The Plunkett Collaborations - "Super Collie Adventures"

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	"Super Collie!" Look! Out in the pasture! Is it a bird? Is is a sheep? Is it the New Zealand Army on manoevers? It's... "Super Collie"!  Faster than a speeding farmbike! More powerful than "Federated Farmers"! Able to muster whole flocks in a single bound! Rounding up wrongdoers and putting them through the sheepdip of justice!
	"Super Collie!" (Coloured) Coloured version of the above picture, using watercolour pencils.
	"Miss Esmerelda" Presenting Miss Esmerelda Braithwaite, a beta-software tester at ELB Industries. Little do her colleagues know that this seemingly unremarkable lady is in fact New Zealand's prettiest super-hero - Super Collie!
	"Miss Esmerelda Braithwaite" (Coloured) Coloured version of the above picture, using watercolour pencils.
	"Office Esmerelda" Esmerelda in her usual business attire, sitting on an office desk.
	"Esmerelda in the office" Esmerelda Braithwaite, from "Super Collie Adventures", wearing a business suit in an office. The picture on the wall behind her is of the Sheepdog Monument at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand - a place which has great significance for Our Heroine...
	"Super Collie in action" Super Collie - in hot pursuit! Will the day be saved? (Not from any particular scene, but something that was inspired by the stories anyway :) )
	"John Palmer" Struggling impressionist artist, and Esmerelda's devoted boyfriend. "I know it's a bit of a break from my usual stuff, but the idea came to me suddenly while I was looking at Rain, Steam, and Speed by Turner," the man was saying. "Super hero pics aren't really in vogue right now, but I couldn't help it. I guess you could say I've got a bit a soft spot for Super Collie."  "You and every other young man," the girl tittered, winking obsequiously. The man smiled self consciously. "Seriously, though," she continued, "I'm glad you brought it. Maybe it won't ever be a big commercial hit, but it's a beautiful painting. Your love just- just shines out of it. After you become rich and famous, they'll auction it at Christie's for three million dollars."  "I wish." He hung his head in embarrassment at the praise, but his smile broadened.
	"Horizon" Naturally, most of Super Collie's foes want to see the back of Super Collie. So do most of her fans... <grin> An experiment in drawing figures from behind. Still haven't got it quite right, especially with the hand, this is the best I could do with this picture. I'll do better with the next one.
	"Cymbeline at Te Papa" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") "Calling it an evening, doc?" the guard at the staff entrance said as Cymbeline hurried up.  "Yeah." Cymbeline set her briefcase on the counter. Unlatching it one handed was tricky, but she managed. "Everything's all right," she said, looking him straight in the eye. There might have been a strange flicker in her eyes just then, or perhaps it was just a trick of the light.  The guard stared for a moment at the artifacts and parchments, and the big folder clearly marked "Museum property- Do Not Remove." He blinked, then nodded. "Very good, Doc. See you tomorrow."  "Thanks." Cymbeline nodded and hurried out. She was trying not to run but couldn't resist glancing furtively about as she crossed the parking lot. Maybe she was going to make it after all-
	"Cymbeline and the Tailsman of Ra" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") "This isn't just some pretty bauble!" Cymbeline exclaimed, marching forward, her hand thrust out in front of her. "This is the power even you can't overcome!" Daughter Night was cowering on the ground, arms clasped over her face, whimpering. "You thought I was helpless so you came after me without recharging! Well, you're not the only one who can call on the spirits of the ancient gods!" She kicked Daughter Night viciously in the ribs. "Crawl back into your hole if you can't stand the light, jackal!"
	"Super Collie Confrontation" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") "Well?" Super Collie demanded, looking around the lobby. She stood on the balls of her feet, holding her staff in both hands, horizontally in front of her. "Are you lot going to give up now or do we have to do this the hard way?"   A ragged cheer erupted from the hostages. It broke the spell, though; the three mummy gunmen whipped their shotguns up-   Super Collie swung her staff like Babe Ruth going for a home run. The head telescoped out to nearly three times its original length, striking the weapon from one of the robbers' hands and knocking him spinning. In the same instant she looked the other way and barked.
	"Sky Tower" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") Super Collie moved to the gap and hesitated, licking her lips. To her immediate right was one of the in-floor windows looking straight down. She liked to think of herself as not being afraid of heights but the cold wind snapping at her cape only emphasized how very close to the edge of nothing she really was. The flat top of one of the rim spokes reached out from center of the gap, forming a path wider than the top of a balance beam, but in the event of a misstep the dismount would be killer. Super Collie swallowed and took off her cape; Daughter Night showed no sign of coming in so there was no alternative but to go out. Using her staff for balance she stepped out over the void.
	"Zalika's Victory" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") As Esmerelda lifted the chain over her head she again heard the chorus of shepherds past, calling, pleading, warning, imploring. Before them all, though, was John. Slumped on the floor in an expanding pool of blood, his eyes glassy and blank, coils of pink, slimy intestines spilling from a ragged gash in his belly.  "Thank you," Zalika said. At once the weight was gone, along with the voices and the visions. Esmerelda tottered and fell on her face. Zalika stared at her hand, where lay the silver pendant. One by one her fingers closed over it; a feral, unholy grin split her face, her eyes blazing brighter and brighter. As she raised it above her head she started to giggle hysterically; silver light shone between her fingers, glowing brighter and brighter until it came through her hand. She bellowed something- not in English- and the light blazed like a supernova, wrapping her in searingly bright fire.
