(in)formal Show - Part 3

"This is P again (sorry - I might be writing these in a different order than you are viewing them).  He seems to be charging up some ball of energy in his hand to release onto something, but he doesn’t mean any real harm - he’s just having a bit of fun.  I’m afraid I keep portraying him as this menacing being - he’s really just a normal guy, but for the means to act on his fantasies.  It just happens to be more fun to draw him in this state as opposed to drawing him taking a nap or eating breakfast or playing video games.  (And I have done this, so I know.)"

            So here's the deal with this character: he's basically me, or, more specifically, the me that I want to be.  He is omnipotent, as in whatever he wills to happen, happens.  He's not a superhero, he doesn't get his powers from anything, he doesn't have a kryptonite, he's just that way.  He's kind of a manifestation of a belief I have: the thing that determines what happens in the universe is, ultimately, will.  Now, I mean "will" in the broadest sense - another word could be "tendency".  The "will" of a table is to hold things up.  The "will" of an object is to fall.  Whichever "will" is greater determines what happens when that object is placed on that table.  Well, it's actually a lot more complicated than that - but I'm using the simplest example I could think of.  Anyway, P's will just happens to be greater than everything around him (save for the "will" of the universe - which can't be surpassed).

"This is a form created by starting with a regular polygonal shape and distorting it through multiple iterations.  It’s a great example of how something can appear chaotic, and yet also be understood by a mathematical equation.  (What’s also funny about this is that “Newtonian” means can describe this form, but it ultimately fails.)  I like to think this is a metaphor for how the universe works: on a human scale, things seem completely bonkers, but there is an order to it - it’s just hidden from us."

            I probably should have used "Euclidian" instead of "Newtonian", but I'm fine with either one, I suppose.  You get the idea, right?  I had an argument a while back with some friends about Alan Watts (well, I was the only one arguing, actually...), who said that nature is "wiggly" and that humans were lesser for making things in Euclidian forms, and for using things like math to figure nature out.  I basically said we was a hippie moron, which I guess wasn't fair - not all white guys in San Francisco who are into eastern philosophy are necessarily hippies.

"I don’t find myself doing creature designs very often, but when I do, I always have a lot of fun.  This is a muarg, the premier form of arctic transportation.  I apologize for not putting a human beside him for scale reference, but they tend to be about 5 or 6 feet at the shoulder.  They can ride up to two, smell awful, and are voraciously affectionate.  I always have to do some smaller action doodles to accompany these, because creatures have to be designed not only in 3, but also the 4th dimension.  I need to see how it runs and moves to make sure it works right.  The ghosty form on his back is a saddle."

            I guess I could just give more details about these guys: they're native to arctic climates, are usually seen in packs of about 4-12 induviduals, but meet at their ancestral mating grounds once a year, at which can be tens of thousands of induviduals present.  At these meetings, individuals may couple up and leave their original packs in favor of their mate's pack.  They usually partner up for life, but have been known to split once their young reach maturity.  The nomads of the north have domesticated them for use as beasts of burden and steeds.

"This is a 3D sketch of a sculpture concept I want to do.  I’m really into the moai statues of Easter Island, and wanted to make a contemporary version.  The guy is just in there for scale.  If I had an unlimited budget, I’d have them tilt in the ground with the axial tilt of the earth, and they would have aeolian harps in their mouths so they could sing.  I’d also like them to be mass produced, and collaborate with other artists, a la Munny."

            The idea of these came to me in a dream.  It was like that scene at the end of close encounters of the third kind, except instead of coming from space, they came from under the ground in a field by my house in PA. It was beautiful - glowing towers and faces, all singing to me.

"So I’m working on a Thundercats script.  But whenever I write, I need to accompany it with something visual, so I sketched out these character designs.  I’m trying to make them more ethnicnally diverse - Tygra being more Indian, Cheetara more Asian, etc.  The script will be a Freudian exploration of sexual maturity (control of the Sword of Omens = control over the erectile function) interspersed with slowmo Cheetara kung-fu, jet scooter chases, and giant worm battles.  It’s going to be friggin EPIC."

            Ok, so the script hasn't moved in a long time, and the movie will probably be made before it does again, but it's still there, and will be better than any movie that comes out.