Creating The Crane

By Scott Murray

Once I knew this fiction podcast was going to involve a superhero, I immediately started to think about her costume and powers.  The creative process actually evolved pretty fast on this, and there were several components involved in it.

Inspiration from The Bat
I am a huge fan of Batman, and I love hearing the stories about how he inspires so many people to get through real-life challenges.  I think he can do that because he's a hero without superpowers, yet he is one of the most badass and powerful heroes in comics.

I thought this story's hero could have similar attributes, but I also wanted to take it all a step further.  I not only wanted her to be a hero that fights without superpowers, but also face her own set of challenges.  When the series begins, she is basically an aspiring superhero.  She's got very specific (and unique) reasons for choosing this life, but it all comes with consequences and risks.

Not only is it a challenging experiment, but she also has to deal with public perception.  It's not as simple as putting on a costume and the city of Fort Henson is just ready to embrace her idea.  I decided to create a hero that was not only willing to fight for good, but also do it no matter what people might say about her.

Infuse her with some G-Force
From the very beginning, I knew I wanted this hero to have wings, be bird-like and have some costuming inspired by some of the styles seen in the old Battle of the Planets cartoon series (especially those helmets).

I love being able to pull from things that have been important in my life, and Battle of the Planets was must-watch television as a kid.  The helmet and costume weren't the only inspirations to come from the show, but I can't share anymore at this time.

Now that her character is becoming a reality, I'm certain this was a great resource for inspiration.

Something, Something Bird
Again, I knew I wanted wings and something bird-like.  Needless to say, a lot superheros have bird names.  Oddly, a crane hasn't been as prominent.  Since I knew I didn't want her to fly (overused power), I thought the concept of her leaping high into the air (wings out) was just as cool.  After all, while cranes can fly, they also have a graceful wings-out jumping ability.  As the show progresses, you'll learn more about her crane-like gadgets.

I didn't think it was enough to call her The Crane (even though people might call her that for simplicity's sake).  This is where a describer would fit in nicely, and I figured it had to be a color.  CRIMSON seemed to be the best fit, especially since there are red-crowned cranes in existence.

Wings With Purpose
Since the wings are more of a gliding tool and cosmetic look for her, they still needed to serve a bigger purpose.  I've been working with the mega-talented Alex Ray (A Star Wars Comic) on her artwork, and our collaboration has been in-sync.

Early on, when she first springs into action, her homemade wings take some serious damage.  Fortunately, she eventually gets an upgrade that makes them bulletproof and fireproof.  Alex and I have been working on a cool retractable function that lets her use the wings in a variety of ways.

Giving her voice

I generally take a very open-minded approach to auditions of any kind.  I may have my own ideas of a look/sound, but I leave things open for creative interpretation and variety.  That was a little more challenging for The Crimson Crane.  She really had to have a strong, mature voice that could be friendly and tough.  Fortunately, Stephanie Nadolny (Dragon Ball Z) and I have been talking about working together for years.  The Crimson Files gave us that chance.  She is the perfect voice for this character.

The first episode of The Crimson Files podcast is set to go out in August of 2018.