Sorry, this week’s TRDL Friday is the announcement of the Finit-e graphic serial’s second scene (chapter) which went live late Friday night.

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Scene 02 has been added! I hope you have a chance to check it out on the TRDL Site… then let me know your thoughts, here when you can!

Thanks for your patience, my R3 Army…

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Update: Finit-e Graphic Serial Scene 03
2. Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 03 Now Available!
3. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 04 Comments

Annotation for Finit-e: Scene 02

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Pg 9, p1: This is a view down Third Street, actually in my own neighborhood. Of course, at the time it was drawn, there was construction in progress in order to prepare for the new Light Rail line preparing to launch in the coming months. My interpretation of how that rail line would look, based on the center islands they had poured, isn’t too far off, though they ended up putting two cars side by side, so my scale is off width-wise on Third Street. In Finit-e, things are nearly-now, but a little different. We don’t have this level of density on Third Street currently, though it may happen in the coming years, as of this writing. Most of what’s seen beyond the cross street in this panel, now almost one year later, is UCSF Campus Expansion, with a taller residential tower to the left, park area, and other buildings currently planned, with structural steel sprouting from the fresh foundations on either side of the street. It’s pretty amazing. Seeing how my glacial pace makes this panel more or less a year old at the time of publication, it’s a good indicator of just how fast this area is being developed, that much of this view is already different. In this story, I’ve drawn the Giants stadium geographically a little different, in order to condense that corner of where the stadium meets the Lefty O’Doul bridge. I did the very thing I criticize shows set in SF of doing: strategically reforming geography to suit my sight lines. HA.

Also, anyone from SF will tell you we don’t have a tower of that monolithic proportion jutting out of the SoMA district. Actually, though, to the consternation of some residents, there are several tall residential towers … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 04 Annotations [BONUS]
2. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 03 Annotations [BONUS]
3. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 01 Annotations [BONUS]

If you followed this link from the button in the Finit-e comic reader, then please do post your thoughts on what you’ve seen in Scene 02. I know it’s sure to be frustrating, to get into a string of sequential pages and then have it end… that’s the downside to publishing by scene or chapter instead of single pages… but understand that each Scene will be published in it’s entirety. Some are longer than others, and as you go, you may, I hope, be compelled to go back and re-read earlier Scenes. There’s straightforward storytelling and then there’s Finit-e. Hopefully, you enjoy the book and find the journey worth taking, as it’s definitely a journey book more than anything.

If, on the other hand, you HAVEN’T read the comic yet, and came here looking for it? Visit Third Rail Design Lab and click away!

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 04 Comments
2. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 03 Comments
3. TRDL Finit-e Graphic Serial: Scene 01 Comments

This is Saula, a oposthuman assassin for the Scorpius Guild.

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

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Saula [Lambda Scorpii]

Name: Unknown
Affiliation: Scorpius Guild

Attributes:

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

Life: 120
Influence: 80

Abilities:

Body Armor: All Scorpius Guild members wear a thinshield armor weave offering resistance from physical and energy based attacks [20 AP].

Melee Weapon Affinity: Saula is an accomplished fighter, proficient in multiple hand-to-hand melee weapons. He specifically employs a custom blade and chain, which he can use in both offensive and defensive capabilities. He can strike at targets within close range by extending it’s chain to maximum length, parry attacks by spinning or grappling with the chain, strike targets with the flat or edge of the blade, and use the weapon to perform both offensive and defensive moves simultaneously by gripping the chain at an intermediate length between the handle and the head of mace head.

Saula may utilize any ranged melee weapon, without prior training, employing the Reflex as shown in his Attributes. When using his custom blade and chain, the following specialized attack and defense bonuses apply:
- +1CS to strike using the blade and chain as an Edged Attack
- +2CS to Parry using the chain as a defensive guard
- +1CS to Grapple an opponent or an opposing weapon with the chain
- no multi-Action penalty to Grapple or Parry, then strike in the same round, against the same target, by using the chain to parry or grapple and swinging the blade around the opponent’s defenses to strike.

Hand-to-Hand Combat Training: Saula, like all members of the Scorpius Guild, has trained extensively in a variety of martial-arts and is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand … Read on for more awesome…

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1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 09: Cat09
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 127: The Rake
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This is a piece done for the This Week Jam, the subject being one of my favorite characters, from one of my favorite creators: Hellboy by Mike Elder God Mignola.

Hellboy is almost, but not quite, as difficult for me to tackle as Superman. The iconic nature of his look is so defined, especially by Mignola’s style, that it’s tough to get him to look like who he’s supposed to be. That said, I was very proud of how this came out. The drawing was missing something, when I first drew, scanned and started coloring it. I had done it by memory, so I couldn’t decide what was missing…until it dawned on me: wicked mutton chops! Once I added those, the thing worked. The drawing is a clear homage to one of my two favorite Hellboy stories…

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Tribute : Liz Sherman [Hellboy Animated]
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3. TRDL Tribute: Baroness 2009

This is a piece done for the This Week Jam, the subject being Deunan, from Masamune Shirow’s Appleseed.

