Character Contest 45 – The Kirby Train

In a bit of a changeroo, I'm substituting another Character Contest for the usual Caption Contest this week. I was talking with my buddy John Hartwell (of the epic Kirby Villain Sketch of the Week on his Facebook page) about Jack Kirby this morning, and we started laughing about how when the King was completely unedited like he was later in his career, the results were a little ... odd sometimes. For instance, his New Gods sometimes went off the rails a bit, like with "The Black Racer".

Which led to a comparison with "The Silver Surfer" (image from the immortal Fred Hembeck):

Which made us wonder, what other color slash mode of transportation characters Kirby might have come up with had he the time.

Which leads us to today, and your Character Contest for the week: Come up with the best Jack Kirby style character combining a color and a mode of transportation. His classics are the Silver Surfer and the Black Racer, and alternatives might be the Purple Locomotive or the Red Rocket or the Indigo Ice Skater or the Chartreuse Caboose.

I'm doing this on an "off week" because it's so specific, whereas with the on-time contests I'm going to try and stay broader and more general to give you more latitude. But I hope this will be entertaining, anyway, and a bit of a challenge to come up with something new rather than dusting off one of your creations from months ago.

The rules are the same, although the prize this time around will include the option for a "Sketch of the Day" as well as the more traditional HM3 item or portrait.

Also, I'm getting more serious about the links to your characters; last week there were quite a few I simply skipped if I couldn't get to the image directly. I hate to do that, but my connection is simply too aggravating. So be warned.

  • All entries must be in JPG or PNG form (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like ImageShack, PhotoBucket, the UGO Forums, whatever);
  • Entries must be made as a comment or comments to this post, containing a link directly to the image and the character name;
  • The image cannot have been used in any previous HeroMachine character design contest -- we had an "Elemental" contest and an "Animalia" contest a while back, for instance, and I don't want repeats of stuff you already did for those;
  • Please name your files as [your name]-[character name].[file extension]. So DiCicatriz, for instance, would save his "Bayou Belle" character image as DiCicatriz-BayouBelle.png.
  • If possible, please make the link go directly to the image (like this) and not to a hosting jump page (like this). If you see "preview" or "rotate" somewhere in the link you're probably doing it wrong.
  • All entries must be in by next Monday, when I'll choose a winner, who will receive his or her choice of any item or a portrait to be included in the final HeroMachine 3 program, or a "Sketch of the Week" style black and white illustration.

Good luck everyone!

165 Responses to Character Contest 45 – The Kirby Train

  1. The Imp says:

    Hey Jeff, whatever happened to your sketches of the day, anyway? You’re slacking! 😀

  2. Jeff Hebert says:

    I know! John was chastising me this morning during our Kirby discussion.

    Once I get the Bustiers knocked out and I’m into boring conversion mode, I need to crank it back up. I am way, way, WAY behind.

  3. CPrime says:

    Ummm…. question. Is alliteration a requirement?

  4. Jeff Hebert says:

    Noticeably Not. Definitely Decided. Free Form.

    Sorry. No, alliteration is neither required nor necessarily encouraged. Whatever you want to do so long as the name is [color] [transportation mode].

  5. CPrime says:

    Ok. Just checking. I’ll probably alliterate anyway. I love alliteration.

  6. kyle says:

    whatever happened to your Open Critique Day?

  7. Jeff Hebert says:

    I just mentioned that in another thread, I’ll try to do another one this Thursday.

    If you guys want I can try to do it every Thursday.

    And let’s get some Kirby entries, folks!

  8. The Imp says:

    This might be stretching your requirements of [color][transportation mode], but I can justify it! His wings are transportation, and the Gremlin IS a type of car… 😀

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72901&d=1285627430

  9. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://s1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=hm3-beta-4-1.jpg

    Brown Streak (entry number one)

    Harold Kowalski was a worker at a sewage plant in Portland, Oregon. Every day it was his job to clean out the pipes if they got too clogged up with the city’s waste. However, one fateful day, Harold was shovelling excrement when the unthinkable happened. Unbeknownst to Harold, a group of teenagers had decided to organise a ‘Simultaneous Flush’ that day, where they and all their friends flushed their toilets at the exact same time. Word of this event spread quickly, and eventually everyone in the South of Portland knew of the scenario. The fateful moment came, and all of the flushed urine, and faeces, and god knows what else all gathered in an immense wave, which crashed straight into poor Harold. However, a scientist who was living in the area had flushed an alien piece of rock by accident, and when the vile tsunami hit Harold, the rock activated, and its mysterious powers joined Harold and the filth together. Harold then emerged as half-man, half-turd. Unable to handle his own stench, he tore off his own nose, and his ears slid off of their own accord. He had become completely bald, and his clothes had melted. However, he soon realised that he possessed unique powers. He cannot be destroyed, as any part of his body that is removed will be replaced rapidly. Such is his stink that no gas mask or perfume can mask it, and he is capable of sliding along the ground at great speeds, always leaving his signature skidmark wherever he glides. Dedicating his life to fighting crime, in the hopes that he will one day be accepted by society, he took up the mantle of the Brown Streak. So, criminals beware, for no matter how fast you run, or how far you go, soon enough you will always get a whiff of the scent of justice! And it ain’t pretty.

