Author Topic: Spaceman Spiff? :dunno (Read 11788 times)

jdbailey1206 · « **on:** February 16, 2013, 09:01:03 pm »

Hey everyone. What I thought would be the easiest part of my arcade build seems to have become a major pain in the ass. I, of course, am talking about the artwork. I want to do something original and after almost six months of waning back and forth between original or copied artwork I have come up with an idea that may like it self to building a deck of cards in a wind storm. I was thinking about doing a Spaceman Spiff themed cab. I don't know if this will work or it will end up like Spaceman Spiffs entry into an unknown planet and cause my ship to crash and burn. Let me know what you think of the idea and I would love to see if anyone has for the artwork itself.

Well Fed Games · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2013, 11:26:53 pm »

First impression is a Spaceman Spiff theme would be awesome.

PL1 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2013, 11:35:47 pm »

Sounds like a great idea.

If your progress goes "Boink", maybe your duplicate can help you.

Scott

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2013, 08:20:57 am »

Found some artwork over the past couple of days. I was thinking about using the artwork of Spaceman Spiff with Hobbes as a real tiger as the sideart and the pic of the actual Spaceman Spiff cartoon as the marquee. My only issue is the conflicting styles. Still working on it so if anyone has feedback I would greatly appreciate it.

ChadTower · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2013, 10:32:09 am »

Gotta be the Watterson artwork. Using someone else's vision of Watterson's work just isn't the same.

Spaceman Spiff is an awesome theme. I have toyed with the idea of a Wimpy Kid bartop in the past. Still might do it someday.

Felsir · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2013, 02:39:21 am »

Agreed, Wattersons originals are so full of character :-)
I recall a cover with Calvin standing in a heroic pose waving a banner "another planet conquered by Spaceman Spiff" that would be great as sideart!

Edit:
Found this one:

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 11, 2013, 02:26:14 pm »

Found this today. It rekindled my thoughts about the artwork.

http://www.johanvinet.com/images/calvin-walk8-big.gif

kaskd · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2013, 02:42:51 pm »

I wanted to design a Calvin & Hobbes themed cabinet myself, but the lack of available art is what made me quit. My personal favorite is the lounging scene with C&H on the tree branch.

Please keep going!

dfmaverick · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2013, 07:27:38 pm »

I've been gradually vectorizing Spiff from one of the pics above the past couple days when I've had some free time at my desk. Of course, I've taken a few liberties but only have the suit and boots to finish up on it.

Here's a progress pic of my vectorizing attempt.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 14, 2013, 07:53:14 am »

Quote from: dfmaverick on March 13, 2013, 07:27:38 pm

I've been gradually vectorizing Spiff from one of the pics above the past couple days when I've had some free time at my desk. Of course, I've taken a few liberties but only have the suit and boots to finish up on it.

Here's a progress pic of my vectorizing attempt.

Looks great Maverick!

I was thinking about putting together a mock up this weekend in between hanging my tv and putting together my new entertainment center. Every response in this forum keeps me motivated. Hopefully what I have in mind isn't too redundant and superfluous.

ChadTower · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2013, 01:17:17 pm »

That vectorized image looks pretty good. The nature of comic strip art makes it solid for tracers to give a good base to start with.

I have no idea how someone could say this one lacks available art. Dude... there are books and books of it!

dfmaverick · « **Reply #11 on:** March 14, 2013, 01:22:08 pm »

Glad you both like. I figured it was easy enough to trace (with some freedom to decide which lines to use or not.)

Got a little further. Spiff is done in this version and I've started in on his spacecraft. I'll just gradually keep working on and tweaking it when I have free time.

I thought for the marquee something like this image on the left side and a ray blast coming out of the gun with the title of something like 'Adventures of... SPACEMAN SPIFF" in the ray blast. Just a thought.

dfmaverick · « **Reply #12 on:** March 14, 2013, 01:26:51 pm »

Quote from: ChadTower on March 14, 2013, 01:17:17 pm

I have no idea how someone could say this one lacks available art. Dude... there are books and books of it!

