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!

Quien Es Mas Macho? Lupe Contreras, THAT's Who!

A while ago, I considered buying a t-shirt press so I could sell wearable art. Well, the money was never really there but before I temporarily dismissed the idea, I talked to one of the hippest (and one of my two favorite) ring announcers in the world, Lupe Contreras, the last time he worked the fight scene in Chicago. I proposed a t-shirt idea for Lupe (I mean, c'mon...who's mas macho than Lupe himself?) for his legion of Lupe-maniacs and he proposed an "I Love Lupe" logo. You know, like "I Love Lucy" (Yeah, yeah, I know. You ain't stupid)? I thought it was a pretty kick-ass idea. See, Lupe's no stick-in-the-mud but a really open cat who digs his fans and boxing fans in general. And his fans dig him equally! So I created one anyway. If I do get into t-shirt sales (Never say never!), I'll make sure Lupe (The Mexican George Clooney..."Cloopé") gets his merch opportunity. :)

(Incidentally, Lupe saw the logo and said, "Sounds like a really bad sitcom on [Spanish-language cable network] Mun2!")