PART 2: TRI-KLOPS, TRAP-JAW, ZODAC, TALLSTAR...MOTU ORIGINS Art Cards!!

[JafariStew]

Here's "Part 2" of the 10-Part MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: "ORIGINS" Art Card Collection by Jafaristew! The project started off with the unpublished Whitman Origin characters as the basis, & before I knew it, I expanded the universe "art card idea" to include 50 characters total for the 30th Anniversary of Masters Of The Universe! Next up is the 1st of the set to include mostly "non-Whitman Origin Comic characters," this time with influence from various sources such as the Mark Texeira mini-comics, original card 8-back, & prototypes!

TRI-KLOPS: based on his appearance in the Mark Texeira run, most importantly "The Terror Of Tri-Klops!!" This was always my favorite appearance of Tri-Klops as the unbeatable bounty-hunter, I dedicate this one to my brother PoweredConvoy!


X-MAN (aka TRAP-JAW): based on his appearance in the Mark Texeira comic "The Menace Of Trap-Jaw!!" I have always loved this comic & I made sure to power X-Man (one of Trap-Jaw's original names) up with the "Warrior Ring!"


ZODAC: based on his appearance from the 8-backs & "The Power Of Point Dread" record book, where he appeared to have white monster feet...I always loved that coloration as a kid & it was my 1st impression of a figure that I very much wanted, the mighty Zodac!


TALLSTAR: She is based on the original 80's prototype figure mixed with my own ideas about the character, kind of gives her a circus meets goth vibe... & in this art fanon , she is the last her kind!


DEMON(S): These appear in the unpublished Whitman Origin Comic as Skeletor's main devoted lackey's, & they also make appearances (with a slightly different look) in the Mark Texeira mini-comic version of "The Power Of Point Dread" as Skeletor's army!


Special thanks to my brother Brian for all of the feedback & advice, & to my brother Randy for his enthusiasm! Part 3 should be up before the end of the year, & parts 4-10 coming in 2013!!

[JafariStew]

You can find Part 1 here:
MOTU ORIGIN ART CARDS

[danbrenus]

Ok, found....
The appearence of both Tri-klops and TJ are very good, better than the source material indeed, but Zodac is kick-ass!!!!

[JafariStew]

Ok, found....
The appearence of both Tri-klops and TJ are very good, better than the source material indeed, but Zodac is kick-ass!!!!

Thank you so much my friend, that's a HUGE compliment, & hearing that from you means a lot to me! I am glad I could do Zodac justice!

[Niki]

Tri Klops looks great(love the boots) and Trap-Jaw is simply amazing!

Zodac never did much for me, he might be cool but i never got his purpose but you did a great job with him, he looks good!

Tallstar looks interesting but is to much "teenager lost in goth" world for me. She almost reminds of Winona Riders character from Beetle Juice. Stars are bright and shiny, if you ask me.
Plus you are doing a "Scott-TOYGURU-Neitlich" here and killed of her sisters, i don´t know if i like that.....

The demon looks very demon-ish and He-Mans left gauntlet is a nice hint!

[ZacMasters]

Great job on these cards - I really like your style. I especially like your interpretation of Tallstar. There's a lot of personality in her look and I think she would be a fun character to watch in a cartoon/comic.

[Tallstar]

Interesting take on Tallstar.

[Charlie Brown]

great work: tri-klops and x-man are awesome.

love the "signature" bracers on the demon: nice touch.

[poweredconvoy]

This is some really great stuff Chris.

I love the colors and the art is all very well drawn. Your interpretation of Tallstar is very good and I prefer these darker colors to the actual.

As for Tri-Klops, it's a work of art and I love the illustration and the colors. I really wish we'd get a MOTUC like this, it's a much needed addition to the line.

Trap-Jaw / X-Man also looks great and I think would make a great counterpart to the bounty hunter Tri-Klops.

Well done!

Randy

[iron_pride]

All of them coolness JafariStew, I love that Tri-Klops, but WOW Tallstar looks really really cool.