  10. ajw says:

    my first entry but not last cinnabar cinnabun
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1141180&l=878ae40916&id=1589732210
    similar to lock jaw in heroic capabilities but twice as tasty
    he also is a red velvet cinnabun implying cinnamon

  11. rancid says:

    i asked for this contest a few times. glad it finally happened can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with

  12. John says:

    How is a cinnabun a mode of transportation?

  13. Gargoyle323 says:

    Maybe the fiber helps the bowels move?(Ha-Ha)

  14. William A. Peterson says:

    CPrime, I like your picture, but Golden Glider was an old member of the Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery…
    Sister of Len Snart (Captain Cold), and former girlfriend of The Top!

  15. joel says:

    entry #1

    Red Rider

    John Taylor was your run of the mill robber. he did petty convenience store heists and drove a stylish black getaway car. one day though, a robbery went to far, and John killed a man. the police caught him and he was sentenced to death by electric chair. John was on death row, when a demon appeared to him in his cell. John was terrified at first, but then the demon told him that he could save John. John made a deal with this demon, and in exchange for saving his life, the demon would now take over his body every night. in his new demon form, John becomes very strong, can conjure flames, and has the ability to turn anything he touches into a demonic version of itself. with his new abilities, and twin blades on his shoulders that transform into pure hellfire when he throws them, John is now the Red Rider, raising hell every night.

    http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/Joel-RedRider.png?t=1285639732

  16. Neon Sequitur says:

    I’m going out on a limb and reversing the order of [color] and [transportation] with “Jett Black.” The name is pretty much self-explanatory, as is the picture:

    http://s932.photobucket.com/albums/ad165/Neon_Sequitur/HeroMachine/?action=view&current=NeonSequitur-JettBlack.jpg

  17. joel says:

    Entry #2

    Not a color, but I think he works anyway.

    Hell’s angels move over for: The Biking Viking!

    http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/Joel-TheBikingViking.png?t=1285641033

  18. The Blue Pedestrian: Fighting Crime, One Block at a Time

    http://members.cox.net/freethespam/bluepedestrian.html

  19. The Imp says:

    LMAO @ Gargoyle (#14). 😀

  20. Watson Bradshaw says:

    ENTRY 1

    THE SAPPHIRE SEGWAY

    A COSMIC AVENGER WITH THE SPEED OF, WELL, A LITTLE FASTER THAN RUNNING! 🙂

    As I love all that is Kirby expect a lot from me!

    body: http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/THESAPHIRESEGWAY.png

    face: http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/SAPHIRESEGWAYFACE.png

  21. Melissa says:

    This is my first try at a character contest, so I hope it’s not too newb-like:

    The Rubin Roller-skater
    http://i749.photobucket.com/albums/xx138/ladymadrian/Melissa-RubinRollerskater.jpg?t=1285644098

  22. Gargoyle323 says:

    @Melissa(22)- Welcome to the contest. Nice job on your first character. Good luck!

  23. Gargoyle323 says:

    @rancid(23)- Nice! Very Kirby-like! I could see him with the New Gods. Really nice design.

  24. Phatchick says:

    Punch Buggy
    http://lh4.ggpht.com/_J19TirUyL6w/TKFyR6Enx1I/AAAAAAAAAEo/D0Hcwexea8c/s512/PunchBuggy1.png
    In the fine tradition of Kirby females (big hair and small skirts) comes Punch Buggy. With her fruity colored VeeDub and her power of overwhelming cute, she can cause strong men and women to run in horror.

  25. Phatchick says:

    @Melissa (#22) Really nice job and a great character.

  26. Phatchick says:

    @Galactic Ketchup(#9) Sweet holy mother of puppies! LMAO!

  27. Watson Bradshaw says:

    ENTRY 2

    JADE JET-SKI

    An Atlantis knight who was thrown through time and now slices bloody vengeance on the open waves in the name of his lost nation.

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/JADEJETSKI.png

  28. DiCicatriz says:

    Ok, I’ll bite 😀

    I give you…

    The Extraterrestrial Eggplant Equestrian! An intergalactic bounty hunter as merciless as he is purple.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-EggplantEquestrian.png

  29. VonMalcolm says:

    As the tide continued to turn for the worse in the ‘Police Action’ in Vietnam, both on the battlefield and the homefront: the American Military Brass devised a devious plan to kill two birds with one stone. You have heard of Human Sheilds: Well the powers that were came up with ‘Human Ammo’: they created modern catapults to shoot their homefront enemies at their foreign enemies. The thinking was that if the hippies didn’t kill the Vietcong, perhaps they would pacify them or maybe pollute their culture. Even if the project didn’t live up to expectations at the least The United States of America would get rid of a bunch of youth poisoning, rainbow commies. The project was known as Operation Caput Mortuum (or literally: Operation Dead Head): their forced agents (lured by the promise of an endless supply of Hippie Lettuce) were known as The Caput Mortuum Catapults. Only five human-heaving catapults were ever built and only one saw secret action. A rumored 666 hippies were launched at The Viet Cong in early 1972, but it was too, little too late: no one knows nor cares if any of the Caput Mortuum Catapults survived or are still alive. but there has been rumors of a deranged American man in Ho Chi Minh City who literally throws himself into a fight without any weapons or skill to stop an injustice: his only superpower: the ability to take an ASS-whooping like none other.

