Update 10: The Review Part 4: The Last Combaticon

This took a bit longer 'cause it was effects heavy. Yes, my review of the last Combaticon was effects heavy. It is also VERY talky at points...

Remember that light on Swindle's arm when he was appraising Red Lion? Yeah, probably not... It comes into play NOW!
Also, there's a surprise in the last panel... Might be 2, depending on what you were expecting...

Enjoy:

Update 10: The Review Part 4: The Last Combaticon

















































Sorry my Voltron Force looks like they belong in South Park. That's the best I can do for drawing faces on my computer. But hey, it works.

Please let me know what you think of the schematic I made for the Lion... It is part of what took so long...

 

Very interesting. Starscream wants the Lions' power source. Can't wait to see if he will succeed in that endeavor.  

Your lion schematic looks pretty decent.  

 

Nice integration of review/story going on here. So Screamer wants the lions power huh? The schematic was pretty good. I loved the south park faces.....you should keep them that way. And cyclonus coming out of the cr tank was nice too. Man, I didn't realize how much of a backpack munitioner had.

Hey, I forget what they were supposed to say sometimes even when I do start editing right after shooting.

yeah.

Well at the time it made sense. I was mostly just messing around with the comic. I had no idea what it would grow into. At the time there was no story planned at all, and I was just ripping off a movie scene. I need a tf who ran a weapon's shop, so swindle it was.

Let's just say when marty does return to the past, he will probably show up. I don't know for sure where the story is going after the two arcs I'm working on now, but I thought about having it go back in time...to the "first season" of my comic. Sorta a back to the future two scenario where there would be two of everyone walking around.

That's how I discovered it. I am at a point now where whenever I get a new toy, check the tfwiki article for it, as they tend to list things not in the instructions.

Yeah. It helped that I had that part pretty much down when I started.

I wish I had never started lol. It is a chore. I think I'm done with a panel, then I have to go in and make a face. But it's kinda my trademark now, so I'm not stopping.

Yeah.

Maybee I'll finally get around to counting them when We convert the toyroom to the baby room.

Yeah. But I guess we got some good screen accuracy last go-round.

Yeah ultimate prime stupid and expensive. I Need sentinal, and shockwave. I wasn't gonna get the megatron, but i kinda want to check it out. The idea of an integrated trailer that still can pivot yet stay connected to transform is intriguing to me

Legends devastator is they way to go! A few of the individual robot modes suffer, but overall he is an awesome little combiner.

Meh...pass. Cannon bee isn't worth the time. They sacrificed so much to have the cannons. Not only is his chest one solid peice-it barely stays tabbed into place like it is supposed to.

Well, he is definiteley Transmetal in design, but I consider him his own thing. Due to how he got that body.

Yeah. It would be an easy way to fill out a battle.

Yeah, but even if you had cash, it still is a headache to even find these guys right now.

 

I had always intended the review to set up the story. One of the Decepticons' usual goals is to get enough power to control Cybertron, & ultimately the whole universe... Or in this case, the entire Multiverse, since they are aware there's more than just their Alternity. There's no point not to use that in my comic. & what kind of Decepticon wouldn't want a power source that appears to be self-sustaining? They see it as a perpetual energy source. It's the perfect thing to make the plot of my comic revolve around! I didn't intend when I started to take 10 updates before I revealed the true plot, or show Voltron, but that's what happens when you reorder something when you're tired of waiting & an impromptu battle breaks out...

& I'm glad you liked the schematic. It took quite a while to do... & I had wanted to do more, thinner lines, but the way I was going about it, applying the lines on a layer over the Lion, the lines were hard to see, so I had to opt for fewer & thicker...

Did either of you catch that Swindle was scanning Red Lion in that panel in the previous update? I put a glowing light there to see who'd ask about it... Noone did...

I actually made the file for the Voltron Force before I even started my comic. It just isn't right for them not to be in it... There are a few things I have planned for that group pentagon (taken from the show)... But it might be a bit before I work them in... Though, it's possible the next update, Bruticus, finally, could present oppertunities to get some of them in... Plus, how could I recreate the Lion Launch Sequences or Voltron's Transformation Sequence w/o having some kind of stand in for the Force?

I had originally planned to show him being dropped into the CR Tank, but I think I cut it for 2 reasons: Panel count & not being sure I'd get it to look right. But I need everyone active for the last panel of the Review, & it set up the running gag a few panels later nicely. He REALLY doesn't like waking up in the CR Tank... Almost as much as Waspinator hates it...

Yeah, it is a really big backpack, but FP handled it well. Helps that it is G1 accurate. Lots of people seem to forget about the heel spurs; they do help. If you didn't notice during some of the panels, his gun is often tucked into the backpack (the rear wheel wells). It just sits there loose, but it works to get his hands free w/o resorting to Hammerspace everytime.

I don't know where mine's going, but the ideas I have set it up to be massive... Which shows early as I'm going to be reactivating a long lost Multiversal Singularity after the Review is over & Chapter 2 begins.

Right now, I've just got a rough outline for everyone to get to Planet Arus by the 2nd or 3rd update of Chapter 2. I've also thought up another sell for Swindle to someone else, since I need a stand in for a certain entity...

