Author Archives: AFDStudios

Open Critique Day #42

My full-time (non-HeroMachine) job might keep me from actually getting to these before this evening, but it's time for another Open Critique Day!

If you have a HeroMachine illustration or another piece of artwork you've done that you'd like some help with, post a link to it in comments along with your thoughts on it -- what you think is working, what you're struggling with, etc. I will post my critique of the piece, hopefully giving some tips on how to improve it.

Of course everyone is welcome to post their critiques as well, keeping in mind the following guidelines:

  • Make sure your criticism is constructive. Just saying "This sucks" is both rude and unhelpful without giving specific reasons why you think it sucks and, ideally, some advice on how to make it better.
  • Each person should only post one illustration for critique to make sure everyone who wants feedback has a chance.
  • I will not critique characters entered in any currently running contest, as that doesn't seem fair to the other entrants. You can still post it if you like for the other visitors to critique, but I will not do so.

That's it! Hopefully we can get some good interaction going here and help everyone (me included!) learn a little bit today.

(You can buy the shirt at Zazzle!)

Apparently knowledge is painful

(From "Target Comics" volume 2, number 4, 1941.)

Warehouse? There! There house!

When last we left our Cosmic Guardian, we were considering which of two targets to take, a warehouse with five life forms or a yacht in the harbor with just one. Feeling muy macho, we opted for the warehouse, hoping it's five henchmen and not the Legion of Doom.

So, yeah, about that ...

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Life after the Jackson Five broke up was not easy

(From "Target Comics" volume 2, number 4, 1941.)

That's gonna sting

No character in comics history has had as many distinctive costumes as Wasp from The Avengers. The fashion-forward Janet Van Dyne likes to look good when she walks (or flies) out the door, so you're as likely to see her in the latest haute couture creation from Milan as a powered suit of shrinking armor via Tony Stark. In fact, you can see all of them at this amazing site, comprising page after page of her clothing choices.

But one character design in particular jumps out as just awful. Apparently she was brought back from the dead somehow (comics, everyone!), only as a result she got transformed into ... well, this:

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Isn't that redundant?

Batman vs. Batman

Every time Batman is an option in a poll, he wins no matter how freakish the odds. I can't blame you for going that way since DC Comics apparently agrees, having had the Caped Crusader destroy the likes of Superman and Darkseid in the past. We're basically left with a situation like this, though, with Bats playing the part of "rock":

That's right, nothing beats Batman. That's just how it is. So instead, I bring you the ultimate matchup:

Irresistible force meets unmovable object! Suck on that, Bat-fans!

The two worlds of these alternate Batmen are fairly similar -- dark, dangerous, and as realistic as their genres allow. I mean, this isn't "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" level of Bat-badness. Both characters are smart, ruthless, and effective.

I can't wait to see your reasoning as to who would win here! I just hope the internal conflict isn't so massive that it causes a rift in the space-time geek continuum.

[polldaddy poll="6344124"]

Your weekly comics weather forecast

(From "Target Comics" volume 2, number 4, 1941.)

Vampyrist and Iscarioto Portraits

I've just added these two fine looking gentlemen to the Head-Winners set in HM3 as their contest prizes. Enjoy! As always, if you don't see the new items, clear your browser's cache (make sure you don't remove the Flash cookies though!) and check again.

Pop Quiz 13 Prize

As his prize for winning Pop Quiz 13, Jack asked me to do a Sketch of the Day featuring this character:


(Click to embiggen.)

So here's what I came up with. Hope you like it, Jack!