Street Fighter IV Fan Art or Fine Art?

British artist Dave White was commissioned by Capcom to whip up a pretty picture celebrating the release of Street Fighter IV, and the finished product may be the most valuable (or at least the most expensive) piece of silly fan art ever created. The ginormous 5’x4’ ink drawing of our favorite non-Asian-looking Japanese martial artist Ryu is has an estimated value of between £7,000 and £10,000, which at today’s exchange rate translates to roughly $52 gazillion.

But despite the fact that White is a commercial artist who's created promotional material for Nike and Coca-Cola, that doesn't mean he was just a gun for hire on this project. He really loves Street Fighter! In fact, he'll prove it to you.

"For the past 18 years I have been playing Street Fighter in all its guises and versions,” says White said via press release. “For me and millions of others it's more than just a video game, it's a total obsession and way of life. Something more akin to the complex structure of chess, every match is different and every second offers chances and possibilities, risks and drama. That's why I play."

Sounds like he knows what he's talking about. But if he was really such a Street Fighter nerd, he'd have sketched in some barely-visible hit boxes around Ryu's beautiful, beautiful head.

Source: Capcom