I probably found it from Scourge's page too... I can't remember... I'm an engineer at heart, so I work out the missing steps on my own... Or in some cases make things up. Linking Leobreaker to Megatron was a task though, w/ practically nothing but the connection ports to go by.

I actually have emotion layers for my Voltron Force made, so I don't have to worry about having to redo common faces every time. I had always intended to keep them around since I took the time to make them, South Park-looking or not.

Only if you make the decision to before you start. Otherwise you'll move them to another form of storage & forget to. That happened to me a few years ago, when I was making preparations incase we moved.

Yeah, but they could've simplified some of the transformations w/o cutting back on the details...

...but Prime w/ a Trailer deserves a better looking toy... & I'm not too keen on his "Faerie wings" either. & it's Meg's trailer engineering that's got me interested too... I wonder if the trailer is permanently attached or if it can seperate?

That's always been true of Combiners. At least those at that size... It's still sad that's the best we got for him though...

Guess it's a good thing I have a "no near identical figures" rule then... I had a feeling something was amiss w/ it.

Well, he did originate from a TransMetal, which I take as having something to do w/ it. He isn't a TransMetal 2... An argument could be made for him being a hybrid between TM1 & 2 though.

Assuming it's easy to cut him out... Some toys are easier to follow the outline for than others.

That is nearly always the case here. We're hit & miss about what waves we get... Sometimes we get the first release, sometimes are missed all together. I have eyes out for a certain 3 though... Now to get the cash for them...

 

I've just shot my next update... A few pics are a bit iffy... Hopefully I won't need to reshoot... as that would require repositioning just about everyone... The important shots look clear, so I may just run w/ what I have... A couple of the blurry ones should be passable.

As promised, this update reviews Bruticus, & gets the 'Cons headed towards Cybertron, & ultimately Planet Arus, by the end... But there are a lot of composite/ effects panels to edit (a few effects so new that they need to be created them from scratch), so it may take me another day or 2 to get it posted, if my head cooperates (the last couple days it wasn't, but might be fine now).

 

Yeah, I can see why Screamer would want the power scource.

I have a few "cartoon" pictures I made like that. Drawing over a picture on a new layer and then coloring it later. Very headache inducing and time consuming

Nope, at the time, I missed it.
.

Good plan. I like it. Yeah, it would be really hard to properly do voltron without the team in there.

Lol Sounds like he may have to get used to it.

Interesting. There arn't they many universal singularities out there. You have gotten my attention.

A stand-in huh? For my comic I have a rough idea of what the next two or three will be, and I have the eventual end planned out, but I don't know what is gonna happen in between.

Yeah, but tf wiki is also good for learning about assembly errors. I learned about and fixed my re-issue g1 rodimus prime and classics megatron from the two pack thanks to that.

Hmm. Having an emotion layer saved is probably a really good plan.

Yeah. That's the issue of it. I'm going to have to force myself to do it I think.

Yeah, that's true.

Yeah. it's an easy pass for me.

I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure it is permanently attached.

Yeah. I'm just glad he came out here, otherwise I would not have been able to get him.

Yeah, you can't do much with him. Maybe it's just mine, but the chest just won't ever stay in place. The new arms are more accurate..but the open hands and weird posing of them ruin that aspect as well.

Yeah. To this day I think it's funny they managed to go an entire season and only show his beast mode once.

Yeah, that's true, but he's predominantly white, so if you photographed him and a darker background it might be easier to chop out.

Well, around here I still haven't found anything since that random 1 kup and 1 scourge.

 

1/2 the update has been 'shopped. But there are still some effects in the 2nd half, so I'm not sure if it will be up tonight overnight or not.

*edit* The Update has been completed, but my headache is acting up, so I'll post it as soon as I can... Though that may not be until I get back up tonight.

It'd've been harder to explain why he wouldn't want it. Every Decepticon, in every continuity, even Shattered Glass (though they'd probably negotiate for it), would want an infinite energy source. The questions are: is it what the scans say, & is it compatible w/ TransFormer tech or Energon? The second question will partially, but not entirely, be answered before the AEG get to Planet Arus.

Coloring it would've been easier. I could just outline each part & do a color fill (or color fill the whole body, or by color)... Here I had to esitmate where lines were on the unseen sides, as well as where corners were supposed to be on a mostly single color object. I cheated on the head, as it's too small to see... but I also added the pilot's seat, in the cockpit, which is probably also to small to see.

Had it not eaten so much of my computer use time, before my head injury complains, I'd've made the legs 3D as well...

I think if the Decepticons get another scan of a Lion, I think I'll try Pidge's, & see if circles are easier to group together small...

I have a feeling NO ONE noticed there was a light on Swindle's arm in that panel... There are also components of the review that will come into play on Planet Arus, sooner or later... I'm debating having someone new explain some & why soon or not... This part you should be able to guess...

One of the few totally planned parts of my comic actual could've been modified to explain Voltron as a robot, w/o pilots, but what's the fun in that? Plus, I'd have to change the legend w/o the team. There's a continuity gag coming up involving the Legend in the update AFTER the review... Might push it back one more depending on panel count.

