Digital Dioramas

[Randomdays]

I've been thinking about doing some of these for awhile and finally got a round to doing one.

This project came about from;

1) Walking into a comic store and seeing some of those great statues for various characters they had

2) Seeing  some of the stl's that you can download and then 3D print to make your own statues, where you do the painting

3) Talking awhile back about how it would be fun to 3D print some of the Freedom Force characters and then paint them up to have on your shelf.

4) seeing the similar work done on Ren's old site, Dirk Thorazine, and by Style, both then and recently. Probably others did some as well.

The problem I had with all of that is the statues in the store are kind of pricey, the stls can be pricey as well, plus I don't have a 3D printer and from experience I know that I'm terrible at painting anyway.


So I thought, why not make some Digital Dioramas using game resources? We have tons of characters to choose from, they're already skinned and with them being rigged you could pose them however you wanted to.

So from all the choices out there to do, I picked DC's "All Star Comics #3", the first appearance of the JSA.

I grabbed a copy of the cover and then went thru my archives looking to see what was available to work with.

Things were going well at first until I realized that more than one of the characters was using a "male_basic" skin so they were appearing with the same skin, so I had to edit the nif and rename the skins so they wouldn't look the same.

I found a wooden chair and a table on the "models resource" site that seemed to fit, and a sign from the game to use for the background.

All in all, what I feel were a few good hours spent in Blender bringing the nifs in and posing them to fit with the cover.

From left to right;

The Atom - GA1 by Ren with standard skin by C6

The Sandman - Sandman Classic by Kennx with skin by him as well

The Spectre - male_basic_cape_pointed_hood mesh created by The Beyonder, skin by C6

The Flash - Flash GA 69 with skin by Lightning Man

Hawkman - Hawkman by Beyonder with skin by Firestorm

Dr Fate - Dr Fate Classic VX with skin by Avalon

Green Lantern - Green Lantern GA 2 Ken by Keen X with skin by Kenn X

Hourman - Hourman GA Ren with skin by skin by C6

The table is a rip from the PC game "Bioshock 2", the chair is from a mobile game "Gregory Horror Show Lost Qualia", and the comic cover background is pasted on a standard FF sign.

I'll probably do some more now and then.

IF anybody wants to add to the project that would be great. Try to keep it to classic comic book covers, movie posters, or iconic scenes from the comics, books, tv or movies.

So, below is the original cover and my game version so you can compare. What's also neat about the game version is you can now rotate in any angle for different views of the scene

[WyldFyre]

This is AWESOME!!!!  Many years ago, I made some pics for myself based on comic age. I think this is a fun project that our friend daglob would have absolutely loved.

As an aside, I skoped a Dr. Fate with no gloves awhile ago if you would like to have it for completeness.

[oktokels]

Great !!! This is fun !!         

[Randomdays]

Thanks guys. The Dr Fate with no gloves would match the picture better. Send away!

Not sure what to do next...maybe action comics #1 where everything started?

Hey, WyldeFyre...as another aside, I keep having to look up your museum. Things would be so much easier if the link was in your signature somewhere.

[WyldFyre]

Sent and fixed signature.

[Randomdays]

Yay! Thanks for both Wyldfyre!

[Randomdays]

Finished with the updates. Replaced Dr Fate with Wyldfyre's scope, adjusted the Flash's arm a bit, and tilted the entire set so that the backboard is straight up but everything else is tilted down. It would be easy to change that to help in the event anyone ever tries to 3D print the entire thing - rotating the table and everyone flat and then adjusting the backboard straight up again.

For now, it was sent out as just one large nif. Setting it up as a lot of component parts for objs or stls would take a bit of doing since most of the characters have multiple pieces to them

You're only allowed one armature on output, so in the end I deleted them all, and some no longer even have vertex groups to them anymore - not that they're needed since that's not the point of the project.

If you want to go in and change the outfits around with other versions, you'll have to rename the alternate costumes to match the changes I made.

Is anyone interested in having this? I can upload it if so

Zoomed in picture below showing a little more detail and the adjustments.

Edit - had to remove Green Lantern's puffy sleeves since I messed them up - one arm is below the table anyway so I don't think it's a big change. You can see it in the pic out of place on the right arm above the table. Removed in the final nif. The capes going thru the chairs is a bit annoying also, but would take a lot of work to fix, unless we just lower the back of the chair.

[Randomdays]

I think I've decided on the next project - it should be a little easier since it has fewer parts to it and I've got a little experience now. I had some fun with this so we'll see how far it goes. I think for anyone else to try, you'd need Blender or some other 3D art program beyond nifskope to work with the characters

[WyldFyre]

I think these homages are a wonderful idea. I'd download them.

[Randomdays]

Thanks WyldFyre.

