#kogaverse

[tyrantisterror]

Here’s @dinosaurana‘s kaiju Ol’ Bertha, the first of two commissions I’ve been working on this week (the other is for a different person and is still in the research phase).  I think she came out quite well!

If you would also like pay me some lovely money for the service of drawing a monster for you, my info is here:  Shoot me a message and we’ll talk business.

[dinosaurana]

Dinosaura: The New Year

While we’re already on day two of the new year, I wanted to go and give an update on what my plans and everything are for here, in both upcoming projects, blog things, and more. 

KogaVerse Things  

So, things here are progressing a little bit differently than planned, but overall well. I’ve started writing, and involved with a group of other kaiju creators that have helped me formed the goals of it to start out a new segment, some actual human characters, and the like. Really happy that I’m finally jotting things down 

But as all things, something needs to change. At this time, I’m taking suggestions for a new name for the KogaVerse, considering mainly that Koga is no longer the main focus on the series. So it’s time for a new name. 

Photography Goals

While my instagram holds more of this than here, I do plan on offering prints of some of them within a few months, and figured that while not a large part, is still something rather exciting for the new year. 

Announcement: The Explorer Records

So, this one is something that I’ve been brewing in the background for awhile. Since roughly 2015/16, I’ve been wanting to create a podcast, to have my voice set out into the world doing what I love: telling stories. As such, I’ve been working on a small project, an archive for the Explorer’s League that details their findings and explorations and let’s the newest member of the organization (You, the listener), see what it is that makes a hero. I’m in the writing stages, and figuring out a few humps, but this has me extremely excited. 

What’s been with the Silence?

This one was something I’ve been meaning to take a gander with. It was a bit of a few different things for my more prolonged silence. I moved back at the start of November to a new place, and it’s been a whirlwind of bouncing from here and there, dealing with finding a new equilibrium, and more. I’ve finally gotten back into the swing of things and have a set time to work on projects and things. In this time, I took it as a breather to get away for awhile and recharge a bit. Now it’s time to get back into the swings of things. 

[dinosaurana]

Before man, monsters roamed the earth. It was a common fact really, what with gigantic retrosaurs and beings from beyond the stars and all. But there was an overarching theory that mankind would have to dwell within a relatively kaiju free world to have build civilization without gigantic monsters roaming about. And with most either trapped geologically, magically, or lost to space, it was a lull that brought man to where he was today.

Kalthor challenged that thought entirely.

Originating from the middle of the Cenozoic based on what can be dechipered from his body, the large kaiju is surprisingly adapted to humanity around, only lashing out by other monsters or direct attacks. In truth, one has little to fear with him around, even with his destructive habits. He has fought off several monsters in a grumpy but lethal manner, and has once even been called a hero. As much as a prehistoric mammal that emerged from volcanic rock and is highly temperamental can be. 

A more interesting feature however, is that vague records of Kalthor that exist globally. In modern times Kalthor is a globetrotter, and records ranging from cave paintings in Africa to illustrations in medieval Japanese manuscripts showing a beast similar to Kalthor if not nearly a mirror image. The idea that Kalthor has been around throughout modern history and ancient history is challenging things. The alternative is that another roams somewhere, a possibility that might just be true...

At this point most of my regular followers will recognize the amazing work of @connorricks, and he’s absolutely a chap for commissions. He helped bring Kalthor to life here, and I cannot thank him enough. Like,if you’re looking for a great piece for great rates and a wonderful fellow, get over there now.

Now, for the regulars, one may ask why I went with Kalthor of all creatures. Well, I was taking a look at his concept a few weeks back, and I made plans. Kalthor’s gonna be a larger part of the KogaVerse, to have that prehistoric mammal feeling. Maybe make him the Rodan of the KogaVerse or something.

[dinosaurana]

Visit Original Link

So, I was bored and wanted to mess around with audio again. So digging out some of my favorites that I hadn’t touched yet, and made Kalthor’s noises. For thpse that may have forgotten, Kalthor is one of my mammal kaiju that i haven’t talked much about at all. Due to me being in a certain project has revived usage of him, and it resulted in this. So enjoy.

[dinosaurana]

KogaVerse: Izula, Guardian of the Sky

Name:  Izula (Phoenix)

Age: Ancient

Length: 60 Meters

Height: 35 meters

Description: Izula is a surprisingly more primitive being than myths of phoenixes led to believe. Featuring a long beak with psuedoteeth serrations, clawed hands on the massive wings, and hooked claws on the feet like a Velociraptor’s, one could almost believe that it is in fact a prehistoric dinosaur. But the fully formed feathers, and the short tail shows that it is in fact some breed of primitive bird. Its body is covered in a dull shade of orange feathers, with a tail of them that looks like they’re little more than flickering fire trailing behind it.

Abilities

-          Sparked Flight: With large wings, Izula can take off into the air with a cloud of glowing sparks, and maintain flight for hundreds upon hundreds of miles. Flapping the massive wings also allows for a cascade of the lit sparks to swirl into a maelstrom of glowing bits that tend to ignite things in their way.

-          UV Radiation: Taking energy from the sun, Izula can go absorb solar energy and release it in a concentrated UV blast, a black color as strong as a razor blade and able to slice through near anything.  This is the show of divination, doubling as a glowing light at the sign of his arrival

-          Catatumbo Winds: As the Guardian of the Winds, hurricane strength gales can come from flaps of its wings that sweep away those that stand in Izulu’s way. Along with these, an entire maelstrom of lightening that can light up and electrocute nearly anything they come into contact with, and act as his signature attack.

Weaknesses

-          Flashy Personality: Izula tends to be fairly flashy and showy, and can either be flattered or tricked into believing she has won, before being swept up in a brutal and up close attack.