Well, really, any 'Con can fall victim to quoting Megatron/ Galvatron (litterally, anything Megatron ever said ticks him off; anything!)... But Cyclonus isn't as careful w/ what he says as the others, & tends to wake up in the CR Tank as often as Waspinator did. I actually went online & found sites that listed TransFormers' quotes & copied Megatron's & Galvatron's... Strangely, "Transform & rise up" was on neither...

Well, this is one that has been used before. I had a feeling he may have been, & posted I was searching for him... Luckily, the guy who made him has him dormant for so long, I don't have to worry about his earlier characterization or life, as he's totally forgotten it. Though, being who he is that's odd, so I had to come up w/ a viable excuse for it...

There's an entity I don't have that I'm going to have to make a substitution, & drawing it in wouldn't look right. I think I know what I'm going to use... Another reason to keep Swindle around.

I just gave someone comic making/ starting advice on needing a general direction, basic rules for the Alternity & personalities for the TransFormers, & planning a little ahead... I also passed on a few tips I was given that I didn't totally use, like planning several updates ahead before starting.

I've worked out my own assembly errors on a small number of things I have. A KO Vehicle Voltron I found at a Toys R Us had a piece on backwards. I've also had to disassemble TransMetal Megatron's (who has since had an arm/ shoulder break, making him pretty much useless) groin & realign the ratcheting gearing for his hip.

I was experimenting using Gimp while I waited for permission to do the ACO reveiw I still haven't received, & after I got a head made, cloned & appropriately resized, & the faces added I decided to play w/ using Layers & did a few easy to know they're going to be needed expressions: @.@ >.< closed mouth & a few others. I even have a blank ready to be cloned as I need more.

This will only be the 3rd Optimus I'll've passed up a representation of: Energon, for obvious reasons, Classics 'cause I didn't know FansProject existed & was going to make a trailer for him (it isn't G1 Op w/o his trailer & Roller), & now DotM Prime. & it isn't just the ugly combination w/ the trailer: his forarms & abs look messed up too. Seriously, they could've found a place for the front wheels... The first movie did a better job!

I don't have every Optimus made, just representations from nearly every series: MP, G2, RiD, Armada, Cybertron, & 2 from the movies... & 2 Primals. & since I have so many, but not from the lines I'm using, they're the Council of Primes, the leading body of the collective Autobots. I'm still trying to determine if I want to go a particular direction w/ them or not.

I don't know for sure either, that's why I'm speculating. I assume it is, but it'd be impressive if it could be detached.

I ran out of money before he came out.  

The first Concept mold was done so well, why do they always go backwards on the engineering? I hear Battleblades is really good, but I don't really see that many differences w/ the first Concept mold, aside from the blades.

I hope to be able to show in a few updates why Movie Cliffjumper is around... & I think I just came up w/ how... I had wanted to show it on the way to the Review, but that'd've required an ambush, rather than Straxus being run down again, & I figured a laugh would be better. An ambush was expected I think. I know Hot Rod expected one. Now the question is lighting, as who he'll be chasing is supposed to be a shadowy figure for a few more updates...

Well, he did have 4 modes. They went an ENTIRE season (the same one) w/o showing Rhinox in beast mode at all. I think by 3 they were focusing so much on plot elements, some of the extras, like showing everyone in every mode, were omitted for time to tell the story: which was the strength of Beast Wars, the toys weren't the focus of the staff making the show.  

At least you got them.

Now to eat, then hopefully get to finishing editing this update.

 

Update 11: The Review Part 5: Bruticus!

Update 11: The Review Part 5: Bruticus!

















































Well, this is the last Update of Chapter 1. I hope you enjoyed it. There were a LOT of effects this update... I litterally used everything I've learned or worked out on my own so far, plus experimented w/ Lens Flares & made a few new effects.

I'd appreciate feedback on this update. Particularly if I need to tweek any of the effects.

Note 1: The panel w/ all the weapons fire, Bruticus is balancing on one leg! I did not shop that. It's hard to see, but he's supposed to be kicking Hot Rod into Jazz. It would appear that how I made that panel is how I'll probably do large battles, so let me know how I did.

Note 2: Rhinox555 first posted about the Antimaterial Riffle fitting on the tab for the Combat Knife on the wrist armor. It will only fit on the outside, but the longer fold out barrel can still flip out, so Bruticus CAN wield all the weapons at once. In the panel where it looks like he did, the only weapons not used were the Antimaterial Riffle, the "armpit missiles", the toe missiles on Swindle's foot (the other foot's is responsible for all the smoke), Onslaught's knee pad missiles, his Finger-cannons, & one Shotgun as he was holding Megatron.... I even had Swindle's gun shoot someone! That is a LOT of weaponry to unload like he did. This Bruticus isn't stupid; he's a military genius.

Note 3: For those unfamiliar w/ Voltron's many attacks/ powers, Blazing Sword is essentially his finisher, & that is how he summons it. Few Robeasts were taken out w/ anything else. The Lion Torches are also one of his stock attacks... He has MANY others, & I hope to cover most of them in time.

Note 4: That panel where parts of Bruticus are glowing (only the FansProject Bruticus parts) is meant to represent him shunting all his extra stuff to Hammerspace/Subspace/ TransWarp as he seperates, so they don't take up so much space inside Astrotrain.

