Sons of the Storm



The Sons of the Storm are Samwise Didier, Chris Metzen, René Koiter (of Twincruiser), Thammer, Raneman, Drawgoon, Red Knuckle, Glowei, and Mr. Jack. Three affiliated non-Sons are Mickelob, Michel Koiter (of Twincruiser), and Sixen.

On December 13, 2017, Samwise announced on Twitter that it was time to say goodbye to Sons of the Storm for its 13th anniversary. The website finally went down on August 18, 2018, when its subscription ran out.

History
From the site of Sons of the Storm:
 * Forsaking such rewarding pursuits as painting signs and cleaning crap-ridden movie theaters; no longer content to repair watches, park cars and serve summonses to the dregs of humanity; sick of sleeping in the back seats of Dodge Demons, Ford Mavericks and on friends' parents' patios; weary of abusing one-month free trial memberships to shower at local gyms under the scrutinizing gaze of geriatric racquetball aficionados... this motley pack of wanderers joined under the banner of the storm and united to form a mighty clan of artists, storytellers and world-creators. This is their domain where you will find a haven against such soul-leeching madness as cell phones, reality TV, MySpace, the Gilmore Girls, American Idol and Starbucks. Starbuck is a STUD fighter pilot from Battlestar Galactica, not a place that hawks seven dollar mochas. Cast off your shackles and answer the call of the storm!

Profiles
From the site of Sons of the Storm:

Samwise

 * Name: Samwise
 * Alias: Slammy D, SammerFall, SamOWar, Panda King.
 * Inspirational Artists: Frazetta, Wrightson, Elmore, Ernie Chan and Big John Buscema.
 * Top Five Movies: The Godfather, Seven Samurai, Conan the Barbarian, Big Trouble in Little China, Heartbreak Ridge.
 * Favorite Books: Musashi, the Dragonlance trilogies, any Conan, military or Japanese history.
 * Killer Bands: Black Label Society, Cash, Tom Waits, HammerFall, Pantera, Slayer, DMX…and all hail the mighty, MANOWAR!
 * Greatest Games Ever: Samurai Showdown II, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, Tenchu, Twisted Metal Black and AD&D.
 * Words of Wisdom: "Dump that Bitch! Brothers are forever." "Hail and Kill! Opinions are like assholes, and I don't want to hear yours..."  "Wine, Wisdom, Wimmen & Wealth..."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Band, Bulldog, Boozing and Bringing it.
 * Define your style of art: Over-proportioned, primary colored, bulky armored dudes and monsters.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: Coffee table in the living room. On the phone.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Over-proportioned, primary colored, bulky armored dudes and monsters.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Pencil, paper and Photoshop.
 * Color: Red
 * Number: 5
 * Element: Fire
 * Season: Summer
 * Aspect: Honor
 * Race: Dwarf
 * Weapon: Axe
 * Animal: Panda
 * Class: Warrior
 * Alignment: Chaotic Good
 * Food: BBQ
 * Drink: Black & Tan
 * Comic Dude: Conan
 * Star Wars Dude: Qui-Gon Jinn
 * Cartoon Dude: Popeye
 * Game Dude: Wan-fu
 * TV Show: The Shield

Metzen

 * Name: Metzen
 * Alias: Thundergod, The Bourbon Cowboy.
 * Inspirational Artists: Walter Simonson, Larry Elmore, Alex Ross, Jim Lee, Keith Parkinson.
 * Top Five Movies: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars, Braveheart, Ben Hur, Highlander (original)
 * Favorite Books: The Dragonlance Chronicles (Weis and Hickman), The Sandman Series (Neil Gaiman), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series (Douglas Adams), The Stand (Stephen King), American Gods (Neil Gaiman)
 * Awesome Comics: The Mighty Thor (Walter Simonson - writer/artist), Kingdom Come (Mark Waid - writer, Alex Ross - artist), Uncanny X-Men (Chris Claremont's 17 year run - various artists), Daredevil (Frank Miller - Writer/artist), Hellblazer (Garth Ennis - writer, Steve Dillon - artist)
 * Killer Bands: The Police, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Doors, U2, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Wonder.
 * Listening to Recently: Sevendust, A Perfect Circle, Linkin' Park, Incubus.
 * Greatest Games Ever: AD&D (1st edition) - especially the single module 'Ravenloft', Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC/Xbox), Palladium Games - Heroes Unlimited, TMNT and Robotech, Galaga - Arcade, Off Road - Arcade
 * Words of Wisdom: "Never mix whiskey and vodka." "Never spit into the wind."  "When in Russia, never whistle on crowded subway trains."
 * Hobbies and Interests: I like to crash dirt bikes as often as possible. I'm a four-alarm comic geek with an average $35.00 a week habit. I love the night life. I love to boogie.
 * Define your style of art: I think I've always taken a comic-type approach to fantasy and sci-fi. I was heavily influenced by both Walt Simonson's and Jim Lee's pencilling styles for form, but I preferred the costuming, themes and general feel of Elmore and Parkinson's fantasy paintings. Still kind of working on the whole 'art style' thing... At this point, I just use as much pencil lead on a page as I possibly can and hope the piece turns out!!! :)
 * Where do you do most of your work?: Any flat surface will do.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Heroes and Villains. Monsters and mechanical designs are fun - but I dig drawing specific characters with specific stories related to them.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Usually just a good handful of mechanical #2 pencils and a few compressed shading sticks. I'm a big fan of colored pencils as well, but it's been awhile since I've gone that route. Photoshop's killer for finishing touches and such, but I prefer a good old fashioned pencil as opposed to pure digital art.
 * Color: Silver
 * Number: 7
 * Element: Sky (storm)
 * Season: Winter
 * Class: Paladin
 * Race: Human
 * Weapon: War Hammer
 * Animal: Polar Bear, Tiger
 * TV Show: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge
 * Alignment: Lawful Good
 * Food: Pizza - all meat, baby!
 * Drink: Jack Daniel's
 * Comic Dude: Thor, Captain America
 * Star Wars Dude: Han Solo
 * Cartoon Dude: Optimus Prime
 * Game Dude: Ben (Full Throttle)

