Willis Henry Series Influences Color

 Willis Henry Series Influences altogether and in color!  These are not the only influences.. oh, there are so many more.  But for some example that easily come to mind... and is just an excuse to draw some of them.

Later

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Trey

Willis Henry Series Influences: The Legend of Zelda (Part 3 of 3)

 Willis Henry Series Influences set number 03... the Legend of Zelda Series.

The Zelda series, specifically the Wind Waker has a great influence on Willis Henry not only in concept but also design and story.

Willis Henry design, world, and color palette were inspired from Wind Waker.  The Character of Quiss has a lot of elements of Tetra in characterization of being the wildcard free spirit.  Princess Phen has elements of Princess Zelda in the concept and dynamics of the Princess and her Knight. While Medli and the humanoid bird people went into the design concepts of Phen.

For these and many other examples, the Legend of Zelda are great influences on the Willis Henry Series.

See ya next week.

Willis Henry Series Influences: DragonBall and Tetsuwan Atomu (Astroboy) (Part 2 of 3)

 Willis Henry Series has a lot of influences both indirectly and directly.

Tetsuwan Atomu has many many influences the biggest being the introduction of robots and the concept of robots with emotions.  These ideas had a great place in the world of Willis Henry.

Dragon Ball is one of my favorite manga to read, and young Goku and his adventures with his friends and rivals influenced Willis Henry greatly.  From Goku fighting poses, to animal people, robot, and even architecture.  I love young Goku and the pure adventure of early DragonBall, and all of this contributed to Willis Henry.  

For these reasons and many others, Dragonball and Tetsuwan Atomu are great influences on the Willis Henry Series.

See ya next week

Willis Henry Series Influences: Aesop's Fables/John Henry (Part 1 of 3)

 Willis Henry has a lot of influences both indirectly and directly.  So. let's talk about some of the major influences of Willis Henry Series.

Aesop's Fable was one of the largest and earliest influences.  Willis Henry started as short stories of a boy meeting animal people that had a moral or something both he and the animal character learned in each story. 

So, what changed is when Willis Henry in idea moved closer to another influence of John Henry, the Rail/steel worker and his competition with a machine; this reshaped the story.  Adding more robots and man/machines conflict changed much about the story.

Today, the Willis Henry still has a majority of Animal People so Aesop's Fable is a major Influence.

See ya next week

Willis Henry Main Cast Head Shapes

 What I like the most about the Willis Henry Cast is the Head Shapes.  The idea was to make each character identifiable in silhouette, and while some have similar body shapes (like Willis Henry jr. and Quiss), but the head shape is easily identified.  Also the Simplicity of style has an impact on the look of the world and overall style.  I'm still really proud of what I accomplished with the characters.

Bottom is the most basic shape base

Top: Head Shapes and inner details

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Trey

Nedeians.. Nedeans.. The good folks of Planet Nede (and Full Main Cast)

 I still don't exactly know what to call the inhabitants of the Planet Nede, an alien planet with humanoid animals.  Hm, well I will figure it out at some point.  

It started with the five Queens and the Chancellor, and from an early story view; Willis Henry was to go from place to place meeting the  children of the areas Queen and go on an adventure.  Today, the story has a lot more robots and action... and well is very different.  But the Five Queens remain, and I do love their designs.  They also help to inform some of the wider population, where I tried to go for more graphic and simplified shape language of the designs.

Top is the Main Cast LineUp with size comparison.

 

Vekks and Proteus (Meet the Villains?)

 

Vekks and Proteus the villains(?), but are an odd couple.  Vekks found the Soft-Shell Robot among others sleeping on an alien planet, and after waking up have been companions ever since.  They are both near ageless beings, having been together for hundreds of years.  Vekks is the emotional schemer, while Proteus is calm voice of reason.  Proteus is the first thing Vekks could call an actual friend..

However, after Proteus's sister betrayed him, and stranded them (Seethe Vekks's father, and Ca'aseth Vekks's adopted brother) in space, Vekks began to withdraw. After ages adrift in space they came to the planet of Nede.  Once on the planet, they started repairing the ship, but eventually the family began to go their separate ways.  Seethe, became sullen and despondent remaining on the ship.  Ca'aseth started to learn the ways and customs of the locals, and fit in surprisingly well.  While Vekks met a local child Seer of the Reptilian culture, and began making robot minions of his own, eventually becoming known as a great inventor.

Things changed after the Massacre in the halls of the Stellar League, the world's heroes. Where Seeth and most of the Stellars and the World ambassador Phenallia of the Eten Flam died and the Sol was lost, with Ca'aseth, the murder suspect, disappearing.  

Soon after that event, the War Between Sky and Scales began. Vekks was eventually ostracized, with the only one to remain was Proteus, whom he began to regard with suspicion, and surrounded himself with more and more mindless Vekksbots.

The Story of Willis Henry begins, with Vekks and Proteus coming to Earth to find the lost Sol "Key" now in the possession of Willis Henry...

[Note: Wow, that ah, kind of just spilled out of me..]

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Trey