Comics on the Brain

RoboCop is back in comics, and he's finally done right

2010-03-05T21:45:00Z

There are very few characters that I honestly feel I'm an authority on. Sure, there are plenty of characters that I love, but my knowledge on many of them is only a surface level. I know the basics. I understand the concept. I get the gist.
But then there's RoboCop.
When I first saw Paul Verhoeven's first film on videotape, I was totally blown away. Funny, nihilistic, action-packed, dramatic all rolled into one.
Even better, RoboCop kept getting bigger. For some crazy reason, people decided that RoboCop should be a kids' toy. He became a cartoon. There are lunch boxes. There candy dispensers. There are backpacks. There are drink cups with bendy straws.
I know this because I have them all.
Over the years, I have collected hundreds of items based on RoboCop as a pop culture icon.
I even have the full-sized Data East arcade game in my basement. I had it fixed so that it doesn't charge a quarter per play anymore.
Over the years, RoboCop has been tried again and again in comics, and largely, these efforts have failed.
These failures came as a result of a failure to understand the RoboCop character that was presented in the 1987 film.
Even Frank Miller, who wrote "RoboCop 2," "RoboCop 3" and at least one RoboCop comic series, never seemed to get him down right.
To me, RoboCop is most assuredly "Part Man, Part Machine. All Cop." He's a little bit human. He's a little bit machine. But when it comes to being a police officer, he's all over that.
That's what I think people kept missing. They wanted him to be desperately wanting human contact. They wanted him to be a robot to tell a story about.
But they kept missing his driving force: Righting wrongs as best as he was allowed.
Sometimes his programming would screw him up. Sometimes his lingering emotions would. But he always wanted to get his job done, and he would do it efficiently, logically and mechanically -- without the a hint of zeal or bravado.
So through all these eras of RoboCop, it was rare for me to see stories that met all these standards.
When word came around that Dynamite Entertainment was doing a new RoboCop comic, I was quite wary.
But after two issues? I'm pretty impressed.

First off, artist Fabiano Neves delivers crisp illustrations. He avoids a highly stylized look in favor of realism, and that's a big help with a RoboCop comic. He also handles action with smooth professionalism.
But most of all, I credit writer Rob Williams captures the feel of RoboCop's world:

He nailed the Media Break and its commercials.
He understood the crummy life on the streets.
He gets the sleaze of the big business.
He even understands the weary life of inner city cops.

But most of all, he's got RoboCop down just right.
He's a cop with a job. A job that has to be finished no matter what else happens around him.
And that's just what happens in RoboCop Nos. 1 and 2.
He keeps doing the job, even as it collapses around him.
And that's what I expect out of RoboCop.
Speaking of doing the job right, that's just what Dynamite did.

Lessons on educating kids (of all ages) with comics

2010-03-01T20:48:00Z

Over at the fancy new Captain Comics Web site, the group is having an interesting discussion on using comics as an educational tool.
To kick start the discussion, Luke Blanchard wrote:

I'm inclined to think educational comics should be good teaching tools, but perhaps I'm misled by my own love of comics. I remember reading a comics account of the Burke and Wills expedition in primary school. It extended my knowledge of the events at the time, but the details didn't all stay with me. I read one or two issues of Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe in high school, and I don't know I learned much from it: but then, I wasn't interested in history at the time, and it was too irreverent for me. I found the issue of Chester Brown's Louis Riel here fascinating when I read it a few years ago. I don't know my encounters with educational comics extend much past this. (I can think of some religious comics I've encountered.)
Have any of you guys had interesting experiences with educational comics?

I've had lots of opportunities to think about this over the years.

At a Pittsburgh Comic Con, I was asked to speak about educational comics as part of a panel. Then several years ago, I had a job interview with Diamond Comic Distributors. My primary job duty would have been to promote comics to libraries, and my main pitch to them was the wide variety of educational comics available, rather than getting them to purchase the latest Wolverine trade.

Anyway, I see plenty of opportunities to use comics in education, and I'm not just talking about a comic on how to change your oil.

Comics can be therapeutic.
Comics can offer some simple art instruction.
Comics can teach morals.
Comics can explore history.
Comics can criticize the real world.
Comics can inspire.
Comics can teach English.
Comics can expand your vocabulary.
Comics can add to your knowledge of science.
Comics can expose you to different cultures.
Comics can teach other languages.

The list, honestly, goes on and on for me. My changing tastes in comics over the years has especially helped me see all this. Thirty years ago,I started on things like Richie Rich, moved on to superheroes,transitioned into grim-and-gritty Vertigo style comics and now I find myself looking at "slice-of-life" comics and expanding my library of international comics (I just ordered the 2009 Yearbook of "Hot-Shot Hamish," a British "soccer" comic on eBay).

Burma Chronicles, which Travis mentions briefly here, is a perfect example ofan educational comic. It's a great read, but it also gives us some interesting looks at life in Myanmar. Reading it, I knew Guy would be perfectly fine by the end of the book, but damn it is so compelling because it teaches us about this inaccessible country that we will never get to visit. That makes it an educational comic in my book.

I can say the same for something as random as Adam Strange Archives.This is not a great book, but a budding artist can look at it and see how to draw basic anatomy. A historian can look at it as an analogy to America's belief that it needs to help save the world from itself. A writer can use it to break down story structure.

