Too Handsome For Prison

Iron Man

Auld Toun 10k

Ran the Dunfermline Auld Toun 10k last night and came in 199th in a time of 54mins15secs.

Last year I placed 278th with a time of 55mins26sec.

Next I have the 5k on Saturday afternoon!

Workload

Just a heads up as to what I am currently engaged with at the drawing board/pc.

• The Quintessence of Hate Part Two - lineart and letters (AA mag)
• Design and layout for AA mag
• Fall With Me - art, colours and letters  (all via Adobe Illustrator)
• Transformers Mosaic (two for Martin (Tronprogram) Fisher
• Ruined Empire Part Three - lineart and letters
• Miscellaneous illustrations for folks
• Super-secret project 1
• Super-secret project 2 

Rough Cuts

I’ve recently been trying something a little bit different using Adobe Illustrator. Crafting images without using black lines and instead using the colours and shapes as they are. I’d been inspired after seeing a Spider-Man 3 strip by Matt Wiley (check it out here).

I’ve started working off and on a small gif of one of the Kevin Maguire covers for the aborted original Emerald Twilight storyline in DC Comics Green Lantern.

Broken Circle - notes

The Mosaic piece was done a few months back now when I was struggling on another one, I was doodling on a bit of paper and it resulted in this.

The one-pager is a coda or sequel to A Savage Circle (which first appeared in Transformers #78 (US) and Transformers #327-328 (UK) and caps off the rivalry between Megatron and Ratchet that had been started back in Warrior School (as seen in Transformers #7 (US) and Transformers #26 (UK) before being reprinted in the first issue of IDW’s Transformers: Generations) and resurfaced when Simon Furman took over the reigns of the US title from longtime writer Bob Budiansky.

Now fans of the Marvel run will know that Megatron reappears in Transformers: Generation 2 but Ratchet just vanishes.  His last appearance being a small mention in Another Time and Place written by Simon Furman and appearing in the very last Transformers annual released by Marvel.

I’ve put Megatron in his natty Action Master getup in this one to signify some passage of time between A Savage Circle and Broken Circle.  

SEPARATION ANXIETY: INTERLUDE

“Much has been made over the years of the impact of Cybertronian lifeforms on the socio-political landscape of several galaxies. The near mythical status of Commander Jhiaxus (see Chapter Six) who served under the Liege Maximo (see Chapter Ten) thanks to the countless worlds which he expunged of life often sees him cited as the individual Cybertronian with the greatest impact. However, on actual territory claimed that honour goes to Shokaract, the Predacon warlord who rose to prominence c2400’s. Unlike Jhiaxus he did not feel the need to kill those who dwelled on the worlds his forces conquered. He was content merely to subjugate and rule over them. Were he to share the predilection of the late Commander I have no doubts he would be seen as the prime candidate.

As it was he still has a distinct place in the history of galactic politics. He was the last great potentate of Cybertron.”

Extract taken from “The Cosmology of Tyrants 5th edition by Professor Augustus J Thripwood published 3842 by Prydonian University Press.

Corumkan.

A city geared for war. However, no one being had ever dared assault this sprawling city-colossus since Shokaract had ordered it’s construction. It was the seat from which he had laid siege to star system after star system. It was also the most well defended location on Cybertron. Not even the New Ibex spaceport, which served as home to the planet’s impressive spacefleet could boast as formidable an array of defences. At Corumkan’s centre was the citadel of Shokaract. A massive spire which was for all intents and purposes the heart of Cybertron. All activities were routed through this monolith. Popular consensus was that the building’s foundations went straight down to the core of the planet.

Popular consensus was wrong. In actual fact the tower made it’s way through to the core of the planet and connected to the other side. This detail of the citadel’s construction was not made public knowledge. Like many rulers Shokaract was aware of the importance of controlling information. This meant that access to the city and the tower was not freely granted and even within the city, certain classes of individual had access to more areas than others. There was a waiting list for citizenship and outside some parts of the wall ramshackle settlements had sprung up as many sought the security of living near the gaze of the planet’s absolute ruler. Once an individual was accorded citizenship of Corumkan they were expected to remain within the city walls. Serving military and security personnel being the notable exceptions. This was not something that presented a problem to the populace. There really was no need to leave the city. Corumkan was the very model of opulence and every possible amenity was available. Once inside you could be forgiven for forgetting that it was the centre of the dominion of a galactic warlord.

As secure and foreboding as Corumkan was it paled when compared to the citadel itself. The citadel was not clad in overly baroque decoration and ominous architectural features. The citadel was the absolute height of functionality, almost every panel and conduit that was visible from the outside was coupled with a variety of weaponry ranging from very short-range anti-personnel devices to pulse cannons and many different and equally devastating armaments. But all of these were window dressing. The greatest weapon the citadel possessed was contained within and was situated on eight floors in the uppermost section of the building.

The uppermost levels of the citadel served as the nerve centre of Shokaract’s regime. From the day-to-day administration of Cybertron and the Empire, the official medianet and infocasts, to overseeing the various military campaigns being waged. Almost every room and antechamber was occupied with think tanks, military advisors as well as the scores of analysts hardwired into the central computer core pouring over every single facet of data received from over a million worlds in order to compile tactical analysis and reports for the command element. Rather than simply file these reports on the secure infonet and allow each ranking officer access to them, the information was relayed from the core to padd devices which were couriered by adjutants from the secure rooms to the relevant officers and returned. Even in his absence the policies of Shokaract were maintained, not that the general populace were aware of his current circumstances. As long as the way of life Shokaract had established continued there was no reason to suspect that he was indisposed. So few of the citizenry had actually seen him, as far as they knew he was either still within his tower or pressing forward on some unknown world far from Cybertron expanding the empire. His two Herald Centuro’s the female Antagony and her long time rival Cataclysm oversaw the Empire until such times as Shokaract resumed his seat of power.

