Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Animorphs Forum Classic => Topic started by: Gafrash on October 13, 2008, 06:32:24 AM
-
Visser Three seemed to have an uncanny attraction to large lethal and monstrous morphs. Only once do I recall him resorting to doing one of a minuscule stature AND on the basis of fleeing.
I'd like to read people's views on the extra-terrestrial animals he turned into. I think K.A.'s imagination was really pushed at some of them. Not so much on others. Though I tend to think of the latter as being a Ghostwriter's input. Like, how many tentacled-creatures can you come up with!?
That said, on DeviantArt and on the Hirac Delest's website, I came across this wicked fanart by a Monster-Man08. I'd like to commend his artworks by posting his drawings here. I think the artist did some pretty inspiring and kewl depictions of these creatures I only imagined in my head and he succeeded in making them recognizable!
The best I've come up with for the Visser's morphs are lame scribbles for line drawings on the subject.
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-01.jpg)
First, I'll pick The Antarean Bogg he depicted on both top lefts. Ironically, I actually think this is not his strongest concept of the animal. I think because I imagined the Antarean Bogg resembling more of a dinosaur, kinda like the Hork-bajirs but even more mean-looking and of course on a bigger scale. Not a cute pudgy thing. NOT that I would want to cuddle a real-life manifestation of these depictions he did.
Even the name holds a reptilian 'resonance' to me. It's actually quite an epic morph of the Visser to imagine, because it was his first one we got to see in the series and it was also the one with which he ATE Prince Elfangor. So the name becomes synonymous to the cruel bloodthirsty villain of the series, and that's why it needs to be more gut-wrenching thought-provoking in looks, me thinks.
I don't think the fire-breathing creature with a predilection for the number 8 was ever named on #1: The Invasion. But I liked how it was used again on #47: The Resistance. Monster-Man08's depiction reminded me how I pictured the creature as something out of Greek Mythology. It was said that the Hydra was a fire-breathing serpent whose head would double everytime it was chopped. Which lead me to wonder WHAT would have happened to the Visser HAD one of his 8 heads been pulverized by, say, a Dracon beam. Would THAT head have been the one containing his consciousness or whatever and eliminated him?
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-02.jpg)
I like the Yeerkbane Vanarx . Looks pretty cool. Though I don't imagine it being that big an animal if it feeds on Yeerk slugs. More like a leech-like serpent with a 'hand-held vaccum-cleaner, round pink-gummy shark-like' mouth.
Also in these pictures are depictions of that Rock-creature from #2. I like the carapace-feel he gave for the creature. Preferring the arms he did on the depiction of the 1st page than to the 2nd one, in which he looks more like The Thing from the FF4.
PS: I always assumed this rock creature was from the Mak Homeworld. (Don't ask me why!) Here's me dreaming, but I always pictured the Maks being a species from a planet rich in mineral resources and of extremely heavy gravity, somehow anchored to it, and as such were limited to the use of the Empire (an explanation for the enslaved race not being shown in the series?!) But these creatures, the animal Visser Three acquired, were the raw power ones from their Homeworld.
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-03.jpg)
I imagined The Lebtin Javelin Fish having a more 'stingray' look when not inflated. And I would always get the name of this animal confused with the morph Alloran acquired from one of the Andalite moon, the Mardrut.
Yes, I do imagine the acquisition of the Mardrut morph (depicted below on the first picture page) may well be from the times before Alloran's infestation. Same with the Kafitd bird, inspite the plot device for making Ax a bit paranoid in #18: The Decision. It just doesn't convince me how Ax got paranoid about the Visser doing the Kafit, but he didn't get the same reaction previously when he did the Mardrut.
Also in the above picture page, a Lerdethak vine-creature from the HBajir-HWorld, Sea Serpent in #15: The Escape, Pterodactyl-looking beast he used in #17: The Underground
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-04.jpg)
A Dule Fansa was the morph Marco described as looking like the Flinstone's Barney, I remember this well, because it made me laugh. But Monsterman08's depiction here seems to have discarded an aim to resemble the character, but the Animorphs reader can still recognize the animal creature in him.
PS: I just remembered here once there were these concept images done for the PC Game.
