Character Design Contest One Hundred!

The very first Character Design Challenge/Contest was held on April 21, 2009, more than three years ago; it's a little stunning to me that it's been going on for three years. Wow. The theme on that initial foray was the randomly chosen word "Capstan", and the winner was the legendary Imp:

I bring it up now because after all this time, we are at the One Hundredth Edition of this bi-weekly exercise in creativity! That's right, 100 times I've thrown out an idea and you all have owned it, coming up with awesome image after awesome image.

I wanted to do something special to commemorate this centennial edition, so here goes:

I want to see your best HeroMachine work of all time.

Every person gets one, and only one, entry, with the exception that it cannot have won a challenge before (to keep it fair). You can have entered in a contest in the past, though, it just can't have been the overall winner.

I want this to be as much a gallery of your awesome work as it is a contest, a celebration, if you will, of your creativity and artistic vision. I am sure I will be blown away as always.

Next Monday I will put all submissions into a big huge poll that everyone can vote on. The following Monday, the top five vote-getters will each win a custom character sketch, drawn by me, of the winning character. That's five, five, FIVE winners, people!

The usual guidelines for submitting entries apply, of course:

  • All entries must be in JPG or PNG form (BMPs are too big), posted to a publicly accessible website (like the HeroMachine forums, ImageShack, PhotoBucket, or 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 WON any previous HeroMachine challenge (previous entries are fine, just not winners, to keep it fair);
  • Please name your files as [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). See this post on how to get the direct link for most sites.
  • All entries must be in by next Monday, when I'll create a poll showing them all. The Monday after that, the top five vote-getters will each win a custom character sketch of the winning character by me.

Good luck!

Edited to Add: The instructions are clearly not good, and that's my fault. A poor designer blames his audience instead of trying to fix the problem, and I don't want to be a poor designer. So, since this is a comics-inspired site, I put together a visual how-to instead of the long text. I hope this helps make the whole process easier.


(Click to embiggen.)

189 Responses to Character Design Contest One Hundred!

  1. Jeff Hebert says:

    alphaalpharomeo:
    GoldRanger.png

    And right out of the gate, an incorrect and thus ineligible submission! It’s been one hundred contests now, guys, is naming your files properly really so incomprehensible?

  2. Moognation says:

    Well, here’s mine. I think it’s my best work because it’s so atypical of what I usually create with Heromachine, and I really dig its cartoon-like look and feel. It’s the one pic of my own that I look at over and over again…

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/moognation/2012/08/Ninja.png

  3. Jeff Hebert says:

    You’re now oh for two, alphaalpharomeo — each person gets ONE, and ONLY ONE, entry. Pick your single best HM illustration. In a fit of completely unwarranted optimism, considering no one read them the first time, allow me to cut and paste from the original post, a scant twenty lines above these:

    Every person gets one, and only one, entry …

    I can’t even articulate how frustrating this is. One. Hundred. Times.

  4. Jeff Hebert says:

    Moognation:
    Well, here’s mine.I think it’s my best work because it’s so atypical of what I usually create with Heromachine, and I really dig its cartoon-like look and feel.It’s the one pic of my own that I look at over and over again…

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/moognation/2012/08/Ninja.png

    Aaaaaand we’re zero for three!

  5. alphaalpharomeo says:

    You know what’s frustating….constantly getting picked on. You said that my first one was not labeled correctly, so not knowing how to change it to make it correct(not all of us know how to make a website) I decided to choose another design I found equally as good, since my first one was said to be ineligible. You’ve deleted my works before because you didn’t like them, even though everyone else liked them and did the same kind of works. So as much as I liked this sight your hypocracy and and narrow mindedness, you just lost a huge hermachine fan and user because you can’t have any consistancy in your decisions.

  6. John says:

    Jeff Hebert: Aaaaaand we’re zero for three!

    It is ironically appropriate that in this, a contest of epic significance, it is kicked off with an EPIC instance of Heromachine Contest Fail.

    Wow.

    #facepalm

  7. Jeff Hebert says:

    alphaalpharomeo: you just lost a huge hermachine fan and user because you can’t have any consistancy in your decisions.

    I’m sorry I’ve offended you but dude, it’s the same rules for everyone, every time. Your first entry isn’t ineligible forever, just name it properly and re-upload it. You can use the HeroMachine Forum, or ImageShack, or PhotoBucket, whatever you want. Just name it properly, put it somewhere we can get to it, and you’re good to go.

    It doesn’t mean that image or you are banned forever, it just means you have to follow the rules for it to count. I’m sorry that wasn’t clear.

  8. John says:

    alphaalpharomeo:
    You know what’s frustating….constantly getting picked on. You said that my first one was not labeled correctly, so not knowing how to change it to make it correct(not all of us know how to make a website) I decided to choose another design I found equally as good, since my first one was said to be ineligible. You’ve deleted my works before because you didn’t like them, even though everyone else liked them and did the same kind of works. So as much as I liked this sight your hypocracy and and narrow mindedness, you just lost a huge hermachine fan and user because you can’t have any consistancy in your decisions.

    Alphaalpharomeo, with all due respect, at issue here is the concept of following directions. At the top of every contest, Jeff posts instructions for how to appropriately prepare your entries for consideration. And every week, contestants fail to follow these simple directions. Every. Week.

    Instead of getting angry at Jeff for enforcing the terms of entry to his contests, you might be better served by taking a few minutes to read the directions at the top of each contest regarding how to name and post files. One does not need to know how to code a website to do this. One need only read Jeff’s generously detailed instructions and examples.

    Your frustration at Jeff is misdirected. You should instead consider your role as a contestant, the terms of entry to these contests, and how you can best participate as a member of the Heromachine Nation.

  9. JR19759 says:

    I spent ages debating which one of my many creations is the best, even now I’m not sure, but I’ll go for this one as I don’t think anyone else will enter something like it (hopefully).
    http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/256/4/8/dusk_by_jr19759-d5ekgjn.png

  10. Jeff Hebert says:

    It’s not just you, either, alphaalpharomeo — Moognation did the same thing. And yet a third was submitted by someone else, but subsequently deleted by the creator for a wrongly-named link. So the first three people all failed to follow the directions.

    Yes, it’s very, very frustrating to take the time to write this all up in excruciating detail every week (including a link with explicit directions on how to post files for people who aren’t used to doing it), and for every one of the first three attempts to ignore them.

  11. Skybandit says:

    Pretend they’re in my light house, Jeff! 🙂

    (How’s that for kissing butt to increase my chances? I’m shameless!)

  12. FRM says:

    the mighty FJALDYR
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/frm/2012/09/FRM_FJALDYR.png
    i chose this because it uses a different method of thinking than with characters, and i really love it.

  13. EldritchSandwich says:

    Ooh boy, my first entry! Been waiting for a chance to show this one off. No fancy setup or anything, but I think the character design speaks volumes.

    http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/EldritchSandwich/EldritchSandwich-Sabine.png

  14. dblade says:

    Oh boy, I better get something in for this one!

  15. Jeff Hebert says:

    All right, clearly it’s my fault that the instructions are hard to follow; it’s my job as the site owner to make things easy, not your job to try and struggle through my mega-text. So I created this visual guide on how to submit challenge images, I hope it helps. Feedback is welcome.

  16. Jeff Hebert says:

    Viknix:
    My Best work

    http://i1109.photobucket.com/albums/h431/viktor2905/Dimensiondriffter.jpg

    Viknix, please name your file viknix-dimensiondrifter.jpg and re-upload it, then post the corrected link here. Otherwise you won’t qualify for entry.

    Thanks!

