JabScratch [Archive]

Jabberwocky

01-16-2005, 11:02 AM

To conclude design work on Clockwork and his sidekicks for the time being, this is what hell-brat is meant to look like:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Ratch.gif

Now it's time for some evil minions. I don't know yet how they'll fit in the general plot for Moon Pirates but I'd definitely like them in it.
Minions: they usually are big, brawny and dumb or diminutive, weak, wily and come in overwhelming masses. I'll stick to the latter stereotype because what I'm going for is canon fodder, not individually interesting characters.
Among my favourite animated minions are the sligs, henchmen to the wicked glukkon executive in the Oddworld series. (Why aren't Lanning and his gang working on their first CG feature yet?) What I find particularly interesting about sligs is their robo-pants because without them they're nothing more but cowardly, squid-faced maggots with only their hands and arms to propel them. Stick 'em into their pants with a complementary machine gun, however, and they turn into bullies toward everyone smaller and less armed than they are. Perfect henchman material.
To pester the Moon Pirates, I'm fielding the Clawgits.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Clawgit.jpg

Small, spindly and wretched-looking, they move around like monkeys using their long arms to support their upper bodies and to lengthen their strides. Since they only possess a total of two fingers, they're pretty much useless for tasks not involving clawing, climbing and clinging to objects.

Outfit them with an easy to don leather vest with blade appendages, though, and they can turn into a mass of madly flailing and scything little maniacs. Point the lil' suckers in the right direction and watch 'em go!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ClawgitBattlegear.jpg

phacker

01-16-2005, 02:41 PM

Very evil very spindly Jabber. Not someone I'd want to meet in a dark alley.

Ramimator

01-16-2005, 02:58 PM

Woaw...nice characters.. :) ..v.good... keep it up...I'm curious to know the whole story....G.L. in ur work...

Doubt

01-16-2005, 07:04 PM

Like the claw git, be great to see a swarm of em animated!

Jabberwocky

01-17-2005, 10:44 AM

Thank you, everyone!
I'm fond of the design even though those guys' severe spine disorder makes it difficult to animate them. I sketched some ruff keys for a walk cycle today. The nice thing about their way of moving around is that they hop rather than making one step after another meaning a single hop/step suffices to propel them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Walk.gif

Doubt

01-17-2005, 05:08 PM

The keys for the walk look great, I think it would be cool if you swung the arms right over the head as well. An attack in every step...

just an idea.http://forums.awn.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Danimation

01-18-2005, 11:53 AM

Really diggin your designs! Kudos Jabb

Jabberwocky

02-06-2005, 05:55 PM

I think I've been concentrating a bit too much on shapes and linework lately. I'm fond of well done clean-up, but it isn't that helpful when actually designing stuff.
A way to fix this may be to go back to a rougher, more organic style of drawing; the way I used draw to before I was taught the basics of cleanup which have grown on me so much. However, I'll attempt to at the same time apply some guidelines and rules of thumb of animation drawing to enhance the overall look.
Also, more life drawing in general is in order. If real models are scarce, does working from video footage and photos count? Whatch'all say?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Organic.jpg

Larry L.

02-09-2005, 11:48 PM

Guten Tag, Dude!

Good to see you are still practicing (ha,ha)....

Andreas says "Hi".

LOVELY STUFF!!!

Jabberwocky

02-13-2005, 09:30 AM

Hey, thanks for having a look, Mr. L.!
The ever elusive Andreas - my best to him, it'd be nice to see some of his footage in a feature again soon. I wonder whether he worked on Chicken Little.

I did some more sketching on characters from the famous Chinese fable 'Journey To The West'. This time, I based the design of the character Zhu Bajie on some photos of Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs and a 'sturdy' Chinese monk doing exercises with a muck rake.
At first, his face came out too cudly because I started out with a photo of a piglet. I then tried to bring some elements of a mature pig's snout and face into it while not straying too far from the softer features of the piglet to keep that rolly-polly, fat undertone. This is just a prototype, though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ZhuBajie.jpg

Jabberwocky

03-18-2005, 07:54 PM

Ah, great. You made me double-post again. Not that I've got much to show anyway.

OK, since my grandmother insists on Russian blood flowing through my father's side of the family, some design sketches of Russia's most famous witch, Baba Yaga. Both witch and weather goddess, she flies across the sky in a mortar using a broom to create storms. (Blame either folklore or vodka.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/BabaYaga1.jpg

Danimation

03-21-2005, 03:19 PM

Love the Baba Yaga design! That would be awesome to see animated. Kudos Jabs!

Jabberwocky

03-22-2005, 11:28 AM

Thanks. I'm always thinking walk cycle - dialog test when I come up with a new character. A good voice for Yaga? Hum. I guess Tress MacNeille would be too obvious.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ShaHeshang.jpg

This is another character from the Chinese 'Journey to the West' legend. His English name is Friar Sand, I think. As a water demon, the hollow on top of his skull is filled with water. In case the hollow gets emptied, Friar Sand is said to lose his powers.

Jabberwocky

04-02-2005, 11:42 AM

Finally got around to painting that layout I did a while ago a little.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/BG2.jpg

It's the calm before the storm.

Jabberwocky

04-12-2005, 10:09 AM

Another progression of one of my illustrations of the Jabberwock poem. ( From above left clockwise: )
1. sketch
2. ruff
3. clean & basic colour
4. painted BG, shading and FX

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/TulgeyWoodProgression.jpg

damage

04-12-2005, 04:11 PM

Hey Jabb looking really good. One suggestion tho. In the color image, have u thought of toneing down the bg a bit to make the charecters pop out more. Just a thought, to me it gets a bit muddy.

Great work none the less.

Jabberwocky

04-13-2005, 02:01 AM

I see what you mean. I usually overdo it a little in the colour department at my first try. I took the whole motif's saturation down one or two notches last night (before reading your reply, though). Since the characters are the light and dark focal points, less colour helps to distract from the background. A little visual chaos was what I was after since it's a shock moment. I'll post the latest version sometime today.

Thanks!

Edit: Here it is.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/TulgeyWood.jpg

Jabberwocky

05-17-2005, 11:39 AM

I'm currently boarding a short film based on the Jabberwocky poem. Here are some boards depicting the first stanza:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory1.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory1.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory2.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory2.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory3.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory3.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory4.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory4.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory5.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory5.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory6.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory6.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory7.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory7.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory8.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory8.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...k/JabStory9.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory9.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../JabStory10.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory10.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../JabStory11.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory11.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../JabStory12.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory12.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../JabStory13.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory13.jpg)

As soon as I've amassed some more sketches, I'll send them to a studio currently considering whether to hire me for boarding as work samples. Thoughts, please.

grauso

05-18-2005, 11:23 PM

awesome work! I have to say i like your style alot. i like the pan from left to right with the bird directly in the middle, totally classic. i also like the turtle at the end, it reminds me of the grumpy old goat in Home on the Range. Keep posting more stuff, its really inspiring to me:)

Jabberwocky

05-19-2005, 09:39 AM

Thank you very much, grauso. I'll post some more as soon as I've got it done. Still loads to board because I have a pretty clear idea what I want the film to look like and what's going to happen.
I find layouts for pan shots extremely fascinating - seeing all at once what one usually would see by and by while the camera pans over it gives a whole new feeling to a scene. I think they're a bit harder to do than ordinary shots, though, because they require a certain thinking outside the (letter)box, that's why I tried to keep the one I boarded simple. A lot of fun, though.

Jabberwocky

05-26-2005, 11:16 AM

I almost forgot. Some more:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory14.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory15.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory16.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory17.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory18.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory19.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory20.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory21.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory22.jpg

Jabberwocky

06-07-2005, 04:04 AM

And another little batch:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory23.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory24.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory25.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory26.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory27.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory28.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/JabStory29.jpg

Jabberwocky

06-15-2005, 06:46 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Title.jpg
(Title design.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Discworld.jpg
(Some characters from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.)

Jabberwocky

06-27-2005, 10:06 AM

While listening to some old MIDI-files on my PC today, these two guys just shot out of my pencil.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/GuybrushChucky.jpg

I'm in an inexplicable good mood now. Time for a dive into my old game disc archieve!

Danimation

06-27-2005, 02:32 PM

Love that Chucky design Jabs! Hilarious! Kudos

Doubt

06-27-2005, 04:57 PM

Those are rad Jabberwocky, like the footwear design.

Scoob nGA

06-27-2005, 08:07 PM

nice work!, im diggin the facial expressions..on both of them!

Jabberwocky

07-03-2005, 12:43 PM

Today I felt the Moon Pirates need some more antagonists and the Clawgits need a leader. While I've known for a while his name would be Captain Dragon, I hadn't actually visualised him very clearly until I sat down determined this afternoon.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Cpt.jpg

And some extremely ruff expressions.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Expressions.jpg

Scoob nGA

07-05-2005, 10:35 PM

awesome character and expressions Jab...is there a possible prop sheet for his pipe?

Jabberwocky

07-06-2005, 08:38 AM

Thanks!

Here's a very ruff turnaround and a construction aid for the profile view. It still has some design and perspective flaws, though, but I think it gives a first impression of the prop's overall dimensionality.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Prop.jpg

I also added some colour to Captain Dragon himself. His rosy skin with the unsightly patches are due to a horrible fire he got caught in a long time ago and which should have killed him. The fact that he miraculously survived earned him his nickname 'dragon'. He also lives under the delusion that he "overcame" the element during that incident which is why he likes to dress in bright, fiery colours and loves to employ fire in battle and for torture ...

Scoob nGA

07-11-2005, 08:50 PM

i like your character so much, i took a try at drawing him...
(all rights to character belong to jabberwocky 2005)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/2vw_scoob/.100_0829.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/2vw_scoob/.100_0832.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/2vw_scoob/.100_0830.jpg

Jabberwocky

07-12-2005, 04:24 AM

I must say I'm quite honoured. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ;)
Not that you're imitating in the actual sense of the word. I like the first sketch best because of the character's attitude. At first I thought a character called Dragon would have to have an erratic temper. I reconsidered later, though, deciding to give him more of a reptilian nature. He can get pretty mad but he prefers to preserve his energy. I think that comes across nicely in your first sketch!
Dragon looks indeed very reptilian in the second and third sketch. You've given me the idea of going and enlarging the ears of the original design a bit; that might look quite good. There are two characteristics I try to stick with, though: Dragon's eyes are slanted downward - well, the one eye he's still got left is anyway - and his uneven skull leads into the bumps running down his neck and back. It's supposed to be subtly reminiscent of dragon scales.

