020: Big-guns. “You weren’t on any mercy mission this time.”
It’s time to bring out the Big Guns! Here’s another extra little bit that George kept from you. Do you think he too should have had Leia resisting restraint like an alley cat?
“Damn it keep still! Yeow!”
I’m on holiday [originally written in 2011 – John] in beautiful Baltimore, County Cork in Ireland and the internet connection is a bit stone age. That’s no reflection on the lovely people of Cork but rather our deluded government who’ve enjoyed proclaiming – for the past several years – “Dat Ireland will be de information technology hub of Europe” – whilst doing sod-all to make it happen. No matter, I’ll try to get this page written and published before I lose what audience I have for this odd little site.
Art Notes
No dignified, regal demeanour here!
I was really really trying to be a proper comic artist as a 13 year old here, but even so, there are still some amusing bits on offer.
That stormtrooper‘s rifle is bloody ENORMOUS. I think I might have been influenced by 2000 AD comic. They went in for that sort of stuff.
Dating it
Oddly – oddly? everything in this comic is odd! – I’ve put in thoseDeath Star style lighted slots behind them, which my pal Paul Bateman says are known as ‘pills‘. You know those long rounded rectangles? Also, even though this is around 1981 or so, I’m still having problems drawing Vader with all his angular features. Some attention has been paid to reflections on his shiny helmet. Can anyone tell me if they think his breast-plate thing looks like the one in The Empire Strikes Back? With black and chrome strips. If so, that and my ‘Atantavae’ spelling – only mis-heard on the radio series of 1981 would place this page 1981+.
Bored Darth
Evil, bored Darth
Darth’s probably holding his fist up in frame 4. But after reading his – I’m-so-evil-I-nonchalantly-order-mass-murder-in-a-bored-Alan-Rickman-tone-like-he-did-in-that-Die Hard-film – dialogue, I’m wondering if he isn’t boredly examining his cuticles. This was a Rickman innovation employed by many movie baddies in films that followed Die Hard. But to lesser effect. Like the villain in Under Seige II (or whatever the hell it was) and John Travolta in his terrible John Woo films. Though, in Travolta’s case, I get the impression he’s been inspired by Rickman to just act like himself and do what comes naturally…
Oh, and inform the senate on Alderann that the crew of the Atantavae-4 – were killed in a mishap! [barely stifled yawn]
Oh, and pick up my dry-cleaning on your way back.
Importance of Depth
Perhaps I should have cast a little triangular shadow onto the surface of the Death Star – to give a a touch of perspective and depth to the last frame? To show the distance between the ship and that giant battle-station.
“GAZE UPON THE DEATH STAR”
“Gaze upon it? – GAZE? We’re about to HIT it!”
Next: more old stuff…
PANEL 1
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(Full-body shot)
A stormtrooper struggles to restrain Princess Leia. He has a huge blaster-rifle.
"Damn it, keep still! Yeow!" he growls at her.
"Darth Vader, I should have known." She snarls.
PANEL 2
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(Head and shoulders shot of Darth Vader)
Vader watches her silently. She begins to plead, "You had no right to do this, to a member of the Senate, I--"
PANEL 3
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(Head and shoulders, side-shot of Vader, pointing)
"You weren't on any mercy mission this time! Take her away."
PANEL 4
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(Head and shoulders shot, Vader)
"Shaking his fist, Vader instructs his men, "Oh, inform the senate on Alderann, that the crew of Atantavae 4 (Tantive IV)--were killedin a mishap!"
PANEL 5
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(Wide-shot, outer space)
The Imperial Star Destroyer flies towards a space station.
"Gaze upon the Death Star" says Vader, to no one in particular.
The stormtrooper’s helmet is excellent is it a trace from one of the BG card wrappers? The third DV is a copy from the cover of my SW annual, foto’d from below. I wasn’t used to all the other angles you so admirably try. As a result I always drew him flatfaced.
I notice that again you have spent more time on Leia’s breast enlargement than drawing her face… Huh? Heh?
Quoting hollerith:
You may be right! Re: the Stormtrooper, I probably drew it from observation. I was getting better by this stage.
You will have to explain the ESB thing to me!
Hiya,
ESB = Empire Strikes Back. Actually, I probably should have written TESB. I’m still only a Trainee Geek.