The Vissers's Dule Fansa had been designed with smoke coming out of his head???????????????????
Also depicted on this page here are: another animal of the Hork-bajir's Homeworld Galilash (pretty kewl depiction), an acid-drooling Kaftid, an eery and scary eyeball-creature (I imagine it's the one he used in #29: The Sickness).
PS: I cannot identify the orange one mid-right.
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-05.jpg)
His depiction of the Tar-looking Muck morph from #37: The Weakness, reminds me of one of them random pokemons from the cartoon show. And just as I well pictured it, I admit. Maybe without having a face, though.
Bievilerd was used in #45: The Revelation, but we didn't really get to see much use of in that book.
With the Visser's Crab-creature he morphed on #35: The Proposal, I actually imagined it being more literally like the crustacean. Not another creature with humanoid characteristics.
The Luminar is, yet, another fire-breathing creature one could say was ripped from some sort of mythology. But it is not hard to picture an environment in outer-space where such creature would thrive. BUT it is humanoid in physical shape, which leads me to wonder, why is
I am shooting 80% of these alien creatures appearing in the series are physically humanoid. I once read somewhere that imagination is linked to a thing called The Circle of Closure of each individual. For eg:. an elephant couldn't imagine an alien being without a some sort of a trunk. And the same seems plausible here with a human for an author.
Below are some more depictions, (he even did the 'jelly' morph he used on Rachel in the Cryak fiasco!). But this is all I have time for writing for now...
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-06.jpg)
-
OH! I want to know if I am imagining this, but was there also a more scary looking concept of the Antarean Bogg creature done for Know the Secret PC game?!
Other artworks I do remember also were the Hork-Bajir with serrated blades, a Jubba-Jubba from the Hork-Bajir HWorld,
Also, this being that looked like it belonged in Star Wars or something. Who's played the game??? Were these official?
Oh! And I remember how I hated how the Andalites in the game were pictured with horns for eye-stalks. Blarrrgh!
-
Ok, going one by one:
I actually thought the second Antrean Bogg was pretty good. And it was amazingly similar to what I imagined (a sort of green blob with legs and tentacles)
the fire-breathing creature, I imagined having a round human-like face. Almost like it was wearing a mask.
The yeerkbane I imagined looking exactly the same
the rock creature...I imagined a big lump of a rock (sort of triangular in shape with the point at the top) with legs and arms.
I imagine the Mardrut having tentacles as well (actually a lot of the aliens I imagined having tentacles...even if they weren't described)
the lebtin javelin fish, I just imagined a Mardrut that could shoot spears. (some imagination I have)
I imagined the lerdethak being bigger and wider, and actually had feet that were spread very far apart.
the pterodactyl-porcupine thing, I also imagined having long spikes on it's forehead, looking somewhat like a hork-bajir head.
What I imagined for the Dule Fansa was completely different. I was thinking taller, and two arms that were each shaped sort of like a DNA strand. On each hand, three fingers that ended in the cone thingy that was described.
Don't really recall a Galilash, what book was that in?
The Kaftid, again a green blob supported by eight legs and two tentacles, not an insect like thing.
I also imagined the tar thing without a face. Kind of like the carnivorous jello
Don't remember a Bievilerd...
Nor the crab-creature
the luminar I imagined looking even more humanoid. Kind of like that fire creature in one of the earliest teen titans episode (the one with lightning and thunder).
then again, maybe I just need to pay more attention to the description of the monsters. I usually just skim the description, reading some key words every now and then.
-
those pictures and descriptions are mad awesome. as a huge fan of Esplin 9466 i really enjoyed those, keep it up man
-
I imagined the vanarx as having more of a body than just being a serpent of leech. Though I suppose it could constrict its prey and suck or pull the Yeerk out.
-
These are very fantstic looking! 8)
And you seem to have a great understanding of art, Gafrash.
-
These are awesome!! Nice find!
For the record, the "rock-creature" in #2 is a Jubba-Jubba morph from the Hork-Bajir Homeworld. It just isn't named in #2 b/c the Ani's don't yet know what that creature is.
