Enter 2024

I usually don't care much for character study type fan art. I much prefer fan art that involves some sort of scene that tells a story or pays tribute to an awesome moment comic book or sci-fi fandom. But once in a while I make an exception and this would be one of those times. This is just excellent from a figure composition stand point and in general really encapsulates that greatest of the spaceknights vibe. Compliments of artist Patrick Goddard 

That's a pretty good deal when you consider that the ROM Spaceknight 1 facsimile goes for 5 bucks. With that TPB you get 4 ROM issues for just a little more. Get your copy in 2024. 

Once again, it was nice to see a ROM publication on a new comic shelf. And even though it was a reprint, at least this time it was something that featured new original cover art unlike in the case of the facsimile. Perhaps we're inching ever closer to the day where we will have new stories of the one and only Greatest of The Spaceknights appearing every month on new comic book day?

Although I'm always on the look out for anything ROM related that's cool I've had other matters on my mind in recent weeks and it's not looking like that's gonna change any time soon. Are sick and tired of seeing this so called flag and all the propaganda, thuggery, mayhem and vandalism that comes with it? Then this part of the posting is for you my friend. 

 

 January 13th Update: So as with all my postings for many months now I had to add some Sabra into this one. That aside I was long over due to do something with Sabra fighting islamic terror this one became my first fan art piece of 2024.

January 23rd Update: Today a buddy of mine texted me the sad news about Gary Graham having passed away. I met Gary at a con in San Jose California about 7 or 8 years ago. He was at a booth with the late sci-fi legend Richard Hatch (Apollo from Battle Star Galactica ofcourse, RIP) promoting Star Trek Axanar. I told him how at first I was skeptical about him playing a Vulcan diplomat on Star Trek Enterprise after having enjoyed him several years before as a smart mouth but street smart detective on ALIEN NATION. But he pulled it off brilliantly, and he seemed to be quite delighted by my compliment. Ofcourse I was also sure to let him know that I was a faithful viewer of both shows and that I felt they ended long before their time. Gary Graham was only 73 and reportedly died of a cardiac arrest. 

February 3rd Update: Carl Weathers is dead at 76, and It's hard to even write that as a statement of fact as of yesterday. So many great 80s memories (Rocky and Predator ofcourse) going back with this guy to say nothing about his more recent notable work in the Star Wars franchise. Been finding out a lot of interesting stuff about Weathers that I didn't know in recent hours about his time as a professional athlete as well as his work in films and TV both in front and behind the camera. Way too much to write about here but I did want to make a mention of his appearance on The SHIELD which is probably my all time favorite cop drama TV show. 

It's 2023 but I'm still missing the 1980s

Ya know how some times you just find yourself in the mood to showcase a given collection of something that makes you happy? I think often that might happen toward the end of  a year or more at the beginning of the next one.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR48t3di9Iw

Here's a youtube video I discovered recently that's worth having a look at. It won't have much of anything you haven't seen or heard before but it is very well produced. And it some how has managed to visually "repackage" and present the source material in way that makes the video not feel so redundant and boring like the majority of ROM related features on youtube.  

 

I haven't done any ROM related fan art yet this year nor have I come across anything that I thought any good. I the stuff I have done this year has been to some degree in response to a lot of the hate I saw online in late 2022. First up is this Contest of Champions fan art. I just don't understand all the hating on the Disney Plus She-Hulk series. I mean it wasn’t without it's problems but most of the social media bashing on it was so over the top especially when it came to all these right wing type hang ups. And ofcourse around the same time Marvel announced the upcoming debut of Sabra into the MCU which  predictably stirred up the usual trolls made up of leftist antisemites and people from certain corners of the muslim world with anger management issues. 

If you happen to be a Star Wars fan then you no doubt noticed all the hating on the first season of The book of Boba Fett. Again, it wasn't with out it's problems but over all I think it had way more pros then cons plus the season finale was awesome. So I say fuck all the haters on all that to.

 

January 28th Update: I was hoping to have some fan art to add to this posting but I seriously doubt anything new that doesn't suck will turn up any time soon so I decided to dig into my archive collection. After some minor tweaks here and there to enhance it I'm presenting it again for your viewing pleasure. This was originally done by Greek artist Kapandais Nikolaos who also happens to be a collaborative partner and friend.

