Project CBRunway 3: Challenge 6 Voting Thread

[mattbib]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v467/mattbib/My%20Drawings/Project%20CBRunway/d029820c.jpg
Welcome to the runway!

PLEASE VOTE for the entry you feel best completes the challenge. Voting should not be based solely on art ability. Ultimately, however, voting is completely subjective. Participants may vote for themselves. The designer(s) with the least amount of votes may be eliminated.

As the winners of the last challenge Aljira and marvelboy2004 cannot be eliminated in this round.

CHALLENGE 5: GO WEST

For your sixth challenge you must design an original Western (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_%28genre%29) costume for a past or present Justice League member (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Justice_League_members). The costume should be authentic for the time period but still make the character recognizable.

You will be judged on creativity and originality and how well your design fits the Western genre while maintaining the spirit and identity of the character. Be careful not to be too literal or cliché . Simply putting a cowboy hat and boots over Superman's costume would equal failure.

In addition to the required written description explaining material, functionality and design inspiration, you should include a brief explanation of why your costume works, in both the past and in maintainting your character's identity .

Please vote using the poll, then feel free to make comments or ask questions about this challenge or these designs within this thread. Now let's start the show...

[mattbib]

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa53/spaghettikiss/06-FIRESTORM.gif

With this design, I was really concerned with giving firestorm a comparable costume design that really fit in with the late 1800’s while still feeling like a super-hero.

I figure that like today, a JLA member would have access to really fine materials and technology of the time so I really thought about using steam/loco-tech along with inlaid leather mixed with aspects of an upscale suit.

For inspiration I looked to period photos and more modern movie representations of the time both attempting to be accurate and movies with a sci-fi flair.

So I started out with the headgear, which is based off of the goggles that coal shovelers wore in the engine room of a locomotive mixed directly with Firestorm’s actual headgear. Instead of headgear that fully frames the face, I used a leather chin-strap that isn’t seen quite as visually obvious. Next I focused on the jacket. I turned it into a vest leaving more room at the color for the collared shirt and tie. The Vest is made of 2 different colors of leather inlaid with a white stitching to match the basic ‘logo’ of the present day firestorm. Finally I gave him the white button up and black slacks that mostly cover his leather boots which mimic the atomic symbol across his chest.

Firestorm was one of my favorite characters as a kid, mostly because of his costume design. I hope I did him justice in the wild west and that he would be able to proudly stand next to the rest of the JLA.

[mattbib]

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r147/marvelboy1977/westernhawkgirl.jpg

Per Degaton was at it again- messing with history in the Old Wild West. The JLA knew they would have allies back then, specifically Cinnamon and Nighthawk, the reincarnated souls of Chay-ara and Khofu who would one day possess the modern day Hawkman and Hawkgirl. Who better to send back in time then than Hawkgirl herself? However, whilst traveling with Rip Hunter, his timesphere somehow malfunctioned and Kendra was violently thrown into the Old Wild West, resulting in a loss of memory. Taken in by a Native American tribe who thought her to be a skin-walker, she spent months unaware of her mission, or even who she really was.

I tried to keep as much of Hawkgirl's colour scheme as possible, but also to get a Native American look, incorporating Native American design into her mask. I tried also to give a wee contemporary edge. I don't think she would travel to the past and suddenly begin wearing crinoline and bloomers, so I kept her the hunter/warrior that she's portrayed as in the comics.

[mattbib]

http://alyxchance.com/cbrunway3/oldwestwonderwoman.jpg

There's no backstory behind this one. I wanted to approach this challenge with simplicity in mind.

I took the blue shorts with white stars and made them into a bandanna. I worked the WW breastplate into the shirt. I added a belt buckle with more WW imagery. If you look closely you'll see I incorporated the tiara into the band on the hat.

I chose to put Wonder Woman in a mountain setting. I was thinking Colorado mining town more than desert shoot-em-up.

I think this design came out pretty well. I hope at least a few of you agree. :)

[mattbib]

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k303/cpsm1092/scan0080copy.jpg

Inspiration
For this challenge, my inspiration was definitely the Saloon show girls. It seemed like something that would fit Zatanna very well. I felt her classic look was something that could be transcended into different eras in a multitude of ways, and either way I had a lot of fun with this challenge. Mainly because Zatanna is one of my favorite characters!

Costume
I wanted to keep a lot of the key elements of her costume, but really make them look Western. I decided to do away with her jacket, and instead reinterpret the cummerbund (that she is occasionally shown with) into the shawl that she is wearing loosely around her arms. Zatanna’s costume always had a burlesque quality to it, so I played on that heavily, especially with the dark corset. Zatanna usually wears a white dress shirt under her vest. To reinterpret that, I combined the two. Down the front of the vest, the dress shirt is embedded into the corset, with criss-crosses of fabric going across it. Another element of her costume that never changes is the fishnet stockings, so I redesigned that a little to fit in better with the burlesque show girl theme I was going for here. And finally, I couldn’t bring myself to do away with the top hat. So after doing research, I did find that top hats were popular for women at this time, but they were usually adorned with flowers & lace, which I added also to tie it into the Western theme.

[mattbib]

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/psiwar/Superman.jpg

all the powers of JLA proved useless against an immense being of both magic and physical strength that sprung forth from the incantations of Mxyzptlk. sensing several minute traces of humanity from the said being, fate, in a final act of desperation, sent each JLA member to different periods in human history to track down the people who are now inside the powerful being. they were to search and prevent them from being engulfed by whatever it is that made them into such.

superman landed in the old west, in a town currently being attacked by a group of power hungry, delusional cowboys. instinctively, superman stopped the attacks and apprehended the offenders. the town mayor then
asked supes to be their sheriff since their current sheriff fled during the attack. supes agreed, convinced that such a position will allow him to investigate further as to which of the townspeople is the culprit.

days passed and his investigation is going nowhere, when all of a sudden the town's former sheriff came back and in his hands is a glowing idol. as supes rushed to take the idol from the sheriff, he was struck down by the sheriff who now possesses almost the same strength and speed as him. a gruesome fight ensued, ultimately, superman wins -- but nothing is what it seems. he is still stuck in this timeline. he starts feeling that something isn't right...he starts seeing a familiar figure in the distance...

the look.
i was thinking if supes was in the old west, he'd look dignified if he was either the mayor or the sheriff. i think the role of a sheriff suits him, being asked for help and all. i gave supes a blue coat, red and black vest, the big gold belt buckle with an S, black pants, shoes and gloves (i thought him blue pants would be overkill, black makes it look more professional). no stetson in the pic, i thought flying with a hat would be annoying. and no bullets, no guns. when enemies sees this, they wold think they have the upper hand since this sheriff's unarmed, but they have another thing comin... (and supes don't need guns anyway..)

i had a hard time with this one but i hope ya like it!!!

[mattbib]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y98/RedThorn/CCI00121resize.jpg

Huntress has had a hell of a life. As Helena Bertinelli, she was born into one of Gotham's biggest and and most prominent mafia families. After witnessing the mob-murder of her entire family at a wedding, 19 year old Helena vows to end organised crime. She travelled the world, accompanied and trained by her bodyguard Sal, before returning to Gotham as the Huntress.

Helena is invited to join the JLA, after impressing them by stopping a brainwashed Blue Beetle from killing Maxwell Lord (OH THE IRONY). She doesn't officially join until the JLA undergoes a restructuring and Batman vouches for her membership. Later, she is forced to resign, due to her violent and unpredictable nature and almost killing Prometheus.

During No Man's Land, Batman disappears and Helena briefly becomes Batgirl to try and bring order to the city, but after failing to follow Batman's exact orders upon his return, she gives up the mantle.

She goes on the have a brief bout with the Outsiders, and now has a more permanent membership with Oracle's Birds of Prey as leader of their field operations.

Huntress, though not being an official member of the Batfamily, still strives to gain Batman's approval through her personal actions in trying to bring down the Gotham underworld. Though still volatile and prone to use excessive force, Helena has mellowed out enough to teach, a career she immensely enjoys.

The Western Look
There were a few ways I could go here. I originally wanted to do a kind of 'Saloon Show Girl' look, but didn't think that suited her character well enough. Helena is a very physical combatant, what with not having any powers she relies on her training and her crossbow, and practicality is the word when it comes to her current comics look. Also, I see her riding a horse an awful lot, and frilly skirts aren't much suited to riding.

So she's this dark, almost-anti-hero, and if years of watching John Wayne beat rustlers into the dirt with my mother has taught me anything, it's that the dark anti-hero character will be the one in black leathers.

Huntress here has chosen black leather chaps over her denims, as well as a black leather coat with gold clasps reminiscent of her cape. I half gave in to the 'Show Girl' idea, mostly because this is a woman entirely comfortable with her sexuality in the comics which is where I was originally going with it, and Huntress now wears a stylised corset with lace panelling on the sides for extra manoeuvrability. Believe me, if you've ever worn a corset you want to be able to BREATHE, especially if you're moving around an awful lot. Lace panelling allows for this.

A kerchief semi-styled to the look of her mask to hide her identity, and a good ole' Bow with quiver of arrows, nicked off a passing Indian. Crossbows weren't big in the West, it seems. A couple of small pouches on a low-slung belt to keep the necessities in, like dynamite, to round off.

Completing the look, matching cowboy boots and gloves. If it was a story I was writing, I think it'd be more time-travel and less 'Helena is the daughter of a bank-robbing varmint of the Old West, looking to come good'. I see Helena walking up to some old cobbler, slamming her boots on the counter and saying 'hammer these into something more suitable.'

[mattbib]

http://www.patdavid.com/cbrpr/greenlantern1.jpg

I imagined that if Green Lantern was in the Old West he would most likely wind up as some sort of Marshall or Sheriff. With that in mind, I tried to transform Hal Jordan into Wyatt Earp. His color scheme follows the same one that all the Green Lanterns have, grays and greens. I turned his belt buckle and badge into glowing Lantern symbols. His Colt’s are made of emerald hard light. He wears a trench coat and chaps that mimic his present costume. I finished him off with a classic Old West moustache and hairstyle.

[mattbib]

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/1598/tornadowhitebghl4.jpg

Red Tornado's concern when transported to the old west, was to fit in as best he could. He chose mostly neutral colors to cover his vibrantly colored skin. His hat, canvas pants, leather vest, holster and boots are all typical examples of regional attire. However, he did still wish to use some of his familiar colors. He chose a blue cotton shirt, albeit a faded blue. He had many options to pick from for his leather duster... he chose the one that had the most red tint to it. He had a brass belt buckled fashioned into his "T" icon.

