As you guys know for our recently completed trailer I did everything. This includes the music. I can play music by ear so I just created something that I was hearing in my head and that I thought sounded good. I cannot read or write music and I am by no means a professional. So the music for the trailer left a lot to be desired. You can have another look at the trailer here:

I had planned to do the same for the Celflux animated short and hope for the best. However, Matthew Curtis (The voice of the High Councilor), on his own initiative, shared the Celflux project with a friend of his. This friend was a classicly trained musician who, according to him, fell in love with the project and expressed an interest in coming on board.

His name is Gwenael Mario Grisi and he started playing the piano at the age of six. He’s studied composition at the Conservatory in Belgium and graduated with three (3) master’s degrees. He’s also studied film editing with the purpose of learning how to better use music to tell stories. As with our amazingly talented voice cast, we are overwhelmed by how lucky we are to have such a talented and professional individual as part of the Celflux team. We would again like to acknowledge Matt’s role in making this happen. Mario had this to say about the Celflux project.

Your story is very touching and I’m still completely down for this project.
Your art is absolutely amazing, it gives me a lot of good vibes and I’m really happy I can help you for the music. It reminds me some old animated movies I was watching when I was younger, I’m in love with this project!

Here’s a sample of Mario’s work performed by the Brussels Phil Harmonic.

You can find out more about Mario and support his work at the following links:

Gwenael Mario Grisi on IMDB
Gwenael Grisi on Soundcloud
Gwenael Mario Grisi on Facebook

I always say when we first started working on Celflux we did not have any distinctive plans. We just wanted to do something as the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. We never imagined that Celflux would grow into what it has become and seems poised to become. Thank you to all our fans and those who have given of their time and energy to make it happen.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post Gwenael Mario Grisi To Create Celflux Musical Score appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

Our recently released animated trailer has risen to 13K views on Facebook. This is more than I ever thought possible when I was making it. Because of that response and some really positive feedback from our fans, we have decided to embark upon an even more ambitious journey. We’ll be making a Celflux animated short film.

UPDATE: Celflux Animated Short First Trailer Completed.

As I’ve said on more than one occasion, I’m a child of the 80s and my early Saturday morning cartoon addiction was the inspiration for me spending nine months creating the Celflux animated trailer. You can have a look at the trailer:

Or check the 13k views on Facebook: http://bit.ly/2fbd82D

I had to learn most of it from scratch and there was a learning curve. Through it all, I’ve learned a lot and we received som really good feedback. So Dixie Ann and I were talking about the possibility of us doing an animated short. Was it possible? Could I do it? It would be a lot of work. But I thought to myself it wasn’t necessarily about my ability but more about “What have I got to loose?” So as is our custom we began to do our research. We also had to decide if we were going to do a short with voices for the characters. I did everything for the trailer. But I couldn’t do voices. We decided that we had to have voices. But who would want to be a part of this little project? So we took a leap of faith and sent out requests. To our surprise, we were inundated with auditions of extremely talented individuals who wanted to portray the characters of Celflux. So much so, that it was really difficult to choose the voices because of so much talent.

What helped us decide was not how well someone could deliver a line, because as we said all the auditions were awesome. No, the deciding factor was if the individual could capture the spirit that we had in mind for the character. This was really important to us because the voices had to be believable. So today we are happy to introduce you to the talented voice artists who will be lending their awesome talent to bring the characters of Celflux to life. We want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of these individuals who not only have committed their time to help us, but they have really expressed a confidence in the project that really encouraged us. We encourage everyone to show these guys all the love and support possible.

Demetria Bridges – Okira: Her tagline is “The voice with the velvet touch.” Believe me, when I tell you, that’s a perfect description. Demetria has accepted the awesome task of being the voice of our leading lady Okira. She is an extremely talented and experienced voice actor with a long and impressive resume. She is also a fan of 80s cartoons. We are very lucky to have her as part of this project. You can find out more about her work and connect with her via her
Website: www.demetriabridges.com
LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/in/demetriabridges

