RIP Douglas Trumbull

(From Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner". Original copyright - the Ladd Company, now Warner Brothers)
 

Found out via facebook, regrettably, that visual effects king Douglas Trumbull has passed away at the age of 79. His work included cornerstone effects films such as as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Blade Runner, and, of course "2001: A Space Odyssey". But one of his most innovative creations was the "Back to the Future" ride. Trumbull was the first to give riders the full "immersion experience" with surrounding screens and motion actuated seating.

 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0874320/

 I saw him more as an visual artist, rather than a traditional story teller and movie maker when he was at the helm as director. During the downer 1970's, "Silent Running" was the only new science fiction product available, after countless Star Trek reruns. The visual style of 2001 kind of echoed there, but a much smaller budget. A grim tale of earth's last biospheres being placed in giant domes, and launched into space for protection. And a grimmer story of one man's fight to save them, as the space ship's owners order the crew to ditch the domes so the spaceships can return to more profitable cargo missions.

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/douglas-trumbull-dead-visual-effects-1235174814/?fbclid=IwAR21RnvAfChZkQ2ZIKMaqU5UGUlLJou2RMNOBFRojUArGKUPnqUGYcOsGKw#recipient_hashed=5073b1559abbbd3a3604b5ef6781fdaf2c04921fe341af36057411c4f35cdb89&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_campaign=newsalert&utm_content=329416_02-08-2022&utm_term=9754522 

Still, before I outgrew the big budget Sci-Fi movies, there was a level of quality, and believability in the images that Douglas Trumbull created. While there may not have been much of a plot, going along for the ride was what mattered.

 https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0874320/awards?ref_=nm_awd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47wO-Az22v0

Alien Sculpture

Okay, I've been working on this alien character for almost two years, and it's time to publish something. I call her Athena. She is actually composite creature, composed of  7 separate organisms. I've decided to set the canon for her origin; "she" brings herself together, after several failed attempts by Herman Bear. This is their attempt at an anthropomorphic form, after looking at Herman, and, uh, one particular "swimsuit edition" Herman had on board his ship.

When Herman Bear becomes stranded on the planet Solstice, he first believes the native life forms are unintelligent, and they seem to prey on each other regularly. He later realizes that the creatures only combine, separate, and then recombine to sustain and nourish each other. It's also how they communicate. He tries to "build a being", but is never completely successful. But soon after Herman's meddling, the separate creatures get the idea and come together to form Athena. The butterfly/flowers soon learn to speak. Their "legs" are formed from large lampreys, the feet are simple, shoe-like snails, and the body and head are one unit, like a large, uh, potato with a beak. The beak is actually a large claw the body pod uses to drag itself over the ground.

After pages and pages of sketches, I finally committed myself to their forms and proportions. The figure is just under 9 inches tall, carved from styrofoam, wire and plaster. I also roughed out a Herman Bear figure to get a definite size relationship. I'm struggling to make him more refined as well.

I'm working on the next model, with more detail and posable joints. At any rate, when these seven organisms come together, they become the forerunner of a new species on the planet Solstice. She/they eventually become the good will ambassador of their world, the possible matriarch, and perhaps even the custodian of the planet's future. And Herman Bear has a companion, so he isn't left alone on the planet. She/they teach how to survive. And more.

I must admit, I got the inspiration for this from the old animated Star Trek series episode "BEM". (Bug Eyed Monster). But I think I'm original enough with this creature, and her motives and origins are quite different.  http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Bem_(episode)

(Now I even see parallels to Voltron, and other anime' where separate components come together to form a greater being. But this isn't quite the same case here.)

All images copyright Ken Roskos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crj0V_R77Ns

Planet Soltice - More Sketches

Late Summer/Early Fall sketches

 

One point perspective on some Borg-like tech, this is actually for something else...

Landscape...

 

Another one point perspective, need the practice.

Shane Acker's 9 movie

Just realized it is September 9th, seven years since the release of Shane Acker's "9"movie.

(copyright 2009 Focus Features)

While everyone else is celebrating 50 years of Star Trek, (which is fine), I thought I should bring this little gem back out into the spotlight. As a student at UCLA, Acker created this short film about war, oppression, loss of personal freedom, and science run amok as his student project. "9" caught the attention of Tim Burton who worked with Acker to produce "9" as a feature film.

While I am a little tired of the post apocalyptic story theme, the David and Goliath struggle of the little doll people struggling against a devil device bent on devouring their souls is still worth watching. Acker's commentary on current world affairs is still disturbingly trendy, even more now today!

And it has one of my favorite actors, Martin Landau providing the voice of "2".

 

Enjoy!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472033/

http://www.focusfeatures.com/9

 

 

Herman Bear on the planet Solstice

Here's some sketches from July in Canada...

Herman Bear lands on my new planet Solstice...

I didn't want him to be alone on the planet,
so I gave him a new companion.

(Cubcake is also there, but I'm not sure I'll keep her in the story.)

 

The bear has to make a new friend, literally! Herman assembles "Athena" from different organisms to build a composite creature. Sort of a cross between Larry Niven's Pierson's Puppeteers, and Sylvia the "Zbornak" from Disney's "Wander over Yonder".

http://larryniven.net/puppeteer/pupbod.shtml

(It's a long story)

When Herman first sees Athena, she is just some kind of seed pod that drags itself along the ground with some sort of beak. Herman has to put her together as an intelligence test designed by other aliens. Enjoy!

Jodorowsky's Dune (2014) - HD Trailer

I just found out about director Alejandro Jodorowsky's plans for Frank Herbert's book from a Dune quiz on Facebook. The art by Moebius, and the storyboards look fantastic. I think this would have been far superior to David Lynch's creep-out movie. Now if I can just find it!

Wild's End Comic

Guilty pleasure time. Think of H.G. Welles "War of the Worlds" meets "Wind in the Willows".

http://www.boom-studios.com/wild-s-end-01-cover-a.html

Check it out!

Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 2

Just my suggestions for the next movie's Awesome Mix Vol. 2:

(copyright Marvel/Disney)

1. Motherlode - When I Die
2. The Stampeders - Sweet City Woman
3. Pure Prairie League -Amie
4. Rick Derringer - Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo
5. Edgar Winter Group- Free Ride
6. ELO - Twilight

7. David Bowie - Look back in Anger (1979, might be too late in their timeline) or, Suffragette city 1972

8. Looking glass - Brandi you're a fine girl

9. Sugarloaf - Green Eyed Lady - How's that for Gamora?

10. Steely Dan - ?
11. Marshall Tucker Band? Heard it in a love song
12...

We have to remember that this tape was put together by Star-Lord's mother, so the songs would stay on the fun and light side. I'm still up in the air about these:

The Temptations - Papa Was A Rolling Stone (referring to Star Lord's real father)
The O'Jays - Back Stabbers
The Allman Brothers Band?
Queen?
Led Zepplin?
Kiss?