Finally, he wears a rich red cotton bandana over his face. Folks who see him aren't quite sure if his skin is the same color, or if it's the shadow of his hat. He's been seen putting on quite a show of spinning his guns before shooting. He's also capable of some fancy ropin' with a lasso. However, if folks try too hard to get a look at his face, a little dust storm tends to whip up out of nowhere, blinding them with sand in their eyes.

[mattbib]

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7979/fire2jz6.jpg
Costume and Inspiration:
Well, we all know Beatriz. She likes to... er, show a little flesh of that smoking body of hers as much as she can, as we can see through her various costumes since she joined the JLI. So I wanted the outfit to have a cleavage and a lower part that could show a lot of her legs. The skirt is a classic western style piece, but with a "lose" touch for Bea. The boots I came across when I did a research on the western costumes history website. They were fun to draw.

Also, when Bea gets on FIRE mode, we usuallu can't see her costume at all, just like the Human Torch. So I thought that she'd love to wear those clothes as her costume while not in flames. Our beloved FIRE is usually very vain. Who can forget our girl putting her make-up before a JLA mission, because there were going to be lots of reporters there, much to Ice's despair? She definitely loves that mirror up there in the piece. :wink:

[mattbib]

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg116/Dukkus/WildWestVixen.jpg
Vixen is a very foxy lady, and since her original costume depicted characteristics of a fox, I wanted to include those features into this western inspired costume I designed. She was supposed to start out as a solo heroine being DC’s first African American female with her own solo book, but unfortunately that plan didn’t come to fruition. So I took her original design and flipped it, and tweaked it to reflect the wild west theme. Since corsets were very popular for women of that time, I opted for an elaborate and very detailed corset. I didn’t want it to be too over the top because I had to keep in mind that this would function as a crime fighting costume. I also implemented some opera themes into the costume, which is why I gave her the elaborate masquerade mask. At first the design of the mask was strictly masquerade and I wasn’t sure that gave the whole “Vixen” vibe that I should be going for. So I tweaked it a bit and made it into a cross between her original mask and a masquerade mask, which I think turned out great. At first I was worried about the colors clashing with the mask, but it turned out perfect. The mask features beads, jewels, and feathers. I also mixed in an outlaw kind of theme into the costume. Instead of a dress I gave her a sleek body suit that she has under her corset to allow for better flexibility and agile feats.

Her boots also went through several variations. I couldn’t decide on how I wanted the boots to look. They went from buckles and straps to lace-ups and flaps. So I finally decided to take away all the junk and just leave them as simple lace-up thigh high boots. I was unsure whether or not I wanted them to be high heels or not because I’m sure as a woman with Vixen’s powerset, she needs all the comfort she can get. But I also took into account that this woman needs to be FIERCE, FIESTY, and FOXY! The 3 F’s if you prefer. So I said, “What the hell, she’s gonna wear stilettos.” The gloves have magically enhanced claws in them that can cut through a variety of surfaces and objects.

The costume works in the American Old West era because of the elements that were put into it. It has the corset, the popular opera/masquerade masks that the opera singers and sometimes even showgirls wore, the lace-up boots, and black leather. The whole costume has wild west written all over it, but it also has Vixen written all over it. If you take one look at that costume, you know who it belongs to. I even added that fox talisman as a choker she has around her neck.

[mattbib]

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg58/EndofTimeIX/DrFate.jpg
Inspiration
I reckon everybody would do Dr. Fate as an Indian shaman, because the mythical element would predictably translate to something exotic and unknown. That’s why I chose to give him a cowboy get up. To hell with predictable choices, I’m going for a spell-toting cowboy sorcerer! He’s in league with the powers of Order, and that would make him an excellent Sheriff.

The costume.
It’s all cotton and leather, with some gold thrown in. The scarf, which could be used as protection to keep dust out of your lungs, the dusty jacket, the cotton shirt, the jeans, and the leather chaps. Some boots underneath, and you’ve got yourself a cowboy, sans hat. Gloves and a bag for holding herbs and whatnots…

Why it works?
I kept the overall colour scheme. The golden helmet is a given, you can’t get rid of that ever, otherwise it wouldn’t be Fate anymore. So I began to replace the other elements of his original costume.

The yellow cape is now the scarf around his neck. The gloves, I kept those, cowboys wore them. I replaced the clunky looking midriff-section with a golden belt, keeping the colour, just adapting the function. Blue jeans, for the colour scheme, together with the blue shirt. The chaps to give him a cowboy feeling.

The bag and the fringes to betray some trace of mysticism.

Everything is raffled and torn, because the Wild West is a damn dirty place.

I took the elements of the original design and translated them to the Wild West theme, sans hat…

[mattbib]

http://album.hanamoira.com/albums/userpics/10003/blackcanary.jpg

Inspiration:
Black Canary is known as one of the sexiest women in comics; in fact, if you played a word association game for DC characters, and you said the word “fishnets,” nearly any comics buff would immediately exclaim, “Black Canary!” This is, of course, why she’s wearing fishnets in the picture.

Her super talent with her “Canary Cry” sonic attack, plus her name, inspired me to see her as a “dance hall/saloon girl.” I could easily see Dinah performing on stage---them exiting through the wings to go save some girl being accosted in the alley out back.

Why the Costume Works:
It’s very “period-centric” for the Old West. It also allows greater freedom of movement than the usual long dress (often with a bustle) that most women wore.

Her boots are of a typical style: kidskin, with flared medium-height heels, and jet buttons as fasteners. Pantyhose weren’t invented yet, so of course she has her satin and black lace garters holding up her stockings.

Her skirt is a striped taffeta-satin, a very common material and pattern for higher class performers. It’s edged with black velvet at the hem, and beneath it she wears several black lace petticoats. The waist scarf is black velvet, and it joins in the back with a black satin bow---which gives the “bustle” look, but allows Dinah more freedom of movement than a bustle would.

Her silk-satin corset is supported by whalebone covered in an accent shade of blue satin; the boning on either side is decorated with a silk rosette with ribbons---and the corset bottom in the front goes down in a “V”; corsets of the time usually did. The shoulder straps are also satin, and edged with more of the black lace. Her choker is of the same material---chokers were a common neck adornment.

On her arms she wears black velvet evening gloves, and the black short-feather boa she sports is of great use in her act, as well as being an adornment. Jet earrings dangle from her ears (jet jewelry was very “in”, in the time period).

Her tiara is made from silver (there were many silver strikes in the West). The centerpiece on it is a reverse-cameo: another very common adornment. While most cameos were of a woman’s head in silhouette, some *were* of other images---I felt a black canary reverse-cameo would be very appropriate for her. The headpiece is topped with three black feathers---again, common. (Many of the modern day Vegas showgirls wear bigger, more elaborate versions of this same motif---headdress with feathers--- which is definitely Western.)

Her hair is done in period style: looped bangs, sweetheart curls at the temples, with the rest of the hair pulled up into a bun, and strands of curls emerging from it to dangle toward the back.

And, of course, if a woman didn’t *have* a “beauty mark mole” on her face, often they drew one in with makeup---as Dinah has done.

How the costume represents Black Canary:
Aside from the “dance hall/performer” theme being appropriate for her, I used her traditional colors (shades of blue and black), and kept them roughly in the same locations. While feathers were common as adornments, I found black feathers particularly appropriate for our Lady Bird; and of course, her cameo along with the fishnets, gives her that crowning touch which says “Black Canary.”

[mattbib]

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4479/scan0005uo0.png
After a bizarre encounter with the Time Trapper, a slew of B-List members of the Justice League found themselves stranded in the strange, backwards world of the dying remnants of the wild west. With its saloons, duels, brothels, and horses, the strange, nameless town seemed rather harmless and hardly a trap. For the rag tag team of heroes, however, it would soon become hell.

They had been there just a few days, blending into contemporary society rather easily when the Time Trapper returned with the intent to destroy the very essence of Western culture. Angry and sufferring from a parched throat, Maxima lashed out in anger and accidentally murdered the man with her raw power! After a series of tense and awkward moments, the reserve members of the League faced their worst fear: they were stuck here in the past.

They didn't have the Flash, or access to any sort of technology at all, and Superman was not present to spin the world for them. They were, indeed, stuck.

And thus came the era of normality. For a woman who had never really found herself, found who she was or what side she really felt comfortable with, Maxima found herself at ease at the thrills and adventure behind Western culture. Settling down in a saloon away from her peers, Maxima gained the alias of Miss Mona, running her bar with a no nonsense attitude (and a newfound affinity for a nice, cold beer).

THE COSTUME
The costume is essentially that of a barmaid's costume. Maxima's basic color scheme would be raw and faded within days, and so I settled for less outrageous colors and more of a haughty, Western feel. The corset and ruffles reflect the fashion of the era, while the light and airy fabric of her skirt keep her cool in the blistering heat. Fierce heels protect against the relentless sand as Maxima avoids a violent death in the future DCU and dies as a happy bartender.

Maxima really hasn't found a place in the DCU, I think, and so she'd find comfort in this distant, distant land. Her arrogance may have been persistent early on, but the peace she found inside herself was warming enough for the warrior to live out her days in the adventurous thrills of the wild, wild west.

[mattbib]

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h125/Baqula/BatLeague.gif

Character
We all know him we all love him, but oh noes he's been thrust back in time by with the rest of the League to learn of Ra's Al Ghul's exploits in the old west. For there is a clue to foil his plans in the present. Resourceful as they are, the Leaguers know capes and leotards won't go over too well in the wild wild west, they attempt to fit in, while still being the outstanding heroes they are.

Bruce's approach.

Costume
Simple buckskin denim cotton and leather. Batman is sporting a stylized poncho reminiscent of the Man With No Name of The Good the Bad and the Ugly fame, this poncho is longer in the back and cut with his trade mark bat insignia. He's sporting a simple denim button down shirt and dungarees with black buckskin riding chaps and moccasins. Zorro; being the film he saw last while his parents were still living, inspired the handkerchief mask and hat combo. I don't recall the name of the style of the hat, but I like that the brim is folded on the sides, resembling bat ears. He has a holster replacing the utility belt but his doo dads and gadgets are still in place.

