Fryd-Day 2: Adapting a 13 yr-old's Design

Part 2 in a series exploring the adaptation of a childhood creation into a new comic!

Fryd was designed as an homage (read, '"rip off") of two of my favorite characters: The Rocketeer and Earthworm Jim.

In adapting Fryd, I wanted to maintain those qualities while sprinkling a little Milt Kahl goofiness.

One of the best things about growing as an artist is that you gain this library of visual reference in your brain. At the time I created Fryd, I had no idea how to draw a legitimate-looking flightcap, bomber jacket, riding britches, and flare gun (yes, that's a flare gun he's holding).

The clothing/prop aspects that I used to dread drawing as a kid are now some of my favorite things to draw, thanks to years of practice.

The final result is the updated Fryd design!

Of course, 13 yr-old me would be disappointed that I still can't render as well as Doug TenNapel or Dave Stevens.

2 days...

Leper-Con

The long arm of the law is nothing to the cursed, necrotic stump of the degenerating degenerate, Darcy Hansen.

This is a second pass at a design I submitted to Everett Downing's 365 Supers blog, in honor of St. Patty's Day and Ev's recent completion of the 365 Supers project.

La Fhéile Pádraig Shona Daoibh!

17 days...

Green Lantern

Below is the Green Lantern redesign that DC unveiled yesterday, complete with gimp mask, biker gloves and gun. This called for a redesign.

I hope that gun is worth the beating Batman is going to give him for breaking Rule #1.

0 days...hut, hut, HIKE!

"Star War of the Ring"
(or "Orc in Hoth boots")

Podracing stadiums are so massive, vendors need artillery-strength t-shirt guns to reach the nose-bleeds.

Today's post is brought to you by Star Tours II. The adventure continues.

365 Supers!

This one's for Everett Downing's blog, 365 Supers. The man's been drawing a super every day since August 09! So I figure'd I'd relieve him the burden of at least one day with my contribution, Landline. I'm not sure if he has any superpowers, but he sure can whip a telephone!

I had a great time coming up with taglines for this guy:

"One hero who has survived many close calls."
"This super doesn't have any hang-ups."
"He'll answer any call to arms!"
"He's come to (call) collect."
"Phone a friend."

For more supers, visit again on Friday for the debut of Scorpion Fist and the Bomb of Tomorrow! Everyone is welcome to design the character, just leave me a comment with your URL and I'll post a link to your blog. Sketch greatly!

Hold on a second, who's that? It's the one man who can literally hold on to a second, THE TEMPORALIST! This evil genius is head of global criminal organization WOE, and public enemy number one to the citizens of Star City. The full extent of his powers are not completely understood, but he seems to be able to separate himself from time, causing the world around him to freeze while he slinks about altering his environment as he sees fit.

The fearsome foursome, clockwise from left: Voltz, Mungo Man, the Temporalist, Landslide.

"How hot would you like it, Mr. T?"

Bloggers of the World Organization of Evil:
Josh Billings
Everett Downing
Emma Coats

"WOE, man."

Emma Coats and Everett Downing have joined the World Organization of Evil. Well, their creations Voltz and Landslide have. WOE is a character design drawing challenge to create supercriminals with unique powers, compelling back stories, and bitchin' outfits.

Below: Voltz, a human battery with no off-switch, Voltz' electric powers make her a true femme FATAL. Drawn by Emma Coats.

Below: Landslide, a criminal mastermind with the ability to manipulate the very earth beneath him, Landslide's antics have caused an avalanche of panic in the streets of Star City. Drawn by Everett Downing.
Below: The first WOE conference. Two minds are better than one, unless they're evil schemers, in which case a brawl is inevitable. Drawn by Emma Coats.

Before the forming of WOE, supervillains would waste precious time and resources battling each other. Drawn by me.

These three supercriminals have put aside their differences and joined forces to unleash a wave of terror as yet unseen by the do-gooding society of superheroes. I hope you will lend your villain to our efforts. Remember, there is no "I" in "WOE".

You put one troll up on your blog and the next day, the dwarves show up--belligerent little sods. This particular ruffian is Bofo of Bolduum, elf-crusher and forger of sharp things.


Continuing my mythological-tangent, this is Ulla, a valkyrie, and her theme song. Ecstacy of Gold was fantastic in The Good the Bad, and the Ugly, but I always thought it sounded more like an ancient call-to-arms than a western show down.

Snapple fact: Valkyries fly over combat, escorting fallen warriors to Val Halla. These battle maidens are often depicted as riding winged horses, but according to Wikipedia (or as I call it, Brain Number Two), 'norse horse' was an Icelandic term for a wolf. So these babes soar over battles on giant friggin wolves, clad in shimmering armor, bringing glory to the fallen. That's pretty epic.

More Dax Plotoid, still intrepidly exploring. I'm messing around with proportions, trying to find the ever-elusive funny-fat-guy sweet spot.

Dax Plotoid, intrepid explorer.