It seems that PROJECT ROOFTOP is catching quite a bit of attention… and over THE ENGINE — Warren Ellis’s forum on the web– Warren has started a thread where he asks folks to redesign WITCHBLADE in the ROOFTOP vein. I’m not a huge WITCHBLADE fan… but I thought it would be fun to take a crack at the challenge. I don’t think I did all that well… but it was an enjoyable exercise, anyway. I thought for this first try that I would do a ‘Guyver-like’ version, with the mystical Witchblade covering Sara Pezzini almost completely. But it seems that most everyone in the thread was going for that look. So I tried something more simple.

With this sketch, i just imagined that the Witchblade would be used more like a tool– to form shapes and weapons as needed. So here, Sara is holding the ‘blade as… well, a large blade. But I imagine her using it as protection as well– like using it to form a cocoon around her if she falls off a city roof… she could be spared harm by a hard Witchblade shell forming and taking the brunt of the impact. Like I said… it was fun to do… but I think more colorful superhero-type characters might be better suited for this kind of redesign project. That’s why the PROJECT ROOFTOP stuff is so fun and interesting. The possibilities are more varied, I think.

OK… that’s it for another Wednesday.

This is Entry 360.

Mike

Today’s sketch isn’t related to anything… I just felt like drawing a female this morning since besides the DANI half of the sketch from a couple of posts ago, it had been a week or so since I’d drawn the fairer sex for the blog. And since I’m just about as big a fan of westerns as I am of fantasy-related material, I thought I’d draw a cowgirl today. Nothing very authentic, I’ll admit… more of a modern take on Annie Oakly…. but it was fun, and that’s what counts.

SPEAKING of female characters, there’s a very cool set of POWER GIRL redesigns over on PROJECT ROOFTOP — a site devoted to superhero costume design and redesign. There’s also some links at the bottom of the article to several LIVEJOURNAL users takes on redesigning PG’s costume as well.

OK… time to get to work. I’m already behind due to an appointment I had this morning for an oil change in my car.

This is Entry 359.

Mike

… I drew this fellow for this week’s last sketch. It’s been fun having an ‘all fantasy’ week. I kind of regret not having anything topical to draw or write about– but I just haven’t had the time to think about it or keep up with what’s happening in the comics biz. Deadlines are crushing in on me like crazy. In fact, I’m going to have to keep it short and leave it here for today.

I hope you all have a great weekend.

This is Entry 358.

Mike

I’m still feeling the ‘TELLOS vibe’ today, so I thought I’d draw another sketch that shows one of the less prominent characters from the original TELLOS series. A lot of the elements that went into the making of TELLOS were pulled from both the inspirations as well as some of the reality of Todd’s and my life. The character of HAWKE was actually based — kind of loosely– on Todd himself… his look, so to speak. Another real-life person was also the basis for a character in the book– that of a young fairy from a fairy-messenger service. Although her part was very small, it was pivotal to the story. DANI the fairy was based on Dani the person– who was, at the time, Todd’s girlfriend. So I thought it would be fun to draw them both in a little scene for today…. and provide more fodder for the sketchbook/extras section of the upcoming hardcover collection. As BUGS BUNNY was wont to say…. “Ain’t I a little stinker…?”

OK… that’s it for another Wednesday.

This is Entry 357.

Mike

I felt like drawing a character or two from TELLOS this morning… and since I’d drawn all of the main cast lately, I thought I’d draw a picture of the benevolent mage that helped to guide KOJ, JAREK and company through the various trials and tribulations they faced in the first series. I can’t remember who’s idea it was to make THOM (as he’s called for short) a turtle out of his shell– but it was always so enjoyable to draw him in whatever scene he appeared in. He’s all leathery and craggy…. and that’s always fun to illustrate. In Todd’s mind, if there’s ever a movie or animated series made of TELLOS, the perfect voice for THOM would be Gary Marshall. I think he’d be perfect, too. So… here’s THOM. And the sketch serves as not only a blog post– but it’s something that can be added to the sketchbook/extras section that will be in the upcoming TELLOS oversized hardcover collection. Two birds with one ston…. er, sketch.

OK… I’ve got a lot to do and a short time to do it… so back to work for me!

This is Entry 356.

Mike