(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/atlas1c.jpg)
An original skin for a larger concept using public domain characers. This character is Atlas, loosely based on this character:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/g/gaatlas.htm
Feedback is welcome.
Oh man, that old costume is horrible. Great job on the redesign.
The fist logo is also designed quite well but... I wonder about the choice of black lines to represent all the fingers. Without black lines around the rest of the colours it sticks out as a little funny to me.
Have you thought about delving into the world of seams? Using dark and light lines to represent them? The fingers could be done with these as well.
Great job on the skin, Doc, especially his face. I'm not a fan of the cape, though...It makes his look a bit too Superman. BTW: I agree, the original Atlas costume is hilariously bad.
Dana
You know what would really make this costume pop? Leopard skin trunks. Just throwing that out there.
Nice work, though it looks a lot more like Titan from Dark Horse's failed Comics Greatest World line.
Thanks for the feedback. I hope to post more for on this concept.
Quote from: cmdrkoenig67 on November 26, 2011, 06:47:40 PM
Great job on the skin, Doc, especially his face. I'm not a fan of the cape, though...It makes his look a bit too Superman. BTW: I agree, the original Atlas costume is hilariously bad.
For purposes of full disclosure, the face is a fusion of Dark Jered's and Googleplex's base faces. It does have the virtue of being different from faces in wide circulations, so thanks for noticing (and thanks to all the skinners who gave me bases from which to crib - this skin also features Zed's old base so it's a real throwback). I go back and forth on the cape. I stuck with it because in my concept, this character is kind of a Superman wannabe.
Quote from: Xenolith on November 26, 2011, 06:53:16 PM
You know what would really make this costume pop? Leopard skin trunks. Just throwing that out there.
Ha! I am debating about doing an adolescent version of the character that is more true to the original design. I can't imagine that I will go full bore, but nothing says youthful indiescrection like leopard skin trunks. Or maybe star-spnagled trunks/pants as he sees himself as an all american boy.
Quote from: President Raygun on November 26, 2011, 07:02:19 PM
Nice work, though it looks a lot more like Titan from Dark Horse's failed Comics Greatest World line.
There's a reason for that. I cribbed the hand and from Vigilante's Titan skin. I also cribbed the red field from that character as well. If I get time to skin other characters in the concept, you will see that hands as a costume design element will constitute a motif, and will represent an imporant signifier of character growth for Atlas in particular. It is the major reason that I am thinking about dispensing with the cape, however, as Titan is a Superman wannabe too.
Quote from: UnkoMan on November 26, 2011, 04:50:39 PM
Oh man, that old costume is horrible. Great job on the redesign.
The fist logo is also designed quite well but... I wonder about the choice of black lines to represent all the fingers. Without black lines around the rest of the colours it sticks out as a little funny to me.
Have you thought about delving into the world of seams? Using dark and light lines to represent them? The fingers could be done with these as well.
I tried to make seams using the drop shadow tool, but they are hard to see because of the picture resolution. They are also obscured by the fact that I had the highligh level for the the blue elements on top of the layers making up the seam work for the red elements, which I have since corrected. The tutorial for seams is no longer available, and I wouldn't mind seeing it recreated, so I could possibly addess this issue.
Your kind words are much appreciated. Please keep the feedback coming.
There are a few tutorials about seams at FR World...and i think one of them was by Unkoman. :unsure:
http://frworld.wikispaces.com/Simple+Seams (http://frworld.wikispaces.com/Simple+Seams), http://frworld.wikispaces.com/Quick+Easy+Logo+Tutorial (http://frworld.wikispaces.com/Quick+Easy+Logo+Tutorial)
And there's also a video tutorial by Murs at FRP2.
Not familiar with the character.....but he looks ok to me. Nice job in mixing the base faces. :)
Great design.. how you got that from the original eyesore is beyond me!
I have to second the suggestion about seams. It really takes a skin up a few notches, with those kind of details.
Ha ha, yes, I totally did those two tutorials. I found that when I started using seams my skins suddenly looked way better.
They are really old, but my technique is still essentially the same. I'm just a bit better at placing everything.
As to using drop shadows, you CAN do this but I don't recommend it. I started with drops but once I began just doing the shadows by hand they looked much nicer. So much more control you have over it. Still, I'd throw in a drop when I got lazy.
Also, little things like your thumbs and the feet/leg edges being different, which I notice is on some of those older bases. Tiny touches that aren't super noticeable.
But, yeah, great job on the face blending.
Very impressive facial work there.
Quote from: Cyber Burn on November 27, 2011, 10:04:23 PM
Very impressive facial work there.
Crap. now I have to come up with a different face fore the next one. ;)
Very nice work Doc. I agree with Unko, though. The fist could use a bit more definition, and the contrast between the outline of the fingers and the lack of outline on the hand itself is a bit much. The dominant color being white is interesting. Nice design! Wow, the others are right, that original costume is just hideous....however, I have to say, those leapord skin trunks are certainly...unique.
Work in Porgess. Same character as above, years later. New skope, new skin. All extras are place holders. Gloves? No gloves? Skin tight gloves or flared? Bracers instead of gloves?
Thanks to Murs, Googleplx, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. genadier for mesh and pieces.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/atlas-2014-wip.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/atlas-2014-wip.jpg.html)
Part of a larger concept using public domain characers. This character is Atlas, loosely based on this character:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/g/gaatlas.htm
Very nice update. It's really looking good. :thumbup:
As for your question; with the bare arms, I'd go with bracers.
Hmmm, any relation to the "Atlas" Character from the old "Protectors" comic?
Quote from: hoss20 on April 17, 2014, 04:24:36 AM
Very nice update. It's really looking good. :thumbup:
As for your question; with the bare arms, I'd go with bracers.
I think if the bracers matched the belt, it would add a little more balance to the overall design. But I will say that the current version looks quite nice.
Nice update to the skin.
I agree with Hoss and Cyber, bracers similar to the belt would look great.
Yeah the original costume is awful, but it's on my list. Vigilante, I believe, did a slightly different version of that abomination.
But the re-designs are GREAT. Especially the second one.
Nice update, I especially like the new logo. I agree with the rest about the bracers.
Thanks for the Kind words. Went with the bracers. haven't finished the skin yet.
In the meantime, another skin from the same project. This time I'm going to let people guess which public domain character I am redesigning here.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/ll-2014-wip.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/ll-2014-wip.jpg.html)
As with Atlas, the extras do not have final skins.
Thanks to Murs, Googleplx, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Vertex for the mesh and Beyonder, Tommyboy, and Grenadier for the pieces.
Not really sure who that character is. But i think it's a nice redesigned costume. The skin looks great too. I like it. :)
Lash (sometimes Flash) Lightning never looked better.
Quote from: daglob on May 10, 2014, 05:42:51 PM
Lash (sometimes Flash) Lightning,,,
We have a winner! (I thought dalob would get it).
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Lash_Lightning
Quote from: daglob on May 10, 2014, 05:42:51 PM
... never looked better.
I take this as high praise.
Thanks, too, to Outcast for the kind words.
