Sparks Nevada Fans Part 2

They're the BIGGEST little Sparks Nevada fans this side of the Red Planet!

Yes, its more Thrilling Adventure Hour art.  This time for Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars.

I had some extra time and I NEVER animate my own art so I wanted to give it a little movement.  It's grainier that I'd like but that's the nature of a gif.  And this one is kinda on the big side.

I would have liked to try this out in Flash, but I know just enough Flash to make it really frustrating to work in.  I know what I want to do, I know it can be done, I know the basics of how to do it but I don't know all the small fiddly details that go into doing it so I'd be two steps forward, one step back for days until I give up and do it the way I'm used to doing it.  I just create layers in Illustrator and either redraw the movement or just move the shapes around on each layer.  I was trained in Classic animation so I still think in a "draw frame by frame" kind of way but creating so many animations for slots games has taught me to get the most out of the littlest amount of drawing.  Now that it's the way I want it, I might use it to re-teach myself Flash.

I didn't plan any animation for this so I just rotated and tweaked things here and there.  The only thing I redrew were little Sparks's legs so it looks like he's bending his knees.  Also, a little squash and stretch can go a LONG way.

Sparks Nevada Fans Part 1

I couldn't help myself.  When inspiration strikes, you sometimes have to ride it out.

It's what got stuck in my head after listening to many episodes of Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars back to back.  He's from Earth.  I also have the theme song stuck in my head.  Each quite brain moment I have is filled with it.

I'm planning on getting this coloured because, mainly, I just want to see what it looks like in colour.  I also have a different idea for the text but I'm too lazy to fix it in the sketch.

Thrilling Adventure Hour Presents...

It's time....

To send the little ones to dreamland and set your radio's dial to "spooky".

Bolt the doors, lock your windows and steel yourself for mysterious suspense, in this evenings final feature...

Meet Frank and Sadie Doyle, the toast of the upper crust, headliners on the society pages.

And, oh yes, they see ghosts! 

Oh boy, do I love this show.  After listening to an episode my head voice sounds like Sadie and Frank mashed together.  If I only drank martinis....

I'm thinking a Sparks Nevada might be next.  If not him them maybe a bunch of his kiddie fans who shine their astro spurs and don their robot fists before listening to his next great adventure.

Beyond Belief!

So I follow Nathan Fillion on Twitter and he tweeted a link to a radio show podcast he performed in.  Being curious and bored I followed it along only to discover The Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast.  And now I can't believe I've been without it for as long as they've been doing it.  It's like the old 1940's radio serial shows but with the most amazing and surprising cast.  You MUST check it out.  They just had a super successful Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a graphic novel, a behind the scenes web show AND a DVD of a performance!

My two favourite shows are Beyond Belief and Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars.  The other shows are tied for a very close second.  Yeah, you have to hear it to get it.  After listening to the "Vampire Weekend" episode of Beyond Belief I KNEW I had to draw Frank and Sadie Doyle, the martini loving couple who see ghosts.

I have great plans to get this coloured with some nice 1940's colours and text if I can find a few moments here and there.

So do yourself a favour and listen to this podcast.  It's brilliant.