Welcome to the blog of Dennis J. Woodyard - Journeyman Artist, and Dragonfly Entertainment. Former TV animation producer/director, storyboard artist, character designer, writer, concept artist, Flip book designer, and other professional credits.
[Dime-A-Dozen Projects is so named from a conversation with creative
friends of mine as we lamented that when we were working full-time for
someone else, we get these (in our minds) original million dollar ideas,
that would, somehow, turn into "dime-a-dozen" ideas when we were out of
work and on our own.]
Next up in my Dime-a-Dozen projects is more characters created in my early teen years. (1962 - 1969) is....
Minuteman
Minuteman was inspired, of course by Marvel Comic's Captain America. Cap was revived in the comic world in the mid-1960s with hsi appearance in Avenger no. 4.
I loved Captain America, but wanted to design my own patriotic supertrooper. The name Minuteman was picked because it was the mascot of my high school, Thomas Jefferson High School.
Of course I couldn't resist trying my hand at some Captain America comic art. It was a original story, with another Marvel favorite, Electra as a foe. I did these sample pages to submit to Marvel Comics. I did show them and got a nice rejection letter to prove it.
This is one of the last drawing of Minuteman done in the 2008.
Falcon is character I created just based on the name and a costume idea.
Just by coincidence, Captain America introduced a partner called Falcon, who appears in the new movies.
My Falcon had the ability to fly with the aid of gadget on his back, but other then that, I can't remember what else he had going for him.
So far, Falcon has flew his last, and Minuteman is retired, at least for now.
Just a quick Sunday Music Muse Post with two selections I found last week at the Record Fair in the Southwedge, in here in Rochester, NY, at the Old German House. Although, primarily set up for vinyl record hunter, I always find a couple of CDs of good music, these both being ECM releases. First up, guitarist Steve Tibbetts A Man About A Horse. I have some of his early work from the 1980s including his Safe Journey album, which is one of my favorites albums. This 2002 CD, A man About a Horse, doesn't match the intensity of Safe Journey but it is still a enjoyable outing.
The other ECM selection is Jan Garbarek with Miroslav Vitous and Peter Erskine, StAR. Jan Garbarek's soprano and tenor saxophone playing is constant stable on many ECM recordings. Bassist Vitous and drummer Erskine were both alumni of legendary fusion band Weather Report, Vitous was one of the original co-founders of Weather Report, but left over creative difference with Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter. This CD is classic ECM, solid playing in am adventurous, thought provoking manner. As a reviewer Rick Anderson of the All Music website states, "On this leaderless trio album, as with most ECM releases, you get the feeling of music emerging from a vast and echoey space." I agree it's well worth a listen.
In these chaotic time, hope you can find some good music to get through the days. Enjoy.
[Dime-A-Dozen Projects is so named from a conversation with creative
friends of mine as we lamented that when we were working full-time for
someone else, we get these (in our minds) original million dollar ideas,
that would, somehow, turn into "dime-a-dozen" ideas when we were out of
work and on our own.]
Next up in my Dime-a-Dozen projects is more characters created in my early teen years. (1962 - 1969)
Doctor Apollo and Ion.
Doctor Apollo and Ion were a brother team, as best I can remember they were taking part in a solar energy experiment when it was attack by agents of an enemy government. There was a explosion during the attack, resulting in the two brothers gaining super power enhanced by the sun.
I’m think these characters were inspired by Dell Comic Dr. Solar.
I did a lot of drawings of them but don’t have much in the way of story lines or plots written down about them.
Solar-Naut.
The Solar-Naut seem to be another solar powered hero. But, I’m thinking the may have been influenced by Iron Man, with the solar cell leg and arm bands being used instead of Tony Stark’s chest power core module.
There is one drawing of Ion and the Solar-Naut teaming to battle a Magneto-like character, who’s name escapes me. “Magnus” (?)
This character with the 'Peace Sign" on his chest was a version of the Solar-Naut so was a artificial body powered by a miniature nuclear heart, with muscles were made from a artificial muscle fiber (which is actually being developed today) activated by electric pulses. He was scientist who's brain was transferred into a android body.
Probably inspired my 8th Man, since it pre-dates Robocop by twenty year. I can say 8th Man inspired Robocop, too.
Next up will my Captain America inspired character. Be sure to check in again.
Again, my Sunday Music Muse Day post is a day late as we were enjoying having our sons home for college spring break. But, I still had time to pick up several new CDs and enjoy an old favorite. First up, is a local musician I was introduced to on a Bob Sneider CD, The Joe Locke Quintet Slander (And other Love Songs). This third Milestone records recording the talented vibraphonist, continue his nod to Film Noir in tone and content, according to the liner notes. i definitely have to catch him live sometime soon. This is another enjoyable outing.
Next is another blind faith pick, Art of Love - Robert Sadin - Music of Machaut. The cover art intrigued me, and I recognized several of the musicians like Milton Nascimento, Brad Mehldau, and Lionel Loueke. It's an adventurous re-creation of medieval and renaissance music with a very modern touch. Reader reviews on All Music website gave it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, and the reveiwer stated,"This beautifully executed CD should appeal to fans of jazz/classical crossover." I'll have to give it more listenings to form a final opinion, but I can say I don't hate it.
