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Army Men Revolution, Army Men Toyverse project, Making Of, Revolution story concept, Storyboards

Making the Microverse, Part 11: Army Men Theory

August 29, 2024 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

Major Mylar’s initials are MM (he uses them on his badge). Major Malfunction’s initials are also MM. Major Gooding was Lord Malice, so in “Major Malice” we can also find MM. Which member of the 3DO team that designed some of the games has those initials: Michael Mendheim.

But before you think anything of it, this is just a joke, we’re not theorizing anything 👀. But here’s what it’s all about… and this is the fun part.

When the Fans Write the Story

Across pop culture history, fan enthusiasm has often rewritten the destinies of fictional characters—turning minor roles into legends, saving doomed figures from oblivion, and reshaping entire franchises.

Theories in fandoms are exciting for a number of reasons:

Creativity: They allow fans to use their imagination to fill in gaps in the official story, creating new narratives and possibilities.
Connection: They foster a sense of community, as fans discuss and debate their theories, sharing their enthusiasm and passion.
Deepening: They help fans explore the story’s universe further, uncovering details and connections that may not be apparent at first glance.
Interactivity: They make the fan experience more interactive, as fans don’t just consume content, but actively contribute to it.

By the way, it has been proven that some theories in other fandoms were so plausible and amazing to the creatives behind that fandom’s franchise, that they ended up making these fans’ “dreams” come true.

How passionate audiences became co-authors of the narrative

Here are some instances where fan theories or requests influenced the creators to make changes or additions to the story:

Peter Parker in “Iron Man 2”: This theory suggested that a young boy wearing an Iron Man mask at the Stark Expo, who is saved by Iron Man, was actually Peter Parker. Tom Holland, who plays Spider-Man, confirmed this theory in an interview, stating that the boy was indeed Peter Parker.
Rex in “Return of the Jedi”: Fans speculated that the bearded Rebel trooper seen on Endor in “Return of the Jedi” was actually Captain Rex from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels.” This theory gained traction when “Star Wars Rebels” confirmed that Rex fought in the Battle of Endor. However, the character in “Return of the Jedi” was originally named Nik Sant, and while the theory is popular, it remained a bit complicated for some time, because was not officially confirmed by all sources. But later Dave Filoni itself confirmed it on X, and this was confirmed in “Galaxy of Adventures” animation and in a newly released Star Wars children’s book titled: “I Am A Clone Trooper”.
Desperate Housewives: Fans were so vocal about wanting Mike and Susan to end up together that the show’s creator, Marc Cherry, changed his original plan. He had intended for Mike to marry Katherine, but fan demand led him to pair Mike with Susan instead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Fans were eager to see Keith Richards, who inspired Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Jack Sparrow, appear in the films. Due to this overwhelming demand, the writers included Richards as Captain Teague.
Lord of the Rings: An unnamed elf in “The Lord of the Rings” films became a fan favorite and was given the name Figwit (Frodo is great — who is that?). Due to the character’s popularity, director Peter Jackson gave him a speaking role in “The Return of the King”.
Supernatural: The character of Castiel was originally intended to be a short-term character, but fan enthusiasm led to him becoming a series regular.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Fans shipped the characters Jake and Amy so strongly that the writers decided to develop their relationship into a central storyline.

These examples show how powerful fan voices can be in shaping the stories they love. But in other occassions, fandoms saved doomed character from death. Here are some of those examples and a few more of characters saved from oblivion:

Vegeta: Another powerful example of fan influence comes from Dragon Ball Z. The character Vegeta was originally intended to be a one-time villain, a Saiyan invader to be defeated and discarded. However, his overwhelming popularity among fans convinced Akira Toriyama to keep him in the story. Vegeta went on to become not only a central character but also a fan-favorite anti-hero with one of the richest development arcs in anime.
Harley Quinn: Originally introduced as a one-off henchwoman in the 1992 Batman: The Animated Series, Harley Quinn’s unexpected popularity led to her official inclusion in DC Comics canon. Today, she’s one of the most iconic female characters in the DC Universe. Born from animation, adopted by the fans, and cemented by demand.
Daryl Dixon: Created exclusively for the TV show of The Walking Dead, Daryl doesn’t exist in the original comics. He was meant to be a short-term character, but fan love kept him alive… and growing. He became a central figure throughout the series and now headlines his own spin-off, a testament to pure fan-driven evolution.
Castiel: Initially planned as a temporary character for a few episodes in Supernatural, Castiel became so beloved by the fandom that he remained a core part of the show for over a decade, deeply entangled in its mythos and emotional arcs.
Agent Phil Coulson: Introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a minor S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in Iron Man (2008), Coulson’s charm struck a chord with fans. He reappeared across several MCU films, became a fan favorite, and eventually starred in the long-running series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. after dying in the first Avengers movie. A character saved from death and elevated from background filler to franchise connective tissue.
Spike: What began as a secondary villain in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, evolved into a fan-favorite antihero. Spike was slated for a short run, but fans demanded more. Writers responded by developing his character across multiple seasons, turning him into a tragic, romantic, and unforgettable icon of the show.