  17. Moognation says:

    Moognation:
    Well, here’s mine.I think it’s my best work because it’s so atypical of what I usually create with Heromachine, and I really dig its cartoon-like look and feel.It’s the one pic of my own that I look at over and over again…

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/moognation/2012/08/Ninja.png

    Jeff, this is the first time you’ve ever rejected a character posting of mine, and I have NEVER included my name in the character name. So, if these are the regular instructions, then maybe you should look at how consistently you police them before responding in such a glib manner…

  18. Trekkie says:

    My entry:
    While I have a small number of other creations of mine that rank among my favourites, I think this one is my best creation:
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/trekkie/2012/09/Trekkie-Sci-fiArmour.png

    And here’s the backstory to go with it that I wrote for its HOTM nomination:
    They knew they were taking a risk with this. They’d spent years working on it: imagining, sketching, designing, building, developing. And it all came down to this- the first test. If it worked, they could show the world their creation and advance technology by miles. If it failed, there was a good chance that the wearer could be injured or killed.
    Fortunately, the test went well. Everything worked perfectly- the weapons and defence systems; the communications; the enhanced speed and strength. There was only one problem: it took forever put on and take off. Ah well, back to the drawing board.:

  19. Harlequin says:

    Omg i can’t find which is my best.

    Jeff i want to ask it, can i submit any of my Mass Effect picture. Maybe one of the characters is my char but the other in the picture is NPC of Bioware, or not to don’t hurt any copyright law?

  20. Beelz says:

    Well I have a lot of work, but I believe this is the best, although I can only nozvaat lover … who knows, maybe I’m lucky.

    http://imageshack.us/a/img338/8765/beelzcmafi7.png

  21. Jeff Hebert says:

    Moognation: Jeff, this is the first time you’ve ever rejected a character posting of mine, and I have NEVER included my name in the character name.So, if these are the regular instructions, then maybe you should look at how consistently you police them before responding in such a glib manner…

    Thanks for doing it properly, Moognation. I’m sorry I was glib in my response, but it’s incredibly frustrating to have to deal with this over and over and over again, 100 times over, over three years over. And yes, you’re consistently one of the people (along with alphaalpharomeo) who do it wrong every time. Usually I fix them as I go because I want to be inclusive and nice, but I won’t have time this go-around with having to put the poll up.

    And yes, these are the “regular instructions”, posted every single contest in excruciating detail for three years now. Over one hundred times. Week in and week out.

  22. unknownblackpaper says:

    Hi Jeff!

    Just For clarification, we are allowed to used any of our entries, so long as it was not a grand prize winner. Meaning, if you place 10 ten, but did not win the prize, you can still enter that image. Correct?

  23. Jeff Hebert says:

    unknownblackpaper:
    Hi Jeff!

    Just For clarification, we are allowed to used any of our entries, so long as it was not a grand prize winner. Meaning, if you place 10 ten, but did not win the prize, you can still enter that image. Correct?

    That is correct.

  24. Kaylin88100 says:

    Here’s my entry. I first entered this in the Virgo contest last year, and it was a Finalist.
    http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h464/Kaylin88100/Kaylin88100-Virgo.png

  25. Jeff Hebert says:

    Harlequin:
    Omg i can’t find which is my best.

    I know, I’m evil! Since this was all going to be previously done work, I wanted to have something difficult in it, and having to pick just one is always really hard. (insert evil laugh here)

    Jeff i want to ask it, can i submit any of my Mass Effect picture. Maybe one of the characters is my char but the other in the picture is NPC of Bioware, or not to don’t hurt any copyright law?

    I frankly don’t know enough about Mass Effect to know if a character is from there or not.

  26. Moognation says:

    Jeff Hebert: And yes, you’re consistently one of the people (along with alphaalpharomeo) who do it wrong every time. Usually I fix them as I go because I want to be inclusive and nice, but I won’t have time this go-around with having to put the poll up.

    Thanks, Jeff. Ironically, you fixing them in the past might be what prolonged the issue (at least in my case). I never actually realized I was doing it wrong until now. I mean, who reads the instructions on a toaster if the toast keeps coming out right, ya know?

    But, hey, now I know! And, knowing is half the battle! Go Joe!!

  27. DiCicatriz says:

    I think we should all take a moment to remind ourselves that Jeff organizes, categorizes, judges, and uploads results ALL in his FREE TIME as a favor to us and the community we’ve built here. He has a job and a life to tend to, but he still takes the time to do these things for us out of sheer human decency. He doesn’t have to do any of this. Unless there’s some kind of rabid heromachinist holding him captive and forcing him to organize contests at gunpoint. If so: Stay calm, Jeff. The authorities are on their way 😉

    Is it really all that much of him to ask that we just follow a certain format? To read two paragraphs that are posted EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. and follow instructions? I think not. Is it still an issue every week? Yes. Is it understandable that, despite three ongoing years of doing these contests and posting said instructions every single time, Jeff might get frustrated at certain individual’s blatant disregard for following instructions? Of course. It’s not rocket science, folks. Renaming a file is like Computer 101. It’s easy. It make’s Jeff’s life easier, which in turn makes these contests run more smoothly.

  28. unknownblackpaper says:

    unknownblackpaper:
    Hi Jeff!

    Just For clarification, we are allowed to used any of our entries, so long as it was not a grand prize winner. Meaning, if you place 10 ten, but did not win the prize, you can still enter that image. Correct?

    *face palm* I meant top ten @_@

  29. CKnap says:

    That’s an awesome step by step Jeff. I love the fallout boy in the pics haha.

    And @ moognation, thats an awesome picture, I really like that pose.

    Look like I’m gonna be entering this one when I get back to my computer.

  30. Zaheelee says:

    I know I haven’t been around for a long time, but here is my favorite pic of all time:
    http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n547/Zaheelee/Zaheelee-Virgo.png

  31. Harlequin says:

    Thanks Jeff.
    Ok i find information to i post here or not, if not i need to find other best picture – I have idea which is my best
    (Spoiler)(Maybe a kiss?)(Spoiler)

  32. Jeff Hebert says:

    Harlequin:
    Thanks Jeff.
    Ok i find information to i post here or not, if not i need to find other best picture – I have idea which is my best
    (Spoiler)(Maybe a kiss?)(Spoiler)

    If it’s just characters that you imagine being in that world, that’s fine. If you’re recreating ACTUAL characters who were in the game, that’s not allowed. Or if you put in logos from the game, that sort of thing. But a generic sci-fi military looking person or people … I mean if there’s no way to tell it’s from a specific franchise, just don’t tell me about it and throw it up there to live on its own as-is.

  33. Lime says:

    I thought about using the creature I shared one Open Critique Day, when I was looking for help with unicorn-style horns (before that horn became an actual item). But I did not save an image file of the whole picture after I had redone the horns, wanting to wait until I had made a color version, and darned if the HeroMachine Goblin didn’t eat all my saves. And me with no text backups. Sadness.

    But I have another picture I am just as fond of, both because it seems so iconic to me of the story I am working on, and because I was pretty pleased with how I pieced together the bull:

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/lime/2012/09/lime-keldaandtheblackbull.png

  34. Jeff Hebert says:

    Aaron:
    My best Workhttp://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h385/R_A_F/HEROMACHINE/Science%20Fiction%20Characters/HunterPose-1.png

    Aaron, please rename your file as Aaron-HunterPose1.png, reupload it, and repost the link in a comment here so your entry will count.

    You hardly ever do it, and while generally I fix it for you when I download them all, I won’t have time this week. So if you don’t change it, unfortunately I won’t include it in the poll.

  35. KEric says:

    I was going to go with my Dark Seducer witch I figured out 3 days after the horn pop quiz, but It was only the main character with no worshipers and no background.
    So I present There goes the neighborhood!
    http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/q539/kjell17/Hero%20Machine%20Creation/KericsTheregoestheneighborhood.jpg

  36. The Imp says:

    I tell you what, Jeff, you have way more patience than I do. It’s like when you leave someone a voicemail and, rather than ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE VOICEMAIL, they just immediately call and say “Duuuurrrrr, did someone from this number just call?”

  37. djuby says:

    In Arthurian legend, she is Arthur’s half sister – the sorceress – Morgan Le Fey. Still think it is my best HM3 creation.