    Caput Mortuum is a shade of purple: #592720

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/180801911/the_caput_mortuum_catapult_by_vonmalcolm-d2zn7nb.png

    Jump Page:

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/art/The-Caput-Mortuum-Catapult-180801911

  30. Cliff says:

    Entries 1, 2 & 3

    #1
    Pink Panther

    Luke Rosa grew up knowing he was different. Upon puberty he discovered how different when on a full moon he realized he was a were-panther, as if that change wasn’t enough, the pubescent changes going on in his body and emotions made him realize he was gay. Being raised in the Texas bible belt he kept it to himself for a while, weighed under by guilt, he got a job and started saving money and when he turned 18 he had saved enough money he moved to SanFransisco. Shortly after being there he was mugged, but then his were-panther came out and after a good swipe with his claws, the gang fled in fear, the leader bleeding and screaming several octives higher since he was now … neutered.
    The Castro Community was thrilled that this gang was put out of commission. Luke felt good about himself and found several other opportunities to defend his new community.
    Luke found Magenta when the big cat had escaped his Zoo captivity during feeding time.
    Luke discovered he could communicate with the large cat, who did not want to go back to the zoo, so Luke helped hid him. Luke dyed his hair, and the panther whom was big enough for Luke to ride on his back.
    Soon Luke and the panther was known as Pink Panther and Magenta.

    Body
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_PinkPanther01a.jpg

    Face
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_PinkPanther01c.jpg

    #2
    Black Biker
    No story on him. Sorry. But he’s sort of a mixture of New God, Lobo and Ghost Rider.

    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_BlackBiker01a.jpg

    Face:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/liff_BlackBiker01b.jpg

    #3
    Blue Blades
    I’ve had the concept of an ice skater named Blue Norther for a while, but never made him. Here is an appropriate version for this contest.

    Body:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_BlackBiker01b.jpg

    Face:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_BlueBlade01b.jpg

    Today I doubt I’ll be on later since I have 5:30AM Dialysis, come home, eat, work on my Agenda for my Meetup at 7:00 then, with luck eat at IHOP with some Meetup friends afterwards till midnight.
    So will be Wed or Thursday before i get to work on:

    Jet Black,
    Red Rover,
    Tartan Tanker

    (Just mentioning incase anyone else thinks of these ya know I didn’t steal the concepts. heh heh.)
    Y’all have fun

  31. Rozenstal says:

    http://s001.radikal.ru/i195/1009/22/18a2e137ab66.png
    This is Golden Acrobat)) His transport – arms!

  32. Watson Bradshaw says:

    ENTRY 3

    PSYCHEDELIC CYCLIST

    A extra terrestrial Robot created to find inhabitable planets landed in the Quent country of Holland. Using a hard-light emitter he created a bicycle to better camouflage itself among the populace.

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/Psychedeliccyclist.png

  33. Myro says:

    I spent way too long on this thing. Seriously.

    Golden Parachute:

    Chad Garmin is a former X-Games skateboarder who has taken to crime fighting with the help of a weapon-equipped skateboard deck and propelled by his kevlar-lined gold parachute.

    http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/myro-golden_parachute.jpg

  34. Phatchick says:

    @Myro (#40) Maybe, but he’s quite cool. Great job.

  35. CPrime says:

    @William A. Peterson. Dang it to heck! Is it my fault that in over 90 years of comics, every lame name for a superhero has already been used?

  36. Morzan says:

    Number one – Yellowcomotive

    http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/mor2na/HM/Morzan_Yellowcomotive.jpg?t=1285693015

    The first and last steam powered something that has ever reached sonic speed.

  37. Me, Myself & I says:

    The Green Glider
    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI-TheGreenGlider.jpg

    The Vomit Comet
    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI-TheVomitComet.jpg

    This hero is known as The Green Glider to most. Unfortunately, the bad guys have had their say as well and have “promoted” him by the name of The Vomit Comet. It sucks to have enemies that are media savvy!

  38. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE GREEN HORSEMAN OF DEATH
    A radioactive harbinger of the Apocalypse,riding his mechanical steed, Meltdown.

    http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/CC45-The%20Kirby%20Train/Gargoyle323-TheGreenHorsemanOfDeath.jpg

  39. Blue Blazer says:

    The Red Rover, fighting crime in the family car.

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72910&d=1285695042

  40. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE CYAN SURFER
    Leader of an underwater race, The Cyan Surfer can control the waves and ride on top without a board.

    http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/CC45-The%20Kirby%20Train/Gargoyle323-TheCyanSurfer.jpg

  41. John says:

    I dunno guys…I think we need to see some more crazy headgear and wacky geometric costume patterns to be considered truly “Kirby”…!

  42. TJ says:

    http://s742.photobucket.com/albums/xx70/celticdragon79/?action=view&current=brownhornet.jpg

    NOt quite sure if this qualifies but givin it a try anyways!

    This is my re-interpritation of a character seen on the Fat Albet show, The Brown Hornet. I gave him a less comical look and modernized his outfit.

  43. Phatchick says:

    Ala Verde
    http://lh6.ggpht.com/_J19TirUyL6w/TKJVktctRXI/AAAAAAAAAE4/w12C09q__IY/s512/ala%20verde1.png
    Be careful what you wish for. Someone should’ve given that warning to Carmen Mendoza, a young assistant in the DA’s office. Tired of watching slimeballs get off on technicalities, she wished she could do something about it. While getting an eagle tattoo to celebrate passing the bar, she told the artist about her wish. Someone or something must have been listening because few days later the wish came true. On the night of the next full moon the eagle took over; her arms became wings, her feet became talons and she gained superhuman senses. Now, on the full moon she becomes Ala Verde (spanish for Green Wings) and makes sure that evil no longer slips through the cracks as she administers her own brand of bloody justice.