Here are some tied-down versions of the above ruff expressions. (They're not clean yet.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Tie-Downs.jpg

Jabberwocky

07-18-2005, 01:20 PM

And another Moon Pirate. This guy is with McGullin's crew and the ship doctor.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Doc.jpg

Hum, I really enjoy experimenting with colour. His name is Doctor Abhava.

Bandita

07-19-2005, 02:58 PM

Wow, awesome work!!!! Where in Germany do you live?

Jabberwocky

07-19-2005, 03:52 PM

Hi Bandita and thanks for having a look!
I live in Westphalia only a couple of miles from Holland. I noticed you're living in Frankfurt only recently. Very pleased to meet you, I'm always eager to get to know German animators. Did you go to one of the German film and/or animation schools?

Jabberwocky

07-20-2005, 08:27 AM

Some ruff keys I animated today:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Ruffs.jpg

Anyone know where I can upload *.avi-files for free?

SpaceGhost2K

07-20-2005, 05:33 PM

Please tell me you're submitting this to "Oh Yeah! Cartoons."

Jabberwocky

07-21-2005, 03:08 AM

Oh my, I have to admit I didn't even know about it before you mentioned it and I googled for it. (You're not talking about the ruff keys, though, are you?)

SpaceGhost2K

07-21-2005, 09:28 PM

No, the stuff you cleaned up already.

Jabberwocky

07-22-2005, 04:38 AM

SpaceGhost2K

07-22-2005, 01:25 PM

A pitch is a most intriguing idea. I read what you wrote about pitching a cartoon to them yourself when you replied to that mcleod fellow.
We haven't been able to get Nickelodeon in years here in Germany. You think they'd go for a fantasy adventure type show, and that story and character treatments (including character and story sketches, of course) would be enough to sell them an idea? I heard a style bible, animation samples, several episode scripts and storyboards are what is usually required.

All they asked for was a roughboard (an unfinished sketchboard), character sketches, a story summary and dialog examples.

Their target audience is young, though - younger than what you typically think of as "fantasy adventure." I think they're looking more for the next Fairly OddParents and less for the next Airbender or Teen Titans.

Which scares me, because my property is just a TAD older. It's definintely more for the Teen Titans crowd.

On the other hand, the second property chosen was "Ivan the Unbearable" which SOUNDS like a cartoon aimed at older kids.

Jabberwocky

07-22-2005, 04:26 PM

SpaceGhost2K

07-22-2005, 11:24 PM

I suppose it's best to not be too specific when shopping around ideas in case the studios or networks want a say in things.
I think you're right about them looking for ways to repeat the Fairly Odd Parents success. (We get that shown in Germany.) What I'm thinking of is somewhere between Batman - The Animated Series (though not as dark), Redwall and, at a stretch, Disney's Gummi Bears. (Maybe even Disney's Gargoyles but I never liked that show.) I'd like it to be serious and humorous whenever one or the other is appropriate, not broadly cartoony and/or over-the-top hilarious.

Well, I guess my best bet is to do some more conceptual stuff and then try my luck, if not there then elsewhere. Won't hurt. 'sides, they even sold Ren & Stimpy to Nickelodeon. While I realise that kind of sell to that particular network is next to impossible to repeat it at least showed that sometimes they'll just jump over their shadow.

I just got this sneaking suspicion today that Nick needs an "Adult Swim" type of program. I wonder how long it will take before we hear something about one.

By the way, if you pitch and get picked up, you have to give me a credit: "Pimp - SpaceGhost2K"

A "Redwall" show would be a tough sell because of the continuing storyline. "BTAS" and "Gummi's" were a series of stand-alone shows, which work well for syndication and repeats. Compare to "Pirates of Black Water" where if you just stumbled in, you wouldn't have a clue what was going on.

Concerning your note about being "too specific" that may be the case, but not in Oh Yeah!'s case. They make YOUR cartoon, not theirs. They will offer input, and they may pass if it doesn't suit their needs. But it's not to their benefit if you have this great idea, and they chuck the meat to keep your shell. The whole concept of Oh Yeah! is to show off 39 original cartoons, not 39 Frederator cartoons written by different people.

Jabberwocky

07-23-2005, 05:24 AM

I just got this sneaking suspicion today that Nick needs an "Adult Swim" type of program. I wonder how long it will take before we hear something about one.

You're right. I think one of the greatest prejudices that animation creators have to wrestle with these days is that it's still in many people's heads that "animation is for kids". And in saying that I don't even mean to imply there should be animation strictly for kids and animation strictly for grown-ups. I dislike dopey all-kids shows as much as I despise blood-dripping, hyper-stylised vampire anime. Animation should bring everyone together in a way that doesn't go over children's heads while satisfying more grown up tastes. To my mind, the ideal animated movie/show should show children what lies ahead of them and make grown-ups fondly remember that they, too, were once kids. (This is part of the reason why I love many Jim Henson productions so much, whether it's The Storyteller or The Muppet Show. Henson had a special gift for finding that crucial connection between the generations.)

By the way, if you pitch and get picked up, you have to give me a credit: "Pimp - SpaceGhost2K"

Oh, if that ever happens I definitely will! (-grins-)

A "Redwall" show would be a tough sell because of the continuing storyline. "BTAS" and "Gummi's" were a series of stand-alone shows, which work well for syndication and repeats.

The problem of continuing storylines has always occupied me. I'd love to give viewers the chance to see characters grow, not just be outfitted with some kind of special power which they then use over and over in every episode to save the day. (As happens in Gummi Bears, most Magical Girl-type anime and, oh, countless other shows.) The idea of past experiences having made an impression on characters appeals to me very much. The fact that these days you could just take any number of episodes from most shows and play them in random order bothers me. Their characters tend to become stiff stereotypes.
This is where I have to give some anime shows based on manga credit - apart from anime being a hip thing, I think what ties long-time viewers to them is the fact there sometimes is an ongoing development they can follow. (Granted, the fact that one can always buy the manga to read up on things helps a lot.) The media phenomenon of Harry Potter has also shown me that it is possible (yet hard to achieve) to establish a multi-part series that has a huge mass appeal yet makes it impossible for first time buyers to just start with any old part of the series they like. Again, that's books. Animated shows can't count on die hard fans, they have to be attractive to occasional viewers, too.
But the potential is there!

I suppose for the moment the ideal solution lies somewhere inbetween: establish strong characters and their world, write them stand-alone episodes and save the major developments for end-of-season double episodes. Works for most adult shows these days like X-Files and Star Trek.

SpaceGhost2K

07-23-2005, 03:06 PM

Works for most adult shows these days like X-Files and Star Trek.

These days? Been off-planet long? LOL!

The nice thing about Anime, some of which you mentioned:

1) You've got the mangas that you can go back to any time to fill in the blanks.
2) Most people don't watch Animes one episode at a time over a season, like they are broadcast in Japan. They buy the entire story and watch as many in one sitting as they can handle until they've seen the entire thing.
3) Because of #2, you CAN have a complex, ongoing storyline.

As far as your Potter reference, books do work differently because you can pick one up and start reading whenever you want. A TV broadcast cartoon, if you don't watch it when it's on or TiVo it, you're SOL until it comes on again, and if you watch one and want to see the NEXT one, you're also SOL until next week.

I have a story myself that I expect will run into some of those issues, mainly because there are some very complex relationship issues and revelations that will take time to uncover and explain. (To give you a hint, there's a love triangle - with only two people). Episodes will play out more like an Anime and less like a 13 wk. US cartoon.

Jabberwocky

07-23-2005, 03:50 PM

These days? Been off-planet long? LOL!

Yeah, the examples are a little outdated. (Well, not necessarily Star Trek. Enterprise is much fresher than X-Files.) They still apply the concept I mentioned, though.

As far as your Potter reference, books do work differently because you can pick one up and start reading whenever you want.

That's true. But in regards to entertainment in general, what the Potter books also showed me is that a series can have a complex plot which younger audiences will actually want follow, even over a long period of time - and it can still be a major success. The more they are subtly encouraged to come up with their own ideas and theories, the more they get involved and stay with the material. I think, even in TV animation, if a story is good and engaging, the next episode will be worth a one week wait.
In my opinion, teen audiences want complex plots and character relationships - they respond to what's given to them. Give them nothing but shallow stuff and they'll consume it in an off-hand way and eventually can't be bothered anymore to engage their brains to really get behind what others want to tell.

OK, short break for another sketch.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ShylockMcGullin.jpg

The above design is a coloured adult version of this character:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoonPirates2.jpg (Posted this one when I opened the thread.)

Jabberwocky

07-29-2005, 10:06 AM

An extended crew line-up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoonPiratesCrew.jpg

SpaceGhost2K

07-29-2005, 03:57 PM

An extended crew line-up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoonPiratesCrew.jpg

Me again. I can't leave your stuff alone.

1) Are you going to leave Moya's name spelled like that, or use the traditional "Maire?" Maire Brennan, lead singer of "Clannad" and Enya's sister, started putting her name on CDs as "Moya" because nobody pronounced "Maire" properly.

2) Shylock was an evil Jewish lawyer in the Shakespearean play "Merchant of Venice." It has since become a derogatory term for both Jews and Lawyers, an actual racist slur. I wouldn't use it, no matter whether he's a good guy or a bad guy.

3) Do you just have a plan for an expanding cast of characters or do you have a backstory written/in mind?

Jabberwocky

07-30-2005, 04:40 AM

Hello again, thanks for looking, feedback is much appreciated.

1.) Yes, the name's Moya. I like how it sounds and how it looks written. I'm also going for names with Celtic and Gaelic roots, preferably Scottish.

2.) I chose the name especially because of Shylock in Shakespeare's play. I studied English before animation and Shylock has always been one of the most intriguing characters for me because he is quite ambivalent. I also like the melody of the full name 'Shylock McGullin'. It's the succession of high and low vowels and hard and soft consonants I guess. I know, of course, that Shylock of The Merchant of Venice is connected to the question of how anti-Semitic Shakespeare was but I didn't think the anti-Semitic connotation was that strong in English-speaking countries. I could always reconsider, of course. (Hamlet McGullin? Robin McGullin? Benvolio McGullin? Falstaff McGullin?)

3.) The prototypes of some of the characters are four years old (some even older) and have been components of stories I made up which, at the time in which Moon Pirates plays, lie in those characters' past and help define their personalities. Shylock, Mee and Shee are, of course, siblings which is why I know where they came from and who their parents are. I also want to concentrate on a social component and how the crew members interact, what their individual relationships are.

