Fleetway Design Conventions

[iDEATH]

I love the troopers, they've got a much more serious, scary look to them than the SWATbots and it matches the tone of the comic really well.

 

As for the Nazi reference, they might not be directly influenced by the, but the Nazi uniform has seeped into common useage as a villain design so it's morel likely a variation on that trope than a direct reference.

[Mauro Fonseca]

to me it was the fact they looked more menacing while feeling sillier, or at least quipping a lot more (again, at least in the first times they appear). Made for a great charming contrast.

I generally din't like the badniks in StC as they often were painted chrome.

[Osmium]

to me it was the fact they looked more menacing while feeling sillier, or at least quipping a lot more (again, at least in the first times they appear). Made for a great charming contrast.

I generally din't like the badniks in StC as they often were painted chrome.

 

Yeah, I specifically remember Buzzbombers always being gray or chrome. Wheres all the color? 

[shdowhunt60]

The biggest question I have regarding Fleetway design conventions is... there were design conventions?

[Drawloverlala]

I actually quite liked the varying styles for the original characters in STC, I thought it gave quite a bit of variety to the world. Wheras the archie originals all feel a bit samey to me, there was a lot of variation in body types and style between the STC cast.

 

I get that a lot of them were fairly humanoid but I think there was enough traditionalc sonic body types for it to never seem like Sonic and co were out of place.

 

Characters like Captain Plunder were probably the most notably un-sonic and yeah, I guess the design could be kind of jarring but even as a kid I never felt it was totally out of place.

 

 

woow! i have to say i like this one too.. and i guess its the first time i see this guy..

 but i like it because it reminds me Eiishiro Oda (One Piece) style..maybe because its a pirate but also because its bizarre but dunno. it has its charm..

[iDEATH]

woow! i have to say i like this one too.. and i guess its the first time i see this guy..

 but i like it because it reminds me Eiishiro Oda (One Piece) style..maybe because its a pirate but also because its bizarre but dunno. it has its charm..

 

If you ever read the series you're in for a treat. Captain Plunder's one of the most enjoyable characters in the whole series.

[Osmium]

If you ever read the series you're in for a treat. Captain Plunder's one of the most enjoyable characters in the whole series.

[Osmium]

What do people think about Robotnik's STC design? It's pretty interesting that a design used primarily for shits and giggles was turned into a threatening being.

Robotnik originally had his SOA boxart design at the beginning (yeah, I know this picture comes from issue 71 but this is basically what he looked like), and then he transformed in issue 21 into...

His AOSTH design.

Later on, Robotnik changed a little. Both his head and body got wider.

For Sonic Adventure, they just kept Robotnik's AOSTH body and just gave him the Adventure clothes.

Even though my favourite design for Eggman will be the Classic SOJ one, I do like how he looked here. I think it's a lot better than the Satam design.

[Mogtaki]

I've a really soft spot for the Badnik Troopers. I like how they had personality in the first issues. I certainly like them more than Swatbots, although they look more like something out of Judge Dredd than Sonic.

[Osmium]

Yep, I've seen most of his deviantart stuff. I quite like all his stuff on there,probably more than I liked his art in the comics.

[Mogtaki]

Yep, I've seen most of his deviantart stuff. I quite like all his stuff on there,probably more than I liked his art in the comics.

[Osmium]

Well it was 20 odd years ago since he started so he would change in style over that period of time. The comic ended 13 years ago which makes me sad to realise.

 

Man, now there's the thing. People talking about how weird the art style is but Archie's Sonic at that time was going through the SA1 arc when Fleetway died out and that art wasn't exactly flattering.

[iDEATH]

I'm constantly in  awe of how they managed to take the stupidest, goofiest design for Robotnik and turn him into one of the most badass itterations of the character across the whole sonic multiverse.

Especially during arcs like Robotnik reigns and towards the end where he went insane and basically launched a suicide mission against Sonic.

 

There were really bad moments, that issue where he turned into sonic, complete with blue moustache, springs to mind and there were plenty of those beano level goofy moments, but overall, his STC portrayal is fantastic.