ROM Annual 3

A tribute to the classic

I didn't think I was gonna do any fan art for the longest time. But this week something just came over me I don't know if it's nostalgia or this chill work week I'm having so far or a combination there of. Just started sketching something last night with some of my free time and it started coming out pretty good. Earlier tonight I colored it and viola....my image montage of the classic ROM series is complete.  P.S. Fuck IDW Publishing

Gordon Henley as rebel X-Wing pilot Red Leader

I feel like I should give another recently passed away actor a little shout out here who isn't a house hold name but never the less has managed to cement their place in sci-fi history. Gordon "Drewe" Henley earlier this month died at age 75 from chocking on some food he was eating. Something of a tragic freak accident I would say especially coming on the heels of Carrie Fisher's death. For those of you who saw Rogue 1 you may have noticed him in the film appear in a couple of scenes exactly as he was back in 1977 when he led the rebel squadron that attacked and destroyed the Empire's first Death Star.
Unlike with The Grand Moff Tarkin and Princes Leia there was no well done CGI going on with Red Leader. That's because the producers of Rogue 1 actually inserted cut scenes from the Death Star battle from A New Hope into the ending space battle in Rogue 1. I absolutely loved that it made Rogue 1 feel that much more like classic vintage Star Wars and it was also great in terms of continuity. I can only hope that Henley was able to see Rogue 1 before his accident. Think about it, watching cut footage of yourself intended for a movie back in 1977 being used for a movie in 2016 I mean seriously how cool is that!? It should also be noted the same thing was done with the actor from A New Hope that played the rebel pilot with the call sign Gold Leader.

Left click to enlarge

January 28 update: My sketch card collection so far as of today.

SHOGUN WARRIORS 13

Yesterday I came across Shogun Warriors issue 13 (1979) at my LCS which was one of the very first comics I ever got my hands on as a kid. Unfortunately, it wasn't in a discount back issue box so this was one of those rare times where I bought a comic from the regular back issue section.

But then again what's a few bucks out of your pocket in exchange for a trip down memory lane huh? So it was worth it to me, especially since there's very little of the clip from the issue available on the internet. Well I'm glad now that I have a copy again I can do something about that.

A Shogun Warriors key word search on this blog will show you this isn't the first time I've blogged about them and of the fond memories I have of the toys and comics from back in the day. I almost forgot about this old photo I had from back in 1980 or 81 (back when I lived in Seattle) that's a scan from a old Polaroid of my action figure collection. You can see Shogun Warrior Gaiking right next to Vader at the top. Just below Captain Kirk is next to Maximillian from The Black Hole. For some reason I have Flash Gordon wearing Starbuck's cape and Starbuck wearing Commander Adam's cape (with a Cylon next to him). We also see Twiki from Buck Rogers along with an assortment of figures from the Fisher-Price adventure collection. No need for me to roll call all the Star Wars figures in the photo right?

Why you need to see Rogue 1

Recently acquired items to my Star Wars mini ship collection 

No ROM related stuff for you guys this time. Going off topic here because I just saw Rogue 1 yesterday and I loved it and feel like talking about it a bit while at the same time sharing some cool Star Wars shit. Ya know, The Force Awakens was a refreshing new direction from those horrible prequels and it did have some other really good stuff going for it. But it also had a significant amount of problems to the point where it left me feeling some what less then thoroughly satisfied after I saw it.
 But not so with Rogue 1. I might feel a little bit differently after seeing it again or after I've had some time to really process it all after this weekend but for now I'm pretty happy with it. It felt like authentic vintage Star Wars. It had a well paced story line with characters that were well developed that you felt something for when they died (oops, sorry about that spoiler). Yes this movie is loaded with tragedy but it also has a lot of well placed Easter eggs from things and people you know are coming in the original trilogy story line. And praise The Force, Rogue 1 has an absolute bare minimum of CG1 aliens.

Public art in Auburn California of all places left click to enlarge

This is probably gonna do it for me as far as any new postings go till the end of the year. As for 2017, I guess we'll just see how it goes. Kinda hard to imagine it'll be a good year for anything going on that's ROM related when it comes to new shit.

World Wide Art in Castro Valley California left click to enlarge

December 31 update: I saw Rogue 1 again and it was even better the second time around. Although damn, the tragic news about Carrie Fisher kinda brought down my Rogue 1 high.