89. Dr. Thirteen

Like the vast majority of characters on this list, I think Dr. Thirteen could be great.
The fine folks in the "Responses" section of Bill's original post have the right idea; In a world where you place your trust indestructible people from another galaxy, men who can run at super-sonic speeds or breathe under water, there have to be people trying to take advantage of that trust. Dr. Thirteen is the guy looking to expose the Scooby-Doo villains of the DC universe.
His motto:
"Bustin' makes me feel good!"

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

88. Doc Savage

Doc Savage is so damn cool.
He's like James Bond, Indiana Jones and John McClane all rolled into one with a little Thomas Edison thrown on top.
Seriously, why isn't there a monthly Doc Savage book?
It makes no sense!

Medium: Pencil on paper

Tomorrow; More Doctors!

87. Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is a character that truly showcases the genius work of Steve Ditko. Some of the most innovative and unique work ever. I love Steve Ditko, but I hear that we will be having a Ditko week later in the year, so I'll save my gushing until then.
I based my Stephen Strange on Errol Flynn, as everyone should.

Medium: Pen & ink

86. Doctor Light

Doctor Light is a character that I knew very little about until I read what Bill Reed had written about her, so, if you want to learn more, why don't you read what Bill has written about her.

Medium: Pen & ink w/ glow

85. Dr. Mid-Nite

Doctor Week continues with Dr. Mid-Nite and his über-cool animal sidekick, Hooty!

Medium: Pen & ink

84. Dr. Occult

I want to see more of Dr. Occult. I think we can do better than just a Trenchcoat Brigade mini too. I know that supernatural themed comics don't seem to fare as well in today's superhero-dominated market, but I would love to see a Trenchcoat Brigade ongoing.

Medium: Pencil, ink, & digital

83. Rot Lop Fan

The final day of Green Lantern week.
Number 83 on the list is Rot Lop Fan, one of those characters who is high concept with a low volume of actual stories. It's a shame, because the idea is just great. Giving a powerful weapon based on light to a being who has no concept of light. That's heavy, man.

Medium: Pen & ink w/fractal swirl (I wish I could remember where I got it)

Yes, I am well aware that I am behind on these posts. I'll try to catch back up over the weekend.
Tomorrow: Doctor Week Begins!

82. Ch’p

Once again, this is one of the great things about comics; it's the only medium that you can get away with setting Ch’p against an enemy like Darkseid.
That's right, Ch’p was part of the strike force that attacked Apokolips in "JLA: Another Nail".
It's fantastically phantasmagoric, and you just don't get that anywhere else.

Medium: Pen & ink w/the eyes

81. Guy Gardner

I completely agree with Bill Reed, Guy Gardner is "the greatest ever Green Lantern of Earth!"
He's an in-your-face jerk and he makes no apologies for it. I've spoken before about characters being relatable, and Guy is exactly that. Everyone knows a jerk!
The only problem I have with him is the fact that they say a hit on the head made him this way. Bull. I know plenty of people who are jerks, and it isn't because they were hit in the head. It may make you want to hit them in the head, but that's a different story.

Medium: Pen & ink

80. Mogo

Mogo is a great concept, but it has got to be difficult to write a story centering on him. Stories can take place on or near Mogo, but other than that, I don't know.
Wait, the power rings work on the willpower of the user, right? The force of will of an entire planet? It's hard to wrap my head around just how powerful Mogo really is.

Medium: Digital

79. Kilowog

Green Lantern week continues with my favorite member of the Corps; Kilowog.
I love the Green Lantern Corps, if for no other reason than the fact that characters like Kilowog and G’Nort can interact with one another. That's beautiful.

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink w/glow

78. G’Nort

This is the perfect post for the day after St. Patrick's. G’Nort!
Get it? He's like the hair of the dog that bit you... ... ...no?
Anyway, I understand that G’Nort is going to be played for laughs most of the time, and that's fine. But instead of portraying him like a Jar Jar Binks type of character, have him resemble Barf (John Candy) from Spaceballs. It would be much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

77. Jigsaw, Man of a Thousand Parts

Whenever I see Jigsaw stretching, I can't help but think of that creepy Nerds Rope.
*shudder*

Medium: Pen & ink w/this background

That's it for Joe Simon Week. Join me tomorrow for a bit of the green.

