Spider-Man in Ink!

Another quick ink piece, this time featuring The Amazing Spider-Man (8 1/2" X 11" sketch paper, Staedtler pigment liners)! And I don't know quite what my deficiency is but every damn time I draw "Webhead," I fail to make him lanky and flexible like he should be and he winds up looking like he's on the PEDs.

Hmmm...maybe I should ask my pal/Maxboxing.com cohort, Gabriel Montoya, to look into this guy's training regimen!

Joe Palooka in Ink!

Since renowned ring announcer Joe Antonacci revitalized the "Joe Palooka" franchise with a revamped Palooka (actually a mixed-martial arts fighter named Nick Davis) last year, I wondered to myself what my version of Antonacci's cage-fighting fugitive would look like (and if you missed it before, here's my review of issues one and two of "Joe Palooka" from February of last year: http://www.coyoteduran.com/2012/02/joe-palooka-old-school-icon-with-new.html).

Well, as per usual, I went a little ink-heavy but (submitted for your approval, critique and/or derision), here's my comic book take on Nick Davis a.k.a. "Joe Palooka"! (8 1/2" X 11", Staedtler pigment liner on sketch paper) And if you dig comic books and MMA, make sure to check out "Joe Palooka" (now brought to you by IDW Publishing!) at comic book stores now!

Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Comic Art Giveaway!

So, in a fit of curiosity, I decided I would try rendering a boxing scene in a comic book style, done up in ink and uncolored. I've always been a fan of exaggerated, comicky musculature and what better fighter to study than World Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez? Since his impending battle against titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this Saturday for all the middleweight marbles is on the lips and minds of all hardcore fight fans, it gave me an idea:

How about a comic book scene pitting the two 160-pound warriors against each other with some Manga-esque speed lines bringing up the rear? Even better...what if I gave it away when I was done?

So here's where you come in, Howlers. My little contest has a few simple rules.

1) First, join the Creation Nation "Howlers" page at www.facebook.com/CDCreationNation. If you're already a Howler (or a fan. I like "Howlers" better...) there, even better! You're halfway there! But remember: you have to be a member of the Facebook page to participate.

2) Find the post on the fan page regarding this contest (if you're a member, that very post probably linked you to this very page!) and make YOUR prediction as to who will win the World Middleweight Championship fight between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez. And that's your EXACT prediction. If  you think your pick will win by a specific decision, tell me what type (unanimous, split, majority) and what you think the scores will be in the end. If the fight ends in a draw, what variety of draw will it be and what will the scores be? And if the fight ends in a stoppage of any kind or a knockout, tell me how, what round the fight was stopped in and the time.

3) If you feel you need to amend your prediction, DO NOT edit your post. Just add to the status comments with your new prediction. This eliminates the possibility of cheating (and you wouldn't want the world to think you're a cheater...would you?)

4) The deadline? No posts later than 9:30 p.m., ET/6:30 p.m. PT, SATURDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 15 will be accepted. That's 30 minutes after the start of the HBO pay-per-view broadcast and should give you plenty of time to get that prediction in!

The closest prediction wins. That's it. that's all you gotta do. Easy, huh?

Now, I do have to be honest. As the caption stapled to this image implies, this piece isn't finished yet. I have more detail, shadow, etc. to add so if you think these guys look wonky, well, I'm not done, dammit! And it's in a comic book-inspired style! It's supposed to look a speck wonky!

Speaking of honesty, the piece (8 1/2" X 11" image size on 10 1/2" X 13" Bristol Board in pigment liner) doesn't include matting and framing but it will be signed and shipped flat next week right after I put on the finishing touches.

So what are you waiting for? Make your predictions NOW!

Black Adam (Ink Study)

(Click image to isolate)

Not sure what the inspiration was for this ink study I did of DC Comics antihero Black Adam (from "Shazam/Captain Marvel" titles) some months back but I wanted to go dark with this cat. Yeah, I know the effects from the lightning aren't exactly accurate but it was still fun and looks kinda ominous. This is what one does with pens when he should be painting! (Done with Staedtler Pigment Liners)

Catwoman: Got Milk? (Inked Version)

Right around the time I knocked out my Iron Man drawing, I figured I'd try my hand at the female (albeit very exaggerated) comic book form. Back then (and I guess, maybe even now. I haven't actually bought comic books in a while), it was all about big boobs, big hips, and long legs and one of the kings of comic cheesecake was Jim Balent, who penciled a six-year run on Catwoman, from 1993 to 1999. Now Balent was a guy who gave the fanboy juuuuuust what he wanted, offering a sort of pseudo-porn, complete with bodysuits that would seemingly wrap around each breast...and the fanboy LOVED it. Here's my take on Selina Kyle complete with three feline friends, completely inked with Staedtler pigment liners. Stay tuned for the colored version!

Iron Man Makes a New Friend (Inked Version)

So around the time I conceived my Madman piece, I was doing all sorts of other superhero scenes (some you might see here in the near future!) and thought I'd have a little fun with a hero who's gained a lot of steam in recent years (thanks to a couple of really outstanding movies), Iron Man. I've always been a big fan of his classic red and gold armor, as opposed to keeping up with one of his many changes over the years (guy has more wardrobe issues than the Wasp, I tell ya...that's for the Marvel nerds). Originally, I did this piece with a mountain range and clouds in the background but as I looked back, the mountains just weren't doing it for me, detail-wise (I think I lazied my way through them). There was really no valid depth or authenticity to them, at least in my eyes. However, I wanted to share this piece but I figured I'd simplify it a little and make it more about Iron Man meeting his new friend, a slightly surprised bald eagle. I fully inked the eagle and Iron Man (with my trusty Staedtler pigment liners), then scanned the drawing into my laptop so I could open it in Photoshop. From there, I'd clone out the background and feature our two main characters. I think it still works because the two provide context of location (the sky) for each other.

From here, I'll now color the fully inked and simplified image by hand, which I'll post as soon as I'm finished! Stay tuned and enjoy!

Madman: A Blast from My Past (and Present)!

(Click to enlarge)

As you might have noticed from my last art post, I'm kind of a comic nerd (and I know you're cool with that, Howlers!). However, a lot of folks who know about the Green Lanterns and Thors of the world might not know about Frank Einstein AKA Madman (incidentally introduced to me by my longtime pal and legendary horror host The Bone Jangler, while hanging out in one of his many secret, global strongholds), an independent comics sensation. Created by the incredible Mike Allred, Madman is an amnesiac superhero, brought back to life after dying in a horrible accident and pieced together (making his adopted name clearer as a "Frankenstein" take-off) by Doctors Flem and Boiffard. Once an assassin named Zane Townsend in his previous life, Frank's new lease on life (of afterlife, if you will) gave birth to a lighthearted, conscientious fellow who went on to work alongside his girlfriend, Josephine "Joe" Lombard, Dr. Flem and alien pal Mott (from the planet Hoople. Go figure). My personal favorite Madman run was Dark Horse Comics' Madman Comics, which ran from 1994-2000. Coming in a close second was Frank's crossover with Superman, The Superman/Madman Hullabaloo!, from 1997. All drawn by Allred and beautifully colored by his wife, the mega-talented Laura Allred. I can't put my finger on what exactly made me a Madman freak because there's too much to wade through. The kooky hipster speak, the crazy robots and monsters Frank had to face and the nutty weapons he used- like yo-yos and disc guns- were all part of what made "The World's Snappiest Comic" all that more snappy.