I'm rather happy w/ most of the effects I managed to pull off this update... Had hoped to get the Blazing Sword to glow more, though... Might try the Lens Flare trick I just worked out for Bruticus for it next time. I also got Drift's missiles close to how I want them. ^_^

Question: I only have parts of Chapter 2 planned out, & I was wondering if you guys would prefer I cut Cybertron short & get straight to Planet Arus, or would you rather I spend a few updates on Cybertron, showing who's up there? Though, I have no sets.

Also, I want to be clear that both Cybertron & Planet Arus are both other planets in my Alternity, requiring actual space travel. & that these are TOYS, capable of interplanetary travel. I have an explanation for how they can... & I think it's a pretty good one...

 

 

Very interesting.


To answer your question, I think it would be neat to see Cybertron first -- if only briefly -- before Arus.

 

Nice, all-out battle. Man, Bruticus has a lot of weapons. Drift's missiles are starting to look real good here. Love the shot of everyone boarding astrotrain.. The blazing sword formation is pretty good. The second image in the sequence doesn't seem to glow as much though. Maybee try putting a lighter color, if not white through the center of the effect?

Yeah, it's pretty small to make out the details of the cockpit, still pretty awesome though.

Hey, it works.

Might be worth a shot.

Yeah. Voltron works much better with the team there.

Well, I'm, not sure, but wasn't "transform and rise up" a "newer" quote?

I have no clue who this could be..

well, I really didn't start planning more than one update a a head until about a month or two into it. It shows when you read my early stuff.
Quote:

Dang that sucks. He really needs a new toy that doesn't suffer from gps.

good plan.

Yeah the wheels on the arms are the main killer of it for me.

hmm, maybee just have them show up for their scene, that way they are there if you do think of something for them. or they could just stay a one shot, depending on how the story unfolds.

Yeah, it would.

I lucked out with him. I found him randomly at a far away walmart i usually never go to. Never saw it again. Of course, now i see the tru green one all the time.

There are actually a lot of differences on battle blades. He is slightly bigger in car mode. His transformation follows human allinace style. The main thing besides the mask and weapons are that the whole car roof now goes on his back, the front wheels fold out on their own-instead of being part of the doors, And the new chest area of course. I like the way it folds, but i hate how much car hood is left around his head and shoulders...i think the first camoro mold got it better.

Yeah, just one of the reasons that show was so awesome.

 

Thanks. It wasn't easy to do... Luckily I had the foresight to put each sides' laser blasts (actually used 2 for the Autobots) on differnet layers. The next time Bruticus & Voltron battle, there won't be such a hasty retreat! & I was being a bit misleading earlier when I said I hadn't decided if he'd go berserk or not (not sure if that was this thread, or the FFC Group), as I knew all along he wouldn't go berserk, due to the shared experience of the Combaticons (I never understood why he was dumb, when he was comprised of 3 geniuses, a Con Artist/ weapons specialist, & a berserker): they're a military unit, they work well together, so that should carry over when they share a mind...

Yes, yes he does! & I hope I got the point across that that is an EXTREMELY deadly thing. I'm still debating how badly damaged some characters are... Though, since Hoist was hit practically point blank by Megatron, he was not only knocked off the Wood Plataue, but severely damaged. He ISN'T going to Planet Arus... Everyone is glad Megatron isn't leading the Classics Decepticons. (I didn't like that he was a Nerf Gun for Classics)

Some of the distortion in them was that I blew them up from a pick of Drift, rather than taking a tight shot of the missile section to use. I have a feeling that if I do it this way, I'll nail them! Shrinking them will look better than enlarging that much.

I had that bit partly planned. Wish I had a better pic of Astrotrain to use... But I put Astrotrain in the same shot of the Combaticons boarding, so I had them oriented the same way, so it'd look right. & I kinda made a "set" of sorts for their next scene (not sure if shopping it to be white will look good, so it may be a different color), inside Astrotrain (probably the scene I'm actually planning them most, to get the conversation's flow right). Because I decided to do a type of set, I should be able to get the scale of the Cargo Area near perfect!

I decided to have Blast Off follow the Lions so the 'Cons know where Arus is while I was editing, & had to look for a pic of him in shuttle mode from ealier in the comic. I had tried to rationalize an energy trail for them to track after refueling on Cybertron, but it didn't feel right. I actually had to cut Onslaught out of the pic, around Blast Off (luckily, Blast Off was behind Onslaught), but it wasn't hard. I also tried a multi area cut (a setting I hadn't used before), 1) so I didn't have to cut them all out individually (well, I still had to outline them individually, but doing it how I did required just one paste), & 2) to keep the spacing between them. I think it came out looking pretty natural.

The first image is a Supernova Filter in a small selected area between the hands. It came out perfect, but there is no way to make anything THAT bright that I'm aware of. The 2nd uses the glow effect I use for my lasers. I might try the layering of Lens Flares I used for Bruticus' parts dematerializing for a quick seperation for the Sword next time, then add my glow effect for an extra touch. Or I could fade the Supernova... Or maybe just making the Supernova, but only allow the Glow to be in the shot would work? I did use the color pick up tool to grab the color of the Supernova, at least.