Kate Sample – Samantha: You would remember Kate as the voice at the beginning of the trailer. She did a really good job for us and was excited to learn that we wanted to do a short. She is also highly talented and a really cool individual. It means a lot to us to have her on board. Visit her links to show her some love and support.
Website: www.BostonBritVoice.com
Voices 123: http://voice123.com/katesample
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kate-Sample-BostonBrit-Voice-1488146798064029/

Matt Curtis – High Councilor: When we heard Matt’s audition for the High Councilor, we were immediately sold. The guy is a vocal wizard. If someone can make you see facial expressions by just hearing their voice, that person is talented. He also has a long and impressive resume and a lot of experience doing character voices. To have him as part of the Cleflux project is invaluable. You can connect with him at these links:
Website: www.MicTheMatt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MictheMatt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MictheMatt

Manuel Benavidez – Ahoteh: Manuel describes himself as a newbie to voice acting. Well, we couldn’t tell. Because his audition was exactly what we had in mind for Ahoteh. Ahoteh is one of the main characters of Celflux and we needed someone to properly deliever him. The intensity and spirit were perfect so we immediately let him know that. He’s also shown us a great deal of encouragement and is really excited about the project. We are excited to have him as well. You can reach out to him on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/manuel.benavidez.9

Tony Black – Raymond: We’ve always pictured Raymond played by Michael Jai White in a live action version of Celflux. So for the animation, we said we wanted a voice “similar” to Michael Jai White. When Tony sent his audition, we thought the real Michael Jai White was auditioning for the part. The guy did a perfect impression. We are really lucky to have this guy as part of the project. We have no doubt that Raymond will become one of the most memorable characters of Celflux because of Tony’s portrayal. You can check out his many other impressions and extensive demo talent via his Soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/user-69124635

Chasity Conner – Shandrita: How can you demonstrate an introverted person using a voice? That’s what we had in mind as Shandrita’s personality. Chasity was able to capture that. She has extensive experience doing voices for anime and said Celflux was a project she really liked the first time she saw it. She, like the other voice actors, is very talented. We are really blessed to have her on board. You can check out her work via her Social Links:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CeeCeeVA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceeceeva/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ceeceeva
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CeeCeeVA

William Harmar – Stephen: William has a strong English narrator’s voice. His YouTube channel has some really powerful readings of short stories that reminded us of those radio dramas that we used to listen to long ago. The guy is a vocal performer. To play Stephen would be a walk in the park for him, in our opinion. He sounds like he belongs on Broadway. The guy is that good. His audition for Stephen sold us immediately. We still can’t believe he is on board. You can check him out on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/GentlemanWalrus

Hector Chavez – Indigo: Versatile. That’s the word that comes to mind in listening to the work done by Hector. We needed a crazy, unhinged portrayal for Indigo. We wanted it believable. Hector delivered it spot on. His YouTube channel shows his wide range of work. His talent speaks for itself and we really appreciate the fact that he is part of this project. Follow him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HectorChavezVO
Or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmAyESqajZTY37-sRFXB6Q

Sarah Brown – Genocyde: The interesting thing about Sarah’s audition, is we weren’t sold at her portrayal of Gencyde, but on her introduction of the audition. She started out by saying. “Hello my name is Sarah Brown and I’ll be auditioning for the role of Genocyde”. The way she spoke saying that, sounded like Genocyde to us and it was enough for us. But even more than that, she captured Genocyde’s rage perfectly. In our minds, we saw Genocyde’s rant while we listened to her voice. It was perfect. As with the other talents, we cannot believe how lucky we are to have her as part of the project. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synaes

Tracy Pfau – Sarah: So we’ve saved Tracy for last. But believe me when I tell you she is by no means the least. Tracy is not just a voice actor, but an accomplished movie and TV actor. As her IMDB page will tell you, (yeah, she has an IMDB page) she’s had roles in Touched by an Angel, Vampire Diaries, Chuck, Married with Children and Dragnet to name a few. To say her resume is extensive is a drastic understatement. She is an excellent actor. We still are in disbelief that she sent us an audition and wanted to be a part of the project. You can check out her work at her website http://www.tracypfau.com/ and on IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0679336/

So here you have it. The amazing voice cast of our Celflux animated short film. It will be titled “The Secret Weapon”. So here’s the thing. With this level of talent being on board, I’m challenged to bring my work up to the level that will be worthy of this kind of talent. As with the trailer, I’ll be doing everything myself. Yes, all of it. I have my work cut out for me. But I’m excited about it because not only is the team talented, they seem to really believe in Celflux and that’s a huge, huge encouragement to me.

