Muhammad Ali vs. Superman in ink

Muhammad Ali vs. Superman. Copic marker, Prismacolor pencil and Micron marker on 8.5" X 11" Bristol Board. Art by Coyote Duran. (Please click to enlarge.)

I've always said that if I ever had the opportunity to meet Muhammad Ali, I would've likely cried my eyes out. I suppose it was a good thing that I didn't before the "Greatest of All-Time" passed away because I would've certainly made a fool of myself.

Ali set an unmatched standard of cool that I only could've dreamt to attain but this isn't to say I didn't try. Socially and ideologically outside the ring and masterful within it, there was seemingly nothing he couldn't do.

Even challenge the "Last Son of Krypton" to a fight.

In 1978, DC Comics released a one-shot I wanted so badly but never got: "Superman vs. Muhammad Ali." Now at the time of the book's release, Ali wasn't the world heavyweight champion. Ali had lost the championship to Leon Spinks that February but would regain it exactly seven months later. This little variable didn't dull my desire to have this tome in my hot little paws. And naturally we didn't have anything close to an internet then, so it wouldn't be until many years later, when I would find out what happened within its covers, thanks to any trade magazine that took the time to revisit the story.

So imagine my delight and surprise when, 32 years later, in 2010, a gentleman from DC Comics reached out to me and several members of the boxing media, offering us a comped hardcover copy of the company's re-release of "Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. What was I going to say, "NO!"?

And there it was...an oversized edition in all of its Neal Adams-penciled, Denny O'Neil-scripted scripted and Terry Austin/Dick Giordano-inked glory. Wow. It was indeed GLORIOUS.

Just recently I was given the opportunity to revisit this truly fantastical story when my good friend Bernie, a true blue comics, boxing and music guy, proposed a commission idea celebrating one of his favorite stories featuring his favorite superhero. I would've jumped at the chance, were it not for not initially seeing the comment in my Instagram notifications. That said, I  responded with a resounding "YES"

Sketch Card Chronicles No. 2: Christopher Reeve as Superman!

Christopher Reeve as Superman, 2.5" X 3.5", Micron pen and Copic Marker on Bristol Board sketch card. Art by Coyote Duran

As I laid out in my previous blog post, I decided to try my hand at creating sketch card art. By no means is this a new idea, as many artists I admire have been doing it for years but I figured I would give it a shot in order to present something my followers and supporters could enjoy on a more frequent basis, especially if I can't post as frequently, due to larger pieces of artwork or commissions.

In this post I present to you my rendering of one of the most - if not the most - legendary bearers of the Superman uniform, Christopher Reeve (Micron pen and Copic Marker on a 2.5" X 3.5" Bristol Board sketch card).

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

Superman in gouache (when he shouldn't have been!)

So I had a Superman piece brewing upstairs one day and I figured, I'm gonna knock out something new and different by doing something retro and familiar. These days, the mythos of the "Last Son of Krypton" is inundated with Henry Cavill's "Man of Steel" (I dig it) or what DC Comics' "The New 52" is offering as its latest version of Kal-El (Not digging it since 2011). I thought I would render something resembling the late Christopher Reeve.

As you can see, this piece isn't so much Christopher Reeve as it is an amalgam of Christopher Reeve and Matt Bomer (of the USA Network's "White Collar. Interestingly enough, Bomer, who looks like he could pass as Cavill's brother, almost got the lead for 2006's "Superman Returns" but ultimately, Brandon Routh scored it. However, Bomer voiced Superman/Clark Kent on 2013's animated "Superman: Unbound").

But that wasn't my biggest problem.

No, Howlers, the biggest problem was lack of commitment to a medium and original intent. See, friends, this painting (gouache and ink on 11" X 14" Bristol Board) wasn't even supposed to be a painting. It was supposed to be ink and Prismacolor watercolor pencil on Bristol Board but I thought I would be a wise-ass and use paint instead for the sake of time and coverage. Besides, that's how I rendered my Rowdy Roddy Piper tribute and that turned out OK, right?

Wrong. That one was also something of a pain-in-the-ass BUT not as difficult as this one would turn out.

Man, I was smearing ink (something I NEVER do) and when it came time to paint., I was everywhere on the map. Not combining and blending and experiencing the glorious texture and porosity that cold press watercolor paper offers but moving color from here to there ad everywhere. Yeah, it sucked and I actually got upset at a piece for the first time in my life.

But I stuck around and finished the job.

So here you have it, Kids. Not the best painting I have to offer (and you deserve and should expect better of me. I call it a six on a 10 scale) but I'm sharing it anyway because I have to be held accountable for my art. That said, I'm right back on the artsy-fartsy horse and ready to kick off my next piece, a portrait of the Marvel Family - Captain Marvel (the REAL Cap. Not some New 52 knockoff who calls himself "Shazam." What ridiculous horseshit), Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr./CM3.

And I won't puss out on my challenges in medium. I promise. :)



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.

ArtBar Aurora: Superman vs. Lex Luthor - the Death of Everything

As this month's ArtBar Aurora theme is "death," I present to you my offering of, well...death!