Twincruiser

 * Name: Michel and René (together known as Twincruiser)
 * Alias: DeuceCruisaz, Keepers of the Storm.
 * Inspirational Artists: Bernini, Michelangelo, Rodin, John Howe, Alan Lee, Frank Frazetta, Glen Angus, Todd Lockwood, Joe Madureira, Mike Wieringo, Massimiliano Frezzato, Juanjo Guarnido, Alessandro Barbucci and last but not least... the Blizz gang.
 * Top Five Movies: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, The Godfather, Gladiator, Braveheart.
 * Favorite Books: The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien), The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell), American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis), 'Art of' books
 * Killer Bands: Van Halen, Guns 'N Roses, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, HammerFall, Edguy.
 * Greatest Games Ever: Monkey Island Series, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Metal Slug Series, Grand Theft Auto Vice City and anything Blizz.
 * Words of Wisdom: "Sometimes, in order to see the light you have to risk the dark." "Power corrupts...absolute Power corrupts absolutely."  "Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."  "What we do in life echoes in eternity."  "Truth is one, the sages speak of it by many names."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Tae Kwon Do, watch movies, listen to music, art, mythology, theology, philosophy, writing, study and life.
 * Define your style of art: Mythically and symbolically powerful.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: In the mind.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Mythically and symbolically charged heroes, villains and monsters.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Paper, pencil, Painter and Photoshop.
 * Color: Gold
 * Number: 8
 * Element: Earth
 * Season: Summer
 * Class: Warrior
 * Race: Human
 * Weapon: Katana
 * Animal: Grizzly Bear
 * Aspect: Enlightment
 * Alignment: Neutral Good
 * Food: BBQ
 * Drink: Water
 * Comic Dude: Calibretto (Battlechasers)
 * Star Wars Dude: Obi-Wan Kenobi
 * Cartoon Dude: Bravestarr
 * Game Dude: Manny Calavera (Grim Fandango)

Thammer

 * Name: Thammer
 * Alias: Travis, Goblin King.
 * Inspirational Artists: Frazetta, Joe Madureira, Craig Mullins, Brom, Bruce Timms, Travis Charest, and the boys at BLIZZ ent!
 * Top Five Movies: Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, Lord of the Rings, Aliens, and Conan the Barbarian.
 * Favorite Books: Books with pictures.
 * Killer Bands: Mostly old school stuff... Big Ottis Redding, Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash...
 * Greatest Games Ever: Samurai Showdown II, Grand Theft Auto Vice City, Battlefield 1942, Mark of KRI, and Gravitar.
 * Words of Wisdom: "Shop smart. Shop "S" mart."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Drawing, Video games, Family.
 * Define your style of art: Kind of cartoon'e.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: After my family is sleeping.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Heroes, Monsters, Battle scenes.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Pencil, paper, tiny erasers, Photoshop and a magic string.
 * Color: Blue
 * Number: 54
 * Element: Fire
 * Season: Summer
 * Class: Warrior
 * Race: Indonesian
 * Weapon: Hammer
 * Animal: Lion
 * Aspect: Strength
 * Alignment: Good
 * Food: Steak
 * Drink: Water
 * Comic Dude: Hulk
 * Star Wars Dude: Han Solo
 * Cartoon Dude: Spike Spiegal
 * Game Dude: Kyle Katarn
 * TV Show: Thundercats!