76. The Green Team

I think that The Green Team could be a lot of fun if they updated them.
...Right?
...Maybe it's just me.

Medium: Pen & ink w/money

75. Romance comics

Much like Bill, I don't know much about Romance comics. But I do know that this was a fun piece to do. Too bad I didn't have more time to do it like I really wanted to.

Medium: Pen & ink w/digital

74. Prez

The fourth item in Joe Simon week, Prez is my first collaboration of the year. My 20 month old daughter decided to add the clouds in the background, and I believe there is also a frog over on the right. If you would like to commission some artwork from her, let me know and I will see how busy her schedule is.

Medium; Pen & ink with Sophia-Clouds

73. Brother Power, the Geek

I love Brother Power. His story was quintessential 60s and almost unnervingly psychedelic, and there's nothing wrong with that. Where is he these days? The industry certianly could use the levity.
Shake down the internet, seek the Geek! Join the brother love fest!

I told you Joe Simon Week was going to be great.

Medium: Pen & ink

72. Captain America

Joe Simon week is going to be great!
First up is Captain America, symbol of our fine nation, and idol to millions.
Now as much as I like what Ed Brubaker is doing with the current book, Steve Rogers is the ONLY person who will ever truly be Captain America. I keep waiting for it to be revealed that the person we saw die was a Skrull imposter, or perhaps, now that his body is back in the Arctic deep-freeze, his Super-Soldier serum will somehow heal his gunshot wounds. *Sigh* I miss Steve Rogers.
I guess 1980s Glam metal supergroup, Cinderella was right; "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)"

Medium: Pen & ink with clip-art background

71. Arnold Drake

It was a nearly a year ago, (March 12, 2007) Arnold Drake passed away. His stories were filled with everything I love about comics, and he created some of the wildest characters ever. Doom Patrol, the Guardians of the Galaxy, not to mention one of my all-time favorite characters; Deadman!
Thank you, Mr. Drake for all of your contributions to the comic industry, you are missed.

Medium: Pen & ink.

70. Joe Simon

I love Joe Simon.
I know that Bill said that he wasn't going to cover Joe’s original Outsiders, but I couldn't resist.

More Simon-tology later this week.

Medium: Pencil on paper

69. Mike Norton

I'm running short on time yet again, so go read what Bill Reed said about our final mike of the week; Mike Norton, he's far better at this writing stuff than I'll ever be.

Medium: Pen & ink

68. Mike Wieringo

I never got to meet Mike Wieringo, but he was a regular contributor to one of my favorite hangouts, the drawing board.
You are truly missed Ringo.

Medium: Pencil on paper

67. Mike Mignola

Mike Mignola is one of the few creators that I have actually had the pleasure to meet. I wish I had some wonderfully scandalous story to tell, but he was a really nice guy.
Super-talented & nice, ... What a jerk!

Medium: Pen & ink

66. Mike Parobeck

Did I say Monday? I meant Tuesday.

Mike Parobeck's slick art style IS a reason to love comics.

Medium: Pen & ink

65. Mike Allred

Love the Mike Allred. He's got crisp, clean linework. It's more than just comic art, it's pop art. Simply, beautiful.
Pictured above is Frank Einstein. You may have seen him if you've ever traveled to Snap City.

Medium: Pen & ink

Oh, and I will be using this weekend to get caught up with the 365 list, so expect a Mega-post Monday

64. Mike Sekowsky

Yesterday I had a bit of a problem deciding what I was going to use for my Mike entry, Today, NO problem.
Mike Sekowsky did a lot of great work, far too much to list here. He is probably best known for his 1960s work on Justice League of America, or even pulling double duty on Wonder Woman during the late 60s and early 70s. He really did it all!
But (to me) none of it holds a candle to his greatest work... ... ...
The Inferior Five!

Was it over-the-top camp?
You bet! Intentionally so!
It was the silver-age goofiness turning on itself & I loved it.

