The Total Anarchy of
Steve Gai
2022
My name is Steve Gai, from Beijing, China. I came to Ringling in 2018 to study Illustration. Before deciding to come to college and study art, I was highly inspired by all types of subculture, including Hiphop (mostly grafiti) , electronic music, punk rock, metal, indie toys and underground comics. I had experience as a grafiti writer for at least ive years, which gives me the ability to understand the basics of lettering. Some of the grafiti artists like Seen, Dondi and TIE had great inluences on me during that time and even today. I spent a lot of time in Beijing underground circles and met many interesting artists. I’ve also had my own punk band in China before coming to the U.S for college. Those subcultures have a great impact on my aesthetics and brought me a different lifestyle. I am also a political nerd, I love reading politics and philosophy. I always think that art can be powerful, it needs to have some information, and that’s what I’ve been trying to attain. I tried to combine what I’ve learned along the way to my art to create something bizarre and also interesting. I mostly create with pen and ink and markers, I like the visual impact that pen and ink gives, it can be ine and smooth but also strong and wild I love the feeling of drawing.
A.N.T ( A New Tomorrow) Background story: A New Tomorrow, A.N.T. is an international armed resistance organization that rose to prominence after World War III, it has been almost 20 years now. Those members from the world, which A.N.T.calls ighters, share the same enemy–OMNI inc. Each ighter has their own story of joining A.N.T., but they ight for one goal, to get rid of OMNI inc and bring the world back on track, which so many ighters died for. To defeat the boss of OMNI who has uploaded his mind to the internet, the only way to ight back is to shut down the internet for good. This means there will no longer be internet once A.N.T. succeeds. A.N.T. is a decentralized organization, ighters work together by self-organizing, unavoidably, sometimes, the more radical ighters would use strategies like a terrorist attack. Cities are the main battleield for A.N.T., they push back OMNI’s inluence and control of one area by sabotaging their function, to build a “liberated zone”. However, it is no easy task, OMNI has better equipment and weapons. Plus, not everyone supports A.N.T. because of some ighter’s terrorist strategy and OMNI’s propaganda, many are zealously against A.N.T. To gain support from the people, A.N.T. made a lot of effort, including providing food, education, and help to arm the people. With more support from the people, the range of activity expands. Guerilla warfare is the main strategy to avoid direct conlict. The struggle has begun, hide, attack and retreat…
VOMITOR
Vomitor lives in a garbage yard where OMNI dumps their chemical and industrial waste. After his home was destroyed during the war, he hid in the garbage yard, sustaining his life by eating polluted food waste, and has gradually become a mutant. OMNI discovered Vomitor’s ability during an eviction operation, and they have been chasing after him to study his body. Vomitor inally joined A.N.T. when there was no choice left for him. Vomitor can puke toxic liquid that burns any surface but his skin right after drinking battery juice. “BLAUUHH!”
WORKER’S FRONT
Worker’s Front is formed by many industrial workers who work for OMNI Inc. It is an international working-class organization that is afiliated with A.N.T. since unions are banned by OMNI. The workers usually act as a squad of 3-5 members. The main strategy is to sabotage OMNI’s function in larger cities, not to ight directly. Because of their OMNI worker identity, they have to be very careful and back each other up during operations or they will be facing serious charges, sometimes even death.
BOMBSHELLY
Don’t be fooled by her innocent face. Under that smile, there’s an explosion that can destroy a building in seconds. She pretends to be a pizza delivery girl, but what she delivers is more than a 12” pepperoni pizza. She brings it to S.O.R.C.C. operation centers and bounces while there’s chaos. The mess she makes will surely buy some time for the ighters. Bombshelly is born after the war has ended and OMNI became the ruler. She was an orphan and raised by A.N.T.ighters. They always tell her stories about pre-OMNI time, she dreams of a world without OMNI, and she is ready to offer anything that she has to achieve that. Her strategy can be pretty controversial since not everyone loves a massive explosion.
“MESSENGER”
Nobody knows who the “Messengers” are and what their true purpose is. They are always anonymous with their identities, it’s still a mystery how many “Messengers” there are. “Messengers” have never joined A.N.T., but that doesn’t change the fact that “Messengers” are A.N.T. ’s most reliable alliance. OMNI is always a step behind “Messengers”, it is almost impossible for OMNI to arrest them. “Messengers” only go out at night, and they spray paint giant slogans on the buildings to attract people to join the struggle. There are new members inspired by the messages on the buildings joining A.N.T. every day
VIRUS: A.N.T.
