"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Four Post Three

Whilst I like the smaller tight panels for this final instalment of "Virus Of The Panda" I don't think they let you easily see the swirling disorientated background effect of Cheng Fu's poisoned blood. It is also a little unclear that The Peking Panda is escorted away by the local authorities, having been arrested at the end of the fight.

The faded background to the final panel is actually a piece of glazed painted pottery depicting the Taoist Immortals who are meant to be coming to claim the soul of the sick Sensei Cheng Fu. It was a bit of a balancing act to work out just how visible this needed to be. I didn't want it too strong so you couldn't still see the hospital, but clear enough so you could make out the Immortals' faces and realise Cheng Fu was in grave danger of joining his spiritual gods.

Next time a hapless visitor to Stonehenge becomes embroiled in a plot to destroy all of time, and as a consequence embarks upon the first of many adventures travelling through Earth's history as an agent of an alien race. It's time for "The Rambler"...  

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Four Post Two

With this scene I wanted to quickly cover why the Peking Panda wears the skin of a Giant Panda, and show him infecting Cheng Fu with the virus. Indeed, I actually went so far as to use a red mottling effect to visually show that both the villain's claws and some of this own ninja henchmen were contaminated with the infection.

As I didn't want too much of a distraction from this simple 'story telling' I predominantly reverted back to using my basic composition format of similar-sized rectangular panels. Although I had already learnt that by changing their edges and making some of the frames larger and smaller it was possible to completely eradicate the dialogue ellipses I have been using for the past ten years or so.

Infected with a deadly disease, can Cheng-Fu defeat both the Peking Panda and the killer virus..!?!

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Four Post One

For first four panels of this final part of "Virus Of The Panda" I went back to using my usual sized panel but continued to try and break up the perceived monotony of all the frames being the same shape. The opening drawing is an attempt to show what a character is thinking as an event takes place elsewhere. Thus you have the Peking Panda inside the hospital and within a tiny frame, reacting to a large explosion outside. I think the dialogue bubbles sort of ruin this illusion, and with hindsight I'd have drawn the villain on the other side of the panel.

The fourth drawing is a simple split panel which I wanted to use to show Sensei Cheng-Fu running through the corridors of the hospital. in addition I slightly blurred the background in order to suggest he was travelling at speed. Again I think the text and speech bubbles somewhat impinge upon the effect I was hoping for.

As the order is swiftly brought back to the hospital, Cheng-Fu faces the mastermind behind the attempted viral outbreak, and only one will walk away from the encounter in good health...

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Three Post Three

When I first started posting these comic strips on the internet one of the (constructive) criticism I received from the 'comic art community' was that the composition of each page was identical and as a result somewhat unappealing. I actually like the 'order' six identically-sized panels generates but I did take the point that others might not find it so. However as I was posting stories I had written and drawn some months earlier it has taken this long to finally post up one of the changes I've tried to incorporate in my most recent adventures. 

The final three panels are my first attempt to mix-up my panel arrangements and provide a glimpse of just how acrobatic Sensei Cheng Fu is. Initially I just depicted the British Kung-Fu expert in each separate panel. But found I actually preferred the idea of him flowing from frame to frame so allowed the action to 'bleed' into each adjoining panel.

The final assault by the British Law Enforcement officers on the Hospital begins. But does the Peking Panda has one final deadly trap in store for them..?

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Three Post Two

Continuing the 'off-screen' mass battle between Ninjas and law enforcement officers, these panels are still rather wordy. However they do finally set up the opportunity for Sensei Cheng Fu to get more involved in the action by 'foolishly' volunteering to take on the black-clad assassins single-handedly in order to distract the Peking Panda's men whilst the Police storm the hospital.

The final frame was actually reworked repeatedly as I wasn't terribly happy with Cheng Fu continuing to have his arms crossed as he 'walked into danger'. In the end though it seemed to be the best pose for the martial artist as he fearlessly believes he won't be attacked as it goes against the ninjas' rules of honour.

Surrounded by the Peking Panda's deadly assassins, Sensei Cheng Fu attacks in an all-action fist-fight..!

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Three Post One

As with many of my four-parters, the third instalment is really all about setting up events for a final confrontation between the story's main two protagonists at the end of the adventure. These opening four panels are a good example of this philosophy, with the Peking Panda making it clear to the reader what he plans to do (i.e. infect his men's weapons with the virus and then contaminate the British), whilst Cheng Fu wants to storm the hospital. Both plans will inevitably bring both sides into direct conflict with one another.