Well, i was thinking something along those lines...With the gray hair on the side and a lightning logo. Golden Age Flash came to my mind. :P :doh:
Yeah, but I haunt sites about all these old forgotten characters. Vigilante did a skin for Lash some time back.
Maybe you could check out any of the Blue Streaks, The Rainbow, or dozens of other golden age character who REALLY need a new costume.
Quote from: daglob on May 12, 2014, 10:22:15 PM
Maybe you could check out... The Rainbow... [a] golden age character who REALLY need a new costume.
You mean this guy?
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Rainbow_(Centaur)
Well, I didn't create a NEW costume. But I have a back story in mind which explains this costume.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/rainbow-2014-wip.jpg)
But your request inspired me to bump up my work on this character, and also I have developed a concept for a legacy character which will have different - hopefully better - costume.
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Grenadier for the mesh and Tommyboy, and Grenadier for the pieces.
That's him, alright. Gotta hand it to a hero who decides to become a comic book crime fighter after reading a comic book.
Still lurking. Still toying with skinning and skoping to develop my personal superhero universe.
Here is my latest. Obviously Elvis Presley inspired (No, it is not Elvis as a superhero).
Anybody up for a guessing game? The character is named American Spirit. He conceived as a legacy character to a Golden Age Character. His hero name is not the same as the original character, but a reference to how the original got his powers. The original character is now in the public domain. The original character is a patriotic character. The original character has appeared in both Terra Obscura and Project Superpowers revival of Public Domain heroes. American Spirit's scarf color is a reference to the original hero's cape color
WHO IS THE GOLDEN AGE HERO?
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/wip-2015-06-13.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/wip-2015-06-13.jpg.html)
Some extras currently kitbashed.
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Crusader/Saracen, Tommyboy, and Grenadier for the pieces.
Very nice skope and design. But i haven't got a clue. Captain Marvel Jr? :P
Not sure who he is, but looks fantastic. Very neat design.
Although the boot cuffs at the bottom still seem to be in wireframe.
Quote from: Podmark on June 13, 2015, 05:21:15 PM
Although the boot cuffs at the bottom still seem to be in wireframe.
True. It is a Work in progress. I am trying to get the boot cuffs right still. I amnot happy with the hair either right now.
Is it Fighting Yank?
Quote from: President Raygun on June 14, 2015, 03:05:18 AM
Is it Fighting Yank?
Right in one. - Nice job Raygun! :thumbup:
I have to say, I'm really interested in seeing where this Project goes. I also really enjoy seeing other people's interpretations of established Characters. Looking forward to what's next. :thumbup:
Quote from: doctorchallenger on June 15, 2015, 05:45:59 PM
Quote from: President Raygun on June 14, 2015, 03:05:18 AM
Is it Fighting Yank?
Right in one. - Nice job Raygun! :thumbup:
Thanks. Great skin BTW - very Evel Knievelish :thumbup: You should try putting him on Tommyboy's Cap_America_bike, that would look awesome.
Is that Elvis Pressley!? :o
Quote from: Distorto on June 19, 2015, 06:46:41 PM
Is that Elvis Pressley!? :o
Definitely based on Elvis.
Still plugging away at this project.
3 new skins. All based on public domain characters. This set are all based on characters produced by Canadian publishers, and are (therefore) members of a Canadian super group I call the Ministry. First up is the leader Minister Steel based on the Canadian Commander Steel. His ppower set is similar to Captain America, particularly the MCU version, and the emblem made me think of the mesh.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Commander_Steel
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/monsteel-fin.png) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/monsteel-fin.png.html)
Some extras currently kitbashed
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Grenadier for the mesh and pieces.
Next is Le Coquin Cramoisi, based on Red Rogue.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Rogue
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/coqin-fin.png) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/coqin-fin.png.html)
The Costume is a reference, of course to the Canadian flag, replacing the maple leaf with a fleur de lis. The iconography is to suggest that he is proud to be a Canadian of French extraction.
Some extras currently kitbashed
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Grenadier for the mesh and Tommyboy and Grenadier for the pieces.
Lastly comes a Legacy character, Morning Star. Bit of a story here. As I got inspire to skin these, I learned that Ty Templeton (best known for his work on the Batman Adventures comics) is doing a series for Moonstone Comics called Norther Guard; The concept is similar Canadian super group made suing Canadian public domain characters. Templeton, who lives in Toronto, used many of the same characters that I had picked for my group, including Nelvana of the Northern Lights.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Nelvana_of_the_Northern_Lights
As I had intended, Templeton recast Nelvana as Native America (he also chose to call her Nanook). This led me to develop Morning Star, who in my universe is the son of Nelvana. He is named for a mythic hero from Cree legend. While I wanted the character to be native American, I did not want him to appear in any way like a stereotypical Indian superhero. My one concession to stereotypes are the turquoise stones. It seemed like a good use of the sphere that come on the mesh.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/morning%20star-fin.png) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/morning%20star-fin.png.html)
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Vertex for the pieces.
Bonus: here he is summoning the Northern lights as a power up.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/morning%20star-power1.png) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/morning%20star-power1.png.html)
haha, these are really neat, DC! I've never seen these characters before, but I'm liking them.
Nelvana's Northern Lights ability looks really cool! :thumbup:
Hey, these look really good. And Commander Steel is another one off my list.
New skin.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/gato-screen.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/gato-screen.jpg.html)
This is Gato, based on Holyoke's Cat-Man. The character is an unapologetic homage to Batman. As the name implies, I have made the character Latino (specifically Puerto Rican).
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Cat-Man_(Holyoke)
Some extras currently kitbashed
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Grenadier for the mesh and Vertex and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Bonus close up.
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/gato-closeup.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/gato-closeup.jpg.html)
Moving on...
This character is based on Ajax-Farrell's 1950s character, the Flame (not to be confused with Fox's Golden Age character of the same name).
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Flame_(Ajax-Farrell)/
Here comes FUEGO, Hero of Mexico. The original character is really a Golden Age Superman knockoff (i.e. super-strong, super-tough, but no other powers to speak of), but he is depicted using flame powers on the first splash page of his first appearance. Drawing from that, my version is similar, mostly a brick character rather than a human torch analog, but can manifest flame powers (in FF terms, a flaming punch with a high energy cost). Personality wise, I envision the character to be gruff and taciturn, a no-nonsense guy who doesn't waste energy on banter.
I would like to get thoughts form people however. I have a few versions of the design, and I am not sure which I like best. I am not settled on the emblem and I am not settled on the helmet. Please let me know which you think is best. Feel free to mix and match (For example you prefer Emblem A and Helmet B) Thanks! Any other feedback is welcome as well.
Emblem A, Helmet A
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/Feugo-wip1.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/Feugo-wip1.jpg.html)
Emblem B, Helmet B
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/Feugo-wip2.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/Feugo-wip2.jpg.html)
Emblem C, Helmet C
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/Feugo-wip3.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/Feugo-wip3.jpg.html)
Some extras currently kitbashed
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Grenadier and Tommyboy for the pieces.
EDIT: Thanks to windblown for the spelling correction on the name.
