Thursday, August 20, 2015

Introduction and Part 1: Stanley, The Anime Mad Scientist

Introduction:


Back in the day, I started writing a automotive build log called "The Adventures of Turtle and Lola The CoLola," chronicling the various upgrades and fixes I performed on my car, A 1985 Corolla I call Lola.  The drawings were crude, but I wasn't after it being perfect, just different.

http://turtleandlola.blogspot.com/

























Eventually, I got really tired of drawing Turtle (mysef) all the time, so I introduced my new female assistant who I jokingly called Shelly.  She was based on three ninja girls I designed years earlier and I didn't want to waste the designs on her, so I always drew her with a part of her face hidden.  This is her very first appearance:

















I had so much fun featuring her that I thought it would be a good idea to write some sort of fictional origin story.  By this time, I had run out of ways to hide her face, so I was thinking of hiding it with sunglasses or some sort of mask.  Since at the time I liked cyberpunk / steampunk things (still do), I designed her with a gas mask (very poorly drawn throughout the story, by the way), and so Shelly's now iconic look was established!












A year and a half ago, I started Shellys In Real Life, a project in which my friends take pictures wearing a specific respirator to represent my character.  I am unbelievably humbled by how this project has blown up and how unique each Shelly In Real Life experience has been.  As a very pleasant side-effect, I started drawing Shelly WAY better and eventually changed her eyes and hair design.  I'm simply so grateful for this project because it's given me something to, honestly look forward to in life.  It means that much to me.

























As a result, I found that the story I wrote originally for "When Turtle Met Shelly" was incredibly weak and not at all representative of the amazing women who have taken on the Shelly IRL mantle.  I decided to take it all down and I vowed to rewrite it.  

I've finally had a chance to work on it in recent weeks, so I present to you "When Turtle Met Shelly:  Redux," my love letter to the women who brought my character to life!

------


Part 1: Stanley, The Anime Mad Scientist

In the world of Anime, the occasional Anime Mad Scientist (shortened as AMS) makes his mark. He typically has an obsession with developing something that all mankind can either reap the benefits of or run away from in absolute horror. The latter is usually the case. Specifically:

The giant mutated animal monster.  Taller than the tallest building in Neo (insert anime city name here) sometimes has tentacles if he's naughty.

When it decides that it wants to terrorize the many citizens of Mega (insert anime city name here) and destroy its buildings, the AMS will develop a serum or talisman that will turn himself into a giant costumed kung-fu fighting human, usually wearing a suit modeled after a bug or a bird. Usually he wears a mask with a tinted visor or goggles, as to retain the anonymity of the AMS or his test subject. With his super-sized status, he will battle the gigantic scourges of the land.

There are many other things that the Anime Mad Scientists are known for. Such as inventing the giant space laser which hovers over our heads to keep the peace.

And also the giant flying space battleship, constructed to destroy the evil alien space whales that wish for nothing but the end of humanity.


But there is one thing, much smaller in scale than the others but far higher in achievement, that is the holy grail for every AMS.  The thing that Stanley is about to unveil at the 1995 AMSTRACTS (Anime Mad Scientist Theoretical Robotics And Cybernetics Trade Show).



Stan nervously peeked through the curtain to find that the entire room is filled with the various heavy hitters of the anime robotics industry, anime mad scientists and anime media.



The talented young man knew that what he had would change the world, so he tried his best to psych himself up for his presentation.





 But Stan is a brilliant AMS, not a public speaker.



Stan began his slideshow on his state-of-the-art carousel projector.







Stan started to lose the crowd.  A ninja?  Really?


But he was determined to continue unveiling his invention to the world, though it seemed as if he was digging himself into a deeper hole.


A much,



much,



Deeper hole.





Stan was still so nervous it seemed like he was repeating himself.



He stammered and stumbled over his words, but he soldiered on.  This presentation is too important for humanity to stop now.





Stan's claims have finally lost the crowd's interest and they've become unruly.  It could be the poor presentation, it could be the fact that he seems to be presenting people instead of robots and this is a ROBOT convention!  Maybe they don't like his face!  Is he presenting a mask that gives people abilities? They thought they were going to see a cutting edge rolling trash can! They don't seem to comprehend what Stan is trying to convey, and these are anime mad scientists, the smartest people ever!


Stan stood quietly as the crowd heckled him.


They can't understand because the world has never seen anything like what Stan has invented.  It's freaking 1995!  The most advanced robotic thing they know about is a rotating arm with a hook at the end or a weird spherical thing with two pogo sticks for legs!  But Stan's claims don't end with just these bold statements.  He's about to unleash some more unbelievable ish and prove that he's either the AMS of the 1990s or a person who needs to get thrown into a mental institution.

 

 To Be Continued.

No comments:

Post a Comment