Dylan Edwards's Blog, page 69
February 13, 2013
Transformers slash? Really?
Click to embiggen
I’m always amused by the search strings that folks type into the Google machine to find this place. Today’s winner was “Jazz/Prowl.” I really had not figured on Transformers slash, though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, what with Rule 34 and all. Still, people. What the heck is wrong with you.
Nevertheless, I have a little gem for you sick perverts who are into that sort of thing. In the course of my research into G1 Transformers for my QU33R anthology piece, I watched the first several episodes of season 1, and somehow accidentally wound up with screen shots of a particularly suggestive moment of tenderness between Hound and Spike (and yes, these are unaltered stills direct from the show).
Again, somehow by accident, these images became randomly assembled into the strip you see here. I’m sure it’s just a bizarre coincidence that they should seem to suggest something salacious, but you know what they say about monkeys and typewriters and Shakespeare!
ANYWAY. I am inking away on the comic this was all in aid of, and hope to have more progress photos to show you soon.
Now, let us never speak of Transformers slash again.
February 6, 2013
Dallas Sci-Fi Expo this weekend, February 9-10
I’ll be heading up to Dallas this weekend for the Sci-Fi Expo. I’ll mostly be bringing my Feeping Creatures stuff, but I’ll also have some preview art and prints for the new comic I’m working on, a short story for QU33R (the new anthology from Robert Kirby) about kids who gender-swap their toys (you know, just in case you missed any of the several previous posts).
If you’re going to be in Dallas this weekend, swing by and check it out!
January 31, 2013
More QU33R fun – The TransTransformers Ladies
I’ve created a landing page for material related to my QU33R anthology story. It now includes the current version of page 1 (pencils, as of this posting), as well as my character designs for the female versions of Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak. While these specific images are not technically part of the story that’s going to be published in QU33R, they are are finished art pieces in their own right and I wanted to show ‘em off to ya. I used these designs for the actual drawings of the three lady bots that show up in the story.
If you want to learn more about how I created these designs, click through to their individual pages and read the mass of text below the image. Oh, and you may have noticed there are little “Buy Now” buttons on there as well, just in case you are so smitten by the girl incarnations of Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak, you feel yourself needing to own a print of them.
Next week I’ll be tabling at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo with my Feeping Creatures menagerie, but I’ll also have the TransTransformers prints with me. So if you are going to be in Dallas, you might stop by and peep them in person.
Cheers,
Dylan
QU33R: The TransTransformers – Lady Bluestreak
Choose Your Robot
Bluestreak $10.00 USD
Prowl $10.00 USD
Jazz $10.00 USD
All Three $25.00 USD
This is the character design I created for the female version of Bluestreak who appears in my short story for QU33R. To find out what’s up with all that, you’ll just have to read the story, now won’t you. If you would like to share this image with your friends, please note the embed code down there.
I used Arcee (one of the very few legit female Transformers, who first appears in the animated movie from 1985) as a starting point for the design. I didn’t want to go with a cheesecake pinup look, because I didn’t think it was true to the original intent of the kid who was imagining these female versions of Prowl, Jazz, And Bluestreak. Instead, I looked at stills of Arcee from the movie and the cartoon and used those poses as a base to work from. If you’re wondering why the heck Prowl and Bluestreak have red lips, it’s because Arcee has red lips. Why she has red lips I cannot fathom. Otherwise, I worked with the character designs from the original cartoon (which were NOT consistent from show to show, or even scene to scene, if you’re wondering), and used a shading technique similar to what’s used in the 1985 animated movie.
The black outlines are hand-drawn with ink. The coloring and backgrounds are digital.
QU33R: The TransTransformers – Lady Jazz
Choose Your Robot
Jazz $10.00 USD
Prowl $10.00 USD
Bluestreak $10.00 USD
All Three $25.00 USD
This is the character design I created for the female version of Jazz who appears in my short story for QU33R. To find out what’s up with all that, you’ll just have to read the story, now won’t you. If you would like to share this image with your friends, please note the embed code down there.
I used Arcee (one of the very few legit female Transformers, who first appears in the animated movie from 1985) as a starting point for the design. I didn’t want to go with a cheesecake pinup look, because I didn’t think it was true to the original intent of the kid who was imagining these female versions of Prowl, Jazz, And Bluestreak. Instead, I looked at stills of Arcee from the movie and the cartoon and used those poses as a base to work from. If you’re wondering why the heck Prowl and Bluestreak have red lips, it’s because Arcee has red lips. Why she has red lips I cannot fathom. Otherwise, I worked with the character designs from the original cartoon (which were NOT consistent from show to show, or even scene to scene, if you’re wondering), and used a shading technique similar to what’s used in the 1985 animated movie.
The black outlines are hand-drawn with ink. The coloring and backgrounds are digital.