-
I can't see the pictures can you post a link of where you found them
-
makes me want to draw now...but whatever i draw will always be my interpretation. :P
-
They are pretty awesome drawings, oe! Wish this Monsterman08 would keep doing some more. Stuff like this really is incentivating to me.
Yarin, are you seeing a http:address at all?! I should have warned that the images are large. Nevertheless, visit the Hirac Delest website or type in Monsterman08 on DeviantArt for view.
He's also done some drawings of some other alien species. Going a little off topic here (NO, WAIT! Alloran DID HAVE A TAXXON MORPH, if my memory still serves ;D), I really liked the way he did the eyes on his Taxxon.
I always pictured the eyes on the species being on these sort of stalks and I always MISTAKENLY thought of them with 3 pairs of eyes, when it's actually 2!!!
I confess I went ahead and tried drawing his way myself.
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-07.jpg)
(http://www.hiracdelest.com/projects/fanart/monsterman/MonsterMan-08.jpg)
Hey, Azguard, 'an artist's interpretation', that's all any artwork is, really! Once you keep in mind that the concept has to go through an individual's head, all with his/her styles, skills as well as limitations, you can understand not one artist will draw an exact depiction. I reckon it should be expected actually!
I too read the same K.A. descriptions of those monsters (HATE calling them that by the way, they are actually animals, but they were used to that effect, anyway) and would have drawn them differently.
I've actually tried drawing the 'nb8-Hydra' creature once, and came up with this really crappy line drawing.
PS: I actually don't recall the Visser using a Varnax morph in the series. The animal was mentioned in the Andalite Chronicles I think, and that's it. It never appeared, right?!
Terenia, didn't know that the creature he morphed on #2 was the Jubba-Jubba. Is this a fact?! I don't recall the Visser 'dropping' his usual hints to the creature's identity, and I am stuck on remembering how Aldrea did the Jubba-Jubba morph on the HB-Chronicles, so you may well be right.
Now here goes my votes:
:o Personally I think the Luminar is the most dangerous and lethal of his morphs. If it wasn't for them being in an underwater situation... I dunno, you guys...
Most annoying: When he went 'jelly' on Rachel.
Most pathetic: The foul smelling-spraying 'muck' creature he managed to capture Cassie with (so, not so pathetic after all, huh?! ::)).
:o :o :o Most scary vote goes for the unnamed morph the Visser used on the Animorphs and the new Auxiliaries on #50: The Ultimate. I don't see it depicted, but I recall it being a carnivorous vine of some sort, with the tentacles being thorny and extremely long. I imagine it being a towering structure with no legs to move with, but with dozens of super strong undulating tentacles that would allow dislocation. I also go ahead and add HUNDREDS of tiny eyes within minuscule holes to see all around. (my imagination - the only way I could justify it being capable of snatching and subduing a tiger [ :oI was at the edge of my chair as I first read this moment, I might add] :o) :o :o.
;) 8) :D My favorite is his Dule Fansa, though. Just b/c I think it was the closest K.A. got to having fun with 'an extra-terrestrial morph in the hands of the antagonist'. Even the two words Dule Fansa now evokes a real cool graphic imagery on my head. Possibly helped by the way Marco described it. Hehehehe!
Question1: Did anyone else used to get the names and the animals 'Kafit bird' and 'Kaftid' mixed up??
Question2: Has anyone identified the morph under his Lerdethak on the 4th page?! I think it may be a different interpretation of the Hork-bajir creature, but I could be wrong...
Also, apart from the jelly-creature, I can't identify those other morphs on the last page...
Question3: Who's played the PC game?! I imagine the 'bosses' would be the Visser in some of his morphs. Which ones does he do in it?!
-
Question1: Did anyone else used to get the names and the animals 'Kafit bird' and 'Kaftid' mixed up??
I didn't even realize the names were similar until now. And when I saw the simlarity, I thought they were the same word until I looked closer, and then I started mixing them up.
Question2: Has anyone identified the morph under his Lerdethak on the 4th page?! I think it may be a different interpretation of the Hork-bajir creature, but I could be wrong...
Also, apart from the jelly-creature, I can't identify those other morphs on the last page...
the bottom morph is, actually not a morph. it's a yeerk, visser three to be more precise.
