This piece was done by Joao for the This Week Jam’s character: Thor, from Marvel Comics. It’s a pretty heavy spoiler from Civil War, so far, and the funny thing is that when Joao and I were sharing notes on this Jam week, we realized we were doing variations on the same thing. When I saw the results of his endeavors, I was blown way. The composition is soooo awesome.

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute – Thor 2010
2. TRDL Tribute – Loki 01 [New Thor]
3. TRDL Tribute – Thor [Joao]

This is Cat09, one of the initial members of Japan’s Covert Star Initiative.

Concept, Design and Art: Thom Chiaramonte
Origin: Thom Chiaramonte

:::

Cat09

Name: Moko Fujihasa
Affiliation: Shining Star

Attributes:

Melee: 40
Reflex: 30
Muscle: 20
Vigor: 30
Acumen: 10
Observation: 20
Will: 10

Life: 120
Influence: 40

Abilities:

Energy Generation: Cat09’s posthuman latent ability is to generate arcs of pulsating energy, which surround her and react to her environment. In their natural state, they are more concussive in effect [5 IV], repelling objects more than causing damage, and very difficult to control. In addition, small, lightweight objects lose gravity pull around her, causing them to levitate weakly [0 IV]. However, with the refinements developed for her by the Covert Star Initiative, these abilities become much more coherent.

Efficiency Pods: The system developed to harness Cat09’s abilities involves a three way electro-neurological link, between her brain, her hands and the pods themselves. Each pod is a finely tuned transformer, that sharpens the frequency of her energy flares to a tight, powerful arc of whipping energy. The implants in her cerebrum allow her normally-weak ability to control the direction and intensity of her flares, to become highly controlled and voluntary impulses. The transmitters in her head-sheath in turn chain to the receivers on the backs of her hands, which then amplify that signal and transmit it to the pods that harness her energy whips. Ina dormant state, these pods are magnetically clamped to her hand transmitters. When in use, they take advantage of her mild telekinetic abilities, and hover around her. The movement of her hands causes the flow of the pods in space around her to conform, so she can direct the behavior of the pods through her arm motions, most effectively in a slow, organic, circular motion. Her … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 81: Dr. Go
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 06: Surujin
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 89: Iridise

Thanks for being a part of the TRDL community!

Here’s to much, much more in 07

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. Happy Holidays from Third Rail Design Lab 2010 !
2. Happy Holidays 2011 from Third Rail Design Lab
3. Happy New Year from Third Rail Design Lab 2010 – 2011

This was done for the This Week Jam, the character, of course, being Marvel’s most famous high-powered red-haired hottie reincarnate, Phoenix.

When Joao sent me the initial drawing for his piece, I was floored. I could vividly see the original cover in my mind’s eye, but I swear he did Cockrum’s memory some serious justice, because this is good enough to be the real thing, in my opinion. My favorite detail is Jean’s fists, which, at those particular angles, are tough to draw. Great piece, dude!

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute – Phoenix [Dave Cockrum Design]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 82 – Phoenix [Joao]
3. TRDL Tribute- Ranger Liu Connel

Baby Boom is a member of the renegade posthuman superteam, the Intruders.

Concept, Design and Art: Joao Marques
Background: Joao Marques and Thom Chiaramonte

:::

Name: Amparo Garcia
Affiliation: The Intruders

Attributes:

Melee: 20
Reflex: 40
Muscle: 30
Vigor: 30
Acumen: 10
Observation: 10
Will: 10

Life: 120
Influence: 26

Abilities:

Energy Generation: Baby Boom can generate explosive energy blasts [40 IV; 40 RV], and control their behavior, from instantaneous yield to delayed explosions, which reduce the intensity and damage of the explosion by 10 points. She can set off multiple explosions at -1CS per blast, within the same round, with no multiple-action penalty.

Flight: Baby Boom enjoys a very limited form of flight [Intensity and Range of 5] which she is utilizes in the form of leaping actions. She believes it to be a ‘leaping’ ability, not the true, if weak, flight that it is. She often incorporates this into physical attacks, enjoying a +1CS to Reflex Attacks that involve her physical gymnastic ability.