Medium: Pencil on paper

63. Michael Golden

Here we go with another great theme week:
MIKE WEEK!
A spotlight on some of the great Mikes' in the industry!
We start the week with a great among greats; Michael Golden.
I really debated on what I was going to do to represent Mr. Golden. I thought about doing a ‘Nam pic, but we're going to do some war comics later in the year, then I thought about doing a Bucky O’Hare pic, but I think that we might see him later as well. Fortunately for me, Michael has done so much great work there is plenty to choose from, so I decided on one of my personal favorites: the Micronauts!

Medium: Pencil on paper
See you tomorrow for much more Mike-Like Majesty!

62. The Black Hood

The Black Hood, this is one of those unfortunate incidents where I somehow missed out on all of the fun of this character. I'm especially bummed about the !mpact comics series. What a great concept; "The Hood was cursed, you see; whoever wore it was compelled to do good and given the physical enhancements to do so." Beautiful! Kind of like the Mask, but just this side of absurd.
Not M.A.S.K. but the Mask.

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

61. Black Bolt

I told you I was going to be busy this weekend, but even I was suprised at just how busy, I have some catching up to do.

Black Bolt is the ultimate strong, silent type. The forever noble & tragic hero and 100% stoically bad-ass.

Medium: Pen & ink

60. Blackhawk

Number 60 on the list is Blackhawk. And all I had time to do was this little digital logo. (At least it's in color)
I hope I have the time this weekend to do an actual drawing for this entry. As of right now, it doesn't look promising, busy, busy, busy.

Medium: Digital

UPDATE: I did a pencil sketch for this entry, I will try to ink it at some point.

59. Manhattan Guardian

The Manhattan Guardian is my favorite type of Comic-Hero. He has no powers, he's just an ordinary guy trying to do the right thing in some extraordinary circumstances. Even in the midst of personal tragedy he keeps fighting the good fight. That's inspirational, and something for everyone to get behind.
... Except the pessimists.
... Damned pessimists.

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

58. Christopher Priest

I found it interesting what Bill Reed had to say about Christopher Priest. Basically that he wasn't going to spotlight him because he had "already covered a lot of his notable work." In my opinion, that's exactly he should get a spot on the list.
Bill (of course) made the right decision, stating: "He’s done more for black characters in comics than anyone else, promoting these great, underused, and underrated heroes as they rightfully should be." "He’s fighting the good fight. His work isn’t all about race, of course; he can also tell a ripping good yarn."
Plus; who didn't love Quantum & Woody?

Medium: Pen & ink

57. Brian Stelfreeze

I have such an admiration for Brian Stelfreeze that I could not shakily eke my way through this post.
The man is supremely talented. Please seek his work out.
I chose to represent "the Freeze" with a drawing of the Ride's Laci & that 1968 Black-as-death Camaro RS/SS 396 ... 396 Cubic inches of awesome!
Even if I'm not 100% yet, this was fun.

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

56. James “Rhodey” Rhodes

I want to personally apologize to all of the Jim Rhodes fans out there. The evil Influenza is a devastating foe, and on this day, it clearly won.

Medium: Sharpie® (It's all I could manage)

55. Steel

As you may be able tell from this Steel sketch, this is when I began to feel pretty darned lousy. Sorry, Mr. Irons.

Medium: Pen & ink

54. Falcon

Sorry for the delay in posts, I've had some sort of evil, super-flu that I am still recovering from. So today is all about catching up.
#54 on our 365 list is the Falcon. An under-appreciated character if ever there was one. I think Sam here would have made the most logical replacement for Steve Rogers as the new Captain America, but what do I know?

Medium: Pencil, pen & ink

53. Black Lightning

You know, I'm against the naming of a hero based on their ethnicity. It's just kind of silly. To call someone Black Goliath is akin to calling someone White Batman, it only works if they were taking on the abilities of some sort of white bat. (Actually, that sounds interesting. hmm...) In any event, I still really like the moniker Black Lightning and with a slight tweaking of his powers the name could still work. Have his powers shift over to the ultraviolet spectrum, or better yet have his powers be based on some sort of antimatter! I don't know the exact science of it, but I bet someone could figure out a way for it to work.

