Your Friendly Neighborhood Brodie Blog

BATMAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

2012-02-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

I enjoy the Batted man in his many incarnations, but my first intro to the character was watching reruns of the old Adam West and Burt Ward series from the 60s, so while this may look a little mean, it’s cooked with love.

Batman’s costume was just a little off in the series. The eyes were cut into the cowl in such a way that they always made him look a little cross-eyed. Also the let the cowl hang out from under the cape making a weird little circular collar in the front. The painted-on eyebrows are off, to be sure, but strangest of all had to be that square painted around the tip of the nose. Riddle me this, Batman: WHY IS THERE A LITTLE SQUARE PAINTED AROUND THE TIP OF YOUR NOSE?

No time for riddles, old chum - TO THE BATPOLES

Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

2012-02-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

When I was a little kid, I was afraid to see Raiders of the Lost Ark, because I heard about the face-melting. So it wasn’t until years later, and after seeing Temple of Doom that I finally saw the original.

Han and Chewie! Pew! Pew!

2012-02-08T07:55:00.001-08:00

DANGER! DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

2012-02-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

I love the television show Lost in Space. I'm not arguing that it's a good show, just that it's a lot of fun. Here are the three characters, Dr. Smith, the robot, and Will, that slowly took over the show completely after the initial attempts at making a serious space drama about space Captain Robinson and his space family and their space ship.

Right after finishing this, I learned that Dick Tufeld, the inimitable voice of the robot, recently died, so I guess this is also kind of an accidental tribute.

Comics: The League of Extraordinary AMERICANS!

2012-02-03T07:47:00.000-08:00

Uncle Duck

2012-01-13T13:20:00.000-08:00

I squeezed in another entry into the Donald Duck Design Challenge over on Threadless. Here's Donald taking over as the star of an 80s comedy classic:

Please consider rating it a 5! Thanks!

And here's a link to my other entry,

Duckalicious!

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have a design entered in the Threadless Donald Duck T-shirt Design Challenge! Here's a preview:

It's called Duckalicious and is a ducky riff on the classic Threadless design, Funkalicious.

Please go here to rate the design, comment, and spread the word if you like it! Thanks! I could win 2 grand AND a bevvy of Donald Duck prizes!

Rocket Bye Baby

2012-01-09T07:42:00.000-08:00

In last week's post about Paul Bunyan I mentioned the Looney Tunes cartoon Goo Goo Goliath in which a giant baby is delivered to a normal-sized couple, which then reminded me of the Chuck Jones classic, Rocket Bye Baby in which a Martian baby is accidentally delivered to a couple on Earth.

So here's Mot, the star of Rocket Bye Baby, in his home-made flying saucer.

Paul Bunyan is very tall

2012-01-04T08:03:00.000-08:00

The following image is not a picture of a superhero or a monster. I know that might come as a shock, but it's true. Here's good ol' Paul Bunyan:

"Hello, my name is Paul. Do you have anything giant you'd like chopped down?"

I love Paul Bunyan, even though I barely remember anything about him. What I remember: he's a enormous lumberjack who has a giant blue Ox named Babe as a pet. I think maybe one of his stories involved sweating so much he created the great lakes. Or maybe it was crying, but I don't get the feeling Paul really cried a lot.

I also get the impression that Paul loves roadside attractions and breakfast. Maybe I'm projecting, though, as I also love roadside attractions and breakfast. Maybe Paul and I have a lot in common! Probably this is all we really have in common.

I wonder if Paul was delivered by that drunk stork from Looney Tunes that brought a giant baby to a normal-sized couple that one time (HA HA - I love it when he teethes on the tire!).

I also love that Babe isn't just a giant Ox, as if that wouldn't be outlandish enough. No, she (she? I think?) is a giant BLUE Ox. Was she born blue? Is she from Monster Island like Godzilla (and in case that gets your gears turning, I call dibs on drawing a comic about Paul Bunyan fighting Godzilla! DIBS! I'm gonna do it!)?

I suppose instead of endlessly speculating about Paul Bunyan I could probably go read some thing about him instead. Maybe I'll go do that in a bit. Until then, maybe baby Paul Bunyan made the Hoover Damn out of baby blocks! Maybe Paul Bunyan dug the Grand Canyon to poop in! Maybe Paul Bunyan invented the Big Gulp!

The Unusual Suspects

2012-01-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

A new illustration/T-shirt design, Which Witch:

You can get it on a shirt by clicking here! It'll look great on you. You'll see.

Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you...

2011-12-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

T-shirts!

2011-12-21T10:18:00.000-08:00

I've opened up a shop over on Redbubble where I've posted a few T-shirt designs. One of the the Frankensteins as 30s cartoons, A Mushnik's Skid Row Florists, the Walking Dead Little Golden Book cover I recently linked to, and this Paradise Island Roller Derby team shirt:

Go check them out! More to come.

Christmas Cookies 2011

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's time for this year's batch of Christmas cookies. You can't eat them, but you can at least look at them:

Muppet cookies: Kermit and Fozzie:

Cookie Cookie Monster (with cookie):

The delicious duo, Batman and Robin:

Marvel tummy team-up, black suit Spider-Man and The Thing:

The "Little" Mermaid, Ariel:

Mr. T expresses pity for those foolish enough not to enjoy him with milk:

Captain America:

Zombie cookie eats YOU:

Unlikely Little Golden Books: The Walking Dead

2011-12-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

Head on over to Cap'n Wacky's Boatload of Fun to check out my cover for the extremely unlikely Golden Book adaptation of The Walking Dead

COVERED: The Flash vs. Zombies

2011-12-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

First of all, let me tell you about the awesome blog Covered in which various artist produce reinterpretations of various comic book covers. It's great.

AND I was featured on it earlier this week! Click here for the side-by-side comparison of my version of Flash #175 with the original.

Here's my version, just by itself:

Boy, that Superman. Apparently super-sensetivity is not among his many powers.

This was my second submission to Covered. While my first didn't make it, it was recently run on the blog Rejected by Covered, which features various covers that were... well, you get the idea. Click here for the side-by-side comparison of my version of Vault of Horror #19 with the original.

Here's my version, just by itself:

There you have it, the Flash and Zombies, aka the most lop-sided race of all time.

Fantastic Four Corners: DOOM!

2011-12-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

All last week, I was featured over on Cornered with a series of Fantastic Four pieces. Here's the last one, Doctor Doom:

Fantastic Four corners week: The Human Torch

2011-12-01T10:15:00.000-08:00

All this week, I'm featured over on Cornered with a series of Fantastic Four pieces. Here's the fourth, the Human Torch:

For more fun with The Human Torch, please see Catch Phrases the Human Torch Toyed with Before Settling for "Flame On!".

That's four, but there's one to go... who could it be?

Fantastic Four Corners Week: The Thing

2011-11-30T10:21:00.001-08:00

All this week, I'm featured over on Cornered with a series of Fantastic Four pieces. Here's the third , the ever-lovin' Blue-eyed Thing!

If The Thing were a shoemaker, his catch-phrase would be, "It's cobblin' time!"

Fantastic Four corners week: Mr. Fantastic

2011-11-29T10:13:00.000-08:00

All this week, I'm featured over on Cornered with a series of Fantastic Four pieces. Here's the second one, the elastic, bombastic, scholastic, Mr. Fantastic!

You know what The Thing should say every time Reed proposes one of his outlandish scientific theories? He should say, "Boy, that's a real stretch." Every time.

Fantastic Four Corners week: Invisible Girl

2011-11-28T10:30:00.000-08:00

All this week, I'm featured over on Cornered with a series of Fantastic Four pieces. First up, Susan Storm - The Invisible Girl!

Now you see her... now you don't!

Flight of the Conchords redux: Bowies

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

Following up on, my previous Flight of the Conchords piece, here are Bret and Jemaine again, this time both dressed as David Bowie:

Referencing this scene and this video from the Flight of the Conchords TV show.