The Timmverse style just came to me. I thought it would add some pizazz to the design. For me the Timmverse Bat is probably the best depiction of the character in recent history. I was originally going for a more realistic feel, but decided hey I'm n this for the fun.

Hope you crazy kids enjoy it.

[mattbib]

http://fc07.deviantart.com/fs26/f/2008/105/8/a/Challenge_6__Captain_Marvel_by_jelloconcoction.jpg

Costume:
For this I went with a cowboy feel. The cowboy boots, the vest, the riding gloves, the bandana around the neck, the chaps with frill, the denim pants, and the large, oval buckle.

Material wise, it's nearly all cloth or leather. The black pants are denim, the chaps are leather, as is the vest. The bandana/neckchief is silk. The gloves are a soft, but sturdy, leather. The boots are a thick, bison leather. The belt is leather, and the buckle is medal.

Inspiration/Tie to the West:
I felt that for a superhero in the Old West, the best route to go would be with the cowboy. Cowboys have a "loner hero of the Old West" feel to them that I thought would work well with Captain Marvel. So I took many pieces from such an outfit and fitted more towards the Cap'n. He's still got his colors (which have taken on a faded/washed look), and his signature lightning bolt, so he's easily recognizable. Also, I adapted his cape into his bandana. And the entire outfit is still suitable for a superhero as it's fitted without too many baggy or oddly flowing pieces that could fly off (such as a hat or poncho).

I would also like to apologize for not making Cap'n Marvel look terribly like him in physical appearance. I was pressed for time and had to use one of my sketches.

[mattbib]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2223/2415800488_91df53178a_o.jpg

I put Big Barda in an adapted Union Officer's uniform because I thought any "women's clothing" from the time would be way too small for her. So she got the biggest thing she could and made it fit.
Also, the color scheme matched her scheme already in place: blues, yellows, and reds. I don't think of Barda as particularly feminine, and she also would be willing to wear something of the time period women weren't necessarily supposed to and dare any man to say she shouldn't. Barda may be a beautiful woman, but she's also able to break you. Literally. I wanted something that would show off her physicality a bit.

[mattbib]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y93/Spyderizzle/Round-6.jpg
Story & Design
Known as the fastest draw and runner in the west the Flash quickly became sponsored by the Post office Department of the USA. He carries his messenger back packed with classified and priority mail. Of course he helps when the justice Leaguers need a hand, but that didn't keep him busy enough. He also carries a 6 shooter to protect that precious cargo. His hat stays on the same way Jay Garrick's helmet stays on...
His shoes are leather and laced with the first ever vulcanized rubber as soles (ever tried running in boots?). I went withe redesigned Flash's logo from a few years back. I thought it had more of a visual impact. I kept it most of his suit red, something about a trademark red blur...

[mattbib]

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s201/tylerragan/AnimalMan.jpg

Well, I don't have much time to go into the inspiration. I felt that Buddy Baker's western makeover would lean more towards the native american side instead of the cowboy side due to his connection to the morphogenetic field. I figured that natives would watch in awe of his powers and recognize his connection to the animal kingdom, and hold him in reverence because of his abilities, even though he is white.

As far as style goes, I was heavily influenced by the Comanche Indian tribe. The outfit is primarily made up of a breastpalte, breechclothe, leggins, and moccasins. They don't have strict tribalrules on their face painting methods, so I was able to make that work for establishing a style of mask. Beyond that, I placed the Animal Man insignia on the breechclothe to establish a connection to the original character.

[mattbib]

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w30/ZacharyLovesYou/GREENARROWINDIAN.jpg

Design:
This is sort of an idea of what my design would be. Week's been a lil' crazy and I barely had time to do this. However, that is not an excuse on my part and I expect to be viewed and judged as deserved.

[Shade101]

Oh my God...

Everyone did a very good job on this challenge. I'm just...amazed.

[Joe Rice]

Dang, I can't see the Big Red Cheese Cowboy!

[atoningunifex]

Hawkgirl and Black Canary are my favorites this round. And Big Barda made me laugh.

[TotalWorldDomination]

I've voted in a couple of these, and I have to say you all realy outdid yourselves. I'm going to have to think a while on this but great job everyone!

[spaghettikiss]

One of the hardest things to do in this one, it seems, was to balance the old west with the superhero. I really wanted to point out some of my favorites…

Aljira's SUPERMAN
I didn’t expect to like supes (even though I really like what aljra does consistently) because I thought he was just too damn hard but I think this one really nails it. I love the design choices keeping him perfectly balanced between icon and historical realism. Love that the S wasn’t put on the badge but on the buckle. The trench is wonderfully (and simply) used for the cape and the colors are a departure in their amount of usage but not in the actual scheme. I think this is pretty close to brilliant and should be a tough one to beat!

captainbosh's GREEN LANTERN
thanks for giving ol’ green jeans a stash, SO necessary. Love how you chose your color scheme especially the balance of greens between the guns and the costume and the fact that he uses the green hard light to make a pair of trusty ol’ sixes. Cool – like the sherrifs trusted deputy.

Solaris' BLACK CANARY
this one fits black canary so well, it is sexy and sleak and makes her the center of every mans attention. I only wish it had a touch of something that made her more of a super hero. Major props to you for the amount of work you put into this one, the costume is wonderfully accurate with a l lot of you put into it solaris!!!

Dazzler's BIG BARDA
nothing could have been smarter than the MAN-WEAR for her, especially the union uniform, very empowering to the nature of the char. The ripped sleeves make it seem like a token from someone she beat the crap out of too. Another absolute favorite!

Spidey's FLASH
as the son of a postman, I have to love spidey’s take of the bat…but it rules anyway. I think the jacket feels a bit too much like vinyl which seems a bit too shiny but outside of that this is a clever and fun design that I really enjoyed.

Right now I am torn between dazzler and aljira but I haven’t seen 2 of these because their photo upload sites are blocked at my job. I have to wait to vote til I can see them all. I’ve never been this torn before either!!! This is awesome guys, all of them. There’s not a single one that didn’t get a wow out of me!!! No one should get eliminated this round…
I decree it!

[The Tyrant Virus]

I was working on a couple designs for Superman for the play along at home, and one of them is freakishly similar to what you came up with, Aljira. (I probably won't ever do a finished version of what I came up with, though) I wanted to vote for you immediately just for that. But then I saw some of the other amazing designs, and now I don't know who to vote for.

I love the Superman, Green Lantern, Black Canary, and Flash designs a LOT, though all the entries are really good. I'm going to have to think on this for a while before I vote.

[Affinity]

While I enjoy the superheroic costumes a lot, I think what really captures it for me are the ones that take a less literal approach and instead capture the character in a design. It's easier to work with the color scheme of a sheriff's wardrobe, but working with a crazier design is great.

I love Big Barda the most! And I love the entires that also went the barmaid/can-can route; ruffles drive me crazy with love.

[spaghettikiss]

i forgot to mention it in my earlier post but Marvel boy...Hawk girl turned out AWESOME. you constantly deliver the goods man, I totally forgot to include it, I think that the face mask is just so well designed and feels like it has the design elements of an ancient culture. So i guess I am torn between 3...crap

[Evil Sneak]

Wow it was a slip of the mouse that brought me to this thread, but I am so happy it happened. There are some amazing designs here everyone did a fantastic job.

Some commentaries on a few of my favorites:

spaghettikiss' Firestorm
Loved the steam powered headgear and the softer colors used for his vest and symbol. It fits a man of science during that time period. Loved that you seemingly used Prof Stein instead of Ronnie as the model.

AnkaleRa's Captain Marvel
Loved it! Loved the handkerchief around the neck. Loved the vest instead of a full shirt (though I would've made it double breasted to be more like Cap's suit). The simplicity of the design makes it work (and the handkerchief).

But my favorite is:

ajira's Superman
Awesome! Just enough color to know it's Superman even without looking at the belt buckle. The only thing that didn't jive with me was the tie, it was too much like a local small town sheriff instead of a U S Marshall, which is how I see Kent.

[spaghettikiss]

spaghettikiss' Firestorm
Loved the steam powered headgear and the softer colors used for his vest and symbol. It fits a man of science during that time period. Loved that you seemingly used Prof Stein instead of Ronnie as the model.

thanks man! I had so much fun doing his head gear and vest, I'm glad I got noticed!!!

[TotalWorldDomination]

Ok, I finaly settled on Firestorm, Though Superman and Big Barda both were close in my opinion. Great Job everyone!

[Hi-Fi]

Great job by everyone. I really loved most of the entries!

My favorites this round are Maxima and Animal Man. But as usual, I'll wait to see if others designs I like are in danger of being eliminated.

[LewMoxinsghost]

I thought I would offer my initial thoughts- even though I can't see Captain Marvel and Big Barda yet. As usual, there are so many so if I do not mention your character it isn't because I hate your design its just that I am lazy and am only willing to back reference so much if I can't remember it. PM me if you want and I'll gladly send you my two cents. So here goes:

Aljira, you are welcome for the suggestion to use a blue duster for Supes! I hadn't thought about his hat getting blown off. But seeing Superman floating like that makes an even better image than what I had drawn in my mind's eye. I know it was tough for you but you did a great job. My only suggestion is to lose the extraneous belts- no gun eliminates the need for them. I especially like the slightly subdued colors, and also the tie makes a sort of S-curve on his collar which is cooler than a red bandana would have been. Now I am picturing Clark as a bumbling carpet bagger with spectacles and one of those barbershop quartet style hats. And a bowtie and suit.

Firestorm turned out really nice too.I especially like the updated (or is it back dated?) design on his vest. I want to see more red somehow though. Red gloves? Tieing in his mask with a coal shoveler was a good decision too I think, and the steam punk angle is hinted at if not outright evoked as a result. Nice design.

Hawkgirl. Wow. Just wow. What a perfect adapation of the character. The rendering is beautiful, and the write up makes me want to buy the issue when it comes out. I never found the Hawk people that interesting- but the native slant makes me do a double take. Mind if I steal the concept for a western age Street Eagle?

Green Lantern with a `stache. Big green six shooters. A green badge o' justice. `Nuff said.

Vixen is a character I am ashamedly completely unfamiliar with. This entry has a lot of strength because those three F's really are covered well. I am a sucker for those thigh-high boots too. I looked up Vixen on Google image and it looks like your adaption was pretty spot-on. Good job incorporating more black into the costume, staying true to the period, and with thinking through the choker logo. Nice job!