Raneman

 * Name: Raneman
 * Alias: Gromes, RaneDog, Arsenal 21, G Skillet, Renn Glane.
 * Inspirational Artists: Frank Frazetta, Mucha, J.C. Leyendecker, George Bridgman, J.S. Sargent, Jim Lee, Tod McFarlane, Joe Madureira, Kim Hyung Tae.
 * Top Five Movies: Braveheart, The Road Warrior, Empire Strikes Back, BladeRunner, The Matrix.
 * Favorite Books: A Song of Ice and Fire series. Art Books.
 * Killer Bands: Faithless, Led Zeppelin, Massive Attack, U2 and PearlJam just to name a few.
 * Greatest Games Ever: Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, D&D, Warcraft, Warhammer 40K, Starcraft.
 * Words of Wisdom: "Those who go to bed with itchy butt, wake up with stinky finger."  "You gotta know when to hold em and know when to fold em F!@&er."  "To fail is not falling down, it's falling down and not getting back up."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Video Games, Gym, Snowboarding, Tae Kwon Do, Hiking, Chillin’
 * Define your style of art: Painted comic book.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: Drawing board, computer.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Armored up characters.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Pencil, paper and Photoshop.
 * Color: Blue
 * Number: 3
 * Element: Water
 * Season: Autumn
 * Class: Paladin
 * Race: Human
 * Weapon: Bastard Sword
 * Animal: Hawk, Dog, Snake
 * Aspect: Wisdom
 * Alignment: Neutral Good
 * Food: Sushi
 * Drink: New Castle
 * Comic Dude: Superman
 * Star Wars Dude: Han Solo
 * Cartoon Dude: Gatsu
 * Game Dude: Sagat
 * TV Show: The Shield, Smallville

Drawgoon

 * Name: Drawgoon
 * Alias: Peterconcept, KPNS (Korean People Never Sleep).
 * Inspirational Artists: Caravaggio, Craig Mullins, JaeCheol Park (Hipper), Masamune Shirow, Syd Mead.
 * Top Five Movies: Blade Runner, Alien I & II, Lord of the Rings, Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop.
 * Favorite Books: Lord of the Rings, Three Kingdoms, Most art books.
 * Killer Bands: Stan Getz, M-Flo, Guns 'n Roses, Radio Head.
 * Greatest Games Ever: Starcraft, Ragnarok, Fortress, Mario world, Command & Conquer.
 * Words of Wisdom: "My life is all about #2." "Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity."  "It is easier to get forgiveness than permission."  "When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane."  "My life for Auir!"
 * Hobbies and Interests: Painting, Drawing, Watching Movies and Anime.
 * Define your style of art: My paintings are very colourful. I love to play with lots of different colours and I tend to create a realistic style.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: My living room is also my personal studio. I’ve set up my computers, and painting materials in my living room.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Any type of environment. Sci-fi, Fantasy, odd, weird, dreamy, all kinds of environments.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Photoshop and Pencil.
 * Color: Blue
 * Number: 2
 * Element: Wind
 * Season: Winter
 * Class: Hunter
 * Race: Orc
 * Weapon: Sunfury, Bow of the Phoenix
 * Animal: Golden Retriever
 * Aspect: Wisdom
 * Alignment: Good
 * Food: BBQ
 * Drink: Sojo
 * Comic Dude: Spike
 * Star Wars Dude: Master Yoda
 * Cartoon Dude: Tom
 * Game Dude: Zeratul
 * TV Show: Planet Earth

