The following three essays provide some background into the girls and how they came to be.
I was first introduced to Japanese animation as a child through watching the original SPEED RACER on television, and being mesmerised by those amazing eyes. (I think I had a crush on Trixie!) As I grew older, I was next caught up in anime from watching STARBLAZERS on weekdays after school. I loved the stories, characters, and even became fond of the jerky animation and style of the show. Of course, however, it had to be the eyes that did i t for me- again- and the way in which faces were drawn so effectively, often without noses.
It was not until I started teaching, though, that I developed a more mature, analytical and lasting love of the art form and the language represented in its imagery. I started actively collecting it in comic (manga) and video (anime) forms. My favourite artists have been Masamune Shirow GHOST IN THE SHELL, Haruhiko Mikimoto GUNBUSTER, Yukito Kishiro BATTLE ANGEL ALITA, Ryoichi Ikegami MAI- THE PSYCHIC GIRL, Hayao Miyazaki NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND, Rumiko Takahashi RAMNA and Katsushiro Otomo AKIRA. Shirow's work was the first to grace the shelves in my library. His way of drawing Duenan in APPLESEED fascinated me. I loved her figure and her eyes. Together, they made a great combination. I must admit, that as his style has changed over the years, I have missed more and more the look of the characters all those years ago. However, two other artists whose works caught my notice have done more than their share to sustain me since. They are Hiyao Miyazaki and Haruhiko Mikimoto. Look carefully into the eyes of Virginia, and you'll see Mikimoto's influence, in particular.
In the last few years, manga and anime have become much more accessible in North America. Film critics Siskel and Ebert introduced us to AKIRA. They continued to promote anime in cinema for many years, to the point where in 1999, audiences in North America were treated to a theatrical release of Miyazaki' s PRINCESS MONONOKE.
On television, still the primary medium for our exposure to the art form, we have seen many more shows in the last ten years than in the previous twenty. The availability of specialty channels has made it easier to programme niche shows like GUNDAM WING, or THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE into broadcast timetables. One show, SAILOR MOON, really helped bring anime into the North American mainstream. It is by no means the only representation of the art form, and it is certainly not the best. It, however, did open the gates for other shows like DRAGON BALL Z, POKEMON, and DIGIMON, all geared to younger kids and their wallets.
As an art form, it has become more accessible to audiences globally than some of the other more nationalistic- ie. American representations. Artists like Adam Warren, for example, have adopted manga and as the basis for his work, even doing North American/Japanese cross-over pieces like the Asian DIRTY PAIR, and the AmericanGEN 13. Elements of manga have appeared in street art. We see the characters fleshed out in video games. Even the STAR WARS films have been drawn as manga- and actually look better than the official comic book adaptations done when the features came out. In short, it seems that manga may actually be starting to become an international graphic art form, more user friendly than some of the overtly nationalistic works seen in the last hundred years.
It should be interesting to see what happens with the stories being told with the images drawn. So much of the plots in the better shows playing are well-steeped in traditional Asian cultural values, with more than a nod to Western mythology. It is interesting to see how the art form would look in the hands of artists seeking to tell stories about something other than giant robots, and princesses from mystic moons.
In adapting manga to a more personal style for me, I found I was challenged by traditional teachings and the need to conform to what appeared on the surface to be a radically different way of rendering the human body. What emerged after some study and many drafts was a small series of drawings and digital images reproduced here. \par \par In literally measuring out proportions before doing those drawings, I found that the eyes are not actually all that much larger than in reality for some of the characters one finds in manga or anime. The body itself is drawn not unlike a fashion image, with females being very tall and thin, with legs that go on forever. Bigger eyes tend to be found on young children or innocent adults. The male figure tends to be rougher, and less rounded in representation; just like in western comics. The use of bright colours in the hair is not unusual. I found I had not really paid much attention to it until I started drawing the figures. Then, I had to remind myself that purple hair is okay in a cartoon character! (It certainly seems okay with real people, judging by some of the types I've met in my manga travels.)
My first efforts had some badly distorted proportions, and luckily, none of those pieces survived. The black and white images are tests, involving simple line work put on the computer and enhanced in a digital environment. They provided much experience in the design of the ROCKET GIRLS characters. Indeed, some influences from them have crept into the more recent pieces. The coloured pencil works are more experimental, with elements of naturalism and distortion blended to created a hybridized manga character. I was intrigued by the possibilities early on with these studies, and once again, the current characters have been developed on the basis of what I learned in colouring those other faces.
