Friday, May 20, 2011

Shadow Lass - 70s Legion



This is a drawing of Shadow Lass, done at this week's Sketch Charlotte. The goal is to draw the entire 70s Legion, At this pace, I'll be done by just after Christmas. :P

Shrinking Violet


Sorry it's taken so long to get this up, but I really wanted to wait until it was colored to post it. I have a deep fondness for the Legion of Super-Heroes and in my opinion (which cannot be debated, I'm right. Get used to it. :P), the 70's costumes designed by Dave Cockrum are some of the best. This is Shrinking Violet who, from time to time would shrink down small enough to climb around on molecules. In the coloring of this piece, there will be a bit of special effects added to try to make the big round spheres here better reflect the actual nature of molecules.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Shazam! / The Mighty Isis


If you spend some time digging through any decent pile of crumbling, yellowed 3 for a $1.00 comics, chances are you might stumble across a few issues of DC's attempt to reboot Captain Marvel with it's 70's title SHAZAM! They're interesting comics, throwbacks to the Golden Age that never really find their place in a far less innocent America. Even going as far as employing C.C. Beck in the first ten issues, the comics pretty much just ape the style and substance of the 1940's Captain Marvel line except now they've drawn guys with long hair and fu manchus in the background. I, of course, find this endlessly entertaining.


The Mighty Isis had her start as a backup to a live action SHAZAM! television show in the mid-seventies. I actually have a foggy memory of watching her show as a very small dude. Anyway, that spun off into a short lived comic and then I think she was all but forgotten until fairly recently when, (or so the internet suggests to me), she has had a revival of some kind. At any rate, I chose mostly to make fun of the classic comics tendency to give a character some kind of exotic origin and then just represent them as boring white people.

Both of these sketches are available for purchase for just $5.00 each. Email me at hank@ohthehumanatee if interested.

70's DC - the Demon Etrigan!

This could also double as a lunch sketch! Everyone's favorie DC hornhead..Etrigan! Had a full body sketch planned but couldn't find my pencils to ink, so I threw this together over my lunch break. Copic markers on 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 90# tab stock.

First $5 bill gets it or if you're going to Heroes Con (I'll be at the Dollar Bin table/booth) and e-mail me to let me know you want one of our sketchbooks (28 pages of all new material; $3 each/$5 with a custom sketch) you can pick this up for free at the show!

gmail - BigDogsStudio

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Swamp Thang

Had a go at ol' Swampy this afternoon. Although, admittedly, I'm way more familiar with the 1980's Alan Moore Saga of Swamp Thing stories, I've read a small handful of the Bernie Wrightson/Len Wein issues from the prescribed decade and always found them enjoyable.

(If you'd like to own this sketch, it is on 6x9 sketchbook paper, drawn with a brush pen and will only set you back a measly $5.00. Contact me at hank@ohthehumanatee if interested.)

Monday, May 16, 2011

Big Barda

Well, it took me some time but I'm happy to finally have something to contribute for the 70's DC topic. A topic that...all though I sorta suggested it, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about. Heh. Anyway, I'm really intrigued by some of the later work of Jack Kirby (although his stint at DC is, I suppose, more middle period than late) and I thought I might draw one of his New Gods characters that, again, I know nothing about. Still, I thought Big Barda here was pretty cool in her big crazy hat and metal bikini thing. And she's got a space stick. What's not to love about a space stick? So, hey, I did a superhero drawing! Brush pen, marker and watercolor on watercolor paper.

I also noticed Brandon had his sketches up for sale, if anyone is interested in this one, she's just $10, write me at hank@ohthehumanatee if you'd like it. There's two older drawings on the backside of Paul Gauguin and Steve Buscemi.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

FCBD @ Borderlands!

Placeholder post for a FCBD wrap up...


(left to right) BDS friend, fellow Sketch Charlotte member and Con comrade Jerry Stanford, me (grinning like an idiot) and Terence sketching away at last Saturday's FCBD at Borderlands in Greenville, SC. (photo courtesy of Shawn Reynolds)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

70's DC - Plastic Man!

Sorry for the delay, I was a guest (along with Terence & Jerry) at Borderlands Comic & Games in Greenville, SC for FCBD. And let me tell you, sitting on your butt drawing all afternoon will really wear you out!
Getting back on topic, here's Plastic Man! He's seem to hit a resurgence in popularity over the last several years, but I never was a big fan. The potential for what he could do was always cool, but the character always annoyed me. In any event, here's my latest entry for the 70's DC topic!

First finsky ($5) gets the original! (plus s&h of course) - 7" x 10" copic markers on 90# white index

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

1970's DC - from the vault!

Looked around the old "studio" and found a few pieces from previous sketchbooks. Thought it'd be a great (and easy) way to kick off the topic!

Zombie GL/GA #85 - Mark Godby & Brandon Padgett
Mr Miracle - Terence Hoskins
Kid Flash - Brandon Padgett
The Creeper - Mark Godby
Metamorpho - Brandon Padgett
Jonah Hex - Brandon Padgett











Monday, May 2, 2011

Sketch Topic #1 - 1970's DC

A fun topic to be sure! Henry suggested this one...let's see what we can come up with! Feel free to post any suggestions as to what you'd like to see.

Time to go to and do! :)