OC Transformers for Comic book series

I've kinda taken a break from the WebWorld thing. I guess I bounce around a lot. Eh, it's a hobby - what can I say. I can always come back to it when I want to.

I've been trying to revive my Web-comic thing however. Continuing my OC's (original Transformer character) adventures from before. I do have a webspace and stuff, I should start actually loading stuff onto it.

Damn, if this stupid Blogger would play Flashs and not just video files. I've been working on re-hashing the profiles of my custom characters for my Transformers comic book. It was a good book, I need to make the last pages. I'll load them up - later. But here's the profile, and the sketches I'm currently jazzing up. It takes a while because I'm perfecting the profile artwork. Meaning from the sketch I am tracing over it in Vector/Flash because I want the perfect, straight lines. It takes FOREVER!! Very tedious ... but the result is a nice, crisp, refined piece that looks masterful.

I have always been more of an Illustrator than an Animator anyway. It took me a while to figure that out, but I finally did.

I also made these

I also created these. One was for the fun of it. These where made from screencaps of the cartoons and put together in Flash. One I used as a study of the animation because they had Galvatron doing a lot of things and action at once. And it wasn't just stock kung-fu fight poses like Anime sometimes resorts to. The other is from Beast Wars - the 3D cartoon, one of the 1st television 3D toons. it was from Mainframe. The same ppl who created "Reboot" which came a little before BW.

Quintesson Makeover 2.0 , Galvy CyberSedated

I made some mods to my quint makeover. From below, I made the brow more pushed down to make it more menacing. This is also a colored version of a updated sketch. A more detailed description can be found on ym DeviantArt page via this: LINK

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This is a new layout drawing for when Galvatron is cyber-sedated for his "therapy session".
A detailed description can be found at my DeviantArt page via this: LINK

So how do you make a sedated mechanoid ? They don't just take pills and konk out, they don't have stomachs - not like we do anyway.

I intend to make Galvy's optics less bright, and glow subtly on and off slowly as he is talking, till he snaps out of it. The bubbles are semi-transparent special FX that are for effect that will float around. The wires will kind of sit behind his head. As his head might move slightly to keep it from being statically still - and animation foepaw that is to be avoided as much as I can. You don't want to keep too much sitting still or it will look so limited it will be junky. Subtle movement is better than no movement.

Here is a piece of the project I'm working on. Like I stated before, I'm not in this to get a Nobel Prize for animation or anything. I'm doing it because it's fun!

This is Galvatron raving, in one of the early scenes. Like the illustration below - I think I put it on here, I made him turn his head at certain beats in the audio.

The Lip Syncing was the hardest part. I laid it out all piece by piece - I couldn't use a nifty lip sync generator.



Here is the LINK to the Flash file - it is resting on my DeviantArt Transformers Fan account.
That has more description of what I was doing.

I am probly going to be making this big thing in sections. At certain points I have it planned to work up to - then put them on the Interwebs for all to see. It's my favorite episode, needs new artwork. And it keeps me artistically busy. My day job is droney enough :P

Quintessons - getting an inpromptu makeover

These are a few more - I'm doing some remodels on a few things. The Quintessons, I want them to look more "The Matrix" style. Since they do seem more like those creepy tentacled robots in The Matrix, I think they would look more menacing in those designs.

This would have to be colored - but it's the same "Death Face" of the Quintesson judge, only with ym revision on the design. It will have the metallic greys, blacks and steels, with the blazing red optics and spots that Matrix style machines do. Below is a pic from Matrix Revolutions - a pic of a deaded Sentinel

Decepticons Attack!!

This is the original "Decepticons Attack!!" scene. Pretty lack-luster huh? ppffft - boring!! They aren't even animated they just slid them across the screen. BAH!! I can do better.

Here's going to be MY version. A CloseUP of Galvy shouting the command (like it sounds in audio). And layer the others behind him - with is more of a technical trick done easily in Flash. The drawing and the expression give the emotion of the moment much more definition. That will make it hella better!

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Here is the original of when Galvy is beaten down by the Autobots and he is yelling in rage after them: "I'm not beaten! Galvatron cannot be beaten! I will destroy you all!" Meh - limited ... dry ... I don't feel it - only the voice guys made it really dynamic.

Here's my plan for the exact same scene: After he's thunked - and in that same spot (as above). Galvy is on his knees looking down shaking his head. He's got some smoke rising up from a crack in his chest armor. He is shaking his head and straining as he is speaking: "I'm not beaten! ..."
And in the beat I am going to have him look up to get into this pose, and raise his fist to start yelling insanely: "Galvatron cannot be beaten! I will destroy you all!"

I want to make it emphasize he took some damage, he's got energon drool dropping from his mouth (he's frothing as he's yelling). Unlike above where it's really hard to tell if he was thunked or not. It makes the viewer feel something for what is going on.
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Here was a great one to pop in an expression. This is where the Quintessons approach Cyclonus with their proposal about taking Galvy to Torkulon. Cyclonus just got bitched out a few seconds ago and threats of mutiny are about with him at the center of it all. Cyclonus works so hard to keep the Decepticons together, but Galvy's crazyness is ruining it all. He says to the Quintessons in annoyance: "Go away, Quintesson, I'm busy." But, he obviously needs a much more pained expression don't you think?

This is the new expression I worked up. Much more expressive. I'll probly make his hand wave a little bit - like he's waving off the Quint, as he is in the original, but with more exaggeration.

EXAGGERATION! It's a very basic staple for all cartooning! I learned this well from John Kricfalusi, and Floro Dery, and others. Yes, I do pay attention to John K's lessons - even if he is a prick sometimes. He, along with Floro Sensei Masters of animation, cartooning and illustration. So I draw a lot from them.

And then crush the Autobots to scrap!

This is the original Scene frame. I'm a huge fan of expression. Expression defines everything. In this bit Galvatron is going on a glitchy rant: "And then crush the Autobots to scrap! Crush the Earth and its puny humanity! Crush anyone, anything that dares to oppose us!!" In this original - they just have a still, very limited animation, where a layover makes the sides of his head glow (as shown) and he raises a clenched fist and shakes that a little. I plan on doing something a bit different:


With the same scene - I want to make a more dynamic expression. And turn his head as he is ranting at different points during his rant. While he is saying this he is Glitching - there are FFZZZ sound FX in the background. Frank Welker (the voice guy) does an awesome job of accentuating the rant in sound. I want to make his eyes glow - possibly with sparks zapping underneath them. Galvy is straight on: "And then crush the Autobots to scrap!" Then I want to turn his head to the right - squint his eyes as tight as I can as he says: "Crush the Earth and its puny humanity!" and then in the beat - make him shake his head while saying: "Crush anyone, anything that dares to oppose us!!" Like he is trying to shake off the glitch in his circuitry - he is a robot after all.