The final panel also continues the 'running battle theme' of the British Authorities involved in a large fight with the ninjas outside the medical facility, with throwing stars peppering the law enforcement officers.

Determined to 'storm' the hospital and stop the ninjas with their diabolical plan, Sensi Cheng Fu makes a determined assault on the black-clad assassins single-handedly...

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Two Post Three

These final panels for Part Two of "Virus Of The Panda" not only conclude the super-villain's explanation of why China hope to infect the United Kingdom mainland with a deadly virus; so they can woo the British survivors into becoming a Chinese province. But also continues the battle taking place outside the Hospital between Cheng Fu and the Ninjas.

Ideally I'd have liked to have mixed up the lengthy scene with the Peking Panda's dialogue and the fight. But because the plot is rather complex I thought it would lose the reader if it was broken up into chunks with other another scene interrupting it all the time. Obviously a series of endless 'wordy' panels is not that great either. But I felt the action 'book-ending' the dialogue was the lesser of two evils.

The action heats up as Cheng Fu faces another barrage of Ninja throwing stars as the Authorities attempt to enter the hospital...  

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Two Post Two

Unfortunately this scene set within the hospital is extremely wordy. But essential for explaining the motivation behind the Peking Panda's plot. What I didn't anticipate though was just how much space the villain's Alpha Beta BRK font would take up within each speech bubble. As a result vast chunks of explanatory dialogue written in the script were either condensed on the 'drawing page' or simply discarded.

I also felt that the detail and colouring of the hospital's professor, which was admittedly an older 'Mooretoons' design, was just not working alongside some of the newer illustrations; especially as his all light blue attire clashed badly with that of Hua Qin. I therefore replaced him with a dark green-clothed junior doctor for the story's later panels.

The battle over the Britain's sole virus patient heats up as Cheng Fu battles an army of Ninjas... 

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part Two Post One

One of the things I wanted to try and illustrate with this particular story was a shoot-out between the Government forces, using modern-day weaponry, and the Ninjas, using just their throwing stars. Unfortunately I once again found myself rapidly running out of room within the four episodes to really give this a proper go, but the first two panels hopefully show some of the fast-paced action I wanted to portray. With hindsight the shuriken probably should have been larger and thus easier to see. However I really liked the imagery of the deadly throwing stars appearing from 'off-screen' and literally striking people dead in their tracks.

Having quickly realised how cumbersome the Ninjas looked in their isolation suits, and how silly they looked as a result, I swiftly removed them of their cumbersome attire in order to better depict their famous acrobatics... and I couldn't think of a better way of doing this than having the deadly assassins drop head-first down a rope.

With both Cheng Fu and the Police bravely battling his lethal black-clad ninjas outside, the Peking Panda finally starts to put his deadly plan into action... 

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part One Post Three

These final four panels to Part One of "Virus Of The Panda" have actually taken far longer than they should have done to post but when I originally drafted them out I realised that there was a mistake within the dialogue of the final panel and as a result I have had to find the time to not only address the error but then adjust its composition and remove the ellipse which had been there beforehand.

To be honest this whole scene is rather wordy but I felt necessarily so in order to quickly get Cheng Fu and the Armed Services into direct contact with the Peking Panda's ninjas. The medical gowns were actually based upon genuine isolation suits, although they had to be slightly adapted to fit the 'Mooretoon' head-shape.

Sensei Cheng Fu uncovers a diabolical plot to abduct his sick passenger. But can even a master of Kung Fu survive a hail of deadly shuriken..!?! 

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part One Post Two

The opening panel for this posting alludes to an imminent fight between Peking Panda's Ninja mercenaries and the hospital security guards. It was only to be a couple of frames long but I ended having to cut the 'battle scene' as I found myself rapidly running out of room as a result of some of the heavy dialogue I wrote in order to 'set the story up' with. The role of the tropical disease specialist Hua Qin was also significantly reduced as I found myself desperately trying to confine myself to just four episodes for this story. With hindsight I also should have given the Chinese physician a different coloured costume as his oriental light blue weave is very similar to the blue used by the hospital staff.