  44. John says:

    To clarify my previous comment (#51), go to this page of the Jack Kirby Museum to see what I’m talking about:

    http://kirbymuseum.org/caesar

    I think these are an excellent example of the kind of eye Kirby brings to his designs – these aren’t superheroes you would recognize; they’re costume designs for Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar! But the designs are unmistakably “The King.”

    Study them. Know them. Love them.

    Then submit a character design of your own that will blow Jeffrey away!

  45. Danny Beaty says:

    THE GREEN WINGMAN

    The Green Wingman employs lifter technology to fly. GW is not superhuman but his costume is bulletproof, and he is a good hand to hand fighter as well as a marksman.
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=582329&l=6a4fc0dc2b&id=1815191475

  46. Danny Beaty says:

    BLACKWING

    Blackwing uses a jetwing and wrist lasers to fight crime.
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=582331&l=7f253b0b5f&id=1815191475

  47. Frevoli says:

    Charles Lance has the perfect life. The star of the hit series “The Rough Rider” – about a heroic cowboy in a lawless west – he’s both popular and wealthy. A life which he shares with his wife and children.

    25 years yater – space – A alien craft, sent to scour for new worlds, crashed onto the darkside of the moon. It’s contents include tools, equipment, materials, chemicals and a droid pilot – severely damaged. Trying to reboot, he scans the cosmos searching for the planetary signal of home… however the signal he does find is that of an earth satellite… a TV satellite… which happened to be streaming “The Rough Rider”

    Meanwhile on earth, Vincent Lance (Charles’ youngest son) is working as a tour guide at the studio which made “The Rough Rider”. The sweet life has long since been over, as although heroic on screen, Charles was less so off it; a fact the family became aware of as the series ended and he struggled to find work. Vincent had often prefered his father’s character to the real thing… pointlesss, as even unemployed Charles was never there.

    Longing for a return to those glory days, Vincent’s hopes seemed to’ve been answered; when he heard about the development of a big screen Rough Rider revival, and managed to get a try at the lead. On the way back from the audition, he saw a light in the sky. It got bigger and bigger until landing in the distance. Following it, Vincent couldn’t believe what he saw.

    The data from the satellite altered the droid’s CPU: giving him the personality of the Rough Rider, whilst keeping his original intellect but hardly any of his original memory. Along this vein, he repaired and rearmed himself using parts of the ship. Whatever remained, he used for a new means of transport…

    Now they work together – bringing good ol’ justice to a new age – not just as partners, but also as friends (with Vincent finally the father-figure he always wanted)

    Ladies and gentlemen, I’m proud to present… The Rust Rider (and Vincent)

    http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy287/frevoli/Frevoli-RustRider-1.png

  48. Hanna says:

    Hi there, second contest that I’ve enetered like ever…..so um here’s the character

    The Scalett Chopper

    http://img195.imageshack.us/f/hannascarlettchopperpng.png/

  49. Alex says:

    THE BLUE BROOM – What can I say ,she’s a witch from space.
    http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6814/alexthebluebroom.jpg
    (btw Jeff I hope you approve the broom as a mode of transporation after all she is a witch and they use brooms to fly)

  50. Danny Beaty says:

    EDMUNDTON SMYTHE AND HIS AMAZING BRONZE FLYING APPARATUS

    Smythe uses his flying machine to fight the Jerry bi-planes and zepplins that dare to attack his beloved England.
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=582347&l=0f60d914ed&id=1815191475

  51. VonMalcolm says:

    The Razzmatazzmanian Twister

    Don’t call him the Pink Tornado.

    A simple, somewhat quick one.

    Color: Razzmatazz: a red-pink: #E3256B

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/180879532/the_razzmatazzmanian_twister_by_vonmalcolm-d2zovjg.png

    Jump Page:

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/art/The-Razzmatazzmanian-Twister-180879532

  52. joel says:

    Entry #3

    Silver Skater

    Joe Lance was a crime beat ace. however one day he was tailing a perp and got into a fire fight in a strange laboratory. some strange technology hit him with an energy beam. he was taken to a hospital. he was released two weeks later with no apparent change. shortly thereafter, Joe realized he could form the energy he had absorbed and make four energy wheels on each foot that he could use to skate. these skates could move at super speed, defy gravity by riding up vertical objects, and even cut through solid steel. it was at the point that Joe decided to combine the two things he loved most, Kicking crime’s ass, and the 80’s. now he’s ready to dance all over the face of crime like never before. evildoers beware, because the silver skater will funk you up big time!

    http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/Joel-SilverSkater.png?t=1285728013

  53. ajw says:

    obsidian horseman much cooler in my school agenda doodle but still awesome
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1143315&l=5da402f527&id=1589732210
    i spent a bit of my morning thinking of a hero and lunchtime too hope you like it, but the blade sucks cant find the rugged blade shape, tragic.

  54. ajw says:

    Now that ive found another oppurtunity how about that evil space wizard swordsman contest or Es.Wi.S (eswiss)or(eeswiss)for short

    or peackeeping space wizard swordsman Pe.S.Wi.S (peeswiss)or (Pesswiss)

    if you do use it then just use the short hand and the evil space swordsman are preferred. thank you if in a week or many my idea gets used. For anybody i may confuse sith and jedi are who im referencing but void of copyright, and proper title.