This is yet another case where fan reaction reshaped the narrative, not through direct petitions or theories, but through sheer enthusiasm that creators could not ignore.

Jackpot!

On other occasions, the fandom simply came up with their theories about something that would be a reality later and that had already been thought of, end even executed, by the creators of the franchises. We have the examples of:

Jon Snow is a Targaryen: In “Game of Thrones,” fans speculated that Jon Snow was not Ned Stark’s illegitimate son but the child of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This theory was confirmed in the series, revealing Jon as Aegon Targaryen.
Stan Lee in the MCU: Before it was confirmed, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans theorized that Stan Lee, the creator of many Marvel characters, was playing the same character in all his cameos. This was confirmed in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” where he is seen talking to the Watchers.
Palpatine’s Return: In the “Star Wars” saga, some fans speculated that Emperor Palpatine didn’t actually die in “Return of the Jedi.” This theory came true in “The Rise of Skywalker,” where Palpatine returns as the main villain.
Snoke’s Identity: In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” fans speculated about the true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke. While many theories were incorrect, the revelation that Snoke was a creation of Palpatine in “The Rise of Skywalker” was anticipated by some fans.
Bruce Willis is Dead in “The Sixth Sense”: Fans speculated that Bruce Willis’s character was dead the whole time in “The Sixth Sense.” This theory was confirmed in the movie’s twist ending.
The Identity of the Man in the Iron Mask in “The Flash”: Fans of “The Flash” theorized that the Man in the Iron Mask was Jay Garrick, the original Flash from the comics. This was confirmed in the season 2 finale.
The Joker’s Identity in “Batman: Arkham Knight”: Before the release of “Batman: Arkham Knight,” fans speculated that the Arkham Knight was actually Jason Todd, the former Robin. This theory was confirmed in the game.
The True Nature of Westworld: In the TV series “Westworld,” fans theorized that the park was actually on another planet or in a different time period. It was later revealed that the park is on a distant planet.
The Real Villain in “WandaVision”: Fans speculated that Agatha Harkness was the true villain behind the events in “WandaVision.” This theory was confirmed when Agatha revealed herself.

These cases show that sometimes, fandom isn’t just an audience: it’s a creative force. In the same way, Army Men fans have their own theories, headcanons, and alternate timelines. The microverse is always expanding… and who’s to say fans aren’t the architects of its future?

But in our case we are just connecting unfinished dots with factual possibilities, within the possibilities of the Army Men universe (which we call Toyverse) and trying to fix the inconsistencies that plague the entire saga in a convincing way, which will also require the generation of convincing images, since many times “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

The best enemies ever molded: friends!

Did anyone notice how many traitors there were in the Green ranks alone? The Green Colonel in Army Men 2, H.F. Blintz turning into King Plurtz the First in Army Men RTS, Major Godding turning into Lord Malice in Sarge’s War and Sarge Hawk himself turning into Major Malfunction in (right) Army Men: Major Malfunction.

Another plausible theory (within this theory) is that the AWOL Green Colonel and Blintz knew each other, or at least talked about the same crazy stuff.

We’re going to tie all of this together in a convincing way, adding Major Mylar betraying Plastro in Army Men 2 (talking about the same crazy stuff). But we’ll leave that to the narrative of our project.

Sarge is Sarge Hawk?

A much discussed theory with a simple answer: there is no official answer, and there never will be one. 3DO don’t want to answer the question because they wanted us to believe they are the same, but it was OBVIOUS they are visually very different (the voice of Jim Cumming tried to be the same than the original Sarge). And if there was one answer today, it is unlikely to be genuine.

The reality is that Sarge Hawk and the whole Sarge’s Heroes era was a “soft reboot” where 3DO wanted (without saying so) that people believe that it was the same protagonist, so as not to lose that initial push of the first games. Something like those franchises where the actor changes without any explanation of why, like the 007 films: each film is usually just a stand alone installment, although later there was a series of films where the stories were a continuation (although this did not impact much on the story of each film). But when the 007 franchise changes actors, they simply continue creating films without specifying if it is about the same individual, if in fact the agents are different people who are named as such and finally, there is not even a real temporal progression. This writer’s theory is that different agents are called 007 as they die or retire. This can be seen in Daniel Craig’s latest film, where another female agent is called 007 because Craig’s character was missing ad considered MIA (or AWOL).

