Rise of the Radio Kings Chapter 2 - Conflicts and Resolutions

This one has been a long time coming, and I think the title speaks for itself.  I'm experimenting with a new storytelling format, including text with the images, and I'd love to hear what anyone thinks.

And if anyone needs a refresher, you can find Chapter 1 here. https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2649-chapter-1-the-lighthouse-post-apocalyptic-radio-station-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings























































































And if anyone wants to hear the songs from this chapter:





Here are a couple bonus photos from the shoot that I loved, but didn't fit in the narrative flow of things.

You're alive! And as creative as ever. Beautiful, gritty, elaborate set and characters and action. By far my favorite shot was Crow blowing the leader's head off. And Peter Dinklage still gets these roles, huh? Nice of you setting up a sequel.
I'm a little disappointed Crow didn't get any backup, but I suppose he was showing off his bada$$ery.

As for the format, I think it very ambitious but a bit overwhelming for me, perhaps because I was determined to take it all in. The musical references were beyond me (and therefore a little distracting), but they are naturally integral to Radio Kings, and the linked videos helped. More generally, I personally feel there was either too much visual imagery or too much description. If you're writing a book, a few illustrations here and there would typically go with a larger body of text; if you are doing a comic strip, it would be largely visual, with the dialogue and some thoughts in callouts and the occasional bit of narration. Here you described every action we see in exquisite detail -- this certainly helps make even more sense of the visuals and offers a connected narrative, but to me it was difficult to appreciate both at the same time, though I couldn't resist trying to do so. It seems to me that this would be even more effective with either more emphasis on the visuals and a little less on the text (people tell me I write too much text), or having fewer visuals to go with more text. It's a tough call, as either option would entail sacrificing something.

A super story my friend! The staging and set building are amazing, as is the posing throughout. You really get (well I did) invested in what is going on. The visual effects that you created of the blood splatter are stunning, and one I'm sure will be copied! The new style layout works really well too.
The smaller details also made is fun too, like Marrow sat watching the show from on high as the action unfolded. Having spoken at length about this project, I can see now why the whole thing took so much time and effort on your part. Time well spent indeed. Well done Rev! I really enjoyed that.

Awww, yay!!!!  I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing! As always you return with a splash (literally, splashes of blood everywhere, lol!). Loved how this all played out. Your diorama setting is just immense and evocative. The added foliage definitely helped give it the feeling of a ruin. Crow coming out from behind the door and taunting the baddies was just classic. And I had to laugh at Marrow just quietly observing everything from her perch. Crow had it covered, gave her a good show.

The constant references to the music playing in the background made me laugh in enjoyment so much, this whole world, story, and cast of characters is clearly your love letter to rock and roll and it's delightful to see.

I'm always blown away by how much work you've put into the action scenes, all that posing to evoke the fighting movements looks excellent. The final 'shotgun blasts' to finish off the main baddie were PERFECT.

All in all, this was an awesome way to introduce a new character! Who looks fantastic, btw!

As for the new format, I totally get how tricky it is to incorporate text and images. I've been pondering how I will go about that myself once I get to that stage. I personally did not mind the added storytelling and description (and in fact enjoyed it!), but then I quite like 'illustrated' stories in general. The only thing that was a little distracting was maybe the text placement. I think the text at the bottom worked better for me than the text at the sides, because it meant I could look at the photo first, then check the story to flesh out the scene. Just my thoughts!

Psychotronic!

You know that term, right? Don't hear or see it much anymore. Not since the '90s, really.

But I know you know it, because... here it is!

Lots more later, when I've had time to process.

Wow. This setting is a treasure trove of stories and characters (and I was not even aware of it until today)!

Wow! Just.. WOW! What a staggering achievement with the blood, the set, the posing, the story. Really cool. My only complaint would be… Not enough Marrow! She’s my absolute favorite character of yours — adorably creepy. Glad to see you contribute again, Adam. Your creations, the sets, etc., are always a treat. Hope you’re doing well personally.