This was one of my all-time greatest influences, primarily in manga form. Shirow is probably my greatest inspiration in terms of technology illustration, mecha design, comic pacing, and the basic concept of a Landmate-style powered armor. I have hordes of drawings of Deunan and Briareos from back in the day, which i might dig up. Here, though, I think Deunan, in her pre-eyepatch period, is doing just fine without the big guy…

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Collaboration: Appleseed

This is a piece done for the This Week Jam, the subject being HULK!

Artist: Joao Marques

Check it out! The Intruders are going up against the Hulk. The only way i see this working is if morphine gets some alone time with the jade giant. Love this piece!

You can see this illustration herein the TRDL Tribute Gallery.

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

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1. Third Rail Thrills 42 – She-Hulk Pin-Up
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This is Lesath, one of the posthuman assassins known as the Scorpius Guild.

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

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Lesath [Upsilon Scorpii]

Name: Unknown
Affiliation: Scorpius Guild

Attributes:

Melee: 40
Reflex: 45
Muscle: 20
Vigor: 30
Acumen: 20
Observation: 30
Will: 30

Life: 135
Influence: 80

Abilities:

Sharpshooter: Lesath is a superb and agile fighter in the use of ranged melee weapons, and can strike targets with greater accuracy and at greater range than an Olympic level athlete. Her training and latent skill allow her facility with any thrown weapon, but especially the custom throwing blade she carries in numbers on her person, which she can throw in literal swarms at multiple targets with extreme accuracy.

Lesath may utilize any ranged melee weapon, without prior training, employing the Reflex Attribute as shown in her Attributes. When using a thrown edged weapon, she gains +1CS to each attack. When using her specialized throwing blades, she also gains the following bonuses: multiple blades thrown at a single target, up to 10 in one round, compounding their damage from the single blade damage of 10 points, to +2 points for each blade, for a maximum total of 28 points (rounded to 30 points for the purposes of defeating armor) of edged weapon damage to a single target. She may also throw up to 6 blades at once at up to three simultaneous targets, suffering only a -1CS per target beyond the first (+1CS to the first target, +0 to the second, and -1CS to the third). She carries 100 blades, tightly packed in tactical pouches on her uniform.

Hand-to-Hand Combat Training: Lesath, like all members of the Scorpius Guild, has trained extensively in a variety of martial-arts and is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat. … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 81: Dr. Go
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 48: Saula
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 03: Lusitano

I’ve been trying to scan ink wash drawings in a style similar to what you see from Travis Charest or J.G. Jones. Thing is they turn up pretty crappy once scanned compared to the original artwork.

Anyone with suggestions on to what are the best defaults for scanning this type of artwork or some photoshop trickery?

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here!… Read on for more awesome…

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This is Antares, one of the mysterious posthuman assassins from the Scorpius Guild.

Art and Origin: Thom Chiaramonte

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Antares [Alpha Scorpii]

Name: Unknown
Affiliation: Scorpius Guild

Attributes:

Melee: 30
Reflex: 55
Muscle: 20
Vigor: 20
Acumen: 30
Observation: 35
Will: 30

Life: 125
Influence: 95

Abilities:

Sharpshooter: Antares is the most gifted sharpshooter in the world. His natural instincts and skill have been enhanced through years of specialized training, not only in archery but other forms of ranged melee weapons. He can strike virtually any target within visual range. He has trained with both simple bows and technologically refined compound bows, and has designed several new weapons for his own use, including the medium- and long-range bows he carries on missions. Antares may utilize any ranged melee weapon, without prior training, employing the Reflex Ability as shown in his Attributes. When using a standard bow, he gains +1CS to each attack. When using his specialized bows, he also gains the following additional bonuses: Medium-range bow: up to 200m, two shots per round, no penalty. Long-range bow: up to 1 mile (1600m) with minimum 1 round of aiming prior to each shot.

Hand-to-Hand Combat Training: Antares, like all members of the Scorpius Guild, has trained extensively in a variety of martial-arts and is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Antares enjoys +1CS to Strike, +2Cs to defend via dodge, parry or evade, and +1CS when resisting a Slam or Stun attack.

Body Armor: All Scorpius Guild members wear a thinshield armor weave offering resistance vs. physical and energy based attacks [20 AP].

Origin:

Virtually nothing is known of the mysterious Scorpius Guild, though it is widely believed, among the intelligence community, to be an urban myth fueled by rival factions of posthuman development agencies, designed to influence and distract their competitors. … Read on for more awesome…

Related posts:

1. TRDL Character Factory, No. 48: Saula
2. TRDL Character Factory, No. 47: Lesath
3. TRDL Character Factory, No. 81: Dr. Go