  55. ajw says:

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1143447&l=8c30c2332f&id=1589732210
    the pink pilot with jet, car and hangar usually jet hence the name and she is both mixed martial arts specialist, skilled markswoman, and of course a flying ace. Though painfully obvious is the fact that she is not a stealth fighter.

  56. mindless says:

    i give you the Steampunk skater i know its not a color but i think it works http://s790.photobucket.com/albums/yy186/psydemon420/?action=view&current=hm3-beta8.jpg maybe not as good as my last entry but i gave it a shot

  57. VonMalcolm says:

    Electric Crimson Glory

    Mode Of Transportation: Electric Current

    Colors: Electric Crimson & Crimson Glory

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/180901045/electric_crimson_glory_by_vonmalcolm-d2zpc51.png

    Full Page:

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/#/d2zpc51

  58. Watson Bradshaw says:

    ENTRY 4

    RUBY RASCAL RAIDER

    A pirate in a distant star system who’s hands were cut off for stealing now uses a pair of killer energy hands and robot army to raid near by planets.

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/hm3RubyRascleRaider.png

  59. Myro says:

    Okay, I may be trying to hard with this one. Admittedly, while the first entry was pretty sweet, it wasn’t exactly Kirby-esque in its presentation. This one is going to be a complete exaggeration of all things Kirby. Giant shoulder epaulets. Ridiculous headgear. It’s too much for me to even come up with a back-story for this monstrosity. I simply give you: The Purple Propeller-Cap.

    http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/myro-purple_propeller_cap.jpg

    I mean, how badass is that? Even his propellers have propellers attached to them.

  60. John says:

    One last observation for your designs: when you push back from your computer and regard your HM Kirby creation with satisfaction, get back on the keyboard and give your character more. More headgear. More weight. More circles and rectangles attached to his chest. Whatever. Just make it big, bold, and over the top.

    You don’t get to be the KIng for nothin’!

  61. Jack Zelger says:

    While I was attempted to capture the style of Kirby’s artwork here, I realize I sacrificed something for a joke with such a terrible color choice…

    Behold, the Beige Biker, riding atop his super-bike and wielding the Cosmic Wrench for fighting and repairs.

    http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx88/jzelger/Beige_Biker.png

  62. Me, Myself & I says:

    Well, that makes three characters with the same name of the “Green Glider”.

    Kaldath (81)
    Blue Blazer (53)
    Me, Myself & I (46)

    Well mine has a nickname to distinguish himself at least :). Although the nickname isn’t neerly so pleaseant (the Vomit Comet 🙁 ).

  63. abominal401 says:

    This is Light and he likes to travel light….literally!

  64. abominal401 says:

    This is Light and he likes to travel light….literally!

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72931&d=1285773170

  65. Cliff says:

    Today I re-learned a painful lesson I wish to share with everyone

    SAVE OFTEN!!!

    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_TartanTank00b.jpg

    I also learned something new …
    Widescreen mode doesn’t show a frozen Uploading bar
    YEA!!!

    Tartan Tank

    I think this may be “Kirby-esque” enough.

    Clay Moore
    a highland warrior and bagpiper was slain on the battle field and a Celestial was so impressed with his warrior skills and musician talent he took his spirit and put it into a mechanical body imduing him with the Power Cosmic!

    Body:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/
    Cliff_TartanTank00a.jpg

    Face:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_TartanTank00c.jpg

    (I did have to crop and upsize in Corel PSP for the Close Up, but that is ALL I did)

    OH! I also learned the plaid pattern doesn’t cover the WHOLE tank bottom, it leaves about a half inch to my left the original color, so I had to use a diamon and rectangle to make a “Kilt” instead of making the entire Tank tartan …. which of course was a big tartan “blob” anyway since it didn’t show any details, just pattern. So this works better anyway.

    btw check out American Highlanders from The Rogues, bagpipes and drums. Awesome stuff!

  66. Cliff says:

    Corrected Body link for Tartan Tank

    Body:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_TartanTank00a.jpg

    Jeff I am so sorry that I am screwing up on almost every post.

    I must be getting senile.

  67. Cliff says:

    Very little is know about the enitity calling itself Jet Black, even if it’s actually alive, mechanical or something in between. What is known is it comes from the Negative Zone and leaves destruction in it’s wake.

    Body:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_JetBlack01.jpg

    Face:
    http://s795.photobucket.com/albums/yy240/Cliff_HM3/Cliff_JetBlack02.jpg

  68. Jack Zelger says:

    Number two, the Lavender Luger. “Luger” as in, one who drives a luge, not the German pistol.

    http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx88/jzelger/LavenderLuger.png

  69. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/hm3-beta-4-1.jpg

    Direct link to Brown Streak, apologies to Jeff for it not having a proper file name, I just read your comment today.

  70. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE SILVER STREAKER
    What is best known about this cosmic entity is that he shows up everywhere wearing only his helmet and his silver toned birthday suit. He literally streaks across the cosmos,looking for adventure.

    http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/CC45-The%20Kirby%20Train/Gargoyle323-TheSilverStreaker.jpg

  71. Danny Beaty says:

    THE BLUE BOOGIEBOARDER

    Kahan Tar roams the cosmos on his cosmic boogieboard looking for a good fight, much to the chagrin of his father Kronos, the god of time.
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=583804&l=0650f09543&id=1815191475

  72. Me, Myself & I says:

    OL, not my favorite by any stretch of the imagination but it fits the criteria and it is the most ‘Kurby’esk style I’ve done so here goes.

