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So, I was wasting time building 3-D models in SketchUp the other day,
and I had a little inspiration. I was looking at other people's models
of Star Trek stuff and at a couple of model builders' sites (real
models, not the virtual kinds) and they gave me some ideas.
Yes, this is another SketchUp column and another Legion of
Super-Heroes column as well, surprise!
When I started reading the Legion in the early 70s, it was Mike
Grell's artwork that hooked me. I later got the back issues I needed
and learned of Dave Cockrum's truly ground-breaking work on the title,
but Grell was the first influence I had in comics. I've always loved
the Legion cruiser designed by Cockrum and later "standardized" by
Grell. Cockrum's technology showed influences from the 30s to the 60s,
in the Legion stories. A mixture of Flash Gordon architecture with
Star Trek space ships. His Legion cruiser is an amalgam of the
starships of the three major starfaring races in Star Trek. It sports
a disk-shaped main section, like the Enterprise, a connecting boom
like the Klingon D-7 and the rear section resembles the Romulan Bird
of Prey (chopped off at the front).
So, I was thinking, if the Cockrum-Grell Legion had tech that
resembled the Star Trek TV series, why shouldn't the later ships show
some "movie" influence? They did, a bit, becoming less sleek and more
utilitarian (Star Wars influence, there, I think).
For a bit of history on the Legion Cruisers, I recommend this site:
http://www.readersadvice.com/lsh/lshcr.html
I'm using their "chronology" and designations for the cruiser designs.
They label the Cockrum-Grell model the Mark X, so call this the Mark
X-B. I altered the shape of the secondary hull and added a sensor pod
to the overhead "wing" at the back. I added more panels and such to
the skin of the craft and did away with some of the "streamlining"
bits. I also reduced the thruster space at the rear of the secondary
hull. The red hemispheres are energy projector points.
The Mark X cruiser lasted a long time, but was later replaced by the
Mark XI, a complete departure from the streamlined ships of the past
and lasted until quite recently. It always made me think it was a
rejected design for the Millennium Falcon's sister ship. I liked it,
because it was easy to draw in perspective and it had a dramatic look.
I've done a couple of SketchUp models of this design, but decided to
come up with a Mark XI-B as well.
I added a few elements to the design, such as weapons and the upper
sensor platform. I reworks the boxy, lower hull and added a lage
access hatch at the rear.
So, as there seem to be big things coming for the Legion, here in it's
50th year, everything old is new again, and all that, I decided to
work up a "new" cruiser design for the Legion. Inspired by the Legion
ship in the second season of the Legion cartoon series, I came up with
a design that draws elements from several cruisers of the past, but
mostly from that cartoon ship. I did include a "cargo section" under
the secondary hull. This design would be bigger than most of the
cruisers in the past, though scale is one of those things that remain
fluid in comics, when it comes to ships and such. Using a comparison
from TV, I think this ship should be about one-third the size of
Voyager (I'm sure a ST:Voyager fan will be able to visualize that,
pretty easily).
I call this design the Mark XIII.
Yes, I'm still having too much fun with SketchUp, and I'm still
learning things I can do with it. I'm using it in my Ad Astra comic
quite a bit and it is really a big help. Well, that's all I got for
now.
See ya next month.
www.heroblog.com
www.adastracomic.com
Copyright © 2008 Joe Singleton
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