Black Canary looks perfectly suited to the times. What a great illustration!! Easily one of the best adaptions. Dance hall performer angle was definitely the right decision. I can see her kicking butt with Calamity Jane and Broken Nose Kate after throwing back whiskey shots with Dr. Fate, Superman, Green Lantern, and Red Tornado. I wonder what they would look like walking down the dusty streets of Tombstone? Bandanas and belt buckles make these characters great superhero reps for their times.

I'm still working on Aquaman! Good thing I am in the play at home or I would have been eliminated long ago.

Nice job everybody!!

[Brian "Vash" Ashby]

I think the Flash design is the best. Although i would have liked to not see a flash mask but rather one of those black zorro/lone ranger deals on him. Also a hat is a bit impractical for a guy who runs real fast.

[Shade101]

Vixen is a character I am ashamedly completely unfamiliar with. This entry has a lot of strength because those three F's really are covered well. I am a sucker for those thigh-high boots too. I looked up Vixen on Google image and it looks like your adaption was pretty spot-on. Good job incorporating more black into the costume, staying true to the period, and with thinking through the choker logo. Nice job!

Omg thank you. I feel like I just won an award! A lot of people don't really comment on my designs, so the few who do (lol that rhymes!) I'm very greatful for. I love receiving feedback, especially positive feedback. Thank you Lex!

[spaghettikiss]

of my three way tie I went with big barda. I liked hawk girl, barda and supes equally so I went with the one who was needed. You have done a few of my absolut favorites- your design for the first challenge is still in my top 5's from this whole contest!

[escapegoat]

Got a lot of favorites for this fantastic round…..

spaghettikiss' FIRESTORM – Dug it. That turned out better than I expected it to. The steampunk-ish elements really makes it sing and it feels totally natural for the design.

marvelboy2004's HAWKGIRL – After picking Animal Man and going with the native motif, I realized Hawkman would have been awesome to have done this way too. That said, I was expecting you to probably go this route too and you pulled it off top notch!

deanlegion's RED TORNADO – The design didn’t exactly scream out to me “Red Tornado”, but I loved the twirling guns in his hands. Great idea. Maybe if you had the hat hanging off his neck instead of on his head, it woulda brought a little more of the original character into the design.

Shade101's VIXEN – Very nice. You best design throughout this competition.

End of Time's DOCTOR FATE – I dug this a lot more than I thought I would. I didn’t think Doctor Fate would work well for this round, but you proved me wrong!

Solaris' BLACK CANARY - Another great job this round. I wasn’t sure if you were gonna go for the showgirl or the cowgirl, cause both woulda worked nicely. But I knew either way, you’d probably pull it off. ;)

Affinity's MAXIMA – Again you pull another great design in this round. I’m always curious to see what you come up with each round.

Your Imaginary Pal's BATMAN – Haha! I love it. Great job. Going with the Bruce Timm style really pulls it all together too.

Dazzler's BIG BARDA – Perfect concept. Totally nailed the character there and put her in the right getup.

[howyadoin]

Once again, lots of cool eye candy to see here. Some of it worked, and some didn't. I really dug the Green Arrow, Black Canary, Superman, Wonder Woman and Firestorm concepts, but in the end I had to go with Fire. Perfectly in keeping with the modern version of the character, but still period-correct enough to meet the requirements of the challenge.

[Hi-Fi]

Once again, lots of cool eye candy to see here. Some of it worked, and some didn't. I really dug the Green Arrow, Black Canary, Superman, Wonder Woman and Firestorm concepts, but in the end I had to go with Fire. Perfectly in keeping with the modern version of the character, but still period-correct enough to meet the requirements of the challenge.
Wow, thanks, Howy!

I chose Fire exactly because of that: she has a pretty defined personality and a classic look. My goal was to make the costume the more Bea-like possible, and I'm really happy that you think I've achieved that. :smile:

[Spidey]

I think the Flash design is the best. Although i would have liked to not see a flash mask but rather one of those black zorro/lone ranger deals on him. Also a hat is a bit impractical for a guy who runs real fast.

Yeah, sombody else had suggested the zorro mask elsewhere. It honestly didn't cross my mind or else I would have used that instead. I was opting for some goggles early on, but didn't think they were necessary as the current flash doesn't use any type of eye protection.

I did wrestle with the idea of the hat though. I did just want to have him hatless it does make more sense, but the Stetson just seems like such a staple of western culture that I was simply too scared to draw him without it.

[Dazzler]

And Big Barda made me laugh.
I hope it was a *good* laugh! ;)



Dazzler's BIG BARDA
nothing could have been smarter than the MAN-WEAR for her, especially the union uniform, very empowering to the nature of the char. The ripped sleeves make it seem like a token from someone she beat the crap out of too. Another absolute favorite!


Thank you spaghettikiss! I wanted to make her a little butch, not only because i find it more sexy than super-girly, but because it fit her character well. And YES, she beat the holy crap out of some guy who was hasslin' her and took his clothes. It makes me heart her. ;)
I really appreciate the vote, too, thank you.


I love Big Barda the most!
Thank you Affinity! :) Big Barda loves you back, she told me so.

Ok, I finaly settled on Firestorm, Though Superman and Big Barda both were close in my opinion. Great Job everyone!
Thank you anyway, TWD! Even just the consideration is very much appreciated. (And I think you made a great choice in Firestorm, by the way. I *love* it.)

of my three way tie I went with big barda. I liked hawk girl, barda and supes equally so I went with the one who was needed.
I thank you humbly. So, thank you, thank you. And Firestorm is the BOMB.

You have done a few of my absolut favorites- your design for the first challenge is still in my top 5's from this whole contest!

Is this directed towards me? If so, THANK YOU! WOW! I'm terrible at accepting compliments....
If not talking to me, then boy am I embarrassed. :redface:


Dazzler's BIG BARDA – Perfect concept. Totally nailed the character there and put her in the right getup.
Thanks, escapegot! I knew as soon as I read the challenge that I wanted to do Barda (and by "do", I mean draw!). I just love big bruiser women who could snap you like a twig...they remind me of my mom. I just glad you liked it!

--Dazz

[spaghettikiss]

dazzler, yeah that was totally for you. the human target - genius. sounds like something out of the mind of phillip k dick if he was high on heroine. something i would love to read a book about!

[Dazzler]

dazzler, yeah that was totally for you. the human target - genius. sounds like something out of the mind of phillip k dick if he was high on heroine. something i would love to read a book about!

LOL! Well I can honestly tell you...the inspiration for the Target is something that every single day that I wish was a result of some sort of drug overdose. My job is completely bizarre most of the time!

And thank you! I would love to do a book about him sometime and put all of the the crazy stuff that happens in it.

--Dazz

[bert]

Several really great ones this time:

CaptainBosh's Green Lantern
Marvelboy's Hawkgirl
Dazzler's Big Barda
Solaris' Black Canary
Spidey's Flash

but I had to go w/ Animal Man. . simply a fantastic interpretation of the costume (and I LOVE the crotch covering "A")

[Affinity]

I can't believe I forgot to say it, but omfgwonderwoman.

Hands down the best entry of the challenge.

[AnkaleRa]

Since several people have had problems being able to see my entry, I hosted it elsewhere. I don't know if you want to exchange the images Matt.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/408/capmarvelwesternsketchtv9.jpg

And I'd just like to shout out to a couple of my favorite designs this round:

-Finny's Maxima. She looks gorgeous. I love the saloon/barmaid outfit. Absolutely perfect.
-Chad's Wonder Woman. This is definitely what I was picturing for Wonder Woman. I think you nailed it.
-marvelboy's Hawkgirl. Definitely captured the "native" aspect of the character. And I just love the mask!
-Dazzler's Big Barda. Like others have already said, the male outfit on her is perfect.

[DubipR]

Wow...some wonderful pieces in here. But out of all of them I went with Aton's Wonder Woman design. The wares are functional for a cowhand like Diana. I like the jacket; like a mix between an evening cloak and a outside jacket one would wear when riding...or flying.

All did a wonderful job. Hon Mentions to Affy, Dazzler and Marveboy

[DungeonmasterJim]

This week is going to be tough to vote because I really like a number of entries. This challenge came out a lot better than I initially thought it would. Congrats to all the designers.

DM Jim

[Pach!]

My favorites this round were Superman, Red Tornado and Fire.

I feel like they are the ones that went really really western but stayed true to the concept.

I hope someone votes for Red Tornado soon!

[Aljira]

Aljira's SUPERMAN
I didn’t expect to like supes (even though I really like what aljra does consistently) because I thought he was just too damn hard but I think this one really nails it. I love the design choices keeping him perfectly balanced between icon and historical realism. Love that the S wasn’t put on the badge but on the buckle. The trench is wonderfully (and simply) used for the cape and the colors are a departure in their amount of usage but not in the actual scheme. I think this is pretty close to brilliant and should be a tough one to beat!




thanks! spaghettikiss. i agree with supes being hard and all. i dunno what i was thinkin when i got supes...damn that post Spidey.





ajira's Superman
Awesome! Just enough color to know it's Superman even without looking at the belt buckle. The only thing that didn't jive with me was the tie, it was too much like a local small town sheriff instead of a U S Marshall, which is how I see Kent.



thank you for the vote Evil Sneak. i kinda like the idea of supes just being a small town sheriff. it got lots of story potential...more of the introspective type...relationships etc....i'm aiming for drama here...hahahaha.



Aljira, you are welcome for the suggestion to use a blue duster for Supes! I hadn't thought about his hat getting blown off. But seeing Superman floating like that makes an even better image than what I had drawn in my mind's eye. I know it was tough for you but you did a great job. My only suggestion is to lose the extraneous belts- no gun eliminates the need for them. I especially like the slightly subdued colors, and also the tie makes a sort of S-curve on his collar which is cooler than a red bandana would have been. Now I am picturing Clark as a bumbling carpet bagger with spectacles and one of those barbershop quartet style hats. And a bowtie and suit.





ahhh. i like extra belts. more for S&M tendencies. *whapak!* hahahaha!!! i never saw supes just standing. i thought it'd be more dramatic if we see him floating and all.



My favorites this round were Superman, Red Tornado and Fire.



thanks mr. pacheco sir. you got one of may fave pencillers last name...pacheco. cool.



and since i gots immunity for this one...i've thought about it...and i'm gonna do one thing i haven't done before....

[spaghettikiss]

and since i gots immunity for this one...i've thought about it...and i'm gonna do one thing i haven't done before....

which is???