Red Knuckle

 * Name: Red Knuckle
 * Alias: MG, Sargeant Old School, Prince of Whales, Spider (although it's only Samwise who ever calls me that).
 * Inspirational Artists: Frank Frazetta, John Buscema, Rodney Matthews, Jes Goodwin, Mike Mignola.
 * Top Five Movies: The Decline of Western Civilisation Part II – The Metal Years, Aliens, The Matrix, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fight Club.
 * Favorite Books: Anything by Robert E. Howard or H.P. Lovecraft, Glen Cook – Chronicles of the Black Company, Motley Crue – The Dirt, 1st Edition Dungeons & Dragons (it defined the direction my life has taken).
 * Killer Bands: If there’s a band with big guitars and pounding drums, there's a good chance I'll like 'em. Anyone with their roots in down & dirty classic hard rock as exemplified by AC/DC. Pretty much any band that played the Whisky A Go-Go between 1981 and 1990. I also love the overblown pomp of '70s Queen. And my patron saint – Sir Tom Jones.
 * Greatest Games Ever: Ico (I cried at the end), Resident Evil, Doom, Half-Life, Tomb Raider (the original made me realise a career in the videogames industry was a possibility), Runequest (the finest pencil & paper RPG), and a little game called World of Warcraft.
 * Words of Wisdom: "Genius is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration." "Every day's a school day."  "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever."  "Never join any club that would be happy to have you as a member."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Big, impractical motorcycles; little tin soldiers.
 * Define your style of art: Overblown and muscular with an angular, comic book dynamic. Heavy on the chiaroscuro.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: In bed, fast asleep. Seriously, it's all dredged up from the subconscious, which is hard at work when the conscious brain is resting. I'd recommend eating a big block of strong cheese just before turning in... and keeping a sketch pad by the bed!
 * What are your favorite things to create?: The bad guys. Actors often say that villainous characters are more interesting to play and I certainly find them more interesting to design and illustrate.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: I wouldn't be without my mechanical pencil and pad of Marker paper. I always start a piece with traditional media before scanning into Photoshop. And I still use Photoshop 5 (hence the Sargeant Old School handle!).
 * Color: Black Cherry
 * Number: 13
 * Element: Air
 * Season: Autumn
 * Class: Barbarian
 * Race: Egg & Spoon
 * Weapon: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
 * Animal: The one from the Muppets
 * Aspect: Courage
 * Alignment: Lawful Evil
 * Food: Thai
 * Drink: Amber Lager
 * Comic Dude: Slaine
 * Star Wars Dude: Darth Maul
 * Cartoon Dude: Earthworm Jim
 * Game Dude: Princess Yorda
 * TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Glowei

 * Name: Glowei
 * Alias: Blizzardart, Descendant of the Dragon, Big Wang
 * Inspirational Artists: Brom, Simon Bisley, Joe Madureira, Justin Sweet, Adrian Smith, Samwise, Craig Mullins.
 * Top Five Movies: The Lord Of The Rings, Hellraiser, Terminator, Silent Hill, Lu Ding Ji
 * Favorite Books: The Art of Warhammer, Offerings: The Art of Brom
 * Killer Bands: Beyond, MC Hotdog
 * Greatest Games Ever: Diablo, StarCraft, Warcraft, WOW, Planescape: Torment, Tomb Raider
 * Words of Wisdom: "People laugh because they think I am crazy. I laugh at them because they do not understand."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Playing Games, Painting, Watching Movies, Eating Delicious Food
 * Define your style of art: Realistic and Gothic
 * Where do you do most of your work?: Home, Office, Table
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Monsters, Villainous Characters
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: Painter, Photoshop.
 * Color: Blue
 * Number: 18
 * Element: Fire
 * Season: Autumn
 * Aspect: Courage
 * Race: Orc
 * Weapon: Axe
 * Animal: Panda, Husky
 * Class: Warrior
 * Alignment: Good
 * Food: Noodles
 * Drink: Mocha Coffee
 * Comic Dude: Monkey King
 * Star Wars Dude: Darth Maul
 * Cartoon Dude: Optimus Prime
 * Game Dude: Lara Croft
 * TV Show: Heroes

Mr Jack

 * Name: Mr Jack
 * Alias: Unfettered, Mo
 * Inspirational Artists: Ashley Wood, Joe Madureira, James Gurney, Brom, J C Leyendecker.
 * Top Five Movies: Aliens, Akira, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Lord of the Rings, Donnie Darko.
 * Favorite Books: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Slaughterhouse 5, The Night's Dawn Trilogy, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
 * Killer Bands: Radiohead, Meshuggah, Isis, Deftones, Joanna Newsom.
 * Greatest Games Ever: Brood War at the top! Myst and Riven, Diablo 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the Half-Life series.
 * Words of Wisdom: "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
 * Hobbies and Interests: Art, Gaming, collecting Robots.
 * Define your style of art: I take a fairly painterly and stylised approach, with a dash of whimsy.
 * Where do you do most of your work?: Usually at a desk of some sort, but I'm not too picky.
 * What are your favorite things to create?: Dinosaurs and Robots.
 * What tools do you use to create your artwork?: A square brush in Photoshop, and a pencil on paper.
 * Color: Orange
 * Number: 11
 * Element: Fire
 * Season: Autumn
 * Aspect: Courage
 * Race: Half-Elf
 * Weapon: Sniper Rifle
 * Animal: Eagle
 * Class: Paladin
 * Alignment: Chaotic Good
 * Food: Italian
 * Drink: IPA
 * Comic Dude: Asterix
 * Star Wars Dude: Yoda
 * Cartoon Dude: Haruko Haruhara
 * Game Dude: Fenix
 * TV Show: Cowboy Bebop