All comics are educational if you think beyond the entertainment value.

In short, any comic can be educational. You just have to be in the right frame of mind to receive the lesson within.

And for anyone looking for a specific titles, I really would just say look hard enough and you can find a lesson in Ghost Rider, but just in case you don't want to do that, here are a few off just one shelf of my GN collection:

Essex County Trilogy -- The Country Nurse, Tales of the Farm, Ghost Stories -- by Jeff Lemire (Building an interconnected story out of three, simplifying art, dialogue construction)
Clan Apis by Jay Hosler ("Bee" science)
Sandwalk Adventures by Jay Hosler ("Evolutionary" science)
By the Numbers Vol. 1 by Rullier & Stanislas (History: Vietnam)
The Lindbergh Child by Rick Geary (History: Lindbergh kidnapping)
The Bloody Benders by Rick Geary (History: The Bender killings)
50 Years of Beatle Bailey by Mort Walker (Evolution of a character and his surroundings)
Good Days and Mad by Dick DeBartalo (Autobiography, a regular book, but its about comics history)
The Picture Bible by Andre Le Blanc (Religious study)
First in Space by James Vining (History: Space race)
Male Call by Milton Caniff (Societal changes since 1940s)
Blackjack Blood & Honor by Alex Simmons (Fictional account of a 1930s era black hero, study on racism)
Monkey Food by Ellen Forney (Comic-book autobiography of a 1970s kid)
Pyongyang by Guy Delisle (Similar to Burma Chronicles mentioned above, but for N. Korea)
Mars Attacks by Keith Giffen (Reintrepretaion of 1950s hysteria)
Echo by Terry Moore (Character development, women's studies, women empowerment)

The hardest part of all this, though, is to get people interested in a comic that doesn't involve someone in tights with powers and laser guns. I'm not saying those are bad comics either, this whole site is pretty much dedicated to superhero adventure comics, but the lessons inside those comics are often all-too easy to ferret out or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, buried too deeply under layers of continuity and in-universe intricacies.

(Incidentally, I did get offered the job, but I had to decline because the two-hour round trip commute each day. That just wouldn't work.)

Pulp Adventures 3: Japan's Secret Fleet

2010-02-28T00:04:00Z

Welcome once again to Pulp Adventures. In this little series, we take a look at people, places, business and things that could be melded into a pulp fiction-style story or role-playing game.

JAPAN'S SECRET FLEET -- NIPPON YUZEN KAZE

THE REAL STORY: Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha is one of the world's largest ship-building companies. It's been in existence since 1870, and still a major player today as part of the Mitsubishi company. During World War II, many of its ships were retrofitted to carry Japanese troops and equipment.
GOING PULP: In a pulp-fiction type universe, the Nippon Yuzen Kaze company offers passenger ships that travel the world delivering goods, tourists and travelers. But this is only a cover for Japan's greater plan.
As well as its mundane role, every ship is a mobile battle station, equipped with spies, torture chambers, Kamikaze troops, bombs, hi-tech listening posts and other sinister equipment. Heck, you might as well through in some ninjas too.
The key thing here is that NYK ships can slide into port, secretly unleash mayhem and then slip away before anyone connects the dots.

WIKIPEDIA (Nippon Yusen): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nippon_Yusen
WIKIPEDIA (Awa Maru): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awa_Maru_(1943)
MORE SITES: Offical Nippon Yusen company Web site
BOOKS: Hundred years' history of the ships of Nippon Yusen Kaisha

SCENE AND STORY IDEAS

While abroad, the adventurers hastily board a ship with the name NYK logo on the side. They think it's headed for New York City, but soon discover its headed for Japan, with a load of stolen U.S. military supplies on board.
The scientific discovery of the century, the fossils of Peking Man, are aboard the Kaze version of the Awa Maru (linked above), and the adventurers must sneak aboard and steal them back before they get lost in wartime chaos.
Every seven days for months now, there's been a bombing in the city. Then after a massive sea storm, the bombing is delayed by a day. This gives the adventurers enough clues to check the shipping schedules. Lo and behold, an NYK ship leaves port about two hours before each bombing. So the adventurers start a stake out and eventually uncover Japan's plot.
Aboard one of the premiere ocean liners of the NYK line, the adventurers start to unravel a plot: The whole boat is set to blow up when it arrives in the states. The explosion will cripple the port and kill thousands -- including the adventurers. They set out to stop the Kamikaze boat.

MORE PULP ADVENTURES

The Top 10 Reasons to NOT Join the X-Men

2010-02-22T19:17:00Z

-- Number 10 --
The mutant ability to curdle cheese with your thoughts isn't very helpful in combat.

-- Number 9 --
According to the "Days of Futurepast," you get beheaded by a Sentinel ... so really, what's the point?

-- Number 8 --
Seems pretty likely that Cyclops will steal your girlfriend.

-- Number 7 --
The Scarlet Witch keeps on looking at you funny.

-- Number 6 --
Wolverine's hair is always clogging the shower drain, and noobs get bathroom duties.

-- Number 5 --
The good news: You once fought Rocket Racer.
The bad news: You lost.

-- Number 4 --
Black and yellow just aren't your colors.

-- Number 3 --
Currently impregnated by the Brood Queen.

-- Number 2 --
Figure you'll get more face time if you joined Alpha Flight.

... and the No. 1 Reason NOT to join the X-Men ...
You think Magneto's got a few good points.

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 29 -- Connecticut

2010-02-20T07:10:00Z

It's the former home to America's team, the Hartford Whalers. Yes, I'm talking about ...
CONNECTICUT

HARTFORD (Vision, Scarlet Witch, Cardiac)

Without a doubt, Connecticut's premiere heroes were always the Vision and Scarlet Witch, who mad

e their home-away-from-the-mansion in Hartford. While the couple was only a sometime fixture in the city, they were still often called upon to help the city. With Scarlet Witch's recent troubles, and the Vision's recent changes, only the Vision is spotted on occasion. (An aside: When the Scarlet Witch's powers were fully realized by the public, she was often used as a scapegoat by the American insurance industry -- her "hometown" folks -- and many insurance premium in the U.S. have a "Witch Claus" that says that if the Scarlet Witch had reported activity within 100 miles of the claim, it can be denied.)
Notes: I think it was actually established that Scarlet Witch and Vision settled in New Jersey, but I couldn't resist the insurance connection.

With Scarlet Witch and Vision's infrequent appearances in Hartford growing even more infrequent over the years, a new superhero slowly staked out the city: Cardiac. Not exactly a nice guy, Cardiac is a fairly violent vigilante, and the streets of Hartford have grown increasingly safe for the average citizen. The habitual criminals, mobsters and swindlers (which includes many of the city's upper crust), however, have taken an intense dislike to the hero and actively set traps to catch, kill or cripple him.
Notes: In my opinion, Cardiac is one of the few 1990s hero/villians that are actually kind of cool. He isn't much of a concept, but his mask, "zig-zag" costume emblems and his use of a pole staff make him a little more memorable than most. (See his image below)
Also, Cardiac fans, take a look at this Web site!

NEW HAVEN/COASTLINE (Turbo)

Turbo serves mostly as Connecticut's coastal guardian, often helping ships and planes in distress over the Atlantic. When not responding to such trouble, she patrols a wide stretch of the state -- from Stamford to New London and bases herself in New Haven. Turbo was also a member of the New Warriors for a time. During this era, she provided a duplicate of her costume to her brother, who took up her patrols.
Notes: Turbo is one of the characters used infrequently in Runaways, a great comic book. In that book, she has been attempting to give up her superheroing life with little success. That still fits pretty good with this idea.

SPRINGDALE (Speedball)

One of the suburbs of Stamford is Springdale (that's actually true, it's not a made-up city), which is the home of Speedball. Though the city is small, Speedball's adventures there were well publicized, and he was often characterized as a nuisance. Eventually, he gained a level of respectiblity as a New Warrior in Florida, but he returned frequently to his hometown, where his exploits have slowly changed the public's opinion of him.

Notes: Please remember that in MY Marvel Universe, the "Civil War" hasn't happened and he hasn't changed into Penance.

Have I tackled your state yet? Take a look at my Relocating the Marvel Universe index!
Need a good explanation of just what I'm doing? Then visit the first entry, which offers a look behind for my initial idea for this series.

Church Sketches IX -- A Fine Collection of Supers

2010-01-30T20:56:00Z

Oh, me oh my. It has been a long, long time, hasn't it?
It's not because I haven't been blogging. I blog for work too, y'know. You don't believe me? Well, check out my two other blogs:

Hurley to Rise -- Where I try to figure out the Irish sport of Hurling. It's kind of like lacrosse, baseball and hockey all rolled into one.
Pop Quiz, Hotshot! -- This is an entertainment and pop-culture blog I share with some other folks. You can read my specific entries here.

I've also been posting stuff over on Deviant Art too. On that Web site, you can track my efforts to draw a comic strip called "Fight Circuit."

The most heinous of my slacking off shows with my literal heap of Church Sketches that I have now. Here's just the ones that are superhero related ...

I don't really have much to say about any of these guys. I'm sure at the time, I had completely planned out their powers, origins and personalities, but some of these date back to the summer of 2009, so I've forgotten them by this time.

Looking for more in this series? Here you go!

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 28 -- Rhode Island

2009-12-09T19:07:00Z

Well, this one's an easy one since it's such as small state to begin with.

RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE (Blue Shield)

Realizing that he could never join a regular police force given his previous felonies, the man known as Blue Shield decided he'd do the next best thing with his powers of invulnerablity. He'd secretly serve as the guardian to police forces around the nation. Based in Providence, he's often helps in situations where cops place their lives in danger -- standoffs, hostage situations, and when the police are heavily outgunned. Of course Providence isn't exactly a hotbed of such activity, but he uses that city as his home base and patrols it regularly. When a truly touchy situation erupts anywhere in the country (think of events such as Waco), he's often quickly contacted for his assistance. In particular, he focuses on hostage extraction, disabling firearms and protecting law enforcement individuals.
Notes: Where Captain America is an Army man, consider Blue Shield the guy who walks the Thin Blue Line. He could even have a slight costume redesign to give him a tactical vest and specialize in the use of a baton and shield.

WARWICK (Husk)

Down south in Warwick is the home to Husk, the mutant sister of Cannonball and one-time girlfriend to Archangel. Preferring to leave the X-Men to establish her own identity, she settled in Warwick, R.I., where she's served the city and state in times of crisis. But why Warwick of all places? Because she's opted to begin college there, and is currently studying to be a paramedic, and hopes to advance her studies in Emergency Medicine in hopes of serving as a battlefield medic for superhumans in general, and the X-Men in particular.
Notes: Husk is often a paramedic to her fellow mutants in the real comics, so this is just an extension of her current character path. Here's a whole fansite dedicated to Husk.

Have I tackled your state yet? Take a look at my Relocating the Marvel Universe index!
Need a good explanation of just what I'm doing? Then visit the first entry, which offers a look behind for my initial idea for this series.

The great skater

2009-12-04T20:53:00Z

In the last few months, I've been getting back into an old passion of mine: Skating.
Sometimes I will skate at an actual pay-to-get-in roller rink, but more often than not, I take advantage of a local municipal park, where I can go at my leisure, and it's usually not too crowded.
Typically I go after work, which I get done with early in the afternoon. The place? Springettsbury Park. That's technically not in my municipality, but this is a nice big place with lots of activity areas that are well used.
After changing and the short drive over, I pop the hatchback on the van, where I sit in the back and strap on my skates. I take my MP3 player and insert it in my phone holder case, attach ear buds and hit "play."
I grab my backpack with hockey pucks, balls and my gloves and skate uphill to the rink. Skating uphill is not much fun, just in case you don't know that.
The rink is small compared to an ice hockey rink, but OK. It's placement is nice because it's right in the middle of the park and on a rise, so you can see lots of stuff. Looking down the hill is the parking lot, basketball courts, baseball diamond and a very cool playground. Looking up the hill is beach volleyball (minus the actual beach ... it's just sand), pavilions, a massive amphitheater that hosts concerts and a football field. Looping around the park is a paved jogging path.
The rink itself has walls about 3 feet up, and then above that it's fenced by chainlink that wraps around the entire rink, which is good because it helps stop misfired balls. The rink also has benches behind several doors on one side. Also there's penalty boxes and a record keeper area. The rink is paved with smooth cement and marked off for short-rink play.
I have only once been there when someone else was there, that's probably attributed to my strange work schedule. It is clearly used by hockey players because I have found stray pucks, drink bottles and scraps of hockey tape laying around.
So with my music playing (which always is fun), I empty out my backpack and put on my gloves. I set my backpack in front of one of the goals as a very poor substitute for a goalie.
I then take my hockey stick and do laps around the rink and fire the pucks and balls into the net again and again.
My main effort is to get the pucks into the net, but I'm also practicing tight turns, speed boosts and quick stops while I do it.
When shooting into the goal, I try not to aim for the center of the net because that's where the goalie would normally be stationed. Instead, I aim for the crossbar and posts of the net, which are harder for a goale to defend. The absolute best shots are the ones that hit a post or crossbar with a "tink!" and then bounce into the net. Those are the ones I'm most proud of.
I try to make the whole exercise period last about an hour. In the last 10 minutes or so, I gather up all my stuff, put it in my backpack and leave the rink. From there, I often skate the long way around the jogging path back to my car, where I stow all the equipment away and drive home all sweaty, sore and tired.
The whole effort works most on my legs and calf muscles. But often I'm achy in my abs too because you do a lot of scrunching and reaching with your abdominal area. Sometimes my rib cage and diaphragm area hurts too because of all the heavy breathing I'm doing.
I enjoy it so much, especially since my music is blaring through the whole thing.
I often find myself getting really antzy and eager to get back at it if I haven't done it for a few days. Quite frankly, it's kind of exhilerating because of the speeds you can get up to and the legwork involved.
So, I bet you're wondering ... "Dude? Why are you telling us all this?" Oh, I just wanted an excuse to try to load a video on to my blog.

Skating at Springettsbury Park in York County, Pa.

http://soundadvicefortoday.com/2009/12/04/the-great-skater.aspx

Hey, it worked! Awesome! We will now resume to our regularly scheduled comic-book discussions.

I'm a deviant

2009-11-06T00:35:00Z

I've opened an online art gallery at DeviantArt. This is a semi-professional site where artists post all their stuff. Some only select their best, others just post whatever they're working on.
Me? I'm doing a little of both. You see, right now I'm working on a web comic with an online friend.
What's it about? Giant robots! ... Need I say more?
Anyway, please check my DeviantArt account for regular updates, and of course, check back here too!

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 27 -- Massachusets

2009-10-12T19:02:00Z

Here we are in Massachusetts ...

MASSACHUSETTS

BOSTON/GLOUCESTER/STATEWIDE (Black Knight)

Like much of New England, Boston seems to be a strange attractor for the occult. This gives the Black Knight plenty of opportunity to use his Ebony Blade with impunity as he slices and dices ghosts, specters and everything that goes bump in the night. Though he's primarily focused in protecting Boston from regular superhuman threats, his more mystical missions take him throughout the state. He also makes frequent appearances in Gloucester, his hometown.
Notes: OK, so Boston is pretty much like any other city. It's got the mob, crime, druggies and thugs just like any other city. But it also has a deeper history than most of America. It's got all that old architecture, Revolutionary War history and was significant to the country way back before the Revolution too. That's pretty much the best America can do when you're looking for a supernatural threat. This let's B.K. slice and dice until his heart's content. You know what, we'll be sure to throw some giant robot mechas at him once and a while too.

BOSTON (Elsa Bloodstone)

Elsa Bloodstone is also one of Boston's heroes. She lives in her father's mansion, which also serves as the basis for her monster-hunting business. Her business takes her across the world as she chases stories of Bigfoot, Nessie, vampires and Godzilla. Her expertise at tackling a wide variety of threats also suits Boston well, since she or her staff is usually able to respond to any threats to the city. Sure, the Bloodstone team's response tends to be a little more violent than a regular squad of superheroes, but when Boston's in need, it doesn't complain. Aside from her activities as a monster-hunter, Bloodstone is also a bone fide celebrity in New England, and she's often hounded by paparazzi and fans everywhere she goes. While this celebrity status has its detractions, it also helps Bloodstone move among the elite of New England, and it's just as common for her to be hob-nobbing with the rich as it is for her to be blasting a hobgoblin in Haverhill.

Notes: Just in case Black Knight can't clean up all the creepies, we'll put Elsa there too. She's a great character, and you see occasional glimpses from Marvel that they realize she's cool too. Now we've just got to get them to hit overdrive.

SPRINGFIELD (Crimson Commando, Stonewall, Super Sabre)

Super soldier veterans of the Great War, Crimson Commando, Stonewall and Super Sabre operated secretly for years in New England region, where they tracked down malcontents and eliminated them. Years ago, the government finally took notice and hired them on as members of the Freedom Force. From there, the Freedom Force went from a nationally operating team to international. During a mission in the Middle East, Super Sabre was killed, and Crimson Commando and Stonewall left the agency. They moved back to Springfield, Mass., and adopted the entire rural section of New England as their stomping grounds. Now they circulate as far West as Albany and East to Boston. North and South, they work Connecticut to Vermont. Once again, they buck law and deliver their own justice to those who deserve it, and once again, they operate in secrecy when ever possible.
Notes: When these guys were first introduced in the pages of Uncanny X-Men, I took an instant liking to them. Finally the Marvel folks made an effort to fill the backstory of the M.U. It was ret-conning to add them in, but at least you got an idea that yes, there were some supers that came in under the radar after Captain America, the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner stopped bashing Nazi's and the Fantastic Four arrived. Anyway, they're originally from the Hudson area of New York. I just shoved them a bit east. (In current continuity, Stonewall and Super Sabre die in combat. Crimson Commando loses an arm and becomes plain old "Commando.")

SALEM (Nosferata)

Taking residence in Salem, the woman known as Nosferata the She-Bat, is a dark vigilante who keeps the hard streets of Salem free of crime. Sure, there isn't a whole lot of crime in Salem, but she's there to help. Using her utility belt, vast riches, gritty attitude and athletic skill, she's certainly a force to be reckoned with, as Ethan Edwards (aka Virtue) of Maine knows all too well. You see, Nosferata has gotten it in her head that while Edwards is currently a force for good, he could easily be tipped in the other direction. As such, she has made numerous plans to stop his upcoming rampage, and she continues to make more and more plans. In fact, she actually seems a little obsessed about him, but it's probably better that she has something to occupy her time.

Notes: A joke character introduced in She-Hulk, Nosferata is still kind of cool. That's why she can hang out (get it? Bats hang!) in Salem and keep the witches in check.

Church Sketches VIII -- Heroes and villains of the Blackout!

2009-10-01T14:48:00Z

My folder of doodles is filling up again. This time I was thinking a lot about superheroes again, so here you go ...

From the top right we have ....

A HURLER -- OK, so I'm not always thinking about comics. I've also been trying to learn the Irish sport of hurling. You can read more about my efforts here.
WINGED TERROR -- He looks a little bit like Spawn purreed with the Falcon. You gotta love the wings and clawed feet!
ROCKET WOMAN -- This lady has great hips. I just love 'em! Her hair's kinda nice too. Too bad I forgot to finish her other hand.
BLACKOUT SKETCH 1 -- All the images here with the green background were drawn in a darkened stadium during a Joyce Meyer convention. They are very "fuzzy" looking because I was feathering a lot to catch the right lines. Not bad for not being able to see what I'm drawing. Anyway, this lady tosses around little explosive dart-grenades. Love the tiara.
BLACKOUT SKETCH 2 -- This shieldmaiden is inspired by Hiemdall, the Norse god and protector of the Rainbow Bridge.
ALIEN SWORDMASTER -- He's got four arms, and weird eyes. That's alien enough, right?

And now for set two ...

This group also features some "Blackout Sketches." Again, from top right ...

FALCON WOMAN -- Some sort of superhero with a pet falcon or hawk. I do love bird-themed heroes, don't I? Her face is too long though.
R-MAN -- I made his symbol look like an "R." Now I just have to figure out why!
BLACKOUT SKETCH 3 -- I decided this guy should be German (or maybe Austrian, Swiss or Belgian) because he has a lace up collar. I figure he'd be a super-tough hero. Maybe name him after a famous forest or something. The Woodsman?
SHORT ALIEN -- I just like the design on his suit.
BLACKOUT SKETCH 4 -- I like this guy's hair. His costume's kind of sports-team looking.
PIG SHERIFF -- I intentionally made his hands oversize to make him look intimidating.

Looking for more in this series? Here you go!

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 26 -- Maine

2009-09-21T18:57:00Z

Maine is an out-of-the-way place to be sure. You don't accidentally wind up in Maine, or even go there on the way to someplace, you actually have to want to go there.

Anyway, here's the line up for ...

MAINE

BANGOR (Paladin)

Paladin has his mercenary HQ in Bangor, Maine. He's based there, sure, but most of his paying missions take him abroad and around the U.S. While he's home though, he acts as that town's defender, where he experiences a lot of general weirdness -- ghost-infused cars, vampire takeovers, unstoppable rabid dogs, spirit clowns seem to pop up all the time in Maine, and the state's go-to guy is the Paladin. Sure, beyond Maine, he puts on a public face of the gallavanting mercenary, but for his "town," he acts as a regular down-to-earth hero, and Bangor (and the whole state) is often glad to have him.
Notes: Just in case you don't get my subtle humor here, but I'm implying that all that Stephen King-type stuff actually happens in the M.U. version of Maine, and I set the Paladin against it. Paladin's a great character. He should be applied liberally to the M.U.

PORTLAND/NOVA SCOTIA/NORTH ATLANTIC (Fantastic Force)

Though the team of heroes known as the Fantastic Force were once based in California*, the revitalization of the Fantastic Four and the de-aging of Franklin Richards broke up the team. Half of the heroes on the team went their separate ways -- Richards back to his family, and Vibraxis returned to Wakanda. But Huntara, a warrior woman from the future, and Devlor, an Inhuman who could transform into an apelike creature, eventually came back together. Shunning a more traditional superhero spotlight, they retreated to Portland, Maine, were they developed their skills.

But despite their best efforts, Vibraxis wasn't interested in rejoining, and Richards was far too busy with the F.F. Soldiering on, the two-person Fantastic Force forged ahead with their plans, and staked out a wide patrol area that includes much of the Bay of Maine and the North Atlantic shipping lanes. There they fought many dangers, helped thwart disasters, did much good,and even had a few appearances in Discovery Channel reality fishing shows. Still, their biggest victories were those with the least witnesses, and their efforts were largely unnoticed.
But wait! One person did notice: Ace news-hound Ethan Edwards of the Portland Planet. It was a good thing too, since Edwards was more than just a mild-mannered reporter. Secretly, he was the last son of a dying world** and gifted with powers greater than any human. Raised in rural Iowa, Edwards's adoptive parents transformed him into a caring man, who learned that having such great power meant he had great responsibilities. With such a solid foundation, he seemed destined to be Maine's*** premier superhero, but for one reason or another, his costumed persona, Virtue, has remained just as unnoticed as the Fantastic Force has. Edwards realized that he needed help with his heroing, and that he and the Fantastic Force should join together to defend the North Atlantic.
Presenting the idea to Huntara and Devlor, the three got into a tremendous battle**** because each jumped to the wrong conclusion. Still, the brawl proved to be suprisingly theraputic, and they ultimately decided to work together as they protect their little corner of the world.
Sadly, even with a reporter on their team, they're still generally ignored by residents of Maine, Nova Scotia and even Atlantis.
But they keep trying, and gosh darn it, if they try hard enough, it just might work.

* Remember, the F.F. got moved to California.

** Not really. He's actually a skrull, but a nice one.
***He liked the scenery better in Maine.
**** Even Huntara and Devlor were hitting one another, and they were already friends. What are comic books coming to?

Have I tackled your state yet? Take a look at my Relocating the Marvel Universe index!
Need a good explanation of just what I'm doing? Then visit the first entry, which offers a look behind for my initial idea for this series.

2009 wantlist

2009-09-20T16:45:00Z

Pardon the seemingly greedy nature of this post, but to help my friends and family understand my ecclectic habits, I've been asked many times to provide them with a "Want List" for gift-giving purposes, so here's what I've been itching to get:

ACTION FIGURE: Blowtorch from G.I. Joe action figure line.
BOOK: "Danger, My Ally" by F.A. Mitchell-Hedges (He's a guy connected to the infamous Crystal Skulls)
BOOK: "Nine Lives Plus" by Mildred Bruce (Daredevil from the 1930s.)
BOOK: "Safari: A Chronicle of Adventure" By Bartle Bull (History of safaris in Africa)
BOOK: "The Shamba Raiders" by Bruce Kinloch (Tales of an African game warden)
BOOK: "The Wolfhound Guide to Hurling" by Brendan Fullam
DISPLAY CASE: Apex Action Figure Display Case I figure I could use one of these. I could mount it in my attic.
DVD: Prince Caspian
DVD: Night Court Season 1
HAT: Armagh GAA baseball hat Just a cool looking hat. (O'Neill's)
JERSEY: London GAA size XXL Not a favorite team or anything, just a cool shirt. (O'Neill's)
SHIRT: Armagh GAA poloshirt (O'Neill's)
WATCH: Simcoe Coat of Arms, silver preferred. If you can find a better watch with the same Coat of Arms, I'd be even more happy since this is probably a not-good watch. Alternatively, you can buy a JPG of the Simcoe coat of arms and place it on an item of your preference, such as a mug or t-shirt.
WALLET: I just need a new leather wallet, but I'm too cheap to buy one of my own.

Be sure to check back for updates! I need lots of stuff after all.

Last update: 10/7/2009

Halflings, elves and orcs

2009-08-19T00:30:00Z

It's been a while since I talked about my Cities of Fantasy project with RPGObjects. The series featured art that I had done, and at the time I promised to show you some. Well, a year later here you go!
These were done in Pen & Ink and then colored in PhotoShop. I don't know if I did it "the right way," but I think they turned out OK.
First up, we have a halfling who's overjoyed with his return home. For halflings, I changed their look just a bit, giving them "doe ears."
Second is an elf: defiant as all elves are. My elves have solid black eyes and are remarkably slender.

Last,at least for this bunch is the half-orc. In the scenario I present in Cities of Fantasy 2: Racial Neighborhoods, the Orcs (and half-orcs) are the beast keepers. They wrangle animals. They care for them, and they even serv as butchers.

So just what is Cities of Fantasy? Well (at the moment) it's a two-part series that offers a little extra background for game masters and DMs as they prepare their adventures. Each one contains plot hooks and simple ideas to "drag and drop" into an adventure or a whole campaign.
Have you given it a look? If so, please leave a comment and tell me what you think. If not, buy it here!
(You can also click on each image for a larger view.)

CIBT 14 -- Wednesday Comics, Domino Lady, Teen Titans, King Conan, Spooky Tales

2009-08-14T20:16:00Z

Today in Comics I Bought Today, I discuss some regular comic shop purchases, where I bought some new stuff and some items I found at flea markets and antique shops.

For the record, I look at Wednesday Comics, Teen Titans, Moonstone's Domino Lady, the 1980s King Conan and Spooky Tales by Modern Comics.

To hear my comments, just click the Utterli widget or link below.

Utterli: Comics I Bought Today for 8/14/2009

PREVIEWS August 2009: The Dog Days of Summer

2009-08-13T19:14:00Z

You should be able to get your copy of the August 2009 PREVIEWS magazine, where you can find my article on the Dog Days of Summer. In the article, I point out 10 reasons why comic book dogs are so-o-o-o-o-o much better than real life dogs.
Of course, if you're not one to frequent all the fine comic-book stores across the world, then you can read the whole article online at PreviewsWorld.com.

Church Sketches VII -- Calling all heroes

2009-08-07T19:01:00Z

Yep, it's that time again, time for more sketches from church.
This set is decidedly superhero themed.

In making up the back stories for these guys, I found myself being inspired on a global basis. I wanted these heroes to be non-Americans.
Starting from the top left:

A Japanese bat hero whom I've dubbed Kamakoumori, which means "divine bat."
My favorite of the bunch is an electric eel-themed hero. I would probably make him a South American hero. I'm really proud of my rendering here. (!)
The teen girl is a karate expert who's fueled by magic rings.
Beginning the next row is Goldeagle, a hero I've decided will be from the Mediterranean area.
A mug shot of some thug.
Below him is a guy I call Oscuro Pollila, the Mexican hero that translates into "The Dark Moth."
Standing beside him is a hero from Argentina. No name. No powers. ... Yet.
Along the bottom row is another unnamed hero. He has a patriotic look to him, but the stars could be switched to shields or other emblems so he doesn't look so American.
I liked my very simple design for the patriot-who-is-not-a-patriot character so much, I redrew a face. The cleanliness of his costume really appealed to me.
Lastly, is another unnamed hero. I liked his design because it has a very non-American look to his clothes. I would probably make him an African hero, though any tropical-based locale would work.

Looking for more in this series? Here you go!

Pulp Adventures 2 -- Mildred Bruce, speedster

2009-08-05T06:56:00Z

Here we are again with a new edition of Pulp Adventures, my occasional look at topics for pulp stories, games and history pieces. This edition focuses on a person, but look out for further entries on places, things and events that capture that "pulp vibe."

MILDRED BRUCE

(a.k.a. Mary Victor Bruce, Mary Victor Petre)

An American-British woman who defied her time, Mildred Bruce was a race car driver, speed-boat pilot and aviatrix with several records to her name.
Beyond her racing trophies and aviation accomplishments, Bruce also had plenty of mishaps, including multiple crash landings and nearly being kidnapped. She even worked for a flying circus.
Her daring nature also helped her in the business world, where she developed a freight and passenger airline. Those endeavors helped her become a millionaire.

WIKIPEDIA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mildred_Bruce
MORE SITES: Davis Monthan Avation Field Register
AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Nine Lives Plus

PLOT HOOKS:
Here are few ideas (based on some real-life facts) you can use to bring Mildred Bruce into your stories or campaigns.

Have Mildred adopt a secret identity: The masked Aviatrix, Mary Victory.
Bruce's mother was a Hollywood actress. Your adventurers are hired by "mom" to track down and rescue Mildred, who's gone missing in the Philipines.
Bruce's grandmother was a gold miner in California. Bruce, who's laid up after a crash, hires the adventurers to relocate her mine and retrieve a lost artifact.
Bruce was arrested in NYC for flying tight circles around the Empire State Building. Rather than call a lawyer, she needs help from the adventurers to finish her mission -- wrapping the building in a thin wire that will prevent it from being sucked into another dimension.
Bruce also loved to race. She could be one of the competitors in a road race to the North Pole. Of course, such a race would also have to include a family of sasquatch, angry Eskimo gods, mystic arctic hermits and secret Russian bases.

Read more Pulp Adventure ideas here!

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 25 -- New Hampshire

2009-08-03T19:52:00Z

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Given its population, there's not a whole lot of hero coverage in New Hampshire. Still, thanks to the era in which these heroes appeared, it has sort of a 1990s vibe to it!

MANCHESTER/NASHUA (Jewel/Jessica Jones)

Originally from New York City, Jessica Jones debuted as Jewel while attending college in the Manchester area. There she did her best squashing any superhuman threats that appeared -- until a fateful encounter with the Purple Man. After that incident, Jones retired from active superheroing and moved to Chicago where she met and married Luke Cage. Though finished with heroing, she maintains an active "adventuring" life as a private investigator.

Notes: Gee, I guess I should have put this in the Chicago entry! Anyway, Jones still makes an appearance here now and again. She will also return here when it's under threat, knowing it has few other defenders.

ROCHESTER/DOVER/PORTSMOUTH (Mechamage)

A sorceress with a mystic suit of cyber-armor, Mechamage generally serves as the protector of all of New Hampshire, but in particular her activities are focused on the Rochester/Dover/Portsmouth corridor. That region seems to be particularly plagued by recurring sci-mystic invasions from a horrific alien race of cephalopods bent on taking control of the earth and bending its citizens to their rule. This struggle has been largely unnoticed by the heroes of the world, though she often gets assistance from Howard the Duck, Man-Thing, Gargoyle and a few others that are resilient to the cephalopods ability to warp human minds.

Notes: Dipping into the Cthulhu mythos here, but darn it, every superhero universe needs to be under the threat of otherworldly octopi. I also like the idea of the not-so-human and the not-so-human-anymore heroes teaming up.

Series Notes: Here's just as a little insight to how I've made my selections and the procedure in which I do an entry:

I have fifty-two 3x5 cards (one for every state plus D.C. and Puerto Rico), then I went through every edition of the Marvel Universe Handbooks that I own (which, to my knowledge is all of them).
I read most entries and tried to assign heroes to states based on their characterization, names, backgrounds and history. I also tried to theorize what might cause a hero to appear in said state.
From there, I began looking through info on each state including its big cities and its own "character" and how certain heroes might match each city.
So with these base heroes assigned, I then started with these entries. As I write stuff up, I do further research at Marvel.com to find secondary characters. It (and Wikipedia) also helps me get as-current-as-possible info on each character while I'm writing. (More than once my plans went awry when I found out a character is dead, in outer space or transmorgified into an all new character.)
I started in Florida, and worked my way around the border states. I figured this let me cover lots of regions rather than focusing on one region at a time. All of New England is next, since every state up there is a border state.
Right now, I have all the other states planned out, with characters in every state.

Relocating the Marvel Universe -- Part 24 -- Vermont

2009-08-02T18:45:00Z

VERMONT

As the 49th state in population size, there isn't much to say, but I will say that you'll see that New England has a very sorcerer-y feel to it.

MONTPELIER (Dr. Druid, Druid)

Before his death, Dr. Druid, resided in Montpelier, where he spent most of his time in deep study, rather than fighting villains and monsters. Throughout his career, he was called upon numerous times by the superhero community (the Avengers particularly) for assistance on magic-based cases. With his death, Dr. Druid's son, Druid, has followed through in the family business. The new Druid assists the U.S. government on an official basis, and is based out of his father's Montpelier estate. Unlike his father, Druid is an active member of the Montpelier community and assists locals in any superhuman or mystic problems that surface.

Notes: You know how I keep saying "I love this character." Well, guess what? I hate this character! Boy, is Dr. Druid just an uninspired character with a bad costume or what? Top that off with his potbelly and bald spot, and this is just not someone not worth writing about.

GREATER BURLINGTON/LKAE CHAMPLAIN/
LAKE GEORGE/PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Thor Girl)

Thor Girl resides in the Burlington area, but overall, she patrols a wide area that stretches west to Plattsburgh, N.Y., and north and south along Lakes George and Champlain. She even ventures up the Richelieu River and into Quebec at times. This relatively wide area seems to have its own microcosm of superhuman and supernatural activity. In particular it seems to house some sort of dimensional nexus with Niffleheim, the mythical Norse wasteland of ice. This nexus often deposits trolls, snow serpents and other creatures into earth, and Thor Girl does her best to deal with them. Thor Girl seems to be especially taunted by Hela, the ruler of Niffleheim and Hel, and her minions.
Notes: I make up for my loathing of Dr. Druid by placing a surprisingly cool character to watch over North America's favorite sea serpent! Seriously though, I like sticking somewhat obscure characters in out of the way places. This gives them an opportunity to gain some fans and do some good that would have been done 100 times over if she lived in New York City.
And yes, despite the sketchy nature of the image to the right, Thor Girl really is a Marvel Universe character.

Have I tackled your state yet? Take a look at my Relocating the Marvel Universe index!
Need a good explanation of just what I'm doing? Then visit the first entry, which offers a look behind for my initial idea for this series.