Archive for November 8th, 2011
#8 – Noah Hillard
Noah Hillard, 29, American mutt. The youngest of seven children from a God-fearing family in Iowa, Noah was born sickly and weak, prone to illness and badly asthmatic. He couldn’t keep up with his rougher siblings but he had more spunk than any of them, so he sank into fantasy books and made entire worlds of adventure. Blessed with a shade of sixth sense – or maybe just looking for the unusual things other people gloss over – Noah saw things his siblings couldn’t dream of. He was a brave child, enthusiastic, lively, clear-eyed and valiant, and he dreamed of bigger adventure all the way into college. He studied anthropology, dreaming of distant jungles and zombies and mystical animals, but was never cleared for field work. Too sickly. So he went back for a master’s, then a ph.d, and now he lives in a haze of depression working as a post-doc. Noah was never, never meant to be in a windowless TA office. He was born to be a hero. Part of him is dying away, and that spark might go out if something big doesn’t happen soon.
#8 – Soorana
You will want to take a look at my last entry, Chiasnos, to understand more about her former lover. Her son, Naskos, is a big guy you can read about on my deviantART!
If you’re on Google+, I have a Page set up for Djinnborn! I’ll be posting other updates, links, images, and world information as I continue putting the comic together. Hope to see you there!
#8 Nick Handie of Kreem Mining Co
Nick has a job to do… and he’s not so great at it, but its something that keeps his hands busy. Mining for Kreem crystals is a not so hard job and you don’t even need to be good at it, you could even switch to your weaker hand to digg’em out. You don’t want to shake his hand, or make sure he uses sanitizer or washes in front of you.
Day 8 Animal Oddjobs- Frycook Cow
This one is for my brother in law that might never see it. Day 8 is here 22 more to go awwww yeah. Wonder how many people are getting “art blocks” to you guys out there that are let me tell you there’s no such thing.
#8 – Othniel Charles Marsh – Blue Mage
Please see #7 – Edward Drinker Cope for the first of this pair of designs.
There are some historical figures that only work when paired with one another. Just like Butch makes no sense without the Sundance Kid, as Marie Curie needed Pierre, Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh would have been nonsensical without each other. Of course, unlike Butch or Madame Curie, Cope and Marsh hated each other. Hated hated hated each other. Like tiny little mustachio’d Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.
Cope and Marsh were both prominent archaeologists back in the mid-19th century, when the railroads were just beginning to truly open up the American west. Edward Drinker Cope was an archaeologist of the old school; a gentleman, in fact. He operated on the principles of polite society, and expected others to do the same. Conversely, Othniel Charles Marsh was closer to a businessman of the era. Marsh saw paleontology as a business to be exploited, and they way you did that in the 1800s was by setting up a trust — what we’d call a monopoly today. You got control of a resource and you wrung it until all the money came out.
As strange as it might seem, the two got along at first. They were both learned men of science, and although they came from different backgrounds, their interests were largely the same. Cope had found an excellent source of fossils in New Jersey, and when Marsh asked to see it, well, Cope the gentleman could hardly refuse. Unfortunately, Marsh was so taken by the fossils that he went around Cope’s back and paid the man who shipped the fossils to send them to Marsh’s office instead. Bitter words were exchanged, and the two began a rivalry that would last their entire lives.
This period of archaeology is generally known as the Bone Wars, or the Great Dinosaur Rush. Despite the rather unpleasant personalities involved, it marks one of the greatest eras of prehistoric discovery, with the efforts of Cope and Marsh alone introducing almost 150 new species of ancient animals and providing spectacular evidence for the brand new theory of evolution. Although Cope and Marsh spent their declining years largely sniping at each others bank accounts and fossil collections, the end result of their intense hatred for each other was, strangely enough, positive.
Since Cope and Marsh basically approached the same subject from radically different angles, it made sense to give them classes that did the same. Cope’s class is the Monster Hunter, also known as the Monster Tamer or Trainer, a job that specializes in trapping enemies. The use of this varies by game, but the most common one has the Hunter either training the monster for use in combat on the player’s side, or harvesting them for items. Conversely, Marsh’s class is the Blue Mage. Blue Mages are fairly straightforward magic-casting classes except for one major detail: all of their abilities have to be harvested from monsters in some way. In some games, this is done by collecting certain items, while other games require you to actually be damaged by specific skills in order to learn them. Either way, both classes rely almost entirely on monsters in some way for their effectiveness in combat, and although their methods vary, both can be exceptionally powerful with a large enough collection.
#7 – Edward Drinker Cope – Monster Hunter
Please see #8 – Othniel Charles Marsh for the full description of this character.
#7 Lavos
Lavos likes warm walks near lava pools and crispy fire pits. His turn-on’s are marshmallows black and crispy and his turn-offs are people throwing water on him or trying to cool his lounging lava pool or fire pit. He also enjoys a night out and some salsa dancing, but salsa dips aren’t out of the question.
#8 Seraphim Wyrmslayer
She would retrieve her sword later, down on the scarred, broken slate-rock of the plain below.
Seraphim Wyrmslayer ©&TM2011MikeDubisch
Visit me at WWW.DUBISCH.COM and at www.Facebook.com/MikeDubischArt !!