Flight of the Conchords

2011-11-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

I miss The Flight of the Conchords, both the TV show and the band. They were great.

Here they are now:

If you're unfamiliar with these gentlemen, here they are singing about some serious issues:

They say the meek shall inherit...

2011-11-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Following last week's Halloween costume, here's a little digital Seymour and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors:

TEAM FOX!

2011-11-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

Marty McFly and the Teen Wolf team up to form...

TEAM FOX!

Suddenly...

2011-10-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here I am sporting this year's Halloween costume:

In case it's hard to tell, yes I am wearing several band aids on my fingers.

Halloween Treat: Young Frankenstein

2011-10-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

PUTTINONNARIIIIIIIIIIIIITZ!

SOOPADOOPA!!!!!

Halloween Treat: Phantom of the Opera

2011-10-27T08:19:00.000-07:00

The tiny Phantom of the Opera has traded his organ for a classic Wurlitzer Juke Box and has invited you down into his lair to play some of his favorite records for you.

DO. NOT. GO.

Halloween treat: The Wolfman

2011-10-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Today's Halloween treat is the Wolfman:

Don't be scared, little kitty. Maybe he just wants to pet you.

Maybe.

Halloween treat: Creature from the Black Lagoon

2011-10-25T06:08:00.000-07:00

I made a Halloween treat just for you. Here's the (tiny) Creature from the (itty bitty) Black Lagoon:

I wish I had time right now to do a bunch of these, but maybe I can squeeze out one or two more before October 31.

X-Cornered: Storm and Wolverine

2011-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whoops. Forgot yesterday, so today here's two new pieces from X-Cornered week on Cornered. First, there's a 100% chance of STORM:

And from today, the even littler WOLVERINE:

One more to come, and check out everyone else's work on Cornered.

X-Men Week on Cornered 2: Kitty Pryde

2011-10-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Here's my next piece from X-Cornered week on Cornered. It's the spritely young Kitty Pryde, showing off her power:

More to come, and check out everyone else's work on Cornered.

X-Men week on Cornered

2011-10-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

It's X-Cornered week all week over on Cornered. I got overly into the spirit of the thing and will have one L'il Mutant on display each weekday, each displaying their powers on the corner box.

First up is L'il Colossus (oxymoron) displaying his mighty strength:

More to come, and check out everyone else's work on Cornered.

DC Fifty-Too and the Legion of Super-Pets

2011-09-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

Calamity Jon Morris runs the art blog DC Fifty-Too in which a wide variety of artists have presented covers of the comics they would've done if DC had let them pick any characters from their history. My entry for the Legion of Super Pets went up yesterday.

Here it is here too:

The Super-Pets have reunited and are ready to take on the cases the super-humans miss in all corners of the DC Universe. Krypto the Super-Dog leads his teammates Streaky the sassy Super-Cat, Beppo the silly Super-Monkey, and Comet the steadfast Super-Horse in this series of single-issue, all-ages-friendly stories. The people of the DC Universe have learned they can count on their heroes. Now the animals of the DC Universe are learning that when they need help, they can call on the Legion of Super-Pets! Sometimes the Super-Pets get themselves into trouble too (like in this first issue when Streaky gets tricked into pulling some thefts for Catwoman). Several issues will spin off of events in other DC comics (though reading those other comics will never be necessary) as the Super-Pets clean up trouble off to the side of what the super-heroes are dealing with. Comedy, adventure, and adorable animals team up in the Legion of Super-Pets!

Since a lot of costumes were redesigned as part of the relaunch, I have drastically altered Krypto and Streaky's outfits - getting rid of the yellow collars and replacing them with blue ones instead. I thought about also giving them really clunky boots, but they wouldn't stand for it.

Avenue Q promotion designs

2011-09-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ann Arbor Civic Players will be performing the great adult puppet show musical/Sesame Street parody Avenue Q later this week. Here's some promotion design I did for them.

First, here's the poster:

I cut out most of the shapes from pictures of different textures (fur coats, people's hair, felt scrap), then resized and colored and put them together. Here's a detail from that poster, a close up of Trekkie Monster:

And here's an ad that ran in a local magazine about LGBT issues called Between the Lines:

Vector Potter 19: Voldemort and Nagini

2011-07-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

OH NO, It's He Who Must Not Be Named:

People in the wizarding world love their pets. Even Lord Voldemort (who hates everyone) has his beloved giant killer snake, Nagini.

Lord V used to be Tom Marvolo Riddle, and was a terrible cheater at anagrams. I wonder if some people ALMOST figured out that Tom Riddle was really Voldemort when they noticed that all the letters required to spell out "Voldemort" were in his name. I'm sure anyone would've given up, though, when they noticed a couple of extra letters left over. Adding "I AM" before "LORD VOLDEMORT" is anagram cheating, Tom! Your new name should've been "Lord VOLDEMORTIAM" or something.

But then, he IS evil, so I suppose we should've expected cheating, but even on something as sacred as anagram clues? Even the Riddler would never do that.

A confession: Lord Voldemort has never completely done it for me as a villain. I love a good bad guy, but for some reason old moldy Voldy has never seemed as scary as I think he's intended to be. Maybe it's because when we first learn of him he's already been defeated by a baby. Maybe it's how weak he seems when he's hiding out on the back of a milquetoast's head or being carried around in fetal form (wouldn't it have been hilarious if he'd made Peter Pettigrew or somebody carry him around in one of those baby packs like Zach Galifanakas wore in The Hangover?). We get such a strong impression of him as something weak early on that even when he regains strengh, it's hard to shake that feealing of weakness.

Or maybe it's the lack of a nose. How can he smell your fear without a nose?

Vector Potter 18: Minerva McGonagal

2011-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Professor Minerva McGonagall:

Minerva McGonagall is, I think, an excellent name for a witch. Sounds very witchy to me. Maybe that's why, with such a classic witch name, Minerva is the witch we see the most often sporting the classic Halloween witch hat. Way to kick it old school, MC McG.

Minerva is also an animagus who can turn into a cat. This came in really useful that time Hogwarts was overrun with mice, when there was all this string that was rolled to nicely, and whenever you need someone to just stare halfheartedly out the window for hours on end.

Vector Potter 17: Mrs. Weasley (and cookies!)

2011-07-12T13:41:00.001-07:00

It's Ron (and the twins, and Ginny, and Percy, and so on and so on)'s mom, Mrs. Weasley:

It's the dear matriarch of the Weasley clan, Mrs. (aka Molly) Weasley, seen here offering you a plate of fresh, delicious cookies. I assume they're delicious, anyway. They look like chocolate chip, but you just never know in the wizarding world. They eat some strange things. But go ahead and try one. I want to see how you react before I try one.

Molly, along with husband Arthur is the parent of seven kids. They stopped with little Ginny either because they were satisfied that they'd produced a daughter at last or they were hoping to eventually have a non-ginger and finally just gave up.

(SPOILER ALERT FOR NON-READERS WAITING FOR THE LAST MOVIE)

Molly is also notable for uttering the only swear word (not to be confused with curse words, of which there are many) in the Harry Potter series, calling Bellatrix Lestrange a word that rhymes with the inoffensive-in-their-world "witch" just before killing her. Don't mess with Mrs. Weasley. Push her too far too often and she might get you an R rating.

Vector Potter 16: Nymphadora Tonks

2011-07-11T13:19:00.000-07:00

Hey, kids. It's Nymphadora Tonks:

How things had changed for J.K. Rowling by the time "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was released. When the first one came out, they changed the title from "and the Philosopher's Stone" to "and the Sorcerer's Stone" for its US release. By the time the fifth came out, she had grown so powerful that she could name a new "character" "Nymphadora" and no one could stop her.