    Fuchsia Flier
    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI-TheFuchsiaFlier.jpg

  73. joel says:

    Entry #4

    The Crimson Commuter

    No evil deed will go unpunished when the The Crimson Commuter is on the job (assuming he can catch the right bus of course)

    http://i948.photobucket.com/albums/ad330/onikagenoken/heromachine/Joel-TheCrimsonCommuter.png?t=1285814067

  74. Watson Bradshaw says:

    Entry 5

    BRASS BULLET TRAIN

    Dr Toshiko Mori was a leading scientist on Electromagnetism in Tokyo but when the police were to late to save her family from a Yakuza hit squad, she creates a super speed, friction free power suit out of a brass Faraday Cage to save anyone threatened by the Japanese mafia.

    Face: http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/BrassBulletTrainhead.png

    Body: http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/BrassBulletTrain2.png

  75. DiCicatriz says:

    The Jaundiced Jet-skier

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/DSauce/DiCicatriz-JaundicedJetskier.png

    Olivia Oseana was your typical olympic-level martial artist with a doctorate in both marine biology and nautical engineering. Her humdrum existence led her to pursue an adventurous career as an environmental activist and crime-fighter on the high seas. She skims the coast on her experimental jet-ski looking for pirates and illegal ocean dumping while combating a severe case of hyperbilirubinemia brought on by hepatic icterus. Her jaundiced eye will never look kindly on those who do wrong to the oceans!

  76. Galahad says:

    Entry #1

    Kelly James wanted nothing more than to get out of podunk Gatsby Falls, Kentucky and away from her daddy’s coal mine. She wanted to be a model. But no such luck. When her daddy and her brothers were trapped in a mine collapse, Kelly set to work. Harkening back to her childhood love of “Blowin’ $#!^ up!”, Kelly set to work gettin them boys outta that mine. Well, who’d have thought she’d love coalminin’? Always dressed for success, she travels the backwoods rescuin folks in need of rescuin as the Magenta Tunneler!

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/pinkpicker.jpg

  77. Galahad says:

    Entry #2 Blue Blazer

    When electrician Ken Blaise lost a leg in a boating accident, he wasn’t happy with the prosthetics the doctors offered him. So he set to work building a new one for himself. In the process, he gained a new understanding of the way electricity works. Now, using a specially designed conduction vest and gloves, Ken can harness electricity and control it. He’s even designed a staff that acts as a lighting rod, channeling nature’s power source, and a floating platform for transportation. He uses all of his gadgets and powers to fight crime as the Blue Blazer!

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/blueblazer.jpg

  78. Galahad says:

    Entry #3 The Lavender Shadow

    Michelle Trang is the heiress to the Tokyo Trang Triad and one of the seven deadliest women in the world. She’s called the Lavender Shadow because of her penchant for purple and her unparalleled stealth. She doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty; in fact, she rather enjoys the thrill of the kill.

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/amethystassassin.jpg

  79. Galahad says:

    Entry #4 The Onyx Gateway

    Little is known about the being known simply as the Onyx Gateway other than the fact that it can rip portals through space from its own body. A tool used by the Trang Triad and specifically the Lavender Shadow, it’s unknown whether the Gateway has an agenda of its own since it never speaks.

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/nightmare.jpg

  80. Galahad says:

    Entry #5 The Grey Grappler

    George “Geo” Barnes was a master thief until he stole from the wrong man – Sapporo Trang! Beaten within an inch of his life by Trang’s hired muscle, Geo was left a broken man until Trang had him rebuilt. Now Geo struggles to regain his humanity while his inhuman half blindly follows orders in a modern-day Jekyll & Hyde scenario.

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/cyborg.jpg

  81. Galahad says:

    Entry #6 The Red Rocket

    Jimmy Stone is a regular, everyday Boston cab driver, who just so happens to be the owner of a missing pair of genuine, NASA-approved Rocket Boots! But no one, not even his girlfriend, knows his secret identity is The Red Rocket, only that he always seems to be there when you need him. Zooming in on his rocket boots to save the day, The Red Rocket’s a real American hero!

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/redrocket.jpg

  82. Galahad says:

    Bradley Eagle was framed and imprisoned for the murder of his sister, brother-in-law and two beautiful nieces. Sentenced to life on the chain gang, Brad was sent to “Keep Pennsylvania’s woods beautiful!” One day he came across an old single-engine biplane crashed in the woods near his cleanup site. Little by little, he spent his days cobbling together a flying suit from the pieces of wreckage. His suit finally complete, he made his escape to hunt down his family’s killer and clear his name. Criminals beware! He is the Bronze Eagle!

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/AmericanEagle.jpg

  83. Galahad says:

    By the way, Blue Blazer, sorry for co-opting your name. It didn’t click until after I’d posted that that was where I’d heard the name before. I did it as an homage to Owen Hart, my favorite wrestler growing up.

  84. spidercow2010 says:

    In space, no one can hear the annoying whiny sputter of the scooter of the spaceways, celestial chariot of he who is called THE EMERALD VESPANAUT. Hear the bleat of his little squeezehorn, puny mortals, and tremble!
    http://www.deviantart.com/download/181021654/spidercow_emeraldvespanaut_by_spidercow2010-d2zrx7a.png
    Jeff, if I win one of these, I’m going to ask for Kirby Dots.