Well, I blew up the head to "trace" it, & it didn't feel right leaving all the space, so I made an attempt at a chair inside a cockpit... I kinda cheated a bit, since it was so tiny (no 3D), but looked good when I shrunk it.

Yeah, but then there's the whole problem of them being organics even smaller than the Thunder Megazord's little representations of the Rangers or the MP Seekers' Dr. Arkeville... But Arus is a tiny planet, just like Cybertron (probably a bit bigger than Cybertron, since Cybertron is said to be the size of a moderate sized moon)... Still, tiny planet, tiny people. Part of why I put the line about Nebulans being organic was in part in a way to explain this.

I don't know. I think it's a comic quote originally... & I never read the comics (just Hearts of Steal). I remember it was used in Animated. All I know is Megatron used it in some continuity, & it made that shot funny!

Well, shouldn't have to wait much longer. Debating whether having him show up next update, just start the process of crossing over & reveal him in the following update, or just waiting till the following one... Part of it depends on how the Autobot side of things works itself out, part if I can get the portal effect to look right, part how the pacing works for splitting it, & panel count.

I have a general direction, at least till we get past the first couple battles on Arus. I like the flexability of how I do things. Plus, w/ my head injury, I'd actually have to sit down & write a proper script if I tried to plan too far ahead. There are a few notes I've taken about the set up of the Alternity that I'll be using for some of the conversations in the next update or 2, but very little is planned before I start shooting: just who will be focused on & the topic/s of the update.

"Gps"? Do you mean gaps? But I had hoped that he'd get a 15th Anniversary reissue... Wound up getting his original mold's remold to replace him, in a way... Though, I have TransMetal 2 Megatron, so not a total loss...

The holes the pin for the chest panel for the arm broke. So it's irreparable.

I prefer my TFs complicated, so that's a major breaker for me on some. Few I get for the name, some because they're cool, & a lot for how they transform, the more complex the better. I wonder if TF collecting can help battle Alzheimer's like using chop-sticks is said to?

Plus, the way they approached the trailer is LAME! Hopefully they explain it as Jetfire's corpse reformatted for proper armor, otherwise what's the point?

In the newest? (at least online) ep. of Prime (Convoy), Op has his trailer... Might need to watch that after I eat, before deciding if I want to continue playing Zelda (took today off from the comic to play... I stopped near the middle of my 6th play through when I started the comic... My head injury keeps me from being able to balance doing both), finishing Fate/ stay night, for the 4th or 5th time (twice now Pol got me wanting to rewatch it; I'm on the last disc), or start shooting the Decepticons portion of the update, even though they're probably going to be the 2nd 1/2. (I have most of their scene at least partly in mind.)

Right now, the Council of Primes IS planned just as a once in a while scene... But the direction involves the characterization...

I saw a BBBB in one of the reviews now up on the Front Page. Definitely like the original Concept one better than ALL of the ones I've seen! (too bad his battle mask is missing though) Engineering for TFs usually get's better, not worse. At this point, there's no excuse for putting entire roofs on the back of Robot modes... (& it looks like A LOT in DotM have this problem @.@) That's not been a good excuse since RiD really. There are a few G1 'Bots where that's part of the design, like Classics Prowl & Sideswipe, but now they're just doing it 'cause they don't know what to do w/ them. >.<

 

The next update, which starts Chapter 2, is running later than normal for 2 reasons:

1st, my head injury acted up, which necessitated a bit of a break... which I used to catch up a bit on the Zelda game I abandoned near the middle when I started the comic, once the head injury became manageable again.

2nd: 'cause I couldn't wing things like I have been. The Decepticons' 1/2 was an intricate web of conversations & responses, which I actually had to script completely, as well as make a "set" for Astrotrain's cargo bay, to get the positions, gestures, & camera angles right for the panels. The "set" helped emencely, but I won't be able to color the interior bits white... I will color the exterior, however.

Some things will be explained, but the Autobot's will get a clearer explanation of certain things in the following update.

I'm trying to think what I want to do w/ the Autobots this update, now that I have the complicated bit of the Decepticons' shot. I think a little of the aftermath of the battle, & a peak at Wheeljack's lab may be in order... Plenty of Autobots were severely damaged, & his lab would have the tools to help repair some... But now I have to MAKE the lab.

I hope to get the update up in the next day or 2 (may be more like 3)... head injury & set improvising permitting.

 

No rush. Take your time.  

 

Yeah. It kinda doesn't make sense. They were just going all out with making the combiners have issues in g1. I mean devastator was dumb due to being the first, menasor had issues with all of his componenets disagreeing with each other....bruticus should be near perfect.

Yeah..the nerf gun thing was kind of silly. I don't get it...they could have him be a tank or somehting and still have him look like g1 megs in robot mode. Thankfully, the wfc megatron toy rectified the issue somewhat...but now he's too small.

Yeah. You will always have some issues enlarging something. Still ,they looked prety darn good in this one.

Inside of astrotrain....sounds interesting. So you will have a set for his cargo bay then? nice.

Yeah it looked pretty good to me. I always try and cut multiple bots from the same picture if possible. I don't worry too much about the spacing...but I worry i will mess up the sizes of them when I do it separately.

