Defining the work of Geoff Senior. Part 2/3

 - Leigh Gregurke

There is no one single rule or method that makes a page work. What exists is a range of tools employed by artists such as the mechanics of page flow, direction hierarchy and overall shape harmony. These may not be immediately implicit on a page but it is nearly always apparent when they are absent. 

You might not remember the pages that don't work because chances are if they were common in a book it wasn't great and you didn't make it far through. Many times I wade through a book, struggling because I find myself re-reading a page trying to find the rhythm, getting lost in the panels or struggling to identity the pace. Geoff Senior pages nearly always read easily and the information the writer wished to transmit is always clear.

In part one I touched on some of the more iconic pages of Geoff Senior but it's the absolute craft that appears on a regular basis that cements his legacy as the best. To spotlight the mechanics employed by Senior here are three different pages over three different eras of his career examined.


Leading the eye.

Marvel Comics

In a page from Matrix Quest, Senior employs a lot of spot blacked shadows to convey the sense of dread, tension and confinement perfectly suited to the horror themes Senior and Furman were exploring in a heavily Alien influenced 1990 issue. The shadows serve a dual purpose however not only of obfuscation and foreshadowing but acting as non obtrusive guiding lines.

The first down-stroke across the face is wonderful in giving us immediate tone but it also points us down to the left of the next panel. Clever work by the letterer Jim Massara filling the blank space draws us from Bumblebee's face towards the monitor; one of the major light sources of the page. Senior halts us, shows a new entrant to the scene; Grimlock again bathed in shadow contrasting against the negative space of the room beyond. It's the cast shadow of a cable or other piece of the environment that curves and almost tangents us directly into the pulled back shot giving us the room and context. A spot blacked element of foreground then drives us back across so the final panel reads almost in reverse. We find ourselves drawn to the connection between eye line, head-spike then the arm shunting out. By building movements across the page it builds pace, the arm although not using speed-lines or texture has direction and impact, it feels sudden, powerful and definitive. Senior provides us cause and effect, permission of eye movement blocked and controlled by suggested character movement.


Pausing the eye.

Marvel Comics

If you were to take the script of this page I think the first instinct might be to make the prominent panel the moment of Trailbreaker being shot; Senior resists however and provides us with engaging pacing and directional tools to build tension. The top panel is a trademark 86 Senior establishing shot, wide and flat and gives us the beat for the rest of the page. The dominant following panel switches the pace, completely stalling the eye, pulls the viewer up and away above the eye-line to show the predicament of the character. Even though we don't see through Scourge's eyes, we see the situation and each rack of steel leads the eye to a different direction. We don't get a clear read on where the action will be. It is the opposite effect to the clear road-map of the previous analyzed page and it is completely intentional. We feel the initial confusion, the maze, the viewers eye has to pause and explore the options we are trained to follow.

The narrative of Furman of course depicts the character of Scourge as the alpha hunter though, even when we are paused his hesitation is short lived. In that moment of pause we become the hunted and feel the tension of the hiding trio about to be revealed feel. You know that feeling when you are playing hide and seek? Waiting and knowing you are about to be found, that wait is agonizing. The panel is that wait. 

Scourge's shot mirrors the top panel but at a shorter size showing it's a shorter beat; the pace ramps up. The lettering insert lets us know that he reacts with terrifying speed but we already know that, we see it. The page isn't about a character being shot as much as it is about the tension beforehand, it shows us a character trait and puts us into the emotional state of three characters only pictured once in the final panel.



Directional hierarchy and shape harmony

Marvel Comics

Sometimes a page isn't always about the read order though, consider the above page that almost reads as though it could be filmed as a montage. The action all feels simultaneous. The effects of the subsequent panels to the left are shown affecting the initial. Every panel reads as upwards rising energy, every line is filled with a directional intent that starts from the bottom radiating towards the top. The directional hierarchy isn't subtle on this page and was not, I think, intended to be but there are other techniques at play hiding under the surface.

The page has intent to give us a feeling of a grouped barrage, a united front against the seemingly unbeatable foe in the giant planet eater Unicron. The directional choice gives us the stage of the battle. We know the players are on the ground, small.....even the normally heroically larger form of Optimus Prime and hulking brute of Scorponok are reduced to a head joining the directional choir and an insert panel. 

