Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween Everybody!

Hey Kids! What time is it?

Banshee

The Vision

It's Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day Time!
This Wednesday Huck portrays a Marvel Mutant with a sonic scream and a Synthezoid Android Avenger.

And this weeks color theme is Green and Yellow.

Zombie Fest 2008

This year's second Zombie Fest at the Monroeville Mall - the same Mall that was used for the original "Dawn of the Dead"- was a complete success and total blast! Sunday's Zombie Walk had around 1,350 Zombies invade the Mall. We more than beat any of the competing Cities from around the globe.

That's me in the circle awaiting for the official photo and tally to be taken by the event's sponsor's, "The It's Alive Show" for the Guinness Book of World Records.

This is Me with the host of "The It's Alive Show", Professor M.C. Square. He came up with the idea for Zombie Walk in 2006 for fans of the show and due to the success of this, turned it into an annual event and most important, collecting tons of food for The Pittsburgh Food Bank.

With me is the star of "Dawn of the Dead" Ken Foree. A really Great Guy. He was very gracious with his time and hosted many of the weekends special events.

You never hear of Tom Cruise doing that! I liked how he kept saying that he is a "Working Actor" and not a "Star". A lot of these "Hollywood big-shots" should take their cues from people like Ken.

The Fest was a great time and if your are in the Pittsburgh area around Halloween next year, you should all attend. Pittsburgh is the Zombie Capital of the World!

Poopdeck Pappy

It was on this date in 1936 that Popeye had finally found his long lost father, Poopdeck Pappy. The reunion was less than shall we say...sentimental.

Above is a recreation of the reunion that I did for one of my calenders for The Popeye Fan Club.

It's Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day!

Silver Surfer
Union Jack

It's Wednesday again and this week Ol' Huck portrays two Heroes from Mighty Marvel. First up is The Silver Age Sentinel of the Space Ways and then he's The Golden Age Guardian of the British Isles.

In case you folks didn't know, if you right click on the above sketch's you can view a larger image of the drawings.

Happy Birthday Curly!

Happy Birthday to one The Greatest Movie Comedians of all time, Jerome "Curly" Howard!!

NYUK! NYUK! NYUK!

Getting ready for ZombieFest II

This weekend at the Monroeville Mall (near Pittsburgh, Pa) is the Second Zombie Fest Convention. The big event of the Con is the Zombie Walk on Sunday. On our first walk in 2006 we set the Guinness Record at 894 Zombies (pictured above-that's me in the circle). In 2007 we broke our record with 1124. This year around 50 Cities around the world is going to compete with us. Pittsburgh is the Zombie Capital of the World. Native Pittsburgher George Romero has filmed all his ground breaking Zombie films here, starting with the classic "Night of the Living Dead". "Dawn of the Dead" the 2nd in the series was filmed in the Monroeville Mall in 1977. Every year we collect food for the Pittsburgh Food Bank. Last year was amazing - 50 Tons!
These conventions are a great deal of fun - especially for me. In 1977, I was one of the Zombie Hoard that attacked the Monroeville Mall. Special Effects Master Tom Savini knew my High School Art Teacher Gerald Hebert and after an assembly Savini asked members of the Art Club if anyone would be interested in appearing in a movie. I was one of two that said "Yes" and for three weekends in the fall of 1977, in the wee hours of the grave yard shift, I took part in the filming of "Dawn of the Dead". I'll write more about this experience later.
If you are in the area October 26, put on some make-up and fake blood and walk with us. And please bring a non-perishable food item. It's all FREE!
It's a blast!

Great Comic Book Covers

Master Comics #27 starring Captain Marvel Jr. done beautifully by one of the greatest illustrators of the four-color medium, Emmanuel "Mac" Raboy

Experimenting with the Classics II

This time I want to show you my "realistic" treatment of one of comics most famous sidekicks and a Comic Book Star in his own right, Jughead Jones. Appearing in comics since 1941, he started out as the best Bud of Archie Andrews and over time became very popular for his independence, woman-hating and hamburger-loving. Jughead got his own title in 1949 and has been continuously published ever since.


