As a COLUMNS SUPER FAN, I'm super honored to have the opportunity to make a Columns illustration for @SEGAforever! Many thanks to @Sega, @caffeinedreamer & the beautiful inking by @artist_black!

Here’s a thread breaking down details & where each character comes from! (1/14)

Here's my process, from a super rough sketch on my phone to completed illustration.

Also an alternate version of the final artwork without the Columns III Guy, if you're not in the mood for Columns III Guy (2/14)

Also as an Easter Egg, the Columns Earth in the illustration is based on the world map @Okunari drew in “The 2nd Session of SEGA SEMINAR: Consumer Software Lecture by Prof. Okunari” video:

It’s mostly obscured by clouds though lol (3/14)

Did you know the Columns games had characters? Here’s all the ones in my illustration and which Columns games they come from!

More details below: (4/14)

1. Goddess from Columns 1
In my 2019 Columns re-imagined character roster illustration, I called her HERALD: https://twitter.com/personasama/status/1123217967989137409?s=20

In 2020, she received an official name!
(5/14)

2. The Title Screen Lady from Columns II
The enigmatic Alphone Mucha-esque lady from the title screen of Columns II. I thought she’d look good if her hair was amped up and stylized like Meg from Disney’s Hercules lol (6/14)

3. Chicken from Columns III
The mascot character chicken that appears on the Japanese cover art and ingame in the tutorial, menus, and VS mode. It’s cute!!

The Columns gems in my illust are also based on Columns III's gems. They're beautiful & the most easy to read IMO (7/14)

4. Cover Art & Print Ad Guy from US Columns III
The legendary Cover Art Guy! I drew him based on how @kouotsu drew him for my bday https://twitter.com/kouotsu/status/1123467353939947521?s=20

Columns3 is my fav Columns, I’d rec everyone play it! Available in "Sega Genesis Classics" for Steam/PS4/XB1/Switch! (8/14)

5. The final boss, Mr. Babu from Stack Columns
Stack Columns has the wildest ending I’ve seen in a puzzle game! In honor of it, I drew Mr. Babu holding the destroyed world lol

Stack Columns is my 2nd fav Columns game and is playable on the Astro City Mini!!! (9/14)

6. The final boss, Surhand from Super Columns
The evil merchant queen of Phoenicia, Surhand! She only had art from shoulder up, so I imagined a full body outfit for her.

I was flabbergasted when her game was canon to the PS2 Columns story!! https://twitter.com/personasama/status/1115569525569646592?s=20 (10/14)

7. Griffin from Columns ‘97
Appearing on the title screen & level select, Griffin is a stylized 3d model of the orig Japanese Columns cover art!

To learn about Columns ‘97’s troubled dev history, read @gosokkyu translation of the dev’s blog post https://twitter.com/gosokkyu/status/1282302849158807552?s=20 (11/14)

8. The novice sorcerer Ruby & novice alchemist Jade from Columns Crown
Columns Crown is a super charming GBA game! Collect & set Columns for battle ala MM Battle Network! Invert controls, turn game BW, even lock the field to 2 playable rows! Trade w/ the GBA link cable! (12/14)

9. The explorer Culet from Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol 7: Columns
Culet battles mythical Egyptian characters, ultimately ending in a showdown with Cleopatra!

Bless Sega for releasing this in the west on the excellent PS2 Sega Classics Collection! (13/14)

10. Sena from Columns Jewel
Columns Jewel is a Japanese-only feature phone & early Android game feat Sena who gets whisked thru time on her magic bracelet! To return home, she must battle Cleopatra & even the goddess Venus!

Full playthrough here:
(14/14)