Within Shokaract’s personal chambers Cataclysm and Antagony were seated at a large table and holding a regular strategy meeting, as often happened personal rivalries buried beneath the surface started to rear up and colour the discussion. At this exact moment the two of them were embroiled in an all too familiar discussion.

Cataclysm was once again trying to convince Antagony to abandon her loyalty to Shokaract in favour of them taking on full responsibility of overseeing this latest and most widespread of the Cybertronian Empires. “I fail to see your logic. We simply tell the citizens that our warlord has been injured and will not be able to rule and we can assume control with a minimum of fuss.”

Antagony could barely summon the energy to sound angry with him. In truth she was gravely disappointed. She had always known of Cataclysm’s ambitions, they had long been rivals for the favour of Shokaract and had indulged in several underhand and covert actions against each other. In the end she had won out and had assumed the status of Herald Centuro at their Lord’s side. Cataclysm although humbled seemed incapable of expunging his ambition for the greater glory. It would soon see him dead.

“Every time you give voice to your thoughts you illustrate perfectly why our Lord made me his right hand. The backbone of our empire is built on the fact that at it’s very centre is an indestructible warrior who has been touched by the dark god of our ancestors. To even come close to suggesting he is less than divine would see the seeds of rebellion sown in a thousand worlds overnight. We’d be fighting wars on every front - unacceptable”

She paused for a moment as she knew the information she was about to divulge would see Cataclysm humbled once more.

“Besides if you paid more attention to the progress reports from the physician who attends to his needs you would see that there is now evidence of mental activity in our lord.”

His optic apertures widened and the surprise triggered a small flare of light behind them. “He has awoken?!”

Antagony smiled and enjoyed the change in Cataclysm’s demeanour. He had overplayed his hand and was now doubtless worried as to whether or not she would divulge his treasonous outburst to the Dread Lord. He need not concern himself. Antagony was above such trivial and petty rivalries. While she could do little to conceal her distaste for the feline Predacon she respected his tactical ability and his battlefield prowess. Both of which served the Empire and as long as they continued to do so he would continue to live.

“Not yet, but soon so I suggest that we get back to matters at hand. Irrespective of how loyal we appear to have been if he finds that we have been derelict in any of our duties we will not be spared his wrath.”

Slowly regaining his composure Cataclysm fingered the remote padd in front of him as he brought up some tactical reports on the holo-emitter. “You have reviewed my reports on insurgents still active planetside?”

“I have indeed, suffice it to say I share your opinion. I do not think they represent any real threat to us and their continued activities allow us to keep the Planetary Defence Force sharp and the citizenry scared and willing to place their faith in us.”

“Agreed.”

Cataclysm took a moment to switch off the holo-emitter. The Predacon insignia replaced the tactical display before dissolving into the air. Antagony looked across at him and knew that this was not all he had to share with her. He looked at his hands for a moment before speaking.

“There is also some rumblings from our frontier worlds. Communications outages, shipping interrupted. Minor matters and not all of them able to be corroborated sufficiently to be included in my report but I felt them worthy of some attention.”

“Left unattended minor matters have a tendency to become larger affairs and much more difficult to control.”

Cataclysm was nonplussed. “I have already dispatched a ship to investigate and determine the source of it. If it turns out to be more of those ridiculous coalition forces I shall take personal control of the situation and see them broken and destroyed.”

He thumbed the padd once more and the display flickered and was replaced with some information pertaining to the former ruler of Cybertron and his attempts at marshalling a suitable force to oppose Shokaract’s armies.

“My concern is that this sort of activity is not really what the coalition forces have been engaged in. Their campaigns have had an air of a public relations exercise as much as an ongoing military campaign. They take great delight in ensuring every battle has as much exposure as possible.”

Antagony stared briefly at the facts and figures on Star Saber’sforces before looking once more at Cataclysm.

“True but their effectiveness has been…limited to say the least. It may be that those battles may have been an effort of misdirection on their part and they may be initiating an altogether more organised and cohesive campaign against our forces.”

Cataclysm nodded in assent. He thumbed a switch and the padd switched off. The meeting was to all intents and purposes over. “At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. It is just one more pitiful rebellion to put down. I suggest we look in on Shokaract before we continue with our duties.

Antagony stood up first and made for the exit as Cataclysm followed he paused for a moment after leaving the room long enough to return the padd towards the adjutant who had been standing outside the door since the meeting began.

“See to it this is returned and advise New Ibex that my cruiser should be crewed and ready for departure in two cycles.

“Sir.”

END INTERLUDE

Back from the Trenches

Well I’ve finished the two page Animated strip for Josh over on the IDW boards.  It’s currently with my good friend Graham Thomson to be coloured.

Some Days is a bit of a slog, I’m taking my time to make it look as good as possible and have redrawn a few panels a few times. Likenesses are a bitch sometimes.

In the meantime I’ve managed to rattle off a Mosaic piece all on my own called Broken Circle - I say all on my own I’m not colouring it, but I have done everything else.

Working on a few bits and bobs now and a friend and I are brainstorming a little something that is quite a departure from everything else I am working on. 

Well the Newcastle meet-up has come and gone.  A right good laugh was had all round.  Spent most of the time afterwards recuperating as I’ve over-indulged a little too much on the alcohol front.

 Tomorrow (or later tonight) I do page 2 of my Transformers: Animated comic for Josh (aka Richter on the IDW boards) and get back to Some Days.

Ruined Empire