Zatswan Design and Backgrounds Commentary + Multiversal Guardian Redraws
Here are some new old pages from Zatswan, featuring A.C. and Marlene in a wacky pocket universe. Readers have taken note of the pretty bizarre and detailed backgrounds in Zatswan, so now is a good time to talk about some of them.
One of my loves is retro gaming, in no small part due to my older siblings who always had game consoles around when I was growing up. I’ve always been fascinated by the amazing 2D pixel art in some of my favorite retro video games. The way the artists crafted outlandish and detailed scenarios over and over was truly impressive. Sega, in particular, was a developer that constantly pushed the boundaries with their creations. The environments from games such as the original Sonic: The Hedgehog games, Space Harrier, and Phantasy Star really drew me into their worlds and ignited my imagination.
One of my all-time favorite old games is Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa!
I sometimes draw inspiration from the wild backgrounds in that game when creating my own unique environments. While I put my own spin on them, the zany concepts in Fantasy Zone II provide a solid foundation to build upon. See if you can catch the similarities between Zatswan and Fantasy Zone.
The third image showcased here captures the epic hero shot of Zatswan, A.C. Cooper. As a comic artist, I understand the importance of each instance in which you depict your hero. It’s an opportunity to truly sell readers on their character and essence, so I approach such illustrations with great care. In this particular artwork, the biggest challenge was creating a convincing glow effect. However, I’m pleased with the overall outcome and how well it turned out.
I’m proud of the design I created for Zatswan. Going back to the retro gaming influence, his boots and color scheme were partially inspired by the Metroid character Samus Aran, and her design while wearing the Varia Suit in the original 1986 Nintendo Entertainment System game.
While it’s understandable that people draw comparisons to Green Lantern, Zatswan possesses a subtly more aggressive appearance that sets him apart, as depicted in the severe and sharp lines seen in the costume, in contrast to Green Lantern’s more neutral and rounded lines, which can be seen in the Lantern logo. It was also a deliberate choice on my part to ensure that Zatswan’s energy looks distinct and unlike any other hero’s power.
The Zatswan logo is something I’m particularly happy about. Not only does it have an incredibly awesome visual appeal, but it also provides significant insights into the character. The incorporation of two squares within the logo represents the tesseract, which serves as the source of Zatswan’s power. The prominent “Z” is a clear symbol representing the name “Zatswan,” while the star field in the background elegantly captures his cosmic nature.
I’m coming pretty close to finishing up the redraws for Chapter 1. The next batch of pages will be the final stretch. After that, I’ll do a bit of touching up on Chapters 2 and 3. Nothing nearly as extensive as the work for Chapter 1. After that, Multiversal Guardian will be converted to Webtoon’s vertical scrolling format and posted on that site, and then…Zatswan: Stardust Romantique will be upon us!