We build the worlds
we want to read.
Studio Crux was born from two lifelong friends and the anime that shaped them.
They watched the shows they loved reshape entire industries — gaming, trading cards, global culture — and built a studio to match that potential: original content for fans worldwide, made to drive innovation across merchandise, digital media, and beyond.
SELECTED WORK
A sample of recent engagements across music, live events, and festival programming.
01
MUSIC
A music artist commissioned Studio Crux to extend her record into a short manga released alongside the album. We shaped the narrative beats, storyboarded the adaptation, and produced the finished book — turning a tracklist into a story fans could hold in their hands.
02
LIVE EVENTS
A live-event client wanted their headlining artists transformed into a unified anime cast for festival promotion. We creative-directed the visual language and commissioned an illustrator to deliver the portrait set.
03
PROGRAMMING
A festival client needed a short animated piece to anchor a programming block. We directed the brief, shaped the narrative beat, and commissioned the animator who could land the runtime and tone.
IN PRODUCTION
Studio Crux's flagship IP — and the project we hold ourselves to the standard of. Project Memory: A Mercenary Story has been in development since 2013, refined draft by draft into the universe launching now. Volume 01 ships at Fall 2026.
The work below is a sample from Volume 01 — direction, art, and production handled in-house by Studio Crux
ORIGIN
We started Studio Crux because the worlds we wanted to see didn't exist yet. Anime and manga taught us that one character, drawn with intent, can carry decades of meaning — that's the standard we hold ourselves to.
Project Memory has been in development since 2013, refined draft by draft into the universe launching now: Volume 01 of our Mercenary story, releasing 2026.
HOW WE WORK
We shape the brief, then assign the artist who fits it.
1 - DIRECT
Studio Crux runs with a team of artists across illustration, manga, animation, and design. Every engagement begins the same way — we direct the brief, then assign the artist whose hand and pace match what the project actually needs.
Direct access, start to finish.
2 - OPEN LINE
Every engagement comes with direct access to the people directing the work — no producers fielding questions, no project managers translating requests. Just open communication between client and studio, on whatever channel fits, from kickoff through delivery and beyond.
The brief is the floor. Not the ceiling.
3 - ABOVE THE BRIEF
Clients tell us what they need. We deliver what the project deserves. Every Studio Crux engagement ships with a finish, polish, and intent the original ask did not require — work we are willing to put our name on twice.