Stryker2012 wrote:My only complaint would be… Not enough Marrow!.

Hopefully she will feature more heavily when they go after 'Slaughter the Destroyer' lol.

This is beyond amazing. 🤯 About time, indeed! What a visual extravaganza this was - so many photos like literal screen captures from a dystopian action film. The scale and beautifully gritty detail of that HUGE diorama is simply mindblowing (pun intended?), a true masterpiece of craft and a perfect setting for some major @ss-kickery to go down.

And the new baddies were awesome to see as well, despite how soon they departed. You've continued to make great use of those blood-splosion attachments too, and there is just...so much detail in the characters and the dio itself, I'm in awe and appreciation for sharing as always. Peter Dinklage as Sawyer is a wonderfully unexpected addition to the cast, I could hear all of Sawyer's dialogue in his voice. Can't wait to see this 'Slaughter the Destroyer' - the big bad, I take it? Or perhaps just a decoy, we shall see...

Wow, great work! I like the action sequence very much. Very nicely "choreographed"!
I love the huge backalley diorama!

GubernatorFan wrote:You're alive! And as creative as ever. Beautiful, gritty, elaborate set and characters and action. By far my favorite shot was Crow blowing the leader's head off. And Peter Dinklage still gets these roles, huh? Nice of you setting up a sequel.
I'm a little disappointed Crow didn't get any backup, but I suppose he was showing off his bada$$ery.

As for the format, I think it very ambitious but a bit overwhelming for me, perhaps because I was determined to take it all in. The musical references were beyond me (and therefore a little distracting), but they are naturally integral to Radio Kings, and the linked videos helped. More generally, I personally feel there was either too much visual imagery or too much description. If you're writing a book, a few illustrations here and there would typically go with a larger body of text; if you are doing a comic strip, it would be largely visual, with the dialogue and some thoughts in callouts and the occasional bit of narration. Here you described every action we see in exquisite detail -- this certainly helps make even more sense of the visuals and offers a connected narrative, but to me it was difficult to appreciate both at the same time, though I couldn't resist trying to do so. It seems to me that this would be even more effective with either more emphasis on the visuals and a little less on the text (people tell me I write too much text), or having fewer visuals to go with more text. It's a tough call, as either option would entail sacrificing something.

I live!  Nice to be back, and glad you liked the new story entry!  Yeah, when I started thinking about Sawyer as a character, I kinda couldn't picture anyone but Dinklage playing him.  We'll definitely lead up to Marrow getting involved, but yeah, this was the chance to establish Crow's prowess.  Plus, she was very busy with breakfast.  

The music references really are a big part of the Radio Kings ethos.  Think of them as easter eggs for anyone who does love a lot of these bands (and listening suggestions for anyone who doesn't yet   ).  But you don't need to know the bands.  When in Star Trek someone mentions a "type L phase discriminating amplifier" it say more about the character's knowledge and expertise than in any way needing to actually know or under stand the science (even within the context of the show.) So with RK, it's a big part of how the characters interact with the world, especially Crow.  He keys up the right song for the occasion.  He has far more interest in music trivia than what just happened, painting the violence almost mundane from his perspective.  I could have made up band and song names, and achieved the same purpose, but this is way more fun.

I kinda committed myself to writing this whole thing as a novel, along with the images.  So how much of that to include is a big question.  My original plan was to include the full text separately, below.  But there were to many details that were a necessary part of the narrative, that I can't convey in pics.  But I appreciate the feedback.  It definitely will require further experimentation.

BAMComix wrote:A super story my friend! The staging and set building are amazing, as is the posing throughout. You really get (well I did) invested in what is going on. The visual effects that you created of the blood splatter are stunning, and one I'm sure will be copied! The new style layout works really well too.
The smaller details also made is fun too, like Marrow sat watching the show from on high as the action unfolded. Having spoken at length about this project, I can see now why the whole thing took so much time and effort on your part. Time well spent indeed. Well done Rev! I really enjoyed that.

