Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Rejected DCnÜ Aquaman design by Jim Lee from Justice League #1 (October, 2011)



AQUAMAN: A more crustacean-looking armor was considered but ultimately deemed to be too detailed and "crusty" a look for the regal, majestic King of the Seven Seas. Maybe an Atlantean foot soldier will carry this mantle...

Define "abomination": See Above. What is the appreciable difference between "regal" and "majestic," anyway?

New 52's Day

Saturday, November 26, 2011

2011 NYCC Zatanna Color Commission by Mike McKone

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These scans are enormous, so be sure to check them out in their full glory!

Mike McKone's TwitPics

Thursday, November 24, 2011

2010 "Vixen On The Prowl" art by Taylor Cordingley

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"When it comes to Saturday morning cartoons, "Justice League" was one of the best -- until "Justice League Unlimited" came along and blew it out of the water with its massive roster! I loved that we got to see just about every Justice Leaguer we would have ever have wanted to see. Vixen was among the few who got a large role on the show. She was fierce, feisty and had super cool powers. On top of that she was voiced by the always talented Gina Torres. Even though she's often written badly in the comics, we'll always have the cartoon version to love forever.

Oh... and why is she one of the VERY few black superheroines at DC? Marvel has a few (one of them being Storm who is f*cking awesomeness wrapped in an often barely-clothed package) and DC has Vixen and a few randoms."

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Aquaman #2 (December, 2011)



The creatures from the Trench ate the crew of a boat. Afterward, they saw lights through the night along the coast. "What is this? Maybe there's more food there?" From the dock, a little boy said "Mommy! Mommy! It's daddy's boat!"

At the lighthouse, Arthur showed Mera a photo album, including a picture of himself skiing as a boy. "It looks terrible. When can I try it? ...If we're going to make a life on land instead of the oceans, I want to learn more about the world you grew up in. I want to learn more about you." Another picture of a man standing behind young Arthur and his father agitated him. "That picture shouldn't be in there."

A police officer knocked on the door. He'd been visiting lighthouses all down the coast looking for Aquaman. He got more than he bargained for when asking Mera an innocent question about her being a mermaid. Her eyes went white as she controlled nearby water to form a flying mermaid replica. The deputy was from Beachrock, site of a massacre. The heroes rode out with him to the docks, canvased by police and military. The local sheriff chastised the deputy for exceeding his authority, but the guy swore by Aquaman, who'd saved his sister a year prior on a cruise ship in Iceland. The Sea King blew off the sheriff, while Mera observed, "They should be bowing before you."
"I'm not a king to them, Mera."
"They need to be educated. I'm happy to do it."

On a pier, the King of the Seven Seas attempted to contact the denizens of the deep telepathically, complete with cartoon-style "VUU VUU VUU" sound effect. There was nothing in the waters of the area to respond to him. Police divers meanwhile found some sort of cocoon, and hauled it up to the dock. Aquaman psychically "heard" the Trench creatures as they suddenly emerged from a docked shop en masse. "Our food." The swift and powerful monarch of the ocean had never seen their like, but their intentions were clear, so his trident dug into their flesh. Mera was similarly ruthless. "You attack us like monsters? We do the same."

A "normal" Trench creature broke its teeth on Aquaman's armor, but a "hero" creature of larger proportions wrenched his trident away. It spit on the Sea King, marking "This food. This food comes home to the trench."

"The Trench Part Two" was by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Joe Prado. It is a gorgeous book, and clearly the best rendition of Aquaman ever seen. The writing also respects the character, even if the metatextual defensiveness is a bit of a self-defeating turnoff. Show, don't tell. Cool villains, and I approve of the dark fantasy direction, but it sucks to read an issue inside five minutes.

New 52's Day

Sunday, November 20, 2011

2008 Aquaman color head sketch by Jim Lee and Alex Sinclair

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"Diana told me to get Martian Manhunter and she was going to get Aquaman. But when she went up to Jim, she messed up. Jim started laughing because we all knew she got the wrong character. It was pretty funny, but I guess you had to have been there. Nevertheless, Alex did a spectacular job with the colors on this sketch."

Image Founders

Friday, November 18, 2011

2011 Mari McCabe Sweater Post by Hanie Mohd

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"I did a few drawings of DC ladies in sweaters. It's first inspired by this post (http://potatofarmgirl.tumblr.com/post/10723216750/i-read-this-earlier-tonight) and I ended up drawing a few more because it's freaking fun and who said superheroes need to dress up skimpy to look awesome?! I love trying to insert their iconic look/ personality into the outfits."

Aside from the Vixen, "Hanie Mohd" also offers Bab Gordon, Selina Kyle, Pamela Isley, Karen Starr, Harleen Quinzel, Kara Zor-El, Donna Troy, Stephanie Brown and blog favorite Zatanna Zatara here,

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

2007 "Aquaman Theme Song" by Odd Man Out Films



I actually LOL'd at this, no mean feat.

"Despite Aquaman being the most kick-ass underwater crime fighter around, this son of Atlantis never really got as much glory as his abilities to communicate with fish and ride around on giant sea-horses like a total bad-ass warranted. Here is The Aquaman Theme Song, which should have been the introduction to the absolutely fantastic 70's filmation cartoon the clips are compiled from. Courtesy of Colby & Ian Day of Odd Man Out Films."

Saturday, November 12, 2011

2010 "Behind the Mystique of Vixen" watercolor by Shelton Bryant

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2011 has been the Year of the Vixen for this blog, inaugurated by Shelton Bryant's lovely 2010 Vixen Watercolor. Bryant seems to like the Lady Fox, and I really do appreciate that. But, as you can see from the image above, he really seems to like Vixen is a very intimate way. We've still got seven weeks left in the year, but this gallery is a bit too hot for the holidays, so best to get it out of the way now. There are naked lady parts ahead, and honestly, so far off model as to veer away from topless Vixen toward just plain old "African American nude."

NOT SAFE FOR WORK -- NUDITY!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

2011 Aquaman Watercolor by Shelton Bryant

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"AQUAMAN on an 8 by 11 acid-free, 100% rag Lanaquarelle watercolor sheet (140 lbs mould-made.)"

Shelton Bryant

Thursday, November 3, 2011

2007 The Vixen art by Rocky Howard

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"Vixen in all her glory.

Prisma color pencils"

...and by "glory," he means she's got a built-in coin purse...