Medium: Pencil & pen

52. Black Panther

I love the Black Panther.
T’Challa is often compared to Batman, and I can see the similarities. But to label him as Marvel's answer to DC's most keister-kickin' character makes him sound like a cheap imitation. That's simply not right. I like how Bill Reed put it:
"The Black Panther is an exceptionally talented and powerful individual with a rich African heritage that’s fully embraced by the creative staff. ~ He’s become an expert in every field he needs to. The setting is fantastic: a fictional, highly developed African landscape with plenty of sci-fi elements waiting to be used. As leader of his nation, he has access to all sorts of technology, magical artifacts, armors, and weapons. He’s honorable, mysterious, and in control.
Also, on a visual level, he rocks."

Medium: Pen & ink

51. Luke Cage

Sweet Christmas! It's Luke Cage!
I've gotta tell you, I'm not a big fan of the updated version. I guess SOME people don't think that 18" yellow lapels and chrome headbands mixed in with the occasional splash of 1970's lingo doesn't ring with today's youth. Well to those people, I just gotta say one thing... YOUR MOMMA!
Listen, I understand that certain characters must be updated once in a while in order to stay relevant. I get it. But please try to keep the essence of the character intact. Luke was inspired, at least partially, by Shaft. SHAFT! You don't get much cooler than that. Use that as your character base and build from there. Ya dig?

Medium: Pen, ink & Chrome, baby!

50. Fast Willie Jackson

Fast Willie Jackson! Man, this was fun.
I used a "Brush-Pen" for the first time here, and can honestly say that I can see why some people swear by them... I can also see that I need much more practice with one.

Medium: Pen & ink with digital color

49. Amanda Waller

Whenever I see Amanda Waller I can't help but hear the Commodores:
She's a brick----house
Mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out
She's a brick----house
The lady's stacked and that's a fact,
ain't holding nothing back.

...Maybe it's just me...
But anyone who can back Batman into a corner...
Shake it down, shake it down now
Shake it down, shake it down now

Medium: Pen & ink

48. Robbie Robertson

I think I might have mentioned it before; I love Spidey's supporting cast. They make everything seem grounded, and because of that, I can't help but feel that Robbie Robertson is a great guy... or at least he would be, if he were real.

Medium: Pencil on paper

47. Crispus Allen

Sorry to say, but I have a lot of work to get to today, so I'm going to brief. I don't mind Crispus Allen as the Spectre, but I like him much better as a Gotham Central Police Detective.

Medium: Pencil & Pen

46. Robb Armstrong

This one was fun, I tried to channel my inner Robb Armstrong...
Robb Armstrong has been doing his syndicated comic strip, Jump Start since 1988. It's a fun and upbeat comic about Joe and Marcy Cobb & their family. Check it out, you just might enjoy yourself.

Medium: Pen & ink with digital color

45. Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane

I've got to admit, when I first saw Superman’s Girlfriend, Lois Lane on the 365 list for today, I had no idea where Bill was going with it. Until I saw that he was referencing # 106 from the series, the "I am curious (black)" issue. For those of you not in the know, it breaks down like this:
Lois needs to become an African-American for 24 hours in order to gather information on a story, and in a wacky coincidence, Superman just happens to have a Plastimold machine fitted with a Transformoflux pack for this common problem.
Weren't the 70's great?

Medium: Pencil & pen

44. Static

Bill Reed described Static as a "Spider-Man for the 90’s", and I think that's about right.
He's a superpowered teen who has the same worries and problems as other schoolkids his age. I know that numerous other characters of the medium try to follow this formula, but thanks to Dwayne McDuffie, it actually works wih Static.

Medium: Pencil & pen

43. Dwayne McDuffie

Day 12 of Black History month, and we have a personal favorite creator of mine; Dwayne McDuffie.
Dwayne has a lot to hang his hat on. Far too much for me to list here, but please check out his site.
His "big break" was with Marvel's Damage Control, but I first became aware of his work with the Milestone Comics' Hardware. Hardware was awesome, he was kind of like Iron Man, but more relatable. He wasn't the wealthy industrialist, he worked for him.

Medium: Pencil & pen

42. Rocket Racer

I was running a little short on time yesterday and that means Robbie Farrell, the Rocket Racer didn't get the time devoted to him that I planned on. Sorry Robbie. If it means anything to you, I don't think that the Big Wheel even made the list.

Medium: Pencil & pen

41. Nubia

I think, in the right hands, Nubia is a character that could support her own book. She is at least as interesting as Wonder Woman.

Medium: Pencil & pen