D&D Character Backstory Angst. She’s Really Over The Whole Arm Thing By Now No Need To Ask About It.

Variks and Euros working on a new arm.

I don’t know how to give a spoiler alert on this website but if I can warn you here it is. This is vague enough though it’s not too much??? Maybe????

Anyways, I saw Transformers: One yesterday and have been thinking about it nonstop ever since. It’s beautiful. Almost perfect. Sensational. 10/10 would recommend please go see it if you have any Transformers love in your bones and even if you don’t. It’s just a good story.

As for the spoilery part, don’t read ahead as I talk about this piece if you don’t want some spoilers.

What kills me about this movie is, yes, Orion and D-16’s friendship, but also Bee and Elita coming together as a team as the four of them. Bee particularly, as it would be assumed he is the youngest and the least experienced in their little group and needs them potentially the most.

I would say there’s a direct parallel you could make between Bee and D-16 throughout the movie. As both of them move from blind loyalty in the status quo to having to accept that the system they live in is set up against them and the power that they trusted is false and vile.

D-16 is a fascinating case of losing trust in anyone and anything because of that betrayal. The movie does a fantastic job of justifying (not excusing) the rise of Megatron and truly emphasizes how tragic of a character he really is, beyond just the violent rebel we’ve gotten used to.

Bee on the other hand shifts quickly to lean on the support and trust of his friends (maybe he is more inclined to as they are literally his only option), and to still hold his faith in Primus and the true Primes, ultimately following Optimus.

Anyways, this illustration I whipped up this evening is in the climax of the film when Sentinel Prime has captured much of the High Guard, as well as D-16 and Bee. D pulls the ballsy move of refusing to kneel to the false Prime. They discuss Megatronus Prime for a bit, Sentinel drawing attention to D’s Megatronus decal. Then Sentinel decides that D-16 should always have a reminder of that dead Prime, and brands a crude likeness of Megatronus on his chest with a laser gun.

Above all else I think that this is potentially the final turning point for D-16. This isn’t the point of no return (see end of film when Sentinel gets his due) but I see it as D-16 losing faith completely in both the true Primes of the past (Megatronus), and the false Prime of the present (Sentinel), leading him straight to the point later where he won’t trust his future to anyone but himself. Not even Orion. I wanted to explore this moment visually so while I was at work the composition for this piece slowly started forming in my head and I knew I wanted to bring both D-16 and Bee into the focal point.

Daniel Ricciardo | The Honey Badger

I feel like collectively we are sleeping on the Star Spangled Man track from Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Just take a listen. Maybe I’m just a sucker for drum lines but dang it’s jazzy

My brother’s hunter who I sketched this winter break. He uses Ace of Spades almost exclusively and always wears Cayde’s cloak even if it’s an ornament. I guess you can tell that neither of us have gotten over Cayde haha.

I have not known peace since I discovered I can draw Transformers. They’re crawling at the back of my mind when I’m doing commissions trying to get out. Anyways, here’s my sweet son: Armada Starscream.

Had a small comic idea that I inked last week.

Gonna color this when I have time but here’s some sad stuff immediately after the fun sketches.

I imagine Zavala and Ikora were called in the middle of leisure time by the hangar telling them that they have to get down there. That it’s not good. It’s the YW. It’s Cayde. Of course they rush down not knowing what to expect, Ikora interrupted from either meditation or a rare sleep, Zavala putting down some late night knitting which is the only thing that seems to relax him anymore. When they almost trip down the stairs to the hangar they see the YW leaving her ship, carrying an all too familiar black and red cloak stained with dirt and grime. Immediately they know. Immediately their hearts just drop to the floor. The YW can’t say anything but, “I brought him home. I didn’t know what else to do.”

Did a sketch of Eris last night. She finally has a fireteam again even if it is pretty odd.

I’ve only just started Oxventure’s Deadlands first season and I’m already obsessed I can’t even begin to explain. Every single character rocks and Andy is doing an absolutely fantastic job as the Marshall. I forgot how much I love a western setting and am just eating up every minute of the podcast currently. I’m so excited to get to know these characters further and eventually catch up to season 2!