Interview with Kuro the Artist, Creator of Ben 10 and Danny Phantom Crossover Comic

Today I bring you an interview with Rob Orpilla, commonly known as Kuro the Artist, a popular member of the Ben 10 fandom known for creating the Ben 10 and Danny Phantom crossover comic, 5 Years Later. He also makes coloring pages, as well as merchandise with his designs on it such as t-shirts, stickers, cups and hoodies.

 
How did you get into Ben 10? Subsequently, how did you get into Danny Phantom?

I don't remember the first time I got into Danny Phantom, as it came out a little earlier than Ben 10 and I was relatively young. It was sometime during the first season as I remember a ton of the old commercials promoting the episodes. For Ben 10, the first episode I ever saw was A Small Problem, where Ben gets stuck in his Grey Matter transformation the entire episode.

Looking back, that was one of the weaker episodes, but even that was enough to get me hooked. To help promote the season 2 finale Back with A Vengeance, Cartoon Network aired a marathon of all the episodes that aired so far, so that is how I caught up. I saw every new episode when it aired since.

What gave you the idea of starting 5 Years Later?

Long story short, I wanted to produce a comic that had a more efficient method of editing and illustration that my previous work, and after drawing Danny and Ben for so long, I realized how much more there were to the characters than their networks have allowed them to grow, so I took it upon myself to give them justice. You can check out the full story on my YouTube video, 39 Facts About The Danny Phantom/10 Crossover.

Shocksquatch

"Shocksquatch? Okay~!" - Shocksquatch in The More Things Change: Part 2

Shocksquatch is a Gimlinopithecus from the planet Pattersonea who was originally exclusive to

Ben 10-Generator Rex: Heroes United. He reappeared in the Ben 10: Omniverse episode The More Things Change: Part 2 where he defeated Buglizard. Shocksquatch is voiced by David Kaye in both series, making him one of the few UAF aliens to not be voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Appearance

Shocksquatch was a bulky white yeti-like alien with thick fur and a pink face. He has muscular blue arms and legs as well as a bushy eyebrow. He has black eyes with green pupils and has bolts on his neck and on the back of his hands. The Ultimatrix is located on his chest.

In Ben 10: Omniverse,  Shocksquatch is now has a more muscular build with yellow and black fur. His eyebrow is now a yellow lightning-shaped crest and his face, fingers and toes are now grey. He wears a green belt with two white stripes where the Omnitrix resides.

Can I Keep It? Review

Today I'm going to review the second episode of Ben 10 reboot's second season, Can I Keep It?

The episode is about Ben wanting to get a pet, but his allergies to most common house pets prevents him from doing that. However, he stumbles upon a weird hybrid between a cat, dog and a rabbit, the Catdobbit. Now Ben has to hide his new friend from Grandpa Max and Gwen, but is the animal all it seems to be?

So apparently Ben is allergic to most household pets, like dogs and cats. I guess the reboot is lucky that it didn't show Ben interacting with these animals before or else they'd mess with the character. Max then says even if Ben get over his allergies, he hasn't shown that he's responsible enough to take care of a pet. Fair point, as he was shown to be preeeeeety immature throughout the series thus far.

Omni-Enhanced DIamondhead

Click here for normal Diamondhead 

"One super cool jet wing, coming up!" - Omni-Enhanced Diamondhead in Out to Launch.

Omni-Enhanced Diamondhead first appeared in Out to Launch, where he defeated Vilgax and fixed the space jet's broken wing. He is voiced by Roger Craig Smith and is the first Omni-Enhanced alien Ben used in the series, as well as one of the first revealed during a toy fair.

Appearance

Omni-Enhanced Diamondhead shares the same body as Diamondhead, but his torso, arms and head are covered with rock armor. There are two pieces of rock on his hips and his shoulders are now square with mossy rocks attached to it. He has blue energy spikes on his arms and head. 

Shock Rock

"Go, go, Bluemerang!" - Shock Rock in The 11th Alien: Part 2

Shock Rock is Ben's new alien that he unlocked at the end of Omni-Tricked: Part 4. Shock Rock is a Fulmini from the planet Fulmas. He is currently Ben's most powerful alien and is voiced by David Kaye.

Appearance

Shock Rock's body is made out of blue energy with white highlights. He has stone armor on his legs, torso shoulders and head. He has three blue spikes coming out of his shoulders. He has moss around his neck and shoulders. 

Omni-Enhanced Heatblast

"Now that's what I call fire power!" - Omni-Enhanced Heatblast in Bon Voyage.

Omni-Enhanced Heatblast first appeared in Bon Voyage where he defeated Steam Smythe. He's voiced by Daryl Sabara.

Appearance

Omni-Enhanced Heatblast now has gray rock covering his shoulders, legs, knees, neck and arms. He has green moss on his shoulders and neck and has blue flames on his head, fingers and toes. He now has a large jetpack made out of rocks and blue energy. The Omnitrix is located on his neck

Ben 10 Reboot Video Game is relased in Europe!

The Ben 10 reboot video game has been released in Europe. For some reason the trailer was released super late, but Bandai Namco Entertainment finally released a (pretty underwhelming) trailer for the game. 

The game allows players to transform into the original ten aliens in the reboot. Some alien aliens that makes their video game debuts includes Overflow, Stinkfly, Upgrade and Grey Matter, who now has a backpack to make him better suited for combat. 

The graphics are in a cell-shaded art style with outlines similar to The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. Each alien will be able to perform an Ultimate move. The cutscenes, animation and graphics are really good a Ben 10 game and I like how lively everyone looks. The game can be bought for Steam, Xbox One, PS4 and Nintendo Switch.  You can watch the trailer here.

Omni-Enhanced Overflow

"Pest number two, reporting for duty" - Omni-Enhanced Overflow in Animorphosis.

Omni-Enhanced Overflow is the... Omni-Enhanced version of Overflow. He debuts in Animorphosis to sneak into Animo's lab and fight Vilgax. He's voiced by Max Mittelman.

Appearance

Omni-Enhanced Overflow looks similar to regular Overflow, but his torso, head and legs are covered with grey rock. He has two large cannons on his back shoulders with holes on both sides. He has green moss on his shoulders and blue energy on his forehead and legs as well as in his cannons.

Amalgam Ben

"What? Is there something in my nose?" - Amalgam Ben in Riding the Storm Out.

Amalgam Ben is a fusion between Ben and his original ten aliens in the Ben 10 reboot. It only appeared in Riding the Storm Out and is voiced by Tara Strong. He's reminiscent to Kevin Levin's original series mutation.

Appearance

Amalgam Ben has a large spherical torso made compromised of Heatblast's rocks and lava as well as Overflow's tube and eye. He has Stinkfly's wings and antennas, XLR8's legs and Diamondheads arm. His lower torso is formed by Grey Matter and he has Wildvine's leaves. His right arm is compromised of Cannonbolt and Four Arms with his lower right arm taken from Upgrade. He has Ben's head and voice.

Shock Rock appears in Ben 10: The New Alien Cartoon Network Africa TV Event!

Cartoon Network Africa is going to air a TV special called "Ben 10: The New Alien" on December 7th 2017. It will feature the new alien "Shock Rock". With it came our first clear picture of the new alien in the series.

Hopefully somebody from Africa will be able to record the event.

Omni-Enhanced Figures, XLR8, New Omnitrix Toy and More!

Stu Carter, owner of Atamai TV's YouTube channel has uploaded two videos regarding some upcoming Ben 10 toys. These includes a new wave of Omni-Enhanced alien figures, a new Upgraded Omnitrix Battle Launcher, and mini figures. Check it out!

