Luby Work: Character Design: the Atomic Duo (Nazi Martians)

Every good hero or hero team needs a good villain or villains to be heroic against. And I’ve got one of the most clear-cut, black-and-white villains there could be… Nazi Martians!

NAZI MARTIANS! Can't get more evil than aliens allied to the 3rd Reich and the SS! They imitate the Nazi soldier uniforms in an effort to blend in. Unfortunately they are no good at imitating anything, and tend to get hung up on Earth languages, let alone accents!

Yup, the Atomic duo guards the world against the ever-present threat of Nazi Martians! But the Martians have their own allies on Earth…

Otto Verklampt is an evil genius, no really, he is! Though a brilliant Mad Scientist, more than a century ahead of his time, he suffers from a crippling sociophobia. Combined with a strange love of public speaking, he tands to put himself in situations where he becomes catotonic with fear. Thankfully, he seems to have no problems socializing with his machines (to which he has an unhealthy attachment) and with the Martians, which he sees as less than human. His rocky relationship with his steady girlfriend, Annalisa, was saved the night of her 'accident' when he transplanted her brain into a robot body. He is now more in love with her than ever before!

Annalisa was a reclusive beauty, emotionally scarred after coming second in the Miss Europe Pageant, she enrolled in the Verkalsberg University where she feel in love with her chemisty professor, Dr. Verklampt. The two had a whirlwind romance, but Annalisa could tell something troubled him. The day she moved in with him, she stubled upon his Martian bunker under his castle, resulting in an accident which crushed her body. If not for her beloved, she would have died, but she is estranged by his attraction to her robot body.

Luby Work: Character Design: the Atomic Duo

The Heart and Soul of the AtomicDuo: Fatman, the Human Megaton! Fatman was just an ordinary, overweight janitor at the White Sands, New Mexico Nucear Testing Facility, until the fateful day he was exposed to high levels of ultra-rare Pseudonim isotope and gained fantastic strength and endurance! Now he works as the lead of the U.S. Super-Secret Service, fighting the encroaching Nazi Martian threat! In truth, though, Fatman is like a walking sledgehammer; a blunt instrument with as much brains at 9 lbs. of lead. Without his sidekick, Little Boy, he would never have a single successful mission.

Little Boy is the Brains and Skill of the Atomic Duo, without him, there would be no team. An Army Orphan, his skill and wit were honed on the mean streets. At 8, by a stroke of luck, he found himself in the very same halfway house as his partner, Fatman, at the time of Fatman's tranformation. Sworn to secrecy, he leapt at the opportunity to serve his country! In his 4 years of training, he mastered every physical and mental discipline presented to him and graduted to be Fatman's partner. He still thinks he got a raw deal...

Luby Work: Character Design: Sir Clegis

Some more examples of my work. Anyone familiar with any of my work will have seen, heard, or read of my signature character: Sir Clegis. The title is a comedy/fantasy chock full of action and adventure. It follows the small shape-changed pet lizard, Sir Clegis, and his quest to find his life’s meaning. It leads him from his Wizard master and into the myriad of lands and peoples in the world around him, eventually thrusting him into war and romance as his heart is stolen by the North King’s daughter, no less!

Sir Clegis is the hero of the story and, despite his inexperience, displays almost supernatural skill at weapons of all kinds, and battle insctincts that rival the most seasoned of veterans. All this wrapped in a kind, though impulsive, heart.

The Princess of Clegis' romantic aspirations. More than a yet-unnamed archetype, her life of luxury belies deep reserves of inner strength. But, is she the girl for our lizard hero? Does she even want to be..?

Luby Work: Character Design: Zoic

My PR lady told me I should post some of my own work to my blog, I guess she’s right, So Here goes…

These are character designs for a comic/web-comic concept of mine, an anthropomorphic sci-fi adventure following the exploits of The Renegade and it’s crew. The Renegade is attached to the recon fleet of the planet system Zoic, a militant collection of 5 planets. Zoic has entered into an intergalactic war with a far distant galaxy of reptilian creatures, the Skrags. But there is something more than Zoician ambition at work here, with raids on un-allied civilians and expropriation of creepy old ruins on long forgotten planets…

Thor, the Weapons Specialist and Recon Director. He is an angry, violent, militant chipmunk. I personally like that dichotomy, the violent shrimp sort of thing. He tends to have a cold outlook on his job as well as fellow shipmates. He is addicted to combat, and keeps himself in peak condition and always at the ready.

Minerva is a spunky, flirtatious skunk with a well-endowed set of hips and a great voice. That's why she's the Communications Officer and a master of intergalactic etiquette and diplomacy. She's upfront, honest, and kind. Minerva is the kind of officer that any crew is glad they have aboard for their own sanity.

Diana was a party girl throughout her academic career. She's found it harder to celebrate like she did in college, both from the years, and the cushy job she wants to keep. Though she may not imbibe the obscene amounts of alcohol she once did, her mouth is as filthy as ever and her attitude still belligerent.

Mithras looks like a kindly old penguin scientist with a short beard and a German accent. By-and-large that's what he is, but when he's 'inspired', Mithras can get a bit giddy, and rambles off long calculations or theories as if everyone around him shares his genius at hyper-advanced calculations and superliminal propulsion. Under stress, however, "the Professor" emerges, strict and curt, with no patience for distractions or monkeyshines!

RC is a Recon/Comm Assistant, series 7. They're up to series 9 now, but the 7's still work pretty well, and the captain had helped pay for her out of his own pocket. Unfortunately, her personality is a bit too active. It seems she was decommissioned and worked in the private sector, serving as assistant to a retired admiral and his wife, then recommissioned. It seems, during the interlude, her personality picked up a significant modulation, and she's acted like an 8-year-old-girl ever since.

Keep your eyes open for more posts in time.

~Luby

Luby’s Review: Hard-Boiled (Graphic Novel)

Geoff Darrow is insane!

I’d read about Hard-Boiled (not related to the supremely awesome John Woo film) but had never actually read it…

Until now. Frank Miller’s story is a kind of mix between pre-matrix Matrix themes, the Terminator, and Blade Runner all mixed in with an obsessive compulsive’s worst nightmare! Geoff Darrow is the over-the top artist who draws everything, and I do mean, EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING is rendered snd drawn, EVERYTHING! The level of detail and wide scope of the shots and angles are overwhelming.

SEE!!! And that ain’t nothin’!

Those very rare simple shots look somehow wrong. All-in-all its a damn good piece of comic art, but not for the soft-hearted, chock full of horrific violence and deviant sex.

If you liked Sin City and Blade Runner, you’ll probably love Hard-Boiled.

8 out of 10
~Luby