This computer virus was made by A.N.T., and it is the only virus that can affect OMNI inc. and The Omnipresent. The virus is widely used in combat, which can cause a systematic error to OMNI’s internet service that all the OMNI soldiers depend on, and shut down their communication devices during combat or secret operations. The virus can only be effective for a short amount of time, about 10-20 minutes. But the more it is used, the sooner it will be ineffective. Plus, the virus has to be installed on OMNI host computers in that area to take effect. It requires the bravest and most sharp-witted ighters to pull off such a task, but sacriice is always unavoidable.
OMNI Inc. Background story: OMNI inc. was a military tech company before the war until they invented a bunch of new weapons which became the last straw that triggered the brutal war. OMNI gained so much wealth by proiting from the war. During WW III, OMNI kept selling weapons to the major belligerent states and acquired other big tech companies from every country, and has risen to become the biggest power the world’s ever seen. Undoubtedly, OMNI became the monopoly of everything around us, from drinking water to the internet. Now every country relies on OMNI to function. With S.O.R.C.C., OMNI has turned the governments into puppets to further exploit the world. The boss of OMNI successfully uploaded his mind to the internet. He can be everywhere at any time in seconds. OMNI has become stronger than ever. With OMNI’s absolute dominance, the war ironically ends, and OMNI claims to be the savior of the world, the protector of peace. No one would question them, in other words, no one dares to, until A.N.T. showed up. OMNI did not care about the existence of A.N.T. when it irst appeared. But they grew bigger and faster than OMNI could imagine, which pissed off The Omnipresent so bad. They did everything possible to besiege and suppress A.N.T. But they were too late. The threat is getting closer, OMNI has no option but to protect the peace and order by any means.
S.O.R.C.C.
Special Operation and Riot Control Corps, (people also call them Sork), is an armed organization created by OMNI inc. after the war. The initial goal is to replace the role of any local enforcement department and military to weaken national governments’ power and eliminate any threats to OMNI Inc. As the resistance group – A.N.T. began to rise in primary-level organizations and more people discontented with OMNI inc., S.O.R.C.C. shifted its primary goal to ight terrorism, which is A.N.T. and its supporters. Every S.O.R.C.C. soldier is implanted with a chip by OMNI which partially controls their minds and bodies to avoid any possible military coup.
KEMICALS
Kemicals are mostly in charge of covering S.O.R.C.C. after they retreat from combat. They use a special chemical weapon that can easily corrode any surface, metal, and land. They block the possible paths for pursuing with the gas, which can last for one month to six months depending on the dosage. They are also sent to any detected or suspicious hideouts of A.N.T.to release poisonous gas to the key manufacturing facilities and dwellings to force the A.N.T. members out. Kemicals use a special metal for their helmets which protects them from the gas. However, the perennial earth scorching policy makes them slow in thinking and moving, they need S.O.R.C.C. for protection in most cases.
BABYMAN
The most frightening and inhuman “weapon” of OMNI—Babyman. Babyman gets a strong boost for 30 minutes when injected with a super-powerful serum that facilitates muscle growing and enhances strength. After a series of experiments, OMNI discovered that only infants under 3 can be injected with the serum. Because of the powerful effect the serum provides, any human above 3 will die after the effect is gone. Despite the serum’s unbelievable effect, one deadly weakness is that it does not improve intelligence at all, so babymans can only be sent to riots instead of bigger-scale conlicts. Babyman crashes into the crowd with its specially made baby walker that crushes and grinds anyone who is in front of it, NO MERCY IS GIVEN!
OMNI DRONE
OMNI Drone is designed for surveillance and scouting. The drone has 10 cameras in total that watch and observe any surrounding activities. Anyone who gets close to it will be marked as a suspected terrorist. The power rotor is set in the center of the drone to avoid any attack on the rotors. The drone functions similar to a helicopter, but can change directions faster and more easily. It is also near-silent when it moves so it can sneak into any building without getting noticed. There is also an automatic alarm system in the drone which can inform any S.O.R.C.C. who is close by and shares locations.
THE OMNIPRESENT
The boss of OMNI is a person who never ceases to gain more power. He even thinks that world domination is not enough. He believes in the savior narrative he created so irmly, that he begins to wonder if he can build a world without war again. “The answer lies in the information we as humans created.” The most elite scientists were gathered by him to do the craziest experiment ever, to upload one’s mind to the internet and get rid of the physical form and become all-knowing. It succeeded…
More Sketches
Process Work of Vomitor
Special Thanks Gary Barker Mom and grandma Sabrina Lee Yiz Chen Francis Han Willen Wen