30 Characters Day 30--Diaspora

Diaspora is powered by the belief of oppressed people everywhere. Whether by petty tyrants or entire governments Diaspora exists to give a voice to and defend those who cannot defend themselves. As long as he is around no group of people will be pushed around again.

30 Characters Day 29--Loafer

 

After an accident a shoe store where he worked Jim McKenzie was transformed into a giant shoe. Now as the Loafer he patrols the city stamping out evil wherever he finds it.

30 Characters Day 28--Underachieve

 

Underachieve has no problem coming to the rescue, just let him finish watching this YouTube link a friend just sent him. Then he just has to send a couple tweets and check his Facebook news feed. After that he needs to order his latte and check e-mails, but then he will get right on helping with your problem.

30 Characters Day 27--Festive

 

With his colorful costume and battlestaves that shoot confetti and streamers, Festive brings fun and laughs to the world of crime fighting.

30 Characters Day 26--Forever

 

Forever is an immortal warrior who has battled evil in all it's many forms for centuries. Nothing is known about his past as he never shares anything about it. He continues to fight against evil today using the weapons he has for centuries, but adding the outfit so many of today's heroes seem to favor because he thinks it is fun the way modern heroes like to play dress up all the time.

30 Characters Day 25--Sickly

Sickly contains every disease within her body. She can transfer them to others through the touch of her fingertips. She can control which disease and the intensity that she gives to another person. The only problem is the transfer is one way, she can give to another person, but she can't take it back or cure it. Sickly herself is immune to all diseases and sickness.

Illustration Friday--Whiskers

For Illustration Friday 11/30/2012.

30 Characters Day 24--Pulsate

Pulsate uses the circuitry in the suit he designed to form a pulsing shell of energy around himself. The pulsing energy gives him protection from most weapons and blows. He can also drive it into the ground or out in front of himself to use it as an offensive attack.

30 Characters Day 23-Ocellus

A professor of optics developed a device that allows him to shine spots of color on different objects. Most people would think they had created a cool thing for entertaining at parties. But not this professor, he decided to make a jumpsuit, strap the device to his back and become a crime fighter. So if you see Ocellus on the street and you are up to no good watch out, he just might shine a dot of colored light on you.

30 Characters Day 22-Mixed

 

Mixed is an experiment by a secret cabal of scientists working in an undisclosed location to see if they could combine robotic parts with a college student who thought he was volunteering for a fraternity hazing. If the scientists had been working in a disclosed location they might have better parts, but working with what they had Mixed was the result. Once back in the world the student didn't really know what else to do with himself, so he has decided to defend the Earth from evil and protect other dumb college kids from volunteering for experiments with weird scientists.

30 Characters Day 21-Moonlight

Moonlight has the ability during the night while the Moon is high in the sky to generate a glow around himself. He can control the intensity of this glow to go from a mild, flashlight like beam all the way up to being able to stun and paralyze his opponents. On the night of the full moon the glow gains enough power that Moonlight can actually generate enough force to shatter solid objects or completely fry the brain of another person.

30 Characters Day 20--Yell

Yell discovered as a teenager that he could change the pitch of his voice to hit a note that would allow him to incapacitate others or if taken high enough could actually kill. The note when used by Yell can also be pitched to shatter walls or stop cars. The only problem Yell has is that first time he discovered the note he also shattered his eardrums. As such he has too be extra careful about using it and has on occasion had the note get out of his control. Even with this risk he is still determined to rock and to bring the battle to crime.

30 Characters Day 19--Simoom

Simoom has the power to generate the hot, dry winds for which he is named. He can control the speed, heat and intensity of these winds to allow himself to fly and disable his opponents. This disabling can go from simply knocking someone over to stripping the flesh from them if he ever truly cut loose.

30 Characters Day 18--Astride

Astride believes there should be perfect balance in the world. As such they stand on both sides of every situation. Neither a true hero or villain, Astride has been known to assist whichever side has been the underdog in a battle in order to bring balance to the situation. Only appearing  when things are unbalanced and then disappearing when the balance is restored, they are a mystery to everyone.

30 Characters Day 17--Fuss

Fuss claims to be the God of Tantrums, the only problem is no one can seem to figure out what pantheon ever had that god. The other heroes put up with him though because when he does have a tantrum and puts his foot down bad things usually happen. These are mostly earthquakes, tremors or the splitting of the ground in the direction of his stomp depending on how hard he puts his foot down.

30 Characters Day 16--Splashdown

Marine biologist Jeff Markson felt he could being doing more to protect the oceans and the creatures that live within them that he loved. After all both cover more of the planet than the land or the animals that live there. With this in mind Jeff created a formula that permanently allowed him to live on both the land and in the ocean. Taking the name Splashdown he has become the protector of the oceans and will do most anything to protect them from those who would do them harm.

Illustration Friday-Tree

For Illustration Friday 11/16/2012.

30 Characters Day 15--Sad

Sad lives up to his chosen costumed name. He often wonders why he bothers, after all we are all headed for a bad ending someday anyway. Besides even if he stops this crime, it's not like hundreds of others won't occur. In the end does any of what any of us does really matter. Usually after a few minutes of being around this the crooks give themselves up, even prison seems cheerful after being around Sad.