 The penultimate frame shows the start of my attempt to move away from the use of ellipses; something my previous stories are loaded with. I also decided to illustrate the conversation inside the vehicle straight from the scene's start rather than use a photograph of the vehicle travelling down a street as an establishing shot first. This may have been a mistake, but I was keen to get Cheng Fu into the action as quickly as possible and start breaking up the sterile light blue imagery of the previous panels with his bright red costume. I also thought the interior scene, coupled with the "Vroom" sound effect would make it somewhat obvious the quartet were sharing a ride within some form of transport.

Cheng Fu delivers the patient into the hands of the waiting hospital staff so their life-saving treatment can begin. But just how safe will the British public be from the deadly virus once the doctors start work on the evacuee..?   

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Virus Of The Panda - Part One Post One

This four-parter is most definitely a journey of transition as it was drawn whilst I was receiving some considerable feedback from fellow blogger artists, and as a result it's composition was altered mid-way through in order to test some of their suggestions for improvement. Initially however this is a fairly straight-forward 'sequel' to "Embassy Of The Fist" and 'in order to get it out quickly' incorporates a number of figures I had previously drawn; some, such as the surgeon gowns, from as long ago as ten years.

The Peking Panda is an attempt to create a more worthy Oriental opponent for Cheng Fu than the rather dull-looking Yamamoto. Unfortunately the idea of a kung fu fighter adorned in the skin of a Panda Bear didn't materialise quite as I'd imagined him. But nonetheless I think he's infinitely more memorable than the honourable assassin of Kam Lo.

Unaware of the Peking Panda's presence within the specialist hospital, Cheng Fu escorts an important patient to the medical facility. But just whose life is in imminent danger..!?!  

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Four Post Three

In many ways this is a bit of a rushed ending, and ideally I'd have liked to have included one or two additional panels in order to mix-up the composition of the frames a little more. I think the simple punch - kick- punch frame combination makes the sequence look too repetitive or monotonous as a single page layout.

 

The last panel is actually a bit of a rush job as I'd scripted showing Sensei Cheng Fu leaping out of the Embassy's window from an exterior perspective. However I was somewhat stumped as to how to portray the Chinese soldiers discovering the combatants, and their arrival causing the British martial artist to flee so dramatically. With hindsight I could have composed a much smaller frame simply showing the guards' appearing, and placed that within a normal sized panel depicting Cheng Fu smashing out of the upstairs window.

 

Indeed I'm not sure its even clear that most of the action in this concluding part of "Embassy of the Fist" takes place on the building's top (residential) floor; although the Chinese soldier in the final frame does allude to it by stating "A masked intruder escapes into the gardens below".

 

I was also keen to show that Cheng Fu does not actually kill Yamamoto. Not only because I wanted the opportunity to be able to write a sequel at some point, or at least a second adventure featuring the Chinese assassin. But I also wanted it to be clear that despite his anger at the former Triad bodyguard, the hero of the story is not a murderer.

 

Next time Kung Fu action gives way to science fiction and alien invasion as the Earth is attacked by the Glooms in the first story of the serial "Cosmic Custodians"...

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Four Post Two

The high kick from Sensei Cheng Fu was simply created by slightly rotating the angles of all the characters and then shrinking the much larger picture into a single panel. The composition actually took some time as I wanted to try and show that the British secret serviceman kicks one soldier into another, knocking them both cold.

 

As it turns out Captain Ji Song is rather easily overcome by a blow to the back of the head, but I was rapidly running out of panels to illustrate the third and final confrontation between Cheng Fu and Yamamoto. As a result the female Embassy assistant simply 'melts away', something I often do when I want all the attention to focus on something else. Doubtless she ran off looking to raise the alarm...

 

This is it, it's Yamamoto verses Sensei Cheng Fu in a battle to the death.!!

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Four Post One

In many ways this final episode to "Embassy of the Fist" is a single-part story in its own right, and as such I spent the first few panels trying to set the scene. It introduces all the characters needed for the plot within the space of four panels, including a new threat to Sensei Cheng Fu, a formidable captain in the Chinese Army called Ji Song.

 

I usually find that by the time I have started composing an adventure's last chapter that I have little appetite to actually draw anything else for the story, and as a result scramble around for characters I've drawn previously. In many ways I'm in a real rush to conclude the proceedings in order to start sketching out my next tale. As a result the Chinese Ambassador's female servant is simply a reused drawing I created for an "Ermin Meonstoke" yarn from a few years ago, and Captain Ji Song is actually just another Chinese soldier but I've flecked his hair with grey and given him a moustache.