The first narrow panel gives us extra context of the results of the impact but we instinctively know from the story and the lore that Unicorn is upwards always, his size and celestial nature make it so. The second layer of shape harmony is subtle but one I think is entirely intentional, the other dominant shape coexisting with the straight directional lines are the circular forms depicting the effects of the weaponry, the curve of Scorponok's tail, the base and details of the planetary guns and the arc of the rising fighter jets. Senior I believe could have had the jets angling up and leftwards to create a stronger sense of directional hierarchy but instead having them accentuate that arc we see a hint towards both the spherical nature of Cybertron and of Unicron, two hugely dominant spherical forces at the heart of the book. Senior creates a page that not only reads unified in direction but in shape, no other visual element goes against the harmony causing friction or demanding the eye. Even Rick Parker's letters are kept tight and tidy to the borders to avoid contrasting the status quo. 

These are but some of the incredible works of Geoff Senior. Every page contains a number of techniques, tricks or tools to make them stand out and tell a story. Find a book that Senior worked on, find a page and take a look under the bonnet, why does it work?

The next and final installment of this examination of the work of Geoff Senior attempts to show you the mark making and line quality that defines a Senior. I hope to even teach you how to draw like Senior. Ambitious I know.

As always, keep it #Refined




follow Leigh @Ambushthem

RRCo. Report: TFNation 2017

- Dorian MacQuarrie

We are just over a week removed from TFNation 2017. Social media is still abuzz with friends both old and new sharing their experiences, there are still haul and reflection videos coming through on YouTube and the official TFNation account remains a presence on our timelines. 

Just like toy cars
Photo by Ben Watson

Building on the success of their debut last year, the team behind TFNation sought to put on a convention that catered to the myriad flavours of Transformers fans and I can safely say they succeeded in presenting a wide array of guests, panels and exclusive merchandise which extended beyond the brand we all know and love. There's always a chance that by trying to cater to the many you can dilute your product but when the guests range from the legendary Geoff Senior to the ever-popular James Roberts and you're offering a convention exclusive Transformers Animated comic, there was no lack of quality for the sake of quantity.

In the months leading up to TFNation, information regarding tickets, hotels, guests, merchandise and general advice for attendees was communicated through official social media platforms, showing from start to finish, the TFNation team had the attendee at the heart of the convention. This also helped to fuel the oh so important hype train, ensuring excitement was at a fever pitch.

Traditionally, the Friday of convention weekend has little to offer and outside of a screening of the 1986 Transformers: The Movie was mostly a bar experience where people could catch up with friends and welcome first timers. Last year TFNation set a precedent with their Rock Lords panel and presentation of the line, showing not only do they aim to cater to early arrivals but also to those would hold interests outside of Transformers specifically. This year was no different, with various panels starting from as early as 12pm, including a Q&A with popular Youtuber Thew Adams and a special look at the Brave series, including an eye watering showcase of many vintage Brave toys. I've never seen so much gold chrome in person.

Saturday morning and doors open. As with the previous year, the dealer room, staging area and signing stations for the multitude of guests were all in one large hall, allowing you to make multiple rounds of the various dealers, artists and writers.

For many attendees the dealer room is the main attraction of the convention. The opportunity to pick up toys normally only available online, the chance of stumbling across some rare gem from Transformers lines of old (or maybe even a cheeky Gobot or two) or even just the satisfaction of seeing such a vast selection of toys in person. This year Titans Return Trypticon was definitely one of the key toys to snatch up, also there was a surprise splash of Maketoys products available in limited number, Thunder Erebus and Galaxy Meteor, the latter of which, as Maketoys has recently announced, might not be available for some time now if at all at this point. Beyond those particular items there were impressive displays from Kapow Toys, The Spacebridge, In Demand Toys, Max and Me Love Toyz and of course, the ever eclectic mix from Toy-Fu. 