Jabberwocky

07-31-2005, 06:01 PM

And finally, the whole thing in colour with some atmospheric background.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoonPiratesCrew2.jpg

Jabberwocky

08-13-2005, 11:53 AM

Toying with some plot and character concepts right now. As usual, it results in a doodle sheet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Doodles.jpg

SpaceGhost2K

08-13-2005, 02:50 PM

Jab, I sent you a PM.

Jabberwocky

08-20-2005, 05:31 AM

And here we have a little line-up of villains:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoonPiratesVillains2.jpg

Bandita

08-31-2005, 03:36 PM

I'm fascinated like everytime. I'll write you a mail as soon as possible....!!! Busy working....

Jabberwocky

09-10-2005, 03:07 AM

Thank you, and the latter is good to hear! Congratulations on being hired full-time.

Some ruff character sketches:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Moments.jpg

Fact of the Day: H�agen-Dazs is a genuinely American ice-cream brand. Not even its name is Danish because the letters "�" and "z" don't exist in the Danish alphabet.

SpaceGhost2K

09-10-2005, 06:58 PM

After we pitch, you can post all the "other" stuff, heh heh heh...

Pooryorik

09-11-2005, 01:37 AM

I'm glad you didn't give up on Moon Pirates. Beautiful work! Are you still working on your Jabberwocky film?

Bandita

09-12-2005, 11:37 AM

Dear Jab,

thank you so much, and thank you for the Ha�gen Dasz info... good to know:)
But you don't know good ice cream if you haven't tried Ben & Jerry's....
I'm currently working on my application film; 2 min 45 seconds... sooo much to do and so little time.

Anyways, I love your newest rough characters sketches, you really captured emotions!!!

Jabberwocky

09-12-2005, 12:03 PM

@Bandita: Good to hear from you! You know, if you find time during one of the October weekends, I might come visit you in Frankfurt. I'll mail you about that, though.
Arte did that bit on Ben and Jerry not too long ago. Funny chaps. Too bad they had to sell their company and are now "just" representatives with no real power in business questions.

@Pooryorik (nice screen name!): Glad you like it! Believe it or not, but that whole Jabberwocky thing has got to do more with Moon Pirates than you might suspect, so no, it's not really on hold.

@SpaceGhost2K: You mean the Fly Guy stuff?

SpaceGhost2K

09-12-2005, 07:30 PM

Si, senor. This is for showing off art and since you're the artist, they're all yours.

Let's just get them pitched, first. Too much of a chance Frederator lurks here.

SpaceGhost2K

09-12-2005, 07:32 PM

Hey, I gotta tell you a funny story about one of the pitcures you drew for me.

I didn't even notice that the picture of the power outlet is a European power outlet. My wife saw it and laughed out loud. She was surprised I didn't catch it.

Doesn't matter. It will make something (to laugh) about in the pitch.

(Edit, my bad.)

Jabberwocky

09-13-2005, 10:35 AM

Heh, shoot, I thought it wouldn't stand out so much. Never been to America, me, and I was simply too lazy to google for a picture of an American one. Ah, well.

SpaceGhost2K

10-01-2005, 10:17 PM

Gah! We're less than a week away and it's killing me! I wanna show stuff off!

Pooryorik

10-02-2005, 10:15 PM

Are you two about to make a pitch for tv or something? If so, the best of luck to you!

SpaceGhost2K

10-03-2005, 02:05 AM

Are you two about to make a pitch for tv or something? If so, the best of luck to you!

I have a property that I'm pitching to Frederator Studios, the makers of "Oh Yeah! Cartoons" for Nickelodeon. I meet with them this Friday at 11 AM PST in Burkank. Jab took artwork done by a few other folks, added his own spin, and drew me almost 50 pictures to impress the Frederator people. I"ll let everyone know Saturday how it went.

Christoph (Jab) also drew about 30 of his own Moon Pirates pictures (which I am printing out as I type this) that I will give to the Frederator people in hopes that it will make it to the hands of Nickelodeon. Double Whammy time.

Christoph, I meant to ask you... if the bad guy is named Captain Dragon, is his girlfriend named Toni Tenille? (Captain and Tenille's names were Toni Tenille and "Captain" Darryl Dragon)

Jabberwocky

10-03-2005, 04:41 AM

Thank you, pooryorik.

spaceghost2k - has the CD arrived already? By the way, I found Fly Guy:

http://www.trevorvanmeter.com/flyguy/
http://www.subgenius.com/bigfist/pics2/badfilm/fly.jpg
http://www.mirthcontrol.org.uk/images/valentine-flyguy.jpg

Yup, looks like the property's already taken. We need a new name. How 'bout Bug Boy, Gnat Geek or Drosophila Dude?
(It's Monday, I can get a LOT lamer than this!)

SpaceGhost2K

10-03-2005, 03:17 PM

Actually, the guy in the last picture is kinda what I was going for in terms of coolness. The earliest I heard the term "fly guy" was in "Rapper's Delight" which I think came out in 1977. I did some searching but haven't found anything that I think would be a conflict. Sadly, all of the good domain names were taken, but I did get flyguy.tv. No funds to get a site up there, yet. I figured there really wasn't a point until the Frederator thing happens.

Doubt

10-03-2005, 05:02 PM

Good luck guys!
And Jabbs, have you done any character design work for BFC? Just wondering

Jabberwocky

10-03-2005, 05:09 PM

Thanks for the well-wishing, Doubt, and no, I've never done TV animation character design before. What is BFC?

SpaceGhost2K

10-03-2005, 05:12 PM

Great.

I just got off the phone, verifying all of the appointments. The Frederator appointment is firm. But, Super 8 had no record of my reservation, even though I have a confirmation number AND my card was charged. The lady I spoke with said if my card was charged, then the date had passed. I looked again at the confirmation email, and sure enough, at some point in the online reservation process, I had to click "back" and the webpage reset the date to September 22, the day I made the reservation. So, the 22nd came and went (two hours after I made the reservation), my card was charged for not cancelling the date, and there's nothing for the 7th.

The lady at the third number I called told me they would research it and let me know in seven days. I said, excuse me, but I need to be there Friday, not next week or month. She said since it's a future date (and not an issue about a date that passed), that it will get priority and I "should" hear back from them in the next day or two.

I just hope they don't think (like I'm worried about that) that the date of the 22nd means that it's not a priority, and I call back tomorrow to find out nothing's been done. I don't have extra money laying around to book another room until this gets solved. I'll drive back from 11 PM to 3 AM if I have to, I just didn't want to.

Gee, and you wonder why there's so many shootings in L.A.

SpaceGhost2K

10-03-2005, 05:16 PM

By the way, Christoph, I still need a cover page or two.

**EDIT** Never mind, just checked my email. :)

Doubt

10-03-2005, 05:37 PM

Berlin film company, did I write tv?

Jabberwocky

10-04-2005, 09:51 AM

I saw one of their TV shows without realising it was done by them, but no, never done anything for them.

Doubt

10-06-2005, 07:54 AM

I saw a tv show of there's and thought I saw a resemblence in style (slight resemblence) and you're in Germany. I know someone who worked on The Little Polor bear 2" and thought you might have worked with him.

Jabberwocky

10-06-2005, 04:38 PM

I did a clean-up test for Little Polar Bear 2 when Cartoon Film were in the late stages of that production, but their staff was complete at that time and my test, which was a little haphazardly done, didn't live up to their (high) standards.

Doubt

10-07-2005, 03:57 AM

hehe I did that test too, Didn't spend enough time on it though. I think their standards are pretty high. Maybe next time. You may be busy for a while after that pitch today though eh.. good luck

Ontaious

10-07-2005, 11:40 AM

What is your process for coloring your work? Its really amazing stuff. Good work.

Jabberwocky

10-07-2005, 04:10 PM

Thanks!
When it comes to PhotoShop, I borrowed quite a handful of techniques from Tony Cliff. Check out his tutorial here: http://www.tonycliff.com/tutorials/tutorials.htm. Good stuff, and very comprehensible thanks to detailed screen shot descriptions. Looking at your things, however, I'm sure you know several tricks he talks about already.
Other than that, I have to admit I'm no great shakes at using covering colours (although I can manage gouache made semi-translucent with lots of water). I usually go for high quality art crayons and watercolour.

hehe I did that test too, Didn't spend enough time on it though. I think their standards are pretty high. Maybe next time. You may be busy for a while after that pitch today though eh.. good luck

You did? Wicked! Which test did they make you do? Was it Caruso hopping on one foot? Man, I hated how small he was in that scene.
As for the pitch - haven't heard anything yet. I hope Mr Webb is currently punch-drunk with hapiness and enjoying a well-deserved Bangles concert. :D

Jabberwocky

10-08-2005, 03:54 PM

In 1981, German children's book author O. Preussler published one of his most beloved novels for children which immediately appealed to all age groups. That novel was "Krabat" (the title of its English translation is "The Satanic Mill").
Krabat tells the story of a young beggar boy by the same name who lives in Eastern Germany near the Polish border. He is lured into service at a dark mill whose miller teaches his apprentices more than just milling, and at a horrible price.
Based on the stories surrounding the Sorbian folk hero Krabat, a wizard who learned his craft at a mill and later managed to escape and take all of his master's wisdom with him, Preussler's book is one of the most atmospheric pieces of German literature I know. Prime material for a bit of dark and magical animation ...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Krabat1.jpg

I tried my hands on some very rough character designs of Krabat and his master, the miller of Schwarzkolm. I tried to make him look like a cross between a particularly aggressive raven and a man caught somewhere between being haggard and stout. The book's description of his exterior isn't very specific, but among his habits are forcing his students of magic to turn into ravens for their weekly lessons.

Bandita

10-08-2005, 04:13 PM

yaaaaay , Krabat!!! :p Isn't he younger?
Ohhh, and the miller looks realy evil. GREAAAAT!!!!

Jabberwocky

10-09-2005, 03:57 AM

In the book, Krabat is fourteen when he becomes an apprentice at the mill, but don't forget that he magically ages three years for every year he stays there.

Jabberwocky

10-09-2005, 02:58 PM

ARGH! Thou stole'st ye one hundredth reply in this thread from me!

-hem-

Well, alright. Let's show 'em what you aged three years over last weekend. Bring on the story sketches!
The following pieces are all the story sketches Mr Webb here had me do for his pitch, all done after his script for a seven-minute-cartoon. Story questions - spaceghost2k is your man.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard8.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard9.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard10.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard11.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard13.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard14.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard15.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard16.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard17.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard18.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard19.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard20.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard21.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard22.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard23.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard24.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard25.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard26.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard27.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard28.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard29.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard30.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard31.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard32.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard33.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard34.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard35.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard36.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard37.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard38.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyBoard39.jpg

That smell like a new show? Does to me.

