TF Comic Collaboration

[Verno]

(I thought I'd already posted this here, but apparently I'm quite wrong :rolleyes:)

I'm looking for Artists!

As some of you know I've been finishing off my TransWarp story, and have now adapted the Csirac portion of it into a 4 Issue Comic Book series.

I want to make the 1st Issue a reality.

But I can't draw for slag, so I need some help.

I've put the call out (and thought I'd done so here as well) for Artists willing to come on board and offer their services. I've approached 60 or so on deviantART, and from that 60, 1 has actually agreed to come on board! And he's an Aussie!

For those that remember the good old TAAU days, he went by the name of Ravage, but now he goes by Channandeller (http://channandeller.deviantart.com) on deviantART. I suggest you check out his work - it's incredible!

Of the 22 pages of the 1st issue, he's agreed to draw 4 (when he has time of course), which leaves 18 pages still to be filled.

Are anymore of our local artists willing to come on board and help produce, what is still, a 100% Australia produced Transformers Comic.

A little fact about Csirac - Csirac was actually the name of Australia's first Computer, built by the CSIRO, so even the lead character is Australian! (Sort of)

I'd love to hear from you if you're interested and get the project rocking!

The scripts for all 4 Issues can be found on MY deviantART Page (http://rh1n0x.deviantart.com/gallery/36786770). As I said, have a read, some of you might already be familiar with the story. For those that aren't, it's the end of the Great War - a pretty turbulent time.

I hope to hear from some of you soon!

Cheers,
-Verno.

[Sam]

Hi, I'd just like to ask if there is a tight deadline for your comic?

At the moment with work and looking after a new baby, I don't have much time for anything else (logging onto this forum uses most of my spare time).

If time frame is not an issue, then I would be happy to help.

Just FYI, here are some other things I'd raise for your consideration:

1. I have no access to A3 comic paper. Don't have a big enough table. I only draw on A4 size. So this means I can't squeeze as many details into each page as I can if done on A3.
2. I can't ink (tracing line art with Manga PITT pens is not inking).
3. I can't colour.
4. I have absolutely no idea of what your characters should look like. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Hi, I'd just like to ask if there is a tight deadline for your comic?

At the moment with work and looking after a new baby, I don't have much time for anything else (logging onto this forum uses most of my spare time).

If time frame is not an issue, then I would be happy to help.
^This.

I don't mind helping out, but I also have work and family commitments. So yeah, if time/deadlines aren't an issue for you, I can help. :)


1. I have no access to A3 comic paper. Don't have a big enough table. I only draw on A4 size. So this means I can't squeeze as many details into each page as I can if done on A3.
Ditto.

2. I can't ink (tracing line art with Manga PITT pens is not inking).
I can ink... but it would be more time consuming.


3. I can't colour.
^Ditto!!


4. I have absolutely no idea of what your characters should look like. :)
Yeah, I was thinking about this. Could you draw some rough sketches of how you'd like your characters to look like? Then maybe someone else can tweak them and make some character models for you and other artists can use them (I'll do it for you if you like)... artists don't have to draw in my 'style,' but they can at least use the same models... similar to how many Western G1 artists worked off Floro Dery's model sheets, yet we did see a diversity in artistic styles. :) Don't forget to draw images of your characters in robot and alt mode.

-----------------------

Here are some samples to see if you'd be happy with my style of drawing for your comic or not....

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/art/fanart_bwpowerpinch.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/art/fanart_tmairazor.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/art/fanart_convobatmegalligator.jpg

[Verno]

G'Day Boys,

I've been writing this story for 5 years. Deadline?! :confused::p

Ravage is in the same boat with his other commitments, his work won't be quickly forthcoming. So no, no deadline in mind. Let's just say 2015 for the sake of a date.

1. I don't mind if it's drawn on cafe napkins. Any medium is welcome. At the end of the day it's got to be scanned in to a computer and compiled anyway, so the paper and size doesn't matter. I've even been approaching 3D artists.

2. An Inker might be found later if necessary.

3. Same as the Inker.

4. Don't sweat, I don't know what they look like either :P

Ravage called dibs on Scenes 2 and 5, so he's going to be setting the early models for Csirac, Cybertronian Rhinox, Pre-Combiner Magmatron and assorted random Predacons. These can then be copied and interpreted by others.

The only other characters to appear in Issue #1 are TM Optimus Primal, TM Rattrap, Rhinox (we know how they look) and Taranachus (Cybertronian Autobot-sized Tarantulas {I was thinking a spindly purple figure}. Other than that it's generic Autobots and Maximals in the background. So the creativity is there to be exercised by the artists.

So really the hard work of designing characters to be imitated is being done by Ravage. Taranachus is really the only character who needs designing. For some reason I have a (as I said) a spindly purple figure in mind, kind of like TF:Prime Soundwave, but a bit more creepy.

