Franco Brambilla's cute aliens (and pirates)

Posted by Bettina Tizzy

Impossible IRL'er and über virtual explorer Molly Montale wrote to share Franco Brambilla's Flickr stream and "sci-fi imagery Photoshopped on to retro Swiss postcards," and because we are always interested in Real Life artists who inspire us, we had to follow up with him.



Where are you, Franco?

Franco: I live and work in Milano, in the north of Italy, a decadent, conservative post industrial city. I'm a free-lance illustrator, specialized in sci-fi. Since 1999, I have been working every month for URANIA, the Italian sci-fi book collection by Mondadori that began in 1952. I do a lot of "post production" with Photoshop and Painter but I also use some 3d programs such as 3ds Max, Poser and Bryce. You can find many of the book covers I created for them here.



Are you a resident of any virtual worlds and have you considered using these as a platform to create your art?

Franco: No, I don't visit virtual worlds too often, but I did shape a virtual asteroid attacked by space pirates for club NEVERDIE.

Why this obsession with cute aliens?

Franco: Obsession?



If you had the opportunity to spend an entire day alone with a friendly alien, what are some of the highlights that you would show and share with it about our planet?

Franco: First, I would ask him to show me Earth from orbit, and maybe take a little detour to the moon. Then I think I would invite him to meet my family and friends before asking him to take us to a better place... his planet maybe? Italy is full of fantastic locations and art that an alien with superior technology probably visited and appreciated already... Maybe, before going, I would ask him to vaporize our Parliament with all the politicians inside... Mars Attack style :)))))

Starbase C3's new sim-wide Skybase Vigilance

all photography by Wellington Bahram

Cube Inada (aka Larry Rosenthal), has been creating and running 3D virtual worlds online since 1996, beginning with Starbase C3, the first real-time 3D world on AOL. Since 2006, Cube has integrated Starbase C3 and its active membership into Second Life with numerous builds throughout the grid, including the Interdimensional Alien Flying Circus.



Now Cube has launched Skybase Vigilance (teleport directly from here), an open-ended role-playing sim and Starship building/Sci-Fi community, consisting of a large floating space station, a command ship, space docks for the fleet, and a hidden alien moon base, all located above a mysterious gas giant planet, Olia.



"We created a unique back story and an immersive 3D environment that not only fits within the larger Starbase C3 Universe, but also works well with our many other locations," said Cube.



Primarily staffed by bio-engineered avatars and remote telepresence drones, Starbase C3 functions as a 22nd century "Area 51." You can read up on the storyline here. Cube has also created over a dozen ships, fighters, gunships, shuttles and other vehicles for his active community.

The Interdimensional Alien Flying Circus

This is Part II of a notice that was issued in-world to NPIRL members on September 7th

A NPIRL Preview

NPIRL'er Cube Inada (Larry Rosenthal IRL) tp'ed us in for a preview of his new "Interdimensional Alien Flying Circus, which he created for the Starbase C3 online Sci-fi world project.

With this build, Cube takes Lucas' concept of a grimy, used universe "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." and pushes it into a darker place. Cube is quick to point out that the designs and the world of Starbase C3 are wholly original and unlike the other sci fi in SL.

Run by Mon-ti (play on Monty Python?), a multi-legged snake-oil sales-alien from parts unknown, the space station is a throw back to the road show carnivals and circuses of old earth in the 1800s.

The multi-tiered space station will offer boxing matches between known and heretofor unknown species, a dance club worthy of any Wookie or Ewok, and shopping areas for...um... strange things. Vendor areas are just becoming available.

Slurl: Interdimensional Alien Flying Circus