My third selection was a result of partly the love of the CD cover art, and nostalgia, and in this case, nostalgia bite me in the ass. Bolling's Greatest Hits, is a collection of tunes from the series of Claude Bolling's voluminous output of classical/jazz suites. Although still enjoyable, I have to admit the music sounds very dated to me, now. Well, I still like the illustrated cover art.
Finally I dug into my old CDs and pick an old favorite, guitarist Steve Khan Let's Call This, a trio outing with Ron Carter on bass, and Al Foster on drums. I like the CD cover art by Jean-Michel Folon and like the music more. The tone Khan get out of his guitar instantly recognizable as his own.
That's it, enjoy the week, and every music you need that gives you joy.
[Dime-A-Dozen Projects is so named from a conversation with creative
friends of mine as we lamented that when we were working full-time for
someone else, we get these (in our minds) original million dollar ideas,
that would, somehow, turn into "dime-a-dozen" ideas when we were out of
work and on our own.]
Sabre Squad. (1964-1968, 14 -18 years old)
My next Dime-A-Dozen project was my first attempt at a superhero group. Sabre Squad were agents of a secret world government organization, S.P.R.I.T.E. (Secret Police formed to Repress International Terror and Espionage) (Well, actually I got that name from the soda) They seem to spring from a several media source happening in the mid -1960s, when these first drawings were done. I can recall, James Bond movies (Dr. No - 1962) and the spy movies and TV spin-offs, like Man from Uncle (1964), and possibly T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents comics (1965).
Plus, the Cold War with the Soviet Union was still in full swing. Those were more than enough to fuel my young artist mind. I also remember making a conscious effort to draw from my imagination, not copy comic art, and to make up my own characters.
The members of Sabre Squad were Warrior, Marauder, and Ramrod. Looking back, they are more a costume team of spies than superheroes since none of them have any super powers, just fighting abilities, hi-tech weapons.
The Sabre Squad Members:
Warrior (Janus Gordon)
I can only go by the dates of my drawings that Warrior was the first of the Sabre Squad to be created, and his name was first Weapon Master. That make him the apparent leader of the group. I can only remember their names from a comic book script written by Terry Benjamin, friend and classmate (more on that later).
Outside of being members of spy organization, Warrior, like all Sabre Squad members didn’t seem to have any super power. He was just a costumed super-spy like James Bond. A masterful fighter, an expert in weapons. He arsenal seems influenced my the Man from Uncle pistol the Napoleon Solo added attachments to. I think the toy gun was sold like that (find toy ad).
Marauder (Richard Lance, also Raymond Lance)
Although member of Sabre Squad, from my drawing it seems Marauder may have started out as a independent character with a two different additional origins. I’ll mention he is also a Black character, only since at the at time there were no black comic characters. Adding him to Sabre Squad may have been the result of watching Bill Cosby in the TV show “I Spy”. ( I admit Cosby was a childhood hero of mine, and it pains and disappoints me to see his downfall)
One of his origins has him as a willing test subject in the cross-dimensional experiment. as seen in the sketch page. There is a mountain observatory, with him in a transmission device (transporter, pre-Star Trek). He zipped across the galaxy and emerges where to have an adventure, Adam Strange like.
The
other origin has him as a test pilot in a X-!5 type rocket plane
dropped from a B-52, with co-pilot. They seem to have a successful
flight. So, I’m not sure where I was going with this story line.
As a member of Sabre Squad, Marauder is the weapons and gadget tech.
Although he also is shown being a good in hand-to-hand combat.
Ramrod (Walter Mason)
Ramrod seems to be team’s hand-to-hand combat expert, a ”savate master” from the various poses of him in karate stances, and a black belt he wear on later drawings. Ramrods costume did go through some revisions.
The Villains
All heroes need villains to fight so Sabre Squad had several. First were the Hussians, a mercenary trio. I think the leader was called the Baron (shown with the cane), but I can’t remember the other member’s names, if they ever had one.
The Centipede is another opponent. He seems to be in the Dr. Octopus / mad scientist mold and like to ride a giant mechanical centipede. He even had some costumed henchmen.
A later group was the Black Widow, a female assassin group, made up of international beauties. I think they were my first attempt at drawing hot babes. I never got around to naming any of them.
The Sabre Squad Comic Pages
There are two sets of incomplete attempts putting Sabre Squad on the comic page. I started one written and drawn my myself. It a first mission, with no set up, just an excuse to show them kicking ass. Production wise, I knew nothing about how to produce comics. I don’t think there were any book on comic book production back then, at least I don’t remember seeing any until years later. So, my pages were drawn on regular 8 1/2” x 11” typing paper and the panels laid out like the Marvel Comics page, 3 tier, 2 or 3 panels tier. The title was made using a common stencil guide.
The other attempt was a collaboration with classmate who wants to be
a writer. Terry Benjamin write the “Origin of Sabre Squad” script,
and I offered to do sketches of his original property “Spy Smashers”
(I’ll post that at the end of this) This version introduces the group
in training, in martial arts, and shows them getting there assignment to
be Sabre Squad. Then, rather surprisingly their jump into fight jets
and repel an enemy attack. WTF? Well, this made perfect sense as novice
teenage comic book creators.
