A late Periscope Sketch Challenge entry. (I had to watch an episode or two on the recommendation of my studio mates, and now I’ve only got a few seasons left to go;)
And here’s a bonus, the 4×6 inch sketch:
fan art
Harry You Know Who
Hi, my name is Aaron McConnell and I’m a sketch blog addict. I should allow myself to do these when all my other work is done for the week, but a little idea for a sketch becomes all consuming. One odd thing… this drawing sort of turned out to be my Gene Colan tribute sketch. I did not expect that, and when I got to the inking I definitely had the recently late great master in mind. 
Love for Being Human
Over the weekend I acquired the latest Mike Mignola/Richard Corben Hellboy one shot. I look forward to any and all collaborations by these masters, and this one entitled “Being Human” is yet another extraordinary tale starring everyone’s favorite demon and his buddy Roger. You can really sense the quiet kinship the two characters share in this issue. Corben’s ability to evoke eery atmosphere is comparable to none, imho, and you even get some John Steinbeck tossed in for good measure. Here’s a little sketch I made inspired by the comic.
*Edited a couple hours later*: I do love Corben’s work, I’ve made that clear, but it occurred to me that I didn’t acknowledge the influence of the colorist Dave Stewart as I gushed about this comic. He obviously has a lot to do with creating the atmosphere. Unique choices like the green flames on the fingers of the severed hand and the graveyard textures add a lot. (I don’t think I should write many comic reviews … I’ll stick to the fan art.)
Yes, Apologies Included
Can you tell what I’ve been poring over these days? You are correct! “Torpedo” it is. I had to get this out of my system. Apologies to Jordi Bernet and fans the world over. No apologies to Wonder Woman fans, though. Let’s get Bernet drawing that title!
Ginormous
This guy looks familiar doesn’t he? Well, he may not be who you think he is. He’s one of the characters in Justin Pierce’s webcomic Wonderella. This webcomic is a revelation to me. I only just discovered it through the Periscope sketch challenge, but it’s a fantastic blend of humor, parody, and drama all within the guise of a superhero adventure strip.
In high school, my two favorite movies were The Graduate and Alien, an unusual pairing to say the least. Admittedly, I have had difficulty reconciling these two in life and art…until now! I think the playground that Justin Pierce has created with his webcomic is a stroke of genius and I was more than happy to contribute this token of appreciation to his endeavor.
Here’s the full piece of fan art. Fair warning: Wonderella uses some strong language in this, but I felt it was necessary to stay true to the character. She ain’t no withering lily! Without further delay, please enjoy “Coo-Coo Kachoo, Mrs. Wonderella”…
More Wonderella fan art here: Periscope Tumblr
The original art of Ginormous is available for sale here: Periscope Etsy Store
Ask the kids about MarioKart!
Racing into your week with a high speed pencil rendering of Mario and pals for the Periscope Tumblr sketch challenge. I enlisted my son to help me with the reference on this piece. We did some father/son bonding as we Googled the various race track worlds. I ended up using Wario’s Gold Mine, a most treacherous track indeed. Check that Tumblr link for more MarioKart art in the coming week. And by the way, you can fill your Shopping Kart with this MarioKart Original Art at the Periscope Etsy Store .
The Creeper
More Ditko-inspired doodling. Behold the orb!
The return of Not Brand ECHH?!
Wow! Came across this milestone issue of Not Brand Echh in my extensive internet browsing. I gotta make sure my comic shop reserves a copy! Consistently mild-mannered comic book consumers will transform into raging, stampeding Hulks to get their hands on this;)
Self-Indulgence
Two adventures this week (so far). I went downhill skiing with my son for his birthday. He was on a snowboard, and that seems to be the preference based on the SkiBowl crowd up Mt. Hood. The other adventure was seeing TRON: Legacy last night! I was fully immersed in the grid. Loved it! So here’s a little tribute to those two events. **This may be the most idyllic drawing I’ve done of myself, possibly ever. I guess I’m ending 2010 on a positive note.**
Aaron McConnell 