-
Taxxon was the second to last aquisition Alloran made before being infested. Hork-Bajir would be last.
Yeah, one at the bottom is a Yeerk.
-
In the last image group, the black monster with the red eye is from the battle at the end of 50, the green tentacled monster is the thing lurking in the Yeerk Pool in 52.
Looking at all these images makes me realize how poor my memory is of most of his morphs, which books he morphs what in, etc.
-
I can see them now very cool
-
I think the Yeerk is definitely recognizable, there.
In the last image group, the black monster with the red eye is from the battle at the end of 50, the green tentacled monster is the thing lurking in the Yeerk Pool in 52.
Looking at all these images makes me realize how poor my memory is of most of his morphs, which books he morphs what in, etc.
I really should read the series again. These were 2 morphs I couldn't identify.
I didn't remember Visser One morphing when they destroyed the Pool. And I seem to remember his morph on #50 as it being more 'vegetable/thorny-plant'-like in Cassie's description. Not even the mention of an eye.
Go figure.
I take it as the acid yellowy lizard creature on that same page is one of the random morphs he pulled along with that 'pain in the butt' jelly he used on #48.
PS: Has there ever been a list on the catalogue of morphs gathered by Visser Three?!
-
Has there ever been a list on the catalogue of morphs gathered by Visser Three?!
Not that I know of. How about we start one?
This is from memory, there are a bunch of gaps:
Book 1: Antarean Bogg morph: Two legs, two tentacles, big mouth, eats Elfangor
Yeerk Pool morph: Eight heads, eight legs, tree trunk body, shoots fireballs
Book 2: Yeerkbane Varnarx: Used through hologram to intimidate Chapman
Rock monster, possibly a Jubba-Jubba from the Hork-Bajir world?
Book 11: Lerdethak: Monster with a bunch of vine-like tentacles from the Hork-Bajir world, defeats the Animorphs in the jungle
Book 15: Big yellow sea snake, used while Animorphs are at Visser One's underwater base
Book 17: Pterodactyl-like bird morph used in Yeerk Pool
Book 20: Dule Fansa, used in David's house, Barney with a bunch of pile-driver missiles
Book 23: Aria
Kaftid, green slimy thing with eight legs and a seahorse-like face, spits acid, used during the Animorphs' raid on Frank's Crazy Safari Place
Book 24: I think he morphs that unidentified orange monster in this one, when he briefly teams up with the Animorphs. Or was that the Galilash?
Book 29: Something during the Yeerk Pool finale
Book 30: Chameleon-crab-like creature used for mountaintop battle with Visser One
Book 38: Unidentified morph, something small used to escape
Book 45: Bievilerd: Used during Yeerk Pool rescue mission, quickly shot down by Bug Fighter
Book 47: Fire-breathing monster from Book 1
Book 48: Multiple morphs, including jelly thing, for battle with Rachel
Book 50: Black squid-like monster with red eye and a bunch of tentacles for the battle outside the hospital
Book 52: Some creature with tentacles, lurks in Yeerk Pool just before it gets blown up
-
You forgot
book 4: Mardraut
book 6: human
book 12: Lebtin Javelin fish
book 36: luminar
book 37: that tar thing
and in book 48, I think he only morphed two or three morphs.
-
I never could tell the difference between Kaftid and Kafit!
-
Did the Visser at one stage actually morph those Yeerk-pets of his in The Andalite Chronicles??? I can't remember if he did. Nor the animals' names.
-
don't think so. and I believe they're called mortons...(could have the spelling wrong though)
-
Gotcha! Thanks, morfowt!
-
I know he has more than one human morph, but was there ever a physical description of the human he acquired and mostly used throughout the series? Think he's named Victor Trent.
If not, how does YOU imagine him to be?!
-
The name Victor Trent comes from the TV show, I'm sure. Ever since I saw him on TV, that's how I pictured him, because the morph he uses at the Sharing and stuff was never described. Nor was a name given.
I like the name Victor Trent.
-
I was afraid of that.
Yeah, I can't erase that actors face when I think of the Visser's human morph. The actor had his good moments of expression, too, I think.