SpaceGhost2K

10-10-2005, 01:41 AM

100th reply? What the hell are you blabbering on aboot?

:D

Yeah, there's some mighty fine artwork in them thar sketches.

Oh, and if you print tham all out and flip them really fast... you'll run out of ink in your printer.

Bandita

10-11-2005, 11:51 AM

hey ho Christoph! :D
Maaaaany sketches,and another drawing style! But I like 'em very much.
You should've been here yesterday. Dan Sarto showed his selection of animated shorts! Amazing films! Next year, we'll visit the eDIT together,ok? :rolleyes:

Jabberwocky

10-13-2005, 04:41 PM

Ya, sure, why not. Or better yet, Annecy!

Jabberwocky

10-17-2005, 03:26 PM

While spaceghost2k is busy tweaking his script for Frederator, I thought giving the Flyguy cast as pitched an overhaul was in order to get it a little closer to that Frederator style:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyguyCast2.jpg

SpaceGhost2K

10-17-2005, 08:28 PM

I just noticed Melanie's calf is bigger than her thigh.

She been workin' out?

Jabberwocky

10-18-2005, 02:11 AM

No, that will be fixed with her hair and some other things. (She is a cheerleader, though.)

mandeep

10-18-2005, 12:29 PM

its simply
wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
i hope i'll be able to do that one day :D

cheers
mandeep

Jabberwocky

10-19-2005, 05:39 AM

Thank you!
The link now leads to the slightly tweaked version, by the way. There are still some proportion errors in it but they don't show a lot because the picture got downsized quite a bit.

SpaceGhost2K

10-19-2005, 03:45 PM

Mr. Wookiee,

I sent Eric the new script. He said all he really needs from us is about 20 sketches like we did before. That should be a load off of your mind, not to mention fingers, time and art supplies.

I really like the new geometric direction of the characters. It makes them edgier, literally and figuratively.

Now we just gotta see 'em MOVE, dangit!

Jabberwocky

10-20-2005, 05:05 AM

If you provide a couple of seconds of dialog as .WAV or .MP3 file, I could give it a try ... That is, Jab could. (Wookiees' palms are too furry for animating.)

SpaceGhost2K

10-20-2005, 09:02 AM

Nah, we gotta get the sketches done first. Saiyu sen jiko yo!

SpaceGhost2K

11-11-2005, 05:53 PM

Christoph, we don't have the "secrecy" issues with Fly Guy since we've already shown it to Frederator. So if you want to show off some of that cool artwork, go for it.

Especially the Tom and Mel w/ Ernie's reflection in the window. I thought that that was really cool.

Jabberwocky

11-12-2005, 04:53 AM

This is all of them. The one you're still missing is #20, by the way.

(It doesn't go from sketch 12 straight to #34 - sketches 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4 are simply on the same sheet.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board34.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board56.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board78.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board910.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board1112.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board1314.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board15.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board16.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board17.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board1819.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board20.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board2122.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board23.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board2425.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board26.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board27.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board28.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board29.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board30.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board3132.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board3334.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board3536.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board3738.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board39.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board40.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board41.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board4243.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board4445.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board4647.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board4849.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board5051.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board5253.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Board54.jpg

This time, I concentrated on speed rather than shading which is why those boards are just very ruff sketches with minimal backgrounds. I used the new character models, though, meaning the style should be quite different from the first pass. Some of the previous pitch's boards will be re-used, hence some omissions.

SpaceGhost2K

11-12-2005, 05:56 PM

9 and 10, with Ernesto's reflection in the glass, and 53 with barbequed Ernesto are my favorites.

These rock. The animatic is coming along. Couple of days. There's no way Fred can say "no."

Jabberwocky

11-28-2005, 01:41 PM

I've got a handful of pet characters of my own invention to which I keep going back every year for an overhaul. Among them are Arkturus, Dawgweazle and Vilhelmina of "Malfid�us School of Wizardry and Wickedness", a shameless Harry Potter rip-off/parody that's been stewing in my head for quite long. It's time the ideas I've gathered over time found an outlet.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfidusCast2005.jpg

mandeep

11-30-2005, 02:03 AM

woooooooooooo haaaaaa
hooolllly maaachoooly that was awesome AWESOME !!!
that was really great characters, loved the sharp edge faces
:)

cheers
Mandeep

bupaje

11-30-2005, 07:10 PM

Wow! Incredible skills, awesome sketch and character development. Too cool. Going to look some more maybe I can absorb something. :)

e17jo1

12-01-2005, 09:13 PM

Ya know what man! I've been checking out your work everytime I look in this thread and I came to the conclusion that I'm a big fan of your work haha. You're style is the type that i'm into, very clean lines with conctruction underneath and is very angular. You have a really knowledge of perspective and I really like how you frame you pictures because some poeple frame it wrong and it looks like accidents. A teacher told me the best work is something that entertains you as you look at it and your work did that. Just wanted to let you know you're work is great and keep it up.

Jabberwocky

12-03-2005, 12:19 PM

That's awfully kind, all of you!
I love ruff stuff and being able to see what kind of drawing work went into something. Last week, an ex-Bluth employee promised me a taped version of all the sequences animated for Dragon's Lair II, and many of them pencil tests. One word: glee!
But I like clean-ups and experimenting with colour, too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusCast2005.jpg

gillianseed84

12-13-2005, 04:15 PM

Neat! Love your work!

Danimation

12-14-2005, 01:00 AM

Diggin the designs Jab! Great efx on them too! How did the Fly guy go? I saw the animatic, great work on the storyboards too man! Kudos

Jabberwocky

12-14-2005, 02:17 AM

Thanks, gillianseed84 and Dan!

Dan, there'll be a new pitch with the latest designs and story sketches on January 5th. Argh, too bad I'll be halfway across the globe by that time and not able to attend. Why, I'd give them such a jabberwock-y glare if they dared to refuse. ;)
However, coming up with the characters would've been much harder without your preliminary work. In terms of design, Ernesto Modesto is really "your" character!

Malfaryus (formerly Malfid�us) - I started that as a geeky little spoof strip for a message board community. I could see it develop into something animated � la "Invader Zim", though. Hehehehehe. I LOVE "Invader Zim"!

Jabberwocky

12-16-2005, 04:09 PM

To keep Dan company, some Grinch sketches.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Grinch1.jpg

Somehow my Grinches always end up looking like angry cats. I must say, however, that I never really saw what distinguishes the Grinch as envisioned by Ted Geisel from the Whos. In terms of body structure, that is.
I love to give him ears and stubby fingers, just to not totally copy Chuck Jones' character.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Grinch2.jpg

This wants some colour, methinks.

Bandita

12-16-2005, 06:59 PM

^Wonderful like always! BTW, I really love your background designs like the chimney!!!

Danimation

12-16-2005, 11:01 PM

Lovin these Grinches man! What a heel hey? Kudos :)

Jabberwocky

12-18-2005, 04:37 PM

I've lived under the impression that my backgrounds are tolerable at best because I've always strongly foucsed on characters. But putting those characters into believable surroundings enhances the whole magic of creating "real" situations immensely. Ah, I have much to learn.

Here's another quick Grinch sketch.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Cindy-LouWho.jpg

Bandita

12-18-2005, 06:19 PM

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhh J�� H! :) :) :)

Jabberwocky

12-19-2005, 01:25 AM

:confused: Sagt man das am Bodensee zu solchen Gelegenheiten? ;)

Bandita

12-19-2005, 02:02 AM

:confused: Sagt man das am Bodensee zu solchen Gelegenheiten? ;)
Jain; eigentlich nur ich...;) Aber ist richtig s�� geworden; w�rds am liebsten knuddeln und mit heim nehmen!!!

Bandita

01-07-2006, 09:52 AM

:D :D :D
Ja, Post war heute da! Hab mich unglaublich gefreut! Viiiiiiielen, vielen lieben Dank! Die Kleine wird als Kopie �ber mein Bett geh�ngt!!!Die revanche bekommst du n�chsten Monat!!!

Jabberwocky

01-08-2006, 09:09 AM

Sehr gut!

OK, back to English!
To wrap up 2005, some random sketches I didn't feel like posting on their own.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/2005.jpg

And now it's time to turn to 2006.
After his last Flyguy pitch on January 5th, spaceghost2k mailed me and we discussed different projects. Among Mr Webb's ideas was one I quite liked, a dog owned by an American family who can actually talk - but doesn't speak his owners' language. I toyed with that idea a little and came up with Muttkovich and Freedom Fries. Here are some very quick sketches I threw down.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MFF1.jpg

That mutt was inspired by some of Europe's worst dictators, Hitler, Mussolini and Franco.
It's official, I'm warped - but it makes me giggle.

powerglove

01-08-2006, 12:23 PM

awesome characters jab! i like your house type buildings also, f'n nice :)

cartuneman

01-08-2006, 01:17 PM

hahahaha Jab,

"Back to English":p Cool stuff man, I always enjoy your art. So how's life treating ya, Santa brought me Flash and now I'm learning it. I'm also still building homes for a living"ugh""sigh" oh well, I'm also excited i picked up a new publisher this year........I'm looking forward to the work. I think we will all have a great year!

cartuneman:D

KalEl118

01-08-2006, 01:26 PM

Great stuff. Always been a fan of your very animation friendly style, but now I'm a huge fan of your set design. the Castle and house are great. I also really enjoy the picture on the bottom right hand side of the first picture. It has great movement.

Can't wait to see more in 2006.

KalEl118

Jabberwocky

01-08-2006, 03:16 PM

awesome characters jab! i like your house type buildings also, f'n nice :)
now I'm a huge fan of your set design

Aw shucks, guys, I'm really no great shakes at set and layout design and I'm not just saying that to come across as particularly modest. The sad truth is that I'm quite impatient and can't be arsed to meticulously plot and plan perspectives. (What especially annoys me are vanishing points far off the sheet I'm drawing on.)
The castle is something I literally spat on a piece of paper after finishing Howl's Moving Castle (the book). Myazaki's design of it is next to none, of course, but in the book it's described like a foreboding place with countless crooked turrets, towers and grinding wallstones, so that's what I "spat out". That other building is a very rough design of the smithy at which the Jabberwocky short I'm (half-heartedly) planning starts. It's just for the storyboards and I'd want it to look tons better in an actual short.

So how's life treating ya, Santa brought me Flash and now I'm learning it. I'm also still building homes for a living"ugh""sigh"

Oh, I'm alive. What I'm doing at the moment ain't great, but it's work. 'sides, new year, fresh start and all that. Even though time is an illusion (and lunchtime doubly so), I think those little rituals we go through every year are very important and invigourating.
My brother is working with Flash at the moment, trying to piece together a little game based on his media design professor's engine. He's no animator, though, and while I did my best to get across what I know about Ye Basyc Pryncyples of Anymacyon, he's more into the design and programming process and just glad to have the things he animated look halfway decent. (He even works without a light table most of the time.)

