Author Archives: AFDStudios

SOD.119 – It's a date Thing

RP: Another rousing catch-phrase

(From "Fatman" number 1, 1967.)

Bulletwrong

Grant Morrison has many wonderful accomplishments in his comics career, but desecrating the memory of Bulletgirl threatens to send that legacy spiraling down into a howling suckhole of wrongitude:

Why would someone feel the need for eye protection from flying debris -- caused, remember, by flinging yourself through objects by the head -- but leave their entire upper body exposed like that? For that matter, I'd put the over-under on how many times she can fly through something without tearing that halter top off at 1.

The whole design is just so adolescent school boy I can't stand it. One of the best things about the old Bulletman comics was what a strong character Bulletgirl was in her own right, a true partner instead of just a sidekick. And part of that allure was that she wore basically the same costume, because she wasn't there to turn on the bystandards, but to fight crime. And to fight crime, you need to put on your ass-kicking clothes, not your ass-shaking faux-stripper outfit.

Don't even get me started on the exaggerated phallic symbol helmet she's got on here. Just, no.

(Many thanks to reader PCFDPGrey for sending this one in.)

SOD.118 – Belwar Dissengulp

I've just started reading the Drizzt novels for the first time ever, and while I frankly think this "his hands are a hammer and a pick" concept is silly -- how does he wipe, or get dressed, or open things that don't need smashing, etc. -- it works in the context of the novel and they're pretty fun so far. Anyway, here's his deep gnome buddy, Belwar.

RP: Bad super-hero comics product tie-ins, Ex-Lax edition

(From "Captain Rocket" number 1, 1951.)

SOD.117 – Hangout

I wanted to try a small scene with non-people stuff in it.

Poll Position: Girlfriends

We have a pretty simple question this week, which this young lady would like to influence:

And that question is:

{democracy:131}

Just to clarify, those ladies are Lois Lane (Superman); Lana Lang (also Superman); Mary Jane Watson (Spider-Man); Jean Gray (Ms. Marvel, Phoenix, dates either Wolverine or Cyclops depending); Betty Ross (Bruce Banner / Hulk); Carol Ferris (Hal Jordan / Green Lantern, she's also the super villain Star Sapphire); and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow, dates Iron Man off and on, and Daredevil I think, and maybe Cap?).

Rather than me prejudicing the responses with a long drawn-out discussion, this week I thought I'd leave that to you guys. So have at it in the comments, run through the choices and give the strengths and weaknesses of each, and why you'd choose the one you did. I look forward to seeing how this shakes out, so to speak!

RP: The ultimate gamer weight loss plan

(From "Fatman" number 1, 1967.)

SOD.116 – Tempest

One of my early Champions rules-lawyer characters. I wanted to see what it would be like to play a Speed 12 guy, sue me. This is the first serious attempt at a costume. He's an on-the-streets type of guy, and clearly loves his Chicago Cubs. I wanted his costume to be made up of actual clothing parts you could see a regular guy assembling, even stashed in a handy gym bag for when he needs a quick change. Thus the cap, the mask (which he forgets more often than not, preferring just to keep the cap pulled low and moving so fast people don't get a good look at him), modified leather sports jacket, Underarmour stretch shirt with the lightning logo on it, jeans, and sneakers.

Caption Contest 75 – Bold Pronouncement

It's Caption Contest time again! Come up with the funniest replacement dialog for this random comic book panel and you'll win your choice of either any item you like, or a portrait of yourself, to appear in the final HeroMachine 3 program!

The rules are very simple:

  • No more than three entries per person, left as a comment (or comments) to this post;
  • Keep it clean, appropriate for a late-night broadcast TV show;
  • Make your entry or entries by next Monday, when I'll announce the finalists.

Good luck everyone!