Thanks so much!!  I'm so glad the blood effects worked.  I guess I'm still a part of the era of practical effects, and can't transition to going fully digital.  I actually made the choice to leave Marrow out of the text entirely, just lurking in the background of the photos.  A bit of delayed gratification until she enters the action.  

skywalkersaga wrote:Awww, yay!!!!  I have been thinking about you and wondering how you were doing! As always you return with a splash (literally, splashes of blood everywhere, lol!). Loved how this all played out. Your diorama setting is just immense and evocative. The added foliage definitely helped give it the feeling of a ruin. Crow coming out from behind the door and taunting the baddies was just classic. And I had to laugh at Marrow just quietly observing everything from her perch. Crow had it covered, gave her a good show.

The constant references to the music playing in the background made me laugh in enjoyment so much, this whole world, story, and cast of characters is clearly your love letter to rock and roll and it's delightful to see.

I'm always blown away by how much work you've put into the action scenes, all that posing to evoke the fighting movements looks excellent. The final 'shotgun blasts' to finish off the main baddie were PERFECT.

All in all, this was an awesome way to introduce a new character! Who looks fantastic, btw!

As for the new format, I totally get how tricky it is to incorporate text and images. I've been pondering how I will go about that myself once I get to that stage. I personally did not mind the added storytelling and description (and in fact enjoyed it!), but then I quite like 'illustrated' stories in general. The only thing that was a little distracting was maybe the text placement. I think the text at the bottom worked better for me than the text at the sides, because it meant I could look at the photo first, then check the story to flesh out the scene. Just my thoughts!

Cheers Skywalkersaga, and thanks so much!  I've mainly been so caught up in projects I haven't had any time left to post.  I'm terrible about posting WIP stuff, and I have so many figures, dioramas and ideas in the pipeline, I need to switch gears from building to photographing and actually get to sharing some of it.

And so glad you enjoyed!  I've been so excited to share this and continue this story.  Something about your comments JUST made me realize I never added muzzle flashes to the last couple shotgun blasts, and now I want to go in and fix...

Yeah, Marrow is more than content to have a show to watch with her breakfast.  And I think the additional writing really gave me the chance to share more of Crow's voice and the quirks of his personality.  Super happy you enjoyed the music references too!  It's such a big part of how Crow, and a few other characters, interact with the world, and probably a look inside my head as well.  

And appreciate the notes on text placement as well!  You actually have me thinking how I can use that more intentionally, as in some cases, I may want to have the image proceed the text for just that reason.  Lot to think about...

davidd wrote:Psychotronic!

You know that term, right? Don't hear or see it much anymore. Not since the '90s, really.

But I know you know it, because... here it is!

Lots more later, when I've had time to process.

I'd actually not heard the term before, and am delighted to see there's a whole genre associated with it!  One I could definitely see RK falling into.  And process away!  I tried to include plenty to explore here.

Visisonor wrote:Wow. This setting is a treasure trove of stories and characters (and I was not even aware of it until today)!

Thanks so much Visisonor!!!

If you haven't already, and want to go down the rabbit hole, here's a deep dive into the World of the Radio Kings:

Chapter 1:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2649-chapter-1-the-lighthouse-post-apocalyptic-radio-station-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings#34693

Previous character introductions.  Almost everything here comes into play a little later in the story, with The 1st 2 chapters being the real beginning:

Saint Crow: 1st of the Radio Kings - https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t149-saint-crow-1st-of-the-radio-kings-post-apocalyptic-warlord-king-s-currency-wasteland-salvaged-records-turntable-and-speakers-megapost

Marrow: The Deathblessed - https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t545-marrow-the-deathblessed-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

Kit and her garage workshop - https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1296-kit-and-garage-workshop-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

Wren - https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1913-wren-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

And previous photo series, which also all take place a little later in the story:

