Elite Gudz
Encyclopedia
Elite Gudz is an independent game and creative studio based in New York, NY. They are best known for their top-downloaded iPhone app, Graffiti Spray Can, and the top rated & top download Xbox Indies title Techno Kitten Adventure
Techno Kitten Adventure
Techno Kitten Adventure is a Side-scrolling video game developed by creative design studio Elite Gudz and 21st Street Games for the iOS App Store and Xbox Live indie games market. In the game, players control a flying kitten that must avoid obstacles and distractions timed to techno music...

. The studio produces video games, mobile applications, apparel, comics, designer toys and fine art.

History

Elite Gudz was founded in 2008 under the vision of graffiti artist Phetus. Working under his Phat Phace logo since 1988, Phetus' presence on the Long Island graffiti scene was solidified in 2003 with the opening o Concrete Vibes, the first graffiti boutique on Long Island. Phetus closed Concrete Vibes to concentrate on the Phetus Exclusives clothing line, and combine efforts with Elite Gudz. At Elite Gudz he produced fine art for shows, apparel under the Phetus Exclusives label, and work for various clients including ICONIC Motors. In Fall 2010, Phetus presented Hank Steinbrenner with a Phetus Exclusive on the field of Yankee Stadium. The Hanks Yank’s jersey featured a Yankees logo, freshly spray-painted with stylized drip markings.

By 2010, Elite Gudz grew to include sculptor Mr Den, lead illustrator Rolo Ledesma, artistic director Narek Gevorgian and creative director Brian Ferrara
Brian Ferrara
Brian Ferrara is a writer and a musician who founded and runs the publishing and entertainment company Terminal Press since 2001. He recorded music under the alias CHOJIN since 1997 and has contributed soundtrack music to the Dreamcast games, Feet of Fury and 3D Invaders. Brian has gone on to...

. With talent from the worlds of graffiti, illustration, graphic design and technology, Elite Gudz issued its first entertainment application, Graffiti Spray Can. The success of Graffiti Spray Can lead the company to focus on game and app design. To date Elite Gudz has released 15 iOS applications, with over 5 million total downloads. Their first game, Techno Kitten Adventure
Techno Kitten Adventure
Techno Kitten Adventure is a Side-scrolling video game developed by creative design studio Elite Gudz and 21st Street Games for the iOS App Store and Xbox Live indie games market. In the game, players control a flying kitten that must avoid obstacles and distractions timed to techno music...

, was released on June 7, 2011. After posting a Techno Kitten Adventure promotional video on their blog, G4TV tweeted that "Techno Kitten Adventure will be the next runaway hit. Mark our words.".

In October 2010, Elite Gudz and Phetus presented [e=MC3], Elite Movable Cubez, in The Cultyard at the New York Comic Con. Cubez are transformable installations that create a number of unique experiences within one piece of art. A number of Cubez of varying sizes, styles and techniques were exhibited with inspiration ranging from graffiti art to antique children's toys. Each of the Cubez are unique, even though they were all created from the same equal three blocks. [e=MC3] features contributions from Cope2
Cope2
Fernando Carlo is a graffiti artist from the South Bronx, New York. He has been writing graffiti since 1978-79, and has gained international credit for his work. Though he is now known worldwide, he didn't receive recognition in the mainstream graffiti world until the mid-1990s.Cope2's cousin...

, Such, Indie184, Phetus, Mr. Den, Rolo Ledesma, Narek Gevorgian and other artists.

Graffiti Spray Can

In May 2010, Elite Gudz released Graffiti Spray Can, their first mobile application, for iPhone and iPod. The app climbed to the #1 spot in Entertainment and Free apps around the world within days of its release. The success of the original Graffiti Spray Can is the reason the studio decided to focus on app and game development. They have since released apps and games for iOS, Android and Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games are user created video games released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games are developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub...

.

In May 2011, Elite Gudz released Graffiti Spray Can PRO for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and Graffiti Spray Can HD for iPad. The new version included artists packs by Phetus and Bronx graffiti legend Cope2
Cope2
Fernando Carlo is a graffiti artist from the South Bronx, New York. He has been writing graffiti since 1978-79, and has gained international credit for his work. Though he is now known worldwide, he didn't receive recognition in the mainstream graffiti world until the mid-1990s.Cope2's cousin...

.