I also really enjoy the picture on the bottom right hand side of the first picture. It has great movement.

Oh thanks. It's actually something I "borrowed" from the earlier Simpsons episodes, from the time when they were still done by Klasky Csupo. I'm sure you remember that sometimes they'd turn their heads while talking and there'd be an exaggerated drag in the entire lower half of their faces. I thought that was fun so I experimented with the idea ...

Bandita

01-08-2006, 03:48 PM

Christoph, I hope you know, that you've got awsome skills and that I love your work! But the girl on the top... incredible charisma!!!!!

cartuneman

01-09-2006, 05:49 AM

Hi Jab,

First off, thanks for visiting my Gallery and secondly, the markers I use to do the kids book art are called Pantone markers by Letraset. I don't know if you can buy them there? But they are cool they come with three size drawing tips and are refillable and you can even airbrush with them.

Cartuneman:D

Jabberwocky

01-09-2006, 02:10 PM

Christoph, I hope you know, that you've got awsome skills and that I love your work! But the girl on the top... incredible charisma!!!!!

Reading all that made me very, very glad. All the drawings in the world are worth only half as much without people to look at them, regardless of what they think of them, which means getting positive feedback makes them worth twice as much.
After seeing all those silent line tests you've done, I'm extremely curious to see what you've come up with all put together and with sound. I've been meaning to ask, but did you do a storyboard beforehand? I'd very much love to see it in case you did!

First off, thanks for visiting my Gallery and secondly, the markers I use to do the kids book art are called Pantone markers by Letraset. I don't know if you can buy them there? But they are cool they come with three size drawing tips and are refillable and you can even airbrush with them.

They sound dead-nifty, they do. I think I'll be able to get them here. I was thinking of using them to shade story sketches.

Jabberwocky

01-15-2006, 10:55 AM

OK, more sketches.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/LifeDrawings.jpg

Some generic, quick life sketching I resolved to do more of this year.

And an idea Dan "from the other thread" gave me with his latest bit. (First the Grinch and now this!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/WhyYouLittle.jpg

An homage to the classic Ghosts 'n' Goblins / Ghousl 'n' Ghosts series of video games. I remember that game from the time I still owned a C64. Damned zombies, making me run around a graveyard all nekkid!!!

Jabberwocky

01-22-2006, 01:01 PM

And that's the whole scene cleaned and coloured. I chose a hard, anime-esque shading for the characters to make them stand out against the rather dark BG more. I think it works OK. Hmmm. Should I continue experimenting with this style for a while, I wonder ... ?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Arthur.jpg

Hunter D

01-22-2006, 02:18 PM

It looks very interesting looking good...
...but, the background is a bit to blurry it just doesn't fit.

I really like your style Jabber...

Jabberwocky

01-22-2006, 02:28 PM

Thank you for looking and commenting. I agree about the background. The whole thing was coloured comparably slapdash this morning - I did the landscape shading by hand in b/w and digitally added colour later. (I'm a bit surprised the colours as such came out the way they did, though; I expected worse.) Aynway, call my over-using softeners a very bad habit. I resolve to do better in the future.
The character shaidng looks too edgy for me. The reason behind that is rather mundane - I still don't own a light pen and am forced to work with nothing but my mouse.
The whole thing is also too dark and - oh my, I'm getting into fault-finding again and I never quit when I'm at it. Best go to sleep and look over everything again tomorrow, with a fresh(er) eye.

bupaje

01-25-2006, 05:31 PM

Beautiful stuff. I may have said it before but I love looking at the constructive/expressive lines you use to build your sketches for some reason -almost like an augury to learn some hidden secrets of the creative process. :)

Jabberwocky

01-26-2006, 04:03 AM

Thank you, I love ruff stuff, too. In school, we once watched an entire ruff reel of Lilo & Stitch - that was interesting.
I'm sure you'd enjoy looking at Glen Keane's ruff animation, too. There's a lot of his artwork in Disney's making-of books, of course, and an entire animated sequence of Silver he did for Treasure Planet on the DVD's extra material. It's the one in which Sliver whips up some stew for Jim and Doppler. Looks great in all stages, and I was amazed at how scrawly Keane starts out, yet how clearly the acting comes across even in the ruffest stage.

bupaje

01-26-2006, 06:19 AM

Thanks for that tip, I'll rent that this weekend. :)

cartuneman

01-27-2006, 05:51 PM

Hey Jab,

How goes the battle of having to work and then come home and pick up a pencil? hahaha

No really I'm still at work working on boring reports for yet another sales meeting monday. Ugh:( oh well, I just took a minute to write a few notes in the forum now because as soon as I get home my Wife will choke me if I walk towards the computer hahahaha. I looked at your finished piece of the skeleton and the swordsman it's absolutley so cool! Thumbs up Dude on everything I've ever seen of yours.

I myself have been streatching my wings alil and attempting to draw stuff I'm not accustomed too. I'm also going to push my self in my coloring abilities. Thanks for the peek in at my gallery. Darn..............I gotta get back to work:mad:

Cartuneman:D

Jabberwocky

01-28-2006, 04:04 AM

*grins* Yeah! Customers - they're the unillumined made kings, heheh! Makes a body appreciate weekends more, though.
I've been set a little acting animation assignment by one of my former animation teachers. (More like I showed him something and he said, "Make that move, won't you?") So that's what I'm likely to spend my weekend on.
Good life, good life!

Jabberwocky

04-02-2006, 05:04 PM

Long time, no post.
I'm tossing around ideas for an animated short with the Malfaryus characters.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/BonesRestSkizzen.jpg

I'm also trying to finalise their designs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusCast2006.jpg

Jabberwocky

04-13-2006, 04:27 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Wukong.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Pan1.jpg

Jabberwocky

04-25-2006, 03:55 AM

I've got a Wacom now. This should be interesting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusWacom.jpg

Jabberwocky

04-29-2006, 08:13 PM

Today's sketches. The guy in the upper middle row is an unsuccessful attempt to combine a transparent, ghostly character with a solid skeleton underneath. Can anybody think of a method to combine them more effectively? The only way I can think of off the top of my head is to animate him the way they did with the King of the dead in Return of the King; that is, make the character shift between ghost and rotting corpse.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/GuybrushLeChuck.jpg

Doubt

04-30-2006, 05:54 AM

Looks great! I think you could shift the transparency of his body subtly throughout the animation and maybe have the body become more opaque when he needs to speak or to emphasize important actions/emotions. It will definately be cool to see though.

Jabberwocky

04-30-2006, 12:48 PM

I guess in animation the character wouldn't get that much shading anyway. Maybe a simplified, dark skeleton, just a silhouette of the bone structure, wrapped in a transparent spirit would do the trick. I'll experiment. Emphasizing the parts most important to acting is a good call. The skeleton for full body poses, the ghostly face for dialog, etc.

fiddlestickTOTHEMAX

04-30-2006, 09:01 PM

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what you suggested, but just incase I'll toss it out there anyways: if the skellitol areas covered by ghostliness were masked to be silhouettes I think it'd look better..

Either way it's all butter, your stuff is awesome.

Jabberwocky

05-01-2006, 01:52 PM

Thanks! You raise an interesting point. The design of both elements must enhance the other's design, otherwise I'm left with a mess of lines that's not readable. The eyes and mouth should be particularly pronounced ...
I think it works better with flat shapes and no fancy shading.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/GhostPirate.jpg

It also occurred to me that the character, at least the human-form version, looks way too much like a character from Hercules. Funny. I wasn't even thinking of that movie when I sat down. The design will have to go. Pity, I quite liked how the colour came out ...

bupaje

05-03-2006, 07:14 PM

Stuff is just too cool for words .... as for the ghost. Maybe you have to think of what might make his ghostly form appear. For example maybe when he walks past anything with life - like grass etc - his ghost could gain form (maybe while the grass etc ages and dies?). Or maybe his form could be tied to emotion like fear, anger or to evil etc. Or perhaps he feeds on darkness so he shows more or less depending on lighting? In other words what energy feeds his ghostly form appearing? Just a random thought ...

Jabberwocky

05-06-2006, 05:15 PM

All things to consider. I think, however, that ghosts as such are rather emblematic of fear as it is. Do you have anything special in mind to make the connection stronger visually?
I'll get back to composing decomposition later. In the meantime, since I'm working on a character that's supposed to be a spoof of him, I doodled a little version of my own of one of Nintendo's most underrated heroes, Pit the Angel a.k.a. Kid Icarus and his arch nemesis, Medusa.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Icarus1.jpg

And some colour:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Pit.jpg

That dude looks like one of my childhood friends and I was definitely thinking of him when I got started.

Jabberwocky

05-08-2006, 05:54 PM

Last thing, I wanted the two characters in one motif. 'scuse my over-using those generic, steamy backgrounds but they're the fastest and easiest way of adding a little structure to surroundings.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/KidIcarus2.jpg

Jabberwocky

05-17-2006, 04:29 AM

Here's another little sketch of that video game character and some of his enemies in the game. This adult version came out WAY too Hercules. Pity, I think the pose is quite OK. Back to the animation disk ...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Icarus3.jpg

Jabberwocky

05-22-2006, 05:58 PM

My computer at work has Google as its starting site and going there today showed me it's A. C. Doyle's birthday. So I did this super-fast sketch entirely on impulse (-and not even during a break; I'm a bad employee-).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Holmes.jpg

Jabberwocky

05-28-2006, 02:57 PM

While searching for some templates, I went through that lose collection of sheets in a box that is my "sketchbook". I picked out those that made me go, "Ah yes - that, what was that all about again?"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/RandomSketches.jpg

And her. I can't put my finger on it but I found her face fascinating somehow.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Girl.jpg

brien

05-28-2006, 11:21 PM

ah, that pig-like guy is great! i always love the solid construction all your drawings have and the veriety of crazy looking creatures you create. good stuff like always!

Jabberwocky

05-29-2006, 08:15 AM

Thank you, and I really admire the clarity of your lineart. Bet you could make a splash as cleanup artist.
The pig guy is a failure. He's supposed to spoof a well established video game character but the way he looks now everyone would think of the original character and not recognise that one as a spoof. I like the bald fellow to his right better because he's a spoof as well and doesn't look like I'd draw the original character. I'd like to show the magazine pitch ads I'm doing right now but those stay under lock and key until they appear in print.