Yeah, many different ways to go about it. Just play around until you have something that looks right to you.

Yeah, it worked out pretty good.

Its a good explanation. I decided long ago to not even worry about adressing scale issues in my comic. Much less headache for me to just roll with it. I really don't want to have to come with a a reason why the predators and terminators are towering over transformers. lol

Yeah. I only read a few issues here and there of g1 and g2. I read most of dreamwave's stuff, and some of the early idw stuff. I don't know where exactly the line first appeared, but i thought it was a newer quote.

Well take your time. You never want to rush things. Reveal it how you want it revealed.

Nope, I meant "gold plastic syndrome" Transmetal megatron is famous for breaking due to gps. It sucks, but I have heard the japanese one does not have this issue. I still think they just need to make a whole new toy for that. Tranmetal megatron was one of my favorite designs in the show.

Well it definitely can't hurt. My friends always wonder how I can even remember how to transform all the bots i have.

Well i wouldn't get my hopes up. Knowing them he will just have the trailer with no explination at all.

Whatever works. Always good to throw in scenes like that. You can always return to it later if you need.

Yeah pretty much. I mean the roof is obviously on his back so he can have the weapon arms. It's a toss up. I much prefer most of the original mold. If there was somehow a way to have that..but with the weapon arms and better head from battle blades...he'd be near perfect. I still like cliff jumper the most out of all the versions i have.


Just take your time with the updates. This should be fun. Like I always say-long waits is better than no updates. Just do what is best for you.

 

& I understood having the giants have issues, so they don't over power the Autobots... But that was the entire POINT of Bruticus! To be an entire faction/ army on his own. & the series even had problems portraying him consistantly. When he was first formed, he was smart; but after Megatron screwed w/ his programming, not so much. I interpret that as Megatron, either intentionally or accidentally, damaging something that reduced Bruticus' IQ. I'm just glad I have the oppertunity to portray them how they should be. ^_^

If they made him a tank, he wouldn't be G1 enough for Classics. They were forced to go Nerf, due to laws against making a toy gun look too real... Still stupid no matter how you look at it. & no Megatron should EVER be a Deluxe. They really need to bring back Beast War's Mega Class. That'd solve so many scale issues it isn't funny.

Glad you think so.

It is technically a set, but it was mostly to define the area the 'Cons could move around in. I initially thought about using a large shoe box, but that was too small... I wound up cutting 2 paper grocery bags open on one side, & overlap them till I got it as long as I thought it should be. It'd take too long to color the inside white, while retaining the corners (I tried on a test shot), so the inside is just going to be brown. It worked REALLY well. I had to have something to define the size of the Cargo Bay, as the conversations required moving toys around, & too much wouldn't look right. I also used my borrowed light, positioned overhead, which lit it all really well as well, so this will probably be some of the best looking panels so far too. I'll be keeping the bags for future use... They can double for the inside of Octane too.

I wound up actually having to completely script the scene, as most of the conversations partly overlap a bit, & there is some movement of the characters. I think the dialog I have will be entertaining... & there should be a few laughs in it. Kinda messed up that a conversation scene requires MORE planning than a full out battle. @.@

When I can, I too try to use a single pic for everything in a panel, so the orientation & size are right -- GIMP does have a scaling tool, so that & moving the layer next to or over a character makes getting the size right easy enough -- (the Combaticons flying I did individually, but used the grain on the table to get them all to look the same way, & moved my chair to get a consistant angle), but sometimes that isn't possible. But I didn't want to take the time for details, since they were all going to be so tiny, so I just positioned them how I wanted & cut them all out at once.

Well, my TFs are toys, however, Voltron & the Multiversal Singularity aren't, so an explanation there was kinda needed. The following update will spell a few things out clearly. Cybertron is large enough for the toys to use as the actual Cybertron, but isn't a full sized planet/ moon. So, technically Cybertron isn't his toy either, as it will be bigger than the toy through GIMP trickery.

I'm not sure how I came across the line. I just not it was attributed to Megs.

I know HOW i want it revealed. It's a matter of when. It looks like panel count will require the Multiversal Singularity's arrival be the following update.

Mine doesn't have any problems w/ the gold plastic. The break was w/ a piece the color of his chest. The part that allows the arms to fold into the back for beast mode.

Same here. I'm hoping the TFs I have can help w/ my head injury, as it did screw up new memory formation, among other problems. It even has messed up my memory of at least one TF transformation: original Movie Sideswipe... Part of why he wasn't at the battle w/ Bruticus... I still can transform him, but it takes a while to work it out & I can't remember how I had his kibble-backpack folded up.

Probably, but it does seem that before he gets the trailer, he's still using Jetfire's corpse...

This is HasTak we're talking about. The chances are they make a character anyone could consider perfect again are slim to none. MP Optimus is probably as close to perfection as we're getting out of them... MP Rodimus WOULD be, if it wasn't a QC nightmare.

& even Ultimate Bumblebee (or whichever was reviewed recently & has a vid on the front page) has the ENTIRE roof on his back. @.@ That is TOTALLY uncalled for... At that size, you could get the roof to fold up into the arm weapons!