The original Graffiti Spray Can was updated in September 2011 to include all the features of Graffiti Spray Can Pro as in-app content that can be purchased. The update also changed the main interface, and added the ability to save work and return to it later with the use of Black Book Sketchbooks.

Several Elite Gudz artists, including Phetus, have been heavily involved in graffiti art since the beginning of the movement. Phetus created his signature Phat Phace logo in 1988 and after creating a fanbase amongst the early 90's hip-hop scene on Long Island and in NYC, Phetus took his designs to clothing, opening up the first graffiti boutique on Long Island, "Concrete Vibes," in Mineola in 2003. He closed the store and brought his artistic perspective to Elite Gudz in 2008. This background influenced the development of the Graffiti Spray Can entertainment applications, the Goons & Bots characters, and the Concrete Immortalz comics.

Graffiti Spray Can features artwork of The Wall Lord, a character from Concrete Immortalz, on its loading screen. Concrete Immortalz
Concrete Immortalz
Concrete Immortalz is an ongoing comic series by graffiti artist Phetus and the Elite Gudz team. It is the first mainstream comic series to feature a graffiti artist as the main protagonist.- Overview :...

 is a graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....

-centric comic by the Elite Gudz team. The series is built on the idea that art progresses with and chronicles human history, and "the graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....

 movement is the artistic embodiment of current times." The series' main protagonist is The Wall Lord, a graffiti artist who writes messages of hope and defiance against a repressive government. On January 7, 2010, Phetus and street art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...

ist Such painted a mural image of The Wall Lord on a subway car installation outside of Tuff City Tattoos in Bronx, NY Phetus was also joined by Cope2
Cope2
Fernando Carlo is a graffiti artist from the South Bronx, New York. He has been writing graffiti since 1978-79, and has gained international credit for his work. Though he is now known worldwide, he didn't receive recognition in the mainstream graffiti world until the mid-1990s.Cope2's cousin...

, T-Kid, Ban2, Indie and Cheez who came through to destroy the piece once it was completed as a tribute to the real life actions that go on within the graffiti subculture. A billboard-sized mural for Concrete Immortalz was created by Phetus and Such across a block-long industrial complex at 5 Pointz in Long Island City.

"We Bomb"

The Graffiti Spray Can apps now include the music track "We Bomb," a graffiti-centric rap song by Phetus
Phetus
Phetus is a New York graffiti artist and designer based on Long Island, NY. He has been creating graffiti under his Phat Phace logo since 1988, opened the first graffiti boutique on Long Island, and is one of the founders of creative multimedia studio Elite Gudz.- History :Growing up on Long Island...

 and Poe Rilla, with the purchase of the Phetus Artist Pack. The title of the track refers to the graffiti terminology of Bombing, meaning to hit many surfaces in an area. The video for the song, produced by Picture Perfect, was filmed on location at several famous NYC graffiti landmarks including 5 Pointz in Queens, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...

's Crack is Wack wall in Harlem, Cope2
Cope2
Fernando Carlo is a graffiti artist from the South Bronx, New York. He has been writing graffiti since 1978-79, and has gained international credit for his work. Though he is now known worldwide, he didn't receive recognition in the mainstream graffiti world until the mid-1990s.Cope2's cousin...

's wall at Boon Ave. in the Bronx, and the American Trash bar. The "We Bomb" EP, released on picture disc vinyl, featured several remixes, including dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....

 and djent
Djent
Djent is a heavy metal music subgenre that emerged as a spin-off from progressive metal. Coined by the band Meshuggah, it was popularized through the internet by Periphery, specifically guitarist Misha Mansoor. The word "djent" is an onomatopoeia for a heavily palm-muted, distorted guitar chord...

 versions. Elite Gudz had previously presented Poe Rilla's work in November 2010. Elite Gudz, in association with 3.2.6. Muzik and Suge White, presented Poe Rilla's mixtape "My Bloody Life," as a free download. Poe Rilla wore a Phetus Exclusives "I AM L.I." tee shirt on the back cover of the mix tape.

Techno Kitten Adventure

Techno Kitten Adventure is Elite Gudz' first video game. Originally released on Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games are user created video games released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games are developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub...

, Elite Gudz announced that it would be remaking the top-rated and top-downloaded indie game with new graphics, songs and characters. On June 7 the new Techno Kitten Adventure was released on Xbox Live Indie Games and iOS devices, with releases for Android and Windows 7 Phone planned for late Summer 2011.