[Aljira]

which is???

you'll see. our names would be beside one another....and maybe if you guys want to see this little sex vid of me in my cellphone...maybe you can ask for it. hahahaha!!!


i may have this big crush on Zachary but i hope he understands...

[ZacharyLovesYou]

Wow, diablito. Mucho thanks for the vote.

I hope this week is one of those supprise weeks where no one (ahem) gets voted off. :frown:

[atoningunifex]

To those of you who had kind words for my submission: Thanks!

I haven't been very vocal during the competition so far. But this challenge really steps things up and there are a number of designs I really love.

Hi Fi- Fire is a lot of fun! I agree with howy- you really addressed the character and did a good job putting her in period costume. I also love that you're probably the most low-tech of the contestants. Your submissions are instantly recognizable and a lot of fun.

Affinity- You're the most "fashion" of us and you have a distinctive style that has really grown on me a lot. I love your entry in this roud for all the nifty little details. Maxima isn't a character I know, but I dig your design.

AnkaleRa- I like your design muchly! You and I went down similar paths. I love the colors and I really like that you left the Big Red Cheese bare armed.

Dazzler- Oh, it was most definitely a good laugh! The cigar! I love the cigar! I love the pose and the costume choice and the attitude! I'd love to see your Wild West version of Lashina as well. (I've been a big fan of Lashina since Suicide Squad back in the day).

Escapegoat- You nailed the native American feel of your design. And I think it was exactly the right way to go for Buddy. Kudos!

Marvelboy- Wow! Double wow! I am green with envy for your incredibly smooth line and your costume choices are always spot-on. When you called Hawkgirl I suspected you'd go down this path, but I was amazed at how much you put into it and how professional it looks. You seem to be on the road to the win and it is much deserved.

Solaris- This is my favorite submission. I love everything about it. Everything. When I first saw it I thought to myself "Did Melinda Gebbie enter the competition when I wasn't looking?" (that's a big compliment from me: I'm a huge fan of her work). I love the details. The little black canary on the headdress. The black and blue skirt. The hair. The stockings. Everything. I think you really hit your stride in the last challenge and you took it even further in this one.

To everybody else: there wasn't a single entry I disliked this challenge. I think everybody did an amazing job! The ones I've listed are the ones that inspire me, but I really liked everyone's design.

[captaingeo]

Wow. An awesome challenge this time around. Everyone's submissions look superb!

Looking through my favorites would have to be:

spaghettikiss's Firestorm
Simply spectacular. The headgear, the vest, the boots, everything. You really nailed this one.

Shade101's Vixen
She's simple, but she looks great. She's definitely something out of the west, but she's still got the flair of Vixen.

End of Time's Doctor Fate
He looks nearly perfect for the character. I like how you kept the helmet in, as well as the amulet, but then went to town with the cowboy feel.

AnkaleRa's Captain Marvel
I feel like you adapted the character's costume the best to the time period. I like how you took nearly all of the elements of his old costume and created western equivalents for them. It looks excellent.

And I'm going to have to vote for the Big Red Cheese. Great job AnkaleRa, and great job everyone!

[pryde15]

WhiteRose's Huntress: I LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE this entry. You hit her perfectly. Favorite Entry in this challenge.

Affinity's Maxima : Hot, Stylish, Fierce. 'Nuff said.

Hi-Fi's Fire: Yay Bea! You did a great job with her Hi-Fi, I love the costume. I think Spanish Senorita when I see it :biggrin:

Shade101's Vixen: It's simple, and classic. And this is definetly Vixen.

deanlegion's Red Tornado: Insanely awesome. I love the power effect you gave him with the twirling pistols. I think you did a great job with this one.

[Shade101]

Thanks to all for the kind comments! There's so many of these designs that I like this round it's going to take me a while to comment about them. So just be patient and I'll try and have the comments up by tomorrow.

[Tre Styles]

You guys have really turned up the heat on this one. There was a lot of thought that has seemed to go into most entries, and there is some straight up creative genius up in here.

Some thoughts:

Spaghettikiss's FIRESTORM

Extremely cool idea with the headgear and the steam engine idea. The vest is nice and stylish as well.

Marvelboy's HAWKGIRL
Pure awesomeness man. I think this design fits Kendra perfectly. The headress is amazing in it's design and style..., and the costume is just well thought out. The backstory sounds like something straight out of the comics for real, whether Elseworlds, JLA, or JSA! Terrific job.

atoningunifex's WONDER WOMAN
Every detail is amazing, Tone, you captured the period feel for this piece, from the hair to the bandanna, to the hat, to the boots and the belt buckle. It's just perfect. I think you'll be safe this round.

Aljira's SUPERMAN
Wow, you've done it again. You've pulled off the classic Superman look without being cheesy, redundant, or predictable. It's a great design that looks so simple, and having Supes be the big time Sheriff in town is just an awesome idea.

captainbosh's GREEN LANTERN
Huge props once again to a masterful design! This is a great design that says Old West, and keeps that Green Lantern style as well.

Deanlegion's Red Tornado
There is something about this that just works. Just showing that bit of his red face with the classic cowboy getup makes this work very well. The belt buckle with the T helps as well. (Other wise this would make me think of the western look for the Vision). The twirling guns aspect is another thing that makes this simple piece stand out. Great job.

Hi-Fi's FIRE
I can definitely see her wearing this getup, and I like the style and design sense here.

Shade101's VIXEN
Nice and creative idea with the Grand Ol' Oprey mask!

Solaris' BLACK CANARY
You continue to bring it everytime, Solaris. Everything about this design is pure genius. The costume just would be Dinah's style and fashion sense. The outfit itself is well detailed, impeccable in fact. Outstanding job.

Dazzler's BIG BARDA
This is just pure fun right here. From the Union suit to the cigar and everything, it's just fun. But it's more than that. The design is still well thought out and it fits and rocks everything. Work it out Dazzler, cause this design rocks.

Spidey's FLASH
Flash as a postal carrier? Awesome. I wasn't expecting that, but now as I think about it,...it just makes sense. The design is pretty cool, the only thing that is a little offsetting to me is the hat, but it still works in the overall concept, Keep bringing the heat homey.

EscapeGoat's ANIMAL MAN
The Native American route was an excellent choice for Mr. Baker, EG, and I really like the classic designs that you incorporated into his outfit. I really like how you incorporated the Animal Man logo into his breechcloth. Nice job.

ZacharyLovesYou's GREEN ARROW
I hope you get some time to finish the complete design of this because just even half of this is very good. It looks like you were going for a Conner Hawke redesign here, which is even better. I like the start of this, and regardless of what happens, I think you should finish it when you get the chance.

[deanlegion]

I appreciate the positive comments given about Red Tornado.

There are some really excellent designs in this challenge. This is just a lot of fun!

I'm finding myself agreeing with the voting majority, the further we get into this competition. I'm getting a feel for who our finalists will be. It's only going to get more and more fun!

[deanlegion]

double post!

[Solaris]

Argh, my mouse died! so I'm posting this from hubby's computer... lucky for me it's a voting day, not an art day, or I'd lose the whole day's time of work (he won't be home to fix my mouse till tonight).

It died just after I'd typed my first response (before I could post), so I'll try again.


Solaris' BLACK CANARY
this one fits black canary so well, it is sexy and sleak and makes her the center of every mans attention. I only wish it had a touch of something that made her more of a super hero. Major props to you for the amount of work you put into this one, the costume is wonderfully accurate with a l lot of you put into it solaris!!!


Thank you---glad you liked it! :biggrin:

Re: "I only wish it had a touch of something that made her more of a super hero.."

When you stop and think about it, Black Canary has never *had* a costume that says "superhero;" her costume is fetish clothing. She wears no symbol/emblem, no cape, no special weapons or gadgets, no mask or hood, no special jewelry/tiara/medallion---not even any "futuristic" accents or accoutrements. Her trademarks are the fishnets, some type of boot (which has varied), a tight half bodysuit, and sometimes a jacket, with the colors being black, blue, and sometimes purple accents.

Take a look at some Dinah pics:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/71/Blackcanaryjusticeleague64.jpg/150px-Blackcanaryjusticeleague64.jpg

http://www.aintitcool.com/images2007/comics/column829079607/blackcanaryweddingplanner.JPG

http://66.116.225.56/image_bank/full/07OCT/OCT070135.jpg

All that is pure fetish. The reasons people recognize her as Black Canary are:

1. She's always drawn with blonde hair and fishnets, and in black (at times with blue, or blue and purple accents).
2. On the cover or in the issue people are calling her Black Canary or Dinah, and she's with people she frequents (as in, blonde in fishnets with Green Arrow = Black Canary).
3. DC is VERY careful NOT to put any other blonde character in the same kind of clothes she wears---if they did, confusion would ensue.

Forget comics conventions for a moment. If you saw someone walking down the street in Superman's costume, or WW's, or even Huntress---you'd know it's a superhero costume. If Black Canary or Oracle were going down the street... Oracle you would see as normal and beautiful, with BC you'd wonder what fetish party she was going to, or where her Harley Hawg is (or with the older costume, if the circus had come to town). Hee.

I gave all this a lot of thought, and when I realized that her normal costumes really are simply fetish wear, it made sense for an Old West costume to go back to one of the antecedants for fetishwear: dance hall clothing. She had to have the fishnets and trademark colors; beyond that she simply had to be blonde and sexy. I did what I could to add to her identity by making sure she had lots of black feathers, and in *giving* her a symbol on the cameo. The latter was actually a deviation from the modern character (i.e. no symbols)---but because cameos were so popular back then, I felt it helped rather than hurt the costume to personalize a cameo with a black canary on it.

(And, btw, she wears a skirt because Dinah is not a "loose woman." I saw a special on Sex in Civil War times on History Channel, and it turns out that dance hall/saloon girls, most of the time, were *not* prostitutes, even though the "nice" women of society liked to think otherwise. Prostitution for the most part was with real prostitutes ("soiled doves," "Cyprians"). Even though the dance hall skirt is shorter than normal wear, and gets pulled up a lot for dancing, it was still important to the dance hall women, because in part it showed that they weren't "loose.")

I should've explained all that in my description, but I was tired and sleep-deprived. Heh.

[Shade]

AWESOME stuff this round....just lots of fun! Great job everyone!

Green Lantern, Big Barda and Superman were my faves this go round....but everyone really came up big this time. Thanks to all for the hard work and for making this so much fun to watch.

