A Couple WIPs Of Comic Panels

A couple WIPs of comic panels

I had the urge to draw some unrelated panels from random scene ideas.

The panels will rarely overlap, or take a different shape unless an action scene is taking place. I was inspired by Ava's Demon with this kind of panelling, since I personally find it less confusing to follow. (And I want to make my comic read more like a detailed storyboard for a movie.)

I try to make each character have their own color for the sketches, so that it is easy to identify them, even from a distance. These colors will also be used in their text when they speak, to make things easier when a character is speaking off screen. Each character will also get their own font as well. (Except for Odin, who will be borrowing different fonts while speaking, to show that he is indeed using recorded audio to converse.)

You can't have a story without at least one asshole character, and my story is no exception.

Henderson Mortimer Balgraven. He is the kind of man who would insult you while he give you medication, berate you while stitching up your leg. He may be a doctor, but that doesn't mean he has to be nice to people. This doesn't mean he hates his job, in fact, he rather enjoys what he does.

Henderson is a prosthetist, the best one you'll find in Brenning and it's neighboring cities. No matter how bad the wound is, he is able to skillfully amputate and replace any part of the body. Not only in humans, but automata as well. He uses spare parts from automatons to build and install the prosthetics, making it so they function like a natural limb. It's an extremely painful procedure, but it's worth it in the end. In fact, he replaced his own eye, after it was destroyed during a bar fight. Henderson was nearly black out drunk and was still able to get the eye working as if it was his own. And several years later, the eye still works perfectly, only needing a small tune up here and there.

Born and raised in the slums of Brenning, Henderson was a part of a group called the Mulligans. Named after the run down building the group lives in, they were a decently sized found family. Anyone who was homeless or broke found themselves under the headmistress' care, who raised them like she would her own children. The Mulligan kids were free to do as they please, as long as what they do doesn't harm another member. Henderson is the oldest member, and is seen as the older brother of everyone else there. He may be sour and aggressive, but he has never hurt any other Mulligan. Screamed at, yes, but never hurt.

When Henderson was in his thirties, his skills were discovered by a doctor. That doctor was Jeter Nyland, who hired the man on the spot. Henderson was a little skeptical but agreed, and later moved into the manor in order to help Jeter with his work. During this time, however, he signed some papers he was too drunk to fully comprehend. Next thing he knew, he woke up in bed with multiple large scars running up and down his body. His skeleton had been replaced with one made of metal, giving him a heavy yet sturdy base. Unfortunately, the human body wasn't built like an automatons, and the metal skeleton brings more harm than good.

Every day is filled with a numbing pain, and the strange new weight has caused Henderson to have a strong limp. He turns to the bottle in order to forget the pain and just relax, but Jeter has forbade the use of alcohol within the manor. That doesn't stop Henderson, he just finds ways to sneak in a drink here and there.

Jeter and Henderson argue nearly every time they're together. It's very one sided, however, as Jeter has learned to ignore the man during his tirades. The only time that the automaton fights back is if things get physical, or if Emalia is brought into the conversation. Thankfully, Henderson has never directed his anger towards the young woman, only ever focusing on her protector.

Fun fact about Henderson, he actually loves Emalia like a daughter. He isn't as aggressive when she is in the room, and has even tried to make peace with her through gifts of new journals. She is extremely nervous around him, but he hopes that some day, she'll come around and at least talk to him without fear in her voice. Of course, his behavior isn't helping, but he tries to keep the volume down when she's in the room.

Headcanon voice/actor: Peter Kaleghan

I have so much more about each and every character, I love them all. I just want to dump everything but I also don't want to spoil the story.

Brief summary of how my steampunk characters speak

I just want to get as much information as I can out, and I want to write something rather easy to describe.

Jeter: Usually fairly flat, but will emote when around friends. He is professional and precise, and will never use slang unless he is quoting someone else. Rarely ever raises his voice, even when angered. Jeter has a high level of patience, and it shows through in his speech. Has a slight accent, though its hard to distinguish exactly what it is. (HC voice: Jon Sprocket from The Cog is Dead)

Emalia: Soft spoken and shy, may speak slowly in fear of accidently stumbling over herself. People may mistake her voice for whispering, as she doesn't necessarily want to be heard all of the time. She never raises her voice, or speaks sternly. Emalia is very passive in both personality and voice, and rarely ever uses slang. (HC voice: Phillipa Soo aka. Eliza from Hamilton)

Henderson: No matter who he is speaking to, he is impolite. Uses slang or curses almost every time he speaks, and has no regard for authority. Slightly more polite towards women though even that is debatable. His low patience impacts his speech, and it doesn't take much to get his voice to raise in volume. Has a cockney accent that only gets thicker when angered. (HC Voice: Peter Kaleghan aka. Agent Meyers from Murdoch Mysteries)