Loving these skins doctor. Vivid colors and very clean work. Can't wait to see more.
Hmmm....i like helmet B, and probably emblem C more.
But i also like helmet A, and emblem B.
Next would be helmet C, and emblem A. :P Because there not that bad either. :)
i'm really enjoying this thread. there's lots of cool stuff here. as for the most current character, i like emblem B, but can't decide between helmets A or C.
I like the B versions best. Very cool seeing all the costume variants. Nice job.
There is a lot of cool stuff here! Well, I'm afraid I'm going to complicate matters by voting for something different than everyone else!
I like both A and C helmets, but I really like emblem A, though I'd get rid of the little spot of red in the bottom left.
Very cool! I think that my favorites are Helmet C and enblem B.
Btw, I think you misspelled his name, as fire/flame means FUEGO in Spanish.
Veritas - Hero of Italy.
My take on PD character Captain Truth
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Truth
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/veritas1.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/veritas1.jpg.html)
Some extras currently kitbashed
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Vertex for the mesh and Crusader/Saracen, Grenadier, and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Feedback always welcome.
So, that makes two of us who know about Captain Truth...
I have a theory that most of these Golden Age exhibitionists were the result of the colorists receiving little, if any, instructions, or of thinking that "bare chest=he-man". I'm pretty certain that Blue Blade was supposed to have a shirt, otherwise why would he wear just the collar and cuffs?
Seems like a reasonable theory. In keeping with the way the original design was executed, bare chest and all, I found myself channeling my Bronze age roots. The corset top is based on Mike Grell's Cosmic Boy redesign. I got the original issue in which it debuted as a kid, so I have a powerful memory of it. I have used the boot flares on a couple of characters (see Fuego and Rainbow above), which reveals a major Dave Cockrum influence. I never realized how significant Cockrum was to my taste in superheroes until I amassed a lot of designs featuring cavalier boots and shoulder flares...
Major Mystery
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/major%20mystery1.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/major%20mystery1.jpg.html)
Thanks to Murs, Googleplex, Strangefate, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Tommyboy for the mesh.
Based on Captain Marvel by MF Enterprises.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Marvel_(MF_Enterprises)
The Major in action:
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/major%20mystery2.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/major%20mystery2.jpg.html)
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/major%20mystery3.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/major%20mystery3.jpg.html)
I've thought about doing the character again, and doing the skin on an alpha enabled mesh, and have a Multiform that is a head and torso, and a private army or summon that is two arms and two legs. The head flies around shooting lasers, the arms strike and the legs kick. Never did it, thought.
However, this looks pretty good.
Now all you gotta do is release these treasures.
Man, that's a lot of "ands".
He looks great! Interesting mesh.
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/Countdown360.jpg
(http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u256/drchallenger/Countdown360.jpg) (http://s170.photobucket.com/user/drchallenger/media/Countdown360.jpg.html)
Still at it. Lately I've been inspired to work on a set of characters that operate in and/or work for a what I call the Centauri Protectorate. The Protectorate is the current government ruling over a distant, multi-racial, multi-species, galactic empire. Like many comic book galactic empires, the Protectorate is an authoritarian government with fascistic tendencies. Also like many comic book galactic empires, the Protectorate has created a special team of superhuman to assist in the law enforcement process. My team is called the Order Battalion. One metatextual aspect to this galactic empires is that the humans who rule it subscribe to Jack Kirby-esque aesthetic; imagine if you will, the characters in the background scenery in the Inhumans' city of Attlin, or in Supertown of New Genesis. Therefore, I have tried to create all of the skins with an eye to making them seem like a character Jack Kirby might design as best as I can.
The above character is Countdown, an early member of the Order Battalion, retired in the present in my universe. The character is inspired by one of the earliest superheroes in the history of the genre, the Clock.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Clock
As you can see, my character bears little resemblance to the original Clock. Metatextually, I am giving the Clock a makeover inspired by Kirby's redesign of DC's Golden Age Sandman, another hero which began with a suit, tie, and full face mask. The shield, inspired by Kirby creations Captain America and Guardian, is designed to represent the type of clock used in the empire, which divides the day into twenty "hours", and the yellow and purple bands represent the periods of daylight and evening.
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Grenadier for the mesh and Tommyboy, and Grenadier for the pieces.
Within my universe Countdown began as a heroic character on a popular program presented on state-sponsored media (imagine Storm Saxon, the show within a show from V for Vendetta). Bran Obrin is the actor-stuntman who played the role of Countdown. In later seasons, Obrin's son Hocrin, takes on the role of Countdown's teen-aged assistant, Buzz (as in the sound a digital alarm clock makes). It is around this time that the Protectorate first organized the Order Battalion. In response to mail from young fans of the show, the Ministry of Propaganda insisted on making the duo members of the team. Though the appointment was met by existing members with skepticism at first, Obrin worked had to earn their respect. Doing so, however, required the duo give up being media figures, a move that caused considerable frustration with Buzz, who enjoyed his fame within the empire. The pair had a falling out, and when Countdown retired due age, Hocrin created a new identity for himself (to be shown later).
His catch phrase is: "Time's up."
One last thing to point out is the emblem on the belt buckle. This is the emblem of the Centauri Party which rules the Protectorate. It is inspired by the emblem that Ming's followers, most notably Klytus, wore in the classic Flash Gordon film of the 1980s.
While it shouldn't be too hard to figure out, the order Battalion are inspired by three separate superhero teams, one from a major publisher, the other two from smaller independent publishers. Any guesses?
I can't see the pic, even by trying to follow the link above it :(
Grr.
I was able to follow the link.
I see many people still use photobucket for posting images. Can someone clue me in on how to set my settings to allow my images to be displayed here? If not, what service to people recommend as an alternative?
Quote from: doctorchallenger on August 27, 2017, 03:01:09 PM
I see many people still use photobucket for posting images. Can someone clue me in on how to set my settings to allow my images to be displayed here? If not, what service to people recommend as an alternative?
Just make a Tumblr account and then link the images from there. I've used that trick for months now.
- CQ
Yeah, either a Tumbler or Imugr account is better than Photobucket nowadays. If you want to continue to do it via Photobucket then you'll have to pay to be able to share the pics.
With Photobucket now charging a fortune, I went with http://imgur.com/. So far, no issues to speak of.
(http://i.imgur.com/8nKHAHS.jpg)
TAKE TWO (Thanks to folks who posted alternative image posting suggestions):
Lately I've been inspired to work on a set of characters that operate in and/or work for a what I call the Centauri Protectorate. The Protectorate is the current government ruling over a distant, multi-racial, multi-species, galactic empire. Like many comic book galactic empires, the Protectorate is an authoritarian government with fascistic tendencies. Also like many comic book galactic empires, the Protectorate has created a special team of superhuman to assist in the law enforcement process. My team is called the Order Battalion. One metatextual aspect to this galactic empires is that the humans who rule it subscribe to Jack Kirby-esque aesthetic; imagine if you will, the characters in the background scenery in the Inhumans' city of Attlin, or in Supertown of New Genesis. Therefore, I have tried to create all of the skins with an eye to making them seem like a character Jack Kirby might design as best as I can.