Next to the main convention haul was the much lauded Forge, a space for artists from within the community to sell their wares including prints, badges and commission pieces to name a few. This represents a key pillar of the TFNation experience, the community. It is said time and again that the community makes the convention and the team behind TFNation have supported the multitude of artists and creators by providing the space and the means to sell their wares and showcase their talents. 

Over the weekend there are many opportunities to interact with guests, through panels hosted in the main hall or one of the secondary rooms, signing stations which also serve as pick up points for commissions and prints or even at the hotel bar. There is a very relaxed environment surrounding the interaction with guests. Other conventions often operate on a system of premium tickets and paid-for photo opportunities and autographs, not so with TFNation, where you only have to queue up to meet the likes of Simon Furman or Kei Zama and if you're lucky you'll even have a chance to buy them a drink at the bar. The accessibility of the guest experience is yet another unique aspect of TFNation compared to other conventions around the UK. 

As Saturday trading comes to a end, and the main convention hall closes, preparing for another day's trading on Sunday, the secondary hall opens up for the evening's entertainment. Starting with the cosplay competition, attendees are treated to a plethora of various characters from the Transformers franchise. From Sideswipe to Censere the Necrobot, from humanised "Pretenders" to full robot-regalia, the quality of work and craftsmanship on display is astounding. Every year the cosplayers improve and innovate, with increasingly elaborate costumes and evermore obscure characters. 

Following the pageantry of the cosplay competition, the script reading provides some humour and light hearted situational comedy, bringing together the voice actors in attendance and anyone capable of a good Beast Wars Megatron. It's a special event and not one you'd easily find at other conventions. While the entertainment continues, downstairs at the bar other attendees are catching up with old friends, sharing experiences with new ones and of course, tinkering away with their purchases from the day. Try to imagine the entire bar of a hotel, crammed full of Transformers fans of all kinds playing with toys, it's slightly bizarre to be honest. 

This is the heart of the convention, this is the reason many people travel from far and wide, to take part in the most welcoming, accommodating, exciting and satisfying weekend of the year. For many people their love of Transformers might be a private affair or at the very least they might be very limited in speaking about their hobby to friends and family. At TFNation, regardless of whether you're a fan of G1, Bayverse, Animated, MTMTE or even Kiss Players, you'll find common ground with the hundreds of others in attendance. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to talk to some of the organisers and through our conversations I came to the realisation that TFNation is more akin to seeing your favourite band. Sure you might prefer a different album from the fan next to you but you're all still there to see that one band. In this case everyone present is a Transformers fan and that sort of common denominator allows for unparalleled levels of interaction between complete strangers. 

Sunday morning and once again, doors open. Given the options for weekend, Saturday only and Sunday only tickets, the experience of welcoming newcomers and old friends starts all over again. For those who arrived in the previous days the dealer room is less of a focus, allowing more time to peruse the Forge or spend time at a panel in the main hall or of course, a return to the bar for a drink and some more socialising. For those who may have train or plane tickets booked for the Sunday evening, time can weigh heavily on the afternoon. The desire to spend every remaining moment with friends versus the very real need to rest after a weekend of indulgence can create something of a dull mood. Thankfully the Hilton is well placed with opportunities to explore the surrounding lake and foot paths for a chance to recharge and create a little head space before diving back in for the last few hours. 

The closing ceremony of TFNation is a bittersweet moment. Full of cheers, smiles and joy but also the sad realistion that it's all over for another year. In the final moments, the feeling that it has only taken place over the weekend yet somehow your entire world was this one weekend at this one hotel is palpable. The final farewells are more akin to the what is experienced at a family gathering, hugs, handshakes and I'm sure for some people a little sorrow. While a handful remain until the Monday morning, taking up the mantle of "survivors" many head home, their journey back to reality and whatever work, education or other activities make up their day. 

This was TFNation's second year and it was clear that the team are learning from their experiences and are dedicated to providing the best convention experience possible. With plans to deliver a bigger and better event year on year I can only guess at what will be in store for 2018. Enormous praise must go to everyone involved with setting up and running the convention. Their hard work ensures that attendees can enjoy what for many is the best weekend of the year, safe in the knowledge that their tastes are being catered to and that the TFNation team keep them at the heart of all their work. 

Until next time, keep it #Refined.