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December 31, 2004
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"Retropolis" is the name I've given to my Future That Never Was, and now it's also the name of this wild, movie poster-style montage of the places and people that fill that world. It pulls together a lot of elements I've been working with over the past year - in fact, I think I started the city itself about three and a half years ago - into one big joyful conglomeration of retro-futuristic enthusiasm. I'm pretty crazy about it, as maybe you can tell.

This is a city so big it has weather. Like in weather patterns. Don't mistake the fog and clouds for pollution, since that's not a problem here; the City Of The Future used to always be about transportation of a sleek, modern and desirable kind. This is no exception, with its thundering monorail and its high-flying, lighter-than-air airships - but it's not all public transportation either, since we were promised flying cars. Here we finally have them in the form of open cockpit roadster rockets that burst right out of the heart of the picture.

Arranged around the central image of the city are several of the folks you might meet there. For no reason I can explain, I've named the male characters after British band leaders of the 20's and 30's. We've got Nat Gonella, Henry Hall, and Lew Stone, and in her own vein there's their friend Aelectro Monica, along with Rusty, the original Faithful Robot Companion.

For those of us on my side of the water there's a nod to the Gershwins, too.

As always in these images I've combined elements of 3D rendering with 2D painted work, done afterwards in Photoshop. I sort of pulled out all the stops on this one - due to the demands of my Day Job I don't get nearly enough time during the year to do these, and I think I had a lot of something or other bottled up that just plain had to get out. It looks to me like most of it managed to.
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Daily Deviation

Given 2005-08-20
Retropolis by Bradley W. Schenck. The future that never was. Wait, not quite. Rare specimens of today's robot companions can be faithful in their limited functionality, speedy monorails and flying cars do exist exist abd be it only as prototypes and for sure we have labor saving devices! This yesterday's vision of tomorrow, as depicted, never really was, but as other past visions of the future are reality today, I am most certain one fine day Domest-O-Bot will make me delicious dinners, ready for consume right on time when I come home from work in my flying cobalt-metallic Cadillac! While we ponder about our future that is yet to come, let's get inspired by this fantastic movie-poster style artwork and build upon the ideas therein.

Also viewable as our Print of the Day. ( Featured by $spinegrinder )
:iconmedallion2012:
~Medallion2012 Oct 4, 2011
I totally want to live there!!! Amazing!!
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:iconpyrox626:
!Pyrox626 Sep 7, 2011
Reminds me of bioshock...FUCKING EPIC!!! :D

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OH COOL! :eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping::eyepopping:
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:icondouglashumphries:
=DouglasHumphries Nov 24, 2010
..great idea and execution !
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:iconj0sh-3000:
~j0sh-3000 Jun 16, 2010   Digital Artist
positively stellar work.
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:icon1in0:
~1in0 Jun 8, 2010
Suggestion: Change:

Retropolis: The Future that WAS!

PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! :)

--
ŁĄ€$ - Money spells LIES:ŁĄ€$
LI ES

"Everything that deceives may be said to enchant."
- Plato
to spell:
1) to name, write, or otherwise give the letters, in order, of a word
2) to discern, to signify
Synonyms: to mean, ...
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:icondocmagnus:
~docmagnus May 17, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
Okay; I'll start up the time-machine. 1923 sound about right to you?

--
Look, you have your view of reality, I have mine. So long as the two don't come into contact with one another, we should be okay.
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:iconlxblack:
~lxblack Oct 16, 2009  Hobbyist General Artist
Interested in actualy getting someone to animate a movie about this?

--
The two rules of art:
Dont seek perfection,
Dont let anyone know you dont have it.
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:iconryttu3k:
~ryttu3k Aug 15, 2008  Hobbyist General Artist
That's amazing! I adore retro future stuff, and this is just gorgeous. Favourited!

--
Groups: #zelda-rarepairs, #LinkxSheikxZelda
My views on Sheik. #SheikCoexistence!
I adopted Zelda x Sheik from #AdoptAPairing
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:iconwhynotstanley:
!whynotstanley Jun 29, 2008  Professional Artist
OK... this is a killer illustration... I have a monster collection of old sci-fi... and the future just ain't gonna happen like anyone saw it... but your image embodies the best of all the optimistic visions... I find it a little sad when compared to the future that seems more likely.

Still... your image is wonderful!
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:iconmchenry:
*mchenry May 14, 2008
Great work of art.

I like the "Future of the Past"-Style.

--
Anything goes !
The only limits are the frontiers of your imaginations !
If you reached this edge ... Go beyond !

Atari-Junkie since 1976 and dammed proudly on it !
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