I just posted it in a new folder on the megasite called "Dioramas"

[Randomdays]

Doing a little work getting another one setup. Trying to pick a good cover and the heroes to use with it

Hints;

1) A comic superhero group

2) Not DC or Marvel (well, not at first, but they were DC for a bit)

[Randomdays]

Threw together a quick one. If I don't get it released tomorrow, it might be a couple of weeks.

Since no one took a guess the answer is "The Mighty Crusaders" from Radio/ Archie comics, though DC had it for a little while.

The original comic cover -

And the digital version - normal pic and closeup.

Top Row - Fly Girl from Daglob, The Web and The Comet from Copper Age

Bottom Row - The Black Hood from Daglob, The Shield and The Jaguar from Copper Age.

[WyldFyre]

I must confess, I wasn't even thinking of the MLJ characters for these dioramas.

Good job!

[Randomdays]

Luckily a few members back in the day went out and did almost all of the MLJ characters. Mainly Copper, but Tommy Troy and Daglob also. DJ did a few after we lost Daglob as a kind of tribute to him I think

Besides Marvel and DC, I'm looking at doing some more uncommon subjects. I'll get another one out after I get home next week or later.

Uploaded into the new Digital Diorama folder with the JSA one

[Randomdays]

We've moved the start of our vacation back a day to Wednesday which gives me an extra day to work with these a bit more

Updated the Mighty Crusaders DD with a better backdrop



And another new one that I think came out looking good. I think with each one I'm learning a bit more to make them better.

Hi Ho Silver! Its the Lone Ranger and Tonto!

Base pic use to build from - A fine art print by Michael Frank -



Final Diorama - a few different views. The pic with the logo on the base is the final.

Backdrop - a digital print from Amazon of "Joshua Tree National Park"

Rocks - the main rock is from a desert rock pack on sketchfab from Yadrogames. The rest are from the main Freedom Force game. Retextured with a rock texture found on the web

The following are all from the PC game "Empire Earth 3" - the ground texture, the scrub grass is from a wheat field lowered into the ground and snipped, and the bushes are a maple tree lowered into the ground and snipped

The Lone Ranger and Tonto are by SCD. I tried to add a little extra hair on the back of Tonto's head to make it fuller, pulled the nose out a little bit, and removed the feathers.

The horses Silver and Scout are from Tommyboy's Rawhide Kid. Silver's texture is from Zulu Delta. Scout's texture is a basic brown from Tommyboy, kitbashed by me. It looks like Scout was played by a few horses with different markings, so I kind of merged them into one.

Silver's Saddle is just a simple black texture, so no highlights on it. It could probably use a better skin. Both set of reins could use some texturing as well.

The base is the cereal box I used on Quisp, retextured with the Lone Ranger Logo

The updated Mighty Crusaders and the Lone Ranger DD are both posted on the megasite.

[WyldFyre]

Loving the way these are coming out. The Lone Ranger looks like it could have been a school project or a collector's item for sending in 5 boxtops.     

Great work on all of them!

[Randomdays]

Thanks Wyldfyre. Back in the day when you went with your mom to pick out your metal Aladdin Lunchbox with the thermos inside. I still remember I had that great "Lost in Space" one.

I think while the Lone Ranger could be 3d printed and painted, it would have to broken up into a few pieces and put back together again. It might be cool to actually see it in the real world.. Or the other ones as well.

There are much higher poly models out now than there were when Freedom Force first came out and fans started making meshes and skins for it.

But I still love the 60's Saturday Morning Cartoons feel to it, and I think that's what they wanted even back then, considering that's the era it was set in. I think Jack Kirby would have enjoyed this game a lot.

Where possible I'm going to try to keep that feel to the Dioramas coming out, and with so many great skins and meshes to work with, that part shouldn't be hard to do.

Thanks again to all that that have contributed to this great game.

[Randomdays]

I had almost finished up another one before I went on vacation. Wrapping it up and posting it soon.

Edit - posted and ready for download

Marvel's Liberty Legion, from Marvel Premiere #29 and #30 (1976).

In WW2, after the Red Skull captured and brainwashed the Invaders, Bucky escaped and assembled the Liberty Legion to free them. While the Invaders mainly fought overseas in Europe, the Liberty Legion dealt with more domestic threats back in the USA.

I remember buying these and reading the story line back when they came out. Written by Roy Thomas, I liked it back then and liked working on the Diorama for it.

Left to right -

1) The Thin Man by Dark Jared on male_thin by Kraven

2) Whizzer - skin and mesh by Zivon23

3) Red Raven - skin by C6 and mesh by Gren

4) Bucky - skin by John Jr on his own mesh, but moved onto Gren's mesh. Minor kitbash to match the hairline from the hair piece.

