Artist Ulises Farinas has taken a critically acclaimed comic book event done by DC with their Green Lantern Universe… and made it MORE epic by portraying the many characters as LEGO! Instant masterpiece to many a fanboy on the interwebs for sure!

I’m kinda a sucker for Cthulhu-inspired art and stories. It wasn’t always that way, but in the early 90s I started digging into a bunch of horror. I was captivated by the relationship that grew between H.P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan). The shared alien-god-mythos lore that cropped up in their works just spoke to me (maybe that’s a bad thing, considering–you know–the whole madness thing…).

“Miss Monster“, otherwise known as Melita Curphy created monster-themes art pieces; many of them are out of wood. This Cthulhu head cropped up and allowed me to discover that she’s got tons and tons of tentacle-ly artworks! You can see a bunch more stuff on MissMonster’s DeviantArt Gallery as well!

I came across a piece of art that I thought was ammusing enough to share. I’m not a Doctor Doom fan–but who can hate the Not-So-Good Doctor when he’s playingthe part of an Icecream Man?

This art is done by artist Aaron Jasinski for Subtext’s Meanwhile at the Hall of Justice art show. From Aaron’s DeviantArt landing page:

The theme was super-heroes caught doing things that were not so super. I flipped the concept and decided to do a villain doing something not so villainous. Dr. Doom’s gentle side.

I saw these TMNT pieces of art on DeviantArt by Michael Watson, I  figured it was time to launch a new series of blog posts, “Toon Idols”, dedicated to spotlighting and highlighting some of my favorite childhood characters. Toons that got me into comics, or never seemed to leave my mind well into my 20s, and are still there in my early 30s. Some of which would be re-introduced to TV, movies or comics but never in the way I perceived to be the best direction for them (most likely for selfish reasons described below). Of course, that was due to my aging and different entertainment aesthetic preferences, and also because they all influenced the way I thought on a creative level, and therefore, they all evolved even after my childhood memories got left behind.

This first set features the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or TMNT for short. Along with the Thundercats, these guys provoked my imagination like nothing else. I even drew them in math class instead of paying attention (even designed a bow and arrow turtle with a white bandanna called Apollo or something). I played all the video games over and over again. But what really stayed with me wasn’t the generation 1 cartoon with Shredder, Kang and the robot foot soldiers… it was the Marvel Archie Comics TMNT with Cowlick, Ace Duck, black ninja suit Raphael, Manray and Wingnut!

In a way this TMNT design harkons my imagination back to what those Archie Comic characters would have been like if they were evolved into a more current modern design. Something more grounded and realistic, with edge and dynamic lines. I want to see THAT kinda comic come back to the news stands (or comic book shops if I can get my language out of the 50s). I can rant on and on about how, to a certain degree, these properties haven’t been used to their full potential. I mean, sure, TMNT still has a huge following, they keep targeting the young generation with the aesthetics that the youth seem to connect with in the media.

My feeling though, is that there’s a whole generation of fans out there in their 30s now who remember the TMNT being a huge contributor to their childhood imaginations. This target audience has money to spend at theaters, and DVDs, hell even well done figures and statues. My question is why NOT target them now and then with a more “adult” flavored TMNT? Comic companies like IDW and Devil’s Due have taken on G.I. Joe again–some of these storylines ARE directed at a more mature audience and more successful because of that liberty (at least from a critical review standpoint… not sure actual numbers).

At the very least, if we look hard enough, we can always find artists who allow our dreams to flicker alive once again.

Michael Watson’s DeviantArt Site
Michael Watson’s Blog

When I saw this oil painting time-laps of Battle Cat by Robert Burden last week, I finally unpacked a couple more boxes, left until the very end since I moved to this new home less than a month ago. What was in them? My 80s toys! I desperately wanted to get my hands back on Battle Cat after seeing it here in epic scale. Unfortunately mine has lost its head armor over the last 2 decades. But at least it’s free again–to adorn one of my library shelves. Yes sir!

[View the Video on YouTube]

He’s done a Voltron time-lapse as well. Ah Voltron… I threw out the Voltron base toy two months ago during the move. Cobwebs and age had finally forced me to just let go of that part of my past. Knowing people like Burden still exist to allow me to re-visit those memories will suffice–as should the movie if it ever actually gets made.

[View Video on YouTube]

Artist Robert Burden goes well beyond the average person’s perception of how much dedication, time and reverence should go into a series of painting based on 80s toys. In truth though, at least across the internet, there are a group of us that DO understand WHY this theme deserves such respect and legendary proportions! These are toys that took over the market when we grew up. Toys that front-lined armies and armies of other attempts to carve a market niche for competitors… before a time when cartoons entered a loud, fast-paced, jarring, manic stage of Japanese-influenced entertainment.

When we return to some of our memorable 80s cartoons, they don’t ring true to our MEMORY of them–but they left a much much longer impression that carries into the generation of children that come from us. A generation of children that can grow up in an age when all OUR childhood dreams are being realized as summer blockbuster films.

I wish much good fortunes on Robert Burden and may he continue to preserve more 80s awesomeness for the future generations to come! Go follow him on YouTube!

[Watch Video on YouTube]

I’m guessing not enough people have seen the works of Blu, a surreal artist who works in multiple mediums, but the most fascinating and extravagant of them all HAVE to be his stop-motion, real world environment, animations. The animation above, titles “COMBO”, was done in 10 days during Studiocromie’s 2nd annual FAME Festival in Italy. It is a collaborative piece with artist David Ellis which alters the space of an abandoned building–it animates the setting by turning holes and windows into mouths and eyes, it uses pipes like intestines and flattens open windows while at the same time creating flat fake windows to match. It’s just too much to explain properly and just needs to be watched. It does loop once–likely to convey the “full circle” concept that could have this play on and on forever.