[Osmium]

I'm constantly in  awe of how they managed to take the stupidest, goofiest design for Robotnik and turn him into one of the most badass itterations of the character across the whole sonic multiverse.

Especially during arcs like Robotnik reigns and towards the end where he went insane and basically launched a suicide mission against Sonic.

 

There were really bad moments, that issue where he turned into sonic, complete with blue moustache, springs to mind and there were plenty of those beano level goofy moments, but overall, his STC portrayal is fantastic.

[Mauro Fonseca]

I think this one works because for all the "yeah he's badass evil", he also feels genuinely flawed? He needs assistants, does stupid decisions, often ends up with his butt kicked to him, and by the time he begins approaching critical levels of competency in evil, he's also approaching critical levels of insane nihilism.

also personally I prefer Nigel Dobbyn's old colouring work, his digital feels too sterile. Love his inkwork though.

is this a good place to bring up the StC redesigns I commissioned freelance-who-works-with-Archie artist Ben Bates to do?

[Mogtaki]

Those are great but turning Grimer into a chibi gremlin is a little strange, but then again if he was meant to be chibified then go on ahead with it. He's just missing that backpack he had.

 

Man, StC Robotnik was definitely a thing of greatness, though. I never did get to ask why they went with that route probably because I'm just so content that they did that to him.

[Multikaris]

I actually think the grotesque art kind of put me off from feeling anything for many of the characters in the comic, or even liking them. I mostly like the more Sonic-ish characters like Morain, Tekno, and Shorty. Metamorphia's creepy appearance actually fits her, and I don't think Ebony's that bad. At least Johnny and Porker fit with Sonic from the neck-up.

[Adamis]

ShroomZ, I have the same problem as KKM, half your pictures appear broken to me, on two different computers.

[Osmium]

I can give some links to Sonic Scanf so you can see the broken pictures.

[Mauro Fonseca]

it's really just advisable as netiquette in general to use lightshot or gyazo instead, so you can just upload what bits and bobs you want unto imgur and easily embed them here

[Osmium]

If anyone else can't see the pictures,please tell me.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Just ruling out a wild possability for why the images show for some and not others. 

 

Shroomz, what state do you like in? And to those who can't see them, are you using a mobile phone company internet?

[Osmium]

Just ruling out a wild possability for why the images show for some and not others.

Shroomz, what state do you like in? And to those who can't see them, are you using a mobile phone company internet?

I live in the lower peninsula of Michigan.

[azoo]

I've always found StC extremely weird in how it started off like a straight adaptation of whatever the creators could piece together from the games at that point (thus starting off as, by default, the most accurate-to-the-source-material alternate media for Sonic), and then suddenly became darker and grimier and more Judge Dredd like as it went.

 

If everyone that worked on the comic came from working on 2000AD though, I guess that explains why.

 

Still always found the non-main character designs to be extremely odd all the way through, that is whenever they weren't being directly based on the reference art. Everyone who ever got their mitts on Sonic in the 90s seemed to not want to bother making anyone that wasn't Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy and the Chaotix fit into the "rubberhose cutesy" style.

 

That said, I still find that StC's artwork most often reigned supreme over Archie's. At least the Fleetway crew had some talent behind them, because those backgrounds and the amount of detail in the environments was stunning.. not to mention how incredible they all looked thanks to being painted instead of just plain ol' inked.

 

...

 

Can I also bring up the elephant in the room? That being how Sonic always did that one pose?

 

You know, that one pose?

 

 

Seriously what's up with the O mouth, legs spread, bending forward, 'both hands in front or with one hand in front clenched with the other behind him' kinda pose? It's like 3/4s of Sonic's poses past about the S3K adaptation or so, and it's really irritating to look at over and over, especially since Sonic only seemed to get more and more fat/squat and scowly. Was really ugly.

[Mauro Fonseca]

It's not an elephant in the room, it's been mentioned already.

(by Kirby)

(by Elson)