Jabberwocky

06-02-2006, 03:36 AM

Oh, and this one fluttered from the pages of a book when I opened it. If I remember correctly, those must be sketches of the three main Harry Potter protagonists. Never liked how Daniel Radcliffe made the character look after the first movie. One, he doesn't look like a neglected runt, two, the boy can't act.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/HP2006.jpg

SpaceGhost2K

06-04-2006, 11:14 PM

I don't know why you even bother to draw stuff. With that talent, you should just sit at your desk and let people throw money at you.

Jabberwocky

06-05-2006, 12:33 PM

I tried once but people kept walking by, pretending not to take notice. I took my shirt off next and they still pretended not to notice. Some of them must have, though, because I was arrested for indescent behaviour no thirty minutes later. That's when I realised that the face you gotta have to just sit there and rake in the money is this one:

http://www.comedy-zone.net/images/people/cartoonists/davis-jim.jpg

Ah well. I'm happy drawing, actually. Here are some ruff poses. I'd say most of them work but they need some fixing. Like always. *ernt* Happy, happy, happy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ArkPoses.jpg

Jabberwocky

06-13-2006, 05:57 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MoreThumbnails.jpg

Jabberwocky

06-21-2006, 06:10 AM

Here are two slightly larger versions of our Pitch Party ad. The Flyguy ad's layout is courtesy of Danimation, I merely provided the illustration.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyAdDan.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Ad.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusAdFinal.jpg

damage

06-21-2006, 07:59 AM

Those look great Jabberwocky, So r u and Dan both doing the pitch party thing?

Jabberwocky

06-21-2006, 09:38 AM

SpaceGhost2K

06-25-2006, 08:00 PM

Yes and no. Officially, the Flyguy project is spaceghost2k's. He's the writer, I illustrate it. Dan did character design on it before I came in and has basically been with us with advice and the occasional hand until now.

And as far as Malfaryus goes, I have complete ownership of Jab's pencil shavings.

eBay, here I come.

Jabberwocky

06-30-2006, 05:22 PM

OK, but you'll have to fight my hamster for them. She stands ten feet tall, has light blue fur and teeth like machetes. We named her Emma.

Here are some very quick sketches I made on what was available. See if you can spot:

- a very rudimentary Frodo Baggins as I'd probably draw him today
- Bilbo Baggins
- Cornelius Fudge from the Harry Potter books
- wand-maker Ollivander, also from Harry Potter
- myself

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Quick.jpg

quisling

07-02-2006, 09:29 AM

AWESOME stuff jabber!!!
really GREAT stuff!! i wanna worship u!! man! EXCELLENT!!! :eek: :eek:

Phreak

07-02-2006, 11:21 AM

Geeez man, I look at your work and realise I have SOOOO MUCH to learn! Hehe. Really brilliant stuff!

Jabberwocky

07-03-2006, 06:19 PM

*grins* Thanks guys. I can relate to the "much to learn"-sentiment. I have similar experiences on a daily basis.

Here's a doodle sheet from some brainstorming I did on Malfaryus.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusConcepts.jpg

I kind of like the chicken spirit. I think I shall call him Ridley!
Bandita, one of your Annecy pictures revealed to me that we fancy the same German band. There's a character in that accumulation of doodles which was loosely inspired by one of their latest videos. Can you guess which one?

Bandita

07-08-2006, 06:39 PM

http://mitglied.lycos.de/bandita/Chucky.jpg

Jabberwocky

07-09-2006, 02:10 PM

You call that a knife?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/ChildsPlay.jpg

I've never had much of a stomach for horror movies. I once researched Japanese splatter and gore movies and, well, let's just say I was glad my sources didn't feature any screenshots. I do like Sleepy Hollow and Bram Stoker's Dracula, which are bloody but deliciously stylish, and silly stuff � la Gremlins. (I also like some of what Poe and Lovecraft wrote for that matter. The squid guy in that last compilation of doodles is a nod to the Cthulhu myth.)
Don't tell me you like Child's Play?! As far as inspiration goes, Arkturus, whom I consider satire, is a blend of Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Artemis Fowl, The Brain from Animaniacs and an obscure child-demon character called Ackman by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Chucky has never been a character I've consciously drawn upon, but yes, it's a good comparison.
Anyway, I hope the dream didn't involve murderous puppets. Or spiders. My agent refuses to sign deals for appearances in dreams with either.

Phreak

07-10-2006, 04:09 PM

Jabberwocky dude, I think Bandita beat you when it comes to SCARY! hehe.
The Scratchy ink desturbing!

But then, yours look like it could scare the crap out of the rescue rangers! hehe.

Jabberwocky

07-19-2006, 06:06 PM

Temperatures today reached 99�F. That's decidedly too hot for a Western European whose favourite time of year is atumn. I'm, like, suffering here! Dripping, greasy, shiny, sticky, boiling torture. At least my job quite effectively keeps me from refreshing physical activities, like jumping into some sort -any sort- of liquid below 70�, or mental activities like drawing. The best I have to offer are some quick doodles of the Malfaryus kids' magical familars, a listless, vaguely resembling doodle I did of Michael Keaton, sketching from a photo I found online, and a cartoony Beetlejuice based on it. God, I hate this time of year. Luckily, the only thing blowing even more is my fan.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/HottestDay.jpg

vicjperry

07-19-2006, 11:41 PM

My right nut to be able to draw like you Jab!:eek:

Jabberwocky

07-20-2006, 04:12 AM

We are talking walnuts here, right, because I love walnuts? Walnuts, right? RIGHT?

Wim Houben

07-20-2006, 02:15 PM

Nice clean image you make. You're sketches are fine to.

Jabberwocky

07-20-2006, 04:25 PM

Thanks. A couple of years ago I was strongly influenced by English fantasy illustrators. Back then I worked more on texture and overall "fantastic realism". For the past five or four years I have strongly concentrated on animation.
Say, my mother is Dutch and I have always sort of wondered why there isn't more animation coming from the Benelux. I'm sure there are enough capable animators across the border, some even acclaimed artists like Michael Dudok DeWit, Raoul Servais or even storyteller Herman van Veen, but somehow I get the impression there isn't a lot of mainstream work coming from there. You are in touch with the Belgian community, I presume. Got a different take?

Wim Houben

07-20-2006, 10:28 PM

What do you mean with take?

Yes there are good animators in Belgium, but they all are very commercial. Like R. Servais, he was quind of a pionier in animation, he combined modern animation with real time film; "Taxandria " If you have the time to wath it, its a surrealistic movie.

Btw; I had lessons of his daughter for 3 years...I've never met an stranger women than her man. and I dont mean it on the good way.

I've posted some other pict...check it out and give me some crits please.

Grts Wim

Jabberwocky

07-21-2006, 04:05 AM

"Take" in this case means view or opinion.
Servais' "Harpya" is one of my favourite animated shorts, very scary. I'm not a very big fan of experimental or surreal animation in general as my interest is focused on characters and story. If animation has that and is filmed using interesting techniques and styles (like Chuck Jones' "Dot and Line", for example) then I'm game.

Jabberwocky

08-06-2006, 07:31 PM

I'll really be concentrating on those characters and critters for a while.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfLineUp1.jpg

Many more still on the drawing board.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MotherShroud.jpg

And some quick life sketching on the side.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Kitties.jpg

cartuneman

08-06-2006, 09:53 PM

Dude!

Still having fun working and tryng to draw? I am ...ugh! Man your work is so cool. I got to go to Comic con in San Diego and I had a blast but man I felt so humbled there. I like all the characters. How long have you been working on these guys?

cart:D

Jabberwocky

08-07-2006, 03:56 AM

Thanks, but you got it backwards there, more like I'm having fun drawing and trying to work. I can relate to the "ugh"; my vacation officially ended today and I don't like what the month's got in store for me.
Some of those characters' prototypes go back as far as 2002. To entertain some friends, I made little comic strips (http://www.the-pensieve.org/artists/jabberwocky/CarefulMagicalCreatures.jpg) with them. That was before I started dabbling in animation officially.

Jabberwocky

08-26-2006, 07:25 PM

I needed another break from the "stuff that really counts" and it had to be silly. Ever since George Lucas wasn't above showing us Darth Vader in his very awkward age, I have wondered what everybody's favourite puppet master Yoda must've been like as a kid, a though I find more intriguing, personally, because Extended Universe lore doesn't give the guy any origin story whatsoever.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/PadawanYoda.jpg

cartuneman

08-27-2006, 06:39 PM

Absolutely love it !! Yoda as a kid......hahahaha you know never thought of him that way........even ET would be a hoot.lol

How goes Mr Jab. I've been playing around with fantasy art and sci-fi stuff. I entered a competition with a charqacter design and so far I'm still in.....keep'n my fingers crossed lol

cart:D

Jabberwocky

08-28-2006, 11:58 AM

Oy, that sounds good! What's the big prize? I sure wish we had character designing contests here in Germany not limited to anime style and an average participant age of sixteen.

cartuneman

08-28-2006, 12:25 PM

If I remember right it is 10 grand and a contract....there are a bunch of other prizes too. Ya a really cool contest here would be fun too.....!

cart:D

Jabberwocky

09-03-2006, 05:58 PM

OK then, as requested here are the first definite steps:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Brewmaster.jpg

This is just one of two characters with only the basic colouring laid out. Much more to be done.

cartuneman

09-04-2006, 09:39 AM

There ya go great Character !!! Can't wait to see what you do to it further.

cart:D

Jabberwocky

09-04-2006, 06:30 PM

Well, here's another step:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Brewmaster2.jpg

Looks a little smeary which means I'll have to work on my colouring technique but that will need time so I'm OK with the outcome for the moment. Now for that other guy.

cartuneman

09-05-2006, 12:30 PM

looking Great!

I went out and baught the PS cs2 bible.....OMG, I am not versed on ps hahahaha. I had to run next door to Home depot hardware store and buy a wheelbarrow just to haul the book home!

I can't wait to see the finished piece!

cart:D

Heathen

09-05-2006, 01:16 PM

Jabberwocky, your stuff is incredible!!
How'd you get so amazingly good?!
Your characters are always so well designed and the color choices for them are even more amazing.
Haha I really like your kid yoda picture! The added detail of the braids! I mean I know Yoda used to be a padawan but I would never have remembered to add the braids!!
You have an awesome eye for detail...which I unfortunately lack...your characters are always so inspiring, it helps me keep drawing. :D

nonsense

09-05-2006, 09:22 PM

Really amazing work Jab! ;)

Jabberwocky

09-06-2006, 04:45 PM

Cheers, guys! I wasn't that much into colour before the PC gave me the opportunity to experiment with it so flexibly. My work room is pretty small, I also sleep in it, and I usually don't feel like spreading a lot of painting equipment or cleaning up huge messes. I'm fond of watercolours and crayons, mind, and working with colours in real life can teach you many valuable lessons that work for digital colouring as well. However, being able to undo steps and change colours and hues within the blink of an eye on the PC makes it a really dynamic process; you don't have to start over just because an idea you had didn't come out so well.
I think character colouring works best when they are dominated by one or two main colours. Panda-guy is mostly about blue and orange. (Also a primary contrast and I love using those.) The rest is shades or closely related colours.
I like movies with strong colour themes, like the original Matrix movie, Sleepy Hollow, Hero, or Disney's Aladdin. A theme can enhance the atmosphere and breaking from it can make a powerful visual statement.

