Defined Green Lantern Comic Rings
- Thread starter Gregatron
- Start date
I decided to look through the other end of the telescope, shrunk down the V2 symbol from 25.4mm to 22.4mm to match the current V3, and rebuilt the band to match.
The sizing of elements has been a struggle with this project since day one. The comic art is obviously wildly inconsistent, and so it’s a matter of finding something which looks accurate, but also works in the real world and doesn’t look toylike.
Old (left), new (center):
And the current models all together:
The sizing of elements has been a struggle with this project since day one. The comic art is obviously wildly inconsistent, and so it’s a matter of finding something which looks accurate, but also works in the real world and doesn’t look toylike.
Old (left), new (center):
And the current models all together:
Shapeways has a 20% off sale through the end of the month on the plastic I’ve used for my test prints. I really need to order some more and take advantage of it. Maybe a few different sizes and variations of parts, as with the REBIRTH disc’s height.
Still need to do some more tweaking, though. Miniaturizing and making everything sleeker is my focus, now, along with getting proportions right. I think I could go even smaller with the V2 and V3 symbols. Might have to try 20mm or smaller, just to see what they look like.
Meanwhile, I find myself wondering if I shouldn’t go back to the parallel/non-tapered sidebars (the ribs extending from the symbol, which wrap around the band) on the V3. That appears to be more comic-accurate, after all.
Still need to do some more tweaking, though. Miniaturizing and making everything sleeker is my focus, now, along with getting proportions right. I think I could go even smaller with the V2 and V3 symbols. Might have to try 20mm or smaller, just to see what they look like.
Meanwhile, I find myself wondering if I shouldn’t go back to the parallel/non-tapered sidebars (the ribs extending from the symbol, which wrap around the band) on the V3. That appears to be more comic-accurate, after all.
An experiment: I shrunk the V2 symbol down to 20mm long, and adjusted the shape of the band to match the new size. The result is more compact, with a less-tapered (and thus perhaps more comic-accurate) band, but now we’re getting into territory where the symbol looks a bit too small and dinky.
As has been noted throughout this project, it’s a fine line between determining what is artistic shorthand in comic books, and what is a deliberate design choice on the part of the artists. By and large, artists draw both the V2 and V3 symbols as pretty darn big, rather than what would essentially be a tiny GL symbol-charm sitting on a band.
Here’s the 20mm version compared with the 23mm version:
As has been noted throughout this project, it’s a fine line between determining what is artistic shorthand in comic books, and what is a deliberate design choice on the part of the artists. By and large, artists draw both the V2 and V3 symbols as pretty darn big, rather than what would essentially be a tiny GL symbol-charm sitting on a band.
Here’s the 20mm version compared with the 23mm version:
JPH
Sr Member
Sadly, I tried the Shapeways deal, %20 off during cyber Monday...not only did it not give %20 off on a $500 order, but you also had to pay an additional %25 to get in time for Christmas.
I told friends about the deal and they got the same scam.
I know they have to make the stuff, but Black Friday and CyberMonday are all about Christmas shopping.
They do have some nice designs.
Sadly, I tried the Shapeways deal, %20 off during cyber Monday...not only did it not give %20 off on a $500 order, but you also had to pay an additional %25 to get in time for Christmas.
I told friends about the deal and they got the same scam.
I know they have to make the stuff, but Black Friday and CyberMonday are all about Christmas shopping.
They do have some nice designs.
Thanks for the info! Not the end of the world. Based on the prices and quantities I normally order with these test prints, it would only be a savings of a few dollars, anyway. Nothing substantial.
Once again, I find some inspiration from Patrick Gleason’s GREEN LANTERN CORPS run. He drew the rings in a proportionally-realistic and pleasing way, one which looks pretty darn close to where I’m heading with the 23mm-ish V2.
While my primary goal is to replicate the rings as seen from around 1959-2005, these newer iterations do lend some insight.
While my primary goal is to replicate the rings as seen from around 1959-2005, these newer iterations do lend some insight.
Went back to the curved-band Gil Kane V1. Using the current REBIRTH model as a basis, I’ve been playing with disc size and its relationship to the band. The model with the smallest (20.5mm) disc is identical to the REBIRTH model, except for the symbol design and the lack of the negative-space insert piece. The biggest is 24mm.