I never tackled the bodies themselves. Only with the creation of Rowan did I face head on the challenge of proportions and the figure, and eventually I adopted a more naturalistic look. If anything, some of the first nude drawings of Rowan's figure had featured decidedly short legs. Now, that is not to say that some of the characters won't have the more stereotypical body sizes of the manga girls we sometimes see. It just seems unlikely, as my influences tend to lean more towards naturalism in their approach.
The next stage in this study is to make the forms even more realistic. I had a colleague who has a definite prejudice against the art form make a comment to me recently about how it was interesting that I was abandoning subjects more readily identified with me- namely aircraft and ships- and was branching out. \ldblquote All artists do that. But isn't the Japanese work very flat?
Ugh!
The coloured pencil work has helped flesh out the characters strongly, I feel. By placing them in realistic settings, or adopting some of the presentational techniques as masters in portraiture like Sargeant, it wouldn't be hard to bring out something new and dynamic in these characters. Imagine Rowan as Madame X! I smile just thinking about it.
The work of Haruhiko Mikimoto does a lot to accomplish this, through combining painted and slightly digitized images in photographic settings- the same technique I used in creating the book art for ROCKET GIRLS. I never saw this done elsewhere until after the book art was done, though, so my conscience was clear on issues of copying. If anything, I feel if Mikimoto has done it, it must be okay.
Mikimoto has also done a lot of painting- the only artist to do so, from what I've seen so far. Using watercolours, with lots of brightly coloured washes, he created a number of portraits years ago reproduced in his first collected edition of design and illustrative art published in 1992. The paintings are definitely cute. However, they are also proof that it is possible to create images in manga that do not rely on black outlines, or require fanciful backgrounds to come to life. This is something I wish to explore more in the future.
In the meantime, enjoy the samples that follow. It is an interesting glimpse into a past that at that time had no knowing glimmer of the Rocket Girls to come.
This essay copyright C.A. Seaman 2001. It may
not be reproduced or quoted without permission from the author.
Last revised: December 20, 2005.
It all began with a phone call before Christmas in 1999. Keith Moreau, of Visual Arts Brampton, was creating an alphabet book, to be sold as a fundraiser for the group. I was invited to create artwork on a toy/play theme for the letter R. it was an exciting challenge, one which revived me from disparate efforts in art recently, giving me something concrete to focus on. Of course, I had no idea what I would be creating as a result...
My first thoughts went immediately to rockets, robots, and those old space toys from the 1960s featuring astronaut Matt Mason- a kind of plastic mix of John Glenn and G.I. Joe. I actually had Matt Mason space wallpaper on my bedroom wall as a child. Remembering this, I quickly found a book with pictures of these toys at my local Chapters. It seemed to easy to help bring focus to my efforts- a good sign, I thought.
I decided quickly, though, that I didn't want to recreate Matt Mason. I wanted to create an homage to that world, and some of my favourite shows of the time- all the Gerry Anderson programmes, the Japanese series SPEED RACER, and STAR TREK. And...I wanted that homage to be packaged in a female body. (Why? As if I have to explain THAT!) So, I called my friend Jan, and asked her what Barbie's proportions were.
Rocket Girl, in name and body, was born at that moment, just before New Years Day, at the end of 1999.
Jan was pleased. I was busy...
By the time my Christmas break ended, the first drawing had been completed. By the time January turned to February, more drawings were done, and she even had a space ship, named BONAVENTURE, after Canada's last aircraft carrier. I loved Rowan's early form- yes, she had a proper name, too- but she reminded me too much of a cross between the Little Mermaid, and an Imperial Stormtrooper, with accordian joints between limbs, giving her a bendy toy appearance. I came up with different outfits, like 'geek' wear. That came complete with 'Brains' type glasses. I reused facial images and body poses as much as possible to save time and maintain consistency in the images. This is something I continued to this day, making all the girls very consistent in their appearance. I knew, however, I was just beginning to feel my way through the process. Happily, the final art was not due until August.
Rowan got her first makeover, assuming the form we know better today back in the spring of 2000. Her new body was modelled on an artist's mannequin. It made it easier to imagine basic proportions and have fun at the same time. She also got new colours. Her first rendering in colour gave her gold armour with purple joints. Unfortunately, she then looked like C3P0 with Madonna boobs. (I have not reproduced that image in the gallery, but the original drawing is there.) The gold itself had a fleshy appearance, making her look nude from a distance. This caused great excitement when she went to school to be shown to the small number of fans she had even then.
