""Outsider" Web Comic Starships" Topic

I thought these were pretty cool, and like the premise of the story, combines Master of Orion, Babylon 5 and anime space elves. Pity the story has taken so long but it's very high-end art.

link

link

I wonder if there are suitable proxies for these?

I wish there were, been hoping someone would do them as minis since the first time I read that strip. Fantastic designs. Closest proxies I can think of would be some of the Silent Death ships (good luck getting them these days) and maybe a few of the Noble Armada hulls (Li Halan and Al Malik?) although they're more broadsides and less turrets, unfortunately.

Oh, or kitbash something using Epic Eldar grav tanks as a base. They've got the right general shape.

Some of the Cold Navy, Zandiz IV, With Hostile Intent or Squadron Strike ships, perhaps.

These are the Japanese ships for Squadron Strike:

picture

G.

Yeah…been a great strip so far. The ships in it are just all sorts of awesome looking.

Just tortorously slow about updating. At least Crimson Dark (another one with great ship designs) comes out twice a week.

I've longed hoped that someone would drop him a line about getting minis made. Even if you know/care nothing about the story the ships from both the main species are extremely cool looking! I've sort of sounded him out but I myself am not in a position to do any work of this sort.

-Will

Well, if they are 3d models, and I know a lot of his stuff is, then that's half the battle done for the rapid prototyping stuff.

The earth ships aren't too bad either. Though they are a bit plebian when placed next to the main antagonists.

They haven't had much screen time either – if and when he starts doing more stuff with the Terran navy, I'm sure he'll spruce them up a bit and add new designs.

At the rate he's going don't hold your breath waiting for that.

He averages what, a page a month? The pages are amazing, but at one a month the story will still be going after the civilization that reads it is gone.

"At the rate he's going don't hold your breath waiting for that."

"He averages what, a page a month? The pages are amazing, but at one a month the story will still be going after the civilization that reads it is gone."

Ah… okay, hand up all here who have worked as a professional comic book artist, aside from me? Yep. thought so…

Guys, a single page of comic art – in full colour – takes TIME; to be precise, great, hulking lumps of time, and this Jim Francis fellow is giving his freely. There aren't even any adverts on his site, (telling you of a secret genital-enlarging formula or otherwise.)

I'd not even seen Outsider before today (my thanks to Lampyraide, power to you, sir,) and while I'd suggest Francis could do with some lessons on how to draw running figures, I'll heed no whining about his ship designs – they are right on the money for the look and feel he's chasing – 80's Anime.

Give the man some time – he's giving you his for nothing. Put that way, is waiting really so hard?

Oh I don't question that the artwork is beautiful or that it must be VERY time consuming to produce. But it tends to be the problem with webcomics, the better the artwork often the slower the updates. I think I first came across it about four years ago, around the stat of chapter one.

Still I look at it even six months or so. The Inside Outsider bit is also well worth looking at as well for more ship designs.

He does seem to be on a bit of blitz right now,three new pages in the last four weeks or so.

Make that 4 in 5 weeks, there's a new one today too. A whirlwind of activity.

After letting the conversation go on for a few weeks, I just wanted to say, that I first read it as Outlanders comics, though I was fortunate to read the post before commenting.

You know…. GZG Phalons?

picture

Doug

Both anime, but rather different ship designs, yeah. :)

Rather like the techno-organic look to the Outlanders' living ships. I suspect the Phalons would be bigger sellers if they looked a little more techno and a little less organic, but they aren't bad either – just humorous.

On the other hand, I think the modeling is rather close; the humor comes with the 'I know what you're thinking, check out the name.'

Now, the manga ships are even more organic; I can't find an image currently, but I've see a page where a ship appears to be charging, open mouthed, full of teeth.

Now THAT'S a scary image!

For Outsider proxies…

The Umiak remind me a bit of some Flagship! models, but after a lot of added grebbles. The Terran could use some Musashi StarBlazers, but I think the Cold Navy and Ninja Magic ships are best bet for near matches.

Doug

The Umiak remind me a bit of some Flagship! models, but after a lot of added grebbles.

I was thinking the same thing myself, actually.

Yeah, I saw your 'sellers remorse…' ;->=

Like that's never happened to me… (I've now graduated to the rolling on the floor stage)

Doug

I hate it when a potential use for something comes to me right after the first bid comes in. :)

My wife loved this series but was grievously disappointed about the one frame a month thing…

I gotta get me some StarBlazers minis…

Man, those ships are beautiful. And the background just screams to be used for a game….

The forums over there have seen some talk about an RPG, although I think it's just a homebrew effort rather than something headed for publication. The current stretch of new pages has been particularly good for wargamers – all zappy starship fighting, not so much on character development. His output's been pretty quick lately – guess we'll see Monday if he manages maintain his current pace.

Good lordie, he put up another page yesterday. That makes four straight weeks of new work. I'm pretty sure I just saw a pig fly past the window.

I enjoy his work but 20 seconds of sequential story a week is brutal.

And another update! The artist is on fire!

Amazing, isn't it? And chatty umiak, even. :)

If you'd like something to keep you busy after each week's 20 seconds are up, may I suggest Tim Eldred's Grease Monkey?

greasemonkeybook.com

Two full graphic novels worth of story, and another one I'd love to see some minis for.

I reckon we should start a new thread listing the best sci fi webcomics. The wife and I really enjoyed Crimson Dark….

Schlock Mercenary's another old favorite.

Another new page yesterday, this is getting perilously close to becoming a weekly webcomic:

link

Love that umiak speech pattern. Maddening! Fits the notes on their language perfectly.

And did it just accuse the Loroi of wrecking the human scout ship?

Check out link
Ravenstar has just produced what you were asking for.

Robert

Link is wonky, but he announced them on the marketplace here anyway. Think you were aiming for:

link

Not to my tastes, the general hull shape is similar but the detail isn't there. Doubt he was even trying to imitate the strip – the basic split-prow-with-nacelles look is a pretty generic starship look, Outsider just executes it better than anyone else I've seen.

I'm holding out for someone to do them in higher fidelity through Shapeways. They'll be able to get all those teeny-tiny turret barrels and delicate panel lines onto the model for me rather than forcing conversion work.

YMMV of course. The Ravenstar ones are the closest things on the market right now, no two ways about that.

Awesome stuff! May need to make another Ravenstar order soon!

"The first pages were posted on October 31, 2001."

And almost ten years later, page 108 concludes Chapter One.

Well yes, speedy he ain't. :)

Ah, but very worth it

Agreed. Besides, patience is a virtue.

He's on a tear this year, though. On track to increase his average production to a page a month…