This video below, titled “MUTO” was done in Buenos Aires and Baden, was the first environmental stop-motion animation I saw from Blu and it’s still worth watching. Marvel and contemplate in sheer owe at the TIME and IMAGINATION something like this takes to do! It’s no surprise at all that this sucker has turned out over FIVE MILLION views on YouTube!

[View Video on YouTube]

It’s worth saying that Blu also has a pretty rad website design. It’s modeled after a moleskin-style sketch book with handwriting and illustrations integrating with the content. Very cool stuff! Also watch more of his crazy animations on Blu’s YouTube account and subscribe to his account to receive more!

[A Record Of Life from Owen Gatley on Vimeo]

This animation brings together a couple things I find fascinating: Science in relation to evolution and space exploration, age-old and classical scientific notations and diagrams, and layered art turned into animation. This short animation takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, creating a free-flowing thought-process to wonderfully complimentary music by Owen Gatley.

I was going to take a break from commissioning more pieces of Darkhawk for a while. Then something came up that made it impossible for me to head to the Toronto Fan Expo over the weekend. I figured I was going to spend money to get in and on gas, right? So why not filter it back into comics somehow?

I was scanning DeviantArt and came across a guy who did chibi-styled Guyvers and Iron Man versions. I was instantly hit with the image of Darkhawk on War of Kings: Ascension #4 all decked out in arsenal and manga-esque flare. I quickly discovered Matt was taking commissions so I jumped on board anxiously. You can see Matt Bellamy’s (GuyverC) art on his DeviantArt Gallery page. You can see what I mean.

There was an amazingly quick turn around time. Thankfully for me Matt was a Darkhawk fan and didn’t need me to dig up my nerd-knowledge and Google-fu on him. He was good to go and turned out this piece! He took some liberties in the design but it’s still pretty true to the concept of “decked out DH”! I love this little guy and I love the idea of Darkhawk being an artist’s dream come true–screw continuity of design–just make it up if you think it’s cool and now it fits!

[View Video on YouTube]

Savants have never ceased to amaze me to great ends. I recall a year back looking up a bunch of stories about the more famous savants of the world in order to release a “human superpowers” article. It seemed I got there too late as I had later on discovered someone who got there first. More than a year later though, and I still discover new savants that baffle me all over again.

This time it’s an artist–so it’s specially intriguing to me–by the name of Stephen Wiltshire who is considered an autistic savant. His “alias” (as they all tend to get names akin to superheroes based on their savant abilities) is Camera Man as he is sometimes referred to as the “human camera”. Wiltshire has the extraordinary ability to draw exact replicas of anything he sees, but is most famous for his immaculate accuracy when it comes to cityscapes; he captures intricate structural details, number of buildings and landscapes expanses, only after seeing it for a limited time once. There are no sketch books used, no laptops to record details as he goes–he just sees and MEMORIZES all the details! He then takes his memories to the paper–no preliminary sketches–just straight to ink and methodically captures those memories right down to number of columns and windows. Just amazing stuff!

Here’s the piece he did of Tokyo’s cityscape in an almost 360-degree panorama. What I find amazing is that he can go off and draw different parts of the drawing with expanses of white between them and it all still comes together perfectly. You can see more great stuff on Stephen Wiltshire’s YouTube channel!

[View Video on YouTube]

The time has come to finally show some examples to a comic series I’ve written entitled “Raven Nevermore”. I hope to get a 6-issue run written and completely produced over the next year. I’ll be pitching this series to a couple comic companies and crossing my fingers for ANY feedback even if it doesn’t get picked up. I may independently print up a limited run for kicks because, hell, I wanna hold SOMEthing in my hand!

The comic’s artist is an amazingly talented artist whom I couldn’t be prouder to work with. His name is Emmanuel Xerx Javier and you can see more of his work on DeviantArt or his on his blog (I also got him to do a Darkhawk commission for me of course!). I’ll be meeting him this summer in July at San Diego Comic Con! It’ll be some good good times!

Without further ado, here is page 6 and page 11; two of my favorite pages in the 22 page issue. Page 6 captures the feel and energy of the sketchy gambling house as well as the confident and frenzy nature of the table jumper (name withheld for now). Page 11 captures a moment of peace in the comic (one of the only times things calm down) and the sensitivity of the main character and his worried wife. Just plain captivating.

From here the pages have been sent to the letter and editor for this issue, Thomas Mauer (letter/editor for Killer of Demons, letterer for Bad Dog). I am currently hunting down a cover artist that will capture what is in my head and this part is without a doubt the HARDEST part of putting this together–I’m extremely picky about what it needs to look and feel like. I don’t want something traditional, I want something that takes a different approach. I’m not one for following “the norm” and that’s going to have to come across in the cover somehow.

Anyways, I’ll post a full lettered preview once I have it. I’m really excited about Thomas’ work on this book because I was a huge fan of both Killer of Demons and Bad Dog before I even realized he was the guy I contacted and contracted for this gig.

This book is a testament to something I’ve come to the awareness of this year: The hardest part of getting an idea out of your head, is feeling confident to take the steps to making that idea a reality. This year is the year NunoXEI gets ideas out of his head!