The original Wilma & Vladimir series

 


In 2020 Roman Lappat and Massive Voodoo started the first MV Challenge 2020 - Beyond your imagination - Google Fotos "Beyond Your Imagination" or Astronaut challenge.
It was a huge success with many wonderful entries. Please take the time and browse all the entries.

So for this challenge I had quite few ideas that I wanted to do, and all of a sudden my heroine Wilma became a real astronaut, as she was the center of each of the little stories I envisioned for these little scenes.


The first model for this was "Hello Sweetie"







And this was the original story:

Vladimir’s first assignment after Space Academy took him to the Dietrich Sector where he conducted several free-space experiments far above the Marlene gas giant. But regardless how challenging his experiments were he could only think of his great love – Wilma.
She was his first and last though and he imagined her face wherever he looked – and in his heart she always spoke to him, greeting him in her usual way “Hello Sweetie”.



The second model was "Space Plumbing"






and the accompanying story:

While her husband Vladimir was on a space assignment Wilma was drafted for a special experiment in nano exploration. The experiment called for an experimental craft and its crew to be shrunk to nano size and injected into the body of a VIP human. Once in the bloodstream the crew was to find and remove arterial clogging in several spots.
Wilma’s task was to use the special build nano laser and remove the thrombosis in the arteria pulmonalis.



The third model was "Close Encounter" or Space Window:





In their 50th year of space travel Wilma and Vladimir were assigned to the research vessel Simul Viator to observe the tidal impact of the moon Caracho’s passage in close proximity to the planet Crushemal.
Parking the Simul Viator in a very close orbit Wilma and Vladimir could closely observe the tectonic forces which frequently ripped the upper crust of Caracho apart keeping the surface in a constant turmoil. Their research led to further successful expeditions to Crushemal and Caracho and quite lucrative mining enterprises.



Number 4 was "Dragons Den"








Having earned their reputation as successful researchers Wilma and Vladimir could cherry pick any assignment or expedition they wanted. And highest on their bucket list was to find the sunken city of Osiris on Kerbal.
After several week of painstaking inspection of the Kerbal jungles they finally stumbled into the remains of an ancient Osiris temple. But just as they were examining the relics and treasures golden eyes and glowing nostrils flared to live!
They stumbled on the dragon Cymoril and her den – and no dragon takes it lightly when its stash is disturbed! The following frantic escape was a close shave and left both wounded and deeply shaken.



Quite a ride so far!
Number 5 is my all-time favourite "I paint the stars for you"





Following their narrow escape on Kerbal Vladimir fell into a deep depression. He felt responsible for their almost deadly encounter with Cymoril the dragon and the wounds Wilma and he suffered that day.
To free Vladimir from his stupor Wilma tried many things – most unsuccessful. But one day she dressed up as Vladimirs favorite singer Axl Rose playing November Rain at full power and painting the stars for him and he finally woke.


It is such a simple peice, yet it carries so much :)



Number 6 was the revival of Vladimir or "Where astronauts are born"






With the song November Rain still blasting in his ears Vladimir finally rose from his depression feeling elated and newborn.
He felt so great he could take on the world … no the universe!
He was ready to rock the universe together with Wilma.



And so we come to Number 7 "Danger Surf" - a typical Wilma moment






Following a long recuperation time on Alto with rather low key expeditions Wilma and Vladimir deiced to have a bit more fun and to check off their bucket list.
So in their 75th year of space travel the next item on Wilma’s list was to surf in the dramatic waves of Northgard. While the waves were quite famous it was less known that huge predators roamed the Northgard ocean.
An just as Wilma was surfing one of the best waves she ever experienced a giant Cultösaurus broke the surface attempting to snatch her for a light breakfast.
But Wilma would not have any of it! She out surfed the beast easily and after a prolonged chase the creature broke off the hunt with a frustrated snort.



And Number 8 was my final entry to the 2020 Astronaut challenge, "The Final Adventure" or Into the Light"






After 150 years of constant space travel, at the age of 180, Wilma and Vladimir embark on their final journey. Ever since they met at Space Academy, they had gone together on almost every assignment.

Now, one nano-bot after another in their bodies had begun to fail, no longer able to keep up with the repairs their aging forms required. They had become frail. Slower. Careful.

But they were still moving. Step by step, side by side, they made their way forward — toward their final destination. Toward the last great mystery of life. And all the great adventures they'd still have and the whales.
They left the capsule behind. They would not be needing it anymore.


Sniff
Well, this concludes the original set of dioramas and stories I developed for Wilma & Vladimir.

For a while it got quiet around the two, but I never quite forgot them and finally in 2025 it was their time to shine again! And now they are rolling!



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