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/djuby/2012/08/djuby-morganlefey.jpg

  38. Sir Awesome says:

    if you post the head shot and the full body does that count as two or one ?

  39. Jeff Hebert says:

    Sir Awesome, you can do both in one comment if you want, but I only ever download the full body shot.

  40. unknownblackpaper says:

    I really wish we could submit two, but alas;

    Wings
    http://i843.photobucket.com/albums/zz360/engetsunoaori/unknownblackpaper-wings.png

    Probably the closest I’ve coming to winning with this. Then again, who knows what the public will decide, eh?

  41. Renxin says:

    First, I would like to extend a seriously overdue thank you to Jeff for creating Heromachine. If it wasn’t for you man this brilliant internet time-waster, er, artistic outlet (yeah, that’s it) and the wonderful craziness that ensues would not be possible. (I would also like to take the time to apologize for all the times that I didn’t properly name my own works. Sorry!)

    This won’t be the best I’ve ever done; that’s yet to come. It is however on my list of personal bests, and was the first piece that I really considered to be any good.

    Happy 100th yall!

    http://i1165.photobucket.com/albums/q583/Shan_Renxin/Renxin-StLeonine.png

  42. Sebastian978 says:

    That’s a really cool pic

    Moognation:
    Well, here’s mine.I think it’s my best work because it’s so atypical of what I usually create with Heromachine, and I really dig its cartoon-like look and feel.It’s the one pic of my own that I look at over and over again…

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/moognation/2012/08/Ninja.png

  43. Jake says:

    Um, what about the Caption Contest results?

  44. Haxxx5 says:

    As a GM I use HeroMachine for characters in games I run or intend to run. I really like the most are the plethora of alike works that I made: All Super Sentai costumes, All wild fantasy, All super-villains. The single image I have I really like and I could find is from the first competition I entered which was reinventing fantasy classes. I massed it up and created this firsts:
    http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz123/haggai5/Fantasy/Campaign%20setting/Haxxx-Druid.jpg

    I still like the sets I have rather then a single piece.

  45. Syzyx says:

    My hat in the ring… But, boy, compared to a lot of you guys I’m outta the running quick.

    http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p557/Syzyx/Syzyx-Shockstorm.png

  46. Malfar says:

    It’s too bad I’ll have to pass this one. My best pics will make copyright gods very angry, because it’s mostly redesigns and remakes of existing characters. Well, good luck everyone!

  47. spidercow2012 says:

    Hey Jeff, what if everybody SIGNED their entry? You know, with the text option, on the entry itself. Who’d NOT want to, and therefore would remember to, sign their work? Yes, I suppose some people would forget, but we’d be no worse off. Maybe.

  48. Fennec Bob says:

    Hey guys! I’m back for another go-round at this!
    This character is named Collette, and she is the Prime Celestial of the universe and watches over the universe’s progression.
    http://imageshack.us/a/img16/8398/fennecbobcollettejpg.jpg

  49. Worf says:

    @Jeff: If I was religious I’d name you for sainthood. I don’t know, maybe it’s my IT background and all but I firmly believe in RTFM. If I were you I would have, a long time ago, just started a shame list. EVERY CONTEST. Just saying “the following people/illustrations were excluded for not reading/following the instructions.” I wouldn’t even include the links… just weird picture names (like the always awesome hm3beta.png) in a simple text list. But then again… I’m not you and you have been nice. Too nice. Heck I know I’ve tried to help. I can remember at least 10 instances of responding to specific people with detailed suggestions on how to properly post pictures. But then again, apparently people don’t read other people’s posts… even when posted as a direct response to their post……

    Oh well… Just venting, or finding a way to say “I feel your pain”. Anyway, if you feel this post is inappropriate/offending or whatever, feel free to delete it. I won’t mind. 😉 😀

  50. Worf says:

    roccopio_cuccurullo:
    I THINK THIS IS MY BEST

    http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg498/RoccoPio_Cuccurullo/ACURSEDCOIN.png

    I seriously don’t feakin’ believe it. I JUST post my little rant and what do I see just above it? A post with a picture that is not correctly named. Dang y’all!!

  51. mark says:

    Partyman, a reckless anarchistic post human vigilante
    http://machthemanic.deviantart.com/art/Partyman-327886880

  52. Worf says:

    barbario:
    this is probably the best one ive done

    http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii579/barbario1/snowzombies.jpg

    Duuuuude, you make cool pictures and participate in cool web-movies and stuff, but I think incorrect file naming ain’t gonna fly this week. 😉

  53. Drakov says:

    You guys are way out of my league with this stuff!
    I’m outmatched by far, but the important thing is that I had fun!

    The Warlord:

    http://imageshack.us/a/img507/2029/drakovthewarlord.jpg

  54. Moognation says:

    Worf:
    @Jeff: If I was religious I’d name you for sainthood.I don’t know, maybe it’s my IT background and all but I firmly believe in RTFM.If I were you I would have, a long time ago, just started a shame list.EVERY CONTEST.Just saying “the following people/illustrations were excluded for not reading/following the instructions.”I wouldn’t even include the links… just weird picture names (like the always awesome hm3beta.png) in a simple text list.But then again… I’m not you and you have been nice. Too nice.Heck I know I’ve tried to help.I can remember at least 10 instances of responding to specific people with detailed suggestions on how to properly post pictures.But then again, apparently people don’t read other people’s posts… even when posted as a direct response to their post……

    Oh well… Just venting, or finding a way to say “I feel your pain”.Anyway, if you feel this post is inappropriate/offending or whatever, feel free to delete it. I won’t mind.

    “Lighten up, Francis!” Heromachine is a toy, a time waster, not a matter of life and death.

    Geez, you people take yourselves WAY too seriously…

  55. Kisling says:

    Moognation: “Lighten up, Francis!”Heromachine is a toy, a time waster, not a matter of life and death.

    Geez, you people take yourselves WAY too seriously…

    And you are just too negative…

  56. Kytana says:

    I have only one picture who i was very pleased about the result.
    http://imageshack.us/a/img802/6881/kytanacyborg.png
    Yes its old and definitive not my best work today, but to this time it was the best for me. It was my first … side profile… on a contest.
    And it was very difficult for me. Its easy to make one click and you see a result. I must work hours for the overall result.
    Ok, i have not used light or glow effect and not all
    body proportions are perfect. But at this time it was my best work for me and i was very very frustrated that i dont cant be on the winners side.

  57. Scatman says:

    After pulling my hair out tryin’ to decide from a top 3,well I chose this character becuase he just speaks volumes with his brute presence alone,and I really liked the color contrasts,so here he is…
    Captain Ronan Cooper soldier to the United Federation of Light!
    http://imageshack.us/a/img824/3460/scatmancaptainronancoop.png

  58. Scatman says:

    after pullin’ my hair out over my top 3 I chose this character for his totally brute presence and I loved the color contrasts on this one so here he is my fav of all….
    Captain Ronan Cooper soldier to the United Federation of Light!
    http://imageshack.us/a/img824/3460/scatmancaptainronancoop.png

  59. borntobealoser says:

    Here’s my entry:

    Carnax, Mighty Hero:
    I just like his weird tentacle arms. I don’t really have a best.

    http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/borntobealoser/borntobealoser-CarnaxMightyHero.png

  60. barbario says:

    Worf: Duuuuude, you make cool pictures and participate in cool web-movies and stuff, but I think incorrect file naming ain’t gonna fly this week.

    so worf is self-designated hall monitor or what?
    well since i do it the same way everytime and jeff hastn told me i did it wrong im not gonna worry about it. it has my name in it. thats what he wants.