The above character is Countdown, an early member of the Order Battalion, retired in the present in my universe. The character is inspired by one of the earliest superheroes in the history of the genre, the Clock.
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Clock
As you can see, my character bears little resemblance to the original Clock. Metatextually, I am giving the Clock a makeover inspired by Kirby's redesign of DC's Golden Age Sandman, another hero which began with a suit, tie, and full face mask. The shield, inspired by Kirby creations Captain America and Guardian, is designed to represent the type of clock used in the empire, which divides the day into twenty "hours", and the yellow and purple bands represent the periods of daylight and evening.
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Grenadier for the mesh and Tommyboy, and Grenadier for the pieces.
Within my universe Countdown began as a heroic character on a popular program presented on state-sponsored media (imagine Storm Saxon, the show within a show from V for Vendetta). Bran Obrin is the actor-stuntman who played the role of Countdown. In later seasons, Obrin's son Hocrin, takes on the role of Countdown's teen-aged assistant, Buzz (as in the sound a digital alarm clock makes). It is around this time that the Protectorate first organized the Order Battalion. In response to mail from young fans of the show, the Ministry of Propaganda insisted on making the duo members of the team. Though the appointment was met by existing members with skepticism at first, Obrin worked had to earn their respect. Doing so, however, required the duo give up being media figures, a move that caused considerable frustration with Buzz, who enjoyed his fame within the empire. The pair had a falling out, and when Countdown retired due age, Hocrin created a new identity for himself (to be shown later).
His catch phrase is: "Time's up."
One last thing to point out is the emblem on the belt buckle. This is the emblem of the Centauri Party which rules the Protectorate. It is inspired by the emblem that Ming's followers, most notably Klytus, wore in the classic Flash Gordon film of the 1980s.
While it shouldn't be too hard to figure out, the order Battalion are inspired by three separate superhero teams, one from a major publisher, the other two from smaller independent publishers. Any guesses?
Comments and feedback welcome.
(http://i.imgur.com/YwD9epQ.jpg)
Mighty Man:
Based on public domain character Mighty Man:
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Mighty_Man
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Texas Jack for the mesh and Beyonder and Texas Jack for the pieces.
A non-com in the the Protectorate military, Oscir Jerek was wounded in the line of duty, and submitted to an experimental treatment for regenerating damaged tissue. While most of the subjects died as a result of the process, and the few that survived only experience mild accelerated healing at the expense of tremendous pain, Jerek garnered the superhuman ability to manipulate his body mass, so that he could grow to great heights, shrink to miniature size, or stretch his limbs significant lengths. As of yet, Protectorate Bio-scientists have not been able to duplicate the results in anyone other that Jereck's brother Plymo. Due to his military training, Oscir was picked to serve on the current iteration of the Order Battalion, while Plymo is on the Battalion's reserve roster, much to his chagrin.
While not exactly based on Kirby's design sense, the costume is modeled on my favorite iteration of Hank Pym, his Goliath phase, which was in use during Kirby's Silver Age tenure at Marvel. It is worth noting that the boots and gloves are holdovers from Kirby's Ant-Man design.
Comments and feedback welcome.
(http://i.imgur.com/CwOhlq2.jpg)
Plymo:
Based on public domain character Plymo the Rubber Man:
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Plymo_the_Rubber_Man
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Texas Jack for the mesh
Plymo is Mighty Man's Ne'er-do-well brother. While in the Protectorate's Apartheid-like caste system, the Jerek family could possibly be considered among the most privileged of humans which controlled the Empire. However, the Jerek family were among those that could not maintain the economic security to allow their sons to aspire to the fullest of privilege. The Jerek boys' father was a hustler and a gambler, constantly placing the family's meager holdings at risk in get-rich-quick schemes and fly-by-night business opportunities. As such the boys were forced to grow up at the furthest margins of the Empire's "polite society" often living in close proximity with various sub-citizens, human or otherwise. Oscir went into the military to support his family after his father died, serving honorably, but not distinguishing himself particularly before his injuries. Plymo, on the other hand, took after his father, hustling on the edges of the legal economy, and often crossing the line. Luckily, Plymo managed to avoid any serious criminal charges, but had acquired enough of a record that the government could force him to undergo the same experimental procedure that gave his brother superhuman powers. Plymo, like Mighty Man, garnered control over his body mass, but his newfound powers put him in service of the state, and in the shadow of his goody-two-shoes brother.
Comments and feedback welcome.
These are all really nice, and I like the fact that Malibu Characters (Well, one anyway), are getting some love.
Hey, I've done those characters. These are a nice adaptation.
Quote from: Cyber Burn on August 28, 2017, 12:19:28 AM
These are all really nice, and I like the fact that Malibu Characters (Well, one anyway), are getting some love.
Cyber has got one of the team inspirations (or is hinting at it anyway).
Thanks for the kind words.
(http://i.imgur.com/qXM6Oqf.jpg)
Airman
Based on public domain character Airman:
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Airman
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Vertex for the mesh and Vertex/Bobby69, Grenadier, Ink, Unfluffy Bunny, and 3dMaster for the pieces.
Engineer Dracon Schtevon wanted to revitalize the airborne division of the Imperial military, which in times past was a distinguished branch of the armed services, in which Schtevon's ancestors served, but with advanced technology had become little more that standard combat forces with a colorful history. Schtevon, therefore, developed the Airman flying combat suit. The suit is designed to provide close quarters air support for small units of ground forces, as well as a low profile alternative to HALO infiltration forces, allowing for insertion, attack, and extraction to be handled by one system. The body armor provides significant protection from small arms fire, particularly energy weapons, as it has an energy dampener system to channel such force into the suit's power system. Offensively it has compact energy blasters and anti-personnel projectiles attached to the gauntlets, and anti-vehicle munitions launched from the flight pack. Schtevon petitioned to join the Order Battalion as a means to field test his design, and to demonstrate its effectiveness, to the Government in real-world scenarios.
Like the above designs, this is still somewhat in progress. Many of the extras are currently kitbashed. Like Mighty Man and Plymo, the design is not obviously Kirby-esque, given that the Classic Iron Man design on which it is modeled is not Kirby's work, but Ditko's. The Shoulder pads, and the stripes on the chest were my effort to give it a more Kirby-like look. I may tweak the gauntlets to as more of a Kirby touch to the look.
One thing I neglected to say about Might Man and Plymo: Thanks to Courtnal6 for his excellent Goliath (Blue) skin, as I cribbed all the line work, right down to the goggles on Plymo, for the line work on both skins.
If you borrow, borrow from one of the best.
Some great designs here, man! I LOVE that Airman design! That's great work, and a really cool looking character. I'm a sucker for the winged heroes anyway, but this is a particularly nice take. I definitely see some Kirby influence with the design.
Some really cool concepts here. Plus, I'm a sucker for the Protectors. Will you be filling out the whole team?
Quote from: Cyber Burn on August 28, 2017, 10:50:05 PM
Some really cool concepts here. Plus, I'm a sucker for the Protectors. Will you be filling out the whole team?