During this series, I've been mixing and matching influences when putting the characters together. Aside from the Mary Blair style influence, I've been taking a little from the movies, a little from the book descriptions (where Ron has freckles), a pinch of original American-edition Potter illustrator Mary Grandpre (who rightly, in my opinion, places the scar in the center of the forehead), and of course my own imagination. Tonks is the farthest away from her movie appearances as hos she looked in the movies was just so distant from how I pictured the character. Of course, as a shapeshifter she could look however she wants, but I got the feeling she usually went more for 80s-style punk than 70s-influenced rocker (is it me or do the later Potter movies seem as though the Wizarding World is just now getting Muggle fashions from the 70s? Or maybe England is?).

As a shapeshifter (or whatever the Potter series word is for shapeshifter), Tonks has the extra magic ability to change her appearance at will (unlike every other wizard who can do so with potions). This comes in handy during a key moment in the books when she... the time they need her to.... uh... Well, she changes her hair color a lot anyway.

Vector Potter 15: Dobby (and sock)

2011-07-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

Well, look who we have here, it's Dobby the House Elf:

When I started this project and thought about which characters I would and wouldn't be making, I kind of thought Dobby was unlikely to make the list. He's not exactly Jar Jar Binks, but he's as close as the Potter series ever got to a Jar Jar type - mewling, hairless, referring to himself in the third person, and just a bit too broad with the comic relief.

Still there's something a lot more likable about Dobby the House Elf. Is it the lack of fart jokes? Is it because he is at least sometimes a valuable asset? Is it how his particular story concludes?

Dobby won't ever be my favorite character, but in the end I did wind up liking the little guy, and that's a lot more than I expected.

Vector Potter 14: Neville Longbottom and Trevor

2011-07-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

Here's nervous, nerdy, and very lovable Neville Longbottom:

Poor Neville Longbottom is one of those kids who just always seems to be struggling - struggling with the terrible burden of the past, struggling to remember the password into Gryffindor, struggling to just walk and breath at the same time. He's an awkward kid, but you keep telling yourself he'll probably grow out of it.

Neville's parents, rebels against the evil Lord Voldemort, were tortured to the point of madness when he was very young. After that, he was raised by his stern grandmother (how stern? This is a woman who wore a stuffed vulture on her hat. Suggests a lot about her attitude, I think).

Many of the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have pet owls, but Neville has his little pet toad, Trevor. It's a little-known fact that students who have toads instead of owls also use their pets to send messages to people far away, though instead of taking mere hours for delivery, it takes several years. Also, the messages never arrive. Also, the owls eat the toads.

Neville eventually found something he really excelled in: Plants. Neville was a wizard in herbology class (OK, technically even the bad students were wizards, but you know what I mean). Being good with plants may seem just as nerdy as being bad at sports, but Neville proved that attitude wrong in the final battle of Hogwarts when he summoned great vines to come and strangle the life out of Bellatrix Lestrange, the very witch who had long ago tortured his parents.

Wait... that's not what happened? Well, it should have.

Vector Potter 13: Cho Chang

2011-07-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Cho Chang:

Cho Chang was a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts and little Harry Potter's first crush. Before dating Harry, Cho Chang dated Cedric Diggory, but their relationship fell apart when Cedric was savagely murdered by the evil Lord Voldemort and then turned into a vampire. The next year, Cho dated our boy Harry and cried when she first kissed him. Most kids have awkward first kisses, but if you actually leave the girl crying, something has gone horribly wrong. After the crying kiss incident, Harry and Cho actually went on one more date, which somehow went even worse!

After that, Cho Chang quietly retired to a convent probably.

Vector Potter 12: Sirius Black

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

And now, the prisoner of Azkaban himself, Sirius Black:

Sirius Black is Harry Potter's godfather, which seems to imply that wizard kids are baptized. Kind of surprising, right? Usually in modern times, a Godfather's only real duties are to stand around during the baptism and then perform a terrible Marlon Brando impersonation afterward. The traditional responsibilities of a godfather, however, also include assisting in the religious upbringing of the child (something that doesn't really come up in Potter), protecting the child (something Sirius at least attempts), and raising the child in the event of the parents deaths (well, he wanted to).

Sirius Black is an Animagus, a rare wizard with the ability to transform into one specific animal. Sirius, coincidentally sharing a name with the Dog Star, just so happens to transform into a massive, black dog. Also, his favorite Led Zepplin song is "Black Dog," though maybe that's not much of a coincidence. I mean, it's a pretty sweet song. What do you think, a guy like Sirius Black is going to be into "Stairway to Heaven?" I don't think so. "The Battle of Evermore?" No. "Black Dog." It's awesome.

Some lyrics:
"Didn't take too long 'fore I found out, what people mean my down and out.
Framed me for murder, perfect plan, sent me away to Azkaban.
I don't know but I been told, Lord Voldemort ain't got no soul."

Vector Potter 11: Ron Weasley and Scabbers

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here at last is Harry Potter's best friend, Ron Weasley (and his pet rat, Scabbers):

Every worthy hero has a sidekick. Batman has his intelligent, capable Robin. Han Solo has the mighty and loyal Chewbacca. Harry Potter has Ron Weasley, a sidekick whose chief attributes seem to be whining and turning away from Harry whenever his feelings get slightly bruised.

Still, even if as a sidekick he is as shoddy and second-hand as his clothes, Ron always comes around eventually. I suppose that's what you need in a sidekick, at least at the most basic level.

Ron is shown here wearing one of his Christmas sweaters from his mother. Redheaded, wearnig an "R" sweater, and attracting girls who are much too good for him - I never realized before how much Ron Weasley has in common with Archie Andrews.

With Ron here is his pet rat Scabbers. A rat is a pretty poor pet to begin with, but (SPOILER ALERT) is an especially poor pet when he is secretly an evil lackey of your best friend's archenemy in disguise. What kind of man spends around a dozen years hiding out in the body of a rat? Answer: A man who likes cheese.

Cornered: cute little Wonder Woman

2011-07-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hogwarts is closed today for the Fourth of July (which I realize makes no sense whatsoever). Instead, here's my entry for today's Star Spangled theme on Cornered, Wonder Woman:

Check out the rest of the Star -Spangled Corners!

Vector Potter 10: Bellatrix Lestrange

2011-07-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Time for the Deatheaters darkest lady, Bellatrix Lestrange:

She is crazy.

Vector Potter 9: Severus Snape

2011-06-30T06:16:00.000-07:00

And now, the teacher you hope you don't get for Potions class (before remembering that there's only one: Severus Snape.)

During the run of the books, Snape remained a figure of contention for many: is he a good guy or a bad guy? (Spoiler alert for you non-readers still waiting for the last movie to answer this for you) How was this a question? I thought it was pretty clear ever since the first book when we learn Snape was whispering some spell during a Quidditch match not to curse Harry, but protect him. After that, it was obvious: he was a good guy. A good guy who was a jerk, to be sure, but there are plenty of those in the world.

Snape had a natural ability with potions and created several new magical brews. Outside of Hogwarts, he also mixed juices with chemicals and invented the popular Muggle drink Snapple (which he pronounced "Snape-ell", though the marketing department messed that up).

Snape's mother's maiden name was Eileen Prince, and he is the second-cousin of rockstar (and secret wizard) Prince. It's widely believed the Prince song "If Eye Was The Man in Ur Life" was written about Snape's unrequited love for Lily Potter (nee Evans). Its chorus: "If Eye was the man in your life/ Eye'd make U happy/ Eye'd treat U right/ Eye'd buy U flowers every single day/Eye'd Give U power/ Eye'd do whatever U say."

Vector Potter 8: Luna Lovegood (and bunny patronus)

2011-06-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here's Luna "Looney" Lovegood and her bunny patronus:

I think we probably all went to school with someone like Luna Lovegood at some point. You know, the kid who would be sitting in the desk right next to you, but was also on a completely different planet.

Luna Lovegood's father published The Quibbler, the Wizarding World's equivalent of The National Enquirer. This was one of the reasons Luna was often ostracized by other kids, given that that Quibbler would write about outlandish, unbelievable creatures with silly names like The Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I never understood this. What made any of the creatures mentioned in the Quibbler seem any stranger than the outlandish, unbelievable creatures with silly names that the students of Hogwarts ENCOUNTERED ON A DAILY BASIS? These are kids that have dealt with Blast-Ended Skrewts without snickering about their names.

