These concepts were done for a graphic novel I began in the early nineties simply as a means to get me to draw more and therefore improve my skills. While I penciled nearly 5 issues, the story and concepts were pretty juvenile and (as is typical with young creator’s first works) not very well thought out. Also, the title is a Metallica song, and the story ideas came from the lyrics to Iron Man by Black Sabbath… so yeah.
Tap each for more detail, and tap again on the larger images for some background info.
Reaper Neuromecha - 1993
This is one of the mecha that the space marines use in their war against an alien menace known only as the Bugs. (Yes, I was heavily influenced by Hienlien's Starship Troopers in my early 20s - who wasn't). These mecha were controlled by a pilot in the cockpit who "jacked in" to the machine, controlling the vehicle as if it was his own body, seeing from the sensor's as if they were his own eyes.
Warlock Neuromecha - 1993
This was an earlier mecha design I did for the series. This drawing gives a good idea of the scale of the machines compared to humans. Of course the Bugs were oversized insectile creatures that the humans needed giant robots to fight. Because of course they were.
Unnamed Neuromecha - 1993
Another design for the series. This unit was a support machine used for scouting, hence the large thruster pods on the back to give it some push. The shield has a secondary beam cannon built into the bottom, (note the three barrels and the energy pack for power.)
Sonia - 1993
Sonia was one of the two main characters of the comic. She starts the series as a newly conscripted space marine recruit whom the veteran soldier Copper takes a liking to. Sonia is a sort of innocent and introspective person, someone who doesn't belong in the harsh reality of war. By the book's end Copper has died and she has become a hardened soldier. She sets out on a mission to take revenge against the cyberpunkian corporations that are creating wars merely to sell weapons.
Oasis Interlude - 1993
A detail of a couple of panels. The story revolved around a veteran marine named Copper and a new recruit, Sonia. Shot down during a mission and stranded in an alien desert, the two get to know each other in the third issue.
Mecha Bug - 1993
This was a design for a cybered-up version of the alien Bugs, making them even tougher. The aliens spread throughout man's off world colonies as small, almost microscopic eggs. In the final installment, the characters learn that not only are greedy corporations controlling the war, they created the bugs simply to create a menace, and therefore gain big juicy government weapons contracts... because cyberpunk.
Copper's Arm - 1993
A front piece illo for issue three. During the story, Copper loses more and more of his flesh to cybernetics, becoming more and more withdrawn.
Battle Page - 1993
This is part of one of the later pages. Trust me, you do not want to see the earlier ones! I knew the comic was really just for me, an exercise to get my drawing skills beefed up, so I went ahead and did pretty detailed pencils. In other words, I knew they would never be inked.
City Panels - 1993
A couple panels from the beginning of the unfinished issue five. Work really ramped up for me during this time, coupled with what I have described as a near marriage incident...and so progress stopped. Every once in a while over the years I have thought about going back and finishing the last 20 or so pages. Then I usually think better of it!