Concept art from my new superhero comic

[Michael Anden]

Concept sequential page from my upcoming comic book series 'Gods'



Forcefield projector station within first layer of mountain fortress interior. Like this one a lot, but it's going to mean I have to step up my game with the design of the mountain fortress exterior...




Color study below of the summit of the villains' stratoscraping garrison, Point Forge.

[felneymike]

Looks cool, reminds me of the style of one of 2000AD's newer artists. His renditions of the Big Meg are always a sight to see!

[Michael Anden]

Thanks FM!

Another concept sequential page here...



Hyperion battlecruiser concept (side view)



Hyperion color study

[Michael Anden]

Battlelord 'Straaken'- alien warrior concept

Battlelord Straaken is the deposed king of his small, ocean storm-beset homeworld Thoron.

Having escaped the planet with Janrak, the last of his otherwise massacred line, he contends with Ryzar that he will do anything to regain his throne and rain vengeance on those who conspired to usurp him.

Straaken demonstrates that he walks the talk by acceding to the dark god's request that he devour Janrak alive right there and then.

Naturally, like most of Ryzar's devoted legions, Straaken remains far too self-involved to realise the full implication of his master's goal to part all who live from their every last flicker of volition.


"Hell's he looking at us like that?"
"Ain't me he's looking at... sorry, Dyler- you're on your own!"

[Marionette]

I find the colouring rather overpowers the basic drawing in the two pages shown, particularly the first one. It's all very much of the same tone, so I bet if you looked at it in black and white half the page would disappear. And both pages are incredibly busy everywhere. That and the lack of tonal range make it difficult to work out what you are looking at. It's not as if all the detail actually adds anything since everything appears to be made of play-doh. For images so entirely obsessed with filling every square millimetre, you'd think something supposed to be composed of, say, metal would have a different texture from something made of cloth. And one that looked like metal.

Also, the pose of the woman in the last panel of the first page, where she is grasping the shoulder of the woman behind her while facing away from her - If it's not physically impossible to do, I bet it would be very uncomfortable. But my main quibble is simply that it is not a gesture that any actual person would ever make. Go on, try it.

[Michael Anden]

Dear Marionette,

Thank you so much for your precious tips.

[Michael Anden]

Looks cool, reminds me of the style of one of 2000AD's newer artists. His renditions of the Big Meg are always a sight to see!

Thanks felneymike, glad you like it. Ironic about what it reminds you of- given that I've been doing these partly because I've feeling lately there's something missing from 2000AD artwise!

[Michael Anden]

Final design and four prelim roughs for the Jackal tank bikes that will feature in the second part of the Gods British comic book trilogy. These all-terrain attack vehicles feature two elongated, tilting treads that sprout climbing crampons, enabling their riders to storm even the sheer cliffs of the titan enemy mountain 'Ryzar'.

"They'll get you where you need to go, alright. What'll be left of you, anyhow."

[Robbie Moubert]

I find myself largely in agreement with Marionette.

[Michael Anden]

That's ok, Robbie- much the same as 60s girls' comics aren't largely my thing, either.

[Michael Anden]

Major Cade Cyger character concept (revised from the tan jacket number)

"Wait!! You'll wake the dale guardian!"

[Michael Anden]

Concept sketch of Sergeant Daniel Foley.



"Jonesy!! Two on the pipe- lock it up!!"

[Marionette]

That's ok, Robbie- much the same as 60s girls' comics aren't largely my thing, either.

If all you want is people telling you how nice your stuff is, show it to your mother. I was trying to be helpful. As far as I can tell from what you've shown here, all you're doing is copying 2000AD in the most generic, superficial way, even down to the layout and fonts. Unless your strategy is to produce a comic called 2000ADD and hope people mistake it for the real thing, you might consider trying something a little more original.

And hand drawn logos in 2014? That's just adorable.

[Michael Anden]

I guess my work certainly can't hold a candle to that riveting blog of yours.

[Shiner]

Michael, it's always more gracious to take the criticism and use it rather than throw it back. I wish you every success with this venture.