Go West, Young Bunny.

Ty the Guy OUT.

It goes without saying how much Adam West impacted my life.  I was EXACTLY the right age to become a lifelong fan when Batman come into our living room in 1966.  I remember the Adam West style Batman and Robin costumes my mother sewed for my brother and me when the show was still on the air.  I remember how excited I was to grow out of the Robin costume and finally fit into the Batman suit so I could be the Caped Crusader for Halloween in 1970.  It’s no coincidence that the lion’s share of my work for DC Comics takes place in Gotham City, from the animated Batman series, to the recent Batman 66 series, starring Adam West himself, it’s always my happiest place to be with Batman.

Thanks for the recent animated movies, and “Back to the Batcave” and Family Guy.  Thanks for the years of unbridled joy.

Thanks.

 

I sketch Adam West style Batman covers at conventions ALL the time.  It’s likely the most common request I get.  Here’s a few of them from the last year or so… I’m sure there will be many more–

This is, maybe, my favourite portrait I ever did of Adam West’s Batman.  It’s hard to see in this image, but this drawing is on the back of a playing card, a fan brought to the table, and is only about three inches tall.

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For last week’s review of the Wonder Woman movie, please click above.

For the ancient Bun Toon archive…click

LEGENDARY BUN TOONS! YAY!

A legend in my own lunch time.

As always, when new comic book media arrives, I’m here to help sort it all out.

The CW just launched a new series, spinning off from ARROW and FLASH, and I watched the pilot so you don’t have to…

 

I-Zombie is safe.  That’s about a zombie.  And Lucifer is coming, and he’s hardly “B-List” in the name-recognition game.  But I worry about these “Legends”.

Past is prologue.

Ty the Guy OUT!

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I have it on good authority that Brother Power The Geek is joining the LEGENDS squad as soon as they can find anyone who remembers him.  Then come the SEA DEVILS.

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for last week’s bun toon, click here

A legend in my own lunch time.

Chain Smoking Bisexual Bun Toons! YAY!

Not the rabbit…he’s wholesome.

There’s so many Comic Book related TV shows on the air this season that a dedicated fan cannot keep up.

But worry not, I am here to make sure there’s nothing you’re not privy to…here is…

It’s actually a hell of a show, pun intended….and but for the empty vessel of an actress playing Zed, they’ve won over the viewing audience at casa Templeton-Smith.

Who says this isn’t the DC age of odd TV?

Ty the Guy OUT!

Your bonus moment today is completely unrelated to Constantine or sorcery in general, except the kind of sorcery you get with cleverness.  I recently came across some of my artwork being used on one of the most wonderfully fun websites on the internet called SUPER-TEAM FAMILY: THE LOST ISSUES!  Here’s the image…

That’s my cover from Batman and Robin Adventures #20 being used, only the original DID NOT have Samurai Jack on it…that was added by the fun team at SUPER-TEAM FAMILY: THE LOST ISSUES.

Here’s another one they did, using artwork I drew from the famously pulped Elseworld’s Annual some years back…

Holy cow!  That’s a Jack Kirby Namor added to the artwork!  That’s too much fun.

Here’s one using a Superboy figure I inked over some Kevin Maguire pencils…

There are HUNDREDS of these covers over at the LOST ISSUES website (only a dozen or so use images from comics I worked on, though), and every one of them is a grand hoot.

Go, check ’em out if you haven’t already!

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For last week’s webcomic review of a DC TV show, click here

For the Bun Toons Archive, click here

 

 

Happy Birthday Big Red S!

Seventy Five years old!  Great Rao!

I have a lovely essay that I wrote on the occasion of Superman’s 70th Birthday, and rather than rethink it, I’ll just link to it below.  Click on the image and you’ll be taken to a much larger and readable version of the article.   When you’re done (or once you’ve ignored the article and scrolled below it), you can rejoin the regular blog, still in progress.

What I said still holds true (unless the upcoming movie REALLY sucks).

I’ve had a long and unexpected association with Superman through the years, and I consider it quite an honour to have contributed to the great character’s legacy. Working out of the Superman office in the late 80s and early 90s gave me the whooping-giggle thrill of collaborating with some of the legends of this comics industry.  I got ink over such childhood heroes as Jim Mooney:

And John Byrne…

 Dan Jurgens…

…and the definitive Superman artist for a generation: Curt Swan.