How does any story seem outlandish when you live in the wizarding world where dark wizards hide on the back of people's heads and government workers head into the office via magical toilets? How do you see the line between reality and bonkers tabloid story? WHERE IS THE LINE?

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh yeah - Luna. Luna is a pretty great kid. She's a Ravenclaw, the house known for smart kids, despite showing constant bravery against both evil wizards and societal pressures. She's way braver than, say, Gryffindor's Seamus Finnegan. Sometimes I think that sorting hat is just picking houses for kids at random. It's a terrible system.

Vector Potter 7: Fred and George Weasley

2011-06-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

How are we this far into the series wihtout a single character named "Weasley?" Let's fix that with two at once:

Give it up for Fred and George, the Weasley Twins. That's Fred on the left and George on the right. You know how I can tell? Because I made this picture and arbitrarily decided, that's how.

The Weasley twins love causing touble. If you're friends with the Weasley twins, look out. If you're an enemy of the Weasley twins, LOOK. OUT. One of my favorite moments of the entire series comes when Hogwarts new headmistress/facist dictator Delores Umbridge makes one new rule to many for the brothers to bear. They decide to rebel like never before.

"You two," she went on, gazing down at Fred and George , "are about to learn what happens to wrong-doers in my school."

"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are."
He turned to his twin.

"George," said Fred, "I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d' you reckon?" asked Fred.

"Definitely," said George.

And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together: "Accio brooms!"

So remember, kids. Next time some adult tries to tell you to stay in school, just tell them the Weasley twins dropped out and went on to be successful small business owners. That's the moral of the Harry Potter series: Drop out of school and you'll be fine.

Vector Potter 6: Hermione Granger

2011-06-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

No stranger to danger, it's Hermione Granger:

Here's Hermione Granger and her pet half-cat, hald-kneezle Crookshanks. Of all the L'il Potter pieces I've done so far, I think this one reflects the influence of Mary Blair the most (Blair was longtime Disney artist, though you may also remember her illustrations for Little Golden Books).

Hermione Granger was born to two Muggle dentists - a fact that always surprises Americans who didn't realize there were that many dentists in England. Given that Hermione was born to two non-magical parents, it wasn't immediately clear where her powers came from so she was heavily recruited not only by Hogwarts but also by an American private facility: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Hermione wound up being the smartest kid in Hogwarts, and probably was one of the smartest people there even including the teachers. Despite this, she didn't get sorted into the house for the smart kids, but the house for the brave kids because she's also uncommonly brave. Really, Hermione is particularly smart, brave, and ambitious and could therefore reasonably have been sorted into Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, or Slytherin (but not Hufflepuff, reserved for students who are not uncommonly smart, brave, or ambitious. It's always a little unclear just what makes a Hufflepuff. Mediocrity, I guess. I bet there are a lot of sad Hufflepuffs on sorting day).

With everything else she has going for her, at least Hermione is also really homely. What? Nope, she turns out to be beautiful as well (at least once she shows her parents that their years of studying dentistry can be bested by a teenager with a magic stick and she fixes her buck teeth). Aside from a mild tendency to be a bit of a know-it-all and a name that sounds like it should belong to your great grandmother, Hermione has pretty much everything going for her. Naturally, she therefore falls for a whiny redheaded boy who hates studying and whines about everything. Seems like a great match.

Let Hermione Granger be a lesson for awesome girls everywhere. Do not fall for the first guy who will talk to you at age 12. As you get older, other boys will stop being intimidated by your intelligence, looks, and outgoing personality too. Wait for them.

Vector Potter 5: Draco Malfoy

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

My fifth L'il Potter character is that slimy Slytherin Draco Malfoy:

"Hello. My name is Draco Malfoy. My parents are Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Just based on that, guess if I'm a nice guy or an evil little snit. Just guess."

Draco is very proud of being a pure-blooded wizard, meaning all of his ancestors were wizards. You know what that means: like the British monarchy, he's the result of lots of inbreeding. I think that explains a lot of the attitude problem (and the easy bleeding).

Draco if a snob and a bully around Hogwarts, but it's a funny kind of bully given that things almost never go his way at all. Whenever he opens his little mouth, he usually winds up being turned into a ferret or getting a bloody nose from a girl. After a while, it's kind of hard to even see Harry as the underdog in their rivalry. Harry's famous and (usually popular), both of them are rich, and Harry always wins. I guess that's why, at the end of the series, Draco renounces his family fortune and builds a cabin in the woods where he can live by the sweat of his brow and be a friend to all the woodland creatures (this does not really happen).

Vector Potter 4: Moaning Myrtle (and rubber ducky)

2011-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

I love ghosts, so the first B-list character to appear in this series gets to be Moaning Myrtle:

Moaning Myrtle is also the first character I'm featuring who doesn't have a pet, so I decided to give her a little rubber ducky. Maybe it will help cheer her up (I doubt it).

Like Elvis, Moaning Myrtle died in a bathroom. Also, like Elvis, she continues to haunt that bathroom to this day. Wait... the Brits don't say "bathroom." They call them "poo-poo closets", I think. Anyway, it's a pretty lousy gig for a ghost, especially one who lives in a massive, gothic, enchanted castle full of nervous children. Overall, Hogwarts is an ideal place for a ghost. Don't limit yourself to the potty, MM!

Myrtle died in the bathroom because it was also the location Salazar Slytherin used to build the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and Myrtle had the misfortune of catching Tom "I Love Anagrams" Riddle sneaking into the chamber. The question here is, why did Mr. Slytherin use the girls' restroom as the place where he hid the entrance to the hiding place of his giant snake? That... that does not seem appropriate.

Vector Potter 3: Hagrid and Norbert

2011-06-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

My third Harry Potter piece is everyone's favorite gentle giant, Hagrid, and his little dragon, Norbert:

If they have a wizard version of the television show Animal Hoarders, then Rubeus Hagrid has been on it (wait - do wizards even have TV sets? I think they don't. Wizards are a little backwards - they even still have newspapers!). Hagrid loves all kinds of animals, but especially particularly dangerous ones: dragons, giant spiders, razor taloned Hippogriffs (Hippogriffs are creatures that are half hippo, half Griffin Dunne).

Hagrid's deadliest catches are only one of the many dangers that face any student attending the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Why any parent sends their kids there with the constant injuries, abductions, monster attacks, and occasional murders is beyond me. Possibly all wizards hate their children and send them off to school in the hopes that they'll be swallowed by a troll or get Voldemorted.

Huge as Hagrid seems next to regular humans, he's only a half giant. Full giants are significantly larger, as we learned when we met his half-brother (but full giant) Grawp. Hagrid's dad was a human and his mom was a giant, which is probably the way it always is with half-giants, or I hope so anyway. I pity the poor human mom who has to give birth to a half-giant baby.

It is now impossible for me to think about Hagrid without hearing the lyrics to the band Harry and the Potters song about him. Hagrid is fun to hug!

Vector Potter #2: Dumbledore and Fawkes

2011-06-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Our second vectory Potter character is Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and his pet phoenix, Fawkes.

I wish every Harry Potter character had a pet instead of just most of them. I enjoy having their pets in there.

I wonder if anyone else didn't read the Harry Potter novels for a while because they picked up a copy, saw the name "Professor Dumbledore" in the synopsis and thought, "Nope. Too stupid." I had to hear how good the series was several more times after that before giving them a chance.

Dumbledore is a great example of a delightful literary type: the gentile wise old man who is also secretly a complete badass. One of my favorite moments of the entire series belongs to old Albus. It's when the ministry of magic comes to arrest him, and he responds: "Well, it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to - what is the phrase? - come quietly. I am afraid I am not going to come quitely at all, Cornelius." And then BOOM. Complete badass.

