Suggestion Box 1: Cover Homages!

by on October 4, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Posted In: Blog, Temp Work (Guest Art), Water Cooler Discussion

So, Heroites, Temp Month II will be starting up after our fourth storyline comes to a close. Over a four week period, I’ve be posting Hero Business comics and drawing from a series of talented creators while I gear up for our fifth exciting storyline! I’ve got some great artists lined up, and I thought I’d also involve my trusty readers as well. That’s why I’m opening up the first ever Hero Business Suggestion Box!

Here’s how it works: I provide a theme, and you the fans submit suggestions in the comments feed below. I’ll present that list to the artists and a few of them will choose from your suggestions! And those chosen will receive a nifty Hero Business swag bag.

First Suggestion Theme: Cover Homages!

Put our Hero Business cast members in famous comic book covers! Bravado and Simon on Batman #183. Trixie Templeton on Lois Lane #106. Parker (and the Hero Business office) on Uncanny X-Men #171. That sort of thing.

The homage cover for The Hero Business Collection #3 was Superman (second series) #2 by John Byrne

In addition to our cast, don’t forget about our recurring characters, too:

Glamazon: Our brazen and bawdy Brazilian amazon (also friends with Morgan)
Trixie Templeton: Bravado’s kooky and clingy reporter girlfriend
Louie The Lounge Lizard: A reformed reptilian criminal who now owns a swanky bar-lounge called ‘The Rocks”
Demonatrix: Parker’s evil mother, a powerful demon sorceress and CEO of Infernal Enterprises
Primstone: Demontrix’s devilishly flamboyant assistant
Nocurnowl: A caped crusader with way too many sidekicks over the years
The Fowlers: Nocurnowl’s steady stream of boy sidekicks (one of ’em dated Morgan, Glamazon and Hex Kitten!)
Squawk Girl: Part of the “Nocurnowl Family,” she’s an overly-driven urban vigilante
Wallflower: The mousy and overlooked member of the Femtastic Four, with control over plants
Bug Boy: A spider-themed young hero
Uberboy: A horn dog young hero who uses his X-ray vision for mischief
Crood The Conquerer: An unaculturated Barbarian hero
Amerigirl:  A teen amazon with identity issues
Stiletto: A sexy and highly skilled vigilante super-heroine
JD Rivers: A bombastic hollywood director
Buddy Blathers: Comic book artist and egoist
sh1: “Super-Heroes 1”, a cable channel that’s all-super-heroes, all the time. Their show, “Week In Capes,” is hosted by four vapid TV personalities
Infernal Enterprises: An evil upstart company that specializes in Murders & Acquisitions
Ghoulrilla Marketing: a rival agency that caters to monsters and the undead

One of our Heroites has done a fabulous fan cast with most of our cast, which you can check out here!

Let the suggestions commence below!

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Capes & Babes & Business

by on September 26, 2012 at 12:14 pm
Posted In: Blog, Water Cooler Discussion

Chris Flick of Capes & Babes fame asked to borrow a couple of Hero Business characters for a two-week period, and I was more than happy to oblige!

Here’s what Chris had to say, “I want to thank Bill Walko for letting me play with his characters a little bit. Bill does a terrific strip called The Hero Business. Maybe you’ve heard of it before?

I contacted Bill via Facebook late Tuesday night to see if he would be willing to let me use Brody LeBlanc in my strip today and he was more than gracious for letting me add my own little touch and interpretation to Brody. I hope you guys like it as this is the start of a new story arc.”

Here’s a sneak peek, featuring Brody and Crood the Conquerer:

And you can check out the entire mini-arc, starting here!

Thanks, Chris! The comics are great fun!

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Rough Monday: ComiCONN Commissions

by on August 20, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Posted In: Blog, Rough Mondays, Water Cooler Discussion

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!

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Rough Monday: Honoring Joe Kubert

by on August 14, 2012 at 9:02 am
Posted In: Blog, Rough Mondays, Water Cooler Discussion

Sadly, comic book legend Joe Kubert passed away this weekend. He leaves an indelible mark on the industry, through his stylish art and The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. If you’re not familiar with his work, CBR has assembled some of his gorgeous covers and NPR has a tribute.

I’ll close out by sharing a sketch I got from the master himself…

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