Look Out! Here Comes--BATBOY & RUBIN?! MAD-Inspired Art!

Inspired by a recent episode of the fabulous new Batman animated cartoon, THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, here is my own take on that parody of the Dynamic Duo, BATBOY & RUBIN! The cartoon producers, of course, based their version on the fabulous and memorable 1950s MAD magazine BATMAN spoof, drawn then by Wally Wood. I tried to not only get a Wood feel to this, but also a sort of "busy and bruised" look, almost along the lines of a "Big Daddy" Ed Roth car-and-cycle-centric cartoon from the 60s! Whew! How many more influences could I have jammed in?! Click to enlarge each image below, as I take you through a step-by-step creation process!

Below: My original starting roughs and sketches, trying to get a proper spoofy feel! I had a devil of a time getting the right look for Batboy's head, tricycle, and expression!

Below: The final b/w inked illustration of the dysfunctional duo!

Below: I added pencilled gray tones, on a separate overlay, then merged the two layers in Photoshop!

Below: The final, computer-colored image! I added a proper BRAVE AND THE BOLD-styled explosion for the background!

The Making of WONDER WOMAN! DC Comics Charity Drawing!

Here is a piece of original art (featuring Wonder Woman switching identities and outfits) created for a charity effort, the WONDER WOMAN DAY, held to provide attention and funding toward anti-violence programs! You can see my pencilled rough sketch on the left, with the finished inked illustration to the right! It was a real challenge trying to imbue a sense of action, grace, fun, and vitality to a single pose! Click to enlarge!

Al Bigley PodCast Interview! ARTS TALK! 5/2011!

A great interview by the talented guys at ARTS TALK! I talk about my career, influences, comics and comics creators past and present, and what to expect in a career as a freelance illustrator and commercial artist! Just click here to listen in!

The SHARK! NHL Comic Book Pencil Art! Stan Lee Presents! Original Comic Art!

You heard right! Marvel Comics main man and creator, Stan Lee, oversaw the creation of these superhero strips for the National Hockey League! Here are my pencils for the San Jose SHARK comic, an aquatic character who goes into action against cyber-saboteurs! Lots of fun! Click each image to enlarge!

Super Grover! Sesame Workshop Merchandise Art! CTW!

A very fun assignment! The folks at Sesame Workshop came to me wanting many "super heroic" poses for their newly revised SUPER GROVER 2.0 character! Here are some roughs, full pencil designs, and even a final inked piece from this job! I tried to give Grover a sorta "Jack Kirby" Marvel Comics vibe, but always keeping his goofy attitude at the forefront, also! Great to work with the famous SESAME STREET Muppets! Click images to enlarge!

Disney's ATLANTIS! Comic Strip For DISNEY ADVENTURES Magazine!

Another fun assignment! Here is an entire untold tale based on Disney's ATLANTIS animated feature! Several finished pages, as they appeared in DISNEY ADVENTURES magazine! Click images to enlarge!

"Crime Fighter Robin!" Kenner Action Figure Package Art! Batman! DC Comics!

Another one of my pencil illustrations for the folks at Kenner Toys and DC Comics! This time, it's the art for the "Crime Fighter Robin" action figure package, with the spotlight on the Boy Wonder in blazing action, zooming in on his special custom go-cart! Lots of fun! Click to enlarge!