Princess of Purpleness

I know I wasn't the target audience, but I always liked Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld. The first mini-series was great. The resulting series was a little weaker, and when the creative team changed post-Crisis, it kind of went off the rails. Still, those first twelve issues are solid entertainment.

I'm surprised DC hasn't done more with it. I think I slightly retooled version would be a bang-up Johnny DC project, and a trade, maybe at manga size, would do pretty well too. Heck, in these days of Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, I'd think a movie or TV mini-series would be possible, too. I remember that DC was thinking of doing an animated cartoon back in the late eighties. I wonder what ever happened to that.

Enchanted

I really modeled Amazonia's tiara after the Scarlet Witch, but after doing this piece starring the Enchantress, I guess Amora got in my head a little more than I'd thought. When I did the first rough of this, I thought "Hey, that looks like Zoe."

I kept this one simple in color, favoring solid bright shapes. I turned the body into profile though, as I hadn't attempted any side views yet. Always finding a new challenge.

This one also has a cool Wicked Queen vibe that works nicely too, I think.

This Girl is Poison

The current version of Batman’s femme fatale is a pasty white, nearly naked, walking plant. That’s just too cold for me. I always figured she’d be warmer, and definitely tan from being out in the sun so much.

This is one of my favorites in this series. The layout is kind of enspired by the American Beauty poster, and I think I’ve expanded my technique toolbox with the painterly approach to the colors.

By Popular Demand

I've mentioned here on the blog that I've been doing more and more con sketches, so many that I'm now taking commissions via the website. I've also been asked "When are you going to do a sketchbook?" Well, the time is now.

I've looked into a variety of options and formats, and what I've come up with is this: Powerful Women. It's a collection of 25 pieces I've done, either at cons or as commissions as well as a ton of original pieces. They're all in full color. The book also features some commentary on each piece. The book comes in at 8.5x5.5, is spiral bound and will go for $15.00. For a limited time, I'll throw in shipping for free, too.

It features characters from all across comics, including Supergirl, Zatanna, Emma Frost, Enchantress, Red Sonja, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, and (surprise) Amazonia.

I'll have it with me at MegaCon, printer willing, and definitely at cons after that.

Pretty Bird

Black Canary is a fine character with a long and storied history. But looking at this drawing, which I do like, all I can hear her screaming is “Go to Hidden Island Lake!” from that oh-so-cheesy live-action “Challenge of the Superheroes” from the 1970’s. The one that had Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, and was later followed up “The Roast of the Superheroes” hosted by Ed McMahon and ending with Mordru singing “These are a few of my favorite things.”

Ah, good times.

Dream a Little Dream

When I was in Texas for WizardWorld Dallas, someone came up to me to have me do a Dream Girl sketch for them. She's got a fairly boring costume, but I had a silver marker in my bag, and I realy had fun playing with the reflectivity of her uniform. That's what I tried to focus on in this piece. There's very little linework on her skin, but a lot of linework on the silver suit. I think the contrast works well.

Plus, I realized I hadn't done any reclining poses, always a subject of consternation in my life drawing days. And if there's one character who fits a reclining pose, it's the Legionaire whose power is falling asleep and having dreams of the future.

A Candidate We Can All Agree On

I know I've mentioned that I'm going to MegaCon next weekend, but what I haven't mentioned is that I designed a new Toon Tumbler for the event. In these trying electoral times, it helps to have a candidate we can all believe in, so I present the Captain America for President glass. The image is from the cover of Captain America #250, so it's Cap before the whole Civil War sillyness. He's honest, forthright, honorable, and he fought Nazis!

So, if you're going to MegaCon, be sure to pick up one of these glasses...for America!

(Florida residents please take note: No complicated chads will be required for purchase.)

Power Company

There was a Justice League cover a while back where my latest subject, Power Girl, was the subject of much discussion. She was a little too endowed, and her expression was kind of beaten down. I think one of the sources of Power Girl's appeal is her defiant, bring-it-on attitude. She can take on anything, bullets, lasers, the mosty screwed-up continuity this side of Hawkman, whatever. I tried some new things in coloring, and I gave her a more muscular form that I usually do on women, and think I walked that line between strong and feminine okay.

I've been a fan of Power Girl since I bought that first 1970's issue of All-Star Comics on a family vacation. Actually, I dig the old Earth-2 stuff in general. I think this one turned out pretty well.

Spread the Love

Johanna over at Comics Worth Reading has dropped some digital love on Love and Capes:

I’ve been remiss in not talking about Love and Capes more often, since it’s my favorite superhero book. Although it’s not really a superhero book, not in traditional style — instead, it’s a romantic comedy that happens to feature a superhero, and its pacing shows a strong comic strip influence, with frequent punchlines. It’s cute and funny and touching and well worth reading.

She links to all sorts of LNC related coolness, and I want to return the favor. Click here to be spirited away to her site.

Bad Girl

X-Men week continues with this illustration of everyone's favorite crazy redhead. No, not Lucy Ricardo, Jean Grey as Dark Phoenix.

Dark Phoenix was such a strong character that I was a fan of hers despite her not appearing in X-Men during most of the run that I was reading. This was in the days before instant trades, and getting older comics meant saving up for expensive back issues. Eventually, Marvel did release a trade, which I got for my birthday one year.

This image is actually scanned from the pencils, rather than being inked, and colored in Corel Painter where I could mess around with some chalky textures. I thought it gave a drawing a kind of raw energy which fit the character.