Rowan, now sporting her armour, got her third makeover in July. The photographic background I chose for the final art killed the gold armour, making it look faded. It was all the excuse I needed, and remembering those plastic guns with coloured barrels, and a striker mechanism which produced sparks when the trigger was squeezed, I decided the arms and legs were better looking like that, and her torso was converted to a more metallic finish. (If you don't understand what I'm writing about, watch THE IRON GIANT, for the scene when the little boy Hogarth points one of those things at the robot.) She gained a companion- Livewire- and her ship was added to the scene, to give that Barbie diorama appearance to the scene. I was going to add the words "Each sold separately", but held back at the last minute. By then, much more was going on with Rowan.
The artwork, the only digitized piece in the book, was first shown on August 4th, 2000 in Brampton. People were a little slow to notice her, but when someone finally twigged that she was a CG image, the interest grew quickly. The book itself was released in December, and Rowan received much praise from her new fans. It was a great night. It had been a long year.
With more girls created, ships built, and a whole world bursting into life, the evening was not so much the end of the project, as the beginning.
Not that I'm complaining, or anything...
In 2005, I decided to revamp the girls and give the group a proper working name after all these years. I chose the name KAITEN ANGELS in the end because Kaiten in Japanese is a term that refers to revolution in the heavens, or something like that. Kaiten was also the name given to suicide submariners in the Japanese Navy during World War Two. My angels, however, are not big on blowing themselves up, and thus have embraced the name in its original context. All seven of the original group are part of this gathering, as are all the new characters I may create. While the original art will retain the RG name tag, new material will reflect the new name.
There is no way that I am going to reproduce all the information about the KAITEN ANGELS in this section. I will simply give you a brief overview of what they collectively are about. For the rest, you'll just have to wait for the novels- when I write them, and if they are published.
So...let's treat this like one of those FAQs and try to fill in some of the facts about the girls. If your read these and can think of any more, contact me, and I will add the question and its' answer to this section. Okay? (As this was written in 2001, I have added more information to each section. It is in red, like this.)
Excellent...
1) HOW MANY KAITEN ANGELS ARE THERE?
There are usually a minmum of seven at any one time. Who the girls are, (they are known as Pickets, because of their role as defenders and ambassadors of Earth), will change as the stories progress. The names of the originals are Rowan, Virginia, Molly, Petra, and Naomi. The oldest is Naomi, and the youngest is Petra. Fiona is a part of the cast, and is close to the girls, but at this point in the narrative is not a Rocket Girl, per se. However, it is still early days... (With Fiona, there are six. Other Pickets, like Dinah, will also be in stories, but in a mostly supporting role. I have also created Miranda, a Picket modeled for service underwater, and easily identified by her shiny reflective skin.)
2) WHEN WERE THE PICKETS CREATED?
They were created about 200 years into the future on Earth.
3) IN THE STORIES, WHO CREATED THE PICKETS?
Humans created the Pickets, as the KAITEN ANGELS are known, using acquired alien technology. The human creators, known as Modelers, work for the Gaian Star Branch- a kind of united Earth space force. It is a very bureaucratic organisation, rich with political intrigue to make stories more interesting. (The GSB is more intriguing as I develop the stories, and often the root of many problems faced by our heroines. Someone said it seems to mirror my own attitudes towards the leaders in our education, business and government sectors. Noooo...really??)
4) WHAT MATERIALS ARE THEY MADE FROM?
Once again, it is alien technology, adapted to terrestrial resources, that makes their construction possible. I don't want to say much more at this point. You'll just have to wait for the stories. (Yeah...right. I thought nano-technology would be the way to go in making the Pickets. Then I read Ray Kurzweil's book THE AGE OF SPIRITUAL MACHINES, and was blown away by his vision which went way beyond what I was considering. I suggest it if the development of artificial intelligence and robotics appeals to you. The timelines may be a bit off, and some of the predictions a bit optimistic- especially in education. However, I like what he says. He even has a character, Molly, who represents the future in A.I. development. Truly a remarkable coincidence as Molly was created a year before I read the book.)
5) WHAT IS THE ENERGY SOURCE FOR THE PICKETS?
Take a wild guess... But seriously, their internal arrangement is similar to that of humans, in that their primary energy derives from a heart sized generator, known as a Bottle. Different model Pickets have different model Bottles, as newer makes of certain cars have uprated engines in them. Naomi has older technology in her. Petra is state of the art. Molly and Rowan and somewhat hybridized. The Bottle, though it is small, is very powerful. Think of a pacemaker with the power of the engines on the starship ENTERPRISE. This also explains why the Pickets are heavier than normal. They are all 5' 4", and weigh 155 lbs. They eat food as a substitute energy source to augment to Bottle's power, and also to help them integrate among biologicals.