-          Limited Durability: While higher up in terms of abilities, Izulu remains a flier and can only take so much damage before threatening breakage of her more hollow bones.

Backstory: Of the four guardians, Izula represents the Phoenix in the role of the guardian of the winds, the sky, and celestial bodies. And in truth she spends a good deal of her time in the air, often only coming down here and there when a need arises to refuel, or something shiny catches her eye. Having roamed since the First Age of the Supernatural, and maybe even before given her more atavistic traits from birds. Her records are more sparse, appearing more when all four do rather than by herself moreso. There is rumors of a nest isolated in the Drakensburg that holds a vast wealthy treasure, but at the same time is rumored to have the monsters that Izulu had collected over the millennia protecting it.

When she first appeared in South Africa in the Second Age of Kaiju rolling in off of a thunderstorm, most took her to be a sign of something more malignant. But with a blast of UV Radiance, and a few well-placed wing beats, she was able to stop the devastating storm from ravaging a country that was not doing well with torrential rains soaking the land. She has been seen scant since then, but Izula has since been more or less considered a friendly kaiju to mankind.

How They Interact with Other Kaiju: Izula’s temperament towards other monsters is usually a mixture of playful tricks and wariness that one would hold for a creatue that is aloof in the metaphorical and physical sense. When angered she strikes with an almost righteous fury, but to those she’s loyal to get treated with respect. Her fellow guardians are at varying positions of respect, with Naga being the one she likes to torment the most.

It’s been way too long that I’ve had the guardians sitting in the folder waiting to come up after being finished, and here she is! Nasodyne is the water guardian for those that forget, with Naga and the fourth one that has not been revealed at all. With the KogaVerse’s supernatural stuff being kinda up in the air still, the fate for these four are an unknown. But at least she’s done.

[dinosaurana]

Ol’ Bertha color change

Ol’ Bertha. By far the fan favorite of the KogaVerse, and one of the most rendered monsters as of yet. And yet, there’s something I haven’t been too satisfied yet. Her coloration, when I first did it way back when, was more due to the limitations of what few digital tools I had at that time. So when I saw @tyrantisterror, who made this piece above, was doing recolors, I figured a few bucks could help me remedy the solution. So to show off some new possibilites and Ty’s work, I present the recolors of Ol’ Bertha.

Recolor 1: A more toy like variation, while still retaining some of the flavor of the original.

Recolor 2: The “Straight from Film” skin reminescent of movies like The Lost World (1925), the original King Kong and even Gojira, it’s one of my favorites so far.

Recolor 3: The only one where I specifically asked for the black and red coloration, just to see how it would look on her. I rahter like it myself, but I’m not sure it fits her character all that well.

Recolor 4: The most saurian coloration of the bunch, I love the green and yellow and blue. Might be the closest to becoming the normal coloration.

Recolor 5: Arctic Base Blast as I like to call it. I am rather fond of the blue coloration, and would definitely be willing to use this at some point.

Recolor 6: The final coloration, it adds some more of the original while making several deeper contrasts and a splash of color with the blue.

Once again, I do want to thank @tyrantisterror for the new colorations, and how fast he got them to me.

[dinosaurana]

Art made by the wonderful @connorricks! Go commission him right now! Do it.

When humanity was young, and the world was ruled by monsters, there were some that stood by their side. Ones that defended them, that guided them to survive and thrive after they had all vanished. One of the most iconic, and disturbing of this group was the GraphVine. A kaiju sized slime mold, it ws able to graph itself onto skeletons of kaiju and use them as a form of locomotion and defense. It gained the trust of humanity, and guarded it until the first age of monsters ended, and it retreated into the temple that humanity had built for it.

As the legends go, if one wishes to revive the GraphVine, they must travel through hundreds of miles of jungle, to a secluded valley that houses both the the terrifying monster itself, along with a variety of other creatures of myth and legend. While awakening it will help humanity, the rumor that it can provide the hive mind knowledge of thousands of years proves more of a lure to those that wish to find the temple. And for a Dr. Cornelius Snertch, that quest is one of a lifetime’s work to find a cure for his wife...

And once again, another wonderful piece by the brilliantly talented @connorricks! I just absolutely love his style, and the Graphvine was one that he was very interested in illustrating as well. His skill just brings the GraphVine to shambling life, and will be really helpful for inspiration and references while writing this story. Wonderful job that he did, and if you haven’t considered dropping a few bucks his way or on the edge, lemme tell you now. Do it. You literally can’t regret it.

I also realize that this is like the third skeleton monster in my universe,, though that’s not a bad thing.

[dinosaurana]

Jurassic Guardian Sand Dragon.

Monster Prompts: Kaiju Edition

Deep in the Sahara Desert, where the sands seem to swallow things alive, dwells a ruin of a civilization once so grand it inspired Mu and Atlantis’s foundations. It’s name long lost to time, it sits in the center of vast dunes, protected by a beast that seems to be more at home in a natural history museum than ancient ruins.

Torarak is the guardian “dragon” of the ruins, but in form resembles more of the earlier lines of armored goliaths. With a single row of trapezoidal plates running down the back, bright green hide, eight tail spikes, and bright red eyes, it’s no surprise that most people that dare to visit the ruins think it a dragon. Able to swim through the sands like water, it’s not uncommon for passerby’s to find themselves drowning in sand from it’s massive breaches. And as if that wasn’t enough, Torarak has a fiery breath that can cook the sand to glass, trapping intruders in glassy tombs or flambeed to death. While not the standard derivative of a dragon from retrosaur ancestry, most researchers easily lump Torarak into the clan by honor and distinction.