So there you have the answer. As far as we are concerned, it’s not about what we believe, but about what we want to do. And we have a GREAT answer to this question that will satisfy everyone… you’ll see!

What do you think?. If you have any good theories, leave them in the comments!

P.S.: Because of this last theory and the statement: “The best enemies ever molded: friends!” we want Hawk to fight the copies of him an his friends of the Bravo Company Commandos. The same for the female protagonist being a Tan version of Hawk’s girlfriends, Vikki.

Concept Art, Making Of, Storyboards

Making the Microverse, Part 9: Pop Culture fest!

July 16, 2024 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

Historically, the Army Men franchise is full of cultural references from literature, film and television… and we are not going to be left behind of this habit.

Since many of us in the Army Men Toyverse project are fans of Sci-Fi, war and action films in general, we take references from here and there, not only visual, but from the personality of a character being based on an iconic popular character, to certain sounds or weapons based on popular sound pieces.

We think that in the Army Men Microverse the toys themselves adopt and personify characters, as if they were children in a game, and that personality they adopt becomes the purpose that drives and defines them.

Army Men known references

Army Men: Green Rogue:

The introduction of the Omega Soldier in Army Men Green Rogue is almost a copy-paste of the storyboarding of the scene where Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 appears in Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Terminator 2: Judgement Day T-800 introduction into the story

Army Men: Green Rogue Omega Soldier introduction into the story

The previous suspense, the tempo, the metallic beat music sound typical of the Terminator franchise and the nudity of the character, among other details, are totally based on these introductory scenes of the films of this franchise. For this reason one of the frames of reference for Omega’s personality will be Arnold’s T-800.

T-800 Arrival in The Terminator movie

T-850 Arrival in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines

Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes

Sarge’s Heroes is an obvious reference to Kelly’s Heroes, the film of the same name. In fact, each member of Bravo Company has a very different personality and appearance from each other, and each member has a different specialty. The same thing happens with Kelly’s men. Besides, everyone is crazy… in their own way.

The Red Baron and the Beige Baron

Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen, known as the “Red Baron” or “Baron Von Richthofen”, was a German fighter pilot during the human’s World War I. He is considered the ace of aces of war because he managed to shoot down eighty enemy airplanes. The obvious parallels with Baron Von Beige don’t need much clarification, but it has nothing to do with the Red Baron’s personality, except that he was an honor fighter equivalent to the English gentlemen he fought against. The Beige Baron has equal respect for his enemies, like Captain Blade and instead of finishing off his opponents, he just knocks them down and leaves them a Beige scarf as his trademark. Therefore Von Beige is not a murderer, but an avid fighter who likes to compete against other great pilots.

During the First World War, pilots were considered to be medieval knights “riding” the skies, and that rivals recognized each other as such when they crossed paths on the battlefield. Certain pilots had the habit of giving the military salute to their opponents when passing each other during a reconnaissance mission, but that solemn salute was soon replaced by a much more practical gesture within the context of a total war, although perhaps less chivalrous: the aviators began to carry guns (and use them).

One of the reasons World War I pilots wore scarves was not to be thrown at downed enemies (although they got used to doing it), was the combination of open cockpits and open engine oil systems, which used castor oil. Many early aeronautic engines used an open oil system, in which, instead of circulating the oil, it was dripped out of the engine and replenished from a reservoir, since being rotary engines, the castor oil used It was thrown in all directions, even towards the pilot. Ingesting castor oil not only tastes disgusting, but can also cause quite catastrophic effects on the digestive system. A silk handkerchief filtered out most of the castor oil.

Cajun Joe Colonel

“Cajun Joe’s mansion” was written in the back of the mission list, or description of some kind about missions, in the poster of an Army Men PC special edition, product of a partnership of 3DO with Ubisoft, which led us to the lyrics of a song, called “Cajun Joe (The Bully Of The Bayou)”, a “Country” 60′ style song that coincides in some sort of way with the Gray Colonel mission, like the terrain where the mission take place, the Bayou land.

