Category Archives: Eric Machmer

Eric Machmer: Advertising Subsidized ARKYD (unofficial mockup)

advertising-subsidized-ARKYD-mockup

High Res: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Advertising_Subsidized_ARKYD_(artist%27s_mockup).png

Above is a textured mockup of an ARKYD partially funded by sponsors with demonstrated interest in space exploration. The base model itself was rendered and provided by Planetary Resources (see references and files below). This concept is not officially sanctioned by Planetary Resources. Sponsors for the most part would not be visible in selfies or of course during flight – but, could profit from worldwide exposure through pre-launch publicity.

90dc266d6e2628d575e18b46fb0f7d67_large Arkyd-100 Arkyd-publically-accessable-space-telescope-3 planetary123.jpg planetary-resource-telescope-photograb o-CROWD-FUNDED-TELESCOPE-ARKYD-facebook video-249723-h264_high Arkyd_100_preview_featured ARKYD-Night ARKYD-Earth

arkydplanetary-resources-kickstarter-9 planetary-resources-kickstarterARKYD-View1 ARKYD-View2 planetaryresources-2120424-337781-120424-coslog-arkyd-130p.blocks_desktop_teaseimages-5

 

Eric Machmer: Holiday Free Time

High Res: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artist%27s_Concept_of_Curiosity_Rover_Subsidized_by_Advertising.jpg

High Res: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Advertising_Subsidized_Red_Dragon_(artist%27s_mockup).jpg

The center image of Sagan is a misguided photoshopped alteration of the original photo of him holding Voyager’s plaque. If we do not accept advertising funded space exploration two things will happen: America will owe China more money and the Bank of China will advertise on Chinese spacecraft. I welcome the later but the former in an absence of advertising subsidies is inexcusable.

Eric Machmer: Saludar a la Chihuahuita! (Previz for ‘Friday and Sunshine’)

She’s the most feared, fearsome, loathed, lonesomest, dejected and rejected animal in the zoo. Lives beneath the Snack Shack near the kids petting park (yes, that’s a bullet in her head). “Chihuahuita” is a term of endearment for Chihuahuas.
Friday, a numbat in the foreground above, is an endangered Australian anteater…super cute, nearly a national mascot (originally she was a different animal with longer ears…).

Eric Machmer: “Don’t hurt the Loris!” Two Mischievous Elephant Shrews (Moonshine & Sunshine)

Update: I know, I know this SUCKS. The elephant shrews are smiling; a friend called them ‘spacemen.’ (?!??!) See that half circle seed pod off the upper right corner? That was a plate thrown at Remi…I wanted to use a similar color scheme, basically the entire background is a still shot from Ratatouille. Smudged. True story. Won’t happen again. Interesting colors. Weird characters. Not fun.
 

The Horton Plains slender loris (Loris tardigradus nycticeboides) was thought to be extinct between 1939 and 2002 — then it was rediscovered and photographed for the first time. Horton Plains slender lorises are now classified on the IUCN Red List as the rarest and most elusive primate in the world. This leads golden rumped elephant shrews to use the only one born in captivity as a rhino shield. 
 
“The discovery improves our knowledge of this species, but we need to focus our efforts on the conservation and restoration of the remaining montane forest where this species still exists,” conservation biologist Dr. Craig Turner of the Zoological Society of London said in a press release. “Currently this accounts for less than 1 percent of the land area of Sri Lanka.”
 
Clearing tropical forests for tea plantations in Sri Lanka has forced conservation efforts to focus on protecting what little forest remains in the hope of reversing its desperate plight.
 

Eric Machmer: A Whole Lot of Endanger’n Goin’ On! (Concept Shot from Personal Project)

Two Golden Rumped Elephant Shrews and a Horton Plains slender loris, save: vaquitas!!
(This concept shot is right before the loris decides to go ride the vaquita.)

If searching for a cute character to draw, or an inspiring story to tell, consider the most endangered marine mammals in the world: vaquitas!

Swimming in a small reserve at the northern end of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California, only 50 miles from the US border) vaquitas have never been hunted, their food sources are not over-fished, and locals and the Mexican government support efforts to preserve them.

The problem is they drown in cheap common nylon fishing nets — all the time. There are only a few hundred left, several dozen die annually. Their plight needs public attention desperately.

Fortunately they are the cutest creatures conceivable. 

 The ‘desert porpoise’ is at the very heart of Mexico.

Proposals to prevent vaquita extinction include:

1) Extend the southern border of the Upper Gulf Biosphere Reserve to include their entire range.

2) Terminate all shrimp and gill net fishing in the Reserve.

3) Employ former fishermen from the Reserve in sustainable occupations.

 (This is not as difficult as it seems, the largest town on the banks of the reserve has a population of only 20,000 persons.)