Wasteland Bike Chase
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t1808-wasteland-bike-chase-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

New Gasmask Part 1
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2189-new-gas-mask-part-1-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

New Gasmask Part 2
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t2229-new-gas-mask-part-2-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

Scavenging:
https://onesixthfigures.forumotion.com/t5830-scavenging-from-the-world-of-the-radio-kings

Stryker2012 wrote:Wow! Just.. WOW! What a staggering achievement with the blood, the set, the posing, the story. Really cool. My only complaint would be… Not enough Marrow! She’s my absolute favorite character of yours — adorably creepy. Glad to see you contribute again, Adam. Your creations, the sets, etc., are always a treat. Hope you’re doing well personally.

Thanks so much Stryker!!!  I put in that bonus shot of Marrow enjoying her breakfast just for you.  (I also couldn't resist, she looked so good enjoying a snack up there).  And I've been really good!  I've been working on projects like a man possessed, which is about as happy as I can be, and have so much built up to share.  

skywalkersaga wrote:

Stryker2012 wrote:My only complaint would be… Not enough Marrow!.

Hopefully she will feature more heavily when they go after 'Slaughter the Destroyer' lol.

Oh, count on it  

AlKelAstra91 wrote:This is beyond amazing. 🤯 About time, indeed! What a visual extravaganza this was - so many photos like literal screen captures from a dystopian action film. The scale and beautifully gritty detail of that HUGE diorama is simply mindblowing (pun intended?), a true masterpiece of craft and a perfect setting for some major @ss-kickery to go down.

And the new baddies were awesome to see as well, despite how soon they departed. You've continued to make great use of those blood-splosion attachments too, and there is just...so much detail in the characters and the dio itself, I'm in awe and appreciation for sharing as always. Peter Dinklage as Sawyer is a wonderfully unexpected addition to the cast, I could hear all of Sawyer's dialogue in his voice. Can't wait to see this 'Slaughter the Destroyer' - the big bad, I take it? Or perhaps just a decoy, we shall see...

Thank you so much AlKelAstra!!!  This was so much fun to shoot and share, and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.  And it's funny, Peter Dinklage's voice is a MAJOR part of why I imagined him as Sawyer.  You can just hear him on the radio, broadcasting into the wastelands.  He's so charismatic I couldn't picture anyone else.  As for Slaughter...  we'll have to see   .

Randam Hajile wrote:Wow, great work! I like the action sequence very much. Very nicely "choreographed"!
I love the huge backalley diorama!

Thank you Randam!!  This was such a fun project beginning to end, and I'm so glad you enjoyed!

Added a few extra muzzle flashes, because I can't leave anything alone.

ReverendSpooky wrote:Added a few extra muzzle flashes, because I can't leave anything alone.

You're not alone in not being able to leave anything alone. But you do a great job at it!

Nice touch adding the muzzle flash effect.

Fabulouspookytastamazing

Great to see you are back at taking photo stories again - it's freaking crazy to imagine how much time and effort you must have put into this, with all the special effects of the fight scenes... your posing is a league by itself, as usual... what else to comment than just to be left gawking and wondering "why-of-why-can't I"....

Crow is my favourite character of yours and though I like this tight link to music, I have to admit I have not come around to listen to the clips you provided (though I am so happy to have come across Frank Turner with the help of your stories). Hope to catch up on that. Sadly, I am just not busy in 1:6 myself these days and am neglecting this forum.
Your styling of Mr Dinklage made me laugh. What a cool manifestation of the mysterious Stranger.

As for Marrow's breakfast: yummy  
I can't wait to see the photo story of where she got it  

I expect 'Slaughter the Destroyer' to look as ridiculous as the names sounds. Tiny ugly guy with a temper even worse than Joffrey Baratheon's.

I will stay tuned.  


Love the versatility of that dio too. The addition of greenery gives it a different vibe to when you used it for House of Seasons.

