#techyart

[techycatartist]

Coastermaynia 2024 Day 25- Skull Mountain

@coastermaynia

It’s Coastermaynia time! This is the first of three submissions I have for this year. Today’s prompt is Skull Mountain, an Intamin Family Coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure. I’ll admit that it’s been a while since I’ve drawn this guy, so I opted to depict him in his usual outfit. But as a nod to his coaster’s enclosed nature, I gave him something to do— exploring a dark cave.

Skull Mountain is Great Adventure’s resident psychologist, specializing in grief counseling. Though there’s one thing that sets his services apart from everyone else— Skull Mountain works exclusively with the departed! Thanks to a book he happened go stumble upon one day, SM can communicate with the souls of those who still roam the earth after pasing. Through several sessions, SM helps these souls let go of their “unfinished buisness” and ascend to the afterlife. Outside of his job, SM is an avid listener of heavy metal and is the first person to bring out the Halloween decorations. Skull Mountain is friendly and empathetic, though he has no issue voicing his concerns/opinions (which is especially helpful when Joker decides to go all-in on that week’s trending meme).

[techycatartist]

Green Lantern waiting for the rain to pass by; Weather delays are just as unwelcomed by Coasterdroids as they are by park guests!

Though Coasterdroids can act independent of their coaster’s operational staus, a Coasterdroid cannot exist without their coaster. While a “rain out” usually only lasts a day or two, long-term downtime (especially if the reason is unspecified) can prove detrimental to a Coasterdroid’s well-being.

[techycatartist]

Coastermaynia 2024 Day 31– Your Choice! (Lightnin’ Loops at Six Flags Great Adventure)

@coastermaynia

My third and final entry for this year’s Coastermaynia. The 31st has always been a “free space” for artists, allowing them to choose any coaster they want. In this case, I chose two! The original “interlocking loops” coaster(s), Lightinin’ Loops was Great Adventure’s first launch coaster. Though they would eventually be seperated and sent to other parks, the Lower “Blue” Loop still runs today as “Diamond Back” at Frontier City. Personality-wise, “Blue” was excitable and curious while “Red” was more level-headed and easygoing. They were known for throwing after-hour dance parties— ones where the spirit of Disco was kept alive.

There’s a short story that goes with this peice; click down here to view it!

Blue,

Today marks your re-birth day, and unfortunately one where we must spend it apart. It simply wasn’t in the cards for me. I will be sure to visit Frontier City in the coming weeks— I am not too familiar with it, but I appreciate the western charms it displays. It may take a while, but I believe you will find a home there.

It would be remiss of me to not inform you about your sister. Red was relocated to Wild World in Maryland and is going into her second season there. She goes by “Python” now and is dressed in blues. A lovely coincidence to see you two share a theme. I know you’ll find your way back to each other soon.

A year after your closures, a new-age “inverted” coaster was built. Cars hang under the track, but are fixed unlike XLR-8. It is themed to Batman, as the park is now owned by a movie studio. This year, they have opened a simulator ride. They are dead-set on making Great Adventure a “cinematic” experience, and it appears to be working. Though I miss you dearly, I am relieved to know that you and your sister remain operational. Don’t hesitate to visit when you have the chance.

In all the gifts I could’ve sent to you, I think nothing would be more meaningful than this. Keep it close, and cherish it forever.

Distance may separate us, but you will always be my daughter.

-Runaway Mine Train

(Oh, and for some context; RMT and the LL twins are not biologically related, but she views them as her daughters regardless)

[techycatartist]

Coastermaynia 2024 “Best Of” List— Day 25, Steel Vengeance (Cosplay)

@coastermaynia

BUT I’M NOT DONE YET— You guys are getting TWO posts today!

New for Coastermaynia 2024 is a “Best-Of” list; a compilation of roller coasters featured during previous years. Day 25 happened to be Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point’s resident RMC. It’s no secret that this guy’s one of my favorite personifications, so I couldn’t refuse an opportunity to draw him again! Still haven’t been to Cedar Point yet, but I know I’ll get there someday. Also, Happy (belated) Birthday SV! Can’t believe it’s already been six years since it opened.

While it’s not uncommon for a ride to have it’s own mascot, Steel Vengeance has three— Blackjack, Chess and Digger. I’ve already dressed SV in Blackjack’s outfit, and Digger tends to be overlooked by fans; figured it’d be good to put his outfit in the spotlight. I will say that Digger’s reason for seeking vengeance against Maverick is the most tragic— once a loyal employee, he lost his arm on the job and was dismissed (presumably) because he wasn’t “useful” anymore. But as the story goes, he would join Blackjack and Chess to bring forth one hell of a ride.