…as well as a dozen other artists working out Mike Carlin’s Superman office.  My single favourite image I contributed to while I was a Superman inker was this cover for Superboy: The Comic Book #4…penciled by Kevin Maguire and rendered by your humble blogger.  I rarely put my own artwork up on the walls of my house, but I consider this a Kevin piece anyway, so it sat on my wall for years.

I dare you to tell me that isn’t a great cover.

Superman was on hand the first time I co-wrote a story with my pal Dan Slott.  Though we’d worked together as a writer/artist team a few times, this was our first collaboration as co-writers, and our little tale featured Krypto and his big flyin’ master.   Go find a copy and read it, you’ll let go of a few honest tears when it’s done.  I’m proud of this one.

I got to work with Jerry Seinfeld because of Superman.  I was asked to design the look of  Superman for a series of Seinfeld/American Express animated commercials, as well as creating some odd Jerry and Superman scenes for billboards and print ads.

The original photo is Jerry grabbing at “no one” in the air, and I had to draw Superman to fit where Jerry’s hand was.  Kal-el is supposed to be saying “this guy’s crazy”, but it looks equally like he’s tickling the comedian.

Superman and Jerry bond over their dogs.

Is there any better job than being paid to illustrate Krypto starting a bromance?

Working for Superman offered me to opportunity to design collectable action figures:

and crayon boxes, and puzzles and t-shirts and colouring books and darn near anything with an S on it.  Of the many many images of Superman I’ve drawn for DC Comics over my career, this is my favourite:

I know there’s other characters on this JLU cover, but there’s something about the Superman figure that sits just right with me.  His proportions, his expression, even the colours of his costume, all came together in this image and I didn’t screw any of it up.  I actually don’t hate this cover and my wife will tell you how rare that is for me.  I might be wrong, but I think it’s the last time I drew Superman for the mother corporation…once I get it correct, I scoot off and don’t do it again.

So happy birthday Mr. Cape.  You’ve been a delightful character to read as a child, to work on as a young adult, and to come back to every few years like a comfortable trip back home.   I hope I get another chance at him someday…and I treasure the time we spent together.

I’m always a little jealous when he dates someone else.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your BONUS Superman Moment- You knew this one was coming.

Hoping for the Best Bun Toons! YAY!

I try to keep up with the new releases from Marvel, DC, IDW, Dark Horse.  But every now and then, I get surprised by an advertisement for the next big project…

Now, it’s always a good thing to aim for diversity in your characters, and to reach out to communities not well served by the biz in general.  And with the Mandarin starring in the next BIG BLOCKBUSTER from Marvel, these sort of characters are always POSSIBLE for a re-vamp.

Please, turn out well.  I like DC Comics and want good things for them.

And I’m waiting for the YELLOW CLAW to come back. 

TY the GUY OUT!

Here now, your BONUS Vibe Moments:

For those too young to remember, VIBE was the oft-maligned Latino super-hero from Justice League Detroit, who spray painted things, break danced, threatened people who talked to his sister, and spoke in such broken English you had to say his dialog out loud.  He was killed off fairly quickly after his arrival.

Included in this image: Other characters that never became popular

The new DC Comic “Justice League of America’s VIBE” is due out in a matter of weeks.  The art looks good…

It might be terrific!

Vibe has shown up in a few animated episodes without causing trouble, but in the comics…?  Not so much.

A couple of years back, onceuponageek.com created a phoney VIBE comic as an April Fool’s Joke.   But that was way back in 2009 –  a different world, when that sort of idea was funny.

Of course, with OTHER super-heroes, VIBE has been a very popular magazine for years…

R Kelly   counts as a super-hero because he believes he can fly.

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To read last week’s Bun Toon featuring my idiot cat, click above.

To visit the Bun Toons archive, click the vibrating rabbit above.

Unsolicited Superman Bun Toons, part 2. YAY!

This is a RAGS to riches story, I'll GRANT you that.

 Presented without comment.  It’s all in the toon.

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your bonus Superman Magic Moment:

I'll bet there's a trick for bending steel with your bare hands that Uri Geller got from this...

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For last week's New 52 DC reboot cartoon, click the rabbit's nose.

For Every Bun Toon ever, many of which, do not mention DC comics at all... click the bunny's bread plate

Booster Gold! Booster Gold! Booster Gold!

I know I’m supposed to get all excited about the Thor movie, and the Green Lantern movie, and the Herbie the Fat Fury movie, like everyone says I’m supposed to, but my reactions so far have been “meh”.

