I figured I’d post up this concept sheet I’ve done for one of my comic’s two main characters – Curt.
Took a while to get this one right and honestly the consistency is still a bit off, but otherwise I’m fairly happy with the result. Either way it’s fairly likely I’ll return to it closer to the production stage for redrawing and general adjustments.
To explain, he’s probably one of the most human characters in Branch’s setting. Almost everyone around him has some degree of cybernetic enhancement or prosthetic replacement, so he’s probably best seen as a stand in for the viewer: someone new to this world who feels alienated and threatened by it’s ‘modified’ population. Generally of a cheery disposition (with the downside of being something of a coward) he’s intended as a counter balance to the story’s other protagonist; ‘Scratch’.
His companion and unwilling guide in this strange new world is pretty much a polar opposite: with an entirely artificial body from the neck down, Scratch is more world weary and in tune with the bizarre environment around her, physically and mentally. The flipside of this being her cold attitude towards others and severe lack of empathy. Yup, that’s right, they’re an odd couple. Unfortunate it’s worked out that way, but rest assured I’m doing my best to move the writing as far away as possible from embarassing rom-com clichés…
On a small note of interest I had originally envisioned Curt’s role in the story as being played by another woman ‘Zi’ (who you can see an early design for below) but changed my mind on the basis it would probably be girl power overkill.
What do you folks think?
Growing Branch 