[techycatartist]

Felt like praticing different angles this week, so here’s my Black Diamond personification turning towards something (or someone). Originally hailing from the Jersey Shore, her coaster has called Knoebels home since 2011.

If you’re wondering if BD’s design takes inspection from Steven Universe, you’d be correct! The coaster being named “Black Diamond” was all it took for me to go “what if she looked like a diamond”? As such, she has a mostly-monochromatic color scheme, diamond pupils, striking eyelashes, and a (fake) diamond acting as her “gem”. My Slime Streak personification similarly took inspiration from Splatoon’s inklings.

[techycatartist]

2023 makes it five years since Steel Vengeance opened to the public! Normally, I like to make something in time for the coaster’s birthday (May 5th), but because it was towards the end of my school semester I didn’t have an opportunity to draw. But that’s the neat thing about anniversaries— the celebration can last all year (or longer)!

For this peice, I was inspired by SV’s playing-card motif. While the coaster is most associated with the Ace of Spades, I chose to depict my personification as a King (with his previous idenity as a Joker). Mean Streak wasn’t viewed favorably by coaster enthusiasts OR the general public— it was a “joke” of a wooden coaster. But when RMC got their hands on it, they turned MS into a world-class hybrid. Steel Vengeance is now one of the most popular rides at Cedar Point and is praised for its airtime-heavy layout. A “rags to riches” story, SV has taken it’s place as a member of coaster “royalty”!

It also reflects my personifications specifically— Mean Streak was simultaneously viewed as a surly jackass and a pathetic drunk; not helping his image was a tendency for his thunderstorm-generating powers to backfire on him. But when presented with his coaster’s imminent conversion, MS vowed to change. Five years later, Steel Vengeance barely resembles the person he once was— and although his life is not without it’s troubles, SV is content with what he’s become.

(Fun Fact: October 6th, 2018 was the day I learned about Steel Vengeance! At the time, I was a newbie coaster enthusiast who had no idea what an “RMC” was— so I was pretty intrigued by the idea of a coaster undergoing such a dramatic transformation! SV was also the coaster that really made me interested in making coaster personifications. Five years later, this coaster is still at the top of my bucket list.)

[techycatartist]

Since the Seems Reasonable duo will be fighting each other in this episode’s main event, I figured it was the perfect time to post these— Shrinky Dink keychains of Tantrum and Blip! This was very first time doing this, so while they look a bit rough around the edges I think they’re still cute (just like the bots these eyes come from)!

Consider this a pseudo-sequel to the BattleBot eye perler beads I posted back in January— perhaps Shrinky Dinks are the way to go for BB crafts…

[techycatartist]

Coastermaynia 2023 Day 31- Your Choice! (High Speed Thrill Coaster at Knoebels). @coastermaynia

The second Coastermaynia submission I have this year— today’s prompt is a “free space” in which you can chose any coaster you want. I chose High Speed Thrill Coaster, Knoebels’ original kiddy coaster (and the very first coaster they installed— all the way back in 1955!) “HSTC” sees himself as the resident “cool dude”…or at least a teenager’s approximation of “cool” (as defined back in the mid 50s). Although presenting himself as a “rebel without a cause”, HSTC is still a kid at heart. Though he mellowed out towards the end of his coaster’s operational life, his familial bond with Phoenix never faltered— Phoe was always proud of his “son”.

(No new outfit bcs I couldn’t think of anything in time lol. But I’m happy to have drawn this guy again! It’s been too long…)

[techycatartist]

Toro’s anger is something he’s struggled to control all his life— and with a literal inferno on his head, it’s very visible to the others when Toro is pushed over the edge. Though he can better manage it nowadays, there are some choice topics that always bring Toro to his “ignition point”. Regardless, when Toro “sees red”, it’s hurting him the most.

For this peice, I didn’t just want to draw a red scribble over his eyes— I painted some red construction paper, cut it into little slivers, and glued it onto his face. It adds some dimension to this peice that it wouldn’t have had otherwise.

But that’s not all for this week; head over to my Toyhouse page for a story involving my Great Adventure characters— one that focuses on Toro, who finds himself in a “burning rage” at a point in it, not unlike the one illustrated above.

[techycatartist]

It’s another installment of my “Rollerswitched!” role-swap AU designs! Today we have Great Adventure’s resident Zierer, Harley Quinn Crazy Train. Though the “Tivoli” model has been cloned for many parks, I decided to go with SFNE’s version because like HQCT, it had been rethemed (though it strangely kept its original color scheme…). As such, both iterations of this coaster recieved a design.

Click the “Read More” to hear about their history and general personality!

