Bantam

Ok, so really sucky name; but, at least I was starting to use the dictionary to find synonyms for small. I am sure that I thought this would be less derivative....Still swiping Byrne but looks like I was expanding to India ink; which obviously smeared when apply marker color. Man I wish they made India ink that black nowadays

Phosphorus

Not sure if this was his actual name, but I recall that the almost neon color of these marks make me think it was something like Phosphoro, or phosphorus man. I think I was confusing phosphorus with lichen which grows in cave and gives off light. I don't recall the inspiration for this character but it appears that I just loved to swipe John Byrne, well not really swiping as it wasn't published, so more like trying to learn how to draw in his style. It also appears that I wanted to see how these particular colors from the "Design" markers would look together.

Suplex

Wow, only 2 days and I'm back. Had some time off work and have a note to Blog on my Sticky Notes desktop app. This guys name was Suplex just cause I liked the name. I am sure I heard about watching wrestling. 1983 when I was still signing in cursive like Shultz but now I was adding the year in some type of style that I don't recall what I was trying to achieve. BTW all of there's are inked with a felt tip emulating Terry Austin (at least the way his stuff printed, softer than the originals look) and colored with those old "Design" markers that had a very strong odor. Purple and gold I suppose because I was just discovering or had learned about complimentary colors.

Lord Tarsk

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It's no wonder I was never successful as a comic book artist, I never have to seem to have time to complete anything. Of course as a child we have all the time in the world. Well here we are with another childhood swipe of a John Byrne pose. This nearly sums up everything I loved about his art. Just look at that right thigh and leg! I do not, and probably never will, recall the impetus for this character. Something in it reminds me of Dr Doom, but I have no idea why. Cheerio!

Sandstorm

Well, hard to believe it's been almost a year since I last posted. Probably why I never finish half the artworks I create. I get bored. easily. This next character I remember almost nothing about except that I swiped the pose from a Sandy Plunkett entry in the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, and that I use to have a sweater with this same color scheme.

Suplex

Alright, back to it 2 months later. This character is apparently a synthesis of Dr Fate (half helmet, which I actually hate now; preferring the full helm look) and a well known wrestling move. Most likely it reminded me of some type of stretching like power (despite my inability to illustrate such).  1983, still utilizing the "Ace Frehley" lightning bolt after my signature with the "z" and "check mark" type "3" in "'83".

Gadget Man

Alright, I'm back. It has been a busy few years working and finishing up my baccalaureate in nursing but I am bound to get all of these posted for posterity :D This one is not dated but based on the signature (still in cursive, last name only, lightning bolt at the end) I assume it is from around 1982 (the three hole punch on the left is a clue as I was still working on plain old copy paper). I am not sure if this character (Gadget Man) was based on inspector gadget or not as this cartoon premiered around the same time and I was an avid cartoon watcher. I can't help but think of parachute pants with those zippers on the leggings; however I am not sure when I first learned of parachute pants (attributed to 80's fashion, but no year denoted), but I am sure my thought was at the time he needed pockets for all his "gadgets".