Dumbledore loves candy, which is why he's depicted here enjoying one of his favorites: lemon drops. Loving candy is kind of a dangerous thing to do in the wizarding world since there are chocolate frogs that will jump away from you, exploding candy's that might actually kill you (unlike that urban legend about Jerry "Leave it To Beaver" Mathers), and of course those Every Flavor Beans might be delicious or might be Shaq's armpit flavored.

Another favorite A. P. W. B. Dumbledore quote: "Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young."

True dat, Wulfric. Pass the candy.

Vector Potter #1: Harry Potter and the Vectory owl

2011-06-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting a little with vector art lately. Here's little Harry Potter and his magical owl, Hedwig:

I tried to make Hedwig as much as close to my memories of the owls on the Memory game tiles my family had in the 70s. I kind of love him. There's a little Mary Blair influence in there too.

Harry Potter is "The Boy Who Lived!" Kind of a weird nickname to walk around with all the time. What if someone came up to you and said, "hey, you're the boy who lived!" I'd be like, "hey, you're alive too, dumbass!" Of course, I know they mean that he survived an attack from the evil Lord Voldemort (which, translated from the Latin means "Volvo of Death"), but it's still a weird nickname. I'm sure Harry loves being called something that reminds him of his parents' grisly murder ten times a day.

Like Luke Skywalker, baby Harry was hidden in exactly the first place his enemies might go looking for him: with his only relatives. I understand there were enchantments placed on the joint that kept him safe from magical attack, but couldn't the death eaters have just hired a Muggle thug to shoot him in the face? They're too good for that?

Not only is the Dursley house an obvious hiding spot, it's a terrible place to live. Here's this kid that's survived his parent's brutal death and is seen as an icon of hope an sacrifice by his people and they dump him with the people who will treat him only slightly better than his worst enemies would. These are parents that got kicked out of a Roald Dahl book for being too nasty. His bedroom is a tiny cupboard under the stairs and his possessions are few. I guess that's why when he eventually learns that he's loaded with gold in a goblin bank, he never chooses to share any of his mountains of wealth with the poor Weasley family that spends the majority of their time trying to protect his rich behind.

Also depicted here is Harry's pet snow owl Hedwig. People in the wizarding world use owls to deliver their mail. Oddly, they live among us in secret, but have never caught on to a faster method of delivering information to people far away than strapping a piece of paper to a bird. They can fly and teleport and make items appear out of nowhere, but have nothing approaching e-mail and cell phones. You can't use a wand and a cell phone? Do your magical vibrations interfere with the signal? Not only do cell phones receive calls and messages instantly, you don't have to clean up their poop either. Look into it, wizards.

Cornered: Thor - frog of thunder

2011-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

I have a new piece up on Cornered today, reminiscing about that one time thor got turned into a frog:

This really happened, and by "really" I mean "was actually in a comic book."

Click on the image to embiggen and see pretty textures.

Batman Incorporated: Batman Transylvania

2011-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Another Batman Incorporated design, this one is the Vampire-hunting Batman of Transylvania:

Sometimes the local bats don't even know who to root for.

Batman Incorporated: Batman of the Congo

2011-05-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Today's (silliest) Batman Incorporated design is for a Batman far from home, exploring the mysteries and adventures of the African jungle. Here's the Batman of the Congo and his faithful monkey, Robin:

Yep. More to come!

Batman Incorporated: Glasgow's Blackwatch and Robin

2011-05-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Time for another Batman Incorporated design. This time, we head to Scotland for Glasgow's Blackwatch and Robin.

I know, I know! I told Robin that hairdo is a terrible idea if she wants to keep her secret identity secret, but she just wouldn't listen. Hey, at least I got her to not wear the Gordon clan plaid. I wonder if these two ever team up with Scottish Superman?

More to come!

Batman Incorporated: Batman Detroit

2011-05-16T06:00:00.001-07:00

Batman Incorporated is a current series from DC Comics in which Bruce Wayne is traveling the globe and setting up Batman like a franchise, recruiting and sponsoring local heroes to serve as the Batman in their area.

Some of the purists complain, but with a series as old as Batman, you have to shake things up once in a while. I decided my home state needed a better Batman than this guy who actually tried it recently, and whipped up a design for Batman Detroit. Here he is:

Yes, the script Batman on his chest is a little silly. I like it a little silly. Orange elements added because Detroit's Batman is probably also a Tiger's fan, and since there was already blue and gray in the costume, he figured it would work to add the orange too.

More to come!

Now here's The Thing

2011-04-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a drawing of my second favorite super-hero, Benjamin J. Grimm, better known as the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing:

IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!

Cornering 30 Rock, Marcos' Amazing Spider-Man

2011-04-21T10:25:00.001-07:00

30 Rock, the excellent NBC insane comedy airs its 100th episode tonight, and I've got a 30 Rock comic book corner up on Cornered this week.

And here it is too:

In other news, I am loving Marcos Martin's art on Amazing Spider-Man. Ditko style with Eisner-level eye for layouts.

Some examples: 657's cover, Mary Jane, Uncle Ben nightmare, and visiting the Fantastic Four.

Cornering Ghost Rider!

2011-04-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

Once again I have a new piece up on Cornered! This time, Ghost Rider in a different style... Based on the cover of Ghost Rider #1.

Strange corner

2011-04-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

Busy busy today! I also have a new piece up on Cornered! Here's Errol Flynn as Dr. Strange. Go check out more on Cornered.

New Cap'n: Twits and Tweets

2011-04-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

New on Cap'n Wacky's Boatload of Fun today: Winthrop Merriweather Pinfeather-Smythe returns in “A Visit From Father” - a story in which our little gentleman’s pater returns from his latest adventure, and Winthrop sees an opportunity to get revenge on an enemy. It stands alone, but if you’d like to read earlier Winthrop tales too, you can find several on our Flotsam and Jetsam page.

Elsewhere, several writers who have contributed to the Cap’n in the past (along with several who haven’t) are now teaming up on Twitter bringing you Important Facts from Leading Scientists. If you’re Twitter, you’ll probably want to follow them here: http://twitter.com/#!/Important_Facts

Cornered; Poe!

2011-03-04T10:41:00.001-08:00

I have another new corner box on Cornered today. This time I invent a corner for a non-existent comic about Edgar Allen Poe. Go check it out.

Cornering The Spectacular Spider-Man

2011-02-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

I have a new piece of corner cover art up on Cornered today! It's Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man.

Also, it's a joke that's two obscure references smooshed together. 1) the original corner I'm actually covering, with its odd pose, and 2) Denorex Shampoo commercials from the 80s.

So accessible!

Indiana Jones

2011-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, here's a chunky drawing of Indiana Jones. I like him.

Adventure!

Batman & Rockin': The Who Sell Out

2011-02-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#14: THE WHO - THE WHO SELL OUT
Artist: The Who
Album: "The Who Sell Out"
Label: MCA
Year: 1967
Original album designers: David King & Roger Law
Band members: Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Keith Moon, John Entwistle
Batman says: "I know you've deceived me, now here's a surprise,
I know that you have 'cause I am the dark knight detective and I'm just really good at picking up on these kind of things."

Batman & Rockin': Ghost in the Machine

2011-01-31T05:24:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#13: THE POLICE - GHOST IN THE MACHINE
Artist: The Police
Album: "Ghost in the Machine"
Label: Interscope
Year: 1981
Original album designer: Mick Hegarty
Band members: Sting, Andy Summers, Stewart Copeland
Batman says: "I resolve to collar hoods a thousand times a day
Ask them if they just give up
in a very peaceful way
But the fear of me has gripped them
Before I reach the bat phone
Before my batrope has tripped them
For their crimes they must atone."

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

2011-01-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

I've been very busy lately, rehearsing for my role in the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's production of the obscure musical God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Book and lyrics are by the late, great Howard Ashman and music is by Alan Menken.

This was the first collaboration between the two, before Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast made them big stars. Since their names didn't sell tickets at the time and the economy of the late 70s wasn't kind to new shows, the show didn't last long and a cast recording has never been made. Hence the obscurity.