Fresh off its acquisition by Premier Parks, what was once known as “Riverside Park” now went under the name of “Six Flags New England” by the dawn of the new millennium. But a mere change in name wasn’t the only thing in store for this newly-acquired Six Flags. In the midst of the chain’s spending spree, three roller coasters would be installed at SFNE. While the star of the show was Superman: Ride of Steel, an Intamin “Mega Coaster”, a (relocated) Vekoma Boomerang and Zierer Tivoli were also present for the park’s opening day. Though SFNE lacked a Batman-themed ride at the time, it was decided to theme this Tivoli to Poison Ivy. Fittingly, the coaster would be surrounded by shrubbery as it twisted through its layout. In 2007, the coaster would trade one DC-related theme for another, becoming “Catwoman’s Whip”. As part of this rename, a statue of the eponymous cat-themed villainess was placed in the queue line, though it would puzzlingly retain the green-and-purple color scheme it opened with. Eventually, most of the greenery would be cut down when it became too much for the park to properly take care of. Catwoman’s Whip serves as SFNE’s designated “junior coaster”, a step between The Great Chase and Thunderbolt.

Poison Ivy’s Tangled Train--or just “Ivy”--is a Coasterdroid who isn’t too far off from the villainess her coaster is themed to. While she lacks the desire to see nature wipe out humanity, she carries an inhuman proficiency when it comes to growing and tending to plants. In being so connected to nature, Ivy has taught herself how to effortlessly identify and analyze the vast array of plants she cares for. Ivy prefers to be left alone with their plants, but typically hangs around Flashback and Mind Eraser. Ivy takes great care in her appearance, though is largely uninterested in “flaunting it around” to others, doubly so with the knowledge that her kisses are literal poison. Despite the character attached to her coaster, Ivy finds themselves feuding more with Superman: Ride of Steel, who considers them to be an anti-social “creep” only valued by others for their looks. In return, Ivy often criticizes Superman’s leadership, viewing him as an egotistical idiot. Ironically, it could be argued that she carries an ego of her own; she believes that she’d be a better leader than Superman ever was or will be.

However, all of this would change when their coaster was unexpectedly re-themed. Catwoman’s Whip--or just “Cat”-- found that without her “green thumb”, caring for her extensive garden of plants became tedious and boring. Seemingly without a purpose, Cat resorted to petty thievery to keep themselves entertained-- and ended up developing a set of “sticky fingers” as they found enjoyment in silently swiping valuables from park guests. Outside of their cat ears, Cat has no superpowers and had to learn how to use their whip effectively. Though still an intelligent individual, Cat has become more carefree and exuberant. Fittingly, they have also become a huge “cat person”, watching over any strays that make their way into the park. Cat is almost never seen without “Gotham”, their romantic partner, and continues to be friends with Flashback and The Riddler Revenge. After mellowing with age and a somewhat-brief stint as a villain, Superman and Cat are on better terms. Instead, Cat is usually butting heads with Joker, who tries to steal things before they can (and is perplexed by Joker’s meme-heavy sense of humor).

[techycatartist]

Some BattleBot eyes but with Perler beads! I did Hydra, Mammoth, Blip, and Tantrum. While this was more of a “I want to see if I can recreate these designs, but I have no intention of actually ironing them” deal, maybe I’ll revisit them one day. The main thing that stopped me was that I was unable to make both eyes (or in Hydra’s case, both pairs of eyes)— the boards I have are quite small. Perhaps I have to take a different approach (like creating the eyes one by one & gluing them to a base “face”).

[techycatartist]

We’re back with some art! I was in the mood to draw some chibis. Of course, you’re all familiar with my El Toro personification, but I wanted to shine the spotlight on Runaway Mine Train. While I’ve featured her in some stories, she hasn’t received any art beyond her character profile— until now!

As much as RMT cares for her fellow parkmates, she has a tendency to approach their concerns with the same overbearing technique. Though it works in some situations, it can cause friction between her and whomever she’s concerned with— something that’s compounded by Toro’s stubborn nature. But in most cases, the resulting friction goes away with time.

[techycatartist]

Haven’t done one of these in a while— My entry for @/avadrawsdigitally’s “Draw This In Your Style” (DTIYS) event! Twisted Timbers is a coaster I’ve yet to ride— but since I’ve liked every RMC I’ve been on so far, I’m sure I’ll enjoy TT if I ever find myself at Kings Dominion.

(Disclaimer— this DTIYS is being held *only* on Instagram, hence the slash in-between the at-sign and her username; I do not know if she has an active account here. If she does, let me know and I will tag her).

[techycatartist]

For the next part of “Rollerswitched!”, I wanted to focus on two coasters with identical (or very similar) layouts. Kingda Ka fits that to a T, as his coaster has a “sibling” in Top Thrill Dragster. But there’s something else about this “role-swap” that makes it different from the Phoenix/Twister pair; I don’t have a TTD personification to “swap” with. This is reflected in his design, as it was moreso of changing the theme of the outfit instead of re-formatting a TTD personification’s outfit into Ka’s. While you might think this means I only have one drawing to showcase this “swap”, we all know that TTD isn’t what it once was….stay tuned for the “Top Thril 2-ified” design!

