Illustration time!The fanfic '
The Monkey's Valet' is by
VampirenaomiI had to read through 'TMV' once more to refresh my memory and to pick out the bits I would need for my illustrations. I suddenly felt an urge to express my love through words (bear with me):
'TMV' sums up pretty much everything I could ever wish for in a fanfic about Monty's life;
*Telling this story from Bates' point of view was just genius. Right now I can't think of any other way that it could have been told, (other than entirely from MONTY's point of view; it wouldn't have been even half as emotional, I believe, besides, I doubt I'd be able to relate as much), since Bates has followed Monty's life, been with him from the beginning, and got to know His Lordship from the inside and out. After all, he was Monty's manservant. I've always liked Bates for being Monty's valet, the little we saw of their interaction in '
Monkey Fist Strikes', and even though he was a minor character with only one appearance, he made a great contrast to Monty's personality; sensible, caring and concerned. In 'Monkey Fist Strikes', he seemed to agree more with his master, and some of his expressions looked like he was trying to act like Monty at times.XD Yet, we all know he dared to say his opinion against Monty during the preparations, so it's perfectly believable that he could have been through a lot. You built out this side of his character. As a reader, I feel sympathy with the valet. I can relate to not only Bates' loyality- I'm sure I'd be relieved to leave the castle as well if I had been through Bates' experiences, yet still with some sadness in my heart.
I never saw Bates as Monty's cohort in crime. He would stick with his Lord through thick and thin, but although he wanted to help, his intentions were never malevolent.
There's one thing I was wondering about. In '
Monkey Fist Strikes' , Bates says ''Monkey Kung Fu is half mental''. It gave me the impression that he was with Monty during the time he learned the martial arts form and became a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, and knows how it works (he sounded kind of serious when he said it!). In 'TMV', Bates sounds like he has no idea of what Monkey Kung Fu is at all, and he wasn't going with Monty to China. Then I realized that maybe Bates understood what Monkey Kung Fu was by reading Monty's diary in 'TMV', so now I see how his line about it being ''half mental'' can fit into the rest of the puzzle.
*Perfect characterization and spot-on personalities.
For instance, you have captured Monty's very unstable mood and those lil' outbursts of pure happiness/ecstasy we only got to see in season 1. Having him ruffling his hair made it even better.XD
Not only have you got Monty down path, but you've also captured all the characters he's interacting with, that each plays an important role on the way; Bates, Amy and also Ron.
For me who's not a writer and who hasn't been much into people until now, it's amazing how you manage to create your own characters and make them so realistically believable. Of course they fit into the story. Nigel Abercroft has to be my favourite. It was really clever to have Monty's pack of minions being delivered from him.
At the beginning of '
Monkey Ninjas in Space', we learn that the reason for why Monty got the team of monkeys in the first place was because it was part of the Monkey Prophecy in order to become the Ultimate Monkey Master. This fact is nicely explained in your fic.
Thanks for using my idea with Monty making himself the leader of the pack. Now I feel my own version of ''how Monty got his minions'' as a whole is kind of cheesy in comparison. It makes me want to draw one picture from a scene I have in mind, and forget the rest. The way you developed the idea was breathtaking, and I don't want it written in any other way. There had to be a reason for why Bates never appeared again after '
Monkey Fist Strikes' Personally, I doubt the Mystical Monkey Power-transformation alone scared Bates away. In the heat of the battle, he still was willing to help his Lord, at any cost. The monkeys being the ONLY reason for why someone as loyal as Bates would ever leave his master goes perfectly with the monkey ninjas' further role as Monty's henchmen. With monkeys lurking around everywhere, ready to tear up anyone who's not considered part of their pack, and with his master no longer caring at all anymore, Bates realized he had to leave at last. All hope was gone. It's like he was replaced by something of more value- to Monty.
From there on, the monkeys took over the role Bates served, in a way.
I loved every single bit, and how smoothly it all developed to the present time we all know.
The best about yours and
Pengychan's fanfics is that you don't have to be a fan of the show, or MONTY for that matter- it's like you have written stand-alone novels that everyone can enjoy (ask my mom- she enjoyed Pengy's '
Spirit of Snow' -now I want her to read yours). The characterization and situations are so well done and realistic (I know I have repeated that word several times XD) that even though I know the main characters are from KP, they could be characters from somewhere else as well.
