#Keith Thompson

[soranatus]

I just wanted to make a post showcasing some of my favorite illustrations by Keith Thompson for the Leviathan Trilogy.

The art went so hard in these books, it’s crazy. The plot is basically an alternate universe WW1 about the major two powers, the Darwinists, and the Clankers. The Darwinists genetically engineered animals to fight for them creating huge flying whale battleships, while the Clankers made huge robot mechs and powerful guns. A few historical people and places show up in these books, like Nikola Tesla.

But my favorite parts of the books were the art, truly breathtaking, it was beautifully grotesque at times. But that’s not unexpected, after all Keith Thompson helped create the design of Moder from The Ritual!

[imberlae]

[curatorofthisdigitalmorass]

Hellraiser (2022) - Hell Priest (Pinhead) Concept Art by Keith Thompson

[kaxen]

THEY'RE MAKING AN ANIME OF SCOTT WESTERFELD'S LEVIATHAN?

Though I wish they tried to go closer to Keith Thompson's style because the illustrations fuck so hard

[siryl]

"Witch Puppet" by Keith Thompson.

[geekcavepodcast]

The Leviathan Teaser

"In 1914, on the eve of war, a fugitive prince and a girl in disguise meet aboard a bioengineered airship, the HMS Leviathan, and change the course of history." (Netflix)

The Leviathan is based on the novels by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Keith Thompson. The series is directed by Christophe Ferreira. Studio Orange is overseeing animation production with Qubic Pictures producing. Music is by Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi with original songs by Joe Hisaishi.

The Leviathan will hit Netflix in 2025.

[stainlesssteellocust]

So the real question is, of course, how do you put these things in Dwarf Fortress?

Actually creating the creature would be trivial, but just giving it a raise dead ability probably won’t provide the needed behaviours. You could run them on Night Troll rules, which would mean they’d carry tools, cook bodies, and have corpses around their lairs to raise which would fight you. But I still don’t think their raised undead would accompany them in the world.

[sandmandaddy69]

Keith Thompson

[bringingdapperback]

Love this movie, loved the creature. The moder.

“[The creature is called] Moder in the novel. … It’s female. … I wanted to preserve my own experience of reading the book, wherein the creature’s design is somewhat shifting. Or at least you have competing ideas about what it might be. We dug into Norse mythology and discovered a Jötnar clan of giants that were known as shape-shifters and would sometimes present with combined human and animal qualities. It felt close enough to what Adam had imagined but gave us a little room to experiment. … I reached out to Keith Thompson, who I was a huge fan of, and was very fortunate to have him come on board. He experimented with those ideas and provided many different possibilities, as well as concepts for the decrepit parishioners, the effigy in the attic, and the hanging elk. It all tied together and told a visual story. The beast design we finally settled on was simply the one I couldn’t take my eyes off of. I think anyone who’s familiar with his work can tell through and through that this is one of his uncanny creations.” - David Bruckner

[silverspleen]

Tentatively excited for Leviathan Netflix 2025, even if the shift from Keith Thompson's absolutely iconic gritty gnarly inks to smooth colorful anime style makes me want to wail and scream (negative).

why everyone so smoove

where the scrithcy lines????

Like they could have done it, Dorohedoro marries the original artsyle with CGI anime pretty darn well. Why u make this ghibliesque?

It would have been a fun interesting and engaging YA series without the gnarly art but we can't pretend Mr Keith Thompson didn't bring it to the next level with his spectacular illustrations.

Like yeah seeing this as a fourteen year old is like, the most metal shit you have ever consumed in your entire life.

Still gonna watch it! Just have to temper my inner Keith Thompson Fan.

[lennonenglish]

Keith Thompson: RIP Chucky

[imberlae]

[tiannasfanfic]

Absolutely breathtaking. 🖤💜

Cenobite Concept Art by Keith Thompson for Hellraiser (2022)

[curatorofthisdigitalmorass]

Hellraiser (2022) - Weeper Concept Art by Keith Thompson

[medusamagic]

So you want to know more about Big Barda

As Tumblr's resident expert on all things Barda, and as Kelly Thompson's Birds of Prey run brings far more attention to the character, I figured it was high time someone stepped in and gave the tumblr world a primer on DC's biggest and boldest heroine.

