Operation: Alan Moore

Week seventy nine of Operation Graphite – theme: Alan Moore.

Not only is Alan Moore an example of an author who elevated comics to a higher status among literature, he is also an example of losing control of your work, and having Hollywood completely butcher the comic book adaptation. I’m looking at you League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Ok, some of the adaptations have been ok, but the everything about that first League story would have made a perfect film. Instead we got the exact opposite. Thankfully the original comics will always be there.

Contributing artists:

Micah – Strong’s Butler

Shock – Night Owl

Week 80: Greek Mythology

The theme selected for week eighty of Operation Graphite will be: Greek Mythology.

 

Greek Mythology, where the Romans go when they can’t make up their own gods, or where Hollywood goes for character names, though they don’t pay much attention to the original stories. Unlike many monotheistic religions, the Greek Pantheon of gods are not perfect beings; they are just as flawed as humans, maybe more flawed, but with superpowers and really messed up origins stories. Then there are the heroic mortals and demi-gods with their wild adventures that have been told, and retold, for millennia.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Greek Mythology.

All art work is due on Thursday, 9.5.13. Submissions will be published the following Friday, 9.6.13.

Operation: Gotham City Villains

Week seventy eight of Operation Graphite – theme: Gotham City Villains.

Maybe the League of Shadows is onto something. Gotham City is a cesspool of crime, corruption and decay. You really think some guy in a cape will help it? Ok, really about two dozen guys and gals with capes, and we’re not even talking about super humans here, you think they could keep Gotham safe? No, that city is a lost cause. Imagine Detroit, not present day Detroit, but Robocop Detroit. Now quadruple the crime and give every psychopath twenty henchmen with matching outfits. No, the only to clean up Gotham is to Nuke it from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

Shock – Ra’s al Ghul

Week 79: Alan Moore

The theme selected for week seventy nine of Operation Graphite will be: Alan Moore.

 

Alan Moore is one of the writers responsible for comics growing up in the West. From using public domain characters to create a Victorian era super hero team, to stories about Jack the Ripper or a future England that has turned to Fascism, Moore has always raised the bar in comic storytelling. He created the ultimate deconstruction of the superhero genre, and might have even killed the Joker without anyone ever realizing it.

This week we can ether tackle one of his original creations, or his famous use of public domain characters as our inspiration. I say we shy away from his work in the DC universe, as that is already a place we have gone many other times.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Alan Moore.

All art work is due on Thursday, 8.29.13. Submissions will be published the following Friday, 8.30.13.

 

Operation: Lovecraft

Week seventy seven of Operation Graphite – theme: Lovecraft.

We might never see Guillermo Del Toro’s, At the Mountains of Madness, but Lovecraftian horror will grace the silver screen in some way again. Even Alien, The Thing and Ghostbusters contain elements of the Lovcraftian horror. And anything tentacled seems to be very In these days, so there is no chance Lovecraft will be going out of style anytime soon.

Lovecraftian horrors:

Sweatywest – Just a penguin

Shock – The Deep One

Micah – Lovecraft

Thank you for contributing.

Week 78: Gotham City Villains

The theme selected for week seventy eight of Operation Graphite will be: Gotham City Villains.

 

In the quest for a crowd pleasing theme for this week’s Grey Op, Batman was the first thing to come to mind. But instead of Batman, how about Batman’s many, many enemies. Take your pick out of one of Gotham City’s many Villains.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, of a Gotham City Villain.

All art work is due on Thursday, 8.22.13. Submissions will be published the following Friday, 8.23.13.

Operation: Retro Super Heroes

Week seventy six of Operation Graphite – theme: Retro Super Heroes.

Many of the Golden Age characters we know today were born to fight Nazis. WWII was such an integral part of those characters, that after the war many had to get a make-over. The look of a Victorian Era strong man made absolute sense at that time, now all we see is underwear on the outside. After costume revamps, story reboots, and back story ret-cons, something uniquely golden age remains with those characters.

Contributing Heroes:

Micah – Hawkman

Shock – Hellboy circa 1944

Thank you for contributing

Week 77: Lovecraft

The theme selected for week seventy seven of Operation Graphite will be: Lovecraft.

Prepare yourself for a glimpse of the unknowable. Ideas so disturbing they can only lead to madness. Tales of the Outer Gods, the Deep One and of Cthulhu will fill your heart with unrelenting terror, and flood your mind with un yielding anxiety.  This week we enter the world of H.P. Lovecraft, and all of his tentacled monstrosities.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, that fits the theme: Lovecraft.

All art work is due on Thursday, 8.15.13. Submissions will be published the following Friday, 8.16.13.

H.P. Lovecraft image by Sean Philips

Operation: Mega Man

Week seventy five of Operation Graphite – theme: Mega Man.

 

The class of 1988 was a rough place, especially if you were a walking log. With a robot who was a giant zippo that fired atomic heat, and another robot who shot saw blades, being a flammable wooden robot maybe wasn’t the best idea.  Sure, wood man was much more impressive than some of the later mechanical creations of Dr. Wily, Pudding Man, and Porcelain Man come to mind. But fear not Wood man, with a nice coat of lacquer you made a beautiful pice of furniture after Mega Man turned you into an end table at Dr. Light’s house.  Poor Air Man has to sit out side as the home’s air conditioning unit.

Contributing robot:

Shock – Wood Man

Week 76: Retro Super Heroes

The theme selected for week seventy six of Operation Graphite will be: Retro Super Heroes.

Maybe you’re already exhausted by the onslaught of summer, super hero movies; perhaps it’s the gritty and realistic interpretations of classic characters that is getting old.  This week we will step back into the Golden Age of Comics, a time when no one judged you for wearing your underwear on the outside. There are dozens of characters who’s life span didn’t make it into the Silver Age. Characters who are now Public Domain and free for the taking. Of course many of the classic heroes who’ve been around for more than half a century were created during the Golden Age too. The task is to portray a Retro Super Hero, it can be a classic Golden Age character, or you can take a modern character and style them as if they existed during the Golden Age.

Please submit any drawing or painting, using traditional or digital media, of your Retro Super Hero.

All art work is due on Thursday 8.8.13 Submissions will be published the following Friday 8.9.13