Jabberwocky

09-09-2006, 02:48 PM

Aaaaaaaaah, weekend at last! Here's the other guy.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/Apprentice.jpg

Yup, the new guy's a stiff. A panda zombie. Ah-ha. I don't know who but I think I should see someone over ideas like that. I guess I thought him up when reading about jiangshi, or Chinese vampires, although they're really more like zombies as they don't suck blood. (I wonder why I gave him five fingers and four toes and the other one four fingers and three toes. D'oh! Now I'll have to come up with a backstory to explain that away.)

Jabberwocky

09-10-2006, 09:16 AM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/PandarenBrewmasterApprentice.jpg

There, colour's done. Now all I need is a background but I'm tired and done CG-coloring for today.

cartuneman

09-11-2006, 12:50 PM

those look so cool ....so is there a BG yet?

cart:D

Jabberwocky

09-11-2006, 01:29 PM

There will be some background but nothing fancy, nothing drawn and painted, just a little adornment.
Say, have you sent away your submission already? I tried last night but their servers are so clogged that I don't know whether it got through. They haven't sent a confirmation email anyway.

cartuneman

09-11-2006, 03:42 PM

ya I sent my stuff too but haven't recieved any confo either. hummmmmm?

should I contact them and ask?

cart:D

Jabberwocky

09-11-2006, 04:12 PM

Well, I did ...

cartuneman

09-11-2006, 05:10 PM

what they say?

cart

oh I was just doodeling whatchya think? God I know i had to do a pirate!!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/pirate2copy.jpg

Jabberwocky

09-11-2006, 05:27 PM

oh I was just doodeling whatchya think? God I know i had to do a pirate!!
I'd have to do that pirate, too. (Dayum, promised me I wouldn't write that!) Nice one! (Though I hope she's wearing the eyepatch only for show ...)
No reply on the contest yet.

nonsense

09-11-2006, 05:34 PM

what contest is this?...sweet doodle action cart.

SpaceGhost2K

09-11-2006, 07:39 PM

Jab, I've never said this to you, but your stuff would make the coolest action figure line, ever.

Larry L.

09-11-2006, 11:51 PM

Hello Jabber,

Great work - as always- your work is always a welcomed addition to AWN's SHOW AND TELL. Love the ruffs, too!!!!

I think we should do a pirate character design contest.

At the beginning of October, Tybee Island has it's own Pirates Festival. As a member in good standing of the TAA (Tybee Arts Assoc.) maybe I could get them to display the entries somewhere.

It could be cool!

Thanks again for the great work!!!!!!!!

damage

09-12-2006, 03:44 AM

Really nice there Jab. Luv the character in them. I hope ur pitch party thing went well I saw ur entry's in this months Animation Magazine that's circulating round the studio here.:D

Jabberwocky

09-12-2006, 04:09 AM

Thank you, all of you!
The feedback I get here really means a lot to me, as does keeping in touch with you, Mr L. and Mr Webb, and the rest of you as well!
You ROCK my provincial German life!

cartuneman

09-12-2006, 09:52 AM

SpaceGhost2K

09-12-2006, 08:05 PM

hahahahaha Jab,

Loved your comment! I would have said it too.........so whats this i hear about a magizine with your art in it? where can I purchase one? I wanna copy!!!!!

Oh and Larry, that sounds like loads of fun! I'm up for it!

cart:D

Two ads drawn by The Jab appeared in Animation Magazine August 2006 issue. The ads were judged, and two of the ten judges included Jab's project "Malfaryus" in their list of favorites. One of the judges included ONLY "Malfaryus" in her list, and we will be indiscussions with her company within the week.

By we, I mean me, because I'm here and Jab's there.

I'm his pimp, yo.

BTW, I emailed Jodi Bluth at AM and she's sending me six more issues so I can get some into Jab's hands. He hasn't even seen them, yet.

cartuneman

09-12-2006, 08:59 PM

So do they sell this mag at most stands or Borders or some where like that?

Congrats JAB!!!!!

I want a copy!!

Cart:D

SpaceGhost2K

09-13-2006, 01:05 AM

So do they sell this mag at most stands or Borders or some where like that?

Congrats JAB!!!!!

I want a copy!!

Cart:D

I looked everywhere for more copies and couldn't find them. I heard maybe Barnes and Noble, but we don'thave any of those around her anymore. Nothing at B. Dalton, Borders, etc. That's why I had to email AM to try to get some extras.

Jab can post the two ads though.

Jabberwocky

09-13-2006, 03:18 AM

No biggie yet, but it unexpectedly got our foot in the door so I'm reasonably excited. (And terrified as there's still so much to be drawn and written. I could do with another week off.) Those are the mag ads:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/FlyGuyAdDan.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusAdFinal.jpg

I did the Flyguy ad's motif and cleaned and coloured it. All other elements were done by Dan Schoening. ("Our" Dan, mod of this forum, that is.)
I see a chance Flyguy and Malfaryus might work for WB because of all their top notch superhero and fantasy franchises. We'll see.

thee_nethken

09-13-2006, 06:28 AM

your characters have a very strong sense of design! very nice, I like your work

Jabberwocky

09-13-2006, 05:53 PM

Thanks! I'm only just starting CG painting stuff so kudos on you making your things look so picture-perfect.

I've got some more grubby work doodles, all done outside break times, just to illustrate what a bad employee I am and how easily I get side-tracked when I'm bored.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/GrubbyWorkDoodles.jpg

Some hurried attempts to capture a place called Malfaryus, explore the characters inhabiting it by imagining what they'll look like as adults - and to come up with a cartoony Chinese dragon who doesn't #~$*! look like Disney's Mushu, not in that exact order.

cartuneman

09-13-2006, 10:21 PM

I love your boaring work effort hahahahahahahahahaha you know what i mean it always seems that when we don't want to be some where we create the best because what we create is where we want to be !!!

Love the sketches and you are one fantastically talented person sir! my hats off to ya congrats again!

Cart:D

Heathen

09-13-2006, 11:15 PM

love your building sketches!!
they have so much personality and unique design and style! it's just simply amazing that you can do that!

Jabberwocky

09-14-2006, 03:46 AM

Cheers! To tell the truth, I had (and am still having) a bit of a hard time getting used to the somewhat stiffer and linear nature of buildings and perspective. I love organic-looking backgrounds but that can easily be overdone to the effect of a background looking less like a stage framing characters and their actions and more like screen-filling and obscure "organisms" which totally mess up scenic statements. Those sketches are just an accumulation of design ideas for buildings, not very structured.

thee_nethken

09-14-2006, 04:05 AM

they are looking great man! glad to hear im not the only one who doodles at work, when they should be working haha ;)

Flashman

09-15-2006, 08:23 AM

hey jab.

been away for agggeeesss...apart from the odd post here and there. but entering final year of animation degree and so am getting all the info into my head I can! you're work is truely inspiring. keep it up, i enjoy loking at your work!

p.s: i should be posting more as my film comes along. will be pretty interesting for people to see what im doing...if not at least a learning curve!

Jabberwocky

09-15-2006, 06:12 PM

Checking - yes, still remember you. I had a short look over your sketchbook. Great work on Ralfie the sleeping dog, my favourite.

SpaceGhost2K

09-15-2006, 09:30 PM

Jab - a head's up. Check your email. You're getting something within the next half hour.

**EDIT** Just sent it.

It's a release form you need to sign for Kids' WB! for Malfaryus and Fly Guy. I know, I didn't really NEED to put that here, but I mean, if ya can't BRAG...

Spacey

(ps guys, it's all Malfaryus and all Jab. At this point, they couldn't care less about Fly Guy. I'm just covering all the bases.)

cartuneman

09-15-2006, 10:46 PM

I can say I knew you when.....now can't I ? Wow jab congrats.

cart:D

nonsense

09-15-2006, 11:02 PM

whoa..congrats jab!!!

Jabberwocky

09-17-2006, 10:45 AM

Yup, it's really all about me - except that Spacey got me working on Flyguy and into Animation Magazine and he followed the whole affair beyond the contest and got us into contact with WB and has so far handled just about everything which brough us closer to getting our stuff known.
This merits some applause!
The fools' journey has begun - we do not know where it will take us.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusSketches.jpg

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

bupaje

09-18-2006, 06:19 PM

Woohoo, congrats. Well deserved, you have some great work here.

cartuneman

09-18-2006, 09:27 PM

Dude,

Thanks for the notice......I re submitted and all I got back was the submission screen again so I don't know if it went thru yet myself...I'll try again later..

Well at 4 am this morning I finaly got it to go thru and i recieved the notice it was recieved..

cart:D

Sharvonique

09-18-2006, 10:25 PM

Wow guys! That really great!! You've worked really hard and and now your efforts are starting to show. I'm glad that you were able to keep pushing the project forward. Keep us posted.

Jabberwocky

09-19-2006, 03:42 AM

Thanks! This is all a little daunting. I doubt I'll even be able to travel to the US to attend a possible pitch. How's Ragamuffin coming along?

thee_nethken

09-19-2006, 07:31 AM

good luck with it all Jab! :D thats fantastic

RealityTwist

09-19-2006, 07:34 PM

I really do love the style of your art work. It has a very nice visual feel to it.

Sharvonique

09-20-2006, 12:18 AM

Thanks! This is all a little daunting. I doubt I'll even be able to travel to the US to attend a possible pitch. How's Ragamuffin coming along?

Don't worry about not being present for the pitch. I think that I read somewhere that the creator of Ed, Edd, and Eddy pitched the show with a couple of sentences and a fax machine!

I'm thinking about animating the short I created for Ragamuffin myself, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to it. I'm hoping to have it done by next year's Nicktoons festival if my schedule allows it. At the very least, I'll finish putting together my presentation. I never got around to designing the other characters, but that'll be my next step.

