421. The Creeper


So. Five days on, the death of Dave Brockie is still affecting me. My friend Jason and I were discussing it, and we can succinctly sum it as a super-bummer. But even that seems too light. Because it is truly bothering me. Celebrity deaths don’t mean anything to me. Even when someone like Phillip Seymour Hoffman dies, it’s more like “that’s just a real shame, y’dig?”. I do think I’ve managed to figure it out though.

We live in a world where Dave Brockie, in his guise as Oderus Urungus – alien warrior and lead singer of GWAR – can be credited as a Fox News Correspondant. That is ridiculous and awesome, and that is EXACTLY the world I want to be living in.

Brockie was basically – in a way – living the life I wish I could lead. He was an artist who was able to make a living off his talent and skill and was doing it in the most ludicrous fashion possible. He was living the fantasy of every 14 year old artistic boy who had a love of comics, horror, sci-fi and rock’n’roll. He was an artist, a sculptor and performer and took what he did seriously even when what he was doing was the complete oppossite of serious. GWAR has satire and some political and philosophical beliefs that could come through, but then again, there’s little to no subtext in a song called “Fish Fuck”. He got to indulge in his passions, be famous AND anonymous, and make a living being an artist and revelling in the ridiculousness of it all.

There are rumors that police are investigating his death as drug related, and if that turns out to be the case, then I couldn’t imagine a more disappointing situation. But still, the music and imagery of GWAR was a large part of my adult life and it won’t be the same without it as a continuing presence.

So hey, speaking of ridiculous and awesome, let’s talk about The Creeper.

I’ve never been a Steve Ditko fan, despite the fact the he created and co-created a ton of characters in my top 20 favorite superheroes. The Question, Captain Atom, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Shade the Changing Man, the Ted Kord Blue Beetle (my favorite superhero of all time), and of course, The Creeper.

I’ve come to respect Ditko for sure, but even despite all the above, I’m still not a fan so much. Mostly, my love for all those characters come from other creators doing great things with the core concepts. But still, can’t deny his contribution or the awesome way he draws hands. I know he’s mostly now a crazy Ayn Randian recluse and that probably adds a air of mystique to him and his work.

Anyhoo, a few years ago I bought a hardcover collection of all of Ditko’s Creeper comics. Only recently did I start reading it. The Creeper’s original origin is so overtly complicated, I’m honestly shocked that he’s endured as a character for so many decades. Sure, he’s barely a D-lister, but still.

Of course here’s where I bitch about DC Comics and New 52. You can just make up your own rant here.

420. Papa Emeritus II


I was gonna draw something special for today’s occasion. But I didn’t. Instead, I drew the lead singer of the awesome metal band Ghost (or Ghost B.C. here in ‘murrica). Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

419. The Corinthian


I think I’ve talked about how I’ve only read the first 20 issues of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman multiple times, right? If I haven’t, well, there you go. But even before I read any Sandman, I had seen a picture of The Corinthian and became fascinated with him. To this day, I’m still fascinated with him. The imagery of his character – and Two-Face – probably has influenced my more “stream of consciousness” sketches than anything else. This was by request, sorta. I was axed if I had ever drawn him, and so instead of answering, I just drew him.

418

417. H.D.S.


Recently an awesome person gave me some new paper to try. One sheet of that was called “Yupo” – which is a thing I say when being affirmative and excitable. It was a cool paper, really smooth and made me feel weird to draw on. I’ll have to see if I can get a couple more sheets.

So anyhoo. I’m trying to muster up courage to draw more likenesses. And of course, I like drawing interesting folks, and there ain’t too many folks much more interesting looking than a Harry Dean Stanton, star of Joss Whedon’s Avengers movie. I know it mostly doesn’t look like him. Why are you being so mean? You’re a monster.

416


The things in my head don’t come out the way I ever intend on paper.

415


Doodled this in a friend of a friend’s sketchbook.