Click under the “Read More” to learn about this guy’s backstory & overall personality!

Just as visitors of Cedar Point were experiencing a first-of-its-kind 300 ft. roller coaster, the park was already talking with Intamin to develop their next record-breaker. As the park that kickstarted the “coaster wars”, Cedar Point wanted to claim their victory. Meanwhile, Intamin had been developing a new technology for their launch coasters, debuting the hydraulic-powered “Xcelerator” at Knott’s Berry Farm two years later. Even as the park opened a hypercoaster-sized shuttle coaster, all eyes were on the center of the peninsula as a yellow-and-red structure grew and grew. By the end of 2002, it became clear that what was being built was unlike anything that had been seen before. On January 9th, the world was officially introduced to Top Thrill Dragster— the first-ever “strata-coaster”, reaching a height of 420 ft. But not only would this be the world’s tallest coaster, it would reach a record-shattering 120 mph in a matter of 3.8 seconds. Fittingly, the coaster would be themed to a Top Fuel Drag racecar. TTD opened on May 4th, 2003 and instantly became an icon not only for Cedar Point, but for roller coasters overall. However, it soon became apparent that TTD was not the most reliable ride— the hydraulic launch, while responsible for the ride’s popularity, was also responsible for most of its technical issues. Despite this, TTD’s status as a guest favorite meant that Cedar Point was dedicated to making it as reliable as possible.

Top Thrill Dragster is the epitome of the “natural-born-leader”, unafraid to take charge whilst knowing how to best approach each situation that presents itself in front of him. Though filled with an exuberance only matched by his’ coaster’s fast acceleration, TTD has fashioned his image to be a person of sophistication and high intelligence. TTD owns his status as Cedar Point’s leader 24/7, even during moments of downtime (which in all fairness, is a frequent experience for him). TTD is dedicated to making the lives of those close to him better-- he’ll drop everything if it means that a weight will be lifted off someone’s shoulders. TTD’s patience and temper can go a long way, but those who break it are in for a world of hurt. As the third-fastest coaster on earth, TTD’s “launch” power takes him to speeds that no human can match. Additionally, TTD has the power to summon a Top Fuel Drag racecar seemingly out of nowhere; pulling the flags off his gloves, the car reveals itself in a spectacular transformation. TTD is close with the other two “world’s first” coasters at Cedar Point, Magnum-XL200 and Millennium Force; he is also close to his twin sibling Kingda Ka and cousin Xcelerator. But with the coaster’s penchant for mechanical issues, TTD sufferers frequent migraines and other health issues. However, TTD always persists through his pain, no matter how great it is.

[techycatartist]

Back in July, I made a portrait of Norwalk Havoc’s three “house robots”- Brett, Bert, and Fluffy. I recycled a failed attempt at photographing my cat with an old Polaroid camera my parents had up in the attic (still worked after 30 years in storage) into a canvas with some Gesso.

I will put a small disclaimer that—if I’m recalling correctly—NHRL has new house robots (and may have re-named one of the three pictured above), but these three where the ones I found on their wiki during July 2022.

While my Twitter, Instagram, and Toyhouse (especially the latter two, as I do follow/reblog stuff unrelated to coasters on my Twitter) are going to stay coaster-focused, I want to use my Tumblr as a place where I can put the spotlight on my other interests, one of which is robot combat (BattleBots and NHRL specifically). Perhaps I’ll post some more robot combat art in the near future…

[techycatartist]

We’re back to the Great Adventure AU designs! Great American Scream Machine opened in 1989 with a patriotic theme, but what if it had opened a year earlier; Let me introduce you to “Shockwave”!

For those unaware, Great Adventure was originally going to open an Arrow Dynamics “Mega Looper” coaster in 1988. However, it was ultimately given to Great America, who opened it as Shockwave. Fortunately, Great Adventure would get their Mega Looper the next season (and in hindsight, it was probably for the better considering the multitude of issues Shockwave had).

For this design, it was fun to change his patriotic elements into “electrifiying” ones, and some elements were inspired by a superhero costume that Bugs Bunny appeared in for media relating to Great Adventure’s Shockwave (an Intamin Stand-Up, which of course would have a different name in this AU). Being the first Mega Looper means that “Shockwave”’s life is filled with chronic pain— and he comes to resent his neighbors because they can live a normal life. the coaster and “Shockwave” himself to meet an early end, closing in 2002 & being replaced by Superman: Ultimate Flight.

But If you wanna hear more about my Great Adventure AUs, I have a whole document up on my Toyhouse page that talks about this design (and many others)!