#7: The Happiest Brother
Text reads:
“The eighth in the line is Maurice D McGee.
He lives in a house with his small sisters three.
Dropped out of school at the age of sixteen,
Works every day, five a.m. until three,
Yet no man on earth is as happy as he
who lives every day for his small sisters three.”
6# Terror The Barbarian
Yo, Yo to everybody in this wonderful cyber world. I hope everybody is doing good and cool out there. character #6, this another tribute to (I think ) classic cartoon from the 80’s. Thundar the barbarian was ahead of it time to me. Destruction of the earth and all that crap. The only thing what pops into my head is the term super science, that funny to me. Well, if it was my show, I call it Terror The Barbarian. As I was drawing it, I included the other two character as well. The girl is flight and the other one is Creature. I’ll still keep the same feel of the show the stupid destruction of the earth crap but with more blood guts killing that’s it. enjoy everybody. one…
#8: The Iron
This is The Iron. He’s also in my team, The Supers. He’s kinda like Iron Man, cause he’s a guy in a suit of armor that flys and can blast stuff.
Thanks, Xavier
#8 1023
Left to work in the wastes of the old world for too long, 1023 has many gaps, and glitches in his A.I. program. A simple reboot would be enough to fix most of his problems, but he’s afraid that if he shuts down, he’ll never wake up.
#8: Stampede
- Real Name: Jerry Browning
- Age: 35
- Height: 6’9″
- Weight: 275 lbs
- Costume: Red wrestling suit with a white pinstripe and white boots
Character info: I had no intention of including Stampede in this 30 Character Challenge, but after drawing Brown Thrasher a few days ago, this guy stuck in my head. When I was 13, I created a team of supervillains and Stampede was a new character added to the team of previously existing characters. He was inspired by the large characters I saw in those early Image Comics (haha) and pro-wrestling (hahahaha). He was a former professional wrestler who went by the name Stampede, and he decided to turn to a life of crime when his wrestling career tanked. He even carried over his wreslting tag-line to taunt the heroes…”Mess with the bull, you get the horns!” Ahhh, good stuff.
#6 Micky Sik
He might have a fluffy tail and cute ears but he’ll kick your ass halfway across the next sunday if you mention acorns in any way.
I like the idea of a badass guy with something cute about them but somehow still staying badass.
No. 8- Oscar Ortiz
Tiny head, big body.
Name: Oscar Ortiz
Age: 28
Ethnicity: Puerto Rican-American
Occupation: Former Assassin, Convenience Store Clerk.
Short Background:
If there was one thing Oscar lacked, it was self-control. Out of all of the assassin’s in the Reaper’s Guild, he was the most impulsive and thoughtless. It made him many enemies but also made him one of the best. He was so good that he was given the code name Basilisk. Once you saw him, you were already dead. He was that good, but the problem was that he knew it.
However, it is that same impulsiveness and cockiness ends up leading the Guild’s worst enemies right back to them. While many of the assassin’s (including Oscar) manage to escape, they are now targets and out in the open. Many of the remaining assassin’s blame Oscar and their idea of payback is not a simple slap on the wrist.
In order to lay low, Oscar takes up a job that will not draw attention to himself. He finds work at a convenience store in a dangerous neighborhood. A place where people don’t ask questions and, as long as you can survive, you are allowed a little privacy.
Unfortunately, Oscar’s luck may run out as he ends up caught between his worst enemies and his former peers.
Design:
Oscar is trying very hard not to be noticed and does his best to blend in with his surroundings. He dresses very “urban” (hoodies, wifebeaters, jeans, etc.) and has even taken on an accent to better fit in. Physically, he is very muscular but not to the point of being a caricature. If I had to compare him to anyone in terms of physique, he’d probably be along the lines of Ricky Steamboat in his prime. In short, this guy isn’t perfect but a still BAMF.
#8 – Bright Eyes
As mentioned yesterday, my second five characters are based on my wife, Michelle (this is the third of five).
Michelle is a morning person. Let me rephrase that: Michelle is an annoying morning person. Granted, I’m not a night person, per se, but I am really grumpy in the morning (Note to Self: Create a grumpy morning person). So, you know that phrase, “Bright eyed and bushy tailed?” That’s where I went with this one.
As you can see above, her powers are listed, but I wanted to really focus on her weakness. The idea that she has limitations to her powers (she can only work from dawn to dusk) is really appealing to me. Makes me wonder how she’d do against Blackout. It almost makes her a reverse vampire (Note to Self: create a reverse vampire). I see her as checking a watch from 4pm to 6pm. If she lived in the Northwest, she might be able to go until 8pm. Daylight Savings Time must really annoy her…
…just like Michelle!
NOTE: I’m using Hero-O-Matic (aka Fabrica De Herois) to create my characters. If you’re a writer who can’t draw (like me!), you might want to try it!
#8 Renard Roux
Renard Roux
First sighting: Three Years Ago
Alias: The Red Fox
Identity: Secret – Albert Couteau
Features: Red face mask, dress suit and top hat
Skills: Expert swordsman and parkour runner
No one knows why the gentleman thief known as Renard Roux has made life a pain for the law enforcers across the country. Most aren’t even sure if it’s the same guy.
