Category Archives: Challenges

Character Design Challenge #510 – Purple!


Your challenge this week is to create a character based around the colour purple.
Thanks to Ubiquitous Pixel for the topic suggestion
Enter as often as you like.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges: Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games. The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way. Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited. I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning. Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.
All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
Please name your files before you upload it. So DiCicatriz, for instance, would save his “Bayou Belle” character image as DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png
Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
This contest will close on Sunday, November 7th at 10:00 am Eastern.

Character Design Challenge #509 – Autumn Creatures! – Results

Only 3 entries this time around, but an awesome three entries they are; all three are worthy of a win.

First I have to give a shout out to Watson Bradsshaw. The brief character description that you included really helped bring your character to life, and I do love a good backstory! well done you!

The win this week goes to Suleman for the sublime autumn archer.

Just beautiful, and the colours are stunning. Well done you!

Thanks to all who entered.

Character Design Challenge #508 – Gorgons!


The Gorgons were three monsters in Greek mythology, daughters of Echidna and Typhon, the mother and father of all monsters respectively. Their names were Stheno, Euryale, and the most famous of them, Medusa.

Your challenge this week is to reimagine one of the Gorgons as a modern villain

Enter as often as you like.

Rules for posts, contests, and challenges: Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games. The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way. Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited. I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning. Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.
All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
Please name your files before you upload it. So DiCicatriz, for instance, would save his “Bayou Belle” character image as DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png
Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
This contest will close on Sunday, October 10th at 10:00 am Eastern.

Character Design Challenge #507 – Insignia – Results!

Great job again this week folks.

Runner up this week is NerdAndProud for this, dare I say, adorable entry

And this week's winner is ...
Continue reading

Character Design Challenge #505 – It’s All In the Cards!

Your challenge this week is to create a character based on either the King, Queen or Jack of Hearts, Diamonds. Clubs or Spades
Prize: a version of your character by yours truly.
Enter as often as you like.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges: Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters, no characters based on RPG’s or other games. The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way. Please keep all submissions PG13: full or partial nudity is prohibited. I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning. Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.
All entries must be in JPG or PNG (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like http://www.heromachine.com/forum, Image Shack, Deviant Art or whatever) Do not use Photobucket<.
Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name.
No copyrighted characters please – they will be deleted.
Please name your files before you upload it. So DiCicatriz, for instance, would save his “Bayou Belle” character image as DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png
Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).
This contest will close on Sunday, August 22nd at 10:00 am Eastern.

CDC #502 – Prize for Scott Weyers

The Judge

Character Creation Contest #500 Finalists!

Djuby is gonna kill me but the submissions for the Five Hundredth Edition of the CDS were so good, I couldn't pick just one. I am overjoyed at being reminded once again of the amazing talent and creativity you all have and which you share with everyone. Putting yourself out there is hard to do and I deeply appreciate every single person who took the time to submit their characters.

I picked out my absolute favorites and am adding them all to the Hall of Fame because they are all outstanding. I'll leave it to Djuby to pick one of these to do his own take on as the official prize, but I couldn't leave any of them out in good conscience.

Thank you again to all of you, not just the folks below, and not just everyone who entered this week, but to everyone who's been a part of this amazing community for so many years. It's hard to believe that more than twenty years have passed since the idea for HM first came to me. I never imagined I'd meet so many fantastic, gifted, passionate creators along the way. I'm truly humbled.

And special thanks of course to Djuby and to ALL the moderators here who have kept this place chugging along as I've uprooted my life time after time over the last seven or eight years. I've landed in Utah and am happy being a full time developer, but I'll always have a warm spot in my heart for HeroMachiners, and it's due to the mods that it is still going even in the face of the unstoppable Juggernaut that is Adobe shutting down Flash.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and that most of all, you keep finding ways to express your amazing creativity!

Character Design Challenge #481 – Pirates – With A Twist – Prizes for LizzyVern and Xinmodic

LV's Steampunk pirate

inmodic's Spideebeard

My versions inspired by the original designs...
Continue reading

Character Design Challenge #479– Gender Flip


I just saw an interview with drag artist Dax! who was one of the inspirations for the Marvel drag queen character known as Shade or Darkveil.

Your CDC challenge this week is to take an existing original character from your collection, and rework them with an alternate gender. Cisgender, trans and non-binary characters are welcomed and applauded.

Please post both the original and the reworking in the same comment post

The winning entrant will receive a HM3 version of their character rendered by yours truly.
The characters must be your own design and not based on any character that might be copyrighted in any way.
Rules for posts, contests, and challenges:
Original characters only, no copyrighted characters, no characters based on copyrighted characters.No characters based on Official RPG NPC's ( Non-Player Characters ). Please keep all submissions PG13. I have the right to delete any post that I believe crosses this line without warning. Only post characters that have been created solely using Hero Machine, and that you know for certain have never been entered in a contest before. If you aren’t certain, don’t enter it, because I’m not going to go back through all of the contests and check.
All entries must be in JPG or PNG form (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like the HeroMachine :,ImageShack, Deviant Art, or whatever); Do NOT use Photobucket
• Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name;
• Please name your filesas [your name]-[character name].[file extension] before you upload it. So DiCicatriz, for instance, would save his “Bayou Belle” character image as DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png.
Please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this).

This contest will close on Monday, October 12th at 6:00pm Eastern

Character Design Challenge #478– The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Part 5 – Prize for Angelos Stefanopoulos

My version of the Munchkin Mayor based on Angelos' original design.

Congrats again on the win!