Anyway, I landed the leading role. I usually go after the broader, more fun supporting parts, so this has been a lot of hard work for me. I've grown to love the show and the music, but I also remember what I love about smaller parts.

A few weeks ago, we got this letter of encouragement from Alan Menken himself. WOW. Then, when we posted this promotional video on YouTube, we got an encouraging comment from Howard Ashman's sister. Again: WOW.

Last night was opening night, and here's the review from the local news outlet. Three more performances to go, and then resting.

Batman & Rockin': It's Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold us Back

2011-01-24T06:07:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#12: PUBLIC ENEMY - IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK
Artist: Public Enemy
Album: "It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"
Label: Def Jam
Year: 1988
Original album photographer: Glen E. Friedman
Band members: Chuck D, Flavor Flav
Batman says: "Bats! How much do you know?
Death row. Where the villains go.
Once again, back is the memory
the first enemy
the ineffable C, Public Enemy Number One
Joe Chill said, "Freeze!" and I got numb
Can I tell you this is why I never carry a gun?
It's the trigger left me a motherless son."
Robin says: "Yeah Boy.... Wonder!"

Batman & Rockin': Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

2011-01-17T05:56:00.001-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#11: THE FLAMING LIPS - YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS
Artist: The Flaming Lips
Album: "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots"
Label: Warner Records
Year: 2002
Original album art: Wayne Coyne
Band members: Michael Ivins, Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd,

Batman says: "His code name is Robin,
He is the Boy Wonder.
Working for the Batman,
When he fights he brings the thunder."

Batman & Rockin': Parallel Lines

2011-01-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#10: BLONDIE - PARALLEL LINES
Artist: Blondie
Album: "Parallel Lines"
Label: Chrysalis Records
Year: 1978
Original album design: Ramey Communications
Band members: Deborah Harry, Chris Stein, James Destri, Franke Infante, Nigel Harrison
Batman says: "I'm on the red phone, it's the one in the bat cave
I always answer when there's someone I must save.
You know I'm here, and you just have to call
Won't leave you hanging on the telephone."

The Disney Revue

2011-01-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have started another blog where I'm going to write about exclusively Disney-related topics. Reviews, reactions to news, general opinions. A little later, I'll be reviewing every Disney animated feature in chronological order there.

So, if you care to check it out, it's The Disney Revue.

Other topics, drawings and such will still be posted here.

Batman & Rockin': Nevermind

2011-01-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

This week's Batman and Rockin' is dedicated to my friends Ryan and Katie Wilcox and their own new sidekick, baby Grayson Robin Wilcox.

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#9:NIRVANA - NEVERMIND
Artist: Nirvana
Album: "Nirvana"
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Year: 1991
Original album design: Robert Fisher
Original cover photographer: Kirk Weddle
Band members: Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic
Commissioner Gordon says: "With the Knight out it's less dangerous,
Evil threatens, Batman saves us"

2010: my year in pictures

2010-12-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here's my personal year in review, in picture highlights.

JANUARY:

Celebrating victory at the MSU vs. U of M basketball game.

FEBRUARY:

Christa gives Ninja a kittyback ride.

After seeing my old friend Beau starring as the Tin Man in the touring production of The Wizard of Oz.

MARCH:

Christa (representing the Neighborhood of Make Believe), Thalia
(represening Ireland), and I (representing Dr. Doom's Latveria) get Candyland medals at board game Olympics (aka Caroline's birthday party).

APRIL:

The Green Man, one of many walking monster puppets at Ann Arbor's Festifools.

Madalyn hanging with Chewbacca and a stormtrooper at Airport elementary's Star Wars Day.

MAY:

The Loch Ness Monster in the Alma Highland Festival parade.

Is Spidey Scottish? We teamed up to save the festival.

Christa and I enjoy the beach at Marshall's relative's pond.

Christa models a sweet potato fry mustache at Arbor Brewing Company.

Spidey again! This time at Free Comic Book Day.

Christa as Lady Iron Wing.

Ninja poses for my new camera.

Stripes in a crib.

JUNE:

The Ingalls hug Abby at her graduation party.

Christa and Thalia being silly at Top of the Park.

A rainy morning at Cedar Point, we meet Snoopy in his rain gear.

Amy splashes at Cedar Point, waiting for the rides to restart.

In front of the ferris wheel at Cedar Point.

JULY:

Mom and Christa model floppy hats at South Haven beach.

Christa and I enjoy the sunset on the beach.

One of the many shots of Christa modeling in South Haven.

I notice myself in Christa's sunglasses.

My finger stitched up after getting chomped by Ollie the dog. Ouch.

Mr. and Mrs. Weddle enjoying their 50th wedding anniversary party.

The extended Weddle family at the party.

AUGUST:

Caroline, Emily, Christa at floppy hat day at Comerica Park.

SEPTEMBER:

The Princesses of Power in Disneyland

I return to Adventureland.

The Sword in the Stone and Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.

An old bluesman in New Orleans Square.

Christa and I peruse the menu in Disneyland's Club 33.

Performing for Alice during an epic game of musical chairs in Disneyland.

OCTOBER

Caroline, Christa, and Emily pick out pumpkins.

Homemade cider at the Meloche's.

Haunted Trail: Grandma Skullface - GRANDMA SKULLFACE!

Haunted Trail: Me as Epiales.

Christa as Coraline for Halloween (and Ninja as the black cat).

Me as Harold and the Purple Crayon visiting Greenfield Village's Hallowe'en.

NOVEMBER

The Brockie Family reunites at Pizza House.

DECEMBER

Visiting Chicago and seeing Ernie and Bert at the Jim Henson exhibit in the Museum of Science and Industry.

Maggie and Mom in downtown Chicago.

Christmas decorations at the Drake hotel.

Yukon Cornelius and the fake pulp novel cover

2010-12-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

I love the stop-motion Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer. It's completely crazy with its bipolar Santa (it kills me every time when, after the elves mount a big song-and-dance number he responds with, "Well, it needs work. I have to go."), Misfit Toys (polka-dot elephant, for a stuffed animal you really aren't that weird), and terrifying abominable snowman.

And then there's Yukon Cornelius, intrepid precious mineral-seeker and Bumble-wrangler, foraging the frozen north for fortune with his menagerie of unconventional sled dogs, sensitive palette, and overflowing enthusiasm. He meets an elf and a talking reindeer with an incandescent proboscis and thinks nothing of it. He wrestles a massive white yeti like it's all in a day's work. You know why? Because these things probably happen to him all the time. In that spirit, here's the cover of a non-existent pulp novel chronicling the further adventures of Christmas's most boisterous adventurer. Here's to you, Yukon Cornelius - Wahooooooooooo!

Cornering the X-Men!

2010-12-21T08:31:00.001-08:00

I have a piece up on Cornered! today, it's a recreation of the corner box from the first few issues of the X-Men, back when Jack Kirby was the artists, the original team was still in high school, and Marvel was still trying to bill them as their weirdo superheroes. Click away and check it out.

Batman & Rockin': A Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#8: VINCE GUARALDI TRIO - A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
Artist: Vince Guaraldi Trio
Album: "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
Label: Fantasy
Year: 1965
Original album art: Charles Shulz
Band members: Vince Guaraldi, Puzzy Firth, and Jerry Granelli
Batman says: "Loo loo loo loo loo loo loo,
na na na na na na na BATMAN!"

Batman & Rockin': Goo

2010-12-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#7: SONIC YOUTH - GOO
Artist: Sonic Youth
Album: "Goo"
Label: DGC
Year: 1990
Original album art: Raymond Pettibon
Band members: Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Steve Shelley
Batman says: "I know a secret or two about you,
You know all my secrets too.
You like to wear green underwear,
And rides my sidecar everywhere"

Interestingly, the cover that this cover is a cover version of is ALSO itself a cover version of a mildly famous photograph. A crime-related photograph at that, detectives!