But there is only one Renard Roux. He has stolen gems, paintings, and fortunes. The public doesn’t know that he’s Albert Couteau, a former reality show star turned model. He hides behind a crimson mask and is always dressed for a formal party. He’s cunning and manipulative, not to mention a notorious flirt towards women and men. However, his intentions remain his own, and he’s having way too much fun as a criminal than he ever thought he would.
He’s a sharp character, as deadly as he is brilliant..
Renard Roux: TM and (C) Jeff Harris dba Studio Lightcount.
07 – Korvus Kain & the Murder Men
… continued from Character #6, Ms. Mercury…
… state trooper Sgt. Korvus Kain!
Sgt. Kain was sent out to investigate a remote area of forest, accessible only by dirt roads, under the assumption that smugglers were operating in the area. Kain liked smugglers. He liked the bribe money and kickbacks he received from various smuggling operations even more. The sergeant arrived to the designated site, looking to cash in on whatever illegal activity was occurring, when he was joined, much to his dismay, by military personnel, a handful of university types and even a Senator!
Kain witnessed the Danaian contact and was mentally trying to find an angle to play when the meteors began to fall. Like everyone, Kain sought shelter from the rocky precipitation. Unfortunately, he was overcome by a fit a coughing that stalled him long enough to become a target for a large meteor fragment that crushed his body beneath its enormous weight. A soldier and, if his traumatized eyesight could be believed, the Senator’s wife lifted the meteor off him before dragging his broken body through the meteoric maelstrom. Left in the care of a soldier, shielded by the wreckage of his own police cruiser, Korvus Kain died from the injuries he had sustained in the impact.
The soldier who was with him ducked as a meteor slammed into the ground nearby ending up on top of the recently deceased Korvus Kain. Kain’s body glowed with an internal golden light. His dead hand grasped the shocked soldier’s face and began to drain the life energy from the warfighter. When the meteor storm cleared and the wreckage was surveyed, Korvus Kain’s body was nowhere to be found.
While Kain’s fateful coughing fit was due to emphysema from his years as a heavy smoker or from inhaling the alien atmosphere that emanated from the Danaian craft remains to be seen, it is clear that Kain was transformed that day along with others at that monumental meeting in the Michigan wilderness. Korvus Kain is effectively dead and exists solely through the absorption of human life force. The more life that Kain drains, the physically stronger he becomes. Being undead, Kain is resistant to toxic substances, does not need to breathe, eat, drink or sleep.
To fuel his hunger for life and that for power, Kain turned his contacts from his days as a corrupt policeman into his own criminal empire. His personal army, the MURDER MEN, serves him and brings him living offerings in return for money and power. Kain and his Murder Men are a constant thorn in the side of the Secret Soldiers and are the first, and arguably the most successful, super-powered criminal organization in the U.S.
While this homegrown horror is enough to occupy the Secret Soldiers, the real threat to their super powered presence comes from…
#8-Slim, the Sideshow Song-and-Dance Man
Bastard son of a thousand Vaudevillians! Is he a ghostly apparition of the distant past, a harbinger of doom? A grotesque supernatural commentary on entertainment?
And seriously, what’s up with those choppers?
#8 Exodwee
exodwee is a ghost who just floats around whispering that you should leave. but he isn’t very good at it, and usually people mistake his whispering for the wind because it’s very soft and drawn out due to the shape of his face.
#7 Noseprint
noseprint is the ghost who leaves prints all over the windows and mirrors you just cleaned. think your car is spotless? think again.
#6 Drooler
drooler is the ghost who leaves mysterious small puddles of liquid about your house. you think it was the dog or the cat or a cup of juice someone spilled. but are you REALLY sure?
Day 7: Yuyutsu
Yuyutsu was the only hope of a doomed planet. Adorned in the cloth of his people, his parents wished him well as they watched their child escape the planets’ fate in a miniature rocket.
Yuyutsu is the last son of Earth.
______________
There are a couple comic stories like this, but I still wanted to put Yuyutsu’s foot forward. Since he’s human, his experience would be the opposite of Superman’s. He would lead a very sheltered life since he can’t adapt to the atmosphere and he is weaker than the native inhabitants to the planet.
For security, he still wears the emblem of his people, but that only helps identify him as an outsider. Raised as one of them, Yuyutsu is wondering if he’ll ever feel less like an alien on his adopted planet.
#8 – Ratboy
More Professor Neutrino mayhem! This one Neutrino considers a ‘failure.’ Poor, poor Ratboy…
#8 Ian DeSoto
Professor. Archaeologist. All-around grump and cynic.
Image from Indiana University newsroom
#8 – Mister 23
Ah, mustaches – aren’t they great? Not sure what it is about this design I like, but I do, and I’m sure the mustache isn’t hurting any.
Speaking of mustaches, Jonathan created a fantastic mini-comic called Jesop King – The Hunger. It’s beautiful done, great fun, and just filled with wonderful moments. You can read it on his blog here.
I recommend you do. It’s fantastic.
#30Characters Chatter…