But when I saw these pictures of Eric Martsolf as Dan Jurgen’s excellent character, Booster Gold from the upcoming episode of Smallville (April 22), I couldn’t help myself – I started grinning from ear to ear.

It’s not just that they get it so, so right– the actor is perfect, the costume is perfect, the sponsor patches, the goggles, the whole thing….it’s that this is a fairly obscure little character from the DC files that you just don’t expect to ever see adapted as a live action version.  That makes it a joyful surprise, instead of just another example the cynical Hollywood money spigot at work.

For those who don’t know, Booster Gold has a permanent place in my heart, and I never get too far away from him (such as the convention sketch from last year, above).  Inking some issues of Dan Jurgen’s original Booster Gold series was my first DC gig, and Booster was one of the main characters on my penciling run of JLA a few years after that.   I’ve written him into stories for no reason other than I felt like it, drawn him in animated covers, and even did art for a Booster Gold Role Playing Game thing back when people still played these…

 

Cover by Jurgens and Templeton. Booster Gold obscura!

So it’s probably that combination of pleasant surprise and personal connection to the character, but I’m a giddy child waiting for this show to air – on the 22nd of this month!  I’ll let you know what I think of it after I see it!  Look at all the exclamation points!

Ty the Guy OUT!

Here now, your Booster Gold Bonus moment…try not to feel too icky.

The image comes from PORTALCOMIC.com but the page this comes from is fairly NSFW, so careful websurfers!

I put my thumb up Under the Red Hood

A couple of days ago, I was a special guest host at a press screening of the new Batman direct to DVD movie “Under the Red Hood”.

I didn’t actually work on this movie, but I’ve done enough other things with the Batman animated franchise to allow me to perform a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down my pants, for the press, and to play cheerleader for this film.  I also had to watch it a couple of times as part of the gig.

Well, I’d be playing cheerleader for this film whether they asked me or not.  It’s easily the best DC animated film since Return of the Joker, and in my top ten super-hero films of any kind.  It’s smart, beautifully directed by Brandon Vietti, with a quick pace and great emotional heart.  The action sequences are exciting, while at the same time, clear (I wish you could say the same for most big budget blockbusters).   There’s no fat in the plot, it’s all tasty, tasty meat in every scene.  There’s solid voice talent in the new cast,  including John (Bender) DiMaggio as Joker, Jensen (Supernatural) Ackles as Red Hood, Neil Patrick Harris (Dr. Horrible) as Nightwing, Bruce (Chris Pike of Star Trek) Greenwood as Batman, and Bruce Timm (WTF?) as the Riddler!  Wade Williams (from Prison Break) steals every scene he’s in, as the Black Mask.  So does NPH as Nightwing.

Neil Patrick Harris looks damn good in the Nightwing suit. I think he's been working his delts and pectorals.

This Batman fan was in hog heaven.   Go HERE if you want to see the trailer online.

The source material.

A couple of caveats: If you’re familiar with the Batman comics written by Judd Winnick (specifically his 2005 Red Hood stories) then you’ll know most of the twists and turns of the story, as the script (by Winnick himself) is faithful as hell to his original material (with bits and pieces from his new Red Hood series, and Starlin’s “Death in the Family” thrown into the mix).  But rather than feeling like a re-hash of familiar events, the script deftly streamlines many year’s worth of continuity, and packs it all into a neat little 80 minute thriller that’s a far more natural fit for the story.

Caveat Number Two: Don’t put the kiddies in front of the TV with this one.

This is the only pleasant view of Jason Todd's dead body in this movie. TRUST me.

In tone it’s far closer to the Chris Nolan Batman films than previous DC Direct titles.  The opening scene features a crowbar, some bones and some blood, and although it’s an animated sequence, it’s tough to watch.  This stuff isn’t added gratuitously (the first scene is integral to the plot), I’m just warning that animated don’t mean ALL AGES.

And to think I used to disapprove of the whole Red Hood story in the first place...

Now, where can I get a PROPER copy of the DVD (instead of my press screener)?  Apparently, it’s got DVD extras like crazy!  A bunch of BATMAN ADVENTURES episodes, tons of “making of” features, and an all new Jonah Hex animated adventure.  I WANT MY PROPER COPY!  I WANT MY PROPER COPY!

Ty the Guy OUT!

PS: I complained about the whole RED HOOD comic book storyline in an earlier post.  Go here to read it.    Clearly the movie makes it all better.