Sort of. The bulk of the Protectors (Malibu's team) was re-imagined versions of characters in the Public domain, originally published by Centaur Comics in the Golden Age. Hence, Centuri Protectorate, as the name of the galactic empire. But Malibu added a few original characters to the mix, notably Aura and Arc, because Centaur produce only a couple of female heroes. I won't be doing those characters.
Next up: THE EYE.
Based on public domain character the Eye (AKA: the Detective Eye:
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_(Centaur)
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases. Texas Jack for the mesh and Valander and Tommyboy for the pieces.
(https://i.imgur.com/qSmPRNA.jpg)
The Eye is on the Order Battalion Reserve, and has been since its creation, The Eye's origin goes back to the origins of the Protectorate. Before the defeat of the Empire in the First Great Imperial War, The Eye was a common solider, drafted into service. He and two of his comrades were separated from their unit, and found themselves trapped in a vast, ancient outpost of a technologically advance alien civilization. The experience gave each different superhuman abilities. The Eye can transform into a being of what appears to be flaming eye surrounded by swirling energy. In this form, the Eye can manifest various forms of energy (heat, electricity,
electromagnetic force), for a variety of effects. He prefers to maintain his energy form nearly all the time. He does not crave action, content to remain behind the scenes as much of the time, keeping an eye on people and groups for in the interest of the ruling party, as well as for his own amusement.
The Image is a bit different, as I am using a couple screencaps from Nifskope, because the concept is FX intensive. When in combate the Eye appears as a floting flaming eyeball; I used an image of the Eye of Sauron for the skin. the character on appears in human form when he is incapacitated. Nifskope allows you to see the FX in action, whereas the character viewer only allows you to see FX when they are against the backdrop of another mesh part. The image at the top right was taken from the character viewer. You can just see a hint of the FX.
Keeping with the Kirby aesthetic I want for the broader concept, the Eye's human form is based on Kirby's design for Kanto of the New Gods.
Comments and feedback are welcome.
All of these skopes and skins are wonderfully done, Doc! Your designs of these various character are amazing!
You are definitely on a hot streak here. I'm really impressed with these re-designed/re-imagined versions of such old school Characters. I'm really hoping to see versions of the Ferret and Gravestone (I think they were considered open domain).
Agreed, these continue to be great! I love the design on this guy as well, and you bring it to wonderful life. Great work on the skope as well!
Thanks for the kudos.
Based on public domain character: Solarman:
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Solarman
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Grenadier for the mesh and Grenadier and Renegade for the pieces.
(https://i.imgur.com/o8awD3r.jpg)
Solarman is not a member of the Centuri Protectorate Order Battalion, but a refugee from the Protectorate because of his cultural background and sexual orientation. Zolar Min was a semi-practicing member of the Solarian religion, a group which I created to be the Centuri Protectorate analog to Jewish folk during the Nazi regime.
Solar Man is a character inspired as an homage to Doc Savage and to Marvel's early iteration of Mar-vell (Captain Marvel). After coming to Earth, Solar man essential operates in a Doc Savage type mode. In the 1940s, he becomes more of costumed hero, as he is able to build for himself a wrist mounted multi-beam blaster (crude by Centuri standards), and areo-shoes for flying. The costume is modeled on KJack Kirby's Ikaras, but also inspire from Doc Savage's Golden Age comic book appearences as "The Invincible" where he had super powers bestowed upon him by a mystic hood (see: http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/d/docsav2.htm) The Jacket/hood design is also supposed to be a form of clothing commonly warn by males of the Solarian religion as part of their ritual clothing. In this regard, I am undecided, does it work better with the black leggings ans sleeves - essentially a fancy long-tailed vest - or as a jacket with blue sleeves. Both are pictured. What do people think?
Comments and feedback welcome.
That version of Doc Savage was one of the silliest, but that skin is excellent.
Im seeing alot of kool stuff here!!!! :thumbup:
(https://i.imgur.com/P93wAVv.jpg)
Work in Progress. Still from the Centuri Protectorate concept. Any guesses?
My guess is Amazing Man.
I'll go with that as well. :D
(https://i.imgur.com/4w6f8sS.jpg)
Based on public domain character: Amazing Man
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Amazing_Man
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Grenadier, Gini and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Priest of the Night Watch, an original character existing in the Centauri Protectorate:
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Unfluffy Bunny for the mesh and Grenadier and Tommyboy for the pieces.
(https://i.imgur.com/SxKEOG6.png)
Clearly the costume is inspired by Kang the Conqueror, keeping with the Kirby style of the Centauri Protectorate. Have to say I am particularly happy with the collar and the face. The face is modeled on Kang, but if you look closely, it is supposed to look like make up, with skin tones along the edges of the colors. That touch was inspired by the Joker makeup from The Dark Knight film.
Curiosity: like my 50th attempt at my design inspired by M.F. Enterprise's Captain Marvel.
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Johnny Patches for the pieces.
(https://i.imgur.com/dIN0SpA.jpg)
Also really happy with this one, as I was going for the colors flowing into one another, like a lava lamp, swirling.
I will fill in the character backgrounds in follow up posts
Comments and feedback welcome.
Hey, great work, Doc! These are really interesting designs an some nice skins! I REALLY like the Kang-esq guy!
Great job on all 3 Doc, but I really like that Amazing Man. Really interesting concept there.
Excellent work! :blink:
Any guesses as to which public domain character I am interpreting here?
(https://i.imgur.com/1PPd2WD.jpg)
Background on Curiosity:
(https://i.imgur.com/dIN0SpA.jpg)
The Curiosity is a hero on earth during the Silver Age era, a member of the New Frontiersmen. Curiosity is the reluctant hero of the group, in that fire fighter Carmine Giordano had his consciousness trapped in an artificial life form. The being is made of a material termed "metaplasm" a transitional state of matter between solid mass and energy. To compare to standard chemical states of matter, if energy is likened to gas, and solid to solid, metaplasm is similar to liquid. Due to this Curiosity can change his form, stretching, growing, shrinking. He can also separate into multiple parts. When this occurs, the entity tends to make smaller replicants of himself, due to some pre-existing programming. This disturbs Giordano somewhat, so he tries to not do this type of of action. If he thinks about it, he launches a body part, most commonly a fist. He is hoping that the scientists on his team can figure out how to restore his consciousness to his body, so he can live a normal life. Until then, he sees acting as the Curiosity as being useful.
Thanks (again) to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Johnny Patches for the pieces.
Going by the theme you've been on, I'll say:
Spoiler
Zardi the Eternal Man
.
While I don't know, it's been fun to see how you update the characters and try to keep them tied to the originals. Kind of like the Silver or Bronze Age versions.
Quote from: Cyber Burn on June 06, 2018, 11:12:03 PM
Going by the theme you've been on, I'll say: Spoiler
Zardi the Eternal Man
Not a bad guess. That character is in progress. But this is not a Centaur charcter.
Quote from: daglob on June 06, 2018, 11:49:03 PM
While I don't know, it's been fun to see how you update the characters and try to keep them tied to the originals. Kind of like the Silver or Bronze Age versions.