Below is how I think Jughead would look if he were "real".

Maybe here is where I should label his given name,

"Forsythe Pendelton Jones"

It's Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day!

The Spectre

This week Huck portrays DC Comics' Spirit of Vengeance. The Spectre was created by artist Bernard Baily and writer Jerry Siegel, the same writer/co-creator of Superman.

Sorry for only one Hero this week folks. I had to go out of town the last few days and I didn't have time to color a sketch.

If adventure has a name...

...it must be Indiana Jones!

In honor of the release today of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" DVD, I'm sharing with you a sketch I did of Indy around the time of "Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade" was released.

A Belated Happy Anniversary

Rats!
I forgot that last Thursday, October 2, was the 58th Anniversary of Charles Schulz's classic strip, Peanuts. Hard to believe that Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Lucy, Pigpen and the rest of the gang are almost 60 years old. What's even harder to believe is that it's been almost 9 years that Schulz has passed on. But these great characters live on and are as popular as ever.
Above are a few sketches I've done trying to draw like Charles Schulz.

Your a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

Bring on the Bad Guys

The arch enemies of Scrooge McDuck - The Beagle Boys and Magica De Spell!

Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day

Hawkeye
The Original Sandman

It's another Wednesday so here's two more Heroes from our Emmy-winning Friend.

First is Marvel Comics Avenging Archer Hawkeye, and then we have Huck as DC Comics Sandman in his original Golden Age outfit.

I'd like to thank everyone who has sent me kind words and compliments about my Huckleberry Heroes. I'm glad you like them! It seems to be a big hit and a lot of you have sent me some great suggestions for Huck to represent. I have quite a few finished from my original batch (I'm still coloring those) and are working on new ones every day. I'll try to get the requests in as soon as I finish them.

Thanks again - The Appreciative Goon

What if.....

Could happen.

I think Charlie Brown is pure of heart...don't you?

What makes a Hero

Sometime ago I came up with a list of qualities, traits and virtues of what I believe makes a good Super-hero. I took those qualities and linked them to the Super-heroes that I thought best represented them.
I'd like to share that list with you using the artwork of one of my favorite comic creators, John Byrne.


What makes a Hero - they should be:


As cunning as Batman


As fearless as Daredevil

As powerful as Captain Marvel

As smart as Mister Fantastic

As respected as Superman

As honorable as Captain America

And as compassonate as Spider-man

Great Comic Book Covers

Power of Shazam #7 - Great painted cover by series creator Jerry Ordway. In my opinion, other than the Original Golden Age stories, the best Modern Age series depicting Cap and The Marvel Family.

Happy Anniversary to "The Huckleberry Hound Show"

Today is the 50th Anniversary of "The Huckleberry Hound Show". On October 2, 1958 the show introduced us Huck, Mr. Jinks, Pixie and Dixie, Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo Bear. The show premiered in prime time in syndication and was an immediate hit. Huck was the first animated star to win an Emmy Award for best Animated Series in 1960. This was the start of the Hanna-Barbera Animation success that lead them to be the leading makers of animated cartoons for TV.
In 1961, due to his popularity, Yogi Bear was given his own show. Along with the "Smarter than the Average Bear", his co-stars were Yakky Doodle and Snaggle Puss. Yogi went on to be one of the studio's biggest stars.
Yogi - along with The Flintstones - was made into an animated feature film in 1964.
Coincidentally, I just read read that Warner Brothers Studios is planning a live action/CGI movie. I hope they get someone as good as Daws Butler and Don Messick to do the voices of the classic characters...and not some overpaid celebrities.

Now please excuse me while I go and watch some of these Great Cartoons.

Hey Kids! It's time for Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day!

The Flash
The Green Lantern

This time Huck portrays two Golden Age Greats, Jay Garrick (The original Flash) and Alan Scott (The original Green Lantern). Our Blue-Furred Friend is honored to present two of the founding members of the Justice Society of America.