But if you were to pick HOW the Visser's human morph looked, would you pick some bald pointy-eared egg-head guy in his 40s?!
-
Definitely someone adult, but still young. visser believes Humans are weak, so he'd want a morph that's at its strongest point. Early twenties or around there.
I don't know if I'd make him bald, unless I wanted him to channel Lex Luthor or something.
-
Finally figured out what the green morph with the many arms is. It's what he morphs in the banquet hall in book 21.
As for his human morph, I really liked the actor who played Victor Trent in the show, though that's not how I pictured him in the books. I imagined he'd be younger with a full head of hair, with a tall, intimidating build. Also old enough to appear powerful and intimidating.
I really like this image (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=843880&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=2204381924&aid=-1&oid=2204381924&id=595861144#/photo.php?pid=843881&op=1&o=all&view=all&subj=2204381924&aid=-1&oid=2204381924&id=595861144) of the human bodies of certain Yeerks.
-
I rather liked the 'Victor Trent' name thing, it echoes the 'Alan Fangor'. If it did come from the TV show, then not everything on it was bad after all, good on them.
The image with those celebrities is quite funny. I find 'George Clooney' to be too much of a doosh to be a mean evil human morph for Visser Three.
We need someone who can pull off appearing powerful and intimidating to the perspective of the Anis.
Can anyone think of any real person?!
-
I rather liked the 'Victor Trent' name thing, it echoes the 'Alan Fangor'. If it did come from the TV show, then not everything on it was bad after all, good on them.
The image with those celebrities is quite funny. I find 'George Clooney' to be too much of a doosh to be a mean evil human morph for Visser Three.
We need someone who can pull off appearing powerful and intimidating to the perspective of the Anis.
Can anyone think of any real person?!
Yes. Hugo Weaving would be perfect, if you don't remember who he is maybe this quote will help:
"Mr. Anderson welcome back, we missed you."
-
OH! Hugo Weaving is a great choice. Even the colour of his hair is sort of coy, artful to drawing the Visser's morph. Cool, Xan.
The actor is got some mean expressions. I didn't know he did the Vendetta movie.
Post Merged: July 25, 2010, 09:47:26 PM
Did Visser Three ever only repeat that Fire-breathing morph from Book 1 in the series? Or were there other morphs he's used more than once (BESIDES THE 'VICTOR TRENT' HUMAN MORPH!?!
-
Sorry didn't read everything you wrote so you may or may not have mentioned it, but what was that thing Visser One morphed in book #50 (I think?) with the tentacles that was strangling Jake?
Nevermind, read through the responses, I don't think the creature's name was ever mentioned.
-
I think the plant-like monster was named, wasn't it? I forget, but it was likely in HBC.
-
The vine monster? That was a Lerdethak. Unless you're thinking of something else...
-
Did the Lerdethak have spikes on its tentacles?! I think the Visser used that Lerdethak from the Hork-Bajir homeworld only in #11:The Forgotten. This might be just me, but the descriptions I got from the morph there and in was used in #50:The Ultimate are different. I think they are different animals.
-
The Lerdethak appears in HBC and #11 The Forgotten. I think that the animal in #50 was intended to be the same animal, but the spikes were never mentioned previously. So....either it was a ghost writer goof up or they were different animals or the previous descriptions were vague enough to allow for more interpretation.
-
That's what me thinks, too. ;)
-
Oh crap... I shouldn't have looked at these, I was going to go through and draw every alien described in the books, and now my versions are going to be influenced by these drawings in someway. I hate that.
I'm not all the way through the books (currently at 36), but what is that one at the end, that looks like an Andalite, with the pointy head and red eyes? Is that and Andalite version of a chimp or something?
-
Wait you mean from book #36? The Garatron??
-
Yeah, The Visser didn't have a Garatron morph. That would be the Inspector that appeared in #37:The Weakness. Keep reading.
Enkio don't worry about getting influences. monsteman's process would be no different than what everyone else would do, which is to sit down and get as much detail as the books provided about these animals and then added his own spin on it. I am sure when you sit down to draw them, you will give them your very own touch. The challenge isn't necessarily doing it different to what's been done, but getting on paper exactly what you have in your head! Do it!!!