I take this as high praise, because it is exactly the notion which I am using to design my characters.
(https://i.imgur.com/WMebvIW.jpg)
Based on public domain character: Stardust
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Stardust_the_Super_Wizard
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Vertex for the mesh and Grenadier, and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Stardust was a nearly omnipotent Golden Age character drawn by Fletcher Hanks for Fox. Hanks also created Fantomah. As far as I know, only Vigilante has skinned the original character (http://originalvigilante2.tripod.com/skins5.htm), and I based my skins flesh tone on that skin, as Vigiante made the costume a grey-brown, rather than a blue grey.
Though Stardust is not "exclusive" to the centauri Protectorate concept, I was using Kirby as inspiration for the redesign. Essentially, my thinking was: "How would Kirby make this character look if he were asked to revitalized the character in the 1970s?" This led my to create a design that wasbasically half way between Darksied and Dr. Manhattan. I used Vertex's vx Male_muscled_heels, because thad body has such an exaggerated chest, that I thought it reminded me of Hank's equally exaggerated style.
Background: stardust is a member of the god-like species called the Kirbians, a race that existed before the Big Bang, and has played a major role in shaping how life developed in the current universe. The Kirbians collected samples form all the species from various planets that showed signs of sentience, creating a number of systems where these species would live in close proximiaty to one another, and therefore compete for dominance. Humans were one of the Species collected, though it is unclear as to whether or not Earth was the original planet from which they came or a habitate created as a contol in the Kirbians' grand experiment. All of the great galactic multi-racial entities, such as the Centauri Protectorate developed as a result of the Kirbians's experimentation, and humans dominate at least 2, perhaps more.
Among the Kirbians, there is division and conflict. One sect are the Purists, who seek to allow the experiment to continue without any further contact from the Kirbians, so that they may see how the experiment will play out as the universe goes through its life cycle. They are in conflict with the Corrupters, who see themselves as gods, with the right to subjugate inferior species as they wish. The Corrupters have actually set themselves up as gods in several of the systems, both on the control planets, and in the experimental areas. The Purists response has been to destroy the corrupted systems completely. Stardust had been a Purist, but has in recent centuries come to question the validity of such an uncompromising stances. In the last Century, stardust has joined the smallest segment, the Moralists who seek to limit Kirbian contamination, but allow contaminated communities to continue to exist.
Stardust is a foundational character in my universe. The Kirbians are an homage to the Eternals/Deviants from Marvel, but also the Arisians and Eddorians from E.E. Smith's Lensmen series, which inspired the Silver Age Green Lantern. The Kirbians are also a nod to the chariot of the Gods, of course. Most of the superpowered characters, particularly on Earth are, as I envision it, descended from a Kirbian Corrupter when he/she were playing god on that planet. They also serve as an explanation as to why humans are found in places besides Earth.
(https://i.imgur.com/9SvKl9P.jpg)
Based on public domain character: Zardi the Eternal Man
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Zardi_the_Eternal_Man
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Renegade, Vandalar and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Background to Zardi the Eternal: Zardi the Eternal's origin goes back to the origins of the Protectorate. Before the defeat of the Empire in the First Great Imperial War, Zardi Zandipore was a common solider, who volunteered for service. He and two of his comrades were separated from their unit, and found themselves trapped in a vast, ancient outpost of a technologically advanced alien civilization, the Kirbians. The experience gave each different superhuman abilities, though all became essentially immortal. While one of Zardi's companions became able to transform into a being of energy (known as the Eye), and the other, Amin Jin, became super-humanly strong, fast and intelligent (taking on the code name Amazing Man), Zardi became endowed with psychic powers. Zardi is a powerful telepath, and has limited telekinetic abilities, though using those abilities taxes his energy. Zardi used his powers to catapult himself to the leadership of a Fascist-like movement, that rose up after the First Great Imperial War, the Guardians of the People. Through the use of his powers, his cunning and the profound sense of alienation in the Centauri empire after the war, Zardi was able to manuver himself into a position of leadership, ultimately dictator of the Empire, a position that he has had for over a century.
Keeping with the Kirby aesthetic I want for the broader concept, Zardi's outfit is based on Kirby's design for Virmin Vundabar of the New Gods.
Comments and feedback are welcome.
You've been doing a great job on these characters, Dr Challenger!
They all looks so interesting and I can definitely tell that you've been putting a lot of work into them.
Props, man! :thumbup:
Small update.
(https://i.imgur.com/Pvdp2x0.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/64XPcxg.jpg)
ESCHATON, THE AVATAR OF ETERNAL NIGHT (AKA NIGHT)
Inspired by the public domain character: Nightshade (Centaur)
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Nightshade_(Centaur)
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Renegade for the mesh and Texas Jack, Grenadier, Beyonder and Tommyboy for the pieces.
(https://i.imgur.com/a48Knt4.jpg)
sYNTHESIS THE ULTIMATE HYBRID.
Based on the public domain character: Dr. Synthe
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Dr._Synthe
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Tommyboy for the mesh and Grenadier for the pieces.
Background: Like Stardust, Eschaton is a member of the god-like species called the Kirbians, the race that existed before the Big Bang. Eschaton is aligned with the Corrupters, who see themselves as gods, with the right to subjugate inferior species as they wish. Eschaton attempted to garner power in the region of spacce now known as the Centauri Protectorate. He was opposed by Stardust, then a member of the Purist sect. While Stardust possess more power than Eschaton, the latter had created anumber of minions by activating the genetic potential f a few of his subjects. Stardust felt compelled to match Eschaton's stategy, leading to the creation of Synthesis, the ultimate Hybrid. Together, they were able to bring Eschaton's tyranny to an end, though at the cost of the seeming destruction of Synthesis.
This event gave rise to two of the major religions embraced by humans within the Centaui Protectorate, the Guardians against the Eternal Night (aka the Night watch) and the Solarians. The Night Watch worships Eschaton to prevent incurring his wrath, and his return, which will uncleash an apocalypse (by the way, the term "eschaton" is the Latin equivalent for apocalypse). The Solarians believe that Eschaton will inevitably return; they worship Stardust and Syntehsis, that the pair will return from the Devinity Matrix to defend mortal life from Eschaton's destructive agenda.
Within the Night watch is a secret cult that seeks to bring Eschaton back, and usher in the apocalypse. Recently member's of this cult uscceeded in bringing a being who bears a close resemblence to Eschaton into being. Whether this being is actually Eschaton or a the human subject whos was used as a sacrifice with his genetic potential unleashed is unclear. Thanks to the timely intervention of the Order Batallion, the being, codenamed Night. was taken into custody. There are members of the government that hope to use Night's power in the serivce of the Protectorate, however...