	"Live from Downtown Wellington!" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs") "Shut up," Zalika cut in sharply. "You know, Cokie, this is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about." She spoke to Cokie this time, not the camera. "Why the Hell did you come down here in the first place? Because of the smoke. The fire. The sirens. What did you expect to see? Destruction. Suffering. Death. Were you going to point your cameras at the charred corpses littering the street? Linger touchingly on the gory, mutilated survivors? Of course you were. But the sight of my bare nipples would be too much for the audience's delicate sensibilities. What a crock of shit." She seized Cokie by the front of her coat and flung her hard against the side of the van, then turned to the camera. "Your putrid Puritan ethics make me sick. [...] Well, y'know, I find myself wondering." She studied Cokie thoughtfully. The correspondent struggled, her face twisted into a rictus of terror, but she could not escape Zalika's iron grip. "Exactly how tightly do you cleave to your beliefs? I propose a test."
	"Mr Ulysses" Artist impression of Mr Paul Constandinos-Ulysses (aka Big Bad Wolf), Napoleon of crime from "Super Collie Adventures".
	"Katakana Kat and Kat Burglar" Artist impression of Daitakerou Sotohoji (Katakana Kat) and Vyachaslav Soborin (Cat Burglar), two of Big Bad Wolf's henchmen from "Super Collie Adventures".
	"Inspector Samson and Constable Kremmin" Artist impression of Inspector Samson and Constable Kremmin, two of Wellington's finest from "Super Collie Adventures".
	"Supa Korii-san!" Super Collie goes Oriental with a martial arts flying kick! (Yes, those are authentic Japanese katakana characters for "Super Collie" - literally "Su-pa Ko-rii"!)
	"Reconciliation" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Designs")  As Esmerelda's hand dropped yet again the elevator door opened and John stepped out. She quivered; her legs wanted to run but it was too late. He'd seen her. He walked up to the front door and opened it. "Come in," he said, taking her hand and gently tugging her inside. "You shouldn't be out there alone. It's dangerous. Besides-" he smiled warmly and squeezed her hand gently to take the sting from his rebuke- "you promised to spend the night with me."
	"Now that's a knife!" Meet Alexia deHaviland, a.k.a. "Okker Chick" - sheepstealer, claim-jumper and all-round Bad Girl from John Plunkett's story "Dark Desires". She seems to be influenced by a certain Mr Dundee from Australia, eh?
	"Caught in the Camera's Eye!" ("Super Collie Adventures: On the Lamb") Super Collie caught in the viewfinder of tabloid reporter Albert Apple, a.k.a. Squid Vicious... "Shove off!" Albert snarled. "I happen to be an official member of the press, bullet-head!"  Super Collie heard the voice and glanced back over her shoulder. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widening in shock and horror. She'd turned almost directly away from Albert as she sniffed the concrete, giving him a beautiful view of her buttocks. That, combined with her absolutely astounding expression, was more than Albert could have dared hope for. The deer reached for the camera, either to grab it or block the shot. Albert swung it down and to the side before tripping the shutter, firing almost from arm's length. He felt something like the sense of giddy excitement and transcendent joy he'd experienced that fateful day in Nagasaki. This wasn't anywhere near that good... but it was enough to make Albert believe, at least for a moment, that there was a God and He loved his son Albert. A photo of Super Collie on hands and knees with her ass in the air- and that expression on her face- was front page material for sure.
	"Super Collie Running" Super Collie speeding towards danger, rushing to defend the weak and champion the cause of justice! A rework of an earlier action picture, this time managing to get the legs right :) The colour version on the left was used to experiment with a more 'collie-like' colour scheme for our favorite super-heroine.
	"Super Collie in Motion" An exercise in pose study, based on a "How To..." picture by Shawntae Howard. Ever since I started drawing Super Collie and illustrating her exploits, I've been aware of the need to come to grips with 'action' poses, so this was done in an attempt to break out of the old 'static' pose mindset.
	"Sailor Collie" ("Super Collie Adventures: On Her Majesty's Shepherd Service")  A concept picture of a scene from my own Super Collie story-in-progress... "It is your special Japanese outfit, Korii-san," Hamacho smoothly replied, though underneath his cool exterior he felt the fur on the back of his neck begin to prickle with tension. "It is our custom that female super-heroes in our country wear this, it is a long and honoured tradition. I believe we have your size correct, but if it is not fitting -"  "I'm not wearing that!" Super Collie exclaimed. "I'd look ridiculous! How can you possibly expect me to - "  "The United Nations Charter on International Superhero Relations, section seven, paragraph two." Hamacho quickly reeled off, catching Super Collie by surprise. "I am sorry, Korii-san, but this is non-negotiable."
	"Struck by the sword!" ("Super Collie Adventures: Dark Desires") Super Collie confronts a possessed Japanese guardian statue that is hot on the heels of the resurrected Daughter Night - but the statue isn't too concerned with whatever gets in the way of its mission! "N- no!" Super Collie stammered. "I- I respect what you're doing but I- I can't-" At some point the warrior had drawn his short sword. It flashed toward Super Collie in a lightning quick backhand stroke. She let out a yell and leapt back but not quite quickly enough. The blade struck just under her right breast. The Mystic Power of the Shepherd, which had never failed to turn aside an attack, didn't even slow it down. Super Collie landed on her side, then rolled onto her belly, hacking and gagging. Blood sprayed from her mouth and nose as well as pouring from the horrendous wound in her side.
	"Super Sailor Collie's Hentai Monster Encounter!" (from an unwritten scene in "Super Collie Adventures: On Her Majesty's Shepherd Service") With the added borrowed powers of a Japanese 'sailor scout girl', Super Collie prepares to battle an evil tentacled Hentai Beast that is terrorising Wellington! Dedicated to Simon "Tentacles! More tentacles!" Barber :)