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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
Posts: 593
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 Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 1:00 pm Post subject: Retro Red Planet |
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It took two years of work to finish this diorama but it's finally done! Nearly 50 lbs of plywood, ceramic tile, and sand comprise this piece...
Retro Red Planet Diorama by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet Diorama by trekriffic, on Flickr
The scene depicts an emergency landing by the TWA Mars Liner "Solar Flare" in the deserts of Mars south of the Olympus Mons escarpment which rises to a height of almost four miles in the distance...
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Nearby stands the atomic powered MARRV (Mars Advanced Rapid Response Vehicle) patrol and rescue ship piloted by the legendary space ace, Captain Horatio Barnes...
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
The MARRV, using it's new magnetic grappler, has just towed the "Solar Flare" safely away from certain disaster in the asteroid belt after a fried circuit board disabled her guidance systems. As Barnes exits his ship and readies the portable gamma welder for repair of some minor hull damage, the spaceliner's captain approaches...
Retro Red Planet Diorama by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet Diorama by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
"Thanks for saving the day", comments Major John "Jack" Mason as he nears the MARRV, "but your grappler dented my ship !"
Jack points a gloved finger at a small hole and dimple barely visible in the side of the "Solar Flare"...
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Barnes, mildly amused, says nothing as he flips a red switch on the welder which emits a low hum as it comes to life; although, in the thin atmosphere of Mars, no one could actually hear it.
Smiling ruefully, he shakes his head and glances up at TWA's most experienced pilot.
"Now you know that wasn't my fault Jack. Remember that pesky little asteroid I blasted with my laser cannon? You must've caught a fragment from the explosion. But don't worry, she'll be good as new when I'm done." Barnes stands and removes the gamma welder from it's cradle; moments later he starts to work sealing the hull breach with its finely tuned invisible beam...
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Meanwhile, co-pilot Anna Voltaire descends the ladder from the spaceliner carrying a tool box for Captain Barnes' return flight. Inside she's packed a few snacks from the ship's galley; a small gesture of thanks for rescuing the ship and her fifty passengers. Stepping off the bottom rung onto the fine sands of Mars she glances up, momentarily transfixed by the grandeur of Olympus Mons looming majestically in the distance...
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
Retro Red Planet by trekriffic, on Flickr
"Oh my", she breathes,"It's so... so incredibly beautiful. It really...it really does takes your breath away. How close to those cliffs are we?"
Retro Red Planet Diorama by trekriffic, on Flickr
Jack's voice crackled in her helmet, "Hard to say. About 50 kilometers I'd guess. Olympus Mons, the biggest volcano in the solar system, extinct or otherwise."
An hour later after inspecting the weld and calling it good, Captain Barnes lifts off to resume his duties patrolling the Martian spaceways ...
MARRV Liftoff with Moons by trekriffic, on Flickr
I still remember watching episodes of Retro Red Planet on our old black and white TV as a kid with my brother and sister.
How can anyone forget that Strategic Space Command music at the start? Classic!
Retro TV by trekriffic, on Flickr
Last edited by trekriffic on Thu May 03, 2018 5:04 pm; edited 8 times in total |
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Custer
Space Sector Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2015
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| Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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Those shots look great. The thin atmosphere would, I suppose, make far-away cliffs look nearer, but Mars is a fairly small planet, so cliffs 50 km away would have to be exceedingly tall to be visible over the horizon.
Anyway, I love the scenario and the screenshots. Nice that TWA has staged a comeback in space - the old Trans World Airlines expired fourteen years ago. Checking dates on Wikipedia, I see it outlasted Pan Am by a decade - though Pan Am's Orion III space clipper was prominent in 2001: A Space Odyssey...
How would some of those shots look in monochrome? Rather reminiscent of some older classic movies, I suspect.  |
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Custer wrote: | | Those shots look great. The thin atmosphere would, I suppose, make far-away cliffs look nearer, but Mars is a fairly small planet, so cliffs 50 km away would have to be exceedingly tall to be visible over the horizon. |
To be honest I have no idea how high those cliffs would look from 50 kilometers away on Mars. I just picked a distance that sounded impressive. That said, considering those cliffs are almost vertical and rise more than 2/3 the height of Mount Everest they would make quite an impression even at 50 kilometers I would think.
| Custer wrote: | | How would some of those shots look in monochrome? Rather reminiscent of some older classic movies, I suspect. |
Hmmm... interesting idea. See for yourself...
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orzel-w
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Joined: 19 Sep 2014
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| Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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Love those little footprints! 
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| orzel-w wrote: | | Love those little footprints! |
You'll like this one then...
 untitled2 by trekriffic, on Flickr |
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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Last but not least, here's the final image that a friend of might composited for me...
After completing temporary repairs to the "Solar Flare", the MARRV fires her engines and lifts off to resume her duties patrolling the space lanes over Mars...
Make sure to stay tuned for more adventures of Captain Barnes, United States Space Patrol! |
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Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17637
Location: North Carolina
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:12 am Post subject: |
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Oh, man, I hope my mom lets me come over and play at your house! 
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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:05 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Custer
Space Sector Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2015
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| The black & white versions do look good...probably a sepia version would be going to extremes! The final shot is very nice, though a Mr John Carter assures me that the moons of Mars don't look quite that big from the surface... |
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| Custer wrote: | | The black & white versions do look good...probably a sepia version would be going to extremes! The final shot is very nice, though a Mr John Carter assures me that the moons of Mars don't look quite that big from the surface... |
I'm sure you are right about that. I think maybe they are that large just for dramatic effect though.
Here's another version with no moons:
I edited this in Flickr! using their aviary tool. This effect is called "Concorde". To me it looks a lot like what we saw on our old grainy black & white TV's back in the 50-60's. I can imagine back then they would have used flares to simulate the twin rocket exhausts. |
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Custer
Space Sector Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2015
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:40 am Post subject: |
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Dramatic effect wins out, for sure. And the "aviary" version looks pretty dramatic, too... or "Concorde" version, rather. You can practically hear the roar of those rockets!  |
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Custer wrote: | | Dramatic effect wins out, for sure. And the "aviary" version looks pretty dramatic, too... or "Concorde" version, rather. You can practically hear the roar of those rockets! |
Here's a few more in "Concorde" style...
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Custer
Space Sector Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2015
Posts: 929
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| After all the trouble you went to to get sand to the right colour for Mars, we find the black & white versions, especially with this filter, the most atmospheric. There's probably a moral there - but on the other hand, we do get two sets of science fiction adventure stills for the price of one! |
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Custer wrote: | | After all the trouble you went to to get sand to the right colour for Mars, we find the black & white versions, especially with this filter, the most atmospheric. There's probably a moral there - but on the other hand, we do get two sets of science fiction adventure stills for the price of one! |
Yes. There is definitely something to be said for black & white imagery...
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trekriffic
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Joined: 19 Feb 2015
Posts: 593
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| Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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Just for fun...
Saturday afternoons we all gathered around the console TV to watch
the latest Captain Barnes space adventure!
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Custer
Space Sector Commander
Joined: 22 Aug 2015
Posts: 929
Location: Earth
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:08 am Post subject: |
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I don't think I've ever seen a television like that - would it have worked as a radio as well?
It certainly gives a sharp, if slightly tilted, picture! |
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