Now death can be perceived in myriad ways, so when I had a somewhat difficult time coming up with a visual concept, my girlfriend, Tracy - as always - was as helpful as could be. Her suggestion, Superman finally losing control and beating Lex Luthor to death, was as simple for me to render as it was for her to conceive.

However, I did want to take a certain throwback approach to the subjects and completely eschew their "New 52" versions, opting to draw the late-1970s/early-'80s versions of Superman and Lex, hence Luthor's old-school battle duds he's sporting as he bails this mortal coil.

When you think about it, the death theme permeates the piece (titled, "Oh, God...What Have I Done?") in a number of ways. Obviously Lex kicked the bucket but Superman's code of ethics also died. Just as well, were this a DC-sanctioned story, our innocence would have kacked too.

As for medium, I was all over the place, using Copic and Prismacolor markers, Prismacolor watercolor pencils, Sharpie and Faber-Castell white PITT artist pen on 14" X 17" Bristol Board (I also learned that combining art marker and watercolor pencil can be a major pain in the ass. As a result, any flaws can be very difficult to fix - and you might be able to notice some from the gate).

Truth be told, I almost felt a little Joe Kubert going on here after everything was said and done!

Next: my graphite rendering of WBA middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin!

ArtBar Aurora: Geeks Start Young

May 2nd's ArtBar Aurora was my third foray into the local art-fest held at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, Illinois and the topic this time out? Geek!

Yes, you read right, Howlers. Geek-inspired art was the catch of the evening as the masses convened to share their take on what defines "geek." Admittedly, this was a toughie.

And I'm an idiot (you probably all knew as much anyway). Though I knew what I wanted to render and had my visual references already filed, I sat on my thumbs UNTIL THE MONDAY OF ARTBAR WEEK (the caps are to accentuate my idiocy). See, I've done marathon pieces - stuff I considered very good - over the course of one day. That said, those were also during times in which I really wanted to be left alone - by everyone.

These days, it's the total opposite. :)

But your favorite obstinate artist/editor thought he could hit the three-pointer from the key nonstop, starting Monday, April 29 and finishing somewhere around 3 a.m. on Thursday, May 1.

See? Idiot.

OK, so enough of that. What we have here is a comic-style piece inspired by our daughter, Makayla (four next month!). She's gussied up in geek regalia, which includes Superman's boots, cape and pants, Wonder Woman's golden belt and magic lasso, a red lightsaber from "Star Wars," Batman's gloves, a blue shirt from "Star Trek" (probably Spock's) and a Pinkie Pie stuffed animal from "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic" (incidentally, I drew pointy ears ala Spock but you can't really tell).

The piece was done on Bristol Board (10 1/2" X 13") and rendered in Micron pen, Faber-Castell PITT artist pen (black and white) and Copic markers.

My biggest issue - other than my flagrant procrastination - was how I rendered the fabric. My being in a hot rush resulted in major suckage, therefore I name and claim said suckage.

Still, I think it's a pretty cute piece and it hangs in Makayla's room today - and she loves it.

That's really the most important thing I took away from this.

Next month at ArtBar: "Freak"! And yes, I'm not waiting until the 11th hour on this one. :)

The Shield's Roman Reigns as Superman!

As a reborn pro wrestling fan, it's been a lot of fun to get pulled back into the weekly WWE programs and experience the relatively new personalities performing today. Amid the cool-ass characters of Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, the Usos and the Wyatt Family prowls a six-man unit (really a three-man team but competition has always been referred to as a "six-man") called The Shield. The Shield, comprised of the unpredictable and wild current WWE United States champion Dean Ambrose and former WWE tag team champions Seth Rollins (the "architect" of the team) and Roman Reigns (the "powerhouse"), have become breakout stars and consider themselves a group which serves to eliminate "injustice" in the squared circle.

Furthermore, Reigns, has become somewhat a curious anomaly himself, garnering a serious following, even being bandied as a future world champion (rumors of The Shield eventually dissolving definitely help the fun in imagining the cool storylines involving the respective futures of each member of the team). What has made Roman Reigns my favorite WWE superstar are his air of intimidation, an "I'm cool and I know it" antihero attitude and one of his signature moves (the other being a leaping shoulder spear), the "Superman Punch."

Thus, the piece featured here, a comic-style sketch of Reigns in a Superman get-up, inspired by Kal-El's "The New 52" suit but with his "classic S" insignia (also considered a "shield" itself! Hey, that worked pretty well; didn't it?).

(Oh, lest I forget, the piece was done in Micron pen, Sharpie and Prismacolor watercolor pencil on sketch paper.)

And what timing! Today (one day after the "Elimination Chamber 2014" pay-per-view, in which the Wyatt Family emerged victorious over the "Hounds of Justice"), the WWE Network in is full effect. And you can count on seeing much more of Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose on the network for years to come.

Man of Steel!

Inspired by Henry Cavill in the new Superman film, "Man of Steel," I thought I would knock out another comic-inspired piece and dress it up with Micron pen inks, Prismacolor art markers and a touch here and there of Prismacolor watercolor pencils (I keep this up and I'm sure to get an endorsement; right? Hello? Guys?) Here's your before and after! 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.