Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Vamp/Vixen Character Design from JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS by Jerome K. Moore

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I always wondered whatever happened to one of my favorite but least prolific pin-up artists of the mid-80s, Jerome K. Moore. Turns out he moved over to DC's parent company Warner Brothers, where I'm sure his gift for likenesses came in handy. He's done a ton of work on Harry Potter materials, and has served up designs for animation projects like DC's made-for-DVD Crisis On Two Earths...

On an alternate Earth, versions of our heroes are twisted and villainous. The evil version of Vixen is called Vamp, and she has the ability to transform into various animal shapes. Adding another level to her evil, I designed her clothes as various animal skins. So, whereas Vixen respects and reveres the beasts by whom her powers are inspired, Vamp merely exploits them. This is a detail, a subtlety that is expected to get lost with such a minor character. But in Character Design, there should be no lapse in effort or thought, no matter the final application. Every step in the process of collaborative art can and should be imbued with storytelling, and the standard of quality must remain as high as possible. Otherwise, it's so easy to lose interest in the work when creativity does not flow with an imaginative freedom.

* I was dissatisfied by the colors applied in the final screen version, and so I'm presenting my personal revision here.

With that kind of professional ethic, it's no wonder Moore's art is such a delight! Check it out at his Deviant Art gallery!

2 comments:

The Irredeemable Shag said...

That is really awesome! Seeing the Justice League Detroit folks was one of my favorite bits in CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS.

I'm glad you posted this!

The Irredeemable Shag
http://onceuponageek.com
http://firestormfan.com

Diabolu Frank said...

I still haven't seen it. Late adopter.