QU33R: The TransTransformers – Lady Prowl
Choose Your Robot
Prowl $10.00 USD
Jazz $10.00 USD
Bluestreak $10.00 USD
All Three $25.00 USD
This is the character design I created for the female version of Prowl who appears in my short story for QU33R. To find out what’s up with all that, you’ll just have to read the story, now won’t you. If you would like to share this image with your friends, please note the embed code down there.
I used Arcee (one of the very few legit female Transformers, who first appears in the animated movie from 1985) as a starting point for the design. I didn’t want to go with a cheesecake pinup look, because I didn’t think it was true to the original intent of the kid who was imagining these female versions of Prowl, Jazz, And Bluestreak. Instead, I looked at stills of Arcee from the movie and the cartoon and used those poses as a base to work from. If you’re wondering why the heck Prowl and Bluestreak have red lips, it’s because Arcee has red lips. Why she has red lips I cannot fathom. Otherwise, I worked with the character designs from the original cartoon (which were NOT consistent from show to show, or even scene to scene, if you’re wondering), and used a shading technique similar to what’s used in the 1985 animated movie.
The black outlines are hand-drawn with ink. The coloring and backgrounds are digital.
QU33R: The TransTransformers page 1
This is page 1 from my 5-page story for Robert Kirby’s QU33R anthology (due out from Northwest Press in 2013). The whole story is exclusive to the anthology, so if you like this sneak peek be sure to add QU33R to your reading list. The story is about kids who gender-swap their toys. This is the penciled version of the page. I will update it with inks and colors later as those elements are finished.
January 24, 2013
TransTransformers pencils, Anti-Valentines, and whatnot
I’ll get the shilling out of the way first; you see, I’ve set up a Zazzle store (with my feep hat, natch), and I have placed within a couple of my anti-valentine’s day cards. This means you can, like, give me money for them if you want. I’m only a few years late in getting around to doing this, so hopefully someone out there still wants to buy these things from me. Anyway, click on this button to go straight to the cards:
Next up, the reason you’re probably actually here, which is a peek at a sample page from my Transformers story for Robert Kirby’s QU33R anthology. The actual title of the story is just “The Transformers,” because it works on like three different levels, but you can call it “TransTransformers” to differentiate it from the more famous users of that word. And so:
QU33R Transformers page 1 pencils
Next week I’ll be bringing you some more new art, to wit: the character designs I created so we can see what Prowl, Jazz, and Bluestreak look like as girls. Until then!
Cheers,
Dylan
January 22, 2013
Two more Transposes articles
This has nothing to do with the post. OR DOES IT.
A couple more media mentions of Transposes have come in:
Lambda Literary has a review of the book up now in their comics section, from Cathy Camper – “A major step to breaking down closet doors is to provide venues for trans* people to see themselves. Edward’s graphic novel does just that …. Edwards’ black and white comics are open and inviting, making it easy for readers to get a quick overview of many different queer FTM lives. This accessibility also makes Transposes a good resource for gender workshops or other situations where it’s helpful to easily compare different people’s life stories.”
Sequential Tart features Transposes in an article about broader trans* representation in comics, by Katie Frank – “Transposes uses different presentations for each story — a staged speech, flashbacks, a museum exhibit — to take the reader through important moments in the interviewees’ lives. This technique makes the stories both personal and relatable, and also highlights, in a lighthearted way, the weirdness of the exercise of interrogating people about the intimate details of their lives.”
Meanwhile, I’m still working away on my TransTransformers comic for QU33R. I’m thinkin’ maybe I post a preview page on Thursday, so check back in a mere couple of days!
Cheers,
Dylan
January 19, 2013
QU33R Progress Report
I’m working away on pencils for my story for Robert Kirby’s QU33R anthology, due out this fall from Northwest Press. As you can see, I have contrived to tell a story about playing with Transformers as a kid, which means I get to draw quite a few of the ol’ robots for this comic. It’s actually a little difficult to find the photo references I need, believe it or not. I’ve had to resort to watching the cartoon (which was really just not very good at all, thought I still kind of love it in that important-part-of-my-childhood way) and grabbing the occasional frame. I want to use the cartoon character designs specifically (as opposed to the comic book Transformers, or the box art for the toys) because that’s what most informed my impression of what the characters were supposed to look like. Also, the art style fits well with my own cartooning style.
I do all of the penciling by hand, even though I’m pretty sure that proves I’m insane. So, for example, I need to repeat that drawing of Prowl on the left, so I copy him onto vellum, position the copy where I want it, then transfer it using erasable, non-photo blue carbon paper. Why do I do this instead of just making a duplicate layer in Photoshop like a normal person? Because I want each page to be a finished work of art in its own right, and that means keeping digital manipulations to a minimum.
Tune in next week for a glimpse at a (readable) sample page, and after that I have some character design work to show off. In other words, I’m talkin’ about regular posting for awhile. Cue dramatic music!
Cheers,
Dylan
