Stickleback: London's Burning Part 4 References

Stickleback and the gang in action
Stickleback © 2010 Rebellion Developments/2000AD
Stickleback created by Ian Edginton & me

Not much in the way of references this week, so I thought I'd throw in an unlettered copy of this panel; of all the shots I've done of Stickleback and the gang to date, this one's probably my favourite.

The Centurion

Unfolding from a single block of metal, the Centurion has a certain amount in common with 80's toys-cum-90's film stars the Transformers. Side panels that fold out and back like wings reinforce that Japanese mecha feel. The twin Gatling-gun "arms" borrow from Robocop's ED-209, and the rotating magnifier for the eye lenses adds a certain Dalek-y vibe.

Since this is meant to be Victorian technology, I wanted to follow the look of early trains, tanks and traction engines, where everything is functional but not really styled - there's no attempt to round off hard lines or make shapes more aerodynamic.

To avoid confusion with The Traction Men from England's Glory, I used a tilted cube for the Centurion's torso and added animal-style back-slung knee joints to give the legs a different shape.

Oh, and by the way, the folding-out is all a complete cheat; the gaps in the cube body don't remotely match to the folded-out panels on the limbs. I just tried to make it complicated enough that no one would notice.