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MattDrawsRobots β Grimlock and the Technobots
Published: 2014-06-15 23:26:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 9360; Favourites: 359; Downloads: 52
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βGrimlock & the Technobots: Fathers' DayβPrints available: 10"x8" and 14"x11"
In the original TF cartoon , Grimlock and the other Dinobots were built by Ratchet and Wheeljack , who later died in the animated movie . Some time afterward, Grimlock got super-smart for like an hour and built the Technobots . The cartoon never really played up the notion of family relations within this chain, so I figured I'd see what that would look like. I'm not sure if Grimlock is telling them about their grandparents or if the Technobots made the album as a gift, but either way, yay dads.
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Comments: 57
Losing family and friends is really hard for anyone.Β
This piece is another great reminder that any Autobot can make a HUGE impact, even if they're not as well known to people.Β
I love it because it seems so real and ALL of us can relate to it.Β
Ratchet and Wheeljack will both be missed very dearly in G1.Β
You've done GREAT with this work and I wish I could understand how you do it.Β Β Β Β
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Aww, thank you! I means a lot to hear that my work has an emotional impact.
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"Me Grimlock tell you stories like Kup tell Dinobots stories!"
I like to headcanon Grimlock as being fatherly tot he Technobots after transferring his intelligence to Computron (and thereby pulling out the stick he had in his ass during his hour of genius).
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Heh, I like the Kup angle. "Ugh, daaaaad, we've heard about the petrorabbits a million times!"
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the only time we see Grimlock in Robot Mode with the Technobots.
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Yeah, I think that was part of the general "big wacky doofus" vibe they seemed to give him in the third season. It's easier to make his t-rex mode look silly, and it had a bit of an "animal sidekick" feel. I prefer more of a balance!
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It's a great concept, I had seen this some time ago but was reminded when it was brought up in a Q&A on Ask Vector Prime/Grim Grams. For whatever reason I hadn't thought to comment on it prior, but I might as well do so now. Excellent work, the warm lighting and characters' poses all help add to the feeling of family that the classic Autobots seem to lend themselves so well too. It's always good to see a piece that adds a new layer of depth to the original cartoon, especially the aspects about the deceased characters who were sort of swept away by the third season.Β
Wonderful work, I look forward to seeing more in the future!
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Thank you! I'm glad it resonated with you. It started out in my head as a shot of Wheeljack and Ratchet opening a present that was a group photo of the Dinobots. But then I remembered that they had "grandchildren" too, and this came together. I think it's richer this way, especially since it highlights a generational chain that was never explicitly pointed out in the show. Like you said, it's a new layer of depth - though the funny thing is, the depth was there all along. It just needed to be pointed out!
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And Here Wheeljack trying to blow up Megatron with Shock...Gun...Thing...Eh, like most his creations, it no go right
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Feel bad for Grimlock, just wanna give him a hug.
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GRIMLOCK NO NEED HUG. GRIMLOCK STRONG. GRIMLOCK KING. GRIMLOCK JUST HAVE COOLANT LEAK IN OPTIC MECHANISM. EXCUSE GRIMLOCK ONE MOMENT.
....okay, maybe Grimlock take quick hug. NOT TELL OTHER DINOBOTS. Quick hug.
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No problem there big guy. *hugs him quickly*
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Me Grimlock say you very nice, for a Shockwave. Me feel bit better.
STILL FIGHT YOU ON BATTLEFIELD, but maybe me turn down flame breath for you. Unless you tell anybody, then GRIMLOCK SMASH.
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Grimlock: And this was Me Grimlock's first run in with the police, and this is Me Grimlock's first meal, yeah Wheeljack's tools were great!
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This made me tearyΒ Β Ya had to go and make me feel the feelsΒ
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Awww, I feel both gratified and apologetic! Glad it had an effect, at any rate. I was hoping it would resonate, and I appreciate you saying that it did.
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No problem! You did a great job with it!
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"These two were good mechs, weren't they?"
"Good mechs, Nosecone. Went too soon."
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Ooooh I've seen some of your work before while at Botcon! 
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Thank you! Nice to "see" you again. Sadly the BC days are over, but they were fun while they lasted!
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It made me so sad to hear that Botcon was going to be no more after I saw a tumblr post about it that was made right after this year's Botcon... D:
But yeah, they were fun while they lasted despite it was the first and probably only ever con I went to.