Origin:

Amparo Garcia was the youngest candidate in the Northern European Achievement Initiative posthuman development program, attracted to the project after being discovered by NEAI scouts in Amsterdam, who witnessed her daring, if reckless, escape from local police perusing her for drug solicitation charges, a spectacular chase that traversed six winding, criss-crossing miles of alleyways, markets, thoroughfares, rooftops and waterways, culminating in Garcia sipping cider at a café as police cruisers unwittingly plowed by her. The scouts offered her an appealing proposition: join the program, and they would use their contacts in local government to have all records of her wild teen run-ins with the law expunged, and provide a healthier outlet for her energy and self-destructive behavior, through a drug rehabilitation program. With no intention of actually quitting her habit, but intrigued at the … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 06: Surujin
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 52: Temper
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 40: Big Ben

Marvel Editor Poobah Tom Breevort put together a little breakdown of how a typical Marvel book comes together these days, over on his bog. You can follow it starting with this entry and it’s a nice look behind the curtain for those of you who might be interested in the timing and sequencing of the process. I found it most illuminating to look at Marcos Martin’s breakdowns and studies, as I always wonder how much other srtists’ thumbs have in common with mine. The answer is apparently not MUCH, if brilliant Mr. Martin is a typical example, because his thumbs are TIGHT. Also of interest is that he basically inks his pencils, then they get pushed blue for the inker to re-ink. Seems he doesn’t like doing finished pencils. This was an interesting look, because I still think of it like the old Bullpen days as shown in the Marvel Try-Out and How to Draw books I had (and still have) as a kid. The process is streamlined and a little more flexible now, it seems.

Go check out the making of Dr. Strange already!

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. Finit-e Comic Annotations are Live: ‘DVD Extras’
2. Prospect: Small Press Comic Opportunity
3. comic book page rates?

Helvetia was the national hero of Switzerland, though her career was tragically short-lived.

Art and Origin: Thom Chiaramonte

:::

Helvetia

Name: Freda Bern
Affiliation: n/a

Attributes:

Melee: 10
Reflex: 25
Muscle: 15
Vigor: 20
Acumen: 35
Observation: 25
Will: 35

Life: 70
Influence: 95

Abilities:

Enhanced Physiology: As a result of her relatively primitive posthuman process, Helvetia enjoys a modest 10 AP of physical and energy damage resistance, as well as moderate improvements in her Attributes, above.

Alphorn: Helvetia’a latent ability is essentially sound generation. However, without enhancement, the frequencies she emits vocally are so high that they clear the audible spectrum, and the harmonics are phased so as to be non-destructive. With the use of the Alphorn, designed to amplify and modulate her vocal emissions, the harmonics are phased to be destructive wavelength patterns, allowing her to create a multi-toned call that causes 40 points of sonic damage over a Range of 20. The Alphorn has an effective Armor of 15 and a Core Strength of 20. All victims within range and without sonic protection must make an automatic Save vs. Stun/Shock or be incapacitated by searing pain in the inner ears and vertigo, for 1d6 rounds, and are unable to perform complex actions, suffering -3 CS to all attacks.

Force Field: Helvetia’s uniform contains a small forcefield generator, powered by a cold fuel cell, offering 30 AP against energy attacks.

Flight: Helvetia’s latent abilities also include limited flight of 10 IV at 15 Range and Speed.

Origin:

Dr. Freda Bern was one of the senior researchers in Switzerland’s own posthuman development program. When the three candidates for experimental study were deemed genetically unsuitable for the process, it was discovered that Dr. Bern was herself an ideal candidate. She was convinced to undergo the treatments, and proved to suffer … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 48: Saula
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 46: Antares
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 03: Lusitano

This was done for the This Week Jam, but that train has since blown the station. I recently finished it up with colors during my downtime. There’s a reference here which should give you a sense of timing as to when I was inspired to draw this piece. I still don’t feel like I’ve been able to do the contemporary WW justice… but fans of corsets probably would like this one. Damn!

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute- Wonder Woman [Joao]
2. TRDL Tribute: Warrior Woman
3. TRDL Tribute – Wonder Woman 2010 [TRDL Redesign]

This was done for the This Week Jam, but it’s a Two-fer this time…

Sauron from the pages of the X-Men, and Monica, from Joao’s childhood happy memories.

Sorry, Joao.

It wasn’t a fair fight.

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

No related posts.

This was done for the This Week Jam, the subject being Erik Larson’s Savage She-Dragon.

Now look, I have much respect for Larsen as a creator, for publishing his own book, his own way, himself, consecutively for like 400,000 issues straight.

But come on, man. Maybe it was homage, maybe not. But between the She-Hulk cipher and the questionable mohawk… and frankly, just having blond hair on green skin… I can’t relate to this character at all.

But I *do* like a certain other ‘Dragon’, so…

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

Follow this topic in the R3 Forum
here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL 2011 Series, No. 29: Vandal Savage [TRDL Redesign]
2. TRDL 2011 Series No. 31: Scandal Savage [TRDL Redesign]
3. TRDL Tribute: Jibber Jabber

Less Current »