2011-05-30

BEAST RAIDER volume 1!!

Hey gang!!
As a new project I decided to create art for the MOTU inspired/knock-off toy line BEAST RAIDER!!
"Savage Warrior-Beast Raider (Warriors Of The Savage)" was a range done by Chap Mei around 2003 & found in discount stores nation wide, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of fantasy lines like MOTU & Jurassic Park at the time. The line featured newly sculpted dinosaurs as steeds with 2 new MOTU inspired leads THUNDERTHOR (could be loosely based on Snake Armor HE-MAN) & BLADEKILLER (a blatant SKELETOR homage) as well as a combination of other figures from previous Chap Mei lines (like WIZARD'S RULE & SOLDIER FORCE) that would fit within the theme of this current line. The range was successful enough to be carried for several years & even was renamed (MYSTERY MEN) & recolored with added figures (WITCHCRAFT KNIGHT) in other countries. Personally I always found the line to be an interesting one with some good quality toys & ideas, as well as a good scale at a very affordable price. It was popular with some MOTU collectors at the time, & still has a following today with some of the items remaining quite collectible among Chap Mei/Fantasy/Dinosaur enthusiasts.
I have never seen any fan-art or fiction done for this line, so the stories in the bios are completely my own, based on how I would handle an animated series based on the property.
I envision it as a darker world than MOTU, with more adult themes.
If this project is a hit with my Fans, I'll continue to add more characters based on the BEAST RAIDERS figures as well as the other already associated lines.
*Special thanks to my brother Brain for his artistic input on the process & my brother Randy for the positive feedback.
Thanks & I hope you enjoy the art & story.