University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

For Miriam “Pike” Garcia, Student Innovation Project (SIP) inspiration arrived naturally.

“I like zombies. I like role-playing games (RPGs). I like drawing—so why not combine all of them?”

Pike did just that in the creation of Macabre Gambit, an interactive, physical comic book that plants the reader in a dystopian playground run amok with “ferals”—zombie-like creatures that threaten humanity’s existence.

Pike, who uses the pronouns they/them, had just finished their associate’s degree at The University of New Mexico – Valencia Campus when they spotted a University of Advancing Technology (UAT) advertisement in the pages of Game Informer Magazine, prompting the reader to “Create Your Own Zombie.” UAT’s Game Art and Animation program seemed like the perfect next step for their educational journey and career. They soon traveled from their hometown of Los Lunas, New Mexico (which Pike affectionately calls “Looneyville”) to their new Tempe home, and began a new journey of innovation.

Inspired by Bethesda RPGs like Fallout and post-apocalyptic franchises like Mad Max, Pike has created something entirely new with Macabre Gambit. In true RPG style, Pike put a lot of thought into how the decision tree would be implemented in the comic, resulting in a three-tier choice system based on emotion. Readers make their next move, Choose Your Own Adventure-style, based on one of three motivators: Drive (the character’s inner determination), Soothe (building empathy and trust for safety), or Threat (fight or flight response). Readers will then see how their choices impact the story of Macabre Gambit, taking the characters through alternate trajectories and leading to varied endings for the comic.

Pike’s SIP benefited from having a built-in audience they could reference for feedback throughout their time at UAT.

“The student body here at UAT is basically an island of misfits,” Pike explained. “There are a lot of outcasts—but here, they find their people. They connect with other kids that are like them, that have the same interests, that can play D&D till like 12 o'clock at night. It’s just a small school where those meaningful connections can be made.”

Enthusiastic feedback came from UAT faculty as well. Pike credits the abilities and the readiness that UAT’s Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) offer students as key factors in completing their SIP.

“SMEs make it known that they're there to answer any questions,” Pike explained, contrasting the accessibility of UAT faculty from their experience with professors elsewhere. “UAT SMEs get their hands dirty with you, help you out, and give you feedback that you need to push yourself and improve.”

Pike credits professors Lynn Understiller, Matthew Marquit, and Jorge Portillo as particularly helpful faculty in completing Macabre Gambit. They not only offered assistance but allowed the space for creative expression necessary for students to take risks and create something new.

The unique course offerings at UAT were also instrumental, with a storyboarding class and a concept art class both standing out in Pike’s memory as particularly influential courses.

“They demanded a lot, as you needed to draw a lot, and not focus too much on the tiny little details,” Pike recalled. “But I had to take into consideration time management and the scope of the project. Especially as a perfectionist, I can't get caught up on the tiny little details of one panel—because you have to complete like 40 other panels.”

Pike plans to continue working on Macabre Gambit after graduating this spring from UAT. After returning to New Mexico, they hope to turn their current internship with SP Entertainment, an Albuquerque-based media company, into full-time work. Beyond that, Pike hopes to leverage the skills they’ve learned at UAT into a career in the video game industry someday. Taking a cue from the characters in Macabre Gambit, Pike is prepared to navigate whatever comes their way next.

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