You know, I may have to finally crack open my Complete Collection hardcovers.

Vigo · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2013, 01:44:15 pm »

Quote from: dfmaverick on March 14, 2013, 01:22:08 pm

Glad you both like. I figured it was easy enough to trace (with some freedom to decide which lines to use or not.)

Got a little further. Spiff is done in this version and I've started in on his spacecraft. I'll just gradually keep working on and tweaking it when I have free time.

I thought for the marquee something like this image on the left side and a ray blast coming out of the gun with the title of something like 'Adventures of... SPACEMAN SPIFF" in the ray blast. Just a thought.

I like it!

Just throwing out an alternate Marquee idea, but very much on the same vein as yours. Keep spiff on the left, but on the right you could consider putting a evil alien creature that he is aiming at. (I always liked the alien version of ms wormwood). And have the creature exclaiming something like "Oh No! Its...SPACEMAN SPIFF!" (which would double as the marquee title)

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2013, 02:09:00 pm »

Thanks for all the posts everyone. It keeps me going.

@ Maverick- I had the same thought of having the title shoot out of the ray gun too. (Great minds...) I knew if I did do Spaceman Spiff it wouldn't be that hard to recreate as Watterson does such a great job with his line work it already has that feeling of being vectorized.

@ Chad- I agree. I went through my old C&H books thinking I really wouldn't find anything, but was pleasantly surprised. There really isn't much on the internet but I have a higher quality scanner so it is just going to take some time to scan in the comics I want to reference.

@ Vigo - I believe you were referencing the picture posted below. One of my favorites.

ChadTower · « **Reply #15 on:** March 14, 2013, 02:14:18 pm »

That looks really sweet!

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2013, 09:49:26 am »

@ Maverick - Quick question. Do you create black lines for the drawings then block the shapes in, or do you create black shapes then create the color shapes on top?

(if that makes sense)

Let me know.

dfmaverick · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2013, 01:39:17 pm »

The latter, mostly. Since it is comic art and most of the black lines vary greatly in thickness, I started with a black outline of a majority of the image and have been adding color areas on top. I figured that with this type of art, this method would be the easiest and most effective.

Separation of my two main layers attached as an example.

EDIT BTW Within the black layer, I have separate black backgrounds for Spiff and the Spaceship, so Spiff may be used separately in something else if needed.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2013, 02:22:55 pm »

Excellent. I was playing around with Inkscape for the first time a couple of days ago and figured that would be the smartest approach. I made all separate lines and color blocks and found that I had little tiny slivers of white showing through. Doing it your way seems to go faster and is the smarter approach. Thank you sir.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 19, 2013, 09:23:38 am »

Found the custom artwork below. May go with something like this as the side art.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #20 on:** March 19, 2013, 09:44:30 am »

I've been thinking about this a bit. It's a great theme but I think that just putting the art on the side might miss a really good opportunity.

Any thoughts to designing the build around the tech and look of spaceman spiff?

I'm seeing a curvy slick looking cab/bartop in candy apple red with silver and gold highlights, a control panel that looks like it's out of spiff's cockpit, and some embossed silver spiff characters placed like emblems on a high class car. Have the boot sequence and the FE designed around the Waterson prints.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 19, 2013, 10:14:15 am »

I honestly don't know LeChuck. I have already built the cabinet that likes it self to your Darkade cabinet. The artwork has been the hardest part for me. I thought about going this route http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,129607.0.html and then woke up from my drunken stupor and started the Spaceman Spiff route and this too seems to not get me anywhere.

I like your ideas. I just can't seem to get anything to coagulate.

By putting up pictures I was hoping at least to get somewhere. It seems to be working for everyone but me. I think I'll just keep it painted white as it is and stencil white whale in block letters across the side.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #22 on:** March 19, 2013, 10:24:00 am »

Dude, keep nugging away, something will click. I did an entire monkey island theme and scraped it when I saw some star wars graffiti and had an epiphany. You're on the right track!