  61. barbario says:

    borntobealoser:
    Here’s my entry:

    Carnax, Mighty Hero:
    I just like his weird tentacle arms. I don’t really have a best.

    http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy175/borntobealoser/borntobealoser-CarnaxMightyHero.png

    great drawing

  62. mark says:

    I totally did that wrong. sorry… try this again.
    Partyman, a reckless anarchistic post human punk rock vigilante

    http://machthemanic.deviantart.com/art/Mark-Partyman-327958929

  63. Harlequin says:

    Hard to choose but simply i think this is my best piece.
    I know not a suprise, but i really proud for this picture.

    So this is the original what i wrote for this picture.

    I not usually make superheroes. But sometimes i use the program for the original thing. To make superheroes.

    The background story for this picture is to i play an MMO where i made a nemesis aka own enemy for my created superhero.

    So my hero is Neuphorya (female) and Her enemy is Agonia (male). That gives me the idea to make a love scene. But they always fight each other but the love always dismiss the enemy between of two people.
    So i want to catch that moment i hope my effort is success.

    Neuphorya and Agonia – Love is Always Win
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/tarkabarka/2012/06/Harlequin_Love_is_always_Win.png

    (Joke question, can i submit any picture like Tarkabarka 😀 – Only joking.)

  64. Worf says:

    barbario: so worf is self-designated hall monitor or what?
    well since i do it the same way everytime and jeff hastn told me i did it wrong im not gonna worry about it. it has my name in it. thats what he wants.

    See, that’s just the thing…. Your entry DOESN’T have your name on it. If I right-click and select “save as” (which is what Jeff does) All I get as a file name is “snowzombies.jpg”, NOT “barbario-snowzombies.jpg”. That is what it should be according to the rules. Now maybe I’m blind, or my brain isn’t as advanced as yours, but I just can’t see barbario anywhere in your file name.

    For everyone else. This is the last time I’ll ever comment on this issue on this site. Be in contention, don’t be in contention. Your problem. Not mine. I was just trying to help, but if you don’t want help……

    @Jeff, sorry. I promise this is really the last time.

  65. John says:

    I hereby second Worf’s nomination as Jeff’s Hall Monitor.

    …and it bears repeating: anyone who fails to follow Jeff’s prescribed instructions for contest submissions, regardless of how you have done past entries, runs the very real risk of being declared ineligible for this Epic One Hundredth Character Contest.

    So no whining on Monday when you’re entry isn’t among those selected for consideration. You only have yourself to blame.

  66. mark says:

    I know I got the name right but I hope the link works to mine. deviantart is weird about this kind of thing but I’m not gonna hassle trying to remember my photobucket password.

  67. JR19759 says:

    mark:
    I know I got the name right but I hope the link works to mine. deviantart is weird about this kind of thing but I’m not gonna hassle trying to remember my photobucket password.

    Try right clicking on your image and select open image in new tab. then paste the link here.

  68. Worf says:

    mark:
    I totally did that wrong. sorry… try this again.Partyman, a reckless anarchistic post human punk rock vigilante

    http://machthemanic.deviantart.com/art/Mark-Partyman-327958929

    mark:
    I know I got the name right but I hope the link works to mine. deviantart is weird about this kind of thing but I’m not gonna hassle trying to remember my photobucket password.

    Aright, you asked nicely. My nice guy persona wins out and I break my promise. Your file name IS right enough, but the link is not. Here’s what you do:
    1) On the DevianArt page you linked to, all the way to the right, there’s an arrow saying “download picture” right next to it.
    2) richt-click on it and select “copy link location” or something to that effect.
    3) just to make sure you got the right link, paste it to the address box and see if you get ONLY your picture with no other stuff. No Devianart sutff, no other links. In your case the link would be http://www.deviantart.com/download/327958929/mark__partyman_by_machthemanic-d5f9aq9.jpg
    4) once you got that, just paste that link on your post here.
    5) BAM, correct entry ready for contest consideration.
    6) Go buy yourself a beer (or a coke if you’re underage) and celebrate your awesomeness.
    7) have a good day. 😉 😀

  69. Jeff Hebert says:

    barbario: so worf is self-designated hall monitor or what?
    well since i do it the same way everytime and jeff hastn told me i did it wrong im not gonna worry about it. it has my name in it. thats what he wants.

    Worf’s trying to help out, which I appreciate — your entry actually isn’t named right, unfortunately, so if you could rename it to barbario-snowzombies.jpg and re-upload it, with a new comment here to the new file, that would be great. Otherwise it won’t be included in the poll next week.

    Here’s how this works. On Monday morning I go through this entire comment thread, right-clicking on each entry and doing “Save Image As”. That drops the file with whatever its name is on your server, onto my laptop. Once they’re all downloaded, I go through them one by one and decide on the Finalists. Or in this case, I add them all into a Poll Daddy poll.

    That last bit, adding them to the Poll Daddy Poll, is going to be a ton of work. So I don’t have time to go through the list, see “snowzombies.jpg” for instance, and then come back here, search for that name, find out who submitted it, then go back and rename it on my hard drive so I can return to doing the poll entries. If it’s named (again, just as an example) barbario-snowzombies.jpg when I do the download, then I don’t have to mess with it — I can look at the file name as I’m adding it to the poll and I have both the character name and the entrant’s name. Easy peasy.

    So this week, I don’t have the time to clean up the ones that aren’t named properly. I know it might seem like a little thing, but it’s not. It makes the entire process way, way more aggravating than it needs to be, and I can’t do it this time around, there’s too much else going on.

    Any files not named properly when I download them simply won’t be added to the poll for voting on Monday. I’m not banning anyone or slamming anyone for doing it wrong, I’m trying to make sure that your hard work doesn’t go for naught.

    If it don’t calculate, I cannot ruminate!

  70. Jeff Hebert says:

    mark:
    I know I got the name right but I hope the link works to mine. deviantart is weird about this kind of thing but I’m not gonna hassle trying to remember my photobucket password.

    DeviantArt is an exception, I know they jam your DeviantArt user name into the file name and I don’t think you can change it. But at least there’s a name in there, so that’s what I will use for the poll.

  71. Jeff Hebert says:

    Worf: @Jeff, sorry. I promise this is really the last time.

    No worries, mate (I feel Australian today), I appreciate the help. As you say, we’re trying to help them out by making sure their entries get counted.

  72. Jeff Hebert says:

    Thanks for the DeviantArt info, Worf! I don’t use that site so I’m pretty ignorant of how they work things. But I know it’s not anyone’s fault for the naming conventions.

  73. mark says:

    so do I need to repost my character or not?

  74. Jeff Hebert says:

    mark:
    so do I need to repost my character or not?

    The link you want is http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/262/8/e/mark__partyman_by_machthemanic-d5f9aq9.jpg and it would probably be safest to go ahead and do a new comment with that link in it — if I get into a hurry on Monday I might not notice it here in my own comment.

  75. Worf says:

    Jeff Hebert:
    Thanks for the DeviantArt info, Worf! I don’t use that site so I’m pretty ignorant of how they work things. But I know it’s not anyone’s fault for the naming conventions.

    Hey Jeff, now that I’ve cooled down from my day, I just had an idea. How about I try to update the post guide with more screen captures and a step-by-step?

  76. Jeff Hebert says:

    Worf: Hey Jeff, now that I’ve cooled down from my day, I just had an idea.How about I try to update the post guide withmore screen captures and a step-by-step?

    I don’t have accounts for all of the stuff, or the time to do it, but if you would like to take a crack at it by all means go for it, I’d be grateful.

  77. mrmatt220 says:

    Kaia with C.A.M (Cyber Assistant Machinist). Kaia and C.A.M. are best friends and scientific colleagues.

    http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m593/mrmatt220/mrmatt220_Kaia%20with%20C.AM_zpsd9df9141.png

  78. Jeff Hebert: On Monday morning I go through this entire comment thread, right-clicking on each entry and doing “Save Image As”. That drops the file with whatever its name is on your server, onto my laptop.

    There are “bulk image downloader” programs available. Basically, you point to this webpage and tell the program to automatically save images to a designated folder. Most “BIDs” will download images from the external links.

