Current Project: 'Robosphere' (2021-)

Project: Robosphere (2021-)
Self-Published Independent Comic Series, 2021 - Present

'ROBOSPHERE is set in a post-human world. Familiarised with human rule and the nightmarish factory shifts of his old life, android Russell finds himself reactivated and swept up in the colourful and dramatic world of Oskar, a gallery owner, and his friend Kasimir, a scientist and historian. But there’s more to this world than first meets the eye - and Russell’s past may be catching up with him…'

As the series progresses and Russell learns more about the world, so too do the audience discover the state of our planet in the not so distant future.

ROBOSPHERE is a science fiction comic series. Sometime in our future - due to lack of resources, planning, and an unstable environment, humans abandon Earth. When he is reactivated centuries after humans have gone, Russell's world is turned upside down. As of July 2023, we are two volumes into the story, and work on volume 3 is ongoing alongside other projects. I am currently in the storyboarding stage; the script has been completed.

In addition to the next volume, I am also working on scripts and ideas for animatics using these characters, as well as concepts for spin-off media and offshoot projects.

I've drawn comics constantly since 2003. From 2005 - 2015 I focused on my 'The Gang' comics series, before turning my attention to costume design and installation art from 2013 - 2016. After graduating, I focused on getting a job and began to work on my art only in my spare time. Robosphere is a culmination of various ideas I've had since leaving university, and is my first proper comic project with its own universe since I started The Gang in 2005. As a result of this long period spent researching and conceptualising ideas that will be used for Robosphere, it was an immense sense of relief when the project finally began that I was a) making comics and characters that challenged me and b) I was finally producing cartoon work that I could be proud of, because for many years 'the gang' hadn't stimulated me in quite the same way. While Volume 1 and 2 were produced largely while I was still working full time, the third issue is much longer, has more developed artwork and action sequences, and is also being worked on while I am studying animation. Process is slower, but I really want this issue to define the series and be the best it can possibly be. Stay tuned for further updates!

ARTWORK AND DEVELOPMENT

Currently, as mentioned above, I am studying animation - so work on volume 3 is very much a side project. While scripting is largely complete, storyboarding is playing a much bigger part this time around as this issue has a much bigger emphasis on drama and action. In between storyboarding sessions, I sketch artwork of the characters and locations constantly. Below are some key examples of previous work on Robosphere so far.

Characters of Robosphere, volume 3. From left to right: Anton, Mechanique, Jordy, Kasimir, Russell, Mars, Hoch, Oskar.

Below: Concept art and character development from sessions working on volume 1 and 2.

Russell was very much the only new character - and focal point for the story - at an early stage. Initially, he was created as a humanoid character through which I could challenge my drawing ability, as I had used very few human characters in the past and wanted to change and develop my style through drawing him.

One of the earliest ideas bringing the project together was to utilise previously unexplored characters from past projects. Oskar, Kasimir and (loosely) Mars all started life as costumes for my art installations between 2014-2015. As seen in the pages above, through development of the project they became characters all their own.

Finally, a massive part of my previous projects have been their wide casts of side and secondary characters and Robosphere is no exception. On these two pages, concept art and further character designs are shown.

Current Project: 'Robosphere' (2021-)

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Current Project: 'Robosphere' (2021-)

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