A new line of figures called "Battle Launch Aliens" will feature nine aliens: Diamondhead, Cannonbolt, Heatblast, XLR8, Overflow, Wildvine, Four Arms and Shock Rock. They are able to turn into a disk that goes into the deluxe Battle Launch Omnitrix. When fired, the ball will morph back into the alien. The concept is similar to Bakugan.

Ben 10 Reboot Video Game Playstation Achievements!

The upcoming Ben 10 reboot video game has achievements you can earn on its Playstation and Xbox versions, has surfaced online recently. A lot of them references some of the old continuity as well as some real life properties, so check some of them out!

"Last Laugh" is a reference to the episode Zombozo debut in the original series. "And Then There Were Ten" is taken directly from the first episode of the Ben 10 franchise. Some other achievements includes defeating 3 enemies with a single Four Arms throw called "Time to Throw Stuff", which is a line he said in the episode The Filth and "Torn-ay-do Torn-ah-do" which is a play on the phrase "Tomayto, Tomahto".

You can check out the rest of the achievements here.

Out to Launch Review

Out to Launch is the first episode of season 2 in Ben 10.

The episode is about VIlgax hijacking a space plane for its powerful energy source. Ben has to stop him with a help of a new function in the Omnitrix.

We're introduced to another throwaway human character, her name is Betts McCabe, voiced by Cree Summer. She wants to pilot the plane but is disappointed that it is on auto pilot. Then Vilgax hijacks the ship and locks her in the storage room. Ben has to save her and get rid of Vilgax before he flies away.

The jokes in this episode isn't the best that the show has given us, and the pacing in it feels a bit fast. It seems like they wanted to show a bit more story but didn't had enough time. I'm really glad they gave Vilgax scars, not only does it show a sense of continuity but it also improves on his previous design that looks a bit simplistic around the head. The Upgrade Omnitrix looks really good from a far as well.

Ben 10 Reboot Season 2 Toys Coming Soon! New Alien Shock Rock and Enhanced XLR8?

Stu Carter, owner of Attamai toys YouTube channel and Ben10toys.net has uploaded a photo to his Instagram account showing off some new toys at the Hong Kong toy fair. The photo had figures we had seen before along with a new wave of Enhanced Aliens.

We're able to see  Omni-Enhanced Cannonbolt, Stinkfly, Overflow and Grey Matter. Along with another one which hasn't debuted in the Ben 10 reboot yet, Enhanced XLR8. He's standing next to Enhanced Overflow. He appears to have wheels and a different shaped helmet.

Ben 10 Origins New Video Game Cover Leaked!

UPDATE: After contacting Outright Games, the developer for the Ben 10 game, they had confirmed that the boxart we saw before is the final version, and is simply going to be called Ben 10. However, the description is official. Older parts of the post ahead:


The upcoming Ben 10 reboot video game, which I had talked about in an older post, has gotten a new boxart cover. The title has been revealed to be "Ben 10 Origins", which implies we might see how Ben gets the Omnitrix. The cover uses stock of all ten aliens along with Ben and Dr. Animo. There's also an expanded summary for the game:

Ben, Gwen, and Grandpa Max once again have their cross-country road trip in the Rust Bucket cut short by super villains and their evil, world-threatening plans. As Ben Tennyson, it's up to you to save the world. Take on some of Ben's most infamous enemies, including Zombozo, Queen Bee, and the Weatherheads. Unlock and transform into all ten of Ben's incredible alien forms. Use each alien's powerful combat moves to lay the beat-down on enemies with devastating combos, and solve puzzles with each alien's unique abilities as you unravel exciting new stories in three all-new playable episodes. 

Each brand new story is jam-packed with the humour and action you love from the Ben 10 animated series. Meet and interact with some of your favourite characters from the show, explore a wide range of destructible locations, find Ben 10 collectibles in surprising places, and take part in epic battles against Ben's most memorable enemies. 

