Here it is, from Valentine Lahey, the winner of Montag Press‘ “Draw Minimus” Contest!

In Dysmorphic Kingdom, Minimus is Prince Magnus’ princely penis, who because of some strange magic has been detached from his body. 

Me: One of the reasons why I like your drawing is that it represents a penis without being pornographic. Did you do that on purpose? 

Valentine: Yeah, I think so. There is an overflowing universe of salacious material present nowadays that tends to obviate the novelty of porn in art.

Me: What do you think of Minimus’ character, and how does that translate to this picture of him? 

Valentine: Minimus keeps developing, deepening until he transcends absurdity. It’s why I gave him eyes. I imagine there would be something wistful about him in the midst of his rampaging lust; a spiritual yearning for reunion. I also think that his ambition must be acknowledged, so I drew Minimus with his attention on the taking of political power in Malland.

Me: Why is there a rainbow in the background? 

Valentine: Rainbows simultaneously evoke wishes and barriers.

Me: Can you say something about the development of your distinct style of drawing? 

Valentine: It’s deliberately feeble, in a way. I use my wrong hand, the left one, and a cursor pad instead of drawing straight onto a screen, so it’s very hard to control the line or even see where it’s going. Everything is colored with a flat paint bucket fill, which is usually a bad way to operate because it is so limited. I look for constraints that force choices to make the process more immediate. Even if the result is loaded with illustrative errors and visible corrections, it is hopefully more memorable as a result of this method.