Thor vs. The Sandman

Last summer, with about 2 weeks to go before Comic-Con, my friend Caleb Monroe generously offered to write a 5-page comic script if it would help me create some sample work for my portfolio. When I agreed, he suggested that it focus on two popular characters, one from  the stables of DC and one from Marvel. I picked Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and The Mighty Thor.  An odd combination, to be sure, but I thought, "That'll be a challenge."

I had no idea that he'd deliver something so poetic, almost lyrical. There's no dialogue, no colors, no onomatopoetic sound effects; I did my best to bring this lovely little story to life, and I hope you like the results. 

"Tales from the Black Lagoon" Fanart

Hollywood's always done its best to prove the adage "truth is stranger than fiction", and the guys behind The Thrilling Adventure Hour have taken it even stranger with Tales from the Black Lagoon. A tale of Hollywood noir, Tales is a terrific whodunit according to "the newly-rediscovered memoirs of Ben Chapman", the man who played the titular beast from The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and a fantastic example of world building by the show's writers.

In Tales, everything you think you know about the golden age of the silver screen is topsy-turvy: Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff's infamous feud? Invented to hide the fact they were lovers. The hilarious Harpo Marx? A vicious thug with arms like boa constrictors. And the cherubic Angela Lansbury was a deadly femme fatale who'd "had more extras than Central Casting."

I really wanted to nail the likeness here, so this was a bit of a challenge. There's definitely a dearth of reference of Angela Lansbury looking anything other than 357% wholesome and adorable. Super-fun.

Soon to be colored and made into a cigarette card.

Atomic Cthulhu

The paranoia of the 50's, along with the social tensions and political volatility of the era, just screams to have other, less metaphoric vistas opened onto strange worlds. This is my cover to a book of playing aides for people wanting to roleplay Lovecraftian horror in the "atomic era", when technology (and your neighbor) suddenly became something to fear. Published by Chaosium.

When the book becomes available, I'll make sure to post a link to a place where it can be purchased.

The Red Plains Rider

... and right on the heels of Pterodactyl Jones comes The Red Plains Rider! Often seen in the company of Sparks Nevada, Marshall on Mars, who paired her up with her future husband, the frontiersman Cactoid Jim. Red is most often portrayed by the talented Busy Philipps on episodes of The Thrilling Adventure Hour, but as the equally-awesome Annie Savage has also taken a turn as the fiery vigilante, I kept the likeness pretty soft.

Had a ton of fun with this one designing her outfit and weapon of choice.

Soon to be colored and turned into a cigarette card. Stay tuned.

Pterodactyl Jones and Harvey

A portrait of Patton Oswalt as Pterodactyl Jones, the house detective of the most haunted hotel in New York City, The Opal, and his dinosaur-ghost sidekick, Harvey. Their adventures can be heard on the Beyond Belief episode "The Devil and Mr. Jones" on The Thrilling Adventure Hour.

Patton's likeness still isn't as close as I'd hoped, but Harvey makes up for it, I think.

Soon to be colored and turned into a cigarette card. Stay tuned.

More Dungeon Majesty Goodness

Mystika, the Cleric/Necromancer

Shakuntala, the Druid

LaTiza, the Sorceress

Devastina, the Barbarian

The Dungeon Majesty girls, done in the style of Larry Elmore. Ink on bristol, 2007.