Author Archives: AFDStudios

Open Critique Day 35

Although my new full-time (non-HeroMachine) job might keep me from actually getting to these before this afternoon, it's time for another Open Critique Day!

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:

  • Make sure your criticism is constructive. Just saying "This sucks" is both rude and unhelpful without giving specific reasons why you think it sucks and, ideally, some advice on how to make it better.
  • Each person should only post one illustration for critique to make sure everyone who wants feedback has a chance.
  • I will not critique characters entered in any currently running contest, as that doesn't seem fair to the other entrants. You can still post it if you like for the other visitors to critique, but I will not do so.

That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.

What happens in Mexico …

(from "Target Comics" number 1, 1940.)

HM3: Brodie helmet

I've just uploaded E350's prize for winning Caption Contest 117 into Headgear-Military, a WWI style Brodie helmet:

I'm fairly appalled I didn't have one of these in there already, and I'm very grateful to E350 for requesting it.

HM3: Freckles!

I've just uploaded Nick Hentschel's prize for winning Caption Contest 110, freckles:

These are now available in Head-Male-Faces. I also updated the Head-Female-Faces with not only these freckles, but all the wrinkles that were previously only available in the Male set. Holler if any of that gives you trouble.

In keeping with the wrinkles, I only did one cheek's worth of freckles; use the Multiples button and flip them to get them to be two-sided.

Dragontaur

Last night I worked up the prize for Knighthawk's Caption Contest 108 victory. This isn't exactly what he asked for, but rather my interpretation of what his description inspired in me. So if there's something you don't like, blame me 🙂

A-policing we will go!

Before we return to our regularly scheduled stuffed-bunny zombie adventure, I wanted to say a quick word of thanks to "Zombocalypse Now" author Matt Youngmark. He was kind enough to email me last week to say he appreciated that all of you were having fun following along with his story and to let me know that they have another Chooseomatic Book -- this time with a super-hero theme! -- coming out next week titled "Thrusts of Justice":

As you've seen here, Mr. Youngmark's writing jumps off the page and makes the entire "choose your own" paradigm a heck of a lot of fun. If you haven't already gotten your copy of "Zombocalypse Now", I highly encourage you to do so. And on April 11, go ahead and get "Thrusts of Justice" as well. I know I will!

And now, on with our regularly scheduled stuffed bunny versus brain-eating zombie thriller.

Continue reading

So that's what they called it back then

(From "Target Comics" number 1, 1940.)

Did Nightwing have a bad costume?

An alert reader sent me Nightwing's classic costume for our "Bad Costume Wednesday":

But here's the thing -- I'm not so sure this is a bad costume. I mean, you can make fun of his long, flowing, romance-cover raven locks if you want, I suppose, but remember that this was an era in which Superman had a mullet. So you kind of can't totally blame the guy.

The big yellow glove wedges and giant glowing chest wing are perhaps not ideal for a night-stalker, but I don't think they look bad.

I kind of dig the stylized Bat symbol on the belt, I think it helps establish him as his own person without totally losing his history.

About the only thing I am not down with is the belt itself, which always bugs me when it's not actually holding up anything. But that's a pretty minor point.

Still, this particular alert reader has good taste and sound judgement, so I'm willing to concede I might be wrong on this. What do you think, was this a good or a bad super hero costume?

Boys and their "toys"

(From "Blue Bolt" number 12, 1941.)

Avengers vs. Justice League

With the advent of the "Avengers" movie next month, I thought I'd poll you all on who you think would win between the best of the Marvel Universe against the best of the DC Universe. Unlike last time, when we posited only the original team rosters, this go-around you get to decide which group of members would go against which other group.

I'd suggest that when you put your teams together, though, that you limit yourselves to only groups that actually served at the same time. In other words, if Red Tornado and Animal Man never served in the JLA at the same time, you couldn't have them both on the list.

Of course, since every single character in the DCU has been on the Justice League at some point in some franchise, that could get out of hand pretty quickly. I don't think the Avengers ever had quite the roster-bloat as the JLA. So maybe a second rule should be "equal numbers only". In other words, no fair putting all 568 members who were in the League during the "Unlimited" animated series against twelve Avengers.

In general, I think the power level of the average Marvel character is a lot lower than the power level of their DCU counterparts. And you can always try to play the "Omnipotent Superman" card if you want, but I personally think that's kind of a cop-out along with "Whoever the writers want to win". I don't want your opinion of what someone else might try to make happen, I want to know what you think. For the same reason, while I know they've fought in actual printed crossovers before, that's again what those writers wanted to happen. And a lot has changed in both universes since then.

Now have at it! Give us your rosters, and then who you think would win in the massive slugfest to follow.

[polldaddy poll="6104729"]