryan’s MINI, it just doesn’t work out as well as I had hoped). Then I realized that MINIon #0003 had already been spoken for… stress, pressure, trying to make everyone happy and the world to work the way I want it to. MINIons are so nice, the number 0303 was fine, everything worked out, and here it is. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0317
The Interwebs can be a scary place… it’s filled with weird people. Including MINIon #0317. As for design- This was for a John Cooper Works GP so it follows my rules for a GP.
As for MINIon #0317 it all started in 2009 in Oxford. Actually, before that online (see, weird people inhabit the Interwebs). We were taking a tour of the MINI factory while I started this comic/blog, and… You have to understand that MINI United in 2009 was the Eurpoean party celebrating the 50th anniversary of the MINI people from all over the world attended since it was held in England and most of the foreigners took this opportunity to visit the Mothership- MINI Oxford. So the factory was basically a Tower of Babel so many different languages, so many different accents, and then out of nowhere I hear a distinctly American accent! Listening in, trying to figure out where in the US this small group of people came from. Finally I introduced myself and discovered that we had been talking for months before online, figuring out, car rentals, accommodations, and all those silly questions that happen when you travel abroad. So along with MINIons #0028, #0713, #0714 we hung out at the event and then kept in touch afterwards, meeting when we can, but always making sure we get together for MTTS. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0241
So how does this work? I started this out as a way to plan MINI Takes The States in 2012. A simple little group to help us plan and organize… I think there were maybe eight of us, a dozen tops. as we met people on our various journeys they were added. As people were added in 2011 and 2012 before MTTS I sent out a quick message to everyone asking for their number. In some cases I’d have a quick chat with new people to get a feeling as to what they would like… in most cases this worked perfectly, other times not so much.
MINIon #0241 was one of those where the process went “sproing!” So after chatting I had designed a nice hockey playing MINIon with missing teeth it was great! Then I heard them on the radio, and I knew I had done something wrong. You see we each have our own call signs on the radio – “Blue Leader,” “Red 5,” “Mad Monkey,” “Janet,” “Thumbs,” you get the idea. So I’m driving and I hear “Landshark” reporting in. I do a double take, reliving all those Saturday Night Live sketches I grew up with, and realize I had made a mistake. When I bailed out in Lubbock, I got home and the first thing I did was redraw #0241. A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0224
This was one of those MINIons that was actually pretty easy to capture (after a few attempts). When I first drew MINIon #0224 I made the illustration hobbit size. After looking at it, and discussing it with the actual MINIon I resized the image because it just didn’t look right. There are few MINIons that I go back and do some research on, most are just whatever pops into my head. This one, I went back and forth between websites to get the hobbit clothing and gear just right. The first version was also missing Sting, so I added that in (and glowing layers).
What happens in Vegas… I first met MINIon #0224 at AMVIV (A MINI Vacation in Vegas). Sue, Cecil & I had flown out for the event and had a rental car, so instead of going on any of the drives we hung around the hotel a enjoyed the car show. MINIon #0224 had their MINI in the show and we started to chat. After that we met again at various MINI events including the Dragon, and numerous MTTS. That’s what happens with MINI ownership- you start with a car and you end up with a new family. While one does not simply motor into Mordor, MINIon #0224 has probably driven enough miles to go there and back again.