The Hero Business

Happy Monday, Heroites!

This weekend’s local Comic-Con, the so-called ComiCONN, was a smashing success! Best of all, it’s my my hometown…. so it was populated with friends, old high school chums, and local fans. And, as usual, I’ve got some nifty commissions to share!

[click to enlarge 'em]

The first is a redesign of the unused character named Graphix, from Jem and the Holograms. Here’s what we know: “Gwendolyn “Gwen” Snyder is a graffiti artist/graphic designer Eric Raymond hired to promote the Misfits and the Stingers. Regarded as a spoiled, shallow valley girl, Graphix would’ve been more closely associated with the Stingers.”

I re-imaged her as a Brooklyn street artist. I kinda dig the new look!

From Connecticut’s Comic-Con 2012, taken with my iPhone: a Wonder Woman commission! I’ve sketched out variations of this numerous times.. Wonder Woman in a relaxed flight mode just thankin’ a bird for a tip.

Also, because this happened.

From Connecticut’s Comic-Con 2012, taken with my iPhone: a Dr. Fate commission! I never drew him before, but I was happy with the way this turned out, using the sigil in a design motif.

From Connecticut’s Comic-Con 2012, taken with my iPhone: It’s the Powerpuff Girls a la Walko! I aged them up a bit, and here they are. It’s hard doing such conceptual stuff at a Con… I wish I had more time to really re-imagine them!

It’s an unclaimed piece, a hot-panted 70s-era Supergirl!

It’s an unclaimed piece, a Catwoman inspired by both Julie Newmar and Anne Hathaway! (this one has now been claimed… thanks, internet!)

And thanks to everyone who stopped by and made the show such an awesome one!

I’m still playing a bit of scheduling catch-up, but I already have this week’s page plotted and penciled, so we’re back with new stuff this Friday. Plus, it’s gearing up to a bonus 2-page update in a few weeks….

Bonus Hero Business! Hurray!

This week’s Rough Monday is pulled from my upcoming entry in The Line Is Drawn. I offer no commentary, except that it’s the HUNDRED anniversary celebration! To be revealed in full on Thursday…

So, for those of you following my work elsewhere, you may know I’m part of the weekly “The Line Is Drawn” crew at Comic Book Resources’ blog, “Comics Should Be Good.” Here’s how it works: “So every week, I ask a question here. You reply to it on our Twitter page (just write @csbg with your reply) and our blog sketch artists will each pick one of your suggestions and I will post them here every week.”

A couple of weeks ago, the theme was “What if X Artist Designed X character?” And I immediately was drawn to “Dan DeCarlo’s Wonder Woman.” DeCarlo is one of my biggest artistic influences; He was the definitive Archie Comics artist (with his renditions of Betty & Veronica in particular)… If Parker and Morgan look half as cute and sexy, then mission accomplished!

So my “brainstorm” was to create one of this traditional pin-up pages, where readers would send in fashion ideas and Dan would draw them. Here’s some examples:

So my idea was to take Wonder Woman’s different looks over the years, and do the same, as if they were “sent in” by various creators and personalities…

Here’s some roughs (click to enlarge)…

.. taking looks mostly from the 40s-80s (as if Dan DeCarlo would have drawn)…

And that’s the final.

I’d love to do a part two with her 90s biker-shorts costume and her Kingdom Come armor, among others….