5) Ms America - skin and mesh by Flash 22798. I had problems with the mesh so I had to move it onto one of Ink's meshes that he had based it on.

6) Patriot - skin on his own mesh. Both by unknown

7) Blue Diamond - skin by the skindex CSN (Dark Jared?) on male_basic

8) Jack Frost - skin by Vigilante on male_basic

Original cover from the comic. Remake from the cover, an old newspaper headline found on the web, and a white starburst I made in Blender

[BentonGrey]

Very cool, RD!  They look great!

[WyldFyre]

Liberty Legion looks fantastic! I really like how these are turning out!  

[Randomdays]

Thanks guys on the Liberty Legion comments.


I'll be releasing the characters that go with the next diorama soon, and the diorama itself, when I finish putting the zips together and posting them.

But for now, the diorama itself is done!

When the citizens of the city of Good Haven are in trouble, the call goes out for the Mighty Heroes!

Strong Man! Cuckoo Man! Tornado Man! Rope Man! Diaper Man!

When Terrytoons, the studio that created Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, and Tom Terrific, was trying to sell some projects to CBS in the 60's, who had already bought the entire studio already, things weren't going well and CBS was getting ready to leave without approving anything.

 Then Ralph Bakshi who was there just to set things up, spoke up from the back and said he had an idea. He basically created the Mighty Heroes right there. CBS approved it and it would air the fall of '66 with Mighty Mouse. Bakshi would go to become a well known name in animation, both TV and the movies.

This was a lost cartoon from my childhood until the web took shape and I was able to find some info and shorts for it online. There seems to be just one high-quality episode on youtube. Various streaming services have some other high - quality episodes, but not all, and no DVD has been released (or of most of Terrytoons other shows as well.)







The original models were stl files for 3d printing by Eul, who's done tons of classic characters, does great work, but charges way to much money for them in my opinion. Most of the characters are old enough that the copyrights "might" be expired, but I don't know. He's from Brazil and may not worry sbout it. In many cases, I can find free versions of his work, but I wound up buying these.

Strong Man - Rigged to male_heavy_no face. The stl file pose was hard to work with, so I dropped the arms, hands and some of the chest from it and used the ones from the nif model.

Cuckoo Man - Rigged to Beyonder's Vulture. I wanted the flapping arms for flying that Cuckoo man uses, and this is one of the few that had it.

Tornado Man - Rigged to one of Tommyboy's Red Tornado characters. Comes with the tornado left and right arm attacks, and the tornado covering the character for flying and hovering actions.

Rope Man - Rigged to Windbown's Plastic Woman, so I could have the stretching attacks. A rope net fx would be great for him if there's one out there.

Diaper Man - Rigged to one of the male_basics - not sure which one now. The stl head went onto a baby model I found on the rigmodels site.

All came out fairly well, but due to the extreme cartoon bodies, I had to take some shortcuts on the rigging. There's also versions I've seen with differences to their costume and hair color.

Things I didn't get done - 1) due to the simple textures used with the stls, I couldn't get Diaper Man's freckles or Cuckoo Man's mustache on their skins.

                           2) Diaper Man's weapon of choice is his bottle. I'll be including a nif for it on
                              release if someone can make an fx out of it.

                           3) Due to the positioning of the character in the stl file, I had to take an arm
                              or leg in some cases and split it off, work with it, and then copy and mirror it
                              to make the matching limb. This turns the mirrored limb inside out which has to be
                              corrected, and while it looks good on export, it makes the nif look small in the
                              viewer, and errors out Blender on re-import. I have to keep the Blend files if I
                              want to work with the nif some more.

Comments very welcome, as always.

Go, Cuckoo Man, Go!

[Randomdays]

The Mighty Heroes Diorama has been completed and uploaded.

[WyldFyre]

I remember Mighty Mouse but not these guys. Until I read your post I had never heard of them. After watching the intro, I looked up a few videos. I wish I had seen them originally.

The scene looks fantastic. You obviously put a great deal of work into these meshes. Fantastic job!

I really love these dioramas. I hope you keep them coming.

[Randomdays]

Thanks WyldFyre.

You might also want to check out the "Super 6" cartoons if you haven't heard of them. They came out the same year as "The Mighty Heroes." There are some episodes on youtube of good quality since the show did get a DVD release.

They were created by the Depatie-Freleng studio. Fritz Freleng was an animator for WB's classic Loony Tunes cartoons and started his own studio after they shut down. Their most famous cartoons were the Pink Panther shorts and the various other characters that appeared with him.

"The Super 6" was the studios first made for TV show. The theme song was sung by Gary Lewis, Jerry Lewis's son, who had a rock group at the time.

The Super 6 were;

Super Bwoing - The apprentice superhero who rode his guitar like the Silver Surfer on his board. Sounded like Jimmy Stewart.

