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(From "Fantastic Comics" number 15, 1941.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
(From "Fantastic Comics" number 12, 1940.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
We've got a friend in from Texas today who's thinking of moving up this direction, so while Open Critique Day is still a "go", I'm going to be quite late posting my replies. As in, you might not hear from me until the afternoon. But, I promise I'll get to them before the day is over, so by all means, post away! Also, I am sure some of the "regulars" like Panner will be here making their usual insightful commentary on your creations to hold the fort as I play tour guide.
If you have a HeroMachine illustration or another piece of artwork you've done that you'd like some help with, post a link to it in comments along with your thoughts on it -- what you think is working, what you're struggling with, etc. I will post my critique of the piece, hopefully giving some tips on how to improve it.
Of course everyone is welcome to post their critiques as well, keeping in mind the following rules:
That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.
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Posted in Open Critique Day
(From "Fantastic Comics" number 12, 1940.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
When last we left our Lone Wolf Cub, he was wild-eyed and frothy-mouthed, hanging out with the high rollers and using his Kai Discipline of Reckless Gambling. We had gotten our coach fare of 21 Gold Crowns, but that heady success was not enough for our lustful souls and we decided to let it ride, baby, let it ride!
So this morning I had another go at Carousel, and as luck would have it, I won eight times in a row, including one time nailing it right on the number. In short order, therefore, we hit our max of 40 gold Crowns won, giving us 47 overall, and I lost any chance I have of winning the lottery in real life since I blew all my luck in a Choose Your Own Adventure. Awesome.
Regardless, having cleared out their den of iniquity, we saunter out the door, coins jangling heavily in our jodhpurs (do Kai troopers wear jodhpurs?). Our choices hereafter are somewhat constrained, so I'll just put them up sequentially without comment:
Phew! That's a lot of traveling just to get inside a coach. But finally we are shaking the dust of that bandit-ridden fleabag of a town and we're continuing our quest once again. As directed, I randomly chose a number from our chart, getting a "5":
Sadly, there is no "Run the bridge, crashing through the gate, flinging curses and middle fingers at the toll taker as you blow through their puerile checkpoint" option, because that is totally what I would choose. Oh well. Luckily our inveterate gambling habit has paid off and we are redolent with ill-gotten gains, so we pass through without qualms.
Wow, I guess the motley collection of humanity you encounter on the subways of New York aren't that strange, after all.
An unfortunate accident, alas! I hope that means we run into Lemony Snicket. We'll see, as I got a "4", meaning we:
I'm not sure how much Hunting skill you really need here ... I mean, the food is lying right there on the plate, I wouldn't think stalking or hurling spears would be called for. But then, I guess that's why I'm not a Kai Master.
Poison! Either this place is next up on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares" show or somebody's out to kill us!
Here's a closer view of our cast of cretins:
And so we are come to this, a gathering of suspects in the finest Kai Discipline of Agatha Christie-ism. It is now incumbent upon us to finger a suspect, folks, so put on your thinking caps!
After you vote, be sure to post a comment with who you fingered, and why.
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Posted in Lone Wolf: Fire on the Water, RPG Corner
(From "Fantastic Comics" number 15, 1941.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
In 1959, the fashion world was assaulted by the revolutionary pants concept known simply as "Sansabelt", meaning slacks with elastic waistbands sewn in so fatties like me could wear pants without a belt. I can only think that Azrael, who took over when Batman's back was broken, is the heir to the vast Sansabelt fortune, because that's the only way I can make any sort of sense out of this outfit:
Clearly, he not only has a belt, he has a huge yellow pouchy belt full of pouchy pouchiness. How he ever gets anything out of the pouch in the small of his back, I don't know.
So this isn't your classic Sansabelt treatment, but one simple fact, I believe, puts it in that realm -- there's no buckle. Not only no buckle, but literally nothing but his rock-hard abs holding that sucker in place.
That raises the deep philosophical question of whether a belt is a belt if there's no buckle. How much of the requisite belt components can be missing before something stops being a belt? And how many divinely inspired Bat agents of death can dress up in ridiculous outfits without killing sales?
These are the kinds of issues that keep us deep thinking comics writers up at night, folks.
Now, I realize that the more literal of you will say something like "Duh, Jeff, the belt is bolted onto the armor." Which would cause me to reply, "Why would any sane person do that?" What's the point of a belt if not to hold your pants up? Were the thigh pouches not sufficient for holding the keys to the Batmobile?
Look, I get that this was a one-off kind of a thing, a temporary substitute Batman for a specific kind of character and time. But this whole thing is just silly looking. From the massive neck armor to the ridiculous wristless gloves to the hippy-dippy floppy-poppy leg streamers to the massive shoulder armor leading down to a completely unprotected crotch, this ensemble is nothing more than an ode to the excesses of the Nineties in super hero costume design. "Make it armored! And EXTREME! With pointy bits and pouches!!"
Ugh. I bet Bruce Wayne healed his back just so he could have the privilege of getting back into a decent costume and kicking this guy's ass for spoiling a hitherto uninterrupted string of sartorial success.
(Image and character ©DC Comics, Inc.)
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Posted in Bad Super Costumes
(From "Fantastic Comics" number 15, 1941.)
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Posted in Daily Random Panel
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