323 – Miracleman


I know that he’s actually called “Marvelman”, but as long as I have been reading comics, to me, he’s always been Miracleman. Until Marvel finally gets their shit together and starts reprinting the classic Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman runs, it will continue to be Miracleman. That said, c’mon Marvel, what the fuck are you doing with this license? It’s been years since I read Moore’s run on the book, but I definitely liked it, even under the light of decades of comics that were influenced by it and aped it. I’d like to get the remainder of the series that I’ve not read, which is most of it. I think I only have up to issue 10. Joe G. Week, Part 9: Joe in Space!

So anyway, with this, Joe Grunenwald Week is concluded! Thanks, Joe for letting me poke gentle fun at you. You can start requesting things (or commissioning – hint, hint) again after the first of February.

322 – The Wonder Twins


So as I was drawing The Wonder Twins, I began to wonder something: Did John Byrne rip them off to create Aurora and Northstar from Alpha Flight? Both sets are twins who powers only “activate” when they touch hands; both are from strange lands (alien planet & Quebec); both males are homosexual; both have pointy Spock ears and eyebrows; both have monkey companions (Gleek & Puck). John Byrne, you rapscallion. It’s Joe G. Week, Part 8: Joe Takes Manhattan.

321 – Vixen


Joe Grunenwald and I host a podcast called League Night, in which we are in the process of watching the Justice League animated series. In the most recent episode we recorded – which will be available for download in about a month or so – we had a lengthy discussion about Vixen. Vixen was a member of the Justice League Detroit, and featured in at least one episode of JLU, voiced by Gina Torres. She’s also possibly the most sluttily animated character to have ever appeared in the Justice League ‘toon. Boobs. Joe G. Week Part 7: The Final Nightmare.

Ok, PANIC!: Video Games


Pyramidhead from Silent Hill.

320 – Citizen Steel


The only version of this character that I am familiar with is Citizen Steel, the grandson of Commander Steel and cousin of the Justice League Detroit member Steel. He’s also an Ohioan, and while he was a member of The Justice Society of America when I was reading the book, he is probably more famous for having an enormous boner. Joe G. Week keeps trucking along. Leonard Part 6.

319 – Gypsy


I know absolutely nothing of this character other than she appeared in some vaguely remembered issues of Justice League International as part of Booster Gold’s commercially sponsored superhero team, and that she appeared briefly in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, phasing through a wall. But she’s famously part of Justice League Detroit, and Joe G. requested it, and it is his week, after all. Joe G. Week, Part 5: Ghost Protocol.

318 – Vibe


Joe G. Week, Part 4: The Voyage Home. Vibe was a breakdancing latino gang member who joined the Justice League when they moved to Detroit. Because every superteam needs a bad, extremely dated racist stereotype. Also, Alfonso Ribeiro ruined the world back in the 80s. Vibe has an even more ridiculous costume than this, but I didn’t find reference for it until after I finished drawing.

317 – Dick Grayson: Earth 2 Robin


Joe G. Week, Part 3: The Continuing! The adult Robin of Earth 2 has two different costumes that I’ve seen, one is just sort of a modified version of the regular Robin costume with long pants and slightly worse arrangements of the colors. Then there’s this one, which I think is awesome and hilarious.

316 – Dick Grayson: Owlman


Joe Grunenwald Week, Part 2! Back in Batman #107, Dick Grayson (Robin) was exposed to some chemical that caused him to grow into adulthood. Batman – who has no problem whatsoever with placing a 10 year old child in incredible, life-threatening danger every night in the brightest colors possible – refuses to allow the now full grown Robin to patrol and fight crime with him. In order prove to Batman that he can handle himself (which, again, as a 10 year old, he did everyday), Dick dons a new identity as Owlman! With creepier bare legs! And a worse color scheme! Dick!

Dad Update: After a worrisome morning in which it seemed like he wasn’t going to get to go home, he was released from the hospital at around 11am. I picked him up and took him home, and he was kinda griping the entire time. I dropped him off at home and went to pick up some lunch for him (Burger King – his choice) and talked to my Mom, who confirmed that he was being pretty stubborn at the hospital, and she threatened to leave him there if he didn’t stop being a dick. So basically, he’s doing really well.

315 – Kite Man


So, this begins Joe Grunenwald Week(s?)! Joe has made a ton of requests, and as the year-long experiment comes to a close, I aim to fulfill those requests. So for the next 7-10 days, expect nothing but Joe-centric art to pave the way for him to make more requests when I am done with the Sketch-a-Day process.

And with that, we have Kite Man, an incredibly goofy Batman villain whose origins I will be exploring in a few weeks as part of another thing I’m working on. This isn’t the last of Kite Man you’ll be seeing from these withered hands!

I wasn’t sure I was actually going to get this done before midnight, and Day 315 was dangerously close to becoming the first time I would have missed posting a piece of art. I made it, but it was close. My Dad went to the hospital today for a scheduled surgery, and when I got off of work, I spent the evening with him and my Mom in his hospital room as he recovers. Just before Thanksgiving, he had gone to the doctor for a CAT Scan, and they discovered that he had a life-threatening aneurysm in his stomach. The aneurysm had expanded past the “safe” point and could have ruptured at any moment. Such a life-threatening condition this was that his doctors made him wait three weeks before having the surgery. God bless the American healthcare system.

Anyway, he’s doing fine and staying overnight at the hospital, possibly to be released tomorrow afternoon. I’ve taken a few days off work to make sure he’s okay. He’s cranky and stubborn, but helpless, and it made me a little sad to see him in that condition. He had more tubes and wires coming out of him than a robot. But at least he isn’t going to suddenly drop dead because he picked up a box at the wrong time. I know that he’s just looking forward to going home, and I’m looking forward to him being home.