Colonel Blintz, Lord Malice, Major Malfunction and a Green Colonel

Both the former Colonel Blintz, later called “Blintz” or “King Plurtz One” from Army Men RTS and the Green Colonel from Army Men 2, were clear references to the character of Colonel Walter E. Kurtz from the movie Apocalypse Now. In some very diluted way, the plot of both games, RTS & 2, was based on the primary idea of this movie: hunt down the renegade Colonel because he is out of control or knew a lot, and that is considered dangerous…

Even Lord Malice was also partially based on this character, and Sgt. Hawk goin evil when he became Major Malfunction. Or at least the game’s plot was. Only at the end of the game we found out that Malice was Gooding and Hawk was Malfunction (when in the movie the identity of the villain is known from the beginning). All of them were good men that went crazy.

Sources for this article:

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_Now

Army Men Revolution, Concept Art, Making Of, Microverse, Storyboards

Making the Microverse, Part 6: Concept Art & Storyboards

July 3, 2024 GigaHawk c3 Leave a comment

There are many ways to make conceptual art…

The points to take into consideration for our Army Men concept artists:

Sarge Hawk Vitruvio Army Men Concept Art

At first the Army Men must look like real soldiers, realizing later during the that they are actually miniature.
Any childish item, like a teddy bear, should look fierce and terrifying. A serious threat, although it may seem harmless at first for the player to take it lightly.
They should look like real little toys, plastic soldiers. There are details impossible to achieve on a certain scale, which make the plastic soldier 3D models look small.

Conceptual art is an artistic and simplified sketch in which the conceptualization or idea is more important than the drawn/conceptualized art. Ideas prevail over their formal or sensitive aspects so that the artistic aspect of the concept takes a back seat, favoring the speed of production time of the idea, also reducing the mental process of understanding the idea.

By dispensing with the complex creation of the final product before it is approved, so much time is not wasted on visual pieces that could not be approved. Therefore these sketches accelerate the idea production process. Regardless of the technique, material or form used to represent it is not something strict.

Before reaching the final choice of an idea, there may be several previously rejected conceptual pieces, and even this process can go through several steps, such as a very simple concept, which then evolves into a more complete and complex one (which is still a conceptual piece). After a concept art is approved, the chosen idea moves on to the actual production of the final product.

Classic Concept Art from 3DO

Characters from pencil to CGI

In the case of a video game, sketches are always the step prior to designing the 3D CGI character. In this case, we can see how the drawing evolves into 3D modeling, or how the 3D modeling evolves into the drawing? Both cases represent a back-and-forth of creative feedback.

Our Pencil Character & Vehicles Concept Art

This Army Men expanded universe project, which we call “Toyverse,” requires the same steps and methodologies to achieve similar results, which resemble the old Army Men in both design and visual identity. So here are some examples…

Concept Art, from basic pencil lines to the complex tridimensional idea: In this case a Mad Max or Vigilante 8 modified Die-cast battlecar.

… and a Super Soldier in full combat armor.

Penny from Army Men Strike, form 3.

From Sketch to Complete Concept Art

The process of creating an illustration does not end with the first stroke. Every visual piece goes through different stages of transformation, maturation, and refinement. What begins as a set of loose lines on paper can evolve into a complex digital scene with depth, color, textures, and three-dimensional elements.

Below, we explore step by step how a simple idea becomes a finished work of art.

The Creation of a Forgotten Jungle

The process of this piece begins with the carnivorous plant, first conceived as a basic sketch with guiding lines. The initial strokes, just a skeleton of geometric shapes, captured the essence of its silhouette: the twisted stem, the oversized mouth, and the sharp teeth. Little by little, the drawing was refined until it gained volume, detail in the leaves, and a posture that conveys tension and aggressiveness. This creature became the central axis of the composition.

From Sketch to Complete Artwork: The Creative Journey of a Digital Illustration

With the base defined, the work progressed to the construction of the narrative environment: a dense jungle crossed by a river or spring flowing through the center of the scene. The vegetation grew in complexity: scattered flowers, trees with exposed roots, and an ancient temple made of massive stone blocks, hidden among the undergrowth. This drawing stage served to establish the visual structure of the piece, defining the relationship between the elements and the balance of the composition.

Slide from one image to another to compare

Slide from one image to another to compare

The next step was digital painting, where the setting gained life and atmosphere. Through layers of color, a humid, dark, and greenish environment was created, typical of a dense and oppressive jungle. The contrast between filtered light and deep shadows added depth and drama, enveloping the carnivorous plant and the temple in a mysterious ambience.

The piece evolved even further with the incorporation of a 3D model of the Spitfire of Flight Lieutenant Ruggels. Far from standing out as an external object, it was integrated into the visual narrative.

The fuselage was damaged by bullet holes, evidence of its violent fall.
Moss and vegetation had grown over its surface, symbols of the relentless passage of time.
The dents and metallic wear reinforced the idea of a war relic abandoned in the jungle.