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 19, 2013, 11:00:40 am »

From the looks of your last three builds, you have very intense epiphanies.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #24 on:** March 19, 2013, 11:11:22 am »

Quote from: jdbailey1206 on March 19, 2013, 11:00:40 am

From the looks of your last three builds, you have very intense epiphanies.

And very SW centric ones. After I eventually finish the NRFT I'll surprise everyone (including myself) by doing a build not themed on a certain space opera

Falk3r · « **Reply #25 on:** March 22, 2013, 02:34:50 pm »

Oh. Oh. Ooooh snap.

I think I might run with this idea, man.

I was searching for a "space"-centric theme for my cabinet art, but I didn't want it based on any game. I was mashing together space-based board games, books... but the cartooniness and awesomeness of Spaceman Spiff... hot damn.

I'm going to let this ferment for a day or two and see what comes out the other end.

dfmaverick · « **Reply #26 on:** March 22, 2013, 06:23:17 pm »

Pretty busy week, so I didn't get much of a chance to do any work on this. I had completed the spaceship and am now working on the landscape.

Latest version:

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #27 on:** March 23, 2013, 09:11:17 pm »

Looks good Maverick. I am going to have some time over the next few weeks. My boss in all of his infinite wisdom has sent me to Oklahoma for a job. So while I have nothing to do in the hotel room I'm gonna work on my version. Had some ideas bouncing around lately.

Falk3r · « **Reply #28 on:** April 03, 2013, 02:07:30 pm »

More, more, more!

Busterlowe · « **Reply #29 on:** April 21, 2013, 03:45:45 pm »

Wow! Great job! I can't wait to see that on a cab!

SavannahLion · « **Reply #30 on:** April 21, 2013, 11:07:39 pm »

Quote from: Le Chuck on March 19, 2013, 09:44:30 am

I've been thinking about this a bit. It's a great theme but I think that just putting the art on the side might miss a really good opportunity.

Any thoughts to designing the build around the tech and look of spaceman spiff?

I'm seeing a curvy slick looking cab/bartop in candy apple red with silver and gold highlights, a control panel that looks like it's out of spiff's cockpit, and some embossed silver spiff characters placed like emblems on a high class car. Have the boot sequence and the FE designed around the Waterson prints.

I was thinking something along those same lines but not a custom cab per se...

JD, why not do full wrap around art? There are some prime real estate that isn't used too often. For example check out Space Invaders or the Death Race front door art that integrates the coin slot into the art (unfortunately, that specific cab on KLOV has met a horrible death at the hands of an absolute moron).

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #31 on:** April 27, 2013, 06:42:25 pm »

I am getting nowhere on this. I just need to commission Le Chuck to do the artwork.

dfmaverick · « **Reply #32 on:** April 27, 2013, 08:04:41 pm »

Jdbailey, I hope that whatever I'm doing isn't hindering your build, and I apologize for not getting further on my little art piece than I would have liked in my free time.

I can post my Illustrator files so that you may pass them along to someone else if you'd like. Just let me know.

Attached is a pic of tracing that I had started on Gurl for the possible right side of the graphic.

Regards.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #33 on:** April 27, 2013, 09:16:44 pm »

I thought about using the Centipede Front bezel and replacing the colors and replacing the pictures of the aliens with aliens from the Spaceman Spiff comics. (Reference bezel below.)

Monkeyvoodoo · « **Reply #34 on:** April 28, 2013, 03:23:51 am »

This is an awesome idea. I really want to see this when it's done.

ChadTower · « **Reply #35 on:** April 28, 2013, 09:46:37 am »

Still loving this.

jdbailey1206 · « **Reply #36 on:** April 28, 2013, 07:42:26 pm »

@dfmaverick-

You haven't hindered my build. I just have to figure out how to do the cp. Then I can get my buttons and joysticks.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #37 on:** May 02, 2013, 10:35:22 am »

Made the changes we talked about. Figured I post it up here for feedback from the group as well. I think it captures what you're aiming for.

Vigo · « **Reply #38 on:** May 02, 2013, 11:14:17 am »

Pure gold that it is set to "Kablooie"

ChadTower · « **Reply #39 on:** May 02, 2013, 11:15:09 am »

Love that!


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