ANOTHER PS: Apparently, I wasn’t the only one at the screening who liked the film:  Here’s some positive reviews from  nerdgirlpinups, and here’s another at thisweekingeek.net, both seemed to enjoy this DVD and were nice enough to liberally quote me and my leaping enthusiasm.  Plus, I got to be BRIEFLY interviewed by one of the Naked News ladies, who also seemed to love the film.  Fortunately for all concerned, I retained my pants.

To share post:

SOMETHING NICE ABOUT THE NEW WONDER WOMAN

I’ve drawn a couple of Wonder Woman stories, and she’s shown up in my Justice League comics, so me and the Princess have personal history.

This is the wallpaper on my computer screen - smug, self-loving man that I am.

I was also exactly the right age to have fallen deeply in love with Linda Carter when Wonder Woman was on the air in the Seventies, and have NEVER gotten over that.  AND, I’m fairly friendly with Gail Simone and her lovely and talented husband.  So I get a little Wonder Woman cred, and I’m here to say nice things about the new direction.

Everyone has been trashing the new costume, mostly because it’s a lot less flashy, and it’s not the iconic Wonder Woman we all fell in love with.

But if we were all so in love with her and that costume, why weren’t we buying her comic every month?  And why isn’t there a big budget Wonder Woman Warner Brothers movie? Or a Saturday morning cartoon show?

Because we don’t really love her, do we?  Not the way capitalists want us to love our icons…by BUYING things.  We just love the idea of her.  Women dress up like her on Halloween–

Apparently, these women are famous.

As is Heidi Klum.

I recognize Kate Beckinsale, but don't know who the guy is.

Wonder Woman is second only to “the sexy nurse” as the most popular costume for women, I promise you.

And people like to point to her as one of the “BIG THREE” characters that have never gone out of print since the Golden Age.  But neither of these facts sells issues of the comics today and buys movie tickets tomorrow.  A fondness for an iconic costume, an old TV series and a long history of past success is nothing compared to the need to keep the character moving, fresh, modern and relevant.  Nostalgia ain’t sales.

DC wants what’s best for the Princess…it’s their job.  And what they’re doing is a perfect example of  “Genre Twisting” –  a tried and true way of waking up a moribund franchise.  James Bond does it,  Batman does it, Captain America does it- EVERY successful franchise does it, or it collapses dead.

Remember me?

What “twisting” is, is specifically taking THE most basic aspect of a character or genre, and removing that, for a time.  James Bond loses his “LICENSE TO KILL”,  Batman loses his ability to walk.  Captain America looses his shield.  Superman loses the battle for truth, justice and the American Way, Spider-Man loses his costume, Green Lantern loses the ring.  Hell, Marvel completely rebooted their entire Universe with the Ultimates, and then rebooted that Universe again last year with a massive death flood.

By changing THE most basic aspect of a character, you create new possibilities and new expectations from the audience, or more correctly, you abandon old expectations.  For the first time in a little while, you DON’T know what’s coming next in a Wonder Woman comic, because if they’d take away her iconic COSTUME, they might do anything…and that’s intriguing.  So the  audience comes back to the thing that was once just a pleasant memory or nostalgia, to see what’s going on with it…to see what ELSE the creators muck with.

Sure, it’s a gimmick, but if you tell the curious new audience stories that are ANY good, they’ll stick around for a while, and you’ll earn those new sales that just showed up to see what you’d done to their childhood memory.  And if the stories aren’t working and the audience abandons you…

Urghh.

Trust me.  They’ll put it all back.

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Enron accounting got us to this number, but close your eyes and go with it.

Now, I just read the issue that introduces the new outfit –  #600  went on sale a couple of days ago.

First off:  The book is primarily a nostalgia piece, as most anniversary issues are.  There’s a touching Gail Simone/George Perez curtain call for the excellent era of the late eighties when Perez was running the show near the top, and there’s some fun pin-ups and short stories about aspects of the character all through.  And of course, the requisite T&A, where appropriate.

The new costume in action.

But the most important part of the book was the introduction to the story we’ll be getting in the next year or so…the new costume, and what seems like a completely new reality to Wonder Woman’s environment, for now.  It’s the PERFECT bit of tease, with just the right amount of fun and mystery to encourage you to pick the next issue.  We’re giving glimpses of things, a sense of magic (important in Wonder Woman), a fun bit of ass-kicking in the new costume, and a promise that more will be revealed next month.  I wished this particular story was longer…which is the feeling the editor wants you to have.