We won’t be doing any form of crowdfunding for the Celflux Animated Short. The only support we’re asking of our fans, is to help us spread the word. Share the news with your friends using the hashtag #CelfluxFilm. So stay tuned for updates as we begin this journey, and we look forward to creating something we hope fans can watch and enjoy.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post Celflux Animated Short Film appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

(from Wikipedia)
“Strikeforce: Morituri is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 1986 to 1989. The series was created by writer Peter B. Gillis and artist Brent Anderson.

The premise is that aliens have invaded Earth and nearly succeeded in conquering it and stripping it of its resources. A scientist discovers a process which can provide humans with superhuman powers, effectively creating a group of defending superheroes. However, the process would also ensure that the empowered humans would die within a year of being empowered. The series thus focused on the heroism of the main characters in fighting the invaders, while living with the knowledge that their fates were sealed regardless of whether or not they prevailed.

The title comes from the Latin phrase “Ave Imperator, morituri te salutant” (“Hail Caesar, we who are about to die salute you”), a salute that according to popular legend (although not academically agreed) was uttered by Roman gladiators before battle in the arena. The subtitle of the comic was “We who are about to die”.

Gillis and Anderson left the series within two years. The series ended after thirty-one issues, while under the tenure of writer James Hudnall and artist Mark Bagley.

In 2069, an alien race called “the Horde” arrived in Earth’s solar system (it was later revealed that the actual name of the race was the ‘Va-Shaak’). Although they were technologically advanced far beyond humanity at that time, they were extremely savage.

Humankind’s best hope was discovered in 2072, when Dr. Kimmo Tuolema perfected the Morituri Process. This was a two-step process that allowed people with a specific type of genetic structure to have a new metabolism overlaid on top of their original one, granting them enhanced physical attributes. The second phase of the process would allow for unique superhuman powers. However, there were three mitigating factors inherent in the use of the Morituri Process:

The process was compatible with very few persons; the estimate was that fewer than 5% of all humans had a compatible physiology for metahuman conversion through the Morituri Process.
The optimal age for subjects for the Morituri Process was between 18 and 21; older subjects who underwent the process would suffer a significantly reduced lifespan than expected from optimal subjects (measurable in weeks).
The nature of the energy-based metabolism was such that, within one standard year, the human body would reject it. The rejection of the Morituri metabolism by the human body is 100% fatal. In most cases, the subject’s imminent death was indicated by massive upsurges in the subject’s power and ability levels.”

This is the poster I saw that introduced me to Strikeforce Morituri. I was hooked from that day forward.

As in the case of Thundercats I remember seeing a poster in the back of a comic book I was reading. I don’t even remember what book it was, but I remember the poster. To the top read. “The Ultimate Power, The Ultimate Honour, The Ultimate Sacrifice.” It featured six figures obviously in a battle and to the bottom just above the logo read the words. “We who are about to die.” “Wow…. What on earth is this all about?” I thought to myself. Surprisingly I forgot about it until one day I was visiting my comic book store and I saw the cover to issue No.5 and I recognized the logo and the tagline. I told the store owner. I want this, and tell me where I can find the earlier issues.

This was the cover I saw in the comic book store. I remembered the poster I had seen some time before, and I told the comic book store owner “I want this!”

There have been books about teams before that I had read. Books about teams with special abilities that had difficulties. X-men and so on. But Strikeforce Morituri was different. Here were a group of heroes who, because the humanity was under threat, volunteered to undergo a process that they knew was going to kill them. But it was the earth’s only hope, humanity’s only light. This concept blew my mind. The book taught me that victory does not come without great sacrifice, and that in many cases the sacrifice itself is the victory because the sacrifice, though made, does not guarantee the victory. This book taught me that the real hero is not the one with the super powers, but the one who is willing to make that sacrifice. That ultimate, selfless sacrifice. The one who is willing to give up everything for nothing in return. The book showed individuals with super human abilities, but with very human personalities and emotions. Even though everyone knew their death was sure because they underwent the process, I saw heroes cry when they lost a friend and afraid when they thought about their own mortality. I saw heroes in conflict with authority that saw them as expendable. I saw heroes who showed great bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. I saw heroes demonstrate unbelievable grit even though they faced an overwhelming enemy.