Princesses of Power #8: Rapunzel

2010-12-10T05:16:00.000-08:00

The task I set originally for myself: redesign the Disney princesses as superheroes, drawing inspiration from super-fashions of around the same time their animated movies came out - that's what I did for the first seven "issues" earlier this year. For the latest princess, though, coming only a year after the last one, I decided to ditch the idea of matching her style to modern super-styles (I just didn't feel like doing another one with rubber accordian patches and lots of piping). Here instead, is a more straightforward super-Rapunzel:

RAPUNZEL: Leaping into adventure from her Tower of Justice comes Rapunzel - the mighty maiden with the telekentic tresses! The cute crusader with the lovely, long, lawful locks! The perky patroler with the crimfighting coiffure! The hairy heroine of hope! Having defeated her evil adopted mother and saved the kingdom, she's ready to really let her hair down! HAIR!

What is the lesson of Tangled's success?

2010-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

NOTE: after this post, I started a new blog for various Disney-related opinions and articles. Please check out The Disney Revue.

For the last two years, Disney has released new musical animated features based on well-known fairy tales about princesses. Last year's The Princess and the Frog bombed at the box office. This year's Tangled (based on the fairy tale "Rapunzel" is turning out to be a hit. Both films are very much extensions of the company's tradition of such films dating back to their first feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. So why did one flop and the other soar?

Unfortunately, the box office isn't a scientific experiment where we can control everything and change only one variable at a time. There were several significant differences between these two films even before the first one flopped, and Disney reacted (some would say over-reacted) to that by making even more changes to Tangled.

So, while both movies are based on famous fairy tales; feature female leads who begin as or become a princess; have show-tune musical numbers; and balance comedy, action, and romance, let's look at the different devils in the details:

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: hand-drawn animation
TANGLED: computer-generated animation

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: title identifies source material/princess factor
TANGLED: title obscures source material/princess factor

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Marketed as musical
TANGLED: Musical aspect hidden in marketing

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Female lead featured in commercials
TANGLED: male lead featured in commercials

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Available only in 2D
TANGLED: Available in both 2D and 3D

PRINCESS AND THE FROG: African American lead
TANGLED: White lead

I hate to even list that last difference between these two movies. I'd hate to think that in this day an age that two movies with so much in common would sink or swim based on the color of the main character's skin. I really don't think that played a big role, but there's enough cynic in me that I had to include that factor in the list.

The animation: The Disney company was built on hand-drawn animation and for decades it was the company's bread-and-butter. Then, in the late 90s and 2000s, those films faltered and flopped just as Pixar and Dreamworks were having success with computer-generated features. Despite the clear fact that the quality of the movies Disney was releasing was greatly diminishing (with the exception of Lilo & Stitch – surprise: also the exception to poor box office returns!), the company leaped to the assumption that they style of animation was to blame. The audience wanted CGI, they decided, and then shut down the hand-drawn animation division. By then, the novelty of CGI movies had worn off, and the movies would actually have to survive on storytelling merits. When Disney’s CGI features still didn’t reach the successes of their rivals, the decided to test the waters of 2D again with Princess & The Frog.

All along I had assumed Disney was being stupid about this hand-drawn vs. CGI debate. That story and heart and artistry were more important than format. But then Princess & The Frog bombed. And then Tangled succeeded. Could they have been at least half-right all along? While a movie having CGI is no-longer a guarantee of success, has hand-drawn animation become a kiss of death? I certainly hope not. And I really hope that’s not the lesson Disney takes from this.

The sting of Princess and the Frog’s failure apparently hurt Disney so badly that even before Tangled was released in theaters, the company announced they wouldn’t be do anymore princess movies, fairy tales, or musicals for the forseeable future and cancelled a couple of projects that were in development. I wonder if Tangled’s success is already making them re-think this move.

Did marketing triumph? Tangled’s previews and commercials are extremely misleading about the tone of the movie. As I’ve said, the musical aspect is completely hidden in the marketing, and the majority of the commercials paint the film as an action movie with a male lead full of snarky humor. Based on the marketing alone, I wouldn’t have even wanted to see this movie, but since I kept hearing it was both completely different and far-more enjoyable than those ads suggested, I bought a ticket anyway. Internet buzz got me in the theater, but did the misleading marketing make the movie a success? Will that be the lesson of Tangled? Give them boys, bangs, and cheap laughs?

The truth is, despite the animation style, the terrible title, and the modern marketing, Tangled is actually a much more traditional Disney princess feature than The Princess and the Frog. Both movies (as has every Disney movie) makes significant deviations from the source material, Tangled is much closer to “Rapunzel” than The Princess & The Frog is to “The Frog Prince.” Tangled sticks to a European setting and some medieval once-upon-a-time while The Princess & The Frog moves the story to Jazz era New Orleans and features characters who are aware of the story the film is based on. Maybe the lesson is really stick to the traditional approach! I kind of doubt it, but it makes as much sense to me as hand-drawn vs. CGI.

We can’t know the real reason why Princess & The Frog flopped and Tangled succeeded. There are just too many variables between the movies themselves, let alone other variables such as different competition from other movies, time of release, state of the economy, and so on.

No doubt Disney will be looking hard for a lesson in all this, though. I wish they wouldn’t. I wish instead they’d just go back to producing the best films they could, whether musical or not, whether girl or boy-oriented, and whether hand-drawn or computer rendered (though my personal preference is for the former, especially with so many other companies doing the latter). Besides, these films are supposed to be timeless masterpieces that should entertain children for decades to come. Sleeping Beauty flopped on its initial release too, but it’s been making money for the company ever since – through re-releases, VHS, DVD, Blue Ray, and endless merchandising. Look to that lesson instead. Shoot for making classics, and stop sweating the opening weekend so much.

But in the meantime, we can speculate. Why do you think Princess & The Frog bombed and Tangled boomed?

NOTE: after this post, I started a new blog for various Disney-related opinions and articles. Please check out The Disney Revue.

Cornered!

2010-12-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

A new art blog launches today. Check out CORNERED, dedicated to artistic recreations of those nifty little corner boxes that used to appear on most comic book covers, showing the main characters who would be appearing inside. The first piece is a shadowy Batman by Calamity Jon Morris and new pieces will be coming on every day that starts with a "T". I've seen a few of the ones to come, and they're all a lot of fun (and maybe I'll even have one up there too some day. Watch that space!).

Batman & Rockin': Purple Rain

2010-12-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#6: PRINCE - PURPLE RAIN
Artist: Prince
Album: "Purple Rain"
Label: Rhino/Warner Bros.
Year: 1984
Original album photo: Ed Thrasher & Associates/Slenzak
Batman says: "Punch if you will my stomach,
Feel how it's iron inside.
You've broken laws, and must be tied up,
Don't make me chase you,
Even bats have pride."

Batman & Rockin' : The Beginning

2010-11-29T05:19:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#5: THE BLACK EYED PEAS - THE BEGINNING
Artist: The Black Eyed Peas
Album: "The Beginning"
Label: Interscope
Year: 2010
Original album art direction: Huan Nghiem, Pasha Shapiro, and Will.i.am
Band members: Taboo, Will.i.am, Fergie, and apl.de.ap
Batman says: "Dark up the knight."

Batman & Rockin': Make It Big

2010-11-22T05:20:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#4:WHAM - MAKE IT BIG
Artist: Wham!
Album: "Make it Big"
Label: Columbia
Year: 1984
Original album Photographer: Tony McGee
Band members: George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley
Batman says: "Criminals are terrible dancers - guilty feet have got no rythm."

Snooki in Disney World

2010-11-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

Snooki, the monster from the Jersey Shore, visited Disney World this week, and Cap'n Wacky's Boatload of Fun has this comedy list of things that happened during her visit. Check it out.

Batman & Rockin': Yellow Submarine

2010-11-15T05:14:00.000-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#3: THE BEATLES - Yellow Submarine
Artist: The Beatles
Album: "Yellow Submarine"
Label: Apple Corp
Year: 1969
Original Cover Design: Heinz Edelmann
Band members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Batman says: "I get by with a little help from my sidekicks."