  85. venomfang666 says:

    This is my first time trying at the contest so…i hope i uploaded everything right, let me know if i didn’t
    http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv264/venomfang87/?action=view&current=venomfang666-TheBlueBug.jpg

  86. Jack Zelger says:

    And now, the Green Kite. Who has the power too… uh, fly on a kite, I guess…

    http://i744.photobucket.com/albums/xx88/jzelger/Green_Kite.png

  87. Danny Beaty says:

    @Jack Zegler: Any chick that wears a short, skimpy skirt and flies above my head is okay in my book!
    Seriously, it would be cool to have mental control over a kite that could that could support the weight of a person. Such a kite could take me anywhere!

  88. Me, Myself & I says:

    This hero is obviously gear oriented (and a little more Kirby-esk) with his outlandish armor and his souped up and pimped out Gremlin car.

    http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6781672/MMI-GoldenGremlin.jpg

  89. Danny Beaty says:

    THE GOLDEN SKIMMER

    He skims across the water on his jet-powered board knowing a sense of freedom of which most of us can only dream.
    TGS can communicate with all sea mammals. He can fend off violent sea creatures by emitting a powerful sonar blast.

  90. The Imp says:

    The White Walker: Mysterious galactic wanderer, dispenser of justice.

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=72961&d=1285902230

  91. venomfang666 says:

    here’s another character, Scarlette Sledder, and i forgot to tell the name of my character on my last post, but it’s The Blue Bug.
    http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv264/venomfang87/?action=view&current=venomfang666-ScarletteSledder.jpg

  92. VonMalcolm says:

    The Hooloovoo Hulu Hoop

    The HyperIntelligent Shade Of Blue in its rarely seen physical form. (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy)

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/181114382/hooloovoo_hula_hoop_by_vonmalcolm-d2ztwr2.png

    Jump Page:

    http://vonmalcolm.deviantart.com/#/d2ztwr2

  93. venomfang666 says:

    ok, i only told myself i’d do 1, but here’s number three of the “Kirby Derby” Cyan Tank!
    http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv264/venomfang87/?action=view&current=venomfang666-CyanTank.jpg

  94. Galahad says:

    Entry #8 The Silver Slinky

    Sir Archibald Slink was a knight of the order of King Henry and an archduke of his majesty’s empire. After being seduced by the witch Gertrude, he promptly broke her heart. Thus she bewitched him with a rather bizarre curse: eternal life, invulnerability, and an extendable middle section. Thereafter he needn’t bother with the hassle of walking down stairs. He simply tumbles. With this strange ability, he’s become somewhat of a well-known oddity. He’s even had a toy named after him. he is Sir Archibald Slink, the Silver Slinky!

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/silverslinky.jpg

  95. Galahad says:

    I think I may have gotten a little carried away with this contest. To be fair, there’s 256 colors in a crayon box. Jeff, any limits?

  96. Galahad says:

    Entry #9

    The Charcoal Charioteer

    A demon from the other side, it’s often said that this “Charcoal Charioteer” as the media have dubbed him, can be seen right before the most brutal, most horrific of deaths.

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/August%2027/charcoalcharioteer.jpg

  97. Galahad says:

    Entry #10 The Crimson Crawler

    This Crimson Crawler is the stuff that nightmares are made of. If this isn’t the Devil, this is what the devil’s afraid of.

    http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/mmasur719/crimsoncrawler.jpg

  98. venomfang666 says:

    One more…that’s it lol. What happens when aliens abduct a trucker one too many times…you get the Turquoise Trucker, Transported Of the Galaxies!

  99. venomfang666 says:

    What’s the limit we can post? Here’s another one, if i went over the limit than ignore this one, unless its the best one i did…http://s690.photobucket.com/albums/vv264/venomfang87/?action=view&current=venomfang666-OrangeRocket.jpg

  100. The Imp says:

    @Danny (#126): That was LOL-worthy. 😀

  101. Frevoli says:

    my favourite so far is the blue stilts

  102. Watson Bradshaw says:

    Entry 6

    The Yellow Submarine (hope This name doesn’t get me disqualified)

    Dr James McDowell was a leading Oceanographer and Big Fab Four Fan, until a tragic accident left his body broken and living on machines. He had his conciseness transferred into a robot body of his own design to explore the over 70% of our planet that are Oceans.

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/KirbytrainYellowSubmarine.png

  103. Morzan says:

    Number two – The Red Rider

    http://i697.photobucket.com/albums/vv337/mor2na/HM/Morzan_RedRider.jpg?t=1285936935

    Yeah, the background might remind you of something…

  104. Frevoli says:

    Remember the Rust Rider? That he was sent to search to new worlds?

    This is who sent him – true name unknown, they call him… The Taupe Transporter

    (Taupe is a dark brown/grey)

    he can teleport and fly and that

    He’s evil

    Enjoy:

    http://i800.photobucket.com/albums/yy287/frevoli/Frevoli-TaupeTransporter.png

  105. Grip says:

    http://i51.tinypic.com/33wr3w7.jpg

    Ice Skater

    an Eskimo that can skateboard 😀

  106. Danny Beaty says:

    @Imp and Frevoli: Thanks dudes!

