Inspirations for the Purple Planet

By Harley Stroh

Hail, Horde of the Purple Planet! 

You are the first of our brethren to answer the warhorn’s mournful cry! Raise your banners proudly and gird yourselves for the conquests ahead. When the bloody sun rises over the wastes we will march toward our destiny, but until then, join us around the fires as we reminisce about days long past.

Our sages know well that Peril on the Purple Planet was inspired by the adventures of John Carter of Mars and mighty Esau Cairn. But the creators also sought their inspiration from art. They scoured yellowed manuscripts and cracked the spines of the dusty tomes, seeking paintings that held the promise of adventure worthy of your mighty horde.

Chief among the inspirations was of course, the master of the imagination, Frank Frazetta. And while his Mars paintings embodied raw dynamism and power, we went further afield, to ensure that the Purple Planet would be inspired by – rather than derivative of – John Carter’s adventures. The first inklings of what would become the kith were drawn from a mix of Frazetta’s Orcs and Neanderthals. The kith emerged from an umber haze somewhere between the two – with violent passions, mighty thews, and a native hatred that rendered them both deadly and tragic. 

 

For our adventurers we looked further afield. The covers and interior art of Mike Grell’s Warlord comics captured the sword & planets sensibility that differentiated the Purple Planet from a more post-apocalyptic setting. It was a world where it made sense to carry a sword in one hand and a ray-gun in the other. (An impossible winged helm and high-cuffed boots didn’t hurt either.)  

But even here, you can detect Frazetta’s enduring influence. For Grell’s Warlord certainly draws its own inspiration from Frazetta’s Carter. 

 

The third visual inspiration, as genius as both Frazetta and Grell, was Mœbius and his Arzach. Mœbius’s barren worlds, with their alien vistas, ancient monuments, and deadly inhabitants, offer ample inspiration for those trying to capture the feel of the Purple Planet. And from there is a just a short leap to Mœbius’ Dune sketches, studies, and storyboards. 

Study these predecessors well. And as the embers burn low, dream on the adventures they promise. Tomorrow we rise to meet new challenges! But tonight we can rest easy, knowing that our creations rest on the shoulders of giants.