You both put a lot of research, thought and depth into your fics, not to mention a special love, giving them a lot of warmth and flesh.
***The fan art this time is one big mix of the media and techniques I'm most comfortable with and prefer the most:
DIGITAL:Software programs: Jasc Paintshop Pro 9, Adobe Photoshop CS2.I'm no digital artist, and prefer using PP9 and PS only for brightness/contrast fixing after scanning, to add eventual text, and of course to colour inked pieces of art (in a cheap way).
I have said a billion times it's not my strongest media, but it's super effective for one reason: to enlarge the simplified, comical effect. No matter how much more I love traditional media- its roughness and details would take the viewers attention away from the main point in pictures that have a simpler message, and nothing heavy emotional in them. Well...that's how it works for me.
TRADITIONAL:To be honest, it's by far what I'm best at. It gives the motive more life, movement and verve in an expressive way that no kind of digital art can quite capture. It just feels more ''close'' and ''soul-touching'' to me. When doing extreme emotional scenes where the clean digital style wouldn't manage to achieve the wanted effect, I always use traditional acrylics painting or coloured pencils.
***So, time for illustrations!
Chapter: 4, The Second Jade Monkey
Description: Bates turned to look behind his shoulder and saw his master grinning at him with what had to be one of the happiest smiles he had ever seen on his face.
“I assume your trip was worthwhile then, milord?” he asked.
Lord Fiske leaned back in his seat and ran a hand through his hair, making it ruffled and messy. “Worthwhile?” he repeated giddily. “It was more than worthwhile, Bates! You have no idea how much I learnt, what I experienced! You should have been there!” He let out a small laugh, and Bates bit back the question of whether they had served wine on the flight.Hahaha. Lovely put. Monty isn't exactly under the influence of alcohol, but he IS under the influence of something giving him a similar effect. Judging on Monty's outbursts of ecstasy (in the context of emotion) in '
Monkey Fist Strikes' and in '
Monkey Ninjas in Space', I think it's safe to say it happens when he he has experienced prosperity, and when he's close to achieve his goal(s). And...he has such a big ego. Everything's about him. I don't know how to put it, but you get the point. It's great to see Monty all giddy and happy for a change.
The outcome of Monty bugs me a bit. I'm unsure whether it's because I (as always) had trouble drawing his hair (bleh!), or because his face looks slightly off from my ''ideal'' picture of him. Still, an own touch (accidental or not) is very welcome, and adds originality to something that isn't your own creation.
It was also insanely difficult to concentrate on one single illustration that would capture the best of this scene. When reading a spot-on story like 'TMV', my mind creates an animated movie, which means a lot of pictures.
Must. Resist. Drawing. It. ALL! *Pant!* *Pant!* *Swooooon.*
That's too much, but I have to "kill many darlings" to save myself from exhaustion and pain.
SO many great expressions at once! XD
Thanks to
Vampirenaomi for grabbing me a screenshot reference; I needed a shot from inside a car, and luckily we found one that had the perfect angle.
The screenshot was from "
Batman: The Animated Series".
*Also, Vampirenaomi (VN) pointed out a little mistake regarding the car; since this is all about Brits and England, the steering wheel should be on the right side of the dashboard (Brits drive on the left side of the road too, the total opposite of what most people are used to XD). I asked my mom to be sure, and she confirmed that a British steering wheel is on the right.
It's no problem to use something in Paintshop Pro 9 called “mirror” on the image, to invert the picture in order to put the steering wheel on the right instead. It’s just a small trifle, but it’s possible to fix it:TA DAAAH!
Better?XD Hmmm.
At first it just looks awkward to the eyes. Even if I drew it like this on purpose, I'm sure it wouldn't have turned out much different. This is as right as it can get, but I'm not custom to seeing it this way. The more I look at it, however, the more I grow custom to it.
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9.
Chapter: 6, The Third Jade Monkey
Description: One of my many attempts at a capturing the right moment from this scene. I really like it when it turns out that Monty truly needs someone by his side to take care of him. His stubbornness, ego and obsession constantly gets him into trouble, often with some serious damage as result. If it wasn't for Bates being there, Monty would probably still be languishing down at the bottom of the chasm, and even die of starvation. Oh, he knows he's grateful, but again, his ego is way too proud to admit it. And when you're in pain, you're all bitter and grumpy abut everything.