Well, the hard part of getting the 'Cons 1/2 right is over. 'Shopping it won't be too hard (will probably do that soon, before moving on to the 'Bots), as there are few effects; it's mostly dialog, & I have to black out the environment for space (for what is exposed outside the bay... It's like a cut away showing inside)... Now I have to figure out how I want Wheeljack's lab to look like, so some poor Spark can go there, risk being blown further to slag, & get some tools to help fix the damaged Autobots.

 

Update 12: Heroics & Legends

2 notes before Chapter 2 starts:
1) I color coded Blitzwing's text, & typed it out phonetically. I hope I got his accents across. Let me know? Cool head was going to have another line, but the pic that was for cut him out, so I dropped it.

2) Sorry this took so long to post. It took nearly a week for a few reasons:

First, my head injury kept me form working on it. When my head wasn't hurting too much to do anything, I was having trouble getting enough sleep.

Second, the Decepticon portion (done first) had to be planned in its entirety, when I normally wing stuff (I even had to make a cheap set). I completely winged the Autobots' half. Let me know how the 2 compare.

Third, there was a lot of 'shopping to do on the Autobot 1/2. Nearly every panel has some effect (all but 3). I'd like some feedback on it please. Notes on specifics in the Notes after the update.​

& thus begins Chapter 2: The Beginning
Update 12: Heroics & Legends

























































Note 1: I would REALLY appreciate some feedback on this update. First, Prime's Trailer is a 'shopped G2 trailer, as iGear cancelled the one I ordered from them. >.<   Also of note is the electicity used both in Hoist's Spark & the turbine for the Mass Shifter. If you guys think that's good enough, then I'll be using it for when I actually show Voltron form in a few updates.

Note 2: While I'm on it, if you look in the panel where Rattrap is working on Hoist, you can see his Spark there too... It's hard to see due to the smoke.

Note 3: Bumblethumper came up w/ a Mech Tech mode for the original Concept Bumblebee mold! It's going to be really messed up if the FIRST Concept mold is more accurate than the DotM toys regarding the Mech Tech/ weapons mode.  

Used w/ permission, slightly modified by me (my varient, he can actually hold the gun w/ his hand), using the Movie 1 Concept Bumblebee/ Cliffjumper mold.

Note 4: Peter Cullen voiced Nightstick (had to look that up, as I wanted a Decepticon to recite the Legend, as the Autobots will get the "true" legend in the next update), & he also did the opening Narration & some voices on Voltron, so it's a multi-source Mythology Gag. It wasn't uncommon to hear a kid cry out "Hey! Optimus Prime does the opening for Voltron." I'm sure that drew in a lot of TransFans.

Note 5:The overload panel (last for the Autobots) took a while to get, as it's a NATURAL glare due to the lag of the image capture on my Camera Phone. Strangely, the glare was a rarity, & it took a while to catch one, muchless one I liked.

Note 6: Bludgeon is not 'shopped in ANY way. He actually CAN sit w/ his legs crossed like that! He's teaching Straxus some of the techniques that require meditation while they travel. Also, did any of you notice that most of the Decepticons are keeping their distance from Bludgeon & Straxus? This was part of why I made the set (really, just 2 paper bags end to end w/ one side cut out): to get the spacing of everyone right. The tanks litterally have the ENTIRE front 1/2 of Astrotrain's Cargo Hold to them selves. Only Brawl, a tank himself, is dumb enough to cross to their 1/2.

Note 7: Let me know how the Decepticons' conversations flowed. I spent a lot of time on that. I actually had to script the entire scene (I tried it 1/2 scripted, but that didn't work out & I had to reshoot the whole thing). I had most of the interruptions during the Legend of Voltron scripted before I started the comic, but I had to script EVERYTHING to get it to flow right.

Note 8: Yes, this is a lot of notes. Yes, that is a new Faction change panel. Like it?

Note 9: To make sure this is clear, as it is kinda important in the next update, the 'Bot narrating the first several updates was Hot Rod. The narrator for the Autobot 1/2 of this update is MP Optimus Prime. Why they are narrating will be explained in the next update... Which may possibly be JUST the Autobots. It isn't completely formed in my mind yet. Parts have been specially planned before I even started the comic, though.

Note 10: How do you guys like my motion blurs? Finally got around to figuring out I have to make a duplicate layer of what I want to have a blur to do it right.  

 

 


You know, it wasn't until Voltron was released onto DVD in the last couple of years or so that I saw that Peter Cullen did voices on Voltron... and the only one voice I could definitely tell was his was that of the Narrator. Then my brother pointed out that he also voiced Coran. I was like, "Wha?!"

I just continue to be amazed at the other voices from 80s cartoons that my brother and I have watched that Peter Cullen has done.

 

It took a while for me to pick up that Coran was Peter Cullen too, but I did work it out while it was still on the air...

He also was the Commander of the Stellar Star Destroyer in Vehicle Voltron (the ship that transports them). I'm debating trying to do a face for Coran... He'd be harder than the Voltron Force... There're 2 or 3 other faces I'm considering making too... Can you guess who? I'll have to make at least one of them for a scene not too far from now.