You'll need to use everything at your disposal to save the world. Starting with Four Arms, Heatblast and Cannonbolt, you'll soon unlock more of Ben's aliens, giving you access to the combat moves and puzzle-solving skills of each. Use each aliens unique abilities to navigate the world and solve puzzles, and their amazing combat abilities -- including Ultimate Attacks -- to take down the bad guys. Being a hero can be hard work... but it's a whole lot of fun!

Ben 10 Season 2 Analysis - Enhanced Overflow, Stinkfly and Rath?!

Animorphosis is the eight episode of the Ben 10 reboot's second season. It features the team up of Vilgax and Dr. Animo. The episode also features the return of Animo's Alpha mutants from Animo Farm as well as the debut of VIlgax's Drones.

Enhanced Stinkfly debuted in Animorphosis, he looks similar to Stinkfly but now has gloves, a helmet, glowing wings and chest armor made out of rock. He is able to spit out electric blasts that homes into the opponent. There's a blue trail whenever he flies.

Enhanced Overflow, who had no transformation sequence, is shown fighting against Vilgax's drones. He is able to fire water from the large cannons on his shoulders.

Chromastone

"Holy moly, it's Chromastone!" - Chromastone in A New Dawn

 

 Chromastone is a Crystalsapien from the planet Petropia. He first appeared in the Ben 10: Alien Force episode All That Glitters where fought against some energy-drained high school girls. Chromastone was destroyed in Vengeance of Vilgax: Part 2 and reformed into Diamondhead, however he was re-unlocked in the Ben 10: Ultimate Alien episode Fame where he was defeated by Bivalvan. 

Chromastone briefly appeared in the Ben 10: Omniverse episode Trouble Helix where he was a test subject for Blukic and Driba's new weapon. He didn't appear again until the final episode of Ben 10: Omniverse, A New Dawn, where he tried to retrieve the Anihilaarg. He later briefly appeared while Ben was cycling through almost all of his aliens. Chromastone was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in Alien Force and Ultimate Alien. Eric Bauza voices Chromastone in Omnivese.

Grey Matter

For the original version of Grey Matter, click here.

 Grey Matter is a Galvan from the planet Galvan Prime. Ben first used him in The Filth, where he watched some cartoons in a box before getting interrupted. He is voiced by Todd Haberkorn. Grey Matter and Four Arms fused in the episode Riding the Storm Out, resulting in Grey Arms.

Appearance

Grey Matter is a small, frog-like humanoid with grey skin and three toed feet. He has four fingers, a green jumpsuit with black stripes and large orange eyes with black slits as pupils. He has a black stripe going over his head and has what appears to be gills on his cheeks. Unlike most aliens in Ben 10, the Omnitrix symbol is located on his back.

Omni-Enhanced Grey Matter wears a frog-like battle suit made out of grey rocks. He has two cube-shaped shoulder pads, long blue plasma arms with wristbands and three fingers, as well as green moss on his shoulder pads and neck. The Omnitrix symbol is now located on his chest.

FOUR ARMS DABBING! - Cartoon Network 25th Anniversary

Four Arms doing the Art Form Known as "Dabbing"

Cartoon Network is turning 25 this year, and in one of their animated promos which features the company's cartoons from oldest to newest, showcases Ben Tennyson who transforms into Four Arms and dabs, a popular dance move which is often used as a  meme. You can watch the video here,

Don't forget, tomorrow new Ben 10 reboot Season 2 episodes are premiering in the United Kingdom! The first two episodes of season 2, Out to Launch and Can I Keep It? are airing on October 3rd.

Ben 10 Reboot DVD Coming in December!

 A Ben 10 reboot DVD that contains every episode in season 1 is going to be released on December 13, 2017. It's currently up for pre-order here and there is currently no special features mentioned. The DVD will have a a run time of about 7 hours. According to the website, the boxart is not final and is bound to change during release. The description for the DVD is:

"In this reboot of the hugely popular series, while on vacation with his Grandpa Max and Cousin Gwen, Ben Tennyson discovers an alien watch, called the Omnitrix, which gives him the ability to transform into any one of ten spectacular and powerful aliens!"