    Of course, beware of “freeware” with all the bots and malware. Most programs run about $25 or $30 from CNet or Tucows. If you decide to test then buy one, just let me know where to send a donation. 🙂

  79. Jeff Hebert says:

    The Atomic Punk: There are “bulk image downloader” programs available.Basically, you point to this webpage and tell the program to automatically save images to a designated folder.Most “BIDs” will download images from the external links.

    Ho. Ly. Crap. Atomic Punk, I think I love you. Do you mean I could’ve been doing this all along for THREE YEARS?! You have no idea how big a deal this is … wow. Just wow. I feel like an idiot for not doing this before. I’m seriously a little teary-eyed.

    I just added a free BID for Chrome and it works like a dream. Like a freaking dream. Oh my gosh, the time and aggravation this is going to save me, I can’t even tell you. THANK YOU!!

  80. Worf says:

    Jeff Hebert: Ho. Ly. Crap. Atomic Punk, I think I love you. Do you mean I could’ve been doing this all along for THREE YEARS?! You have no idea how big a deal this is … wow. Just wow. I feel like an idiot for not doing this before. I’m seriously a little teary-eyed.

    I just added a free BID for Chrome and it works like a dream. Like a freaking dream. Oh my gosh, the time and aggravation this is going to save me, I can’t even tell you. THANK YOU!!

    Ok, I’m happy you found a way to save time but….
    What does that mean for posting guidelines? Scrap or go on?

  81. Jeff Hebert says:

    Worf: Ok, I’m happy you found a way to save time but….
    What does that mean for posting guidelines? Scrap or go on?

    Definitely KEEP. I still need to know the character name and who created what once they’re all downloaded, it’s just going to be a LOT faster for them to get onto my computer from now on.

  82. Worf says:

    Jeff Hebert: Definitely KEEP. I still need to know the character name and who created what once they’re all downloaded, it’s just going to be a LOT faster for them to get onto my computer from now on.

    Cool. Will do.

  83. barbario says:

    Worf: See, that’s just the thing…. Your entry DOESN’T have your name on it.If I right-click and select “save as” (which is what Jeff does) All I get as a file name is “snowzombies.jpg”, NOT “barbario-snowzombies.jpg”.That is what it should be according to the rules.Now maybe I’m blind, or my brain isn’t as advanced as yours, but I just can’t see barbario anywhere in your file name.

    For everyone else.This is the last time I’ll ever comment on this issue on this site.Be in contention, don’t be in contention. Your problem. Not mine.I was just trying to help, but if you don’t want help……

    @Jeff, sorry. I promise this is really the last time.

    wow, not too passive aggressive and insulting. grow up. this is supposed to be for fun.

  84. Worf says:

    barbario: wow, not too passive aggressive and insulting. grow up. this is supposed to be for fun.

    Sorry, I was having a bad day. And your assuming that I was wrong without even paying attention to what I had written before got to me.

    You see, I may not post on a lot of contest these days, but I do look at every entry. It sometimes saddens me to know that people may be left out of the running by not following the rules. I try to help in good nature. I get grief for it. Add that to real life grief and the fact that my humor is of the sarcastic kind and I may come off a little belligerent at times.

    Having said all that, we all have a choice whether we follow rules or not. Last I checked “I didn’t know” was not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Using a big hyperbole, “I didn’t know I shouldn’t kill someone” does not excuse me from going to jail. Obviously on a much lesser scale, the same logic applies here to these contests.

    Again, I apologize if I’ve offended you in any way. Just trying to help out. Cheers. 🙂

  85. Calvary_Red says:

    barbario: wow, not too passive aggressive and insulting. grow up. this is supposed to be for fun.

    Also it’s nice to keep in mind that our fun, is a lot of work for Jeff. If we follow his rules it saves him some work. He is awesome for doing this, so doing him a favor seems appropriate.

  86. DiCicatriz says:

    Well in the midst of all this back and forth, I’ve got an entry for the contest 😀

    -Meeting the Goddess-

    Connor Kinney, aka Kid Chaos, gains his disaster causing abilities through the power of an ancient Aztec deity, the twisted and insane matriarch Coatlicue. She represents the duality of the Earth, both a loving mother and an insatiable destroyer. Driven insane by the murder of her children by other pantheons and banished from the physical plane of existence, she acts through Connor to bring about the end of the universe. This is a moment where Connor, after a several story arcs of her manipulations come to a disastrous climax, confronts her. Here he comes to face to face with the monster inside of him, a towering woman with a withered face and half her body composed of writhing snakes.

    http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l607/DiCicatriz/HM%20Contests/DiCicatriz-MeetingTheGoddess_zpsb8352fa6.png

  87. spidercow2012 says:

    This is one I sent in for the circus-themed challenge, eons ago, but I don’t think it came in under the deadline, and my rampaging circus elephant entry got the nod that time anyway so I was too delirious to notice. But I do rather like this Ray-Bradburyesque sideshow attraction. Wish I’d saved it bigger, but anyway, in it goes again.
    http://spidercow2010.deviantart.com/art/2010spidercow-Galvanico-183872945

  88. Skybandit says:

    So for the 100th contest, our prize is getting rid of all the argumentative putzes that refuse to follow instructions?
    Yay, we all win!

  89. Krashnaak says:

    @Moognation: wow, I fell in love with that picture! 😀 I’ll be using it as avatar on a public forum for a while, just so you know. Hope you don’t mind.

    There are some fantastic entries here. I’ll try to finish mine today.

    Cheers everyone.

  90. Vampyrist says:

    Here is my entry, my glow warrior, which was previously entered into the Phantom contest under the name Phantom in the Dark.
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/vampyrist/2012/05/Vampyrist-PhantomInTheDark.png

  91. Harlequin says:

    spidercow2012:
    This is one I sent in for the circus-themed challenge, eons ago, but I don’t think it came in under the deadline, and my rampaging circus elephant entry got the nod that time anyway so I was too delirious to notice. But I do rather like this Ray-Bradburyesque sideshow attraction. Wish I’d saved it bigger, but anyway, in it goes again.

    http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/298/5/e/2010spidercow_galvanico_by_spidercow2010-d31h19t.png

    Direct link for Spidercow picture.

  92. marKus730 says:

    This is Autumn Rayne, a Steampunk girl I came up with for a story I am writing.

    http://i1167.photobucket.com/albums/q625/marKus730/Heromachine/Markus730-AutumnRayne_zps85854c89.png

  93. Moognation says:

    Krashnaak:
    @Moognation: wow, I fell in love with that picture! I’ll be using it as avatar on a public forum for a while, just so you know. Hope you don’t mind.

    Thanks for the compliment, and I don’t mind at all; flattered!

  94. Luc says:

    Even as simple as this image is, it’s always stood out to me as my favourite of all my HM creations.

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/lucjc/2012/09/Luclucluc-Evil-Or-Something.png

  95. Rhinoman says:

    Bounty Hunter of The Abyss
    This was one of my entries for the S.O.D.W. contest…and one of my favs!
    http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee370/rhinoman151/Rhinoman-Bounty%20Hunter%20of%20the%20Abyss_zps2331675a.png

  96. The Atomic Punk says:

    Jeff Hebert: Ho. Ly. Crap. Atomic Punk, I think I love you. Do you mean I could’ve been doing this all along for THREE YEARS?! You have no idea how big a deal this is … wow. Just wow. I feel like an idiot for not doing this before. I’m seriously a little teary-eyed.I just added a free BID for Chrome and it works like a dream. Like a freaking dream. Oh my gosh, the time and aggravation this is going to save me, I can’t even tell you. THANK YOU!!

    Bitte, you’re very welcome.

  97. Johnny Gear says:

    There are some really amazing entries up.
    And here is my entry:
    http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l512/JohnnyGear/JohnnyGear-BlueFlame.png?t=1339588414

  98. dblade says:

    And one more in the bucket…

    Here is dblade, digital avatar of a grid jockey with a slightly overblown ego 🙂

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/dblade/2012/09/dblade_dblade_sm.jpg

  99. barbario says:

    Worf: Sorry, I was having a bad day.And your assuming that I was wrong without even paying attention to what I had written before got to me.