Strikeforce Morituri was to me one of the greatest comics ever created. It still remains my favourite book ever, hands down.

I understand that Marvel has plans to make a live action movie in the next couple years. I hope they stick close to the original material, and even if they don’t I am glad that this book was created and I had the opportunity to read it.

So that’s it for our little trip down memory lane and the look at some of the things that inspired me as a young boy. What were your early inspirations? Look back and find what they were, and I guarantee you they will inspire you even today. I enjoyed taking this look back with you.

Cheers.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post My Inspirations: Strikeforce Morituri appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

(from Wikipedia)
“Justice (John Roger Tensen) is a character from the New Universe imprint of Marvel Comics, the protagonist of a 32-issue comic book series of the same name published from 1986 to 1989. Most of its run was written by Peter David and penciled by Lee Weeks, though it also featured rare 1980s Marvel work from Keith Giffen. David later reintroduced Justice as a supporting character in Spider-Man 2099, a series with a very different setting. This version of the character, also known as the Net Prophet, was older and had different powers.

This is the artwork for Issue No.1 of Justice. This image grabbed my eye on the comic book rack, and it was love at first sight.

In 2007, the New Universe concepts were also revived, in a modified form, as a single-title ongoing series, newuniversal. A new version of John Tensen is one of the main characters featured in that series and two other characters with ‘Justice’ powers have also appeared.

Justice was a middle-aged DEA agent named John Tensen, whose wife was killed by vengeful members of organized crime. He was undercover at the time of the “White Event,” investigating Daedalus Darquill and his son Damon Conquest, who were running drugs out of their front company, Conquest Dynamics. He begins experiencing headaches as his psionic powers manifest. Eventually his cover is blown, and Darquill uses his own newfound parability to remake himself, Tensen, and the others around him into characters from a fantasy dimension, the “Far Place.” Tensen’s new identity is that of a law-enforcing knight called a “Justice Warrior”, who was having an illicit affair with Queen Endolana of the Land of Spring when he was exiled to Earth.”

The character in Justice had a very black and white sense of morality. He had the ability to read people’s auras and determine weather they were good or evil. He also executed “justice” with the power of a energy blast that came from his right hand which he called his sword. He also created a protective force field out of his left had that he called his sword. What made this book so interesting to me, was that even though the character had a very straight forward view of right and wrong and for him everything was black and white, the book was by no means straight forward. It had a lot of unexpected twists and was written in such a way that you almost did not know which world you were in at any given point in time. If it was the real world, or Tensen’s home world. You also did not know if his home world was actually real, or just something in his mind. Seriously, the book had you guessing.

This book introduced me to complexed characters. The world was shady. There were drug dealers, crime lords, and decadent lifestyles. It taught me that characters could be deep. It just wasn’t about super powers and fantastic abilities. It wasn’t about coming up with the cool looking costume. It was about characters experiencing turmoil and anguish. Having to make tough choices and experiencing great loss. It showed me that characters could reflect the human struggle. These types of characters people could identify with because they were real. Not real as in actually existing, but real as in believable. Marvel was making a push in these days to make more realistic characters and this book was a product of that.

I learned that characters had to be believable. That broken characters were more interesting. Someone could identify or sympathise with a broken character rather than one who seemed perfect. This would later influence my character creation.

Here’s a review of Justice by edward2962

Do you remember this comic at all, and did you read it back when it came out? What has influenced your character creation? Till next time.

Cheers.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post My Inspirations: Justice appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

“It was a time when magic was more powerful than science, and only those who control the magic, control destiny. They are the Visionaries.”

(from Wikipedia)
“Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light was originally a range of action figures from Hasbro, released in 1987. This action figure range was promoted by two different media, telling the stories of the characters. The better known of the two was a half hour animated television series made by Sunbow Productions in the same year, but there was also a comic book series issued by Star Comics.