Another subtle variation—the V2/V3 symbols and V1 disc have been reduced to 22mm (…as in SHOWCASE # 22…?).
As this project has gone on, I’ve become more and more aware of the need for realistic proportions, rather than theoretically going BIG, like a lot of the comic art. It’s just about finding that balance, now.
Still wondering about the V1 disc attachment, too. The U-band (as pictured) is lower-profile and sleeker, but the comic art traditionally goes with a full O-band and the disc on top of it.
Top: 20mm V2 and the 23mm V2/V3.
Bottom: 22mm V2/V3.
And the new, 22mm variants of the three designs.
As this project has gone on, I’ve become more and more aware of the need for realistic proportions, rather than theoretically going BIG, like a lot of the comic art. It’s just about finding that balance, now.
Still wondering about the V1 disc attachment, too. The U-band (as pictured) is lower-profile and sleeker, but the comic art traditionally goes with a full O-band and the disc on top of it.
Top: 20mm V2 and the 23mm V2/V3.
Bottom: 22mm V2/V3.
And the new, 22mm variants of the three designs.
Ah, gotcha. Figured as much. The traditional signet ring.
As has been noted many times in this thread, it’s hard to tell what Gil Kane was going for, back in the day. The design clearly began as a disc atop a band, then became more ambiguous, as time went on. Circa GL issue # 30-40, things got murky. Perhaps not coincidentally around the same time he started playing with the uniform design.
I’ve gotten the EARLY Kane design pretty much nailed down, but it’s the later iterations which remain elusive.
Later artists (Alex Ross, Ethan Van Sciver, etc.) have unambiguously gone with the signet-type ring, of course.
I’d be more than happy to just do two versions (Silver Age and REBIRTH) of the signet ring, with each of the symbol designs, but that…just…doesn’t…quite…look like what Kane was drawing. The disc was almost always BIG, with the edges of the disc overlapping the top of the band, as opposed to clearly sitting on top, with the band “platform” visible all the way around.
As has been noted many times in this thread, it’s hard to tell what Gil Kane was going for, back in the day. The design clearly began as a disc atop a band, then became more ambiguous, as time went on. Circa GL issue # 30-40, things got murky. Perhaps not coincidentally around the same time he started playing with the uniform design.
I’ve gotten the EARLY Kane design pretty much nailed down, but it’s the later iterations which remain elusive.
Later artists (Alex Ross, Ethan Van Sciver, etc.) have unambiguously gone with the signet-type ring, of course.
I’d be more than happy to just do two versions (Silver Age and REBIRTH) of the signet ring, with each of the symbol designs, but that…just…doesn’t…quite…look like what Kane was drawing. The disc was almost always BIG, with the edges of the disc overlapping the top of the band, as opposed to clearly sitting on top, with the band “platform” visible all the way around.
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Thanks! One of the distinct challenges of this project is that there's not just one definitive design to replicate. We're talking about many, many artists who worked on many, many comics, spanning many, many years. And then there are all the instances of artistic license, legitimate errors, different artists putting their personal spins on a design, etc.
And, on top of all that is the key problem of making the designs work in the real world, in terms of size/shape/fit. Comic art can cheat. Comic art is wildly inconsistent. A 3D object cannot and is not.
So, it's all been about distilling these designs down to their essence and creating idealized composites from all of these different influences.
This thread shows that long and rocky road in its entirety!
Thanks! And I've certainly learned a lot, myself. Looking back at the early TinkerCad efforts in this thread is kind of amazing, because they're SO crude.
Just goes to show that there's always a learning curve, and that you can always do better.
As has been noted elsewhere around here, I've used the knowledge acquired during this project to design and print various model kit upgrade parts, and even full-on prop replicas. It's been really exciting, because the possibilities are limitless.
Pursuit
New Member
I know that it's so hard to choose which is my favorite as I have loved so many of them at different times. You're work is spectacular and can't wait to see finished products made.
CHEERS!
Yeah, it’s friggin’ hard to choose a favorite. I think the most iconic is the Silver Age/Gil Kane/round/signet ring, the coolest design is the Mike Grell version, and the slickest/most elegant is the REBIRTH/Van Sciver signet ring.
In theory, I could have just chosen one design to replicate and run with it, but that choice is so impossible that I decided to go for all of them.