My pal Joe and I went to see Veronica Mars today. It was a delightful movie. My memory of the television program is hazy, but it didn’t really matter. I remembered just enough to get some little things, but otherwise it’s perfectlu open to a wider audience. I didn’t contribute to the Kickstarter because it felt gross. But I’d recommend the movie to anyone, even if you’ve never seen the show.

March M.O.D.O.K. Madness

  • Filed under Artwork

  • March 21, 2014

My 2nd contribution to the March M.O.D.O.K. Madness website.

414. Halloween III


Random thought: Sometimes I want to start writing one of these things with the phrase “Once again”, but I stop myself because I know that I’ll immediately follow it with “back is the incredible, the rhyme animal, the incredible D, Public Enemy Number One. Five-O said, ‘Freeze!’ and I got numb.”

But fighting against my basic instincts:

Once again, I bring you another DVD cover for Baron Von Porkchop’s Terrifying Tales of the Macabre! This is a new release for the third annual Halloween episode (not so secret confession: Halloween 3: Season of the Witch is the only Halloween movie I like).

The Baron will be at HorrorHound Cincinnati this weekend selling this and other DVDs along with his handlers Matt & Juliet. You guys don’t need to wait around in a 6 hour line to meet Bruce Campbell. Go meet the Baron. He’s free and a nicer guy to talk to.

413. Sleep-Deprived Caffeine Puppet


This sketch was done on a 1 inch by 1 inch piece of tile that I was recently given. It was weird to draw on, but kinda fun? The Silber comics I’ve done are pretty small, but this one has it beat.

And now a word from our sponsor:

The following is every random thought I’m having this morning. Please feel free to fuck yourself if you don’t like it.
***
With a couple thousand songs on my mp3 player, things will get weird on shuffle. This morning was just damn bizzare. Perhaps I’m thinking too much about it and putting too much into it, in a desperate attempt to make my brain focus and not ooze out of my ears.

But still, it was a pretty weird jumble of songs that seemed to keep at the top end of the alphabet, artist wise.

With two exceptions – Gary Hoey’s cover of “Hocus Pocus”, Garret Wall’s “In the Lap of the Mountain” – everything that played this morning was an “A” artist or “B” artist.

Two Beastie Boys (an instrumental and a later-career punk tune), Bloodhound Gang, B-52’s, Archers of Loaf, Black Flag, Big Daddy Kane, and Accept. It was just a jumble of genres.
***
Speaking of Accept (Fast as a Shark was the song), I still hold that if Patton Oswalt doesn’t play the lead singer in a biopic, something has failed at the core.
***
Hey, animated billboard on I-75. I don’t want you to be posting bracket results. I can wait until I get to work. So can the rest of humanity. You will kill someone.
***
There is a special joy in listening to Paul F. Tompkins talk about The Vision.
***
Two minutes at work, and there was discussion of Hitler.
***
No one ever takes me up on my invitation to breakfast at 4am.
***
I watched The Wolf of Wall Street last night. It’s good. About an hour too long, maybe. I seriously felt like it took me all night to watch it (I did take an hour break to watch ARROW).

I don’t get the controversy of it. Sure, the movie made rampant drug abuse, thievery, sex and debauchery look like a ton of fun, but it also made it look like it was all being done by the absolute worst fucking human beings who had ever lived. If anyone missed THAT part of it, then they’re fucking dumb.
***
I am tall, tan, charming, handsome, talented and hilarious. I need to remind myself of that sometimes.
***
I have little to no opinion on the potential of the show “Gotham”, other than done well, it could be great. I point to the comic “Gotham Central” as a prime example of the premise. However, I do love Donal Logue. He’s great in everything. He looks great and will probably be fantastic as Harvey Bullock. But no matter what, no matter how much time passes, how many shows or movies he appears in, I’ll never not be angry that “Terriers” didn’t make it past a first season. You’re all horrible people for not watching that show. HORRIBLE.
***
Done.