Miranda Lorikeet is an artist who works exclusively in MS Paint. Yes, the original version, without the bells and whistles Microsoft has been slowly adding since the ’90s.
“I started drawing with Paint at the exact same time DOOM was around, and while I was watching DOOM, so there was definitely an influence there.”
After growing up playing DOOM with her dad after school, Miranda Lorikeet’s Soundtrack to Slay cover doesn’t just look incredible. It’s a labour of love.
Soundtrack to Slay is an upcoming 7″ record inspired by the world of DOOM, the series of video games which began, as Lorikeet says, back when Windows 3.1 was the hottest new OS.
“What I remember of DOOM as a kid was my dad coming home from work to play it, it was my favourite part of the day. I would wait for hours after school so I could watch him play on the computer.”
“Sometimes if was home late I would draw pictures of DOOM so I could watch him play it. I used to draw DOOM mazes with pencil and paper – so now I’m wanting to sort of recreate that, but on MS Paint. History’s repeating itself.”
Lorikeet is contributing the cover art to Soundtrack to Slay, a “hyper-coloured” take on Doomguy amidst a horde of demons on an unknown planet. Like all her work it’s incandescent and retro, a perfect representation of the game it’s celebrating.
“So to get this artwork made for DOOM I’m diving super deep, I’m playing the game, I’m gonna be listening to the music. That soundtrack’s crazy, it’s like a Pantera track in a MIDI file. It’s a banger, it’s a total banger.”
“Now that I’m an artist and I’m actually involved in a project that’s to do with DOOM is… it’s like a weirdly emotional feeling. It’s a strange and lovely feeling.”
Soundtrack to Slay is a one-off 7″ record created in celebration of DOOM. The latest game in the series, DOOM Eternal, is out now for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
Soundtrack to Slay
A-side: Owen Penglis – Trapped on the Moon
Cover art by Miranda Lorikeet
Insert by Trent Pollard
Additional DOOM jacket by Father Superior