  107. Gargoyle323 says:

    THE GOLDEN GONDOLIER
    The mysterious cosmic being known as The Golden Gondolier has the ability to get passengers anywhere in the cosmos using his special Gondola and the cosmic power he yields through his steering staff. Whether it’s a short jump between planets or a long trip to far off galaxies,he is the man for job.

    http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/gargoyle323/CC45-The%20Kirby%20Train/Gargoyle323-TheGoldenGondolier.jpg

  108. VonMalcolm says:

    Octarine Submarine

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/181253890/octarine_submarine_by_vonmalcolm-d2zwwea.png

    Oct-Marine Submarine?

    Octarine (info slightly edited via Wiki): The colour of magic in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, also often called the eighth colour. Octarine is strongly indicative of magic and can only be seen by wizards (who sometimes describe it as resembling a fluorescent greenish-yellow purple) and cats. As in conventional human colour vision, colour opponency prevents the perception of reddish-greenish or yellowish-bluish colours; it would therefore be impossible to perceive a colour as “greenish-yellow purple”. If greenish-yellow and purple lights were shone together, a shade of grey would result; with pigments, the result would be brown. The normal human visual system works by the presence of cones and rods in the eye; the ability of wizards to see octarine is explained by the additional presence of octagons.

  109. Grip says:

    http://i54.tinypic.com/rvjymf.jpg

    Trance

    i dont know really the name is just random -_-

  110. Fabien says:

    Purple Bridge Pilot and his transdimensional bridge :

    http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3118/brigepilot.jpg

  111. Danny Beaty says:

    THE RED CHASER

    He has no hi-tech gadgets, no superhuman powers, just a trackers knowledge of how to find his prey and turn them over to the police.
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=588563&l=f37a5fa6d9&id=1815191475

  112. Alan Bates says:

    Ray Radnitz was a soldier from the year 3011, until he was caught in the blast of an experimental weapon catapulting him into the distant past, our present.

    Now, Trapped in a World He Never Made, he for justice for all beings using his advanced technology as the BLUE BOARDER!

    http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/4523/alanbatesblueboarder.png

  113. The Emerald Sword:
    http://s861.photobucket.com/albums/ab175/KingSlaughter/Kingslaughter-EmeraldSword.png

    An intergalactic warrior, travelling through galaxies on his big emerald-energy sword in order to fight injustice and protect the universe…

  114. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/GalacticKetchup-VermillionWing1025.jpg

    Vermillion Wing 1025 (entry number two)

    Vermillion Wing was summoned to this earth by a sorceror who sought to overthrow his king. Unfortunately for the sorceror, Vermillion Wing was not the sort of demon who took orders, and he slew the sorceror and his cult of followers, before embarking on a violent spree of murder and destruction, tearing apart villages and killing innocent peasants. This all stopped, however, when Brigitte, the daughter of a farmer, begged Vermillion Wing to stop the slaughter. As soon as he saw her face, Vermillion Wing fell in love with Brigitte, and he became good, marrying Brigitte and fathering many children. After her death many years later, Vermillion Wing was overcome with grief, and he left the world to return to the Demonic Plain, leaving behind his descendants, and he hasn’t returned to our dimension since.

  115. Galactic Ketchup says:

    http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y375/MetaRaven/HeroMachine/GalacticKetchup-VermillionWing.jpg

    Vermillion Wing 2025 (entry number three)

    Daniel Brewster is the last living descendant of the demon Vermillion Wing and Brigitte. Born in the year 2004, his ancestry didn’t fully come to light until his 21st birthday, when his eyes began to glow a demonic green and dark red wings burst forth from his back. He was shunned by his family, who had not known of their demonic bloodline, as Daniel was the first son in over 200 years to undergo so violent a transformation. Without a home or anywhere to go, Daniel could have fallen into a life of loneliness and poverty were it not for a chance encounter with the superhero Pyroteknik, who convinced him to join the government’s Corvus Project. The physical and mental strength his demonic powers granted him allowed him to survive the experiments, and his wings and claws were reinforced with vibranium while he was given goggles that would maximise the effect of his ‘Hell-Eyes’, which allowed him to see beings from all dimensions, even if they were invisible to the naked human eye. When asked to choose his codename, he decided to call himself “Vermillion Wing” in honour of his ancestor.

  116. VonMalcolm says:

    Fuligin Spinner

    A more faithful Kirby-esque attempt?

    http://www.deviantart.com/download/181460834/fuligin_spinner_by_vonmalcolm-d301c2q.png

    Fuligin (via Wiki): both a color and a textile having that color, associated with the Guild of Torturers in Gene Wolfe’s book, The Shadow of the Torturer. The color is defined as “the color that is darker than black” and also as “the color of soot.” (The noun is a back-formation from the adjective fuliginous, “sooty.”)

  117. spidercow2010 says:

    I wasn’t at all satisfied with my previous entry(#108)’s execution — misshapen, ill-considered, and no alliteration — but I liked the basic idea, so I’ve reworked the Emerald Vespanaut into his badder-ass uncle, the Vermilion Vespanaut, weaving in and out of the Traffic Cosmic. http://www.deviantart.com/download/181483975/vermilionvespanaut_hm3_by_spidercow2010-d301txj.png

    And yeah, I know that’s not a Vespa. Poetic license. Or something.

  118. Jeff Hebert says:

    Thanks for the great entries, folks! I have them all downloaded now and am starting to pick the Finalists and winners. Results to come in a few hours when I’ve got them all sorted.