EDIT: I am fine with the format btw. I find the text at the bottom slightly better to read but do not mind text at the side of some pics (not at all if the text is short). It just makes full sense for the „upright“ pics.

That's what they call Crow surfing.

Such a diva, an arrogant poser, a rockstar. The crowd realized the latent psychotic energy in him and was put at unease. Who really killed them wasn't Saint Crow, but the command to attack this beast.
Reluctant at first, he seems to be relieved to vent his raging power for some Psychokiller action.
I can imagine when he hears that wolf howl, something primal in him snaps, combined with his Citadel Super Soldier conditioning he just has to unleash hell upon those poor peasents like a heat seeking missile.

It's great and unsettling as he becomes so casual right after it, coping with a bit of musical smalltak, the fresh carnage in his back, with the sound of dripping blood still in the air.

And about looking into your head, I guess you also always have those violent choreographies playing in you mind when listening to certain kinds of blood pumping music, even when in the middle of a concert crowd. You can tell us. This is a safe space.

There are many technical aspects the others mostly pointed out already.
Liked how your foilage effectively turns the HoS dios apocalyptic.
Screaming facepoolguy always does his job great.
Like Astraman, I heard Sawyer in the iconic Peter voice.
I agree texts a the top or bottom work better. But anyone of us who doesn't do speechbubbles is still experimenting.
I actually put on the video/soundtrack before looking at the pics. And as always I only recommend to look at 1/6 photostories on big screens.
So did Crow just prepare Marrows breakfast there?

Oh and I imagine Slaughter sounding like a commercial for...monster trucks sponsored by energy drinks promoted by wrestlers. Or the other way round. A powerful, high energy beast full of steroids and violence, with the biggest gun he can find and the largest club or longest sword there is. The American Dream come true.

Blood for the Blood God.

GubernatorFan wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:Added a few extra muzzle flashes, because I can't leave anything alone.

You're not alone in not being able to leave anything alone. But you do a great job at it!

Thank you!  YEah, I think you stare at anything you do and find something you want to fix  

Stryker2012 wrote:Nice touch adding the muzzle flash effect.

Thank you!  Yeah, I think it needed them!

Illusion wrote:Fabulouspookytastamazing

Great to see you are back at taking photo stories again - it's freaking crazy to imagine how much time and effort you must have put into this, with all the special effects of the fight scenes... your posing is a league by itself, as usual... what else to comment than just to be left gawking and wondering "why-of-why-can't I"....

Crow is my favourite character of yours and though I like this tight link to music, I have to admit I have not come around to listen to the clips you provided (though I am so happy to have come across Frank Turner with the help of your stories). Hope to catch up on that. Sadly, I am just not busy in 1:6 myself these days and am neglecting this forum.
Your styling of Mr Dinklage made me laugh. What a cool manifestation of the mysterious Stranger.

As for Marrow's breakfast: yummy  
I can't wait to see the photo story of where she got it  

I expect 'Slaughter the Destroyer' to look as ridiculous as the names sounds. Tiny ugly guy with a temper even worse than Joffrey Baratheon's.

I will stay tuned.  


Love the versatility of that dio too. The addition of greenery gives it a different vibe to when you used it for House of Seasons.

EDIT: I am fine with the format btw. I find the text at the bottom slightly better to read but do not mind text at the side of some pics (not at all if the text is short). It just makes full sense for the „upright“ pics.

Thanks so much Illusion!!!  Yeah, it feels really good to get back to Crow's story, and get to really see him flex a bit.  And no rush on the music, to be experienced at your leasure!  But I personally love how you can hear in that Grinderman track exactly where things kick of in this scene.  And trust me, I totally understand how 1:1 life take precedence over 1:6.  

The Stranger is such a major character in the RK world, and I think as I continue to develop him you'll see why Dinklage is the perfect choice for him.  And that's one of Marrow's favorite go-to meals!  Stick-Rat?  Hot-Rat?  Rat-Yums?  I need an appropriate name for how she refers to them.