30 Characters Day 14--Far

Ken Jackson was a mechanic at a string factory. One day while trying to remove a strange object that gotten stuck in the gears of one of the machines he fell into the machine. When he finally got himself out he discovered his body was now made of string. He also discovered he could control the string to allow himself to stretch great distances and to form his body into different things. Not being the most creative person Ken decided to take the hero name of Far due to hi ability to stretch really far if he wanted to. As Far, Ken now keeps crime tied up in knots.

30 Characters Day 13--Study

Study is in reality Steven Hanhammer a young super genius. His I.Q. is so high that no current tests have been able to measure it. Study uses his intellect to give his fellow heroes a tactical advantage in any battle. He also is there best negotiator and creator of many devices and headquarters used by the world's heroes. Most times Study stays in the background as he is the first to admit his greatest weapon is his brain and definitely not his fists.

30 Characters Day 12--Outwork

John Hundley was just a regular guy working at the local brick factory who one day was struck by a stray, falling radioactive brick. John was knocked out by the blow and when he came to he realized he had become a living brick wall. John now serves the people of his hometown as Outwork the human fortification.

30 Characters Day 11--Non Hero

Non Hero is just an average guy with a big appetite for food and justice. Feeling he should somehow give back to his city, but not really being into working out, Non Hero put together a costume and took the streets as the rotund fist of justice. As long as the crooks aren't too quick they better watch out.

AlphaBooks--Z is for Zita the Spacegirl

My piece for the letter "Z" at AlphaBooks is Zita from the Zita the Spacegirl graphic novels by Ben Hatke. These are a great series of all ages graphic novels from First Second. Ben Hatke is an excellent all around cartoonist.

30 Characters Day 10--Harrow

Harrow was created by scientist-farmer Dr. Jeb Michaels. Wanting to give himself and his fellow farmers the chance to not feel as if they were working alone all the time, Dr. Michaels took the harrow blades from their unit and attached them to a robotic body he had built. This allowed the robot to till the soil on the farm while giving the doctor company in the fields. After the doctor was killed by rival potato farmers who were upset with the size and quality of his spuds, Harrow brought the thugs to justice on behalf of his friend and creator. With no real purpose after, Harrow has become a defender of other downtrodden farmers against the tough farming mobs.

30 Characters Day 9--Riptide

Riptide comes from a planet on which the people are all made of water. Accidently ending up on Earth he decided to create a human form for himself. Riptide discovered though that he could use his water form and abilities to help people on his new planet. The people of Earth still don't realize an alien walks among them, instead most people have come to assume he is from strange underwater race.

30 Characters Day 8--Mayor

Mayor has the power to balance a budget and to bring two differing factions together for the benefit of all. He can also lay down a veto when provoked. If a ribbon has to be cut or a bill signed there is no one better to call on. Mayor will always use his powers to keep his city the best there is.

30 Characters Day 7-NonPerson

NonPerson is the hero you think might have been there, but you can never be sure. Wearing a special suit they designed NonPerson can make the save while leaving the person they rescued and any witnesses unsure what they saw. The suit makes them appear to be something there in your peripheral vision, but if you turn to look directly all you see is air. So next time it feels like you just missed out on getting into trouble, NonPerson was probably there saving the day.

30 Characters Day 6-Haggard

Haggard was a guy who felt like life ran him over and then got out of the car and curb stomped him. Not wanting anyone else to feel the way he did and hoping to find a spark in the darkness, he left his old life behind and became a defender of the land. Now wandering the roads of the country with no identity of his own any longer, Haggard helps those in need wherever he finds them. He then wanders off once again before thanks can be given searching for the next person in need of aid.

30 Characters Day 5--Non Pareil

Officer Jim Stevens was chasing some crooks through a local chocolate factory when he stumbled and fell into a vat just as a bolt of strange, red lightning came streaking into the vat. When he made his way out of the vat Stevens discovered his body was now made of chocolate and chunks of sugar. Officer Jim Stevens was gone but Non Pareil was born. Stevens now uses the powers granted by his chocolate form to protect the city he once protected as an officer.

AlphaBooks--Y is for Yertle the Turtle

 

My submission for the letter "Y" at AlphaBooks. Yertle the Turtle from the book of the same name by the awesome Dr. Seuss. His books were and still are some of my favorites. Definitely an artistic influence in my life.

30 Characters Day 4--Contention

Contention is a hero always looking for an argument to insert himself into. Whether it's a simple debate or an actual fight he is always ready to add his two cents to the problem, whether it's wanted or not.

Illustration Friday--Shy

For Illustration Friday 11/9/2012

30 Chracters Day 3--Non Profit

Non Profit is a modern day Robin Hood. Working from the inside of major American corporations, he slowly drains money from their billionaire owners and spreads it among those who truly need it. Non Profit is determined to ensure that someday there will be a true middle class again. He is the scourge of corporate fat cats everywhere.

30 Characters Day 2--Philosophy Man

 

My character for day 2 of 30 Characters, the description was:Philosophy Man uses life's unponderable ponderables to confuse crooks into submission.

30 Charcters Day 1--Forefit

Doing the 30 Characters challenge created by illustrator Tyler James again this year. This was my post for the first day. The description I included was the following:Forefit is from the planet Surrendera where the power shared by the people is to give up. As soon as anything exciting happens they throw their arms up and surrender. Forefit after viewing the Earth decided his best course of action was to create a costume and go be a hero on Earth. No he isn’t the brightest bulb in the universe.