Below is a illustration at how Sanction 7 [ yup, that's the name of the actual team ] was initially conceived just a little over a decade ago. I created new uniforms fairly recently only to discover I really LIKED versions of the old ones. Solution? What the hell... I'll use both.

The Art of Christopher Taylor

I've decided to show a few more images ahead of schedule here. Below is the eventual cover to the Space Station Orbiter sketchbook and preview. The reason why it's three quarters inked is because I intend to have the left side completely colored, middle area only inked with the right remaining in sketch form. Showing the various stages of a comic illustration is nothing new but along with some modern typefaces should make for a interesting image. I'm currently inking the remainder of the illo. I'll completely re-color it and will probably use it as the back cover. So who are these characters? From front to back:

StealthShadow- Indian descent, invisibility and the ability to phase.
Astra M- African descent, manipulates the electromagnetic spectrum.
FyreFist- Japanese descent, heat and flame plasma caster.
Vector- African descent, Super-sonic speedster.
Dreadnaught- twenty story high mobile unit, military offensive weapon, psionically controlled.

The Art of Christopher Taylor

Okay these next illos are technically not apart of the Space Station orbiter mythos... but... should give folks a nice tease as to what to expect. Hey, I'm just trying to get the party started here. Don't hate.

The Art of Christopher Taylor

Oh God. Not ANOTHER Blog. I can HEAR the groans. Trust, I'm groaning with you! First of all I hate the word "blog". Why can't we use the word "diary"? Oh wait, it's just not 21st century enough. So, "blog" it is then.

So why am I doing this? Well to better market my art and concepts of course! That's the main reason, but probably the more compelling reason at least for myself is the use of the blog as motivation. Like many artists, I suffer from procrastination. Sometimes only on a minor level, other times chronically. And my time is severely limited. I work a full time wage slave job, I'm a art director, editor, cheerleader for a new Urban Fantasy magazine entitled Gritz n Gravy [check out http://www.gritzandgravymag.com/ and pre-order the damn magazine!] and now I've decided to move forward and develop a science-fiction super hero comic, entitled Space Station Orbiter: Cloud 99.

Back to the word "procrastination". It can be crippling. But I've truly admired bloggers Eric Canete, Cory Walker, and Sean Galloway. They've made a concentrated effort to update their blogs on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. Now granted, Cory's fallen off the bus somewhat, but that doesn't take away a YEAR'S worth of uploaded sketches! Un-fucking-believable. Now I'm no-where near in that league BUT if I can post just one to three illos a week on my blog I'll consider that a victory.

Folks get to see my artwork here first, before anywhere else [including my formal website page http://cmtaylorillustration.com/]. I get to feel like I'm actually "doing something", and making progress and promoting my books at the same time too. Everybody wins.

So what's Space Station Orbiter: Cloud 99 anyway? Sounds like a anime/manga title. Well that's intentional. These days, I don't watch much anime and I read even less manga. But I make it a point to be aware of what's out there. And having made those two statements doesn't change the fact that one look at my artwork and it's easy to tell the influence is there. What can I say? I grew up on Speed Racer and by the time Star Blazers and the Battle of the Planets dropped I was hooked for life. What those 'toons did for me as a child was nothing compared to the effect Neon Genesis Evangelion would have on me as a adult. It remains my all time favorite anime series. I also LOVE the Legion of Super-Heroes. Lastly, the Empire Strikes Back is my favorite Star Wars film. I wanted to create a concept that would evoke the essence of all three.

Space Station Orbiter: Cloud 99 is a series set in the future and it's about war. It's about what happens when your faction has lost the war. And yet you hold the key to salvation for others. What then? When does it stop being about winning and all about survival? These questions are the driving force behind this series. I get to draw what I draw best, science fiction backdrops, genetically engineered paranormals, cool spaceships, and giant robots.