I drew the Mekon with graphite pencil from an incredibly well-crafted, realistic life-size model on location at the Eagle Exhibition of 2001, held at the Croydon Clocktower from March to June of that year. I have scanned my finished drawing into my computer and titled it: the Mekon – Lord of the Treens.
The Treens are green-skinned lizard-like, North Venusian humanoid beings and are Frank Hampson’s masterfully imaginative creation from his first Dan Dare story in the 1950s Eagle comic.
Their capital city is known as Mekonta named after the Mekon, their ruthless lord and master; a wizened, genetically-engineered, swollen-headed foetal version of the Treens. Seated permanently on a tiny hovering boat, the Mekon is interested purely in the ends of science and bent only on universal domination and ultimate power – and whose every word his automaton-like minions the Treens unquestioningly obey.
The Mekon and his personal retinue of armed Treens pop up in more of Frank Hampson’s Dan Dare stories: Marooned on Mercury, Prisoners of Space and Reign of the Robots.
I have included a Slideshow of 8 panels showing four copies of the Featured Image. They have been given a touch of Tone Adjustment in PhotoStudio to lend the images a little more depth and brightness.
Beneath these, I have added another four copies that have been tinted as duo-chromes in the Colour Adjust facilities of my MacBook. They are tinted Green, Blue, Red and Sepia as listed.
The final image in Sepia is tonally heavier than the others, lending it a more sinister and dimensionally darker touch.
Dave Draper June 2014
Updated August 2015
This entry: The Mekon, is located in the Art section under Portrait, Fantasy and Space Art
SEE ALSO:
MEKON ON FLYING CHARIOT: Located in Art under Portrait, Fantasy and Space Art
TREENS: located in Art under Fantasy and Space Art
DAN DARE: Located in Art under Portrait, Fantasy and Space Art
The entry ‘Treens’ is set with a 24-panel slideshow, depicting a 14-page illustrated spoof I devised in 2001, called ‘On the Buses with the Mekon’ or alternatively, ‘Mekon On The Buses.’
The first 12 panels in the ‘Treens’ entry are pencil visuals drawn over in pen-and-ink and colour-pencils. The remaining 17 panels are also visuals drawn in pencil that have not been embellished further. Some of the pencil visuals towards the conclusion of the story are more finely finished, particularly the final panel, which I use as the ‘Showcase’ or ‘Featured Image’ introducing my ‘Treens’ entry.
Updated August 2014
Dave Draper
Updated April and July 2015
Dave Draper
Updated August 2015
Dave Draper