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Glad you got one in while you could! I've heard good things about some of the unofficial cons, and who knows what Hasbro might cook up next...
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Aye, it was a ton of fun! Some of my friends actually suggested I go to some of the unofficial ones but I feel a bit unsure even if they're good. o: I had another con in mind I had planned to go to but I think I'm a tad bit too late.
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Sapphire: I GOT BROTHERS!!!!!!!Grimlock: ummmm?
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vjdiusvjnuowdhgljvmldkaigjvugnb I HAVE AN OC WHOSE NAME IS ALSO SAPPHIRE!
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Do you play transformers foc and wfc?
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used to, even have rise of the dark spark
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oh cool cause I have wfc and foc on my xbox
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I have ps3
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My good friend,
It's hard to begin to describe how great I think this piece is (as I guess you
know by now,Β just about everything you do hits me so well), but I certainly
will try.
It did take me a little while to get used to your predilection for soft outlines
after seeing many terrific pieces where everything was sharply defined, but
for my money, this is just a mark of what a very fine artist you've become.
I generally love your ideas and your amazing ability for great composition,
butΒ thisΒ may be the most touching work I've seen from you yet. I probably
don't have to say much about detail, because your application of them has
always been impeccable, but the way you've captured the Technobots is
marvelous. Scattershot's firm posture, Lightspeed's friendly expression,
the reflective Nosecone, and the unsmiling Strafe are spot on; the only
tiny quibble I may have is that Afterburner looks more upbeat than his
demeanour tends to support, but there is a precedent; if memory serves,
he did smile at some point inΒ MONEY IS EVERYTHING.
I get the feeling that you may have used the cartoon models as reference
here, and if I'm right about that, I'm even more impressed, because they
were featured to a limited enough extent that I find it hard to capture all
of their details with certainty (especially Scattershot, whose helmet has
always struck me as fairly complex in terms of perspective). Obviously, it
wasn't a big problem for you.
All of your work is eminently suitable for framing -- so much so that I've
had several of your pieces on my office wall for years ("MW Skywarp vs.
Mirage," "MW Soundwave," "Windcharger," "Shrapnel," and "Reflector").
Now, a print of this, I'd frame and put on my living room wall.
I came very close to going to BotCon this year, but I had to put other
expenses ahead. But I would totally have taken one of these off your
hands. (You don't happen to ship overseas, do you?)
Anyway, this is as comforting a piece of work as I've ever seen you do.
To my eyes, your heart is on your sleeve with this one.
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Mr. Vertigo himself! I always look forward to your comments. I'm glad that the "soft focus" look of this this one struck you well; I used fewer faux-analog brushes this time, and I was under a self-imposed time crunch to get it done before Father's Day and BotCon, which added up to a result that I thought might've been too digital-airbrush-y. Certainly I feel a stronger urge to touch this up than any of my other pieces. So thanks for the positive response!
And yeah, I knew Afterburner's expression was the least in keeping with his cartoon portrayal, but I wanted more than just one character to have an obviously upbeat look on his face. And since this group got such relatively little screen-time, it's not a stretch to think that Afterburner had moods other than irritated impatience.
As for my heart being on my sleeve, yeah, there's something of my own dad in Grimlock's pose (and I did give him a print on Father's Day). My original concept was the camera looking over Ratchet and Wheeljack's shoulders as they open a present: a framed selfie of the Dinobots. There's a different kind of sweetness to that that might actually be closer to the sentiment I feel, but when I remembered the Technobots, I couldn't NOT do this. Also this concept brings up something else for me personally, which is that my wife and I don't plan on having kids. I've never wanted them, but the fact that I never had to change my mind on the issue means I've perhaps never fully reflected on the choice to remove myself from the continuity of progenation. I don't know that there's any statement about that in this piece, but it's certainly a topic that floated up in my consciousness as I made it.
You're right that this is a rare Dery-model-based pic; I thought that the backstory was so heavily reliant on the cartoon that it demanded visual continuity. I even considered trying a faux-cel look , but I didn't want to spend the little time I had learning a whole new technique, and besides, there's a reason I loosened up my style.
I don't sell prints online at all right now, but if I decided to start, I'd totally be willing to ship overseas with extra charge for shipping. I'll keep in touch if I do!
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The family album! Awesome idea! Great seeing new Tfs stuff from you.
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I love this. Such a great idea.
Scattershot looks like he's not amused at Afterburner and Strafe chatting at the back
It's so full of character. Brilliant!
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