Here I am, going through life minding my own business, when I realized I still have not posted anything in 2026! And better get one in now for January before January 2026 is gone forever. So here we go and Happy New Year!
January has been a busy month as it usually is for me. I always take a break during Christmas and reset. And during this reset I tend to make a plan, a new schedule, and try to change my life a bit. I guess it is like when the NS decides to change its train schedule periodically in order to be more efficient. But mine actually works.
I am literally deep in a bunch of projects. It is that weird feeling that turns into frustration when you do a lot but have not really completed anything. I am right in the middle of that right now. But I did manage to complete a few pieces that I am happy to share at the moment.
First up is Solicitations. I am still working on the relaunch and Season Two and it is a lot of work. Not only am I going through a bunch of character redesigns, writing the next segment, but I also have to work on the new assets for the website, social media, etc. Truth be told I cannot fathom how anyone can do this on their own. Oh yeah, that is why we have companies that do this that have more than one employee. That being said, here are a couple of images that I have more or less completed that will be part of a banner that I will use across all the channels (I sound like a really cool and fancy marketing guy do I not?)
What is interesting about Quiver’s design is that during ‘Season One’ of Solicitations I did not know what to do with him. But when I developed and published his secret origin as a proof of concept, he became the focal point. I had his design nailed in the beginning and the above is definitely closer to what was in my head.
With Marv’s redesign he still needs a bit of work. I need to make him a bit more chunky. I think he will burn some fat after all the running around he is currently doing in the story but currently he should be a bit bigger in the mid-section. This one I was pretty systematic with how I wanted him to be positioned. I tried to incorporate more negative space than was present in some of the sketches I produced, hence his posture in profile with his elbow jetting out on the left side. It makes it a bit more pleasing to the eye.
I still need to ink Curt and Franka’s design. And once those are done I can put the image together and make a little banner.
Not only am I creating but I am also still reading comic books! I am currently going through the Legion of Super-Heroes, the title that came after Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (which I blogged about). I am currently in the middle of the Great Darkness Saga (those that know, know) and I was absolutely floored by the Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 which is an issue right before the Saga starts.
To say that this issue is amazing is really an understatement. I want to say it is perfect. I cannot remember if a single comic has ever moved me like this one did. When I finished it I literally had tears in my eyes. Because the Legion of Super-Heroes is my favorite team, if I ever needed to convince anyone on why, I would put this issue in their hands. It has everything that makes a Legion story great:
- An introduction of a new member
- High stakes
- Sex
- Conflict within the group
- Members being themselves
- Humor
- Tragedy
- Every member is used
- You know who each member is and what they do, all in 40+ pages
I could go on. If James Gunn is thinking about introducing the Legion of Super-Heroes in his DCU, then he can simply adapt this issue as a two-part episode or a whole movie. It is that perfect. When I finished this I even had a dream about it. I was in the Legion of Super-Heroes, laughing with my comrades, and saving the day. Seriously. I cannot fathom as to the reasons why this one hit me the way it did but it did.
I want to meet Paul Levitz and I just want to talk about this issue with him. I will not care how mad or annoyed he gets and I definitely will not think nor care about all the people behind me waiting in line. I want to know everything about it. Keith Giffen (the artist) sadly passed away a few years ago but I do wonder if this was their pitch for a Legion of Super-Heroes movie or television series.
To end my fanboy rant, I will state two things that are fact. One, this is my favorite comic book issue of all time. And two, for every comic book store I visit, I will look for this issue and if they have it in stock, I will buy it.
And that is my January post. You might surmise that I probably do need to go out and see people and experience life more other than staying at home, drawing, and thinking about things like this. And you would be right.
Stay warm and safe,
-Chris
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