Same GGG time! Same Chocolatito channel!

Ever since IBF/WBA (and WBC interim) middleweight (160 pounds) champion Gennady Golovkin started bringing along his little buddy, THE RING magazine/WBC flyweight (112 pounds) champion Roman Gonzalez, along to work, HBO's boxing slate has gotten pretty interesting.

Turns out the hard-hitting Kazakh, also known as "GGG," and Nicaragua's "Chocolatito" have become quite a tandem, first teaming up on May 16, 2015 at the Forum in Inglewood, California, to face Willie Monroe Jr. and Edgar Sosa, respectively. They reunited, at New York City's Madison Square Garden, on Oct. 17, 2015 when Golovkin beat David Lemieux by eighth round technical knockout and Gonzalez stopped Brian Viloria in nine.

Fast forward to the current day: On April 23, this Dynamic Duo will once again team-up and siege the Fabulous Forum when Golovkin defends his slew of belts against IBF mandatory contender Dominic Wade and Gonzalez meets McWilliams Arroyo. With that in mind, I asked myself, "How cool would Golovkin and Gonzalez look as a comicked-up rendering of the 1966 television version (albeit this version is on HBO) of Batman and Robin?" Probably pretty dopey but that was a risk I was willing to take. And why not, right?

I figured I would keep it simple and just do my rendering on 11" X 14" Bristol Board, first in pencil (2H in my trusty leadholder) with my inks finished in Micron, Pentel Pocket Brush Pen and Faber-Castell PITT artist pen. (You know...for the big areas.)

This is a piece I'm actually planning on coloring but I couldn't resist sharing this stage with one and all for the time being. I certainly hope these guys don't mind, especially Chocolatito, who might be a little weirded out when he realizes I pictured him in green briefs and elf shoes. Hey, I'm a lot bigger than him but he could probably still knock me out.

Stay tuned for our next episode: Same GGG time! Same Chocolatito channel!

Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hit me up at coyote@coyoteduran.com. You can also follow me at twitter.com/CoyoteDuran, instagram.com/coyoteduran and facebook.com/CDCreationNation.

Rowdy Roddy Piper: A tribute (part two)

For part one, please click here.

Rowdy Roddy Piper once said he "was rowdy before rowdy was cool." Truer words were never spoken.

As a pup, I was fascinated by the man who made life miserable for WWE/WWF heroes like Hulk Hogan and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. He was cheeky, colorful and - prior to Yours Truly appropriating the moniker - honestly could have been more Coyote (a royal, pain-in-the-ass Trickster) than me. And no matter where Roddy Piper went, his name and reputation followed, whether he was portraying a heel or an antihero/face. Just as well, hijinks would ensue.

In part one of this blog post, I shared my ink rendering of Rowdy Roddy on Aug. 2. I locked in the image (on 9" X 12" Bristol Board) in Micron and Pentel Pocket Brush pens. I wasn't certain if I was going to add color, how much or in what manner. Ultimately I went with gouache (watercolor) paint and a smidge of Faber-Castell PITT artist pen for the highlights I couldn't suss with white gouache.

And I did because Roddy Piper was nothing short of colorful.

While my favorite professional wrestlers were - and always will be - the Road Warriors (the Legion of Doom, Hawk and Animal), they obviously were blessed with a different presence and mic skills. Piper was a talker, nonpareil, and could get in your face with the best of them. And that's what I wanted to be verbally and personality-wise. I wanted that kind of bravery. I wanted it to be OK to be mouthy and weird. I also wanted to be that guy who could take a shot in the mush for the cause and smile wickedly in response.

And although I knew for certain from an early age that pro wrestling was a different sort of entertainment, I also knew for sure that Piper was who Piper was. He might have been a completely different cat at home or away from the squared circle but the Rowdy Roddy Piper we were lucky enough to experience was a genuine part of Roderick George Toombs.

We were lucky to have experienced Rowdy Roddy Piper in all facets of his careers (wrestling and film. "They Live," anyone?) because fans in my age demographic were born at just the right time.

So cue the bagpipes and grab your coconuts. And before all the answers are all figured out, don't forget to change all the questions.

I hope you like this, Roddy. Because I loved drawing and painting it. Sneaky and all-knowing in its moment, it's a snapshot of the Rowdy Roddy Piper I loved best.

Rest in peace, Sir.


Questions? Comments? Complaints? Hit me up at coyote@coyoteduran.com. You can also follow me at twitter.com/CoyoteDuran, instagram.com/coyoteduran and facebook.com/CDCreationNation.