Character Progression Analysis pt. III

The enigma that is Stix

In this series, high level analyses have been done on the the main protagonists in my comic, Wrench Tale. We’ve looked at Alset, I’ll link his analysis below—

—and Celise’s analysis, link located below.

Now, we look at the enigma that is Stix.

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Stix is an interesting character in that he was more challenging to conceptualize and illustrate. Being a mute, it was fully understood that he needed to be described through his appearance and action. Initially, he was going to be extreeeemely tall...but the plot wouldn’t allow for that. He’s still a tall guy, just not skyscraper tall. During the creation process, I learned quite a bit on how to draw a teenage boy as opposed to drawing an older man. This was surprisingly difficult for me, as every attempt at a adolescent male design led me to drawing what appeared to be a full grown man, like these first few designs pictured below.

This was probably the most “steampunkean” design for Stix. He has an asymmetrical victorian vest with the buttons, simple pants with a decent belt. With something of a “sproketed” bracelet. You know…it’s that first design…something to just have sketched out and run with as more ideas popped into my head.

The next design added height and a huge generator attached to his back. This is also where that leap in height came in. From the previous design, the belt was removed due to it’s perceived uselessness. For functionality at this point, I thought this guy needed to be significantly different from the other characters in the realm of personality and design so…why not add a huge mechanized arm?! This also filled in a plot piece beautifully! Alright cool…cool…aaaand now come the questions—

• What energizes this huge mechanized arm?

• What exactly is being powered?

• Is it all electric or are there mechanical components that supplement it…complement it?

• What are the specifications for the wires? How long with they be? What are they connected to?

Needless to say, it didn’t stop there ladies and gents. I’d not rather not get into the specifics on design for plot purposes, but there is a generator on his back near his thoracic column, which I lethargically cleverly hid behind his cape and long collar in the next rendition.

Here, Stix found color and an overhaul to his electro-mechanical arm. I didn’t know what I wanted here, but it looked cool. It seemed more of a personal flex to be capable of drawing nuts, bolts, wires and cabling and making it plausible, whereas before when I tried to draw mechanical stuff, it always came out horrendous and incoherent. If I revisit this analysis series, you’ll see it in all of its grotesque glory.

This design marked a huge shift in his arm design and my overall understanding with the engineering of mechanized design. Again, I can’t say too much here without giving away some of the plot, but more went into the arm, clearly. Stix has also been given victorian pauldrons and a thinner, slender, teenage frame. The wider tie and larger mask aided in the overall look.

Lastly, his “final” design. He now has boots that resemble cleats to retain traction due to being quite the runner and needs to be glued to the ground at high speeds. His mechanical shoulder has a control valve that controls fluid and can increase the pressurized steam that is released upon command (demonstrated in the beginning of the second issue of Wrench Tale). It took me a while to settle on the technology that he possesses because once again, the quest to find a nice blend of function and fashion can be an exhausting endeavor. It was also decided to have his arm covered in order to hold the mystery to both the audience and characters in the series alike. The reveal of the arm was in the second Wrench Tale issue. There is a metallic protuberance that sticks out from his mid-section to match the pauldrons, and a cloth glove that almost reaches his elbow, fitted with belts to keep it stationary.

As the comic progresses. there might be more design reviews on many of the other characters that will be introduced. Going through the design made me a little nostalgic tested my creative bandwidth. Not only was there consideration for building the character himself, but there’s the task of having this character interact with the environment.

This whole process not only granted me a deeper appreciation for the craft, but also for the many authors and artists out there who do this consistently! It’s one of these situations in life where if you just push yourself out of your comfort zone, you’ll break free from certain patterns of thinking and obtain rewards for exhibiting courage.