Design Notes: Eschaton/Night's design is inspired by Kirby's original design for the Golden Age Vision (Arkus), with elements form Tommyboy's Mr. Miracle mesh.. Special thanks to Random Days for importing the Modok mesh from one of the Marvel games; I cribbed the face from the standard skin from that mesh. Dr. Synthe usually appeared in a suit and tie, except for the story from which the picture in the linked article is taken. My design was insired by Dr. Synthe's "swimsuit" shown in the article. Much of the design recycles elements from Kirby's Ikarus, which I used for Solarman. The yellow chest piece was based on one of Kirby's Celestials, though I forget which one at the moment. I recycled the Ikarus elements to create a visual link between Syntesis, and Solaman, who belongs to the Solarian religion.
These are pretty cool looking, I especially like Eschaton.
Quote from: Podmark on June 11, 2018, 09:56:46 PM
These are pretty cool looking, I especially like Eschaton.
Thanks!
Another Centauri Protectorate concept in progress. One character, two looks. Any guesses?
(https://i.imgur.com/eifYmlX.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/t9ICBb9.jpg)
MAN OF WAR
Based on public domain character: Man of War
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Man_of_War
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Grenadier and Tommyboy for the pieces.
I will fill in the character background in follow up post
Comments and feedback welcome.
Your doing some fantastic stuff :thumbup:
Quote from: Podmark on June 11, 2018, 09:56:46 PM
These are pretty cool looking, I especially like Eschaton.
Quote from: deanjo2000 on June 22, 2018, 05:05:38 PM
Your doing some fantastic stuff :thumbup:
THANKS!
Going on vacation, so I will be away from the computer for a few days. Any guesses on these 2? FYI: One is NOT a Centaur character.
(https://i.imgur.com/C2WBc4F.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/xTuhjiZ.jpg)
Man of War is awesome, I mean, really awesome. The face work is fantastic, and that's an understatement.
As for your two new Characters, I would say that the one in Red could possibly be the Arrow, but the second one has me stumped. Beautiful work on both of them though. :thumbup:
I wonder if it's Saber.
Quote from: Cyber Burn on June 30, 2018, 04:22:46 PM
Man of War is awesome, I mean, really awesome. The face work is fantastic, and that's an understatement.
Thanks! I've been trying to give my characters different faces as much as possible. I remember the days when there was a lament about so many skinners relying on C6's bases, which essentially gave a lot of skins the same face. Not as much of an issue anymore, but I have tried to keep it in mind.
This one, and several other of my Centuri skins are photoskinned for the faces.
Background on Man of War
In the traditional/aristocratic Centuri military there are three tiers of ranks. The highest is the overall command tier, consisting of Masters of Combat, Masters of Battle, and the highest rank, Masters of War; this tier is dominated by aristocrats, though has been open to members from the middle classes since the First Great imperial War. The middle tier consists of field commanders, titled Leaders of Combat, Leaders of Battle, and Leaders of War; as with the overall command tier, this tier was traditionally reserved for aristocrats, but now is a mix of classes; humans of different racial stock have obtained field commander rank, but none higher than Leader of Battle; humanoid races are not eligible. The lowest tier is the rank and file (grunt soldier) tier, consisting of Men of Combat, Man of Battle and Men of War (making Men of War the near equivalent of a Sargent on Earth). Men of War are esteemed in the traditional military, as they often have direct combat experience; thus they have the traditional power to countermand orders of field commanders, particularly lower ranked officers, with little risk of court martial.
Mariz Arisin is the latest in a long line of rank and file tier soldiers, most of whom obtained the rank of Man of War. Arisin has, in fact risen to the rank of Challenger level Man of War (think: Master Sargent; also: the title Challenger is a hint to a major influence on the Order Battalion concept), and holds many records on the various field tests needed to obtain Challenger level status. Arisin is viewed by many in the Centuri military as a soldier's soldier, the epitome of courage, discipline, combat awareness, and skills needed in war. Because of his reputation, Arisin was tapped for the Order Battalion, taking his basic rank, Man of War, as his code name. When the Fantom and Agent Anonymous (to be shown later) mysteriously disappeared, Arisin was made field leader of the team, an promoted to Master Challenger Man of War, a title that has only been bestowed a handful of times in the history of the Centuri military.
Arisin is a modest man, who cares little for accolades. He is driven to be the best in order to ensure the safety of those in his command.
Quote from: Cyber Burn on June 30, 2018, 04:22:46 PM
As for your two new Characters, I would say that the one in Red could possibly be the Arrow, but the second one has me stumped. Beautiful work on both of them though. :thumbup:
We have a winner!
Huntsman, Master of the Order of the Arrow (AKA Huntmaster, Arrowmaster)
Based on public domain character: The Arrow
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Arrow
(https://i.imgur.com/C2WBc4F.jpg)
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Grenadier for the mesh and Grenadier, Vertex and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Bomin Palomar is the second son of an old aristocratic family in the Centuri Protectorate. As is common for aristocrats in his position, Palomar joined the Order of the Arrow, an aristocratic institution originally founded to preserve the skills of traditional hunting which were deemed essential to proper noble masculinity. As many members became officers in the imperial army prior to the First Great Imperial War, the Order was also seen as an important arena to develop skills for military leadership. Since the rise of the Protectorate under Zardi's Regerneration Movement, the Order has taken on more charitable purposes in order to emphasize aristocratic nobility as a polite but loyal counterbalance to what members see as the Regenerators' uncouth incivility.
As one of the oldest of his generation, Palomar was eligible to test for the position of Huntmaster, the titular head of the Order. Having qualified, Palomar now serves in the Order Battalion. The Order of the Arrow deemed it an essential demonstration of loyalty that its leaders participate in the Battalion's activities, where they also can also exert a moderating influence on the Protectorate's most public law enforcement agency. In this capacity, Palomar has grown to be a trusted friend of Man of War, the Battalion's field leader.
Like many Huntsmans, Palomar has as member of the humanoid-animalistic race known as Rodons serving him as tracker-batsman. Farit (to be shown later) is extremely loyal to Palomar, as both have saved each other's lives on several occasions.
(https://i.imgur.com/xTuhjiZ.jpg)
The Vagabond Prince
Based on public domain character: The Vagabond Prince
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Vagabond_Prince
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Grenadier for the mesh and Grenadier, Vertex and Tommyboy for the pieces.
I am not going to say too much about this character other than 1) in the Centuri Protectorate, he is an actual prince, 2) He is also a vagabond in a technical sense, 3) I have done an age flip on The Prince and his partner Chief Justice (in development) a la the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripsey, and 4) The Prince will be the leading figure in rag tag rebel band, know at the Vagrants (as in "The Vagabond Prince and the Vagrants." Catchy, huh?); all of the Vagrants are characters that Kirby actually developed (like the Prince) that are now in the public domain.
The Prince is an important character because his costume became the the inspiration for Man of War's and the Huntsman's designs.
I just gotta say that you have such a unique and interesting look with these characters. They are kind of like Flash Gordon meets Kirby, but with the gritty hyperrealism of Alex Ross. Really cool! :thumbup:
Quote from: detourne_me on July 07, 2018, 06:27:07 AM
I just gotta say that you have such a unique and interesting look with these characters. They are kind of like Flash Gordon meets Kirby...