The toyline was not a big success, which led to both the series and the comic being cancelled after a very short run. The comic lasted only 6 issues, and was cancelled halfway through a four-part storyline. The animated series lasted one season of 13 episodes, and was not picked up for a second, possibly because all Sunbow cartoons came to an end after The Transformers season 4 three-parter (“The Rebirth”) and G.I. Joe: The Movie, when Sunbow lost its contract and did not get it renewed.

The story was set on the planet Prysmos, an advanced society where all electronics had failed and the people were forced to rely on the old magics. The Visionaries consist of two groups of knights — the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords. They are both called to for a competition by the wizard Merklynn. After surviving traps, dangerous creatures, and each other, the survivors on both sides are rewarded. Everyone of them is given a different animal totem which appears on the front of their armor, which they can turn into. The animals are selected by Merklynn based on their personalities.”

I can still remember how excited I got when I heard the Visionaries intro. Those words spoken by the very dynamic voice of the shows narrator Malachi Throne, over some dramatic operatic type music. The heavy male voice, almost Gregorian Monkish, choir singing the intro. The song was only four lines long. But it was extremely awesome. The animation for the show’s intro was also like nothing I’d ever seen. It was quick, dark, rich colours and mind blowing.

“Visionairies,
Knights of the Magical Light.
Visionairies,
With Magical Powers they fight.

Powers of mind, strength, skill, ‘n’ speed.
Powers to accomplish the greatest of deeds.

Visionairies,
Knights of the Magical Light.”

Here’s the intro.

It was very interesting to know that the cartoon was not the primary object of production. It was actually the action figures. The cartoon and the comic were actually marketing tools created to promote the toys. They both suffered early demises because of the poor sales of the toys. I’m sorry the creators didn’t decide to continue the cartoon, because it was really popular and up to this day is still a classic.

There are some really dedicated fans of the Visionaries who have put together a virtual encyclopaedia of the Visionaries. You can find a lot more information on the show, the comic and the cartoon there. http://www.thevisionaries.net/

Do you remember the Visionaries, and was it one of your early inspirations? Till next time.

Cheers.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post My Inspirations: Visionaries appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

(from Wikipedia)
“ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions (the same that created the SilverHawks, TigerSharks, and The Comic Strip) debuting in 1985, based on the characters created by Tobin “Ted” Wolf. The series, for which Leonard Starr was the head writer, follows the adventures of a group of catlike humanoid aliens. The animation for the episodes was provided by the Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation, later acquired in 1989 to form Walt Disney Animation Japan. Season 1 of the show aired in 1985 (65 episodes), followed by a TV movie entitled ThunderCats – HO! in 1986. Seasons 2, 3, and 4 followed a new format of twenty episodes each, starting with a five-part story.

This was the ThunderCats poster that introduced me to this awesome show.

ThunderCats follows the adventures of the eponymous team of heroes, catlike humanoid aliens on a planet called Third Earth. The series plot begins with the dying planet Thundera [thun•DAIR•uh] meeting its end, forcing the ThunderCats (a sort of Thunderean nobility) to flee their homeworld. The fleet is attacked by the Thundereans’ enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, who destroy most of the starships in the “ThunderFleet,” but spare the flagship hoping to capture the legendary mystic Sword of Omens they believe is on board. The sword holds the Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats’ power, which is embedded in the hilt. Though the Mutants damage the flagship, the power of the Eye drives them back. The damage to the ship means the journey to their original destination is not possible, instead having to journey to “Third Earth”; which will take much longer than they had anticipated. The eldest of the ThunderCats, Jaga, volunteers to pilot the ship while the others sleep in capsules; however, he dies of old age in the process, but not before ensuring they will reach their destination safely. The flagship contains the young Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O, as well as the ThunderCats Cheetara, Panthro, Tygra, WilyKit and WilyKat, and Snarf.

When the ThunderCats awake from their suspended animation on Third Earth, Lion-O discovers that his suspension capsule has slowed, rather than stopped, his aging, and he is now a child in the body of an adult. Together, the ThunderCats and the friendly natives of Third Earth construct the “Cat’s Lair,” their new home and headquarters, but before long, the Mutants have tracked them down to Third Earth. The intrusion of these two alien races upon the world does not go unnoticed, however, as a demonic, mummified sorcerer calling himself Mumm-Ra recruits the Mutants to aid him in his campaign to acquire the Eye of Thundera and destroy the ThunderCats so that his evil may continue to hold sway over Third Earth.”