[JafariStew]

Tri Klops looks great(love the boots) and Trap-Jaw is simply amazing!
Zodac never did much for me, he might be cool but i never got his purpose but you did a great job with him, he looks good!
Tallstar looks interesting but is to much "teenager lost in goth" world for me. She almost reminds of Winona Riders character from Beetle Juice. Stars are bright and shiny, if you ask me.
Plus you are doing a "Scott-TOYGURU-Neitlich" here and killed of her sisters, i don´t know if i like that.....
The demon looks very demon-ish and He-Mans left gauntlet is a nice hint!

Hi Niki! I am glad you enjoy Tri-Klops, Trap-Jaw, & the Demon!
Zodac is one of the characters many people don't either get or get to attached too, but then he offers a great nostalgia for others. Not being in the mini-comics was a great hindrance to him early on popularity-wise, & then him being listed as evil on his early packaging but appearing as neutral (or even good) in Filmation, DC, (& in judging by "The Power Of Point Dread" record book) this was always Mattel's intention, but its said that they needed to make him evil to even out the ranks in the first waves of MOTU figures. I know Roger Sweet said in his book that they could have made a better "Space Man" & "Bird Man" (Stratos) but that is exactly what the charm of Zodac (& Stratos) is ...that they are weird crazy cool. I always liked Zodac as kid but it wasn't until I was older that I realized just how much. He's very powerful, he knows He-Man's secret/yet he himself is mysterious, & he can help either side. He is also a hodgepodge of parts form the first figures... he has a human look, typically heroic colors, but the reptile arms & feet, & then has the Beast-Man/Stratos chest. He most likely was the last of the original 8 created & seems the most to be based on the "New Gods" DC comic that helped to inspire MOTU in the 1st place. I remember when I 1st saw him in the store I was hoping he had the cool whitish feet the card art showed him with & then was mildly disappointed when I found out they were gray (just like I was with Mer-Man's non-Alcala head sculpt) but that's where art comes in & you can reinterpret your favorites the way that you've always seen them, or take them in a new direction all together.
Fun Fact: I asked my parents what a "Cosmic Enforcer" was as a child & my Dad told me he was "Space Police," thus the description I gave him on the art card. lol

As for Tallstar her "origin" story in this Art "fanon" is a rocky one. lol At first, I was not going to have ANY POP characters in this series as I wanted it to be just oldskool MOTU, but the more I thought about it & the more great art history I discovered in all of the MOTU related lines, the more I felt the need to include those chapters within the "50-character selection." So now the 50 does include some POP, NA, (& a lot of oddities lol) but most are based on the earliest ideas of the characters (thus why Tallstar is mostly based on her 80's prototype). I always go back & forth as to who I like better, Starla or Tallstar, admittedly I think the MOTUC Starla figure probably came out the best of the 3 sisters. But than I got this cirque/goth idea for Tallstar when I was looking at her 80's prototype. The internet photo colors where washed out & her Stars looked "black" to me, which helped me to make her a bit darker in tone overall, as if tragedy had stuck her & now she is changed...(I almost called her "Dark Star" to help show this transformation, but decided that was getting a little to fan-fic-like for a series of illustrated art cards & not an actual fleshed "written" out story or bios.) Since I have no plans to include her sisters in the set of 50 characters, I decided that instead of them just being "not here" & the community asking why, to tell the story of Tallstar in her description as having lost her sisters, (story "Jewelstar" on their Eternian arrival (aka planetary impact), & "Starla" in battle with their "Great Rebellion" allegiance. This changed Tallstar into who she is today within this story... A darker, saddened version who's look reflects that...

Great job on these cards - I really like your style. I especially like your interpretation of Tallstar. There's a lot of personality in her look and I think she would be a fun character to watch in a cartoon/comic.

Thanks Zac! I really appreciate the compliment! When I decided to include Tallstar in the roster, she was originally set for Part 9! but when I felt so strongly about the design idea I had for her, I couldn't resist drawing her now & bumped her up to "Part 2," plus it helps spread the POP related characters out a bit more through the 10 parts. Glad you like her, she's been through some hard times that is why she's a bit tattered & distant.

great work: tri-klops and x-man are awesome.
love the "signature" bracers on the demon: nice touch.

