I already am a Wolverine

I love Liz Climo’s simple and highly amusing animal-themed comics, particularly her Halloween themed ones that I’ve been chuckling over this week. This X-Men comic is probably my favourite thing on the Internet right now.

Super Graphic

I ordered this book a good month and a half ago on Amazon, unfortunately it was out of stock for a while. But when it did arrive this week it was well worth the wait. As both a comic book fan and graphic designer – therefore an appreciator of infographic design – this book is perfect for me. I’ve learnt a thing or two as well.

I don’t think I could have taken crappy photos of the pages if I’d tried, so I will direct you at this post by Creative Review for some slightly better images and more of a detailed write up.

And this one is the best:

Trask Industries

So, I finally got to see The Wolverine last night and it certainly did not disappoint (and not just because Hugh Jackman is the most attractive man in the world).

I’ve been waiting for his Japan storyline to make it to the big screen ever since I read this graphic novel by Frank Miller four or five years ago – although I think the film was set slightly before that. Maybe there’s another book, I haven’t read many comics in the last few years and I’m out of touch. Anyway, it was excellent but this blog post is not going to be about that film…

The next X-Men film, Days of Future Past, isn’t going to be out until next year but posters have already started emerging. Not only that, but a detailed and well-designed fictional website has been created for Trask Industries – the company responsible for building the Sentinels, a robot army designed to destroy all mutants.

“As the world's leading full-spectrum genetic security and containment company, Trask Industries continues to uncover new ways to control the mounting X-gene threat. We are proud to bring decades of experience, along with 118,000 innovative minds as we continue to secure human freedoms in every nation on Earth. Our goal is to solve tomorrow's problems, today.” – Trask Industries

Watch the advert for Trask Industries:

Now I think these posters and the effort put into creating a fictional website are awesome, but a fair comment was made on Creative Review’s post about this: “The big question for me is how can viral campaigns break out of just appealing to the core audience. They are typically adopted by the ‘fan boy' audience who, it could be argued, are going to see the film anyway.” I could disagree, but I am a typical fan boy – or girl, rather – so hey.

I’m also a mutant myself. Or a low-affect one anyway, as I have central heterochromia.

But I don’t have any of these abilities…

Is that… Tyrion?

However these aren’t the only posters/visuals for the new X-Men film to emerge on the internet recently. These amazing images combining the young and old Xavier and Magneto were posted on Entertainment Weekly a few weeks ago. Admittedly, the two Magneto’s faces merge together far better than the Xavier’s – or maybe I just love Magneto – but both pretty cool.

I might buy some more comics, or at least re-read the ones I have. Maybe.

Cats Are Weird

I bought this amusing comic book yesterday in Brighton. If you own a cat, have ever owned a cat or been near a cat you will be able to relate to these comic strips by Jeffrey Brown.

The Wolverine

I am very much looking forward to this.

Here’s a much less handsome Wolverine that I drew over 4 years ago. I actually referenced the graphic novel that part of the new film is based on, by Frank Miller and Chris Claremont, in which he is not as good looking as Hugh Jackman. I’ve been looking forward to Wolverine in Japan for years.

Pixel Superheroes

Sometimes the simplest idea/illustration/design(s) are the best. Pixels are about as simple as you can get but that doesn’t make these Pixel Superheroes by Ercan Akkaya any less awesome. Not to mention the nostalgia that pixel art brings to mind.

Some of my favourite pixel images…

Wolverine. Japan.

Wolverine. Japan. Need I say more?

Lichtenstein

Yesterday I enjoyed a bit of art and culture by visiting the Tate Modern for a Roy Lichtenstein exhibition – Lichtenstein, a retrospective. Lichtenstein was an artist I knew well from studying him in GCSE art. Most notably I remember copying this painting (below), and reasonably well I think – must dig it out to confirm. Incidentally it was the only Lichtenstein image I know that wasn’t in the exhibition at the Tate!

“Lichtenstein is renowned for his works based on comic strips and advertising imagery, coloured with his signature hand-painted Benday dots. The exhibition showcases such key paintings as Look Mickey 1961 lent from the National Gallery Art, Washington and his monumental Artist’s Studio series of 1973–4. Other noteworthy highlights include Whaam! 1963 – a signature work in Tate’s collection – and Drowning Girl 1963 on loan from the Museum of Modern Art, New York.” – Tate

These were three of my favourite paintings in the exhibition, so I bought postcards. But to see more of Lichenstien’s featured artwork I suggest looking at the Tate website. Or better yet, go to the exhibition!

Batcow

I decided not to paint my concrete cow as a typical breed of cow – I was originally thinking about a Hereford cow (red/brown and white). Instead I decided to paint it as a superhero. I could have picked Wolverine, my favourite of all comic book heroes, but I think Batman works best.

 

Fuzzy

“Creating ‘small and loveable  characters all day is probably the reason why Venice-based Jacopo Rosati’s illustrations stay so perpetually upbeat and cheerful (that and living in such a beautiful city).” – It’s Nice That

And they are so fuzzy cute. Can I have some fuzzy felt for Christmas please, Santa?

www.jacoporosati.com

WOLVERINE

Is there a better superhero (or anti-hero) than this? No, definitely not. At least not in my eyes. Of course it has nothing to do with the fact that Hugh Jackman is a super handsome man. Look, he’s not even really in this poster, it’s an illustration. And besides, I've read the comics! (Some of them.)

“Based on the celebrated comic book arc, THE WOLVERINE finds Logan, the eternal
warrior and outsider, in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium
claw as Logan confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will
leave him forever changed.” – comicbookmovie.com

Michael Cho

I love comic books and I love awesome illustration. Awesome comic book illustration is particularly good. I also went to see the new Amazing Spider-Man film today, and thought it was better than previous Spider-Mans, so to post this is pretty appropriate.

"Michael has inked all the comic book staples, from Spider Man and Super Boy to Thor and the Silver Surfer, as well as amassing a huge body of children’s illustration and book covers for the likes of Penguin and Random House; yet another example of comic book culture’s relentless march on mainstream entertainment." - It's Nice That

His non-comic book illustration is pretty swell too: chodrawings.blogspot.co.uk Can't find a

Wolverine (my favourite superhero) but there are some Game of Thrones sketches.