In the post-production phase, plants in the foreground and overlapping vegetation were added to the 3D model, softening its outline so that it blended with the pictorial style of the illustration. Adjustments of color, texture, and line ensured that all the elements coexisted within a unified aesthetic.

The final result is a piece that tells a story without words: the confrontation between man’s destructive force and the resilience of nature. What began as simple sketch lines transformed into a cinematic and conceptual scene, where time, the jungle, and the remnants of the past interact in a visual balance full of mystery.

Full Color 3DO Character Concept Art

Some full-color pieces from a variety of Army Men games. Concept art and some images are character concepts, others are simply promotional images.

Army Men Strike Concept Art

Army Men Air Attack 1 & 2 Concept Art

Some of the ideas that want to be tested in helicopter games are interesting. They probably all would have been achieved in Air Attack 3, maybe?

Making Concept Art a reality

Remember those great Concept Art pieces? Well, we started making them a reality (sort of).

There are some ideas in Concept Art pieces that never became reality (or, in fact, most of them never did). So here we’ll show you the process of how we make them a reality, one way or another.

Tan plastic soldier running from Green Chopper in a basketball field — Concept Art

Using a power saw to cut a Tan soldier in half — Concept Art

Storyboards

The Army Men franchise used a lot of storyboarding for the CGI animations of the games’ cut scenes, but also for the in-game animations of Sarge’s Heroes 1 and 2 for the Nintendo 64 (made with the game engine).

To put it simply, storyboards, at least in this case, look like comic book adaptations of movies, but with instructions and guidelines for animation. For example, where a character is at the beginning of a shot, and where they are at the end. They are a series of graphic instructions that serve as a rough draft or basis for later animation. Keep in mind that different teams did different jobs, so those who drew the storyboards (drawn by hand) were somewhat like scriptwriters for the animation department.

Army Men Air Tactics Storyboards

The entire storyboard for the CGI animated images of Army Men: Air Tactics. Scanned and inserted into digital text files.

One of the scanned conceptual storyboards, a step prior to inserting them into the digital text files.

Army Men (1998) storyboards

Storyboards made for the original Army Men game, but used later in World War for PS1 or simple not used.

How do we interpret these Storyboards?

In the case of finding Conceptual Art of the original Army Men games, before the Heroes saga, we would need more information as it is in black and white, which would not allow us to interpret what colors each one is. The following is an example:

Others ways of making Storyboards & Concepts

Example of photo montage

Both Army Men Revolution and our animations will take place in environments based on real places. Therefore, here is a simple example of a Storyboard made with photographs:

Example of montage with image editing or Photoshop

The following is a conceptual representation of how the Heroes would function, for Sarge’s Heroes, in its early stages of development.

The heroes were supposed to have a more prominent role, functioning as companions during battles, following the protagonist’s movements but contributing their weapon skills (e.g., Scorch with his flamethrower, Riff with his bazooka).

It was even considered to be a kind of turn-based game, like some RPGs of the time.

This style of concept art is made up of CGI renders, Photoshop, etc., to ensure maximum fidelity to the idea of how the video game should look.

The stoves that are activated to burn the enemy or the magnifying glasses, for practically the same thing.

In this case a conceptual example of calling an airstrike

These examples could even showcase different UI designs, and as in this case, graphically illustrate some of the desired special mechanics that hardly ever made it into the final product. But dreaming is cheap!

How they wanted the PS2 game to look? Sarge’s Heroes 2

Edited images composites of CGI 3D models, scenarios in a HD definition (maybe the map editor or 3D editing program too) and a lot of added effects.

Army Men: Sarge’s War Artwork

How to make a depressing, dark, and gritty Army Men: Sarge’s Heroes? Immerse everything in realistic war environments, like those of World War II Europe: everything destroyed, ruined, and with noisy, dirty, and stained textures.

More than Storyboards and Character Concepts

Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, right at the dawn of digital design, due to a shift in generational change, processing speed, and lower computer power, hand-drawn artwork was the fastest way to conceptualize practically everything.

Army Men GUI design — Army Men User Interface (Graphical User Interface, GUI or UI) hand drawn concept art

And in fact, some hand-drawn artworks, later digitized and painted on the computer, ended up included in games, such as Sarge’s Hero designs in the bios of the first game of the same name.

In short, from character, vehicle and object design, to dynamic concepts for animation, graphic representations of the story’s narrative, the design of the games’ menu graphic interfaces, to the design of the playable scenarios… concept art (at least in those days) was the backbone of the graphic/visual design of the Army Men adventures, the words and ideas represented visually, which previously began being printed on paper.

Curiosities and Trivia: