Adrian Nelson's "Batman's Rogues Gallery" WIP

I really like how this piece by Adrian Nelson is coming together. Once it is complete, I will upload the "finished" version here as well.

Uncannyknack's Punisher

Uncannyknack's take on the Punisher: 

"Frank Castle in daytime glory. I figured I'd defy the usual tropes around Punisher and show him in the daytime, not on a rooftop, yelling/screaming and no rain anywhere. I do have smoke though. Trust me it's not easy to miss all those must haves! I may keep working on this. Hope you enjoy!"

Bounty from DeviantArt this Morn

Burning Claw by Fooray

Action. I love the movement in Fooray's piece here: the power of the "burning claw" with its fire trail around the body, the expression of joy and the open mouth on the figure's face suggesting a laughing "yeeha" sound, and the perspective making the fist look huge in the foreground. I also like the background pattern and the orange outline around the figure.

Steve Aoki: Neon Future by Raapack

Light. I love the light in Raapack's piece here: the creation of the neon effects along the fringe of the jacket, the light & shadows on Steve Aoki's face from the glowing butterflies, and the reflection in the flat of the sword with the blue shimmer along its edge almost like a light saber.

The Helmet of Fate by Tom Kelly Art

Design. I love the design in Tom Kelly's art: the muted backgrounds full of detailed imagery, the stark contrasts that make the upper shapes distinct and layered on top of the lower ones, and the ever beautiful symmetry.

"Tunnel" by Frogbillgo on DeviantArt

Boy: "Uh, hello?"

Andy Fairhurst (artist)

I love the combination of kid-size figures with the iconography of classic heroes. Andy Fairhurst, an artist from North Wales, has many more of these pieces on his deviant art page that you can check out here. He also has a set of "geek kids" that is pretty cool, too.

http://superherostatuesfan.tumblr.com/post/130869466115/if-the-kids-are-united-then-well-never-be

Social Media

Social Media is an amazing and strange thing, especially to this forty-sumthin' non-digital native.

Ironically, my nickname in high school was "Unsociable Nerd." (Luisa G. used to tease me about this almost daily, noting how I never attended parties or went to sporting events after school.) As a true-blue introvert by nature, just being sociable at all takes a whole helluvalot of energy.

Don't get me wrong. I like people. I like them a lot. My occasional misanthropic tendencies come straight from my idealized notions of what humanity is capable. It is only those of us who see "what a piece of a work is a man" who become jaded when we (humanity) fail to employ our "apprehension... like a god" to IRL problems like poverty and climate change.

So how did this introverted misanthrope get mixed up in all this social media? I now stalk artists -- professional and amateur -- on DeviantArt and post their works on my Tumblr page, which I can then embed here on my blog. And that post, subsequently, I will no doubt share on FB and Twitter to make sure it gets seen.

I'm even propagating myself in social media. SOCIAL media...

Weird.

And, it hardly takes any energy at all.

Nice.

http://haffpint.tumblr.com/post/117807217682/mr-j-by-danielgrzeszkiewicz

The above is Daniel Grzezkiewicz's latest: Mr. J. (Joker from the Batman universe). It is a disturbing take on the latest rendition of the Joker in the Batman comics by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.

(I even get all my comics electronically

now through comiXology--

who needs to get out of the house to be social?)

LEGO Fixation

LEGO Agent Venom

I must confess that I find some "cutsie" imagery entertaining. I don't do situational comedies and I like my ultra-realistic comics and TV, but I also enjoy the animated LEGO videogames and movies.

(I have even tried my hand at building some of the MARVEL & DC Comics LEGO Superheroes kits, but these hands of mine no longer like activities that require fine motor skills and coordination.)

Skottie Young's Variant Cover

For example, I cannot explain why Skottie Young's "kid" Daredevil cover...

Alexandre Salles' Daredevil
from DeviantArt.com

and Alexandre Salles' "gritty" Daredevil cover both appeal to me, but they do.














I wonder what that says about me...