Well, time to wrap The Expanders' contribution to the Manga Month Of May by taking a look at their later (and earlier, if we're being honest) appearances in Agent Rob's work. Above is one of the mock covers put together for the 2012 Electric Man Movie allowing Metalhead to make an appearance (and see his official name in print at last!)....
Prior to this the four main characters - two under the slightly different spelling/names of Heuex and Dr Ellis. D (oh dear!) - made an appearance in the March 2007 Khreditorial of Khaki Shorts (I think, if I recall, to set them solidly in print, making sure to use The Expanders name). This also features a drawing of Burning Orphanage, er, who had , ah, been something of Agent Rob's, um, stand-up comedy alter ego at the very turn of the century....
This is likely the very first complete drawing of the (then) trio. It was later flipped, edited and appropriated for one of Agent Rob's popular(-ish) anime cell styled prints in the late 90's....
And another....
....and one more....
....and waitaminnit here's another....
So this above is the chap appropriated for the Expanders-in-chief in Chapters 4 & 5 - I'm pretty sure his face never appears in those pages as a suitable/favourable 3D likeness of this drawing just could not be achieved elsewhere....
There's a few early biro drawings of the team members knocking about too....
And again....
Some more biro drawings appropriated for inclusion in the earlier chapters....
Really early pencil sketches above (yep, that's office notepaper)....
Biro variations on the Heux family tree(?) above....
Mr Solid early variant....
....and another....
The gang together....
So here we have The Expanders' flat worked out in detail, from the single abode itself to a complete floor, as well as a rough 3D block representation of the exterior. Reckon that's enough extras for ya?! No?
Well, how about an actual LEGO model of The Expanders ship that appeared on the very first page of the strip...?
I actually still have this model in my possession, somehow never been able to part with it....
Ooh, and the wings can move...!
So there you have it, a comprehensive history of a never-realised strip that's probably longer and (slightly) more interesting than the strip itself....
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