    You see, I may not post on a lot of contest these days, but I do look at every entry.It sometimes saddens me to know that people may be left out of the running by not following the rules.I try to help in good nature.I get grief for it.Add that to real life grief and the fact that my humor is of the sarcastic kind and I may come off a little belligerent at times.

    Having said all that, we all have a choice whether we follow rules or not.Last I checked “I didn’t know” was not a get-out-of-jail-free card.Using a big hyperbole, “I didn’t know I shouldn’t kill someone” does not excuse me from going to jail.Obviously on a much lesser scale, the same logic applies here to these contests.

    Again, I apologize if I’ve offended you in any way.Just trying to help out.Cheers.

    ohmy god you are equating murder with putting the wrong name on a file? wow…

  100. Arioch says:

    Not my best pic IMO, and I had to deliberately avoid the ears (it felt lame), but, well, it sends the message, and I like it 😀

    http://uprapide.com/images/invite/arioch—black-metal.jpg

  101. barbario says:

    Calvary_Red: Also it’s nice to keep in mind that our fun, is a lot of work for Jeff. If we follow his rules it saves him some work. He is awesome for doing this, so doing him a favor seems appropriate.

    god forbid someone make a mistake. way i see it, someone puts the wrong file then to hell with em. they did it wrong, then it is ineligible. why do all the king’s men run out to suck up to the boss and point out how everyone is doing it wrong and not as smart as them? i imagine it is very frustrating to repeat ones self over and over. that is why i wouldn’t do it. wrong file name= not entered. simple. now i messed up and put the wrong name. as an adult i must deal with the consequences. my drawing isnt in the contest. oh no!!!

  102. barbario says:

    Vampyrist:
    Here is my entry, my glow warrior, which was previously entered into the Phantom contest under the name Phantom in the Dark.
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/vampyrist/2012/05/Vampyrist-PhantomInTheDark.png

    this is awesome!

  103. Jeff Hebert says:

    All right, Jesus, enough with the file naming back and forth. Any more comments on that topic will be deleted summarily.

    As you say, Barbario, you’re not in the contest with the current link, though of course you’re welcome to rename it, repost it, and recomment it here. But it’s your prerogative if you’d rather not take the time. It’s too bad, as I know everyone here enjoys your work (and that of all the others who don’t want to repost for whatever reason).

  104. DominicDEH says:

    here is my entry. most of his face and his hand are just bone but he can morph them into stuff http://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/dominic22/skull-boy

  105. Myro says:

    Haven’t been using HeroMachine for a while, most of my free time and creative energies have been poured into wriiting lately. But since this is about the best thing I’ve done ever, I think I’ll throw in Scarlet Driver from Character Contest #75.

    http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv217/Myrowire/Hero%20Machine%20Contest%20Entries/myro-scarlet_driver.png

  106. Kaldath says:

    I suspect I will not be able to enter this contest. 🙁 ….. I am currently in the hospital without access to all my heromachine files and the only internet device I have is my phone.

  107. Harlequin says:

    DominicDEH:
    here is my entry. most of his face and his hand are just bone but he can morph them into stuff

    Welcome in the contest. And the correct link for your picture.

    http://art.ngfiles.com/images/185/dominic22_skull-boy.png

  108. Jeff Hebert says:

    Kaldath:
    I suspect I will not be able to enter this contest. :(….. I am currently in the hospital without access to all my heromachine files and the only internet device I have is my phone.

    Oh no, I hope everything’s ok!

  109. Kaldath says:

    Jeff Hebert: Oh no, I hope everything’s ok!

    Had a bad skin infection that abcessed which i had to have surgery to drain. Also my. Lood suger amd blood pressure are high which they are try to get under control.

  110. Harlequin says:

    Kaldath: a bad skin infection that abcessed which i had to have surgery to drain. Also my. Lood suger amd blood pressure are high which they are try to get under con

    I hope you heal soon well.

  111. JR19759 says:

    Kaldath: Had a bad skin infection that abcessed which i had to have surgery to drain. Also my. Lood suger amd blood pressure are high which they are try to get under control.

    Get well soon man

  112. Myro says:

    Get well soon, Kaldath. That blows, you have such well designed characters too. But taking care of your health is top priority.

  113. ams says:

    All the best, Kaldath! Get well soon!

  114. Oquies says:

    Not been here for a long time and I see that it is now the 100th character contest? Oh my…

    Well this one was a finalist a long while back and has been my favorite ever since. It was done on an older version of hero machine though.

    http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b33/Oquies/Hero%20Machine/Oquies-BloodSorceress.png

    http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b33/Oquies/Hero%20Machine/Oquies-BloodSorceressFace.png

  115. Waally1 says:

    This guys a remake of another named Prometheus.
    http://imageshack.us/a/img407/6678/prometheuszu.png

    The first gen. one not in the contest!!!
    http://imageshack.us/a/img210/1839/xix1.png

  116. spidercow2012 says:

    Thanks, Harlequin.
    And best wishes to Kaldath.

  117. spidercow2012 says:

    And best wishes to Kaldath

  118. Darth_Neko says:

    Sorceron, I think is one of the best characters I’ve ever done. I’ll go for him.

    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=83221&d=1343697838

  119. Hyperanthropos says:

    This is my salute to the pulp magazines, comic books and all the other trash that our teachers and parents hated (and that we children loved and still do) (:
    http://imageshack.us/a/img805/1961/hyperanthropospulp.png

  120. Worf says:

    Hyperanthropos:
    This is my salute to the pulp magazines, comic books and all the other trash that our teachers and parents hated (and that we children loved and still do) (:
    http://imageshack.us/a/img805/1961/hyperanthropospulp.png

    HAHAHAHAHA! Funny! 😀

  121. Krashnaak says:

    OK, here’s mine. It’s called “As Above, So Below”. If you find this post too long, what I’d like you to read is at least the last paragraph, as it explains the metaphorical meaning of the image. Thanks in advance.

    It’s a grand occasion, so I had to come up with something grand. With well over 2000 layers, I think it’s grand enough. 😛 Unfortunately, (?) it’s also grand in scale (a.k.a. width and length – those came out rather large), so the plethora of details in which the picture is quite abundant will not be clearly visible unless you zoom in to actual size. Or it will. If you have a ginormous screen on your monitor, that is. (^^,)

    It was a pleasure making it. Ya know, with all the beauty of HM glitching and lagging due to this overload – one simply MUST enjoy that. I was also just so gay (no, not that gay, it’s an adjective) when my browser (and whole PC) stopped responding on a couple of occasions and – you’re guessing – my previous save points were ages ago. But frankly – no matter how time-consuming this piece of work was, I’m rather satisfied with how it turned out, so it’s worth it. Definitely. Yeah, well, I should stop ranting, let’s get to the point.

    The image:
    http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5057/krashnaakasabovesobelow.jpg

    (For Jeff: the Imageshack seems to leave some characters out and to transform the capital letters, though I see all other contestants who used this site had the exact same issue)

    Now for a short (?) description of it: the name of the picture refers to a quote from the Emerald Tablet, an ancient text, which goes “Quod est inferius est sicut quod est superius, et quod est superius est sicut quod est inferius…” – “As below, so above, and as above, so below…”.

