Linus - Character Design (Patreon)

Linus is the brave locomotive himself! He is a puppy dog at heart - enthusiastic, energetic and loyal.

Linus was built in New England in the 1850s as a 2-4-0 model steam engine by the Trailway Railroad Company.  His appearance is a unique hybrid of design cues from both sides of the Atlantic.

When an optimistic young engineer named Henry McCloud joined the Railroad Company in the 1880s, he and Linus became best friends right away. 

Like a boy and his dog, Henry and Linus communicate intuitively through a powerful bond. Linus is an attentive observer of his surroundings. As much as he and Henry like to go fast, it would never occur to Linus to harm even the smallest of creatures along their path.

Linus and Henry share a love of nature and travel. They live for the moment and delight in bringing joy to the rustic passengers they carry across the country. Linus can't imagine a world without his best friend or his daily routine navigating the spectacular sights of the Old West.

The Trailway Railroad Company was founded by English settlers getting in on the American railroad game. Their routes expanded west of Colorado after the 1860s, with Linus connecting remote settlements in scenic locations reaching all the way to California.    

In the 1890s, the Trailway Railroad Company (and Linus with them) was purchased by Baron von Kapital and re-branded under Von Kapital Railroad. This paved the way for a bigger and faster future.

Linus is inspired by the iconic, mute mascot cartoon characters of the early 20th century (who were inspired by vaudeville and silent film actors.) His childlike and pet-like personality is also conceived in the spirit of the anthropomorphic pantomime Disney characters of the 1940s. He is meant to feel like nostalgia incarnate - a central theme of The Brave Locomotive.

Linus is extremely fun to animate in practice. He is a hybrid of 3D animation and 2D hand-drawn elements. The final look with contour lines and flat-shaded colors is designed to be as seamless as possible with the fully hand-drawn humans, animals and environments.

I will share more process shots of Linus in the near future. Thanks for following!

Your humble engineer,
Andrew