So, the new direction is exactly the right call.  It’s not the costume I’d have designed, but it’s exactly the same editorial decision I would have made.

Good luck, Princess.  I for one, will be back next month to see what’s up with all this.
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And now, because it’s my blog, and I can do what I want…we’ll end with a few  shots of women I find ALMOST as attractive as my wife, in Wonder Woman costumes.

First: Rhona Mitra, from Boston Legal (amongst other things)

WAY better than the sexy nurse costume.

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And now, Megan Fox.    I suspect this might have been photoshop work, but I’m trying to figure out how to care.

Someone slap my eyes back into consciousness.

Ty the Guy OUT!

To share post:

Some Unseen, and some SHOULD be unseen

Hey folks.

Over the weeks and months, I’m always drawing little things that have nothing to do with my job, but are still kind of fun to see anyway.  So, this being my blog, I get to put anything on here I want, nyah!

First up…it was my brother’s fiftieth birthday last week, and I got him a card.  Well, I never get ANYONE a card, it’s always so much cheaper to just draw one.  Unless you count the fact that the time I take could be spent earning money to buy a card, and then they’re bloody expensive.

Either way, this is my brother’s B-Day card.  It’s reproduced here online roughly size as.  And it looks like him, more or less, you can check it out here…(though Brad thinks he has more hair than this.  Dreaming, my brother.)

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I had some correspondence to do with Joe Giella last week, and since Joe is still doing the MARY WORTH comic strip every day, I thought it would be fun to send him a sketch of his own character on the outside of the package, done in the Joe Giella style (it’s not a swipe, though, it’s just me “doing” Joe).

Mary Worth. For those folks who think Miss Marple is "too sexy".

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And finally,  just a quick comment about the JONAH HEX movie.

Um.  Guys….

Why did you make a Jonah Hex movie?

I’m actually a fan of the comic book (it’s been fairly wonderful for years, despite anemic sales), but it’s silly to pretend the character is much beloved or well remembered by a generation of movie-goers and comic fans.  B-List would be a kind phrase.  Certainly he’s not a big enough character to lure in large enough crowds back to the western genre, which has been clinically dead at the box office for decades.   And from the looks of the AWFUL trailer, they’d added some pointless supernatural nonsense to the story, which meant it wasn’t even a real Jonah Hex movie.  On paper this movie has nothing going for it, I’m afraid to say.

But it does have this sort of thing, so you know, it's not ALL bad. Or are we all supposed to hate this woman now? I'm never sure what's expected of me.

It opened last weekend to a box office return of five million.  And that’s with some legitimate stars in it like Brolin, Malkovich, and the above pictured Megan Fox.  And to be honest, that’s about the box office I expected from it.

THIS is a DC movie, my friends. THIS is what they give us.

It’s not that I mind anyone making a Jonah Hex movie in principle.  (I’ll probably see this on video in a few months).    It’s just that there are SO many DC movies to make BEFORE the Jonah Hex movie that it’s mind boggling.  What is DC/Warner thinking this last decade?  The iconic characters, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and others, all flop around in development and go nowhere, while they’re shelving these CASH COW characters for  Constantine, and the Losers?  Captain Marvel or Plastic Man movies are no where in sight, but there’s room on the schedule for STEEL and Jonah Hex?!?

No matter how truly excellent both STEEL and Jonah Hex might be, as pieces of auteur classic film making.  They’re still no damn World’s Finest movie, if you catch my drift.

Meanwhile, Marvel is a machine.  Spider-Man, X-Men, and Iron Man franchises all making A-List blockbuster movies, plus a fun set of B-List money makers like Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Kick Ass (closing in on a hundred million in world wide sales this week).  All because they seem to be in the business of making entertainment for a mass audience, instead of whatever the hell DC/Warner is doing.

I’ve heard through my sources that the well know SCALPHUNTER film treatment that’s been drifting around Hollywood has just been green lighted, and the epic AIR WAVE movie trilogy that was shelved by New World twelve years ago is up and running again.  As is the Sea Devils direct to youtube series.   God Help Us.

"Us make-um big wampum with right actor attached."

Ah, there’s always the GREEN LANTERN film to come along and ruin my theory be being really good.  Don’t hold your breath, though.

PS:

I have a theory about why there’s no Wonder Woman movie in production.  Who could wear this costume as convincingly?

Best Live Action Super-Hero Performer Ever.

Okay, I'm not being fair.

TY THE GUY OUT!