When I was a child, I didn't like Thunderbirds.
The puppets' half-opened mouths, their incessantly wobbling heads and their straight-knees-up style of walking gave the young me the creeps. I became intrigued with Japanese animations as I grew up, and forgot about Thunderbirds completely.
Years later, when I stood reading an animation magazine in a bookstore, one slender volume attracted my attention.
It was a book featuring Thunderbirds. I picked it up and looked at the front-cover photograph, and one person in particular caught my eye. The photo was a famous portrait made at Creighton Manor of all the members of International Rescue. The person who drew me in was the fair-haired character sat on the extreme right of the picture.
I fell in love with John at first sight.
At that time, I had no friends who were interested in such a foreign puppet show, so I created John's image on my own. Moreover, I believed for many years that there was only me in the world who liked the characters, not the aircraft, in Thunderbirds, and liked John of all characters, who had the fewest lines.
In this way, by adhering fundamentally to the common setting, as John's character became to my own liking, my John Tracy became a person of many faults compared to his common image.
His quiet and reserved character came from his childhood and upbringing. He is composed and rarely lets his feelings show, as he is not good at expressing them. He has been met with misunderstanding that he looks down on people due to his handsome figure and his background as a billionaire's son.
Though he had groupies during his school days, Scott, who was a leader in team sports, and Virgil, who was affable and cheerful, were more popular with the girls. Gordon, who was an unparalleled swimmer not only in school, and Alan, who was carefree and an attention seeker, were more popular at school than John. He had a loving girlfriend in high school, but suffered sad disappointment in that love. After he got into university, he finally accepted and became sure of himself.
At this time, well into his twenties, he is still dwelling on his mother's death, sorry for Alan that he couldn't celebrate his birthday heartily when he was a child.
Instead, John loves people around him more than anyone. He is also a perfect altruist who puts himself out for others before himself, normally keeping a low profile. However, when it comes down to it, everyone recognizes the importance of his existence.
My John Tracy is such a man as he.
I referred to "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!" by John Marriott published in 1992 for the common setting, so John here is Jeff's third and middle child born on 28th October 2001, Scorpio, 25 years old.
Al-phard, the name of this website, is derived from the name of the brightest star in the constellation Hydra - the Water Serpent.
It's Arabic, and means "the solitary one" because it stands as a lone bright star in an empty part of the sky. It glows a pale orange color, and is also known as Cor Hydrae, which is Latin for "The Hydra's Heart". Though a little dim (magnitude 2) due to its distance of 177 light years away, Al-phard is brighter than Arcturus or Aldebaran in the same spectral classification for its true luminosity. Of course, you can also see other stars around it through an astronomical telescope.
It appears discreet and solitary, but is really just as bright as many others.
I thought that this image is like my John, which is why I picked it out for the name of this site.
Please check out my illustrations and review them.
Any other comments about the website are welcomed.
Let me hear your impressions via E-mail or in BBS!
Finally, I hope you enjoy my illustrations and the site.
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With heartfelt thanks,
pom
23rd July, 2005
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