And I think you may be pretty spot on with Slaughter.  Very much looking forward to his introduction soon. And so glad the dio takes on it's own life as it crosses worlds!  I try to plan for some versatility in all my builds to get the most mileage out of them.

And thank so much on the format feedback!

Ovy wrote:That's what they call Crow surfing.

Such a diva, an arrogant poser, a rockstar. The crowd realized the latent psychotic energy in him and was put at unease. Who really killed them wasn't Saint Crow, but the command to attack this beast.
Reluctant at first, he seems to be relieved to vent his raging power for some Psychokiller action.
I can imagine when he hears that wolf howl, something primal in him snaps, combined with his Citadel Super Soldier conditioning he just has to unleash hell upon those poor peasents like a heat seeking missile.

It's great and unsettling as he becomes so casual right after it, coping with a bit of musical smalltak, the fresh carnage in his back, with the sound of dripping blood still in the air.

And about looking into your head, I guess you also always have those violent choreographies playing in you mind when listening to certain kinds of blood pumping music, even when in the middle of a concert crowd. You can tell us. This is a safe space.

There are many technical aspects the others mostly pointed out already.
Liked how your foilage effectively turns the HoS dios apocalyptic.
Screaming facepoolguy always does his job great.
Like Astraman, I heard Sawyer in the iconic Peter voice.
I agree texts a the top or bottom work better. But anyone of us who doesn't do speechbubbles is still experimenting.
I actually put on the video/soundtrack before looking at the pics. And as always I only recommend to look at 1/6 photostories on big screens.
So did Crow just prepare Marrows breakfast there?

Oh and I imagine Slaughter sounding like a commercial for...monster trucks sponsored by energy drinks promoted by wrestlers. Or the other way round. A powerful, high energy beast full of steroids and violence, with the biggest gun he can find and the largest club or longest sword there is. The American Dream come true.

Blood for the Blood God.

Thanks so much Ovy!!!  I think you truly understand Crow's character.  I think a big part that I want to explore as this story goes on, is how he is probably one of the most suited people for this world possible, but the qualities he most admires are the ones most inconsistent with it.  Intelligence, kindness, creativity, idealism.  He's the wasteland's perfect killing machine, but is humble in the face of anyone with those qualities.  And the violence is such a standard in his world, that the opportunity to bond over music is far more fresh and exciting.

And you are 100% right, it was definitely that order to attack that killed these guys.

It's crazy how many ideas really do come to me at live concerts.  Something about just being there, with the music so loud, really allows my brain to wander to these places.  

I wonder how many more uses Screaming Facepoolguy has left!  I actually bought the head with this in mind, and now that he's appeared in both worlds, and not done so well in either, I wonder what's left for him.  The paint on his hair didn't fare so well after the blood effects of this shoot either.

I love the idea of The Stranger being synonymous with Dinklage's voice.  I really couldn't imagine anyone else.

I'm still not sure why I'm so opposed to speech bubbles.  I'm constantly trying to figure it out.  I'm an avid comic and manga reader, so that's definitely not the issue.  Maybe because I'm attached to the prose part of this as well?  But I agree, it's still an experiment to see what works, and try to cultivate how you experience the story as a whole.

Listening to the songs, while not essential, really does add a lot to the experience.  Some songs are more connected to the story than others, but I really looked for the right song that kicks in hard at the right moment, and that moment is so powerful in that Grinderman track, my imagination can't help but hear it in this scene.  And I SO agree, I want to see a photo story on as big a screen as possible, and to soak up as many details as I can.  Which is ironic since everything is a miniature version of the real thing.

Marrow is definitely handling her own breakfast, and is quite proud of her roasted rats (I think she has a little bag of seasoning) but is usually happy to share.

I absolutely love your take on Slaughter!  I think you may be on to something....

Blood for the Blood God indeed!  May we bathe in his glory.  (I think the correct response is Skulls for the Skull Throne, right? )