I was just randomly looking at old covers, maybe thinking about recreating one, whatever. I find this old series called Adventures into the Unknown. It’s basically a horror/sci-fi comic that ran from the late ’40s to the late ’60s. The standard covers tend to be people vs. the supernatural, giant monsters or giant robots, including this one in which a giant robot appears to be fucking an elevated train. In 3-D.
Around issue 154 of this series, suddenly a superhero shows up on the covers for about 14 issues straight. This guy, in all his ridiculous glory. Nemesis. He’s so weird and awkward looking, I have to draw him.
Out of curiosity, I try to find out about the character and discover that he’s essentially a Spectre rip-off (he wears a hood to signify that he’s a ghost). He was a detective murdered by a gangster, and while waiting in line in the afterlife to be processed, he strikes up a conversation with Death, who turns out to have been murdered by the same gangster, so he lets this dude back on Earth to avenge their deaths and bring the gangster to justice. Death gives this dude this costume to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. He does such a good job, Death lets him stay on Earth.
Yep.
So, yeah. The most obscure character I have ever drawn, in his bare-legged, short-shorts amazingness.