Off I Go Then

Here we go again. In about 5 hours time I shall be airborne and on route to LA. I've packed as lightly as I usually do. These bags are small and still only half full. Oh well more room for PH4T L00TZ!

I was feeling a little bad about not having any drawings for y'all. I decided that some photographic documentation of this voyage will have to suffice. So get used to seeing my normal, un-caricatured, disturbingly realistic facial structures. At least this time I have a dedicated cameraman with me (Victor) so I don't have to grab people bodily from the streaming crowds and coerce them to aid.

So, Watch out for increased update activity this coming week.

This Is Not A Comic

So, I'm heading off to PAX again this year. It's gonna be another massive transcontinental pilgrimage for the Highscore Kid. Hopefully I remember to bring all my chargers this time, amirite?
I'm not quite sure what's going to happen with the blog while I'm away. You see, my usual stand in illustrator, Victor, is joining me on my journey this year. So there's no one I know personally who can fill in! Egads!
I'll have to ponder this some more...

Catchy As Hell

Singing Dogs

Is It Crunch Time Yet?

Then I remembered that I'm awesome.

In other amazing news, the 15th of August marks my Highscore Kid anniversary! I've now been drawing for your viewing displeasure and my own personal record-keeping for 2 whole years. As always, thanks for reading and sharing in my visual rambling.

-Sean

Birthday Monkey

So, the comic is late this weekend. And you'd be quite right in saying that I phoned it in pretty hard. But it's my brother's birthday today so I've been out of town visiting the family. His requested drawing was a monkey making a sandwich so... Here it is.

Amnesia Much

Say Cheese

Anything You Eat, Is Meat

Tartarus

The Lost And Found

Sub Command

Daedalus Clothing - Outcasts

Daedalus Clothing - Merchants

Merchants play an important role in the economic survival of Daedalus. While the mountains just south of Daedalus are rich with minerals there is a shortage of other resources. Travelling merchants make the perilous journey from crater-city to crater-city distributing the various resources available to each and ensuring mutual survival.

Daedalus Clothing - Slaver's Arsenal

The Slavers are a militaristic society of raiders and soldiers. Their elite close-combat troops are feared throughout the deserts.
A brutal 'promotion by combat' system ensures that those in positions of power are the strongest fighters; Even the King has earned his place by fighting his way up the ranks.
The Slavers get their name from the slave caste that runs their city. Whether they were born there or taken from their homelands far away they have no hope of escape, there is only servitude. It is these slaves that keep the city running and allow the army to train relentlessly. These men and women are also bartered off to other cities, or wealthy persons, in exchange for imported goods.

The four combat styles of the Slavers are the Lion, a defensive style best suited for group tactics; the Bull, an aggressive shock troop; the Bear, an individualist skirmish style; and the Wolf, the scouting and special operations soldiers.

Daedalus Clothing - Scavenger and Cartographer

Left: Scavenger
Right: High Cartographer

Daedalus Creatures - Troll

I started drawing this big guy and realised I was running out of canvas space. I was about to shrink him down when I thought, "No! He shall be as big as he needs to be." And then I made the canvas bigger.

The Troll is a huge beast with rough scaled skin and a series of horns that lines its neck.Standing approximately 12' from foot to shoulder the Troll is the largest creature known to walk the deserts.

While very temperamental in the wild many Trolls have been domesticated for manual labour. It is still noted that these beasts should be treated with caution at all times as their immense size can lead to nasty accidents.

The tiny Mollusk can often be found latched onto the softer skin of the Troll's neck or stomach. These parasites offer extra protection from predators, in the form of their tough shells, while draining a small amount of the Troll's blood.

Daedalus Creatures - Sifter

The Sifter is an omnivorous beast used predominantly as pack animals and for riding. Measuring 6' to the shoulder their long necks allow them to tower over their human owners but for the most part these creatures are quite docile.

The Sifter is named for its method of finding food. By dragging its lower jaw through the sand and then shaking its head side to side, the sifter can separate out edible insects and lizards to be consumed.

The bony ridges that protrude from either side of the Sifter's head protect its open airways, which are located down the side of its neck, from sandstorms and predators. This is why a Sifter in distress will lower its head.

Easily trained the Sifter makes for a loyal and trustworthy mount and they have even been known to perform well in combat situations. A unit of well-armed Sifter cavalry makes for a mobile and lethal shock-troop.

Daedalus Creatures - Basilisk

Tonight's monstrosity is the Basilisk.

A reptilian carnivore found throughout the desert the Basilisk is a wily predator that is known to hunt in packs. By spraying its prey with a paralytic venom the Basilisks are able to gnaw off chunks of meat while the victim is helpless. A membrane underneath the Basilisks jaw stretches to accommodate large meals and is filled with acidic chemicals which help to break down food. This process can take a long time, during which the Basilisk is lethargic, and it is at this stage that a clever hunter will strike.

The origin of a Basilisk can be identified by it's tail shape. The deserts around Daedalus are home to the Crescent-tailed Basilisk. It is theorized that the tail and head crests are used for courtship. While this remains unproven male Basilisks do boast much more impressive crests than their female counterparts which lends credence to this theory.

A male Basilisk can grow to be 3'5" in length while females grow up to 4' long.

Daedalus Creatures - Mollusk

Some concept work for one of the lower links in the Daedalus food-chain. It's a bit creepy I know, but that's the point.

The Mollusk is a spider-like parasite with ten legs that are each capped with a manipulating claw. It uses these to bring food up to its mouth which sits under the hard shell. While these critters can roam about scavenging for food they prefer to find a host that they can latch onto, curling in their legs so that they appear as a black-brown dome on the hosts skin.

Their meat can be cooked and eaten safely and once hollowed out their shells can be used for a number of things, namely as bowls. However, due to their strength they can also be used in the fashioning of armour.

A regular adult Mollusk will grow to about 4" in diameter but they have been known to get much larger when attached to a large host. The largest Mollusk found to date was 12" across.

More creatures to come.