Thundercats had a huge influence on me as a creator of comics. The group dynamic, the fantasy world of Third Earth. The technology. The magic. Mumra The Ever Living. “Sword of Omens. Give me sight, beyond sight.” Oh boy the show was the ultimate. The Thundertank. Each of them having their own special ability and weapon. I actually got ThunderCats on VHS before the series came to Trinidad. Looking back at it now, much of the dialogue seems corny and recited, but back then it was the best thing on TV. The logo was iconic. Up to this day it still works. It’s intro is still one of the best even to this day and can rival many modern cartoon intros. The theme song. Don’t get me started on the theme song. You can still sing it can’t you? Of course you can. It was that good. Here’s the intro again just to enjoy.

Here’s a comic con panel with the original voice actors of ThuderCats.

Brief history of the ThunderCats by Mask & Cape.

Here’s the intro for the 2011 version of Thundercats. My personal opinion was that the original intro was so good it could not be topped so they decided not to even do an intro for the new version.

I loved and still love the ThunderCats and it was a great influence on me as a creator. What were some of your early inspirations? Till next time.

Cheers.

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post My Inspirations: Thundercats appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.

Now a few might be inclined to think that Space Ghost is not an old cartoon. Mainly because of the fact that the character has been re-introduced to the world on more than one occasion. In particular with a hugely popular late night talk show called Space Ghost Coast to Coast on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. For me though I was introduced to this character in the late 1970s and it was awesome.

(from Wikipedia)
“Space Ghost is a fictional character created by Hanna-Barbera Productions and designed by Alex Toth for CBS in the 1960s.[1] In his original incarnation, he was a superhero who, with his sidekick teen helpers Jan, Jace, and Blip the monkey, fought supervillains in outer space. In the 1990s, the character was brought back as a host for his own fictional late-night talk show, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. In the 2000s, he was revamped as a serious superhero once again in a mini-series by DC Comics.

Space Ghost is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It first aired on CBS from September 10, 1966, to September 7, 1968. The series was composed of two unrelated segments, Space Ghost and Dino Boy in the Lost Valley. An alternative title, Space Ghost and Dino Boy, is used in official records to differentiate it from Cartoon Network’s late-night talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The series was created by Alex Toth[1] and produced and directed by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

Space Ghost, along with teenaged sidekicks Jan and Jace and their monkey Blip, fight villains in outer space. Usually Space Ghost’s sidekicks would get captured or trapped by the villains and Space Ghost would have to defeat the villains and save the day. His enemies included Zorak, Brak and his brother Sisto, Creature King, Black Widow (aka Spider Woman), Lokar, Moltar, and Metallus.”

Space Ghost was the ultimate. The guy had a belt that gave him the power of invisibility. This was a fantastic thought to a young boy. He had power bracelets that gave him a range of energy powers. He could fly. He had enhanced agility and super strength. He had a protective force field. The list goes on. This character introduced me to power through gadgets and technology. As a young boy you didn’t really care how it worked, you just knew that this character had a device that gave them special or enhanced abilities. Of course you started wishing you had the gadgets, as well as thinking of gadgets you could come up with. Watching this show you realized that no matter what difficulty Space ghost found himself in, there was something his gadgets could do that would get him out of it. Last but not least, the character had a really, really cool costume.

Here’s the original intro to Space Ghost from 1966.

So this was another one of the greats from my early years. This was one of the characters I was scolded for drawing in my school exercise books. and I can see now how it has influenced my creativity. What are your early inspirations?

Till next time,

Cheers

Everard J. McBain Jr.

Everard is the Creative Director and CEO of GemGfx. GemGfx is a multidisciplinary design consultancy based in Trinidad and Tobago. He has been involved in the field of Graphic Design for over 14 years. He is also the art director and co-author of the graphic novel Celflux which he created along with his wife Dixie Ann Archer-McBain.

ww.gemgfx.com

The post My Inspirations: Space Ghost appeared first on Celflux - Graphic Novel & Animated Series.