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(From "America's Best Comics" number 18, 1946.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
Professional animator and teacher Pete Emslie's "Cartoon Cave" features his drawings and musings, with Disney style illustration advice sprinkled in here and there. This bit on the best way to draw eyes, for instance, is just great:
He's also got a bunch of caricatures they did at a big event recently, causing me to fondly* remember my days doing those at Sea World. Head on over and check it out if you get a chance, his place is definitely one I like.
*Provided your definition of "fondly" involves me dissolving into a shivering mass of horrified flesh clenched protectively in the fetal position.
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Posted in Things I Like
(From "America's Best Comics" number 18, 1946.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
I loved Hartwell's version of Darkseid in his "Sketch of the Week" and thought I'd link it up. Well done, sir!
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Posted in Things I Like
After taking in some of the excellent critiques on the last attempt at this, I wanted to do another Wonder Woman costume.
It shows a bit more skin that you're used to with a Wonder Woman design, but I think that's ok. Amazons in the DC Universe live on an island with no men, so they're not going to have a lot of modesty issues. And it's a tropical island, so they're not going to be wearing a ton of heavy clothing. I definitely wanted something of a Greek influence, which is where the cape/wrap and the sandals come from.
I also wanted to hearken back a bit to the original myths, so I played up the idea of a "girdle" of Hippolyta by making the belt more distinctive, and added wings to the sandals to echo Hermes. Otherwise I don't quite see how Wonder Woman flies.
I definitely wanted to get away from the "Granny Panties" vibe I sometimes get from her legwear, and loin cloths always make me think of ancient Greece and Rome with a bit of jungle warrior thrown in.
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Posted in Sketch of the Day
Since my buddy John and I have both done interior illustrations for various RPG modules (he even did the original cover for "Champions of the North"), I wanted to ask about what you do for visuals in your games. Obviously computer RPGs have their own graphics, but for good old fashioned pen-and-paper, how important is it for you to be able to visualize what's going on and who you're fighting? Does your GM give you printouts of images that enhance the mood?
When you're leafing through a game supplement in the store, how important are the illustrations to your buying decision? Or do you even care about them at all?
I ask particularly because HM was started in part to let GMs get Full Color Visuals to show their players, prompted largely by the ongoing campaigns John and I were in. Plus we got kind of tired of having to do all the drawing, which, if it wasn't our own adventure, ruined the surprise of the characters we'd encounter.
If you or your GM have used HeroMachine images in a campaign before, how were they used? Did they go over well?
Setting HeroMachine aside for the moment, what else does your GM do to help "set the mood" for the campaign? I know some will put on a custom mood-mix CD for audio effects. Others use miniatures and maps. I'd love to hear what works for you, what you like, what you hate, and if all that stuff matters at all or if it's more than enough just having the descriptions.
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Posted in RPG Corner
(From "America's Best Comics" number 18, 1946.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
With thanks to winner of Caption Contest 73 Tim, the following neat-o item is now available in Insignia-Standard:
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Posted in Challenge Prizes, Challenges, HeroMachine 3
A bad super hero costume redesign in isolation is a sad and tragic thing, but let the disease spread to multiple hosts on one team and the results take on a kind of epic, balletic splendor of suck. Witness, this ill-fated revamp of the WW2 ace flying group "The Blackhawks" that tried to turn them into costumed super adventurers:
It's hard to imagine a more ridiculous crew outside the pages of "Teen Beat", although I have to admit I would probably pay good hard American cash for a cage match between the phallo-centric "The Leaper (Olaf)" and Marvel's Batroc the Leaper.
In fact the names these guys were given serve as an accelerate for the runaway fashion disaster DC tried to foist on an unsuspecting nation. Can you imagine being threatened by a guy dressed in blue jammies with pink ears on it? Maybe if the bizarre outfit was some sort of Viet Nam era testament to taking the ears of his fallen enemies as trophies, but this guy's just called "The Listener". Maybe after he gives his opponents a sound listening-to, he follows it up with a warm cuddle and some cookies.
I'm not going anywhere near "Dr. Hands", the sterotypically-rendered Chop-Chop. All I'm going to say is, that's what we used to call the male nurse in high school who took his duties to give the guys physicals to qualify for P.E. very seriously. And thoroughly. And enthusiastically. Plus, who's going to go to a doctor actually named "Chop Chop"? Not me. Although there is a urologist in the Austin area named Dick Chop. I kid you not.
However, in light of the recent release of "Iron Man 2", follow-up to what may be the best super-hero movie of all time featuring one of the great all-time super-hero costumes, I have to reserve most of my concern for "The Golden Centurion".
First of all, if you're wearing a high-powered super suit, you shouldn't go around stealing kites from children to use as a "shield". That's just rude.
Second, invest in some accouterments, for goodness' sake! That's the most boring suit of armor I've ever seen. Plus the boots look floppy, as if they used to be traditional Blackhawk jack boots that just got spray-painted with gold.
In fact, I bet that's exactly what happened. They got word at Blackhawk HQ that the government was shutting their program down due to lack of funding (and an enemy), so the boys took it on themselves to raid the supply closet for home made "super hero" costumes. I can imagine Stan setting that mighty cleft chin, leaning on his knee with his stout forearms, and telling his subordinates with a steely grin, "Boys, I've seen the future, and it's primary-color spandex. Now get out there and make yourselves look ridiculous."
To which all I can say is, "Mission Accomplished, sir."
(Thanks again to ReaderKate for finding this gem.)
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Posted in Bad Super Costumes
Tim and I have finished his prize for winning Caption Contest 66, and it is now available in ItemRight-Pistols. I give you the Smith & Wesson 500 Magnum:
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Posted in Challenge Prizes, Challenges, HeroMachine 3
Three middle-aged nerds (including yours truly!) review all of the MCU movies in chronological order. Short, funny, and full of good vibes, check it out and let us know what you think!
Nerdmudgeon.com