Thanks Charlie Brown!

This is some really great stuff Chris.
I love the colors and the art is all very well drawn. Your interpretation of Tallstar is very good and I prefer these darker colors to the actual.
As for Tri-Klops, it's a work of art and I love the illustration and the colors. I really wish we'd get a MOTUC like this, it's a much needed addition to the line.
Trap-Jaw / X-Man also looks great and I think would make a great counterpart to the bounty hunter Tri-Klops.
Well done!
Randy

Thanks brother, your kind words do my heart good , & I am so glad you like Tri-Klops, as I know this version is your favorite too, & I had you in mind when I added him to the series. It was a great opportunity to draw the version of Tri-Klops we both love! I am glad you also enjoyed Trap-Jaw & the others as well as my more personal take on Tallstar, as I know she is your favorite of the Star Sisters!

All of them coolness JafariStew, I love that Tri-Klops, but WOW Tallstar looks really really cool.

Thanks iron-pride you are always good for a compliment on the art forums & I really appreciate your words here & your involvement on the board!

[Niki]

Hi Niki! I am glad you enjoy Tri-Klops, Trap-Jaw, & the Demon!
Zodac is one of the characters many people don't either get or get to attached too, but then he offers a great nostalgia for others. Not being in the mini-comics was a great hindrance to him early on popularity-wise, & then him being listed as evil on his early packaging but appearing as neutral (or even good) in Filmation, DC, (& in judging by "The Power Of Point Dread" record book) this was always Mattel's intention, but its said that they needed to make him evil to even out the ranks in the first waves of MOTU figures. I know Roger Sweet said in his book that they could have made a better "Space Man" & "Bird Man" (Stratos) but that is exactly what the charm of Zodac (& Stratos) is ...that they are weird crazy cool. I always liked Zodac as kid but it wasn't until I was older that I realized just how much. He's very powerful, he knows He-Man's secret/yet he himself is mysterious, & he can help either side. He is also a hodgepodge of parts form the first figures... he has a human look, typically heroic colors, but the reptile arms & feet, & then has the Beast-Man/Stratos chest. He most likely was the last of the original 8 created & seems the most to be based on the "New Gods" DC comic that helped to inspire MOTU in the 1st place. I remember when I 1st saw him in the store I was hoping he had the cool whitish feet the card art showed him with & then was mildly disappointed when I found out they were gray (just like I was with Mer-Man's non-Alcala head sculpt) but that's where art comes in & you can reinterpret your favorites the way that you've always seen them, or take them in a new direction all together.
Fun Fact: I asked my parents what a "Cosmic Enforcer" was as a child & my Dad told me he was "Space Police," thus the description I gave him on the art card. lol

As for Tallstar her "origin" story in this Art "fanon" is a rocky one. lol At first, I was not going to have ANY POP characters in this series as I wanted it to be just oldskool MOTU, but the more I thought about it & the more great art history I discovered in all of the MOTU related lines, the more I felt the need to include those chapters within the "50-character selection." So now the 50 does include some POP, NA, (& a lot of oddities lol) but most are based on the earliest ideas of the characters (thus why Tallstar is mostly based on her 80's prototype). I always go back & forth as to who I like better, Starla or Tallstar, admittedly I think the MOTUC Starla figure probably came out the best of the 3 sisters. But than I got this cirque/goth idea for Tallstar when I was looking at her 80's prototype. The internet photo colors where washed out & her Stars looked "black" to me, which helped me to make her a bit darker in tone overall, as if tragedy had stuck her & now she is changed...(I almost called her "Dark Star" to help show this transformation, but decided that was getting a little to fan-fic-like for a series of illustrated art cards & not an actual fleshed "written" out story or bios.) Since I have no plans to include her sisters in the set of 50 characters, I decided that instead of them just being "not here" & the community asking why, to tell the story of Tallstar in her description as having lost her sisters, (story "Jewelstar" on their Eternian arrival (aka planetary impact), & "Starla" in battle with their "Great Rebellion" allegiance. This changed Tallstar into who she is today within this story... A darker, saddened version who's look reflects that...