[Solaris]

Solaris- This is my favorite submission. I love everything about it. Everything. When I first saw it I thought to myself "Did Melinda Gebbie enter the competition when I wasn't looking?" (that's a big compliment from me: I'm a huge fan of her work). I love the details. The little black canary on the headdress. The black and blue skirt. The hair. The stockings. Everything. I think you really hit your stride in the last challenge and you took it even further in this one.


Thanks! :biggrin: And I really appreciate the comparison, wow.

I hope I'm hitting my stride, but from my viewpoint, I'm still learning with each challenge. I think I did well with the design this time, but in my head I'm still nit-picking over the art itself---though I do think it fully conveys the design concept, which is the most important thing the art is supposed to do, IMO. (I'm my own worst critic, heh.)



Solaris' BLACK CANARY
You continue to bring it everytime, Solaris. Everything about this design is pure genius. The costume just would be Dinah's style and fashion sense. The outfit itself is well detailed, impeccable in fact. Outstanding job.

Thanks, Tre! I hoped people would feel I'd captured Dinah's style and fashion sense, and I'm glad you think so. I'm also glad you liked the detail work---I put a lot of time into that, trying to make it show her costume as exactly as I could. Thanks!


Thanks for everyone's comments and positive feedback!

As for my favorites,

I love Wonder Woman's outfit. I think she's got a really hard costume to translate to Old West, and atoningunifex, you did an outstanding job! I particularly like the scarf and the vest, you worked her lasso and tiara in really well, and I love the hairstyle (very fitting and period, and well-drawn too). You have stepped up your game, and I'm glad to see it.

Superman is also a hard costume to translate; Aljira I think you did really well with it. I'd wondered if you should've gone with a red coat and blue vest, to keep the colors more in the same places, but in looking at it, I think you were right to reverse them: a red coat would look really out of place, and the combination of blue coat and red vest keeps the colors, is more appropriate for the time frame, and gives him an additional dignity. I also like the tones you used: bright colors wouldn't have worked. Darkening them down a touch was a very good idea.

Hawkgirl looks great. I was a little thrown off with the bright colors (mainly in the pants), but the design really works, and is a wonderful way to deal with the "wings and mask" issue, and I love the bare foot with tattoo. You chose exactly the right route to go with her, marvelboy.

Big Barda is a hit, Dazz. My favorite parts of the costume are the Union coat and hat, and the cigar---that cigar just adds worlds of "attitude." Having the sleeves torn off the coat, and her hair done in Native American wraps, gives her that sort of "raider/don't be careless or cocky with this woman" feel that's perfect for Barda.

I loved Firestorm's goggles and banker's shirt. I'm not sure about the symbol on the vest, but I think you did good in toning down the color scheme, to match the style clothing you chose. I liked the "steamer head" part as well. Good job, spaghettikiss.

Red Tornado: I think you did an excellent job with the color scheme, deanlegion; I like how he's spinning the guns, and I back you with the decision to use the hat and red scarf mask to help hide his skin tone. You made it work.

Zach, I love where you were going with Green Arrow (though I'd've liked to see his hair as blond)... I wish you'd been able to finish the pic. But I know RL gets us all, at times. I was totally unhappy with my Round 1 entry, because RL kept me from putting in the time I wanted to do with it, and it just didn't have the finished feel I strive for. Anyway, it's a cool concept, especially in going with the Eastern Native American Mohawk and face paint---that really rocks!

Captainbosh, great job (as usual! :wink:) with Green Lantern. I think you nailed the look down with the moustaches and hair (very period)---my only quibble is that he's a masked lawman (wearing his star openly)---then again. so was the Lone Ranger, so that *does* work. (Forgive me; I'm thinking out loud here.) I also like the hat, and the belt buckle lantern symbol was a very good idea.

Everyone did a great job again---my sombrero is off to you all! :wink:

Now I've gotta drop offline for a bit and see if I can fix my computer's mouse, according to hubby's phoned instructions. Wish me luck---I'm not tech-gifted, heh.

[spaghettikiss]

solaris- you are absolutely right, I think i worded my comment wrong. I think what i was trying to get across was that her usual outfits have more of a sense of mobility (although not practicality). Admitedly though, it was a kind of nitpicky statement - truly, it absolutely rocks!!!

[Dazzler]

Several really great ones this time:

CaptainBosh's Green Lantern
Marvelboy's Hawkgirl
Dazzler's Big Barda
Solaris' Black Canary
Spidey's Flash


Thank you, bert. The consideration and shout out is greatly appreciated. :)


-Dazzler's Big Barda. Like others have already said, the male outfit on her is perfect.

AnkaleRa, I'm really happy that the male attire on Barda is something that people seem to be responding positively to. I was worried about it when I was doing it, but I did it so late into the deadline process that I didn't have time to change it. I'm glad I didn't. Thank you. :)

. Hon Mentions to Affy, Dazzler and Marveboy
THank you very much, Dubip. An Honorable Mention is valuable, if you ask me! Appreicated!



Dazzler- Oh, it was most definitely a good laugh! The cigar! I love the cigar! I love the pose and the costume choice and the attitude! I'd love to see your Wild West version of Lashina as well. (I've been a big fan of Lashina since Suicide Squad back in the day).


Awesome, then! LOL! Thank you! I'm glad you love the cigar...it was the first thing that popped into my head! No matter what I drew, she was going to have that cigar. I would love to do Lashina in western gear sometime...ever since I became friends with PinkBatMaxine, she's shown me the true awesome that is Lashina! Well, Lashina and Stompa.


Dazzler's BIG BARDA
This is just pure fun right here. From the Union suit to the cigar and everything, it's just fun. But it's more than that. The design is still well thought out and it fits and rocks everything. Work it out Dazzler, cause this design rocks.


Tre, thank you! I wanted it to be fun and playful more than anything, so I'm glad that came across to you! I really wish I had planned out my time better so I could have really produced something that did my design justice. However, I'm super happy that it stands on its own enough to come through. Thank you!!!

--Dazz

[Dazzler]

AWESOME stuff this round....just lots of fun! Great job everyone!

Green Lantern, Big Barda and Superman were my faves this go round....but everyone really came up big this time. Thanks to all for the hard work and for making this so much fun to watch.


Thank you Shade! I'm very happy that my Barda was in your top. She thank you too. ;)


Big Barda is a hit, Dazz. My favorite parts of the costume are the Union coat and hat, and the cigar---that cigar just adds worlds of "attitude." Having the sleeves torn off the coat, and her hair done in Native American wraps, gives her that sort of "raider/don't be careless or cocky with this woman" feel that's perfect for Barda..

AWESOME! Thank you Solaris. I appreciate the thought you gave my character. Coming from you, big giant compliment! I'm so glad you liked her!
I put a lot of thought into designing her, and wanted a lot of things *just so.* I was worried that maybe i didn't get it across, but I think I may have!
Thank you again!

--Dazz

[Solaris]

solaris- you are absolutely right, I think i worded my comment wrong. I think what i was trying to get across was that her usual outfits have more of a sense of mobility (although not practicality). Admitedly though, it was a kind of nitpicky statement - truly, it absolutely rocks!!!

Nitpicky? Nah. (And no worries, mate---I wasn't offended or upset.) :smile: When I was working on her, I was concerned that people might feel her costume wasn't "superhero-y" enough, with them not stopping to think about how BC's regular costumes aren't "superhero-y," either---but I forgot to put that into the description. You reminded me, so at least I got to say so here---thanks! :wink:

As for the mobility, I agree that this isn't quite as mobile as her normal costume; then again, the only way she's gonna get that in the Old West is if she goes for men's wear (pants, shirt, vest, etc.)... and while I considered putting her in cowgirl clothes, it just didn't seem to fit the character as well as dance hall does (plus it would do away with those wonderful fishnets! Heh) so I decided against it.

However, dance hall attire was made for dancing/performing, so it's a lot less constrictive than an ankle-length skirt with hoops, or bustle, etc. Not every woman wore those (witness Little House on the Prairie, where those were worn by well-to-do women like Mrs. Olsen); but going with a plain farmwife dress wasn't going to work, either.

Besides---I wouldn't put it past Dinah not to have her skirt and petticoats be of a "tear away" design, in case she needed to do some *serious* moves where they might actually get in the way! :wink: But most of the time, I think she'd function well enough in the outfit as designed.

That's one of the things I love about atoningunifex's Wonder Woman design: for Diana, doing the cowgirl/rancher clothing *was* right (though I noted he added a feminine touch with the coat style, which I think worked well with the outfit). Ditto for Huntress and Big Barda.

The one other thing that I *did* consider, but felt too many wouldn't like, was putting BC in an Amanda Bloomer outfit.:biggrin: *wink* I'm surprised no one used a Bloomer for any of the women, or used the modified "split skirt" design that many women adopted for active wear instead of the Bloomer (the latter *was* seen as "outrageous" by many in polite society)... but I understand why no one did it: the designs for both probably wouldn't jibe well with a superhero fan base.

[Solaris]

AWESOME! Thank you Solaris. I appreciate the thought you gave my character. Coming from you, big giant compliment! I'm so glad you liked her!
I put a lot of thought into designing her, and wanted a lot of things *just so.* I was worried that maybe i didn't get it across, but I think I may have!
Thank you again!

--Dazz

You're welcome! :smile: I'm a thinker, and when I'm creating my own designs, or looking at someone else's, I tend to think about not just how cool it looks, but also does it work? What do the different elements, and the complete package, say about the character? What kind of functions is it supposed to have? When and where in the costume does function trump form, or form trump function?

Your design for Barda contained elements which both unified the look, and also said something about her personality and her abilities/approach to what she does. Even though various elements were disparate to each other, together they formed a unified and cohesive look that's entirely believable for the character, and says something about her and what she does/how she does things.

Honestly, the only thing I could think of, in considering Big Barda when I was choosing a character, was as a circus strongwoman in leopardskin cave-woman dress---your idea was miles beyond that, and so much more fitting for the character.

[Spidey]

I went with Spaghettikiss' Firestorm. I just couldn't get over that vest design. Plus the headgear and boots rounded it out so nicely.

[spaghettikiss]

Just wanted to respond to all of the nice things!!!

Loved the steam powered headgear and the softer colors used for his vest and symbol. It fits a man of science during that time period. Loved that you seemingly used Prof Stein instead of Ronnie as the model. - EVILSNEAK

I am so glad you picked up on the man of science thing!!! I don't think I put that in the description but I really was trying to get that look.

