ROM: Space Knight… I first encountered this character when it was introduced as a toy. A 12″ action figure that I felt provided less action than I desired in a toy. Sure, he had light-up and noise making features and gadgets you could place in his hands. But his legs couldn’t move. How could I put him in what looked like the splits but was actually a “run super fast” position? For a toy this size, I was spoiled by my Bulletman action figure with multiple points of articulation.

A few years later, I discovered Marvel had put out a comic series about ROM. I only had a couple of issues that I had gotten when I purchased my friend’s collection (an event that more than doubled my collection that I call the Great 10th Grade Comic Acquisition). I read and re-read those few issues multiple times.

I don’t recall who drew the issues I had. But I did have ROM annual #3, one of the last ROM comics. It guest starred The New Mutants which was becoming one of my favorite comic series. And I loved this Bill Sienkiewicz cover.

Just recently, while perusing my Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, I came across the ROM entry. I remembered reading the comic and being inspired by the art and concept. So I decided to try my hand at drawing ROM. He has a pretty simplistic design. The fun really comes in playing with the metallic textures.

I don’t know who owns the license, but it would be kinda cool to see ROM re-enter the Marvel Universe… Assuming there was a big enough demand for that sort of thing.

This piece was draw with black, red, and silver Sharpie on cardboard.

Also posted on my Deviant Art page and my Facebook Fan Page.

Art, Marvel, action-figure action-figure, knight, Marvel, New Mutants, ROM, space, superheroes

The original New Mutants series is one of my favorite runs in comics. Mainly because I was a teenager when volume 1 was running.

The other day, I spent some time working on this piece featuring Illyana Rasputin, AKA Magik. The Russian girl who can teleport through a hellish dimension called Limbo.

It’s cool to see her back in the current new Mutants series along with almost all the other original New Mutants. I’m more-than-likely going to end up drawing all of these characters at some point. So stay tuned!

See the inked version here on my DeviantArt page and Facebook FanPage.

Art, Marvel Magik, Marvel, New Mutants, superhero

One of my all-time favorite comic series is The New Mutants, essentially the next generation of X-Men to come. I was in high school when the original series ran. And Warlock was my favorite character. He was weird looking, weird talking, and trying to figure out the world… Kinda like me when I was a teen. Big difference: I just wasn’t a techno-organic alien with the ability to shape shift and siphon off life force energy.
Another cool thing about Warlock was what made him a “mutant”. He came from a race of robot-like beings that valued tyranny, death, and destruction. A newborn Warlock would have to battle and destroy his father, a Magus, for the right to live. Our Warlock was born with the ability to feel love and compassion. Unheard of in his race. He chose to flee his home world which led him to Earth and the New Mutants.

My buddy, Zeb Wells, is writing the newest New Mutant series which reunites most all of the original New Mutants. Now, they are young adults and an official team of X-Men. And Warlock is back! He’s back and looking and talking as weird as he did back in the 80’s.

“Exclamation: Welcome back, SelfFriendWarlock.”

View this piece on my DeviantArt page!

Art, Marvel Marvel, New Mutants, Warlock, Zeb Wells