No don´t get me wrong as pictures i enjoyed them all, and i really like your coloring!

Zodac as a concept is weird to me, but i never liked the undecided characters. Marvels Watchers were a total bore to me.
I don´t mind him changing his mind "maybe i help this guys next time those" but in the end he mostly helped out the bad guys and refused to help the good guys....or that´s the impression i got back when i was a kid.

Tallstar as a picture looks great, the Darkstar idea i totally get and i even like that. My favorite Star sister is Jewelstar, so it´s saddens me she is dead in your canon but hey, that´s life

[JafariStew]

No don´t get me wrong as pictures i enjoyed them all, and i really like your coloring!
Zodac as a concept is weird to me, but i never liked the undecided characters. Marvels Watchers were a total bore to me.
I don´t mind him changing his mind "maybe i help this guys next time those" but in the end he mostly helped out the bad guys and refused to help the good guys....or that´s the impression i got back when i was a kid.
Tallstar as a picture looks great, the Darkstar idea i totally get and i even like that. My favorite Star sister is Jewelstar, so it´s saddens me she is dead in your canon but hey, that´s life

LOL! Yes my friend I totally get the Zodac thing, he is difficult to attach oneself to for many fans because of his "stance" in MOTU lore.

And this fan-canon is just for this particular art series called "Origins." At some point in the future I plan on doing a similar series that includes all of the MOTU Classics characters... which will include Jewelstar, Starla & all of the other characters in MOTUC based solely on the figures in art form. This time I chose 50 slots (which is a big enough undertaking as it is , it went from 10 to 30 to 45 to 50 in about 3 weeks lol) & only Tallstar (of the 3 Sisters) made the cut this time (as I had an idea for her), but hopefully you will see some more of your favorites in my upcoming parts!!
I am very glad you like the art, & really appreciate your thoughts & feedback Niki. Thank you!

[Orko's Magic Hat]

I love that Tri-Klops! Great job

[JafariStew]

^ Thanks Orko's Magic Hat! I've been wanting to draw the Mark Texeira mini-comic version of Tri-Klops for a long time, & I'm glad you like the illustration!

[D&D]

wow. these are terrific jafari, i just saved them all. i think tallstar & zodac are my new faves. i can't wait for the next part.

[Bearshow]

Awesome, as always, JafariStew!

Really loving that Trap-Jaw, looks great!

I personally really like your Tall-Star .

[JafariStew]

Awesome, as always, JafariStew!

Really loving that Trap-Jaw, looks great!

I personally really like your Tall-Star .

Thank you so much Bearshow, your kind words are as good as gold with me! Glad you ike Tallstar!!

[Saved]

Love your stuff JS!!!!!

Awesome that you drew Tri Klops with the SMC Sword of Ages.

[JafariStew]

Hey thanks Saved, I always thought of Tri-Klops as one of the most formidable of Skeletor's elite, glad you like my artwork! ...there is much more of this series to come!

[mikescab]

These are just amazing, great job. Very much inspired by the early DC mini comic interpretations which I love! Keep up the good work.

[JafariStew]

These are just amazing, great job. Very much inspired by the early DC mini comic interpretations which I love! Keep up the good work.

Thanks you mikescab! Yes, this series is very much inspired by DC & the other early media!! Glad you like them! I am working on Part 3 right now & it will be up by the end of December!!

[JafariStew]

For those of you saving these images for your collection, "Tallstar" has been updated!

Also, PART 3 is NOW UP!!
http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/...33#post3203633

[2-bad]

Those Are Awesome, buddy!!!

[JafariStew]

Those Are Awesome, buddy!!!

Thank you 2-bad!! It's nice to see you post my good friend... and get ready because "Part 4" comes out in May!!