Editing Dee Jay (section)

==Conception design==
Dee Jay was conceived for ''Super Street Fighter II'' by American designer James Goddard, and his name was chosen as a variant on Goddard's nickname, DJames.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Henderstot|first1=Steve|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NWY9DwAAQBAJ&q=%22Dee+Jay%22+%22street+fighter%22&pg=PA140|title=Undisputed Street Fighter: The Art And Innovation Behind The Game-Changing Series|last2=Lapetino|first2=Tim |date=2017-11-15 |publisher=Dynamite Entertainment|isbn=978-1-5241-0469-6|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |first=Crispin |last=Boyer |title=EGM Takes a Time-Tripping Look at the Evolution of Arcades|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=103 |date=February 1998 |page=91}}</ref> He was the first ''Street Fighter'' character to be designed by an American,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/retrogamerspain015|title=La Historia De Street Fighter II|issue=15|magazine=Retro Gamer Spain|date=2013|language=Spanish|pages=8–17}}</ref> and only one of only three characters in the series to have been conceived by an American, along with [[List of Street Fighter characters#Blade|Blade]] and [[Captain Sawada]]. While ''Super Street Fighter II'' was going to feature [[Cammy]], [[T. Hawk]], and two brothers who had the same design save for a [[head swap]],<ref>{{Cite book|author=Studio Bent Stuff|title=All About Capcom Head-to-Head Fighting Games|page=275|language=ja}}</ref> Goddard felt that it would be redundant to have another pair of characters with the same fighting style. As a result, Capcom added Dee Jay in place of one of the brothers, while the other evolved into [[Fei Long]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=The origin of Dee Jay, straight from creator James Goddard|url=http://www.capcom-unity.com/kramez/blog/2009/10/02/the_origin_of_dee_jay_straight_from_creator_james_goddard|access-date=8 October 2010|archive-date=21 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121112619/http://www.capcom-unity.com/kramez/blog/2009/10/02/the_origin_of_dee_jay_straight_from_creator_james_goddard|url-status=live}}</ref>

The character concept came from interpreting [[kickboxer]] [[Billy Blanks]] from his role in ''[[The King of the Kickboxers]],'' but with a more cheerful disposition.<ref name=":0" /> Goddard suggested Blanks as an inspiration when the Japanese team asked for more design ideas. Goddard commented that "a really kick-ass black character would be awesome, instead of someone who was more negative, which is what you tended to see from the Japanese back in those days." In spite of the fact that Blanks is a bad guy in the film which he saw him in, ''[[The King of the Kickboxers]]'', he states "his build and look, I just thought that it would make a great character—high-flying, crazy kicks... I mean, you have to remember, this was Billy Blanks pre-'[[Tae Bo]].' He was so bad-ass."<ref name=":2" />

Goddard began designing Dee Jay by drawing a sketch of him and sending it to the Japanese team.<ref name=":1" /> He sent the film ''The King of the Kickboxers'' by copying a [[VHS]] tape and sending it through [[FedEx]]. He designed him as a "positive, fun character," implementing elements such as him being Jamaican, a "fun-loving guy," and a person who is trying to "jump-start his music career while kicking a lot of ass."<ref name=":2" /> While the design on his pants originally said "MANTIS," but was changed to say "MAXIMUM."<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/954/954328p1.html |title=Fighting Spirits: The Men Behind the Combos – Page 1 |publisher=GameSpy |access-date=2010-09-03 |archive-date=10 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610151339/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/954/954328p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This was because his sprite facing left was a mirror image of his sprite facing right, and the N and S in "MANTIS" would be reversed on the left sprite.<ref>{{Cite web|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Street Fighter II – OC Weekly|url=https://www.ocweekly.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-street-fighter-ii-6605393/|access-date=2021-01-10|website=ocweekly.com|date=28 April 2010 |archive-date=29 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191129155452/https://ocweekly.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-street-fighter-ii-6605393/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Goddard, "we decided that Mantis wasn't going to work down the side of his pants, so we opted for Maximum."<ref name=":2" /> Soon after, Dee Jay was adapted into the 1994 [[Street Fighter (1994 film)|''Street Fighter'']] film, played by [[Miguel A. Núñez Jr.]] with his musical background replaced by computer skills.<ref name=":3">{{Cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/games-world-10|title=Street Fighter: The Movie|date= April 1995|magazine=Games World |issue=10|pages=38–43}}</ref> As one of the only characters to be created by an American designer'', Street Fighter'' co-creator Akira Nishitani commented that he only learned the story behind the character's creation decades after.<ref name=":0" />