The two faces of the Japanese Batman!

Currently recovering quite nicely from angioplasty over a couple of weeks ago, and with Dragon*Con just around the corner, I'm back to the drawing board.

I came up with yet another update to my Japanese-style Batman, and it's more satisfying this time around!  Inspired by Moonlight Mask (Gekkou Kamen), naturally, I referenced both the 1958 tokusatsu version and the 1972 anime version.  Done tonight on tablet in FireAlpaca.

Batman Vs. the Joker

Did another illustration of my Moonlight Mask/Gekko Kamen-inspired Batman!  Notice a slight change in Batman's design, more to my liking!  I also did my own version of Batman's most popular nemesis, the Joker (inspired after one of Moonlight Mask's own popular adversaries, the jester-like Satan no Tsume/Claw of Satan)!  Did this one this morning on tablet in FireAlpaca.

Next-to-last doodles of 2013!

Didn't I promise you more artwork by year's end?  (After these, I'll have one last doodle for tonight, per tradition; last one for the year, first one of the new year.)  All of these were done on tablet in FireAlpaca.

 First up, a Lily Merriweather drawing for the 5th Anniversary of my Grandma's passing (December 28):

Next, a cute illustration of Dipper and Wendy from Gravity Falls (started on the night of the 29th, finished just on the late-night hours of the 30th), just because.  (And this could make a great early Valentine!)

And for all you comic-book superhero fans, these two (both finished tonight) will interest you: First up is my own interpretation of what a Japanese Superman would look like!  I used Ultra Seven as a model (feeling that Seven is the Japanese Superman, as I related many times before).

And, of course, my own interpretation of what a Japanese Batman would look like!  For Batman, I used the character I always thought was the Japanese Batman, Moonlight Mask (Gekko Kamen), which Latinos out there may remember as Capitan Centella!

Next one to come before midnight...  :)

Happy 75th Anniversary, Superman & Spirou!

Two of the most famous comic-book characters in the world, born just 3 days apart, and what better way to celebrate than have both appear together!  :)

Here is the first traditional American costumed superhero, Superman (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), carrying with him one of French Belgium's most beloved bande dessinée (French term for comic-book or comic-strip) characters, the adventurous bellboy Spirou (created by Robert "Rob-Vel" Velter)!  The characters debuted on Action Comics #1 (National Allied Publications, now DC Comics; April 18, 1938) and Le Journal de Spirou #1 (Dupuis Publishing; April 21, 1938), respectively.  I started on this on the evening of April 17, finished after midnight (April 18), just in time for Superman's Anniversary.  Done on tablet in Photoshop, and in a slightly higher resolution than what I've worked with lately!

BTW, I apologize if Superman looks disproportionate.  (It's difficult to draw from scratch with my Bamboo tablet!)  LOL!  Still, this is the first time in years that I drew the traditional Superman, and I like how it came out, in spite of the flaws.  (And this is the first time I actually drew Spirou!)

The New DC and Marvel Logos!

Yes, folks, I'm just as riled up about the unveiling of the new DC Comics logo.

The above image is from a related article on the new logo by the Bleeding Cool news blog.

The clever part of the logo is that it looks like a turning page of a comic.  That description was much better than DC Comics' own description, and it is honestly pretentious.

The article quotes Amit Desai, Senior Vice President of Franchise Management at DC, who we also revealed was behind the presentation to DC Comics internally, as saying “We didn’t want a static logo, but a living identity that could capture the power of our characters and storytelling. What is special about DC content is the notion of a dual identity. When you think about our DC Comics superheroes, there’s a secret identity. When you think about Vertigo, it’s this notion of good vs. evil in many of the stories. And so, in addition to flexibility, the new logo communicates this idea of dual identity: there’s more than meets the eye. You have to take a closer look to understand the richness of our characters and stories.”

So that's all it is.  A "dual identity."  It's gone far beyond its original description.  Even its original "bullet" logo (used from the late 70s to the early 2000s) is a lot more generic and universal, as it opens themselves up to other genres!  Kiddie comics, comedies, romance, etc.  Yeah, remember those?

So, I decided to offer myself a challenge.  Could I do any better?  I decided to take up the challenge.

I present to you my own version of the DC Comics logo, a mix of the "bullet" logo and my own unique touch!  This was done in less than an hour in Flash (and this presentation was assembled in Photoshop).  Since DC stands for "Detective Comics," I decided to use a magnifying glass for a bullet, much like what detectives use.

But, of course, you don't necessarily need a magnifying glass or the brain of Sherlock Holmes to enjoy the adventures of Superman, Batman (himself a detective!), Green Lantern, Sugar & Spike, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, etc.!

So I did you all one better; I did a new Marvel logo, too!

Have you ever noticed that Marvel doesn't have a unique logo of their own, in comparison to DC Comics?  That bothered me.  Even though I always loved that classic "Marvel Comics Group" banner, and the use of different Marvel characters over the logo in the 80s was a nice touch!  But they never went as far as to make their own unique logo.

How do you define "marvel?"  A "marvel" is something that evokes astonishment and wonder!  When looking at the current Marvel logo, it looks too cold.  Too plain.  Just a blocky font that looks like the text for a hard-edged action movie.  Too much grim, gritty macho stuff.  That's not how I'd define a "marvel."

So, I decided to do a logo that defines Marvel!  Something marvelous and flashy.  An M-shaped flash!  This was done in Flash (no pun intended!) in less than half an hour, with this presentation assembled in Photoshop (right after doing the DC logo).  The "With Detail" one could've been colored/arranged better, but it gives you the idea.  :)

Realistically, neither company would accept these logos, even if they liked them.  But you have to agree, they're quite unique!  They not only define the names, but capture the excitement of what comics are supposed to be.  Just like any entertainment company logo (20th Century Fox, Warner, Paramount, Universal, etc.)!

As for current reading content, that's a subject for another day.