I would not like them in a car, I would not could not on the Death Star

2010-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Adams presents Star Wars as if it had been created by Dr. Seuss. Fun idea, perfectly done.

Batman & Rockin': Rattle And Hum

2010-11-08T05:37:00.001-08:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#2: U2 - Rattle And Hum
Artist: U2
Album: "Rattle And Hum"
Label: Geffen
Year: 1988
Original Cover Design: Norm Ung
Band members: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullins Jr.
Batman says: "Sidekick in pointy shoes
Dark knight clad in grays and blues
You never looked like an angel
Angel of Gotham."

Batman and Rockin': Appetite for Destruction

2010-10-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

BATMAN AND ROCKIN': A series of album cover recreations with the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, and their friends replacing the original album art.
#1: Guns 'N' Roses - Appetite for Destuction
Artist: Guns 'N' Roses
Album: "Appetite for Destruction"
Label: Geffen
Year: 1987
Original Cover Art: Billy White Jr
Band members: Axl Rose, Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler
Batman says: "Take me down to the Gotham City where the streets are mean the crimes are gritty."

Creature from the Black Lagoon

2010-10-28T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here's another crosshatched monster for Halloween week: The Creature from the Black Lagoon, a terror form the deep with a keen eye for the ladies.

The Monster

2010-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Halloween is this weekend. So here's Frankenstein's monster:

That's all.

What if the Haunted Mansions had a baby and I used to live in it?

2010-08-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

I just realized something I can't believe I never noticed before.

First, here is the façade of the haunted mansion in Disneyland:

Next, here is the façade of the Haunted Mansion in Disney World:

Finally, here is The Franke Center for the Arts, formerly The Marshall Civic Center, in Marshall, MI., the building in which for nine years I had the pleasure of writing a directing annual haunted houses (before the city sold the building and we moved to the outdoor haunted trails:

And here is what it took me until today to notice:

+=

Whoa!

I wonder if anyone has ever done a double bill of "Hello Dolly" and "Bye Bye Birdie"

2010-08-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been drawing up promotional art for the Ann Arbor Civic Theater's production of Bye Bye Birdie. Rather than just supply them with one image, I've been tailoring different pictures to the different ads they've been placing. First, here's the poster, featuring Kim in her room, surrounded by posters and belongings that contain the pertinent info as well as a few of the titles of some of the show's more famous numbers:

Click here for a larger version

Next, here's one of the print ads, this one centered on Birdie's songwriter/promoter, Albert:

And finally, a (semi) animated online ad:

Disney Attraction Series #5: Pirates of the Caribbean

2010-08-10T05:12:00.001-07:00

Disney attraction portrait series #5: Pirates of the Carribbean Set sail with the wildest crew who ever sacked the Spanish Main! The Haunted Mansion may be first in my heart, but Pirates was the groundbreaking masterpiece that really took Disneyland's attractions to the next level of greatness. Taking you through the blue bayou, deep into skelton-filled caves, and then back in time to the era of the pirates, this dark ride was more elaborate and immersive than anything that had ever come before and darn few things that have come since.
There have been changes over the years, a little desexualization here, a little intrusion of movie elements there, but all in all it has retained the spirit and impact that it had at its 1967.

To see a larger version, visit my DeviantArt account.

And in the end, the Legos you take are equal to the Legos you make

2010-08-05T10:16:00.001-07:00

I took one of those trips onto eBay today where I start browsing around for one thing and my attention gets caught by something unexpected from the search that leads me down another whole time-wasting trip. My search? "Headless Horseman," The unexpected result? This:

I knew such a thing as customized Lego people (or minifigs as it turns out) existed, but I started to wonder what else was out there? Answer: LOTS. For your viewing enjoyment, here are a few of my favorites currently up on eBay.

There are, of course, a ton of custom versions of super-heroes, but this mini mighty Thor stood out to me as one of the better ones.

There are plenty of comic book villains around too, but who would've expected Z-List Batman pest/joke Killer Moth to show up? Very menacing costume, KM.

YES. Now we're talking. It's Lego Lincoln, the great emancipator. I hope no one builds a little Lego Ford's Theater and lures him in. Sorry, I went dark there for a minute. Instead, let's try to think of the most harmless thing possible for our next minifig.

OH NO, IT'S MR. STAY-PUFT! Nobody steps on a Lego church in my town!

It's the friends of Dorothy in the Merry Old Land of Oz! Old Ruby shoes herself with the Tin Man, Scarecrow, (disco) Lion, and even Toto, her loyal cat. Waitaminute.

Naked Legos beware: Lego Jason will Lego kill you.

In a way, this is one of my favorite ones, because I suspect this customizer didn't even need to do any alterations or re-painting, just some clever re-arrainging of existing pieces to make a perfect Lego Lone Ranger. Incidently, doesn't it seem kind of weird that they called him the "Lone" Ranger when his best friend was ALWAYS with him? I mean, I know he was the only "Ranger" around, but he still wasn't exactly "lone." Kind of odd.

LEGO. BEATLES. ABBEY. ROAD. Wow. And so what began as an idle distraction may turn out to lead to an actual purchase.

Princesses of Power #7: Tiana

2010-07-22T05:05:00.000-07:00

The task I set for myself: redesign the Disney princesses as superheroes, drawing inspiration from super-fashions of around the same time their animated movies came out.

TIANA: She's the princess AND the frog with her shapeshifting powers. Tiana's lilypad-themed gown is here reimagined as the functional athletic-wear of the super-people of today - or a few months ago anyway (drawing primary influence from Bryan Hitch). Ribbed rubber vents? Check. Thick visible piping? Check. Sensible footwear for the girl on the go? Check. Ready for anything? Check and check.

And that brings us up to the present, and an end to the Princesses of Power series... at least for now. There's at least one more princess to come, and at least one that I skipped that I kind of wanted to take a crack at, so maybe sometime I'll pop out a couple more. or maybe not. Did you have a favorite? Did you notice the two covers that had hidden Mickey's?

Princesses of Power #6: Jasmine

2010-07-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

The task I set for myself: redesign the Disney princesses as superheroes, drawing inspiration from super-fashions of around the same time their animated movies came out.

JASMINE: Well, if you had to be designed in the 90s, at least the leather-jacket over Spandex thing is preferable to what poor Belle got. Slightly. I slid the Jewel from the top of Jasmine's head down to her forehead to make it look like some sort of power focusing device, and generally tried to draw some influence from Jim Lee designs. She's ready to race off on the magic carpet headlong into danger.

Those extra random straps on the legs? I have no idea, but they really had them in the nineties... all the time.

FUN FACT: The above was drawn and written before DC Comics made a big splash with Lee designing a new Wonder Woman costume a few weeks ago. Guess what? He's still adding jackets with rolled-up sleeves on top of unnecessarily complicated super-hero costumes! I haven't picked up any of the issues with the costume in it, so I'm just going to assume the design is for a story about Wonder Woman traveling back in time to the mid-90s, because otherwise in 2010 they wouldn't really put something like this on the most iconic female superhero of all time, right? Right?

Tomorrow: The tantalizing Tiana!

Princesses of Power #5: Belle

2010-07-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

The task I set for myself: redesign the Disney princesses as superheroes, drawing inspiration from super-fashions of around the same time their animated movies came out.

BELLE (AND THE BEAST): Well, with three princesses coming out between 1989 and 1992, this kind of fashion nightmare had to happen to somebody. Poor Belle gets saddled with the giant shoulderpad, enormous gun, metal arm, towering topknot, unnecessary padding look that was so prevelant around that time. I stopped short of giving her a glowing, bionic eye. I just couldn't.

In fact, I felt so bad about giving Belle such an intentional eyesore, that I decided to also design her a more classical, sleek costume based on her blue and white peasant dress. Here you go, Belle. Don't be mad at me:

There. Are we still friends now?

Tomorrow: Jasmine and her belly-button!