6) DO PICKETS HAVE BRAINS, OR DO THEY USE A.I.?
They use a combination of the two. Remember the gel packs which process data in VOYAGER? Their brains are somewhat more sophisticated than that. They also have built in links- like modems- so they can upgrade quickly, conference with others, and make collective decisions efficiently. They are NOT Borg, however. They are all individuals. (If you want to visualize what this is like, watch T3 and study the TX android that faces off against Arnie. She is my dream come to life.)
7) ARE THE PICKETS CONSIDERED HUMAN, MACHINE, OR WHAT?
Pickets are considered to be Pickets. Their status is in question throughout the stories, and even though they are revered, they are treated by many more like much loved weapons systems than like humans. They feel discrimination, and the quality of their interactions with biologicals is often affected by this. (Naomi has little patience with humans, and of all the characters, does the least to hide it. Being rich and powerful, she can get away with it. Most other Pickets are not quite so lucky.)
8) DO PICKETS HAVE LIVES? AS IN...DO THEY LIVE IN HOUSES, HAVE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, AND LOVE LIVES? OR DO THEY LIVE IN A LAB SOMEWHERE?
They live in homes, and have lives. They are g-r-e-a-t lovers, (and are very sensuous), but can never stay in long term relationships. Saving the world is such a strain on the dating scene. (The sisters make a family of their own, with their modelers being surrogate 'mothers' to them. Virginia has the additional dynamic of being 'mother ' to Fiona, the youngest of the characters. Virginia finds often she would rather be deflecting nuclear missiles than have to deal with the wily and rebellious teenager.)
9) IS THE TECHNOLOGY INVOLVED IN THEIR CREATION SIMILAR TO THE NERVE SENSOR OR NERVE RE-ATTACHMENT BREAKTHROUGHS OF TODAY?
It is derived from it. It is a blend of alien technology with Terran sensibilities. I hate to use the analogy of Macross, but they represent the answer to many medical issues facing us today, only made possible through the use of alien power. That is where any similarity to that classic series ends, though.
10) IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE BIOMECHANICAL LIMBS ON HUMANS IN THE RG UNIVERSE?
Sure... Why not? (The whole nature of interfacing with technology is one which has challenged me since beginning the work on the KAs. I am reluctant to design control rooms in modern space cruisers with glowing panels and bip-bip-bip keypad interfaces like those in STAR TREK. I think we'll be so fused with our machines by then that even if we physically go into space, we would be wearing our instruments, or would be hooked up remotely to the controls of any ship we flew. Think of the Palm pilot-only inside your head. The closest physical representation yet seen on film is the amazing equipment used in the movies MINORITY REPORT and the Cronenberg film EXINTENZ.)
11) ARE THE RG PICKETS MODELLED AFTER ANY REAL-LIFE PEOPLE?
No. However, I Hired a young woman with a similar figure to the KAs in 2000 to help me as I came up with the original body designs, providing figure reference for me, a la Alex Ross. Some people, looking at the original images say she IS a Picket. (My beautiful model has since been replaced by CG models, which have become easier to work with as I learn more about working in the virtual world. Having a better machine than the one I did the development work with RGs on helps too. I miss my model painfully, however.)
12) IS THEIR WORLD A REPRESENTATION OF AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, OR TIMELINE? WHAT IS EARTH TO BE LIKE IN THAT FUTURE?
Earth will be a lot warmer, and will be fragile. The alien technology is enabling us to solve many problems, but it will take much time to heal the wounds inflicted by centuries of development. It is the flip side of STAR TREK, and more like BABYLON 5. (Or Cowboy Bebop, Gundam, Macross, Akira, Rahxephon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, et al.)
13) IS THERE ANY MERCHANDISING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE GIRLS?
I have concepts- t-shirts, mugs, posters based on artwork, etc. There will be a calendar. I am creating more stuff as we go. However, all of it is to be produced on a commission basis. If you want it, let me know, and we'll do something. There is no huge warehouse filled with Rowan action figures. My priority is to get the novels written, and continue the art work. Your interest will hopefully help me secure a publisher. And then, we'll see.
So...
There we are. If you have any questions, ask me through the contact address, and I'll add your question and answer to the list. If I am seeming vague, it is because I don't want spoilers to creep in. Enjoy the rest of the site.