The Basics:

Introduced in Mister Miracle #4 by Jack Kirby, Big Barda was once the leader of Apokolips' premier death squad, the Female Furies. Trained from birth for a life of violence by Granny Goodness, Barda spent the first 250 years of her life as a living weapon. This all changed when she met Scott Free, a gentle Parademon-in-training with a mysterious past and a knack for escapes. Eventually, she and Scott both escaped to Earth, where they fell in love with both the Earth and each other. She's a lover, she's a fighter, she's a Pokémon card expert, but most of all, SHE BIG.

Barda's signature defining attribute is her raw strength. Her raw muscle allows her to keep up with heavy hitters like Wonder Woman. This isn't to suggest that she's a simple-minded brute, however-- Barda has centuries of military experience under her belt as leader of the Female Furies. She's mastered multiple weapons, including spears, swords, and her signature Mega-Rod.

Below are some reading recommendations for anyone interested in Big Barda:

Essential Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 1 #4-18 by Jack Kirby (1971-1974)

This was the run that introduced the world to Big Barda, as well as the Female Furies. If you want to know the basics of Barda, there's no better place to start. This run is collected in a trade, as well as a part in The Fourth World Omnibus Vol. 1.

(NOTE: Even though Barda doesn't appear until issue #4, I suggest you start with Issue #1. It'll help you get acquainted with the rest of the mythos.)

Justice League International #14-24 by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis (1988-1989)

Big Barda was on the JLI! She plays off the other characters as well as ever, and a lot of what's great about her in Jack Kirby's original run is still here! Definitely check this one out if you want to see her in another team setting. This has been collected in this omnibus.

(NOTE: Once again, I recommend you start from issue #1.)

Popular Runs:

Mister Miracle Vol. 4 #1-12 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (2017-2018)

Yeah, I know.

Listen, Tom King is a writer with... idiosyncrasies to put it nicely. The characters in the periphery of his stories tend to act really out of character, and his dialogue can be clunky at times. That being said, The Scott/Barda dynamic in this book is excellent, and this book has some of the best art that the Fourth World has seen since the 80s. The series has been collected in a trade.

(NOTE: Did you know that the CIA has over 2003 files on Tom King? Look up "Tom King CIA 2003" for more info!)

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson and Daniel Isles (2022)

If you're at all interested in the idea of a Young Adult reimagining of Mister Miracle and Big Barda's origin story with an all-black cast, this book was made for you. It's a bit heavy on the YA tropes, but the Scott/Barda dynamic is really solid. It was released as a standalone graphic novel.

Birds of Prey Vol. 5 #1-??? by Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romero (2023-)

Admit it, this is the reason you're here. The Cassandra Cain & Big Barda is so instantly iconic, I'm surprised no writer has paired them up sooner. It also helps that this book has the single best Barda look since Jack Kirby's original run. Plus, she gets to throw down with Wonder Woman! What's not to love? This run is still ongoing, but the first 6 issues should be getting a trade pretty soon.

(NOTE: I started writing this before BOP #8 dropped, I had no idea about that thing that happens in the newest issue.)

Stories to Avoid:

Action Comics #592-593 by John Byrne (1987)

This is not a comic book-- it's an infohazard designed to cause pain and suffering to anyone who knows of its existence. Its premise is vile and disrespectful on the surface, and it becomes more insidious when you learn the context of its creation. This pair of issues is profoundly evil, rivaling even Avengers #200 in terms of loathsomeness.

For those who dare to investigate this, Content Warnings for rape, mind control, and human trafficking.

Anyway, let's end on something a bit lighter, shall we?

Remember that Mister Miracle YA graphic novel I mentioned earlier? Barda is getting a graphic novel of her own this summer! It's not out at the time of writing, but the preview pages look promising!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that introduction to one of my favorite superheroes ever. Please get back to me on this, I have no one else to talk to about Fourth World stuff.