Firestorm turned out really nice too.I especially like the updated (or is it back dated?) design on his vest. I want to see more red somehow though. Red gloves? Tieing in his mask with a coal shoveler was a good decision too I think, and the steam punk angle is hinted at if not outright evoked as a result. Nice design.
- lewmixinsghost

You're totally right, i should have used the copper toned leather to make coaler gloves - I can't believe I didn't think of it!!! that would have been perfect!

spaghettikiss' FIRESTORM – Dug it. That turned out better than I expected it to. The steampunk-ish elements really makes it sing and it feels totally natural for the design. - escapegoat

I am so glad I made the steam thing work. I went so over the top with ROBOCCINO and I wanted to be more subtle this time...thanks for noticing!!

Simply spectacular. The headgear, the vest, the boots, everything. You really nailed this one. captaingeo

yay!! someone mentioned the boots. I was scared that they looke a little femme but hell, i'd wear em'!! thanks so much cap!

Extremely cool idea with the headgear and the steam engine idea. The vest is nice and stylish as well. - TRESTYLES

I'm glad you're into it! I'd like to think that he's a science geek who could get a date!

I loved Firestorm's goggles and banker's shirt. I'm not sure about the symbol on the vest, but I think you did good in toning down the color scheme, to match the style clothing you chose. I liked the "steamer head" part as well. Good job, spaghettikiss. - SOLARIS

Thanks solaris...I had a tough time with the vest, I couldn't figure out how to get a the symbol more similar and still make it something that could have been made in the old west. I wish I could have gotten it 1 step closer!!! Oh, by the way, that last post - you totally sold me with your defense. I guess that outfit would totally be the ideal sexy super heroine outfit of the time!!!

I went with Spaghettikiss' Firestorm. I just couldn't get over that vest design. Plus the headgear and boots rounded it out so nicely. - SPIDEY
Thanks man, I consistantly love your stuff and your ability to be fashionably late (hah) so i feel a bit honored that you liked this one so much!

Thanks for the feed back all!

[Hi-Fi]

Hi Fi- Fire is a lot of fun! I agree with howy- you really addressed the character and did a good job putting her in period costume. I also love that you're probably the most low-tech of the contestants. Your submissions are instantly recognizable and a lot of fun.

Hi-Fi's Fire: Yay Bea! You did a great job with her Hi-Fi, I love the costume. I think Spanish Senorita when I see it :biggrin:


Hi-Fi's FIRE
I can definitely see her wearing this getup, and I like the style and design sense here.

My favorites this round were Superman, Red Tornado and Fire.

I feel like they are the ones that went really really western but stayed true to the concept.
Thanks for all the kind comments, guys. I appreciate all and any feedback and I'm super happy you guys enjoyed Fire. :smile:

[Aljira]

i wonder what the next challenge is gonna be...

[sparta28090]

Dern! I shot my mouth off and said that I was a Western Junkie and that I would vote for the best. My voting pattern has been like this. I kind of wait toward the end and I vote for a design that may be in trouble when I happen to think it's cool.

The design that is clearly the best is spagettikiss' Firestorm. I always loved the potential of the character but he was handled very lame and his costume literally sucked. Then walks in Spagettikiss and takes his design to the past where in fact it would be much cooler than today's design, so he gets my nod for the best. the dilema of who I would like to see continue on this rounds merits alone is the deanlegion's Red Toronado (He made a lame ass character cool and I can't even recall a robot in any Western tale (what do you think Lew?). Zach's Green Arrow. I mean he took a pasty white, blonde hero and made him an Indian and just like Ollie The Native American during this time was the true crusaders for the enviroment, so both of them deserve to move on ahead with this round based on innovation and looking outside the box and making it work.

I must also give kudos to Captainbosh. You actually make the Latern work with facial hair and I thought this would be impossible. the hardlight guns are awesome only rivaled by Red Toronado's spinning hand irons.

[LewMoxinsghost]

the dilema of who I would like to see continue on this rounds merits alone is the deanlegion's Red Toronado (He made a lame ass character cool and I can't even recall a robot in any Western tale (what do you think Lew?).

I think I should have said more about Red Tornado, who I felt was very well suited to the genre- better than most. I also should have mentioned how much I liked the Batman redesign. The pancho-bat idea was brilliant. I just felt like the gun should have been replaced with a big bat-boomerang (not a batarang) and the utility belt a little more steam punky. I could see him riding a lightly armored arabian black stallion, which Bruce no doubt would have imported because they are the fastest thing around. I really like the homage to Zorro- very VERY appropriate for the character. I thought of the Joker as imprisoning Sheriff Gordon in the county jail in a bid to take over West Gotham. Trouble ensues when the traveling Grayson Gypsy Circus comes to town...

Heh. But for western robots, you can't beat Yul Brenner in Westworld. It was pretty groundbreaking visually for 1973. Wild Wild West doesn't come close with its giant mechanical spiders, but it is still pretty cool.

[sparta28090]

Leave it to Lew to be in the know...now I will be on a quest to look for that movie. Thanks always Lew!

[mgs]

there were some good ones, but it's obvious that Solaris had the best design/concept. It was spot on for a period construction. No offense, but it also may have been the easiest character to makeover as well.

Some of the other ones could've been better if they had just not taken the superhero aspects too literally (color and texture of clothes, hairstyles, body parts 'powered' up, etc.), making the characters more believeable.

In either case, Solaris definitely took her character and very carefully placed her into a real western world setting from look to description.



I hope Solaris does not hate me now! :frown:

[deanlegion]

Wow you guys, thanks for the very nice comments about Red Tornado. There are some really great entries in this one, so the competition is fierce! I really hope I get to hang around a little longer, but no matter what happens, I'll be here... watching and commenting and playing along.

[Pach!]

Wow you guys, thanks for the very nice comments about Red Tornado. There are some really great entries in this one, so the competition is fierce! I really hope I get to hang around a little longer, but no matter what happens, I'll be here... watching and commenting and playing along.

I really hope you don't leave!! :(

I was so torn between Red Tornado and Fire since Superman had enough votes!

[Your Imaginary Pal]

Originally Posted by LewmoxingsGhost
I also should have mentioned how much I liked the Batman redesign. The pancho-bat idea was brilliant. I just felt like the gun should have been replaced with a big bat-boomerang (not a batarang) and the utility belt a little more steam punky. I could see him riding a lightly armored arabian black stallion, which Bruce no doubt would have imported because they are the fastest thing around. I really like the homage to Zorro- very VERY appropriate for the character. I thought of the Joker as imprisoning Sheriff Gordon in the county jail in a bid to take over West Gotham. Trouble ensues when the traveling Grayson Gypsy Circus comes to town...


Originally posted by escapegoat
Your Imaginary Pal's BATMAN – Haha! I love it. Great job. Going with the Bruce Timm style really pulls it all together too.

Thanks for the kind words, critiques and..well acknowledgement.

[Solaris]

there were some good ones, but it's obvious that Solaris had the best design/concept. It was spot on for a period construction. No offense, but it also may have been the easiest character to makeover as well.

Some of the other ones could've been better if they had just not taken the superhero aspects too literally (color and texture of clothes, hairstyles, body parts 'powered' up, etc.), making the characters more believeable.

In either case, Solaris definitely took her character and very carefully placed her into a real western world setting from look to description.



I hope Solaris does not hate me now! :frown:


Of course I don't hate you! Silly!:tongue:

I agree wholeheartedly: BC was one of the easiest characters to translate, because to me, there were only two ways to go with her that suited her; I chose what I thought was the stronger of the two. When we were picking, people were all over it like white on rice, and I felt time pressure to "pick quickly!" I don't think well, creatively, when I have to think fast, so I simply couldn't grab a concept for a lot of the ones on the list. The two I got an immediate idea for were Black Canary and Zatana (which amused me, since Pryde was also debating between the two characters---we were thinking alike).

My idea for Big Barda was lame (putting her in a circus leopardskin dress as the strongwoman---Dazz's is MUCH better), and I couldn't even think of anything for WW or Supes; as I said, I don't "think fast" very well. (And my hat's off to Aljira and atoningunifex, for how well they handled those two.) I think the only good way to go with Hawkgirl was the Native American route, but my vague ideas on it were nowhere near as realized as Marvelboy's.

I've noticed that there are two schools of thought, here in the comments: with one, they wanted to see much more "superhero" in the costumes, for the other, they wanted realism. Me being me, I think along the latter lines, and here's why:

I've seen some time travel stuff with some of the characters, I've seen a lot of Westerns, and seen/read other time travel works. In all of them, the big concern, for future people visiting the past, is not disrupting the time stream. If a modern historian can look at records from the past and say, "That was Wonder Woman!" it's not good. If he or she can only say "That *might* be WW, or someone with similar powers... or it might just be an Old West Tall Tale," it's much better.

That's the challenge that the professional creators face, when they're handed such an assignment: how to costume the characters to "fit in" enough so that their identity would be in doubt for modern historians, while still making them recognizeable enough for the modern reader to connect between "modern looking Superman" and "okay, he's in Old West disguise, but I can see that it's Superman."

While Dinah would rock in tight black pants, vest, shirt, low hat and cowboy boots, with a blue bandanna and toting some guns---her abilities, name, look, and normal costume (to me) fit even better with the dance hall girl theme. Keeping the color scheme and fishnets makes her recognizeable as "Black Canary" for modern readers/viewers, and going with the dance hall costume lets her blend in enough in the period to create that "historical doubt."

There were some characters where you could go many routes with them, and others where there was only one route (to my mind) that would truly work for them (Hawkgirl, for instance---by going Native American and having her live with a tribe, it'd be much easier for historians (and many white people of the period) to dismiss tales of her as "myth." If he'd tried to put her into "white man's clothing and society," she'd stick out like a sore thumb, because of the wings---and next thing you know, reporters from New York to Paris would be hopping trains to the West, and P.T. Barnum would be trying to hire her for his circus. Heh. For that matter, some would insist she's an angel and go ga-ga, and others would insist she's a devil in disguise and go ga-ga; neither would be good for Hawkgirl to deal with.)

Dean did the same with Red Tornado: tried to disguise the one thing that sticks out on the character so much he won't blend in. I think dean did a good job with that, and the only other possible route he could've gone would be to make him a "red man," as whites often called natives back then---but even so, putting him as a Native American, about the only way to get away with it would've been to add some war paint so that the red skin would *also* be assumed to be paint---otherwise, it's just too saturated of a red to pass as a normal skin tone for N.A.'s.