Thanks for the kind words! When I decided to incorporate vagabond Prince into my Centauri Protectorate concept, the decision really kick started my imagination. That decision led me to try an infuse the whole concept with a Kirby aesthetic. I have spent a lot of time looking at Kirby design lately, especially those from his silver/bronze age sci-fi heavy concepts to get a handle on his design vocabulary. Huntsman, however, was more about taking the Arrow's original costume and tweaking it so that it could fit more or less seamlessly in the broader concept. The Huntsman costume is essentially the Vagabond Prince uniform in "fall foliage"/camouflage colors. Once I made that decision, that's when Prince Barin from Flash Gordon popped in my head, leading to the whole Order of the Arrow concept...
Quote from: detourne_me on July 07, 2018, 06:27:07 AM
... but with the gritty hyperrealism of Alex Ross. Really cool! :thumbup:
Again, kind words. I am not purposefully trying for realism. I just can't actually draw. Everything I am doing is relying on using others base skins and images from the internet, and all sorts of other short cuts to make up for my inability to create something out of nothing but lines and colors. Take Man or War's field pack, or the hand gun. Those are cobbled together from images of old technology, from old fuse boxes, to gauges, to stereo receivers in an effort to make something that has a passing resemblance to how Kirby drew equipment. If I could actually draw, it would probably look less "realistic."
(https://i.imgur.com/ybEpjTh.jpg)
Dark Prowler
Inspired by public domain character: Black Panther
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Panther
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Vertex, 3DMaster, Grenadier, Renegade (via Johnny Patches) and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Remember Countdown from a few pages back? This is his son and former sidekick (Buzz), grown up and with an identity to get him out of his father's shadow. As nobody has guessed it yet, another major influence on the concept was the Justice Machine series. In the back of my head, I always wanted to incorporate the original Demon costume into the reboot series Comico published. My thought was that the first costume was worn by the Demon's father, who also called himself the Demon, and who had served on an earlier iteration of the team. My idea that Countdown and Buzz were "tv heroes" before joining the Order Battalion recycles my backstory that I had concocted the Justice Machine to explain the two different versions of the Demon. So Dark Prowler plays a role similar to that of the Demon in the Order Battalion (the Team's resident arrogant jerk), a role which Wolverine played on the X-Men back in the day before he became "the best at what he does." Hence the Wolverine mask to replace the cat's ears of Centaur's Black Panther. The Black elements are pattern after Centaur's Panther costume, but are also supposed to evoke Countdown's cosutme as well. The whole costumes is intentionally derivative of other designs, suggesting the character lacks imagination.
Comments and feedback welcome.
Pressing on: My versions of the Vagabond Prince's companions, The Jester and Chief Justice, who are 2 members of my group the Vagrants.
(https://i.imgur.com/J9rC9xh.jpg)
Jastor Linkthorne
Inspired by public domain characters: The Jester (Harvey) and the Flying Fool (Hillman), both originally created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Jester_(Harvey)
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Flying_Fool_(Hillman)
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Grenadier, Texas Jack, Beyonder, and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Another credit note: The "padded" texture in the outfit was from City of Heroes. Some kind FR member made the costume generator resources from CoH available for use, but theire are no "read me" files in any ot e zips, so I cna't properly credit that person. Anybody remember who that was?
Jastor Linkthorne is the son of a close advisor to the Royal Imperial family, and therefore had close connections with the royal court. Linkthorne's ambition was to be a pilot, but his father disapproved, forcing him to pursue a career in Behaviorial studies and Management, so that he might follow the family tradition of advising the Royal family. Linkthorne served as tutor to the children of the Emperor, including the boy who would become the Vagabond Prince. However, Linkthorne's carousing with the Emperor's ne'er-do-well borther forced him out of the court, causing his father to disown him. Since then Linkthorne has pursued a living as a pilot operating in the grey market of the Centauri Protectorate.
Design notes: I amde Jastor into a little person, as a nod to the tradition of dwaves being used as Justers in Medieval European courts, and to the Kirby character Oberon. The character's personality is influenced by the characters Lando Calrissian (I used Billy Dee Williams for his face), and Tyrion Lannister (as portrayed by Peter Dinklage) from Game of Thrones.
Chief Justice (WIP)
(https://i.imgur.com/k7Wpn7n.jpg)
Based on public domain character: Chief Justice
http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Chief_Justice
Thanks to Grenadier for the mesh and Grenadier, Vertex, Gni, Beyonder, and Tommyboy for the pieces.
I will fill in the character background in follow up post
Comments and feedback welcome.
Chief Justice WIP 2
(https://i.imgur.com/Ex9zv3B.jpg)
Coming out of the shadows...
(https://i.imgur.com/VmBSbw1.jpg)
Part of a larger project. Details to follow.
Now THIS, makes me happy.
Welcome back, DC! That's a lovely skin. What's the character?
Quote from: Randomdays on October 23, 2021, 07:15:14 PM
Now THIS, makes me happy.
Thank you and I hope this update adds to that.
Quote from: BentonGrey on October 23, 2021, 07:57:38 PM
Welcome back, DC! That's a lovely skin. What's the character?
Thank you and ask and ye shall receive.
(https://i.imgur.com/suF4rIk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mNJXHZv.jpg)
Back after an absence. This skin is dedicated to DaGlob. The skope is dedicated to Cyber Burn. Two of the best of all. I will not claim to have been close to either, but their... departure... impacted me. I decided that the best way to honor their memories would be to shake off my lethargy. So that is what I am trying to here.
Lord Orlok
Inspired by public domain character: Count Orlok (from the film Nosferatu).
https://pdsh.fandom.com/wiki/Orlok
Thanks to Murs, Gryphon, Tomato, Courtnal6, DarkJered, and Zed for bases, Texas Jack for the mesh and Grenadier, Ink, and Tommyboy for the pieces.
Lord Orlok recasts the character as a vampire in the Centauri Protectorate, my imagined galactic empire with a Jack Kirby aesthetic.
The design with the helmet was the original inspiration. The design is based on Kirby's design for Mantis, who was conceived as an "energy vampire" (Kirby simplified the design a bit for the comics). This design serves as Orloks battle armor.
A word about the cape. Kirbys Mantis has this cape that attached at the arms and ankles. Dramatic looking but totally impractical in the real world. I think I came close using Inks Storm and Manta capes. The Manta cape distorts a bit, but in a way that works. I like how they form a bat wing like shape in the flight and hover animations.
The second look is supposed to be evocative of Orlok's original overcoat look from the film. The design is basically a recoloring of Kirby Ikarus design, but I like how it came out. It looks good with the cape too.
I would totally buy this as a Kirby energy vampire New God. This is cool!
This whole character universe you are creating is really fascinating! Keep it up!
That's awesome, DC! Thanks for sharing this.
Quote from: UnkoMan on December 27, 2021, 06:47:37 AM
I would totally buy this as a Kirby energy vampire New God. This is cool!
This whole character universe you are creating is really fascinating! Keep it up!
Quote from: BentonGrey on December 29, 2021, 01:39:01 AM
That's awesome, DC! Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you both!
Those skins look fantastic, I really like the face. Skoping wise, I really like what you got with the capes on the second one.
Any Chance these got releases I'd love to use them
same