In Techno Kitten Adventure, players pilot a kitten by jetpack, powered by hopes and dreams, through various levels based around songs in the game's soundtrack. The player must avoid the sparkling stars at the top and bottom of the screen, and sparkling stars that form shapes in the middle of the screen. The object of the game is to get the highest score possible. On Xbox, players navigate the kitten by pressing the A button to go up, and releasing the A button to go down. On touch-screen mobile devices, players tap and hold the screen to go up, and release to go down. These controls have been compared to the Helicopter Game.

Reviews

Techno Kitten Adventure has a 4.5 star rating on iTunes, and is consistently in the top downloaded and top rated categories of Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games
Xbox Live Indie Games are user created video games released on Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The games are developed using Microsoft XNA, and developed by one or more independent developers that are registered with App Hub...

. On May 14, after posting a Techno Kitten Adventure promotional video on their blog, G4TV tweeted that "Techno Kitten Adventure will be the next runaway hit. Mark our words.". Techno Kitten Adventure currently has a 4.5 star rating on the iTunes App Store, and is one of the top rated and top downloaded games on Xbox Live Indie Games.
Good Day LA

Techno Kitten and his Kitten Dancers made an appearance on Good Day LA on June 7, 2011. A special Techno Kitten level was created using Techno Kitten's body and Good Day LA host Steve Edwards
Steve Edwards
Steve Edwards is the name of:*Steve Edwards , American football player for the Chicago Bears*Steve Edwards , host of Good Day LA on KTTV...

' head. In the next segment, weather and lifestyle anchor Jillian Reynolds could be heard off camera saying "Bring back the techno kittens!"
E3 2011

Techno Kitten and his Kitten Dancers also made an appearance outside of E3 expo on June 7, 2011. Techno Kitten and 10 kitten dancers hosted a dance party outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. Passers by received Techno Kitten stickers and an opportunity to try out the game on iPad. While watching the Kitten Dancers outside E3, a cameraman was quoted as saying "Techno Kitten Adventure is now my most wanted game."
San Diego Comic Con 2011

A con-exclusive Techno Kitten Adventure comic book was given away to select fans at the San Diego Comic Con. Their presence was noted by G4's Attack of the Show, as they displayed one of the "rocket cats," also known as Techno "Kittehs," that were sold at the convention.

ZombieBomb!

The ZombieBomb! comic reader app debuted at San Diego Comic Con, and was featured at #7 in What's Hot on iTunes Entertainment on the U.S. store. The app contains all issues of the ZombieBomb! comic anthology, published by Terminal Press
Terminal Press
Terminal Press is an Independent Comic Book Publisher based out of Long Beach, New York.Terminal Press was started in 2001 by Brian Ferrara, who is the company's president and Editor-in-Chief. Ferrara was joined by art director Narek Gevorgian and lead illustrator Rolo Ledesma shortly after...

, as well as extra content including Zombiebomb! TV videos, backgrounds and clocks.

List of Mobile Applications & Games

Elite Gudz develops apps and games for iOS devices, Android, Windows 7, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

.

iOS Apps

  • Graffiti Spray Can
  • Graffiti Spray Can PRO
  • Graffiti Spray Can HD
  • Graffiti Wallpapers HD
  • Goons & Bots Home Run Derby
  • Goons & Bots Alarm Clock
  • Spray Face
  • Photo Shuffle Cube
  • Maxim Champagne Popper
  • OCD Light Switch
  • OCD Door Lock
  • OCD Door Bell
  • Fart Spray Can
  • Techno Kitten Adventure
    Techno Kitten Adventure
    Techno Kitten Adventure is a Side-scrolling video game developed by creative design studio Elite Gudz and 21st Street Games for the iOS App Store and Xbox Live indie games market. In the game, players control a flying kitten that must avoid obstacles and distractions timed to techno music...

  • ZombieBomb!

Android Apps

  • Graffiti Spray Can
  • Goons & Bots Alarm Clock
  • Techno Kitten Adventure
    Techno Kitten Adventure
    Techno Kitten Adventure is a Side-scrolling video game developed by creative design studio Elite Gudz and 21st Street Games for the iOS App Store and Xbox Live indie games market. In the game, players control a flying kitten that must avoid obstacles and distractions timed to techno music...

    (Release Date: TBD)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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