Yes I took another much needed brake, however I'm back and here to post some more art and stories.
This Blog I'd like to pay tribute to one of my favorite Heroes... Everone who knows me knows I'm a huge spider-man fan.... but not many know right next to the Wall-Crawler the hero I admire just as much is none other than Benjamin Jacob Grimm: THE THING!
My Sketch of Thing for a never completed Marvel Splash Page, 2005
Ever since the Marvel Card craze back in 1991 got me into comics yeah I was a Spider-Man fan and when we played in the schoolyard during recess Spider-Man was a popular choice so when I couldn't be Spidey I always wanted to be The Thing. Sure he wasn't the strongest but the one thing I can relate to Ben Grimm was we were both the underdog. He was a character I always enjoyed reading, drawing, and making my own comics about him as a child. I especially loved by his solo series from the 80s as well as his team up series Marvel-Two-In-One. He was the ONLY reason I bought a Fantastic Four comic. Whenever I read his thought balloons I pictured his voice like Paul Frees' version of him in the 1967 FF Hanna-Barbera Series
Thing vs Hulk.
As a kid the others mocked me for liking the Thing and the other kids saying the Hulk was stronger and can beat him. Well Unfortunately they were right.... The Hulk did reign victorious Most of the time
Art By Rich Buckler. (When I had this sketch commissioned I request to have The Thing winning the fight.)
However there are a few great battles Where the Thing did technically win.
The sketch above I based off of Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant at Wrestlemania III
Which explains why the Thing is taller than he should be, however we all know the outcome of that fight and you can imagine what I was trying to imply within the sketch.
Ben & Alicia.
When I was a child I didn't care about his Romance with Alicia Masters (the Blind Daughter of the Villainous Puppet Master) and never cared for her (especially when a Skrull disguised as her dumped Ben for his teammate the Human Torch)As I got older I prefered The Thing getting involved with my favorite Super-Heroine, She-Hulk.
My Parody of the Janet Jackson Rolling Stone cover, 2005
It was hard to appreciate Alicia Masters with her constant on again off again relationship with The Thing, but after reading Nelson Decastro's love story from Marvel Comics Presents #1 (Vol.2), It made me see things in a different perspective and appreciate the character and their relationship....
(sketch I did shortly after reading that story back in 2008)
.... Older stories of their relationship followed over the years, I enjoyed reading the story when they first met and how he reverted back to Ben Grimm later on tried dating her but it seems he always had a better relationship with her when he was The Thing. Their relationship really grew on me to the point they became my favorite couple (Sorry MJ... Spider-Man has had too many good girlfriends over the years).For a while I had the idea of drawing a picture showing their love for one another (the one above never did me justice....) so I came up with the heavily detailed sketch in color pencil and I am quite happy with the results.....
I never like when they made The Thing short he should be almost as Tall as the Hulk.... while I talk about this..
The Fantastic Four Movie
I like to add I did in fact enjoy the Fantastic Four movie mostly because it revolved around the Thing and his fight to become human again. As for Alicia.... the actress that played her was beautiful but she just wasn't Alicia and I don't mean cause of her Ethnicity but, she lacked sophistication...and well I would've liked to see a cute short-haired strawberry blonde portray her.
The only thing that bothered me was Dr. Doom was lame. Michael Chiklis did a great job as Ben Grimm & The Thing but I think I would've preferred a CGI Thing instead... he was too short and not to be a fanboy, but that scene on the Bridge just bothered me that a guy who can lift over 85 tons had to struggle to save a 10 ton fire truck from falling in the East River. As for Rise of the Silver Surfer it was a fun movie but was nowhere near as good as the first.
I here now a new Fantastic Four movie series is coming and just like Amazing Spider-Man maybe will be a huge improvement to the prior series and wish it the best.
Well I hope you enjoyed my blog on "Aunt Petunia's Favorite Nephew." I intend to be more up to date nowadays. I like to close with a famous quote by our rocky hero.....
"It's Clobberin' Time!!!!"