Super Scuba - Aquaman like character who sounded like Dean Martin

Elevator Man - Antman/ Giantman like character

Magneto Man - Magnetic Powers

Granite Man - Tough character made out of stone.

Captian Zammo - Could travel through time.

I's love to see Super Bwoing in game as he was my favorite.

[Randomdays]

A video of the Mighty Heroes in action in FFvt3R. Since a team can only have 4 members, I put Strong Man in as a powerless enemy.

[DoctorRuina]

I buy this comic recently haha! I didn't know the Mighty Heroes.

[Randomdays]

A new Diorama - Everything's Archie!

I've been wanting to do some of the Archie gang for a while, but there's not a lot out there in 3d models for the characters, so I wound up working up some of my own.

History lesson for those not familiar with the characters. Warning - Lots of reading ahead.

MLJ comics started in 1939 and did mainly superheroes comics. Their main characters were the one that were part of the "Mighty Crusaders" and "The Shield" was the on the cover of "Pep" comics for its first few years.

In the early 1940's, the market of superheroes dropped. Many companies went out of business, including Timely, the predecessor to Marvel. Dc dropped a lot of their titles and many surviving companies move on to comedy titles.

The actor Mickey Rooney was doing a bunch of movies about "Andy Hardy", a typical girl crazy teenager and his problems in school and with girls. MLJ thought they could cash in the popularity of the movies and in 1941 created "Archie",a typical girl crazy teenager and his problems in school and with girls.

Sales were so good with Archie stories that the company changed its name to "Archie Comics" and had over a dozen titles in print during the Silver and Bronze age when they were at their height of popularity.

Besides Archie and friends, the company also had series for Sabrina the Teenage Witch and "She's Josie", at first, and then "Josie and the Pussycats" later.

While the comics are now mainly just digests of older work in the grocery store, shows on the characters, changed a bit, are still on the air today.

When the moms got mad at "weirdo superheroes" on Saturday morning in the 60's, the animation studios swapped to comedy. Hanna Barbera went from "the Herculoids" and "Mightor" to "Wacky Races" and "Scooby Doo"

Filmation, which had done Superman, Aquaman, Batman, and some other DC heroes, had had plans for more DC goodness, but that got canned with the swift in focus.

They were able to get the rights to make "The Archie Show", "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", and the "Groovy Goolies", plus some spinoff shows for a few years.

Each Archie show had two stories with a song in the middle. One song, "Sugar, Sugar" was so popular it went Gold and was a  number #1 hit on the charts in the USA, Canada, and England for multiple weeks.

Hanna Barbera liked what they saw and was able to grab "Josie and the Pussycats" for their own studio, which had major repercussions at the time since Valerie was one of the first non-white characters in Saturday Morning cartoons.

Over the years, there's been a few shows based on the license, including some big hits like "Riverdale", "Sabrina", and "Katy Kean"

End of history lesson.

The characters -

Archie - skin by Atomic Robot on the Civilian_boy2 mesh

The next 3 are all skopes and kitbashes of existing work. They were created to look like their characters from the the 1960's cartoon show. Someone with more talent should reskin them... I did the best I could, but they're faces are off of standard FF skins.

Jughead - Daglob had done the superhero version of Jughead, Captain Hero, on a mesh made for him by Yellow Lantern. I removed the cape, thinned the body, added a vest from one of my Sim3 imports, and did a simple flat, cartoon kitcabash of DG's skin.

Added a burger for Jughead from my Scooby Doo Shaggy import because, well, Jughead needs a burger!

Veronica - skope of female_amazon_teen hair onto John Junior's female_teen_girlfriend, with some more skoping to remove some pieces that didn't fit. Simple flat, cartoon kitbash for her skin.

Betty - skope of female_teen_ponytail onto John Junior's female_teen_girlfriend, with some more skoping to remove some pieces that didn't fit. Simple flat, cartoon kitbash for her skin.

Archie's Jalopy - found in a model pack of vehicles on the rigmodels site. Removed the car roof and some extra items, and changed the skin a little bit to remove some yellow on the running boards. Added transparency to the front window - which surprisingly works in FF

I'm wrapping these up and they'll be in the "classic cartoons folder, and the diorama and the folder with the others.

[DoctorRuina]

Hehehe the Archies!!

[WyldFyre]

Funny enough, Archie was so popular he also got a radio series. There are episodes replayed occasionally on Radio Classics on Sirius XM. I "think" they may also sell some of the old episodes on radiospirits.com.

Another great diorama. Although never a huge fan of the Archie comics, I read several back in the day when my mom would buy them for me at the local drug store. She knew I loved comics, but sometimes forgot I preferred the super-heroes.

Great job on this one!