Media: Watercolour pencils (lots of black shading!)
Chapter: 8, To Charm a Lady
Description: Not an actual illustration, but something I like to call a "side-doodle". I couldn't resist an attempt at capturing Monty's expression.^^"
Media: Pencils. Text in Photoshop.
Chapter: 8, To Charm a Lady
Description: Monty and Bates at the Cuddle Buddy convention/auction in London. I was going to capture the following scene where they're at the café, but for some reason, the humour and original idea in this scene made me change my mind (I wouldn't mind an awkward café chit-chat situation either, besides, I'm all about atmosphere <3).
I'm trying to stick to single illustration format, but the scene screamed ''COMIC'' and was to complex for one picture, so that's what it became. The actual illustration is...well, the first "panel".
The fun thing in this scene is the way Monty wastes a ridiculously huge amount of money on this toy to win Amy's attention. Was it parts of his family fortune? If so, it's an original way to explain how it happened. Thinking with a realistic point of view, I would usually go with the theory that he, as a gentleman, offered her money to er...''support'' her research. But this is way funnier. XD
Also, Monty didn't seem to care about money and wealth very much, besides, it wouldn't fit into his other lifestyle and unconventional interests. He would only need some money to pay with, so that he could continue to live in his family castle, and to buy necessary daily stuff for. The rest would be an overflow.
I find Monty's neck hairs a bit funny here. They seem to go natural with his usual clothes of choice, such as the explorer-/khaki outfit or the ninja garb. But for some reason, the body hair strikes me as more prominent here, as a contrast to the black jacket. Maybe it's because the hairs are a ''wild'' feature, while the jacket is more "upper class" and noble.
Hmmm...Amy looks a bit more slender than usual. Weight loss? How come?! *Bangs head in her desk*
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9. Text in Photoshop.
Chapter: 14, Pitfalls
Description: Another "side-doodle" for the sake of an expression.<3
I used one of my older doodles as reference for this one, since they're almost identical:
"
Something about how glad his master was made Bates think of Christmas"
-Lovely.^^
Media: Pencils. Text in Photoshop.
Chapter: 14, Pitfalls
Description: "
He let out a surprised yelp when Fiske reached out his foot and grabbed the book he was holding. He opened it on his lap with an enthusiastic grin on his face and started flipping through the pages, very much like he was using his hands. Bates couldn’t recall when Fiske had been this giddy the last time; he was like a child trying out his new toy."
Monty in another moment of ecstasy (theory explained in the description below the first illustration).
My love for expressions couldn't resist capturing the grin on Monty's face.
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9.
Chapter: 16, Monkey Fist Strikes
Description: The calm before the storm. Bates, Monty and Team Possible are having a good time (at least it's how it seems)at the camp in the heart of the jungle of Cambodia. Kim and Monty are sharing stories from their experiences.
Hey, let's not forget Kim's glances of admiration at Monty, the famous archaeologist, explorer and respected scholar, hehe! ;P
She didn't know Monty wasn't quite right up in head back then, but he had her interest.
One of the illustrations I actually like the most. The lights and shadows came out interestingly well.
Media: Acrylics paint, some pen marker and coloured pencil. Some Paintshop Pro 9 on the fire.
Chapter: 17, Aftermath
Description: A close-up of Monty in the beginning of the conversation between him and Bates, in an isolated room at the Police Station. This takes place after the events of the climax in '
Monkey Fist Strikes'. Monty is completely down, believing he has lost the Mystical Monkey Power. The statues were broken, and he was defeated by a youth- a buffoon, even! He still has the power, but he thinks everything's lost. Too bad it is impossible to get anything that makes sense out of him- he's irresponsible.
Another personal favourite illustration. It really touches me as something special when it comes to emotion.
And he's "inbetween-Fiske-Fist" here! The main difference between Monty's features as "Fiske" and "Monkey Fist" is the nose. Hands down. XD
"Fiske"'s nose is way larger, longer and more human-like. Also, " Fiske has a more upright, straight carriage than "Monkey Fist"'s stooped monkey appearance. Confusing, huh? XD
I'll explain why I enjoy using his feature changes (see the episode '
Monkey Ninjas in Space') so much below the following bunch of illustrations.