    Ya see, I’m a fan of the things medieval, so this is an image with medieval motifs. In the middle of the image, there’s a monarch – a king, his wife – the queen, and his father, who retired from the world, became a monk, and devoted his life to serving God. In short – royalty. We can see that the king bears marks of war, as befits a true king capable of true leadership, not some lily-livered infant in a shiny flawless armor. Of course, there’s a sigil of the lion – a stereotypical symbol of royalty. Below the central figures, there are he king’s loyal subjects, courageous warriors that boost the glory of the realm, and thus the glory of the monarch himself. Less romantically explained – they’re pawns in a greater game. They’re colorless (black, dark) and faceless, as opposed to those above them, who are vividly colored, as history tells us of greatness of those who lead and rule, and it virtually never sheds any light on those who follow, even though they’re the backbone of that greatness. Even so, our illustrious ancestors are the beams of moral light to us, their descendants, which is represented by the torches they hold – 8 of them. Eight, which, when turned horizontally, represent infinity, or eternity. Above them all is the heaven, represented by the angels who protect us against all harm with their fiery swords, and who, much like the earthly army, are an army of their own – a heavenly host. They’re also faceless – among other reasons, due to the fact that many of us often doubt their existence, for we usually believe only what our eyes can see. The Alpha and Omega, along with the Eye of Providence, represent the One who is simultaneously the source and the goal of their existence. The Alpha and Omega also represent the continuum of time, in which recurrence of all that exists, as described above, takes place.

  122. Krashnaak says:

    Kaldath, feel better soon, mate.

  123. Thundersong says:

    Heyla!

    I had to think about if I wanted to enter this into the contest or not. Most of what I create, I do not enter. I specifically make the ones I enter for the contests. This contest is different…so I mulled it over and finally decided to enter it. It is the Shichifukujin or the Seven Lucky Gods. From the Top left is Bishamoten (God of War and Punisher of Evildoers), Benzaiten (Goddess of Fortune, Beauty and Music), Fukurokujin (God of Longevity and Fortune). Bottom from Left: Jurojin (Same as Fukurokujin), Daikokuten (God of Good Luck and Abundance), Ebisu (God of Good Fortune and Prosperity) and Hotei “The Laughing Buddha” (God of Happiness).
    Each of the Shichifukujin have things that are “Emblic” to them. Even their colors are taken from an average of what I had found of statuaries of them. This was the first time I had made more than one figure in a picture. After this one, I figured making two or three would be easier. LOL! Hope you enjoy!

    http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l274/Healingbear/HM/Thundersong-Shichifukujin_zps81376d50.png

  124. Kaldath says:

    Hijacking the thread to both thank all the well wishes I got, and to let everyone know I am home again and while still on the mend am walking much much better! – Now back to your regularly scheduled contest!!

  125. Papakrok says:

    I am still alive….
    A weary Ronin seems right. Somehow, nothing feels as appropriate as an old, tired cowboy goin out swingin fists and shooting the hell out of the joint….in Japan WTF?
    http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c153/jaybjoke/papakrokRonin_zps6912fc62.jpg

  126. Asder says:

    I don´t know why but i really like this one.

    This is how i imagine a real life Loki
    http://forums.ugo.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=81112&d=1321750880

  127. brambles90 says:

    I originally entered this is a seventh sanctum random name generator contest. It was hard to choose but here is Ghost Shaman:

    http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt323/Brambles_2009/Brambles90_GhostShaman_zpsfd789538.png

  128. Calvary_Red says:

    Krashnaak:
    OK, here’s mine. It’s called “As Above, So Below”. If you find this post too long, what I’d like you to read is at least the last paragraph, as it explains the metaphorical meaning of the image. Thanks in advance.

    It’s a grand occasion, so I had to come up with something grand. With well over 2000 layers, I think it’s grand enough.

    The image:
    http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/5057/krashnaakasabovesobelow.jpg

    This is wonderful. And well worth reading the long post. A beautiful piece in concept, effort, and execution.

  129. My entry (and what I believe to be one of my best) is the superhero I have created (some time ago) for my country Greece, named “Myrmidon”. It was also an entry with which I participated in a previous contest (“Not Captain America” challenge), yet didn’t make it through the finals. So here it is, The Myrmidon of Greece:

    http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab175/KingSlaughter/Kingslaughter_THEMYRMIDONOFGREECEfixed.png

    “The Myrmidon: superhero of Greece” back-story (short version):
    After finding a celestial glowing artifact in an ancient Greek temple, an unemployed archaeologist transforms into a powerful armored guardian with extraordinary strength and abilities and vows to protect the oppressed people of Greece from all kinds of criminals, corrupt politicians, and the evil forces of the IMF… The outlandish artifact which transforms him into a plated mystical warrior, grants him the strength of at least twenty men, and unbelievable weaponry such as a powerful energy spear, the “sarissa”, emerald energy beams that burst out of his helmet and belt upon his will, and unbreakable cosmic blades that spring out of his heavy armored bracers. With his newly acquired supernatural abilities he begins an intense struggle against the forces of evil in what will seem to be a long-lasting battle to save his country and fellow men.

  130. Arioch says:

    Just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful pictures.
    I’m quite impressed, both by the skill and imagination deployed here.

    I really, really want to thank Jeff for HM, and hope it’ll keep going for a long time.

    (And good to hear Kaldath is home and well, too :D)

  131. Kaldath says:

    Well since I am out of the hospital sooner then I hoped and in better shape then I feared ( almost no pain ) It looks like I can actually enter this one after all. It was a hard choice to pick from all the HM pieces I have saved but I finally decided on a more recent piece. The most recent re-design of my Fantasy RPG character ………Solaria Debis.

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/kaldath/2012/09/Kaldath-Soloria-Debis.PNG

  132. LiveWyre says:

    This image is probably not eligible for a win since I put it together in photoshop(no edit done to the heroes, just put the two of them in one image) but I think these are my favorite designs to date for a few reasons. First of all, I love writing these two characters. Secondly, they are both simple and complex in their designs, from the A on Boss Awesome chest to the way Mystery Man’s chest and cape form a red M. Anyway, whether this image can win or not not withstanding, this is what I wanted to post in this “Hall of Fame/Awesomeness” as my best work to date. Thanks to all you other artist for your critiques, encouragement, and your own art which has greatly inspired me and helped me with all of my designs. And thanks to Jeff, of course, for y’know, making the program in the first place haha. Can’t wait to see what you all put out in the future, for while this thread is supposed to be your best work, I have a feeling ol’ Blue Eyes said it best…”the best is yet to come”!!!!

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/livewyre/livewyre-MysteryAwesome_zps039acacc.jpg

  133. mark says:

    so how’s the voting supposed to work exactly?

  134. Krashnaak says:

    More and more cool pieces of work arising.

    Calvary_Red: This is wonderful. And well worth reading the long post. A beautiful piece in concept, effort, and execution.

    Thank you, sir. =) I was wondering if anyone’s ever gonna bother reading that. (=

    Kingslaughter:
    IMF

    XD

  135. NHA247 says:

    Well I had a really hard time choosing a entry because I have so many favorites, but I have decided on my absolute favorite.

    Since this was nominated for a hero of the month contest as well I will choose The Polar Bear!

    http://imageshack.us/a/img89/254/nha247thepolarbearpng.png

    Thanks for the awesome contests Jeff!

    -NHA247

  136. Krashnaak says:

    mark:
    so how’s the voting supposed to work exactly?

    Democratically. 😛

  137. Jeff Hebert says:

    On Monday I’ll make a big Poll Daddy poll with each entry as one you can vote on. You’ll be able to vote for as many as you want, but only once (as opposed to once per day or whatever). At the end of the next week, whichever five have the most cumulative overall votes, win.

  138. MDF1216 says:

    I made 2 entries and went through them looking at them for hours figuring out which to enter. i decided on this one.. I truly think this is my best..He is one of my own characters. His name is A.M.P.
    http://i1153.photobucket.com/albums/p510/HUSH821198/MDF1216-AMP.png

    Hopefully you like it as much as i doo

  139. Watson Bradshaw says:

    here is a pic I was very proud of, it was in the combination contest where we had to combine different creatures. This is my Cyborg-werewolf. Enjoy and I can’t wait for the next hundred contests!

    http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o240/watson_kaboos/Watsonbradshaw-CyberWere.png

  140. Worf says:

    Here’s my entry. I was going to do a new picture, but flash decided to crash halfway through… Guess who hadn’t saved ANY of it…. So I just did a little update on an older one that I think is pretty cool.

