Thursday, July 4, 2013

More custom figures and a little art critique


Most of you remember Trapper (Vola) from the spaceknight squadron I'm sure. We first saw her along with the rest of the Squadron in ROM annual #2. It would be several years later that we would see her again as ROM found himself being reunited with his fellow spaceknights during his journey back to Galador toward toward the end of the series.


This custom figure update I'm adding needs no introduction.

Left click to enlarge
 Looks like there's a custom figure for just about every look Sabra has ever had since her first appearance about 30 years ago all the way up to her last known appearance.

Left click to enlarge
Remember how in the previous posting I was talking about how I rarely come across Rom related fan art that I all around really like and how most of what I see is often mediocre or a mixed bag? Now take a close look at this one. In particular how this scene is composed and how Rom is drawn. . . . . yeah you can tell this guy has some skills. But I don't if this guy just got lazy at a certain point in this illustration or if that's his genuine interpretation of the Hybrid character but the way his face is drawn just does not work in what is otherwise a well done drawing. It looks way too caricaturist almost like something you'd expect Fred Hembeck to draw. No offense to Hembeck, it's just not the drawing style I want to see here.
It's a pity this fan art was very close to being an all around great illustration like the Dann Phillips art work in the previous posting. And speaking of which there have been some recent new Rom fan art uncovered recently. Rather it's good or not I'll let you all decide for yourselves:
http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Spaceknight-Cometh-379360677
http://browse.deviantart.com/art/ROM-Commission-382118842
One last thing here, just to put into perspective what a good deal that Rom original by Dann Phillips was on ebay you'll pay $75 if you wan this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-ART-AVENGERS-SKETCH-COVER-ROM-SPACEKNIGHT-BY-VAN-SCIVER-/330946867699

19 comments:

  1. I like Sabra better in the blue and white. Not that the other outfit is bad, it just seems a little generic.
    The first ROM fanart you linked to is just wrong. The head is completely off. And if you don't get the head at least marginally right, the rest of your piece is going to be wrong. There's no character in it.
    The second link is better. Still a little cartoony, but it's a good take.

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  2. The second link is pretty decent. Like it.

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  3. Yeah- if you could take the cape/hood from Sabra design #3 and put that on the tights/hair from Sabra design #2- I'd be happy. And Sabra #2 does have the best hairstyle of the bunch. #4 is fine, for like a "real-world" take on it... but I tend to like the garish costumes the best- realism be damned!!!
    I brought all my art supplies, from storage, to the new house today. And I should have a desk in a couple of days... I think I'ma try some ROM art myself... it has been years since I've drawn/painted anything. I'm not fantastic or anything- but we'll see how it goes.
    Honestly, I never really liked Hybrid's design... he always looked off to me.
    Yeah- $75 for a convention cover- told you that eBay shit was ridiculiculous... like a booger I stick to this- take a whiff of this: One stinky-dinky, ahh-ahh-ahhh! TWO stinky-dinky, ahh-ahh-ewwwwww...

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    1. K.o.T, i think you're the first Rom i've ever come across who didn't like Hybrid. THIS MADNESS!
      and on a side note i read Quasar #19 (Jack of Hearts appearance) tonight. the first half of the issue didn't really have much going on for me but when it got to the point where his dinner date got cut short it was more enjoyable. the Jack of Hearts splash page on page 13 was really cool too.

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    2. Wendell Vaughn has MAJOR Superman envy... there was an example in that dinner scene... and in every single early issue of the series, it's pretty funny; picking them all out. Some are obvious and others quite veiled...

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  4. It looks to me like the artist is still at the beginning of his/her development. The image of Rom seems to be mostly a reproduction of other images by Buscema, but if you look at his legs, you'll see that the artists doesn't know what to do with Rom. Those deficiencies stretch into Hybrid, as well. I really think he was using reference shots which he tried to copy mostly, but the parts he had to fill in himself look very pedestrian. Thankfully, we also have Sabra.

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  5. Not a bad Hybrid as he got the eyes just right. I just read the issue with the sisterhood of evil mutants last night seeing all the issues I passed down to the boy. Hybrid was as creepy as I remembered.

    The first fan art I think was done to look like robocop because they say ROM played a part in robocops design. The second 75 dollar Ebay one is ok I seen lots ROM art on these new avengers covers the last few weeks. I did prefer the top to bottom pin up by dann Phillips I snaged over them al.Cant wait till it arrives.


    K.o.t I did get to check out your dirt mall vids .good stuff .loved the ROM issues one and the illuminator one.

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  6. That trapper fiq looks correct. For some reason her head always reminded me of the Buck Rodgers TV show robot. I tnink I only had one issue with her when Raak showed up. I liked that issue and how unam the unseen restored his honor with his life.

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  7. Rick, your critique of that guy's work makes what i said about it kind in comparison. brutal, but hey that's partly what this blog is all about. Rom's right leg is a bit off but i other wise like the way Rom is drawn in it.
    as for K.o.T and Joseph, good catches with the Superman and Twiki (Buck Rogers show robot) references.

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    1. Yea that leg threw me off too. When I said hybrid was not bad I didnt mean it was good but it was instantly recognizable by the eyes for me. It does look like he was looking at reference and then winging parts or got lazy with it. parts look good and bad here.

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  8. Bravo my friend Bravo and Joseph is right that bot was Twiggy Ha beedebedebede O K Buck!

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    1. man i used to love that Buck Rogers TV series. i used to have the Twiki action figure too. stay tuned for the next posting, among other things well have a little something that's sort of a Twiki / ROM cross over.

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  9. My baby needs no introduction, Sabra is my girl (in my mind :) I agree that costume 2 with the blue spiky cape and fly hairdo is the best. Although number 4 is a more realistic design but very generic. If they had made the pants a dark blue as well as the arms, with the white bands having the original Sabra blue accents. It would be a better outfit. And dude, I see the new ROM design at the lower left. Sweet.

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  10. It's kind of like when I was 14 and I would draw Hulk or a TMNT straight out of a comic page, then freehand the scene around the character. I wasn't very good at it, but you could tell that I copied the style of the character from someone else's work. It's not meant to be a brutal criticism, but just that this artist's best work is far ahead, assuming they keep at it. :)

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    1. it's a shame. much like the artist who did that ROM logo redesign i would be really curious to see how these artists would respond to the feed back here.

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  11. Hello. I wanted to thank you for featuring my custom figures on your blog. I know they aren't perfectly comic accurate,..and they look a little rough around the edges, but they are my first attempt at these characters. In the future I plan on using only super-articulated bodies for these characters. Gladiator Starshine is the only one that's really well articulated. Anyway I'm glad to know that ROM fans will get a chance to check them out! Thanks again man!
    Chris-

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    1. I think you did a great job.let alone being your first time. Excellent i enjoyed seeing these guys.keep it up!

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    2. Thank you Joseph, I'm glad you enjoyed the figs! As a ROM fan myself I've wanted these figures for a long,LONG, time. I'm just so grateful that they could be shared with other fans of the series.

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