Media: Acrylics Paint, coloured pencils.
Monty: “Mystical Monkey Power was all that mattered to me! I worked hard to get it, and then it was taken from me before I had the chance to do anything with it! It was supposed to be my destiny, but it was ruined by that meddling idiot!” Fiske raised his arms above his head and clutched at the air and looking like he was strangling someone in his mind.
---
“I’m very sorry, milord, but I think this is about enough. You need to sleep. Hopefully you’ll see things differently in the morning,” Bates said harshly and approached the man. Fiske retreated in shock at his uncharacteristic behaviour and glared at him with eyes that demanded answers.Monty: “What makes you think you can treat me like this? You’re my valet!”Bates: “Exactly, and part of my duties is taking care of your wellbeing when you’re incapable of doing it yourself.”He again reached out with his hand to grab a hold of Fiske’s arm.Monty: “Don’t you dare touch me!”-
Bates(in a new close-up panel, not one of the illu's):-“Milord, you’re being childish. I --”*SMACK!*---
Monty: “Get out if you know what’s good for you!”He stood crouched, absent-mindedly rubbing his hand and glaring at Bates from under his ruffled hair. The valet searched Fiske’s face for any signs of regret or sanity, but the broken madman he was looking at bore no resemblance to the master he had once served.Chapter: 18, Insanity Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Description: Here we go again; my animated mind forced me to draw a PICTURE SERIES, and could simply not focus on one single illustration. This vas a very complex scene. Some bits are left out, so it's not totally complete. It's from the scene back home, where Monty totally loses his temper and hits his valet. Poor Bates only wanted his master to get some sweet sleep; staying up wouldn't make the situation any better.
I love the description of Bates feeling more like a babysitter than a valet. Monty could be like a big kid....just more unstable, not to mention more dangerous. Mildly said.
In the previous illustration, I drew Monty as "inbetween-Fiske-Fist" (what else to name the phenomenon?
). In the moment at the Police Station, I like thinking that Monty's mood is at a broken and frustrated stage on the er..."madness scale". He flips there too, but it's not as heated up as in this following scene. I like switching between "inbetween" and "Monkey Fist" depending on how powerful Monty's bad mood is. In short: "inbetween" for blue, down and mildly frustrated, and "Monkey Fist" for the highest level of rage and totally nuts. It makes a strong, emotional effect.
An other thing is that whenever there's a fanfic taking place between '
Monkey Fist strikes' and '
Monkey Ninjas in Space', I always use Monty's design as he appeared in '
MFS'. It's because the later styles don't have the same creepy touch to it as '
MFS' had. Monty simply looks too polished and "hot" (lol!) from season 2-4 and out. Just a...good-looking man monkey. Even noble. But in '
MFS', "Monkey Fist" is more like a beast, both when it comes to his more twisted features and his behaviour. Creepy. Just plain creepy. And I love it that way.
I like Monty's expressions here, but other than that, the digital colouring was messed up at one point, and I hate my outlining.
As for the traditional pieces, they were done in a rush, because I was really impatient.
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9. The Traditional pieces were done in pencil, and "fixed" in PP9.
Chapter: 18, Insanity Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Description: Oh Monty, you psychopathic lunatic.XD Monty discovers that Mystical Monkey power isn't gone after all, when he takes a closer look at his delivered package containing the stuff we see he has "installed" in the large, secret "dojo-room" in '
Monkey Ninjas in Space'. Yay! More ecstasy!
I had so much trouble with this one- and I just pasted the official background design sheet of the main hall for the background. Too many details. -___-
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9.
Chapter: 18, Insanity Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Description: One too many, not part of the pack.
"
It was over as soon as it had started. The monkeys jumped off him and formed a straight line when Fiske entered the room. Bates was left lying on the floor, panting and staring at the animals with wide eyes. He was bleeding from numerous cuts, but he barely realised this as he shakily got to his feet."
*Sigh* I strongly dislike the front-composition here. But I was too impatient to redraw it.
Again, thanks for using my idea, VN!
Media: Drawn by hand, coloured in Paintshop Pro 9.
****There will be two more illustrations to come. Stay tuned for more.
___The illustrations and reviews are up at
TUMA.