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pa-xsjc_Wa8/UF1InODREmI/AAAAAAAAFHo/b96YzCSSDKc/s1600/Worf-Boriel.png

  141. The Atomic Punk says:

    Only one entry… almost impossible to choose!

    Winston and Bakawk

  142. GuyGenesis says:

    I’m in the same boat as Atomic Punk. I compiled a list of about 30 and couldn’t decide. So I finally just started cutting them out one by one. I don’t know which I would consider my best anymore? I find I like many, each of which for a different reason.

    That said, I give you
    Aloli the egyptian priestess
    http://i1059.photobucket.com/albums/t440/GuyGenesis/Contest%20Entrants/GuyGenesis-Aloli_zps6314ca17.png

  143. Jeff, which BID are you using? I downloaded Chrome and testing Image Downloader 1.3 from Vladimir Sabev. It keeps locking up my laptop!

    Asking here because I believe the majority of HMers can benefit from this program. I was using a cracked version but would rather have legit software.

    @Kaldath: Fish oil pills and regular walks do wonders!

    @PapaKrok: Speaking of… how you been? Last word from you was “the big C!” And welcome back!

  144. Calvary_Red says:

    This was the first entry i made for a contest. Unfortunately that contest (the Big Bad contest) was over before i could enter it, but i got him into the Everyday Hero/Villain contest. What i really like about it is his reflection in the window as he watches his plan unfold. So, without further ado – Xander Caine

    http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb476/Calvary_Red/Calvary_Red-XandersWindow.jpg

    Here’s his lengthy bio, if anyone feels like reading it.

    Xander Cain was the son of Alex Caine, the founder and CEO of Caine Industries, a top-tier technology and weapons manufacturer, that held many important government and military contracts. As such, Alex always pushed his son to be the best, so he could one day take over the business. Even though Xander wanted nothing more than to make a name for himself with his technical genius, his father could be cruel, and Xander didn’t appreciate his dad constantly putting pressure on him.

    Despite this Xander was brilliant, and by the time he was sixteen had already been accepted by several prestigious colleges. Alex wanted Xander to go to his own alma mater, Cal Tech, but for the first time Xander found he had the power to refuse his father’s wishes, going across the country to Georgia Tech instead. His father was furious, but allowed it, as Xander was a prodigy, and once he finished school, he’d be a prime successor to Caine Industries. Xander went on to get a PhD from MIT, but rather than take over Caine Industries, he founded his own company, Xander Corp. Now his father was furious, he cut Xander off from the family fortune, and considered him dead.

    But Xander was far from dead, in a few short years “X Corp” was thriving producing technology decades ahead of most of it’s competitors, including Caine Industries. Soon X Corp took over many of the contracts Caine Industries had held, driving them out of business. Now Alex Caine had nothing, and Xander had everything his father once held, but that wasn’t enough, he had to go beyond anything his father had accomplished.

    Xander began dealing his weapons under the table to militant groups in small countries, fueling civil wars. Once these countries had torn themselves apart he would publicly step in and “benevolently” rebuild their countries with his technology, leaving them under his control as he built his global corporate empire.

    Soon he found the growing number of super villains provided him with a market in the United States, and began providing weapons to gangs, organised criminals, and domestic terrorists. Now he’s entered his endgame, unleashing his most powerful weapon yet, the XC 41-N3 War Drone, with the intent that from the ashes of America, his empire will rise. Now the only thing that can possibly stop him is the combined might of America’s greatest heroes…

  145. Melmo44 says:

    Well, I finally decided on an entry for this one. Like other have said, it was rather hard, but I’m particularly proud of this one. It’s a third attempt at these characters, and I finally got them to come out the way I wanted them to.
    “The world is based on duality. Day and night, fire and water, male and female. Encompassing these ideas are Ireshfia and Airanen, the god/dess twins. Airenen is the god/ess of air and water, of night and the moon. Ireshfia is the god/ess of the day, the sun, fire and earth. Together, they personify spirit, and the inherent energies and magics of the world possible through this delicate dance of dichotomy. They are the balance on which all things exist, and the Bonded Pairs, agents of both war and peace, are the human reflection of this.”

    http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2012/266/0/a/twins_by_melmo44-d5fp15x.jpg

  146. Laventia Rose says:

    http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad124/kathleea16/Hero%20Machine%20Creations/LaventiaRose-Sofia_Elisavet_zpse700097d.png

    Here’s my entry for the contest. I’m still learning what I can do here and would say that this is my most advanced work here so far. I hope that y’all like it and now for the story.

    “May I join you for a little bit here before continuing on my journey? I’m Elisavet,” she said as she took in the beauty of the waterfall, hoping that the unicorn woman wouldn’t object to her being there. Elisavet had already traveled far and needed to take a small break before traveling on to her destination.

    “Aye, ye may stay and rest here for as long ye need to Elisavet. I’m Sofia and my small friend here is Nasir.” Sofia answered back as she looked over Elisavet and knew that she had been on the road for several hours, if not days. “I have some bread and fruits in my sack if ye care for some of that while ye rest.”

    “That would be great if you can spare a little with me. What do you have?” Elisavet asked Sofia before sitting down by the water’s edge and sitting her shield down nest to her. The two continued to get to know one another as the day went by. Soon it was time for Elisavet to go. “Thank you for the food and fellowship Sofia, but it time for me to move on.”

    “It was a pleasure and I hope we meet again Elisavet. May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand.” Sofia said in farewell to Elisavet before the centaur left her at the waterfall with the setting of the sun.

  147. Herr D says:

    Not entered before–but this is probably what would be called my best by the most people.

    http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u438/jamais5/hm3/HerrD-FoggyMoonriseOnAelihoh_withmoresky_zpsbaa484b2.jpg

  148. It took me all week to decided. I kept coming back to this one, though, and finally choose it on the basis that it can stand alone without a long backstory.
    So here is “Dungeon Crawler”
    http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk223/tigerdragonmaster/HeroMachineCharacters/tigerdragonmaster-dungeoncrawlerpng_zps55e50a5e.png

    P.S. For some reason photobucket keeps put extra letters and numbers at the ends of my titles. Does anyone know why?

  149. Zarae says:

    did last winter contest, wasnt a winner:

    http://fav.me/d4jp9qh

  150. Jack says:

    So I decided among my extensive HeroMachine library that my Arkham Asylum-inspired “Hero of the Night” would be my entry in the contest. I think it’s probably my best work done on Heromachine, since I spent the most time on it and most time fixing little details.

    http://www.majhost.com/gallery/bobobo1/Rorschach/jack_-_hero_of_the_night.jpg

  151. Neon Sequitur says:

    I don’t think I’ve ever topped this one; it was an “honorable mention” entry in the Post-Apocalyptic character contest a while back. I give you Grace Unterbrandt, zombie hunter.

    http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad165/Neon_Sequitur/NeonSequitur-GraceUnterbrandt_zpsf541cd71.jpg

  152. Mr. Chowderhead says:

    I’ve been agonizing on what character I think is my best work. While I have other characters I like better, I think this is my best so far.

    http://i628.photobucket.com/albums/uu4/mrchowderhead86/MrChowderheads-Kunoichi_zpsb9b25412.png

  153. ams says:

    Here is my entry. Was difficult to pick, so I went with one of my personal favorites, THE REAPER!

    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/ams/2012/09/ams-THE-REAPER.png

    Cheers!

  154. headlessgeneral says:

    Not sure what would be considered my best, but this ones been my favorite ever since I made it.

    Sora Shade
    http://www.heromachine.com/wp-content/legacy/forum-image-uploads/headlessgeneral/2012/04/headlessgeneral-Sora-Shade.png

  155. Jeff Hebert says:

    OK folks, the challenge is concluded, thanks for your entries! Poll goes up in a bit.