Month: December 2008

Number One Super Guy!

~ J.Ho ~ 3 Comments

Dear Cartoon Network/DC Comics,

Please let me write and draw an action/comedy Hong Kong Phooey comic book, in the style of 2-D fighting games like Streetfighter and Darkstalkers. I promise to be your BFF. And if we have Capcom make a 2-D fighting game as a tie-in, we will probably make a kajillion dollars.

Sincerest Regards,
J.Ho


Fun Fact: Hong Kong Phooey was voiced by the late, great, Scatman Crothers, who you might also recognize as the voice of Jazz from the original Transformers cartoon. RIP, Scatman.

BONUS POST: Johnny Monster Cometh!!!

~ J.Ho

Well, what have we here… the current issue of Previews… under Image Comics and Shadowline…

Johnny Monster #1 (of 3)
Story by Joshua Williamson
Art and Cover by J.C. Grande
32 pages FC $3.50 February 18

Johnny Monster is the world’s foremost super-star monster hunter, but what the world doesn’t know is that he was raised by the same monsters he’s “hunting”! Now, in order to save his adoptive family…he must fight them! Johnny Monster mixes Tom Strong with Godzilla movies by way of Tarzan and the Phantom to create a compelling and different monster mash! From the acclaimed writer of Dear Dracula and Necessary Evil!

Another offering from my crony Josh, with art by a new collaborator, the talented J.C. Grande! Johnny Monster promises to be a really fun comic, but let’s face, what I’m interested in is ME ME ME. Josh asked me to color the covers for Johnny Monster, and it was really the first time I colored someone else’s art. It was an interesting experience, and I’m pretty happy with the results. Here are J.C.’s bare inks, alongside the finished cover, with my colors, and a very slick logo by Vinny:

click above for larger view

Be sure to ask your local comic shop to order Johnny Monster #1! It’s on page 168 of December’s Previews catalog, and the Diamond order number is DEC08 2275.

Happy Holidays, I’m a Forgetful Moron!

~ J.Ho

It occurs to me that I promised a bonus post today. And have not delivered. Well, it won’t be up by the end of Friday (which is in a scant few minutes), but it will be up before you wake up for Saturday morning cartoons. Tune back in in a few!

Kage Kuringoru Densetsu

~ J.Ho

(Posting early for the holidays, tune in on Friday for a bonus post… )

Josh says this in IM:

[23:25] JOSH: next time you guys do a sketch off
[23:25] JOSH: i’d like to see ninja santas

So you get this:

click above for larger view

KAGE KRINGLE, the Shinobi Santa, gives razor-sharp kunai to all the good little ninjas at winter time. He also gives razor-sharp kunai to naughty ninjas… kunai which are delivered to their hearts. So be good, for goodness sake.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, BLOG READERS!

Horrible Post Title #063885: Owl or Nothing

~ J.Ho ~ 1 Comment

A quick note about the posting schedule for the rest of the year… the second sketch for this week (normally scheduled for Friday) will go up on Wednesday December 24th. Friday, instead, will see a bonus post featuring something that’s a tiny bit different from my usual fare.

Next week, however the second sketch will go up a day early, in the wee hours of New Year’s Day (Thursday), as has become a tradition here.

I’m sure you’re all terribly enthralled by the ins and outs of my post scheduling. Here’s today’s subject, She-Ra’s ally Kowl, in both cartoon and toy forms:

As is my custom, I repurposed the significantly differently-colored toy version into a new character. Corujito, as best as I can figure, means “little owl” in Portuguese, which is how one of the international releases of Kowl was named (using my Sherlock Holmes-like powers of deduction, I’m going to guess it was the Portuguese and/or Brazilian version). I decided to spell it Korujito, just to give the name a bit more of a connection with Kowl. Korujito’s gem and title derive from the play feature of the toy, which I guess was some kind of color-changing gem that ‘answered your questions’ with different colors–I suspect it was a mood ring-like decal, like the old faction sigils on Transformers. But I digress.

* * *

PROFILE: Kowl’s young nephew, KORUJITO, is a “chosen one” of their people. He was born with the ability to divine possible futures through the Oracular Gem, an artifact used by seers and oracles throughout the history of Etheria. Korujito is but a child, however he is wise and serene beyond his years.

HISTORY: Korujito is part of an emerging group of young heroes who have become protectors of Etheria while She-Ra is posted in Eternia. The rulers united under the Rebellion consult Korujito’s clairvoyant powers when they are faced with grave decisions, and his serene counsel has been invaluable to the stoic and conflicted protector of Etheria, Starburst. Korujito is a frequent companion of the impulsive Princess Sorciela, and Kowl seems to spend an inordinate amount of time keeping the two of them out of trouble.

* * *

Kowl is also posted on the He-Man.org fan-art forums. My post is here, the entire thread (including some of my previous sketches) is here.

And Korujito is also posted here on my variants thread

Mutant Zoo! Gorilla + Octopus!

~ J.Ho ~ 1 Comment

For the Mutant Zoo jam, held by Dreamwolf and Super-Munkyboy at Deviantart–here’s a hybrid between a Gorilla and an Octopus:

click above for larger view

… despite their fearsome appearance and deafening displays, the Octorilla is a serene, family-oriented creature, inquisitive and gregarious…

This was the combination that originally attracted me to the Mutant Zoo jam, from a few weeks back. I wasn’t in time for the original deadline, but I actually designed this hybrid before I started on the Bat + Deer combination. I finally got a chance to color it up, so here it is.

Be sure to check out Dreamwolf’s Deviantart page for links to other participants!

Mutant Zoo! Lemur + Tarantula!

~ J.Ho ~ 2 Comments

For this week’s Mutant Zoo jam, held by Dreamwolf and Super-Munkyboy at Deviantart–here’s a hybrid between a Lemur and a Tarantula:

… the tip of the Taramur’s nimble tail actually houses the creature’s spinnerets, allowing it to spin webs in almost any direction. The glowing eyes in the Taramur’s abdomen have excellent vision, and are capable of firing intense psionic blasts…

Be sure to check out Dreamwolf’s Deviantart page for links to other participants!

Mutant Zoo! Ladybug + Rhino!

~ J.Ho ~ 1 Comment

For this week’s Mutant Zoo jam, held by Dreamwolf and Super-Munkyboy at Deviantart–here’s a hybrid between a Ladybug and a Rhino:

… despite their diminuitive size (roughly 2 inches long, tail not included), these normally docile creatures can pack quite a punch if disturbed while grazing upon spectral aphids, their food of choice…

Get ready for a Mutant Zoo blitz–there were two choices for this week’s jam, plus I drew up one of the older combinations as well, all to be served up momentarily. Stay tuned!

Be sure to check out Dreamwolf’s Deviantart page for links to other participants!