Back to your comments: anyway, I agree, BC was one of the ones where the best route seemed obvious, so since she was, I tried to pay extra attention to the details of the design. It helped a little that I've worn much of that kind of clothing myself (for instance, knowing that fishnets tend to look darker around the edges of the leg), and that I've been watching Westerns since I was toddling at my Western fan father's knee... so I got really picky in what I chose and how I styled it. I also did a little research (particularly on the boots), to make sure I did them in a style of the day.

Anyway, no I wasn't offended---in fact, it rocks my world and made my day, that you noticed all that! :biggrin: And I'm glad you liked her so much. I'm focusing more and more on the design itself, and trying to just let the art follow the design as best I can. Frankly, comics style art isn't my forte: I can *do* it, but I don't do it very *well*, yet---so I quit worrying about trying to make my submission like something out of a comic book, and started focusing on it as a "concept drawing" instead: something that a pro would then take and translate into comics style as they work. That took a major load off my back (because I was putting in too much time wrestling with my so-so comics style skills), and let me concentrate on the actual elements of the design. I think that's helped me a lot, and I'm glad you (and others) think so too.

Finally, I'm *always* up for being critiqued. It's the best way to determine if I've managed to communicate what I wanted, with the design and how I illustrated it. When I discuss it with someone (like with spaghettikiss above), I'm not trying to *justify* what I did, I'm simply *explaining* the thought processes behind what I did. It's a subtle difference, but to me, justifying means I'm feeling defensive over what was said, and I'm not. I learned a long time ago, in my advanced comp class in college, the value of critiques and how to take them well. No one is going to please everyone. Any reader/viewer will have an opinion. When people take the time to voice and explain their opinion, it is very important for the creator to listen objectively---because they can tell you a *lot* about whether or not you managed to achieve what you were going for... and that can help you in your next piece. I got tagged, early on in the competition, for several things (that I wholeheartedly agree with were flaws/problems), and I've been trying to take the things I learned from that to make later submissions better. I can tell I've had some success in that, because I'm starting to get more votes.:wink: If I'd gotten defensive over the things that were said, my work wouldn't have improved... and to me, that just makes no sense.

I still have things to improve on, and I'll keep trying to do that---so when someone gives me a critique that lists the negatives they perceive, as well as the positives, I get happy: they're giving me the feedback I need to grow and improve.

[spaghettikiss]

Dern! I shot my mouth off and said that I was a Western Junkie and that I would vote for the best. My voting pattern has been like this. I kind of wait toward the end and I vote for a design that may be in trouble when I happen to think it's cool.

The design that is clearly the best is spagettikiss' Firestorm. I always loved the potential of the character but he was handled very lame and his costume literally sucked. Then walks in Spagettikiss and takes his design to the past where in fact it would be much cooler than today's design, so he gets my nod for the best. the dilema of who I would like to see continue on this rounds merits alone is the deanlegion's Red Toronado (He made a lame ass character cool and I can't even recall a robot in any Western tale (what do you think Lew?). Zach's Green Arrow. I mean he took a pasty white, blonde hero and made him an Indian and just like Ollie The Native American during this time was the true crusaders for the enviroment, so both of them deserve to move on ahead with this round based on innovation and looking outside the box and making it work.

I must also give kudos to Captainbosh. You actually make the Latern work with facial hair and I thought this would be impossible. the hardlight guns are awesome only rivaled by Red Toronado's spinning hand irons.

Thanks so much sparta! I loved storms headgear in the original design but thought his billowy sleaves were quite stupid. I am so happy to hear the positive reactions about how I reinvented him. Up to this design I have felt like I was hitting a bit of a brick wall. SO glad I busted through it a bit with this one.


So happy to get the chance to move on since I was in danger the past few rounds!!!

[Your Imaginary Pal]

looks like a 5 person drop is about to happen.
get to voting folks.

[SilverSkies]

I Vote Spidey's because i ilke he is color..

[Spidey]

I noticed less and less people have been voting since the whole PM thing.

[Shade101]

Alright, I'm going to comment on some of the ones I really liked the best. I liked them all, but I don't have the patience to comment on them all.

Spaghettikiss' Firestorm

He has a very unique look to him. It reminds me of the old western inventor/scientist types. And I love the engineering theme that you went with because it looks spot on. I really do like it. And the goggles are perfect!

MarvelBoy's Hawkgirl

This is beautiful. I love your style of artwork, and you design very nice costumes from time to time as well. I think this may be your absolute best. Your use of vibrant colors makes the entire design pop out more. The headdress has got to be my favorite part of the design.

Antoningunifex's wonder Woman

Her eyes are amazing, and the costume is very much like something a person would wear in the wild west. I love the coat, and her shirt was a very crafty idea of yours. The pose and the illustration is gorgeous.

Pryde 15's Zatanna

CC you already know I love this design! I think doing anything but showgirl for Zatanna would've been the wrong move, so you made the right choice. The top hat was a very smart idea, and her costume is very fitting of her magician background and her current costume she wears today. Anyone could take one look at that and realize, that's Zatanna!

Captain Bosh's Green Lantern

:eek: Ok, I'm mad at you. Lol. I need to take photoshop lessons with you, because my goodness you very talented at it! And the design itself just exudes the wild west all over. And the fact that you added facial hair was a risk, but looked very good for the design. And those glowy pistol things are absurd! Very well done!

Affinity's Maxima

Ok, this design is breathtaking. I love the way you illustrate. It's awkward in a way, but it's the good type of awkward that makes you look twice. And the way you rendered the design is amazing. I love that you used bright and bold colors and even though the colors may miss match, it looks like they go together anyways. Very good! I love it!

Your Imaginery Pal's Batman

May I say that you took a serious risk doing a design like this. I mean putting Batman in a poncho...who would've thought of that. But...YOU PULLED IT OFF! And the bat motif on the poncho was genius! The mask he's wearing is very crafty of you, and the hat is a big plus as well. This is a very good design Pal, and you've done quite nicely on it.

Everyone else did an extremely good job as well. And I MEAN that. You all really outdid yourselves with this one. Bravo, BRAVO! *Claps*:biggrin:

[mattbib]

I noticed less and less people have been voting since the whole PM thing.
Actually, with less than an hour remaining, voting in this round exceeds all previous rounds except the first.

[Hi-Fi]

Ugh! I don't want AnkaleRa to be eliminated. :frown:

[Dazzler]

Ugh! I don't want AnkaleRa to be eliminated. :frown:

I agree.
Well, I don't want ANYbody to be elminated. The competition is much less interesting to me than just looking at people's designs. :(


--Dazz

[Spidey]

You're right, Matt. I was remembering the votes being in the 100s, but I was confusing the polls with another competition.

[mattbib]

IP addresses have been reviewed and vote counts adjusted for duplicates.

[AnkaleRa]

Ah! Holy crap! It looks like I'm getting knocked out this round. Well, it was fun guys. See you guys later.

[escapegoat]

Threw my vote towards Zac...I've been enjoying his stuff this season.

Zac! Get your submission completely done next time! :tongue:

[Spidey]

Enough of this underdog stuff, I'm going after marvelboy and Aljira this next round, *grrrrr*.

[mattbib]

Hello. Welcome to the Runway. As you know, in fashion and in comic books, one day you're in and the next you're out.

marvelboy2004, congratulations, you are the winner of this challenge. This means you are immune and cannot be eliminated in the next challenge.

AnkaleRa, unfortunately your design did not appeal to enough voters. Additionally, several votes were discounted because of shared IP addresses.

AnkaleRa...you are out.

Auf wiedersehen.

This means the rest of you are in. See you on the runway for the next challenge.

[Affinity]

Aw, shoot.

I'm gonna miss your stuff, Ankale! It's weird, people praised the Captain Marvel design so much and yet, didn't vote for it. SAD PANDA ;_;

Play along at home!

Thanks for the votes on my end (zomgmaxima<3) and congrats, marvelboy!

[Shade101]

Ah! Holy crap! It looks like I'm getting knocked out this round. Well, it was fun guys. See you guys later.

Well it says you have 3 votes but it isn't showing up in the graph.

[Your Imaginary Pal]

Thanks for the votes Indigo and Shade101 nice critique
Sorry to see you go, Ankale you definitely added a flairand I always look forward to your entries.
Congrats Marvelboy ... again.

challenge 7 awaits

[Dazzler]

Thank you very much, Aljira, spaghettikiss, and mattbib for the votes! You guys are great.

AnkaleRa, I've very sad to see you go.

--Dazz

[ZacharyLovesYou]

Threw my vote towards Zac...I've been enjoying his stuff this season.

Zac! Get your submission completely done next time! :tongue:

Thanks, for sure. No worries, next time around I'm gonna pull out the big guns and get that stuff done!

[AnkaleRa]

Well it says you have 3 votes but it isn't showing up in the graph.

Yeah, I guess it's from shared IP addresses. Which I'm surprised about. But I guess it wouldn't matter anyway. I still would've had the least votes even with them.

It's been fun. I'm looking forward to the rest of the challenges. And you'll see me in the play along thread.

Aw, shoot.

I'm gonna miss your stuff, Ankale! It's weird, people praised the Captain Marvel design so much and yet, didn't vote for it. SAD PANDA ;_;

Play along at home!

Thanks for the votes on my end (zomgmaxima<3) and congrats, marvelboy!

Thanks Finny! And it seems that always seems to happen to me. Lots of people like it, but they end up liking another just that much more and I never seem to get votes. But good luck Fin! I will definitely be watching your stuff!

[Global Honored]

Props to all the great work. My personal faves are Green Lantern, Big Barda & Hawkgirl. Though they are all well thought out creations.

[mgs]

Of course I don't hate you! Silly!:tongue:

I've seen some time travel stuff with some of the characters, I've seen a lot of Westerns, and seen/read other time travel works. In all of them, the big concern, for future people visiting the past, is not disrupting the time stream. If a modern historian can look at records from the past and say, &quot;That was Wonder Woman!&quot; it's not good. If he or she can only say &quot;That *might* be WW, or someone with similar powers... or it might just be an Old West Tall Tale,&quot; it's much better.

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phew! :)

And yes, I totally agree with your reasoning about the realism thing, it's a view that I enjoy when someone creative like you takes that and makes something with that idea behind it.