As Sarah Dolman, WDCS Head of Policy for Scotland said in the newsletter: “In September, WDCS Patron and presenter of BBC’s Coast and the One Show, Miranda Krestovnikoff will be jumping out of a plane at 10,000ft to raise money for our Protect Our Dolphins campaign – please sponsor her”.

Please follow the link to Miranda’s ‘Just Giving’ Page if you would like to make a donation, helping her campaign reach the £7000 target.

For more information and developments about the Moray Firth situation, including a video blog, please visit this WDCS International page.

Thank-you.

Having been teleported across many light years of space, over several stages, the spaceship Paxford arrives at a newly discovered Earth-like planet.

Panels Of Paxford.

Here’s a ‘sneak-peek’ at another comic artwork test by Marko. As in the previous post, the images combine the features of Vue 8 and Manga Studio EX 4. As Marko said: “I used the Paxford 3D model for this one and added some characters too (extras I guess)”.

At this stage, the main point of the tests is to combine CGI elements with hand drawing and natural tones, as examples of creating a distinctive overall look. So as the D&S tag line says, ‘evolution and imagination’.

Here’s a ‘sneak-peek’ at an early test, where renders from Vue were converted to a background tone with Manga Studio. People and other details were added with Manga Studio’s painting tools. The speech balloons were also added to round-off the ‘comic artwork’ look.

The Vue From Here.

Manga Studio clearly has great potential for giving Dorad & Sirius the look of a classic comic adventure concept combined with up-to-date techniques. So then, onwards and upwards!

Please follow the link to the section of the WDCS website covering the IWC meeting specifically. There is a newly produced video highlighting the proposed whaling resumption, along with the option for sending a direct ‘e-letter’ to protest personally against the plan. WDCS will be reporting daily from the meeting, with regular updates of reports and new video blogs.

Thank-you for your time.

An asteroid spaceport module within Lagrangeville.

As mentioned in the details for Pacific Chakra and New Moon, most of the electricity used on Earth is supplied by Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP). It is Lagrangeville, situated at a stable gravitational point (Lagrange Point) between Earth and the Moon, which is the principal element in the SBSP network.

Today, there are several companies and organisations outlining plans for producing SBSP. One such company, Space Energy, has a comprehensive website setting out the project details, along with useful information about Space-Based Solar Power generally. 

While the general style and quality of Eagle provided inspiration for many other later comics (including TV Century 21), the most popular and successful element was undoubtedly Dan Dare, created, written and principally illustrated by Eagle’s co-founder Frank Hampson.

As mentioned in an earlier post, PS Publishing are marking the sixtieth anniversary with the launching of Tomorrow Revisited, a completely new version of Alastair Crompton’s earlier book about Frank Hampson and his work, The Man Who Drew Tomorrow. The new book can be ordered directly from their website (below left).

Tomorrow Revisited also features seven unused characters created by Frank Hampson for Eagle, showing examples in print for the first time, along with concept and adventure background details. The seven character formats specifically, along with other examples of Frank Hampson’s work, can be seen in Wakefield Carter’s website (also written by Alastair Crompton), The Lost Characters Of Frank Hampson (below right).

As for Dan Dare himself, as featured in earlier posts, he lives on in the pages of Spaceship Away, with the twentieth issue currently on sale and issue 21 in preparation.

So it’s a special sixtieth anniversary for Eagle and of course, Happy Birthday Dan Dare!

Described as ‘a celebration of all kinds of comics for all kinds of people’, the festival will include guest discussions about Eagle, which has a special significance as the event takes place shortly after the sixtieth anniversary of both the comic and Dan Dare on April 14th.  

The website is evolving.

Well, you need to laugh sometimes!

Thank-you to Nick Spender, one of the guests at Spaceship Away Day, for sending me a few of his pictures to post on the blog, especially as they include Greta Tomlinson, the main guest from the original Eagle years (I never did get round to asking if I could take her picture on the day).

Greta Tomlinson.

Here’s a look at some of the models by Sid Clark, as shown in the ‘Flickr’ set linked to the previous Away Day post, but this time with Sid as well.

Sid Clark and his models.

And finally, Tim Booth or as Nick said, “Tim looking villainous after the fish and chips – or maybe it’s indigestion”?

Tim Booth, anything The Mekon can do...