Surrounded by Chinese soldiers with a foe stood on guard around every corner, can Cheng Fu reach Yamamoto for their final confrontation..?

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Three Post Three

One of the ways in which I always describe my cartoon stories is that they are really narratives with some drawings simply squeezed in between the dialogue to help show the reader what's supposedly taking place. These final four panels of "Embassy of the Fist" Part Three encapsulate this philosophy entirely. The plot isn't progressed at all by the artwork, it's advanced solely by what the character's are saying.

 

There's also an awful lot of ellipses spread across the various speech balloons. Ideally each balloon would encapsulate a finished sentence but as I wanted to include such a large amount of dialogue I'd have needed one or two more panels to include all of the British secret serviceman's explanation as to what was going on. I think four panels with nothing but talking taking place is pretty static, let alone half a dozen or more, hence the ellipses.

 

Will Sensei Cheng Fu risk the China-Britain business council talks and dare to set foot on sovereign Chinese soil, simply to have his revenge on Yamamoto...?

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Three Post Two

I’m not too sure the bullet streaking effects work that well with the second of these panels, as they look a little too thick to be a single projectile. I’m also not sure it comes across that Cheng Fu is too dazed to chase after Yamamoto, and probably could do with having the ‘swirling stars’ effect, which plays about his head, lasting for just one more frame. Indeed a wider shot illustrating the increasing distance between the two combatants would probably have proved more effective as well. However hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

Yamamoto has escaped again as the British Intelligence Service arrive to ‘corral’ American enthusiasm. But will Cheng Fu be permitted to confront the Chinese martial artists for a third and final time..?  

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Three Post One

Having built up to this rematch between Yamamoto and Cheng Fu in the previous episode I wanted to show that the British martial artist, no longer swayed by the anger he felt at the deaths of some of his fellow secret servicemen, was every bit as skilled as the Chinese mercenary. However within the confines of my style I found it rather difficult to show his evasion of Yamamoto’s strikes without resorting to a simple ‘Duck’ sound effect.

 

Now that it was clear Kam Lo was not the target of the International termination warrant, I felt the Chinese criminal gang leader was an unnecessary distraction to the battle between Kung Fu fighters, so simply had him killed off by the American black ops team. I thought this worked quite well as a twist to the story, and added to the sense of frustration and desperation the American’s were feeling having seen their own operatives killed by Yamamoto.

 

As Sensei Cheng Fu and Yamamoto trade strikes and kicks, their battle becomes increasingly deadly as they become the target of a .300 Winchester magnum bolt-action rifle...

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Two Post Three

The conclusion to the second episode of “Embassy of the Fist” is all about setting up the rematch confrontation between Yamamoto and Cheng Fu. As a result the Chinese martial artist dispatches the American secret servicemen with relative ease, whilst providing me with an opportunity to manipulate my Kung Fu kick pose using my graphics editor once again.

 

The final panel drops the cliff hanger that the rematch will be to the death… as the International Arrest Warrant, thought all this time to be for the criminal gang leader Kam Lo, is actually for his bodyguard Yamamoto.

 

It is Sensei Cheng Fu verses Yamamoto Part Two and the winner will be the only man left alive…

"MEN OF MYSTERY" Embassy Of The Fist - Part Two Post Two

The first panel of this sequence is an attempt to once again break the ‘side-on waist-high’ look of my comic strips and include some driving action. Indeed it’s actually a reimagining of an overhead car chase look I used to draw a few years back but brought somewhat into the 21^st Century by using Paint Shop Pro 8 as opposed to simply drawing them by hand. To try and capture a bit more motion I even rotated the vehicle layers so my graphics editor would slightly distort their edges and make them look a little blurry.

 

The next two frames introduce a rogue American black ops team, who decide that because the British are taking too long to execute the international termination warrant on Kam Lo, they’ll don balaclavas and take matters into their own hands. It’s a bit of silly nonsense to be honest, but most of the World’s Governments have these secret teams lurking throughout the plots of my "Mooretoons" stories. I guess I’m a big conspiracy theorist at heart.

 

Finally, it’s another solo shot of Cheng Fu racing towards the action. Originally I actually had the martial arts British intelligence serviceman running past the lion statue in Trafalgar Square, but changed this as I really wanted to maintain the illusion that he was leaping from rooftop to rooftop in his desperation to reach Yamamoto.

Yamamoto takes on the American Secret Service. But can the Chinese martial arts expert defeat them before Cheng Fu arrives for a rematch..?