Friday 31 May 2013

The BAT - MAN as originally conceived



Last time I wrote about the creation of The BAT-MAN and his debut in Detective Comics, but not many people know about the original conception of the Hero who would go onto be The Dark Knight.

The story  according to archive records is that in Early 1939 after the success of Superman in Action Comics, the editors of National Publications (who would later become DC Comics) requested more of these so called " Super Heroes " to appear in their pages and publications.

Artist BOB KANE came up with an idea for a hero called THE BAT-MAN. and showed fellow writer  Bill Finger some rