Sunday, August 4, 2013

Bill Mantlo, more custom figures, more new fan art, just more all around cool shit


I found this photo of the Rom doll and it's Marvel house ad and it really reminded me of my days working as a  graphic designer in advertising because it looked like he was proof reading his ad. So I came up with what I thought was a funny dialogue bubble to go with the image. And don't forget Avengers Prelude to Infinity #17 comes out this up coming Wednesday let's hope we'll get to see what happens next with Galador and it's spaceknight guardians. You can bet I'll be talking about it here.



And as you can see we've got a new custom figure to show off, a dreaded Dark Nebula Hellhound. As for that Starshine II spaceknight (Brandy Clark) custom figure I've featured it here before but from a different angle. Light beams compliments of some of my handy dandy photoshop magic of course. By the way here's the best Rom custom I've ever seen I would love to get my hands on one of em: http://www.toyark.com/spaceknight-galador-4322/

Literally only minutes before I was about to publish this posting I came across another page for that Bill Mantlo benefit Rom spaceknight #1 re-creation project. Of the three pages I've found now, this one by far is the best yet not only can this guy draw like a pro but I personally really dig his style. Go ahead and check out the rest of the page here: http://www.deviantart.com/art/ROM-Spaceknight-389369223

I want to make a very good point about what made the original Micronauts series (especially the "Golden era") so awesome and why the idea of it's legacy getting turned into some kind of  "happy meal" cartoon (see previous post) makes my skin crawl. If you haven't read issue #5 of The Micronauts please take a moment to read this page it's a real eye opener . . .


Just think, this was written in 1979 and look what it was dealing with. You have some socially significant commentary being made here about everything from people living under fascistic governments to religion and even class warfare. Just look at what's going on right now in countries like North Korea and Egypt or even right here in America with our own social and economic ills. For those who might continue the Micronaut legacy either do it right or don't fucken do it at all there's already enough Ben 10 bullshit kind of cartoons out there to "dumbify" today's kids. And now, for the lighter side of life . . . .

In part 4 of The King of Thessaly's Flea Market finds we get to find out more then we ever wanted to know about what goes on under Cloak's cloak http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykZiyx7N4Kk


23 comments:

  1. Cool hellhound and that custom rom is sweet.though sparkle silver paint just throws it off for me. Crome or white would have looked better i think.

    Awesome third page you posted. I agree the best page seen yet.

    kot....funny story about that girl at the dirtmall.always a good watch

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  2. I think that Hellhound is the best one he's done yet. He really nailed it. The ROM custom is almost perfect, but I agree about the sparkles, just straight up silver would have been better. But, eh. The joints make up for it.
    You are completely right about the dumbing down of kids cartoons. For every one that parents can watch with them without wanting to shoot themselves in the head, there are twenty that they have to turn the channel mid show and say "No...just...no." That's if the parents are paying attention. Now, I'm all for silly mindless violence. Hello Looney Toons. But the sophistry of kids cartoons that try to "instill a message" that really isn't a message at all kind of leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. If it's going to be idiotic, at least have it be funny. With jokes even a grown up can laugh at. If it's going to be adult, don't talk down to the kids. Trust me, the more you talk up to them, the more they'll understand. Children pick up a lot from context clues. They really aren't that stupid. Hand them the books with big words, they'll ask you what they mean, you'll explain them, they'll go back to reading, and you'll all be happier the next time it comes up.

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    1. no arguing that about the preferred straight up silver color. however, like you said the joint articulation more then makes up for that plus the figure really looks like something that came from a toy manufacturer. typically, even the best customs have these slight imperfections here and there giving it away that they are not factory made.

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    2. Still, this looks better than some of the figures I've bought from the store. Sometimes those look like they were painted by someone who was just on a week long bender.

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    3. I thought I recognized the brush strokes. :)

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  3. Hello ROM people.
    Thanks for featuring my customs again man! The hellhound was a fun one. I love the pic you put together too! Thanks for sharing it with your readers bro I really appreciate it!
    Sincerely,
    Chris-

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  4. I personally LOVE the sparkle-paint... Glitter ROM is my new favorite ROM ever. EVER!!!
    I also like the gloss on that custom Hellhound. Looks pimp!

    ...and just how would one spell ROM wrong? -We need Kelly Bundy on this!

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    1. Or your average teenage cell phone holder. Which is basically the same thing.

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    2. Hey now- that is an INSULT to the lovely Kelly Bundy.
      ...who is not a real person.

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  5. I just read that page of Micronauts you posted, and I am blown away. That was a fantastic page. I used to own some of the micronauts toys and I had a few of the books but I never collected them. I now see that was a huge mistake. I'm on a mission now.
    Do mainstream comics even allow social commentary anymore? It's just my opinion but I don't think anyone writes comics like they used to. I don't blame the writers either though. I think that the masses just want to be entertained above all else. I don't think people want to think about the state of the world or the human spirit when they pick up a comic. Its easier to just look at panel after panel of punches and kicks.
    Sorry, I'm ranting again, I do that a lot here,..
    I'm going to go find some more micronauts to read.

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    1. just for the record ranting is encouraged here. as for my issues with new comics i have basically two. they are low on text and high on cover prices. i don't want to spend 3 or 4 bucks on something that takes 10 minutes to read that's just wrong. then there's more specific stuff with Marvel and DC that i take issue with. Avengers Infinity #16 with part of it taking place on Galador was the first new Marvel comic i've bought in around two years. depending on what's going on in issue 17 which comes out Wed. will determine if buying 16 was a worth while investment or otherwise worthy of being part of my collection of ROM tie-ins.

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  6. At the end of one of the issues of Micronauts, there was a translation tool for the language of Homeworld. Things like that are rarely done anymore, and I really wouldn't take the time to translate these things, but they really make this stuff special. Personally, I don't think the Micronauts cartoon would've been a bad thing. It might've gotten a whole new generation interested in the characters to then check out the books. Despite my dislike for the Transformers Beastwars and Beastmachines shows, I know a lot of TF fans who were introduced to the universe that way. Now, they've learned about the whole history and enjoy multiple eras. Maybe if enough fans were created through any kind of means, Marvel might see enough of a sales market to work out the licensing rights issues and publish collected volumes or an omnibus.

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    1. I didn't watch all of Beastwars, but I know guys who were in college at the time who would sit around the dorms in big groups and watch it, just because it was new Transformers. And that got a whole bunch of people interested in Transformers who hadn't been. Which somehow led to Transformers themed parties. So what you're saying is very true. Also, from what people told me the story content was a lot better than what the artwork looked like. And that can be true of any show. Phineas and Ferb isn't a pretty show, but it has excellent writing. I'd just really like to see a cartoon that doesn't pander to kids on any side. I think they'd love a beautifully drawn series with a sophisticated script. Actual Japanese animation does it. I don't see why American tv can't.

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    2. I grew up on G1 Transformers... and Beast Wars was fucking AWESOME! Not just because it was new Transformers- but because it was respectful of previous continuity. SO MUCH of it revolved around my childhood G1. It was serious, it was funny- IT WAS WELL WRITTEN. AND had an EXCELLENT voice-cast.
      At one point Ravage shows up- he's Russian, of course... and before he dies- he turns into a cassette tape and inserts into the ships control-panel!!! Starscream shows up- seeing as his spark is now immortal and can travel through time. Megatron 2.0 blows up Optimus Prime's head while he's in status inside the Arc on prehistoric Earth!!!
      WATCH BEAST WARS, PEOPLE!!!
      Cartoons don't have to suck. Look at Justice League, Young Justice, The Last Airbender, Legend of Korra...
      Okay, okay- Beast Machines was a bit of a letdown... But those cell-shaded Transformers cartoons that came after- those were fucking awful. And I think the CG animation on Beast Wars was fine- I don't know why the look would turn anyone off of it. Also- Canada RULES! So... shut up, haters. Waspinator FOREVER!!!

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  7. (only reason I brought up the language was because one of the pages you show above has the language written all over the bottom of the page)

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  8. This is a good page Dave. Bang up job as usual, I might have to find Micronauts #5 for the whole story. And me I got to get me one of those ROM backpacks.

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    1. oh it gets even better my friend. it turns out the guy who's custom spaceknight figures i've been posting here lately live barely twenty minutes from me. with any luck i might have a video to share in which we get a more personable look at his creations in a couple of days.

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    2. Fuckin A my friend. I'll be on thee look out for more customs.

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