What'd you think of the G2 Trailer for MP Op? Getting all of the wheels in the cut is iffy. The 2nd panel I just shopped Op's for it they came out so bad... which worked pretty well, actually... Why did iGear have to cancel their trailer?  

I also would like feedback on the electricity, as they are effects that may be recurring.

I also kinda expected you to answer my request on feedback for the Decepticons dialog... I'd like to know how well others felt it flowed? Few people provide the feedback I feel I need, to help improve the comic.

 

I had a hard time telling that Peter Cullen voiced Coran; still do. Didn't realize he also did a voice in the Vehicle Voltron series; I've never seen the Vehicle Voltron, but then again I heard it wasn't as popular as the Lion Voltron.

2-3 other faces you're considering making... hmm... King Zarkon, Prince Lotor, and Haggar maybe?

iGear canceled their trailer? Not cool. I thought about getting their trailer sometime (it's for the MP Optimus, right?).

I think the G2 Trailer should work fine, at least for the time being.

The electricity FX looks pretty good, IMO.

The dialogue for both the Autobots and Decepticons flowed pretty well in this update. In fact, both flowed well that it was hard to tell which dialogue was actually planned out and what was actually winged.

 

Thanks for the Feedback. I've never been a good writer, & am usually terrible at humor, so from time to time I need to know if what I'm doing sounds right to others.

I like VV, but I do like the Lions better. VV had WAY too many (15) members of that Voltron Force for little kids to be expected to remember... & that's before including recurring crew members for the transport ship & the villains.

However, Vehicle Voltron also has 3 sub-formations (which the toys can do), were 5 of the ships combine into more powerful independant craft: the Turbo Terrain Fighter, formed from the Land Team (formed from the hands, feet & a waist piece, all mostly black, except one foot); the Aquafighter formed from the Sea team (mostly the legs & one waist part); & the Stratofighter fromed from the entire upper body (shoulders, chest, chest armor & head). The individual ships & 3 Team formations actually had fire power where Vehicle Voltron wasn't always needed to be formed...​

Another reason people don't like the Vehicle Force is that Vehicle Voltron is supposed to kinda be a reverse engineered copy of Voltron... Though, the original concept was for Vehicle Voltron to be first in continuity, followed by the leader of the Vehicle Force & 2 of the pilots finding the Lions (as 3 Vehicle Force members kinda look like Keith, Pidge & Hunk; close enough to be said to be anyway... The one that kinda looks like Pidge was called his twin, Chip), but when WEP saw how popular the Lions were, they scrapped the original plan & ran w/ the Lion Voltron, adding the Vehicle Team to fill out the episode requirements for Syndication. They had to pad it a bit more w/ new, specially made (lower quality) eps. of the Lion Force to reach the syndication required number.

I'm debating if I want to include my KO Vehicle Voltron in the comic later on.​

There was a 3rd Voltron, for the Middle Universe (VV was Near, Lion Far), made of 3 elemental humanoid robots that could comine in different formations, but was scrapped as it wasn't very popular & the Lions were way more so. Lion Voltron was actually an accident. WEP went to Toei for 3 anime to make kids cartoons from, Albegas, Diarugger XV (Vehicle Voltron) & a 3rd series that I don't know, but there was a mix up w/ the 3rd series, & WEP got GoLion instead, which became the most popular of all: Voltron: Defender of the Universe.

I always thought VV having a Nuclear power core when combined, but only 5 min. of combined time was a bit messed up... That means he is a MASSIVE power hog... But in reality, that may well be true for a robot their size.

Maybe, maybe not.

Yes, iGear's was scaled for Masterpiece Optimus Prime. It looked like the outside of the Hybrid Style Optimus' trailer, w/ the inside of MP-04's & included a Roller.

I had one ordered (G1 Grey) & paid for in full w/ TFSource, & eventually got a notice that it was indefinitely postponed, & when I asked if it would ever come out, I was told not likely & even if it ever did, they wouldn't carry it.   My MP Op is still naked w/o his trailer & incomplete w/o Roller.   (I was hoping that DotM would rectify it w/ a trailer big enough for RotF Prime, that could be slightly modded for MP, but those hopes were dashed w/ Ultimate Optimus & his Fairy Wings  ) Before iGear, I had considered making my own, but getting one the right size would cost about $60, then I'd have to try my hand at customizing it (it's not Op's trailer if it can't open)... So, when I saw iGear was releasing one for $100, which turned out to be how much MP-04's added to the cost, I saw no reason not to get it, especially since it had Roller!

Because I didn't get the trailer, I got FansProject's Combaticons, instead... Which isn't too bad of a replacement. ^_^

I'm using this update & the next to see if I can handle shopping in the trailer & something else (related to the overload) every panel they're in, before deciding if I'll keep MP Op around or not.

That electricity isn't hard to do. Which is good, if you remember how much of it surrounds the Lions as they link up...

Funny how that is... It's still messed up that it was easier to wing the Autobots than it was to completely script the Decepticons... W/ the Decepticons' script, I knew exactly what panels I need to take, but for the Autobots, not so much...

A nice chunk (after the reason for the narration is finally revealed) of the dialog for the next bit is partly planned. It'll be interesting to see how conversations form around it...