Luby Work: Character Design: Marduk: Intergalactic Detective

Marduk is a character of mine from WAY back, from high school! Originally, his purpose was to maim and kill my friend, Brian, during English class, along with the rest of the violently goofy cast of the weekly ‘comic’. Things have changed with time and now I’ve reinvented him with more attention to the original mythology I took his name from and more detail on the world, which has become much darker and much, much more serious, as I’ve grown up. 

Marduk is very powerful, very bitter, and very, very old creature. His universe was once one of great science and powerful magic working in unison towards great ends, but magic has fallen out of practice in the last millennia, and is regarded as superstitious nonsense by most of the modern worlds. Marduk lives on the dingy world, Moraine, overrun by organized crime and under the control of corrupt government. It’s a seedy, vicious place where everyone has criminal records, mob ties, and dark pasts. Marduk himself has been there as far back as he can remember, over 700 years, when the place was still an un-colonized outpost. Beyond that, his recollection is a bit fuzzy, but he knows its only the tip of the iceberg and he knows he has a heinous past indeed to hide from. Currently he runs a small private eye operation, and has advertised no limits on the job, any person, organization, or world. No job to big, no job too small, no job too far. Unfortunately, he’s made more business as a bounty hunter, and his reputation for efficiency keeps the jobs coming in.

Marduk is a very efficient and ruthless fighter, with an unknown breadth of martial skill and training. His is a high-range Emp (Empowered: superhuman individual) but not high enough on the scale to warrant too much attention. He is a gruff, secretive, P.I., who has no qualms about taking on jobs for the mob, or taking dirty money as payment. On a world this crooked, he reasons, all money gets dirt on it sooner or later. So do people, it seems, and Marduk has a dim view of humanity, knowing that in a forgotten corner of the galaxy ruled by the mob, all people get dirt on them too.

Luby’s Review: Seven Swords

I saw Seven Swords again today, and thought I should put in a word or two about it. As most people who read this page know, (that’s right, all 4 of you)I like kung fu flicks. Put on any kind of Martial Art movie, I’ll enjoy it. From time-to-time, I find Kung Fu flicks which are modern (done within the last 20 years) and they usually tend to be pretty good, rarely there are the “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” kind of movies that try to be moving or in some way profound with their story ot imagery, most only try half-heartedly, seeming more tongue-in-cheek than sincere. This was one of those. Like “The Warrior”, they favored action over drama and I think, made out fairly well.

The story is set in China, in the mid 1600’s, or so, an Imperial Decree has outlawed the practice of martial arts, or of training in the martial arts. As such, a roving band of killers, with Imperial authority, led by the crazed Fire-Wind, is attacking comunities who harbor fighters and killing everyone to present their heads for reward offered (3,000 silver peices, I think). He and his gange have slaughtered hundreds, perhaps even thousands, as they move through the country. A survivor from one of their attacks is found by a woman of a small settlement of warriors who warns of the approaching killers. Mistrusted, but greatful for the help, he ventures into the Mountains of Heaven and speaks to a great swordsmaster, who send him back with 3 swords of power, as well as his 4 best students, all of who bear weapons of power. He takes on of the swords, another is given to the woman who found him, and to a local man. The Seven Swords, as they’re known, repell the attack, and then follow up by making an attack on Fire-Wind’s base as he is unaware. With a break in the persuit, the village tries to flee as Fire-Wind regroups, fleeing to a system of caves. Along the way, a traitor is suspected when water and food is poisoned. Once they reach shelter, the greatest swordsman of the group, named Chu (played by Donnie-freakin’-Yen!), takes his invincible Dragon Sword to try an stop Fire-Wind by destroying his treasure hoard. (his soldiers wont fight if they aren’t paid, very anticlimactic) of course he’s captured and the former prisoner, who he’s in love with AND who conventiently knew where siad treasure hoard was, is mortally injured but makes her way back to the caves where she tells the rest of the group to save Chu. So they set out, and there’s a great big fight at the end, and the bad guy dies, and the good guys win, and then they decide to go try to get the emperor to repeal the edict that caused this whole mess, and ride off into the sunset. -THE END-

However, this does not mean the movie is bad, just a bit predictable. But, in all honesty, what movie, TV show, or book isn’t predictable. People like a certain amount of routine in their entertainment. You don’t need to focus on routine, it doesn’t stimulate you, and there is no thought involved. You can relax in a routine. The real problem I had was with the 4 virtually nameless swordsmen, as well and the virtually nameless enemy officers they fought. I understand how these movies go, Heroic Bloodletting and all, but they even tried to tack on little back stories to them in a brief sequence, they all have a tiny little bit of character play, but it just draws attention to their lack of character, if you ask me.

BUT there were several very cool fight scenes, with a bunch of wirework, some worked seamlessly, some, no-so-much. And there were a few ‘holy shit!’ moments where I had to back it up to see what had happened, and how. A lot of creativity in the fights, so little monotony. And it was a kind of fantasy, with the medieval fight scenes being the key note in the film. A good movie, but not a great movie. If you like kung fu movies, you’ll like this, if you like fantasy movies, you’ll like this. Heck I like both and I liked it!

Although the end fight, up-and-down between the walls of a narrow corridor with long swords, was a bit much, even for me.

7 out of 10
~Luby

Oh, and yes, it was a bit of an homoage to Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai

Luby Work: Character Design: Lander

I had given some thought to the idea of airships and sky pirates, and wht with a look back at some ideas of mine in junior college, I came up with these characters.

Sam is a sensetive, shy young 16-year-old who, unfortunately, has a family full of rowdy, carousing Sky Pirates! He has a very strong honest streak, doesn't like loud noises, hates the taste of rum, and would much rather spend a quiet afternoon in the sun with some books, star charts and paper and ink to persue his true passion: cartography! He is an expert navigator, and has had his training in arms since age 6, like the rest of the family. He also likes to tell people he's adopted.

Sam's uncle, Crash, is the Sky Pirate's Sky Pirate! He's the loudest, most boisterous rowdy pirate in a family or loud boisterous rowdy pirates. He was going to be the one to inherit Granddad's Pirate Lordship, but showing up drunk to the preceedings violates even a Pirate's morals. He's elected to go on a quest of self-discipline out on the open sky where all the temptations of a pirate will be there waiting for him to resist them, that'll prove his will. His nephew, Sam, has been brought along as the most level-headed of the Lander family to help steer him on the right path, literally and figuratively.

Luby Work: Character Design: Creatures!

I’m makin’ MONSTERS!

I dunno what this is, exactly, some kind of Dragon-Goat. I took the body design of a goat and laid the characteristics of a dragon on top of it (scales, horns, claws, ect.) I feel it makes for a unique, though sufficiently organic looking monster.

Luby Work: Character Design: Random Cartoons

Here’s some random cartoons!

Mad Jack is a Berserker, and a moody Berserker at that. No one knows why he decided to be a death-dealing kill-machine, but his dark profession has permeated his whole outlook and he is a very morose individual who, nevertheless, is violently protective of his twin sister, Jasmine.

Jasmine is a great and powerful mage... in-training. She's sure she'll be great and powerful in no time at all, just be patient. In the mean time, she spends her time galavanting around with her twin brother, the aptly-named Mad Jack, and firting with men whom are then chased off by said overprotective brother.