Hope that helps lads, and others reading!

[Deonasis]

This is a cool project Verno :cool: I would look up some TF:Mosaic artists to ask if you haven't tried them already.

[Verno]

This is a cool project Verno :cool: I would look up some TF:Mosaic artists to ask if you haven't tried them already.

They were my first port of call, but none have come forward as interested, or are too busy with prior commitments to take on any other work atm.

I also tried the 'Lost Seasons' and 'Seeds of Deception' guys, but no go.

I can only imagine that they all had similar teething problems in getting their projects off the ground to begin with.

But I'll persevere.

[Sam]

I had a quick browse of your script, I can do pages 5 to 9, inclusive.

Because I have not drawn any Beast Wars / TM characters before, it may take me a while to work out a style I'm comfortable with.

I'll send you a couple of test shots when I have time. Depending on whether you find an inker and colourist, I could look at trying shading with pencils for some depth.

Because I don't have any Beast Wars toys, I only have online galleries such as these: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/toys/beast-wars-metals/optimus-primal/455/

for reference. If you know of sites with higher resolution images, please send me some links.

[Verno]

Sweet as Man! Welcome aboard!

Chanandeller has already put dibs on pages 7, 8 and 9, so don't worry about those. But feel free to have a crack at some more of the earlier pages in the BW flashback (flashforward?)

[Sam]

So are pages 1 to 4 taken? If not, I might try those instead.

[Verno]

So are pages 1 to 4 taken? If not, I might try those instead.

They're all yours.

You're a brave man - taking on the only Beast Wars section of a die-hard BW fan's comic :p I'm sure it'll come out great though!

[Verno]

Here's the Script we'll be working with.

TransWarp: Csirac Issue #1 Final Script (http://rh1n0x.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d5056hv)

Reading over the script again (in the context that I'm hoping that it is liked by the fandom and other artists will want to come on board to help create the remaining Issues) I decided it was a bit boring, so I've compressed a couple of scenes and added an extra one at the end.

The opening scene with Primal, Rattrap and Rhinox was originally 6 pages, but I'm confident the details will be easily covered in 4.

The countdown was to be 7 pages, which an awful lot of a comic, so I've shortened it to five, which is still a lot but there is method to my madness.

You see, I want the (spoilers alert) TransWarp explosion after a page turn, ie, on an even numbered page, sort of like a mini-reveal. If it's on an odd numbered page, it's already been revealed. Does that make sense?

And I've added what was the first scene of Issue #2 to the end of Issue #1, to add a bit more suspense, and get some dialogue from Silverbolt and Razorclaw, some old G1 favourites which might raise some interest with fans.

Everyone is free to have a read! I'd love some feedback, especially from comic book fans, as I'm somewhat in over my head here as I'm not well versed in Comic book formatting and such.

[liegeprime]

That's a nice script Verno.... best of luck Sam! :)

[Paulbot]

Now I didn't actually read this too closely, but I wondered if you have tried storyboarding these pages like you did with your spotlight.

It does seem like you're going for few panels and speech bubbles per page which does put quite a lot more emphasis on the artist. Like page 14 to 16 for instance only have two panels each, which will dillute the big full page moment on page 17. You probably should aim for a minimum of 3 rows of panels per page (even if it's only one panel a row) so that big moments that "break the grid" stand out more.

[Verno]

Cheers Liege :cool:

A minimum of 3 panels per page, that's probably good advice. I get what you mean about making 17 a bigger moment then.

I was going to try and avoid story-boarding if I could as I've been doing most of it in my head. But I guess a few rough ideas jotted down wouldn't hurt. I didn't want to impinge on the artists creativity, but I'm making them do all the work with no guidance.

Cheers again Paul ;)

[Paulbot]

It can be a balancing act, and you don't need to give the artists storyboards. In fact you don't even need to say Panel 1 Panel 2. Maybe give them a bit more freedom by just explaing the key things you want to happen on each page and let them work how to do it. Kind of what's called the Marvel-method - where the writer does the plot, the artist draws, and the writer puts in the words that fit (they may not do that much anymore, but in the 60s and 70s it was very common).

Take page one, here's a take on your description that different artists could illustrate in many ways.


Page 1:

It's just after Coming of the Fuzors part 2 aboard the Axalon with Optimus Primal and Rhinox. Primal is still getting used to his new Transmetal form. Rhinox shows Optimus the device that was used to collect his spark, it's within a large chamber in the ship. Rattrap is present too (Transmetal form too) but we only notice him when appears and makes a snide remark to which Optimus tells him (friendly/angrily) to shut up.

You can include the dialogue too or if you're willing to be flexible with it, leave it out and fit it in once you see the art. Someone could make that a splash page, someone might make it a grid of 16 panels. It's more flexible.

[Verno]

... Much to learn I still have.