By the way, I like your new avatar image.

katana

09-21-2006, 07:16 PM

..O.k. So I made it to the end of this thread, First Jabberwocky, your designs are nothing short of excellent. Second, Gratz on your success if even premature, it's obvious you're going places. Like many artists out there that tend to get distracted or pushed off the line of action, it has made me realize that it's time to sharpen the pencil or break it. Anyway, thanks for sharing your hard work. I especially like, on these long threads, to see how the artist grows....That's about it. Can't wait to catch your stuff on the big screen.

chris

SpaceGhost2K

09-21-2006, 11:32 PM

Jab pointed me to the "Brady's Beasts" website, which is basically a pitch designed as a website.

On the characters' page, each character is animated, but just barely. Can anyone tell me how many individual drawings they think it used for each character's animation? 4? 8? I dunno.

I have the domain name registered for Fly Guy, and will be registering Malfaryus as soon as the money fairy vitis me. :(

cartuneman

09-22-2006, 04:57 PM

its hard to say it looks like they where created in flash or something like it so being looped they could have as little as 12 frames to 36 frames but it's a cool site and also a cool way to market yourself huh? I have a few pitches I'm about to attack the giants with and I think I'll try it this way too hahahahaha Very cool Idea!

Cartuneman:D

Jabberwocky

09-22-2006, 04:58 PM

Don't worry about not being present for the pitch. I think that I read somewhere that the creator of Ed, Edd, and Eddy pitched the show with a couple of sentences and a fax machine!

Ah, that's exactly the kind of thing I need to hear at the moment! :D

So I made it to the end of this thread

Honestly, thank you for taking the time. And no matter how this thing turns out, it's a win-win situation, really, as we're bound to learn from it. I already did because I don't think I'd have pushed myself as much if Ed hadn't suggested to just throw these things at people out of the blue.

Speaking of which, can I show the latest Flyguy stuff, huh, can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?

SpaceGhost2K

09-22-2006, 08:12 PM

Ah, that's exactly the kind of thing I need to hear at the moment! :D

Honestly, thank you for taking the time. And no matter how this thing turns out, it's a win-win situation, really, as we're bound to learn from it. I already did because I don't think I'd have pushed myself as much if Ed hadn't suggested to just throw these things at people out of the blue.

Speaking of which, can I show the latest Flyguy stuff, huh, can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?

Gosh, I guess. :) I still need Scott, Mr. Follett, clean Ernesto, clean Swarmtrooper, Beatrice and the Nervous Fidgets, but I know you're working on Malfaryus, too.

Hey, BTW Melanie and Dimples are wearing the same clothes. School uniforms? With a midriff? Cheerleader outfits? If so, Barlow nees a mascot. How 'bout the Barlow Bulldogs?

(I can't get over how freakin' cool Coach Johnson turned out. I'm gonna hunt Rafer down and show it to him. I can do that, ya know.)

SpaceGhost2K

09-22-2006, 08:17 PM

Oh, one more thing... you might have the most basic presentation for "Moon Pirates" ready to go. Simply the cast photo might suffice. They always want to know what else is going on in your head.

We show 'em Malfaryus, Fly Guy and Moon Pirates, and they'll take us a lot more seriously.

Jabberwocky

09-22-2006, 09:29 PM

Gosh, I guess. :) I still need Scott, Mr. Follett, clean Ernesto, clean Swarmtrooper, Beatrice and the Nervous Fidgets, but I know you're working on Malfaryus, too.
Naaah, that's OK. I always work on Flyguy when the prospect of presenting Malfaryus freaks me out too much. At least Flyguy ain't my fault.
OK, kidding aside, I sort of have Scott and Beatrice worked out but that's for your eyes only at the mo, so check your mail please.

Hey, BTW Melanie and Dimples are wearing the same clothes. School uniforms? With a midriff? Cheerleader outfits? If so, Barlow nees a mascot. How 'bout the Barlow Bulldogs?
Bulldogs? I think that's been done. How about something to match the set-up of the show? Barlow Bugs? (What can I say for myself, it's past three in the mornin' ...) Those are cheerleader outfits alright. Beatrice isn't in on that kind of stuff, right? Because in that likely case she'll get different garb.
(BTW, I always keep print-sized PSD files with separate lineart and colour layers of all the characters I draw, meaning I can get them to you in whatever size or before whatever background you need.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/TemporaryLineUp.jpg

OK, Ernesto (3rd from right) and the swarmtrooper (far right) are still the same as last time. Tom's (4th from right) pose was taken from the ad, as was Flyguy (4th from left) himself, Melanie (3rd from left) got a make-over and there are three new guys, starting from the left: the coach, his daughter and Ern's sidekick Turlock. Who can guess after which actor he was modelled? (Ed: new pose and tweaked design, the old Turlock bugged me. Heh. "Bugged me". 3 AM, OK?)

SpaceGhost2K

09-22-2006, 11:35 PM

I thought about the Barlow Bugs, but I just can't see a school with that as a mascot. I mean, the Hornets, sure, but that's all I got. I think it'd be too much. I don't want to make it just a cartoon to see how many bug cliche's I can fit into 22 minutes.

There's the Barlow Beavers, the Barlow Bulldogs, the Barlow Bruins, the Barlow Bulls (then the cheerleaders would be the Cows, so, bad idea), the Barlow Bombers, the Barlow Bovine, the Barlow Browns, the Barlow BEIGE, the Barlow Bengals (Hey, not bad...), the Barlow Blithering Idiots, and the Barlow Baptists, hallelujah.

(We could do the Barlow Banthas, if we weren't concerned with getting sued.)

SpaceGhost2K

09-22-2006, 11:39 PM

(REVISED: I still need Scott (in progress), Mr. Follett, Beatrice (in progress) and the Nervous Fidgets.

Just so I can keep score, is all.

katana

09-23-2006, 08:32 AM

So if they are cheerleader outfits, where's the pom-pom's to suggest this?:eek:

...sexy girls....(oh man I think toons are sexy.....need to get back to my girl...exile can be fun.)

thee_nethken

09-23-2006, 01:40 PM

whoa cool characters back there! ^^^^^^^

Jabberwocky

09-24-2006, 01:50 PM

Both projects' casts are growing and growing.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/TemporaryLineUp2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v430/krakelwok/MalfaryusLineUp2006.jpg
(Mental note: find image service that doesn't automatically crop pictures ...)

Sharvonique

09-27-2006, 01:40 PM

Nice layouts. I think that the cheerleader outfits should have a "B" on them.

Jabberwocky

09-28-2006, 03:29 AM

Can do. By the way, got any tips for pitches? I'm all, er, inbox.

Sharvonique

09-28-2006, 10:28 AM

Honestly, I think I need to get tips from you and Space!

But my advice is just to keep doing what you're doing. Pitching execs like to see unique and original characters, and you have that. Make sure that you know your world and your characters so that you're able to answer questions about them. Keep the pitch short and sweet, and go over what you're going to say without sounding rehearsed. Also don't mention merchandising potential during the pitch. My understanding is that execs don't like to hear that stuff in the beginning, and they especially don't like to hear, "This show is the next Spongebob!"

Jabberwocky

09-28-2006, 11:03 AM

SpaceGhost2K

09-28-2006, 12:11 PM

Oh, that is good advice. Ed and I agreed earlier that both shows should stand for themselves and that we shouldn't try to allude to other shows just to bask in their glory. (Although ... Spawnbob Scarepants ... hmmmmmmm ...)
As for connections, Ed's the man with the plan. He can sell refrigerators to eskimos! (Oh wait, that's inuit these days.)

I had an eye doctor once who was an eskimo.

He was an optical aleutian.

I was thinking about it in the car a couple of days ago: both of these shows are about the characters. The concepts are interesting, but if I can't sell them on Tom, Melanie and Ernesto, or Ark, Vil or Dawgweazle, then they're never going to even listen to the rest of it.

cartuneman

09-30-2006, 10:36 AM

Can I ask a question?

Mr. Spaceghost,

Are you an agent? Or do you work closely in the field of animation?

wait a minute thats two questions. hahahahahahaha. Sorry,

Hey Jab......

Love your character spread sheets .....do you have any action sheets or concepts. i'd love to see them some day. Have you a Bible put together for each show?

cart:D

SpaceGhost2K

10-01-2006, 12:31 AM

Not an agent or attorney. If Jab and I get to that point, we'll need one ourselves.

I don't work in the field of animation at all. I am hoping to. Actually - that's not even true. I have a "universe" I created, and I'd like to see it exist in animation, live-action, or both. My interest really is in bringing this property to life, not just getting into animation.

If it comes to a point where "Fly Guy" hits the wall and it just doesn't make any sense to spend more time, money or effort on it, then I'm done. I'm a pretty creative guy, but I'm not interested in creating something else, just for the sake of having something else.

Now... having said that... things DO change. For instance, I love music, but I have no real musical skills. I like to sing, but I don't sing WELL. I sing OK and that's about it. I can't play an instrument. I used to eat lunch in the band room with all my friends, who were in the band. But I was good in Math, so I knew that was where I was going.

I was wrong.

I ended up working for a music and video distrubitor. I was their music buyer at the time I left. I worked for a record company for three years. I owned my own music store. I managed a Best Buy media department. I ended up NEVER using the math, and got into a music in a way I'd never dreamed.

I'm in this to see "Fly Guy" alive. NOT to be "in the biz." But I might end up being a writer for Jab. I might just be his stateside go-between. I could say "If I can't be Batman, I'm going home," and STILL end up being Robin. Or Alfred. Or Katie Holmes. OK, maybe not that.

Jab is a smart guy, and considering his age, a VERY smart guy. he's more intelligent, more creative, and more educated (well-read. I don't know about his actual "education." I didn't ask for papers) than anyone else I know. He's got a property that has proven more popular than mine. I'm just a guy, and I can say without shame that I'm a little jealous. But I'm MUCH more proud of him that he's a friend, he's worked with me, he believes in my stuff, I had something to do with his success (I paid for his ad, because I believed in HIM - not even coming close to paying him back for all his help with Fly Guy art), and I can live vicariously through him. That would be enough. But he's asked me to continue working with him on "Malfaryus" in any way I can, because we make a good team.

I've worked with a handful of people in the four years since I brought "Fly Guy" out, dusted him off, and have tried to bring him to life. I've met a couple of cool people and some good artists. All of it was just a "job", though, and with the exception of resident genius Dan Schoening (Danimation), I don't keep in contact with any of them. They were partially interested, happy to take the few bucks I could throw them, had their own interests, and "thanks, it's been fun."

I hope thirty years from now, I'm still hanging' with Mr. Jabber. We "click." I'm excited when I get an email from him. He called me on the phone - from Germany. We're a mutual admiration society, and who doesn't like it when someone likes their stuff and tells them?

Long answer to a short question, I know.

Also, I guess it's a faux paux to call them pitch "bibles" because of the religious connotations. I know bible means book. I was advised that I should train myself to refer to them as pitch "books," though.