Zala: Speaks quickly and nervously, constantly stammering and stumbling over himself. Uses a lot of scientific terms when talking, especially when conversing with Jeter. His sentences are occasionally broken by nervous chuckles, or he may just slowly falter into silence. He assumes everyone is annoyed by his presence, so he will try his best to keep his statements quick. Unfortunately, his tends to ramble and change topics, trying to get all of his thoughts out before forgetting them. (HC Voice: David Michael Bennett from Steam Powered Giraffe)

Odin: Rarely ever speaks unless spoken to, and even then he will say as little as possible to get his point across. Very polite no matter who he is speaking to, as his programming sees everyone as superior. His sentences are created through cutting up previously heard words and forming his own speech out of them, which may be jarring to some. The most common voice is Zala's due to spending so much time around the man. (HC Voice: Literally anyone you can think of)

Pierre: Monotonic voice no matter the situation, unable to emote at the range a human is able to. He is polite and precise, but also fairly secretive. He has a thick air of mystery surrounding him, and he will not speak about anything not pertaining to the exact task at hand. When speaking to witness' or victims, he lowers the volume of his voice and may use more casual wording. Nothing about his past or about his boss is ever uttered, and refuses to talk about anything pertaining to his own life. (HC Voice:Andre Braugher aka. Raymond Holt from Brooklyn 99)

I've mentioned Zala a few times in my other OC posts, so why not introduce him?

There has always been something a little... off about Zala, something that unsettled those who met him. Maybe it was his curiosity, or the way he'd hold himself as if he was constantly on edge. No one was sure, but people tended to stay away from him, even at a young age. Not that he minded of course, Zala was never one for social interactions.

He has found solace within his cousin Emalia, who shares his interest in strange creatures. Zala is rather talkative when he wants to be, to the point where he's constantly stammering and cutting himself off in order to get a thought out before it dissapears. Usually though, he finds it extremely difficult to hold a conversation. He's awkward and nervous, preferring to speak with family over anyone else.

Fascinated by life, death, and everything in between, Zala is a man of science. He loves to pick things apart just to figure out how they work, and to have the fun of putting them back together again. As a kid he used to dissect insects and small animals, just to see how they looked from the inside. Everything he saw would be sketched and noted, and he still keeps those books today.

Along with books and drawings, Zala has an extensive collection of taxidermy animals in his house. From strange fish to conjoined twin bears, he has them all. Anything odd is captured and brought to him by other scientists, whom he shares his studies with on occassion. One fun thing, Zala does indeed have a selection of taxidermy humans, and is rather pleased with how clean they came out.

Evolution, mutations, disabilities both physical and mental, he was interested in it all. The brain, the human consciousness, how does it work? How do people learn and adapt while keeping who they are intact? Zala loves to ask questions, every tiny little detail being questioned and prodded until something akin to an answer can be found. He can't leave anything unanswered, not even the most mundane questions. He needs to know everything.

His intelligence comes at a price, however. Zala focuses too much on the outside world and it's state, and completely ignores himself. He has kept himself awake long enough to become a somniphobiac (The fear of sleeping/falling asleep), and is incapable of getting any proper rest. Food and hygiene come last to him, always, as his time is better spent in his lab.

Thankfully, he has a pair of automaton that also live within his house, who constantly watch over him. Darla (an automaton I have yet to design) keeps him decently clean, and makes sure he eats enough to keep him alive. Zala is ever thankful, excited to be in good enough health to continue his work.

Headcanon voice/actor: David Micheal Bennett

An alcoholic and a strict doctor, a relationship that contains more arguments than agreements. Despite their mutual annoyance for each other, Jeter is always willing to spend money to bail Henderson out of jail. A blessing and a curse, as what comes afterwards is a long and stern talking to from the automaton. These talks can last mere minutes, or hours, depending on how Henderson behaves.

~ "Spare me the lecture." Henderson grunted, bringing a hand up to his temple. Maybe it was the extreme hangover, or the multiple wounds on the back of his head. Either way, he couldn't think straight.

Jeter sighed at the other's tone, steam escaping from the vents in his cheeks. He kept his hands folded, tapping the right index finger against the left knuckle. A small tick, but Henderson immediately picked up on it and continued.

"If you're waiting for an explanation, I ain't got one. Last night s'all one fogged up blur." The man stated in annoyance, receiving no response from the automaton sitting across the table. "All I know is, that bastard swung first. I was defendin' myself, but... I admit, I may have gone overboard."

"No surprise there." The doctor replied after a moment of thought. "I suppose I should put you under a more strict ruleset, I prefer my students to be in one piece while under my care." ~

First art trade!

My half of an art-trade with a radical new friend @airatherobot ! This is their adorable SPG OC named Aira, and can I just say, I love her.

The color scheme, the simple yet wonderful design, it's all very good.

Check them out if you're into SPG or robots in general!