Onwards And Upwards!

As Marko has recently upgraded his Vue software to Vue 9, here’s a new image created with the latest version. Marko came up with the idea of having a new sculpture displayed at Pacific Chakra. As the adventures begin with the centenary of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 colliding with Jupiter, a new sculpture being unveiled would be a typical event to celebrate the Cetacean Human Age.

Paxford & Pacific Chakra

A new Vue for a new year.

 

Watch this space for further developments in 2011, but in the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

 

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Fanderson’s TV21

TV21 Convention Logo

Welcome to TV21.

On the weekend of October 22nd – 24th, Fanderson – The Official Gerry Anderson Appreciation Society, held its latest full convention, TV21: Adventure In The 21st Century, at the hotel Ramada Bristol City.

Ramada Bristol City

The convention venue.

 

As with past conventions, TV21 featured numerous guests associated with Gerry Anderson’s productions, along with screenings of episodes and rare material, plus an exhibition room with artwork, models and props.

Exhibition Room

Artwork, models and props.

 

The chosen charity for the convention weekend was Cots for Tots (within the Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal), supporting special care babies at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol. For more information about the charity, click on the website link below.

 

 

While certain areas such as the Dealers Room and Registration were open from 2pm on the Friday, the convention fully got under way that evening, with a special screening of the Barry Gray Centenary Concert, which had taken place at London’s Royal Festival Hall in November ’08.

On the Saturday, a unique item was the official launch and book-signing by Shane Rimmer, for his autobiography From Thunderbirds To Pterodactyls; the book itself being the first released title from the new imprint Signum Books (featured in an earlier post).

Shane Rimmer's Book-Signing

Shane Rimmer and yours truly.

 

The exhibition room featured a large collection of published artwork, including many boards by Mike Noble for TV Century 21.

21st Century Artwork

Artwork by Mike Noble and Don Lawrence.

 

More 21st Century Artwork

A Century 21 art gallery.

 

Also on display, Fireball XL5 artwork by Dan Dare creator, Frank Hampson.

Fireball XL5

Frank Hampson meets Century 21!

 

Among a display of original models and replicas, there were several examples from Space: 1999.

Eagle Transporter

The iconic Eagle from Space: 1999.

 

It was clear from the general atmosphere that everyone, including the hotel staff, had enjoyed the weekend. Many thanks to Fanderson and everyone involved in making TV21 such a great event.

For Your Convenience

Signs of the times!

 

For more TV21 information, click on Fanderson’s own convention website.

More TV21 convention pictures here.

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In The Blink Of An Eye

As Paxford accelerates towards the light barrier, strengthened telepathic links enable the Neubaum family, Sirius and other dolphins on-board, to prepare for teleporting the craft to a specific area. At the closest point possible to the barrier, the teleport operation begins…

Teleporting Paxford

It's all in the mind!

 

Here’s Marko’s latest comic artwork test, this time dealing with the concept of teleporting across space. While in the context of the fiction, the telepathically linked humans and dolphins are able to teleport almost instantaneously over vast distances, it would be uninteresting visually if a spaceship was seen having arrived at a point in space, without having shown any representation of the teleporting process itself.

The ability of humans and dolphins to teleport over light years of space, offers plenty of scope for trying out imaginative ideas visually within the storyline.

 

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Reprinting The Future

Following the closure of publishing company Reynolds & Hearn earlier this year, one of the founding partners, Marcus Hearn, has launched a new independent imprint, Signum Books, enabling the Century 21 series of books, started by the former company, to continue.

Edited by Chris Bentley, who has written and edited several Gerry Anderson related books, the Century 21 series presents digitally restored reprints of classic adventures from TV Century 21 and the later comic Countdown.

A website for the new company has also been launched, which although in the process of being built, already has a feature on the history of TV Century 21. For more information about Signum Books generally, click here.

 

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Skydiving For Dolphins

In a recent newsletter, WDCS (Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society), revealed that the UK government has agreed to allow two companies to begin seismic surveys for oil and gas in the Moray Firth in September. One of these companies will be operating inside the Special Area of Conservation – a sanctuary, created by the government to protect the bottlenose dolphins. WDCS has been looking after the welfare of dolphins in the Moray Firth through its POD (Protect Our Dolphins) campaign.

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.

 

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The Story So Far…

CHC: Nu 03 (2094/5 AD)

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.

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 create examples of a distinctive overall look, by combining CGI elements with hand drawing and natural tones. So as the D&S tag line says, ‘evolution and imagination’.

 

 

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Points Of Vue

In addition to using various CGI software products generally, Marko has recently started using a software for creating comics digitally: Manga Studio EX 4. Although the product is aimed at comic production specifically, as Marko said: “It seems to be very stable and capable software for creating illustrations too”. Having updated from Vue 6 to Vue 8 also, Marko has been making some test images, combining renderings from the new version with the illustration features from Manga Studio.

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.

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!

 

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Commercial Whaling

The annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) begins on June 21st in Agadir, Morocco, which could result in commercial whaling being resumed for the first time in 24 years. A team from WDCS (Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society) is campaigning at the meeting, attempting to prevent the described ‘deal’ from happening.

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.

 

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Lagrangeville Preview

Here’s a preview of Lagrangeville, the next location to be featured in Dorad & Sirius.

An asteroid spaceport module within Lagrangeville.

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, or 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.

 

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Eagle & Dan Dare: 60th Anniversary

Sixty years ago today, the classic comic Eagle was launched (or at least I think it was). To be honest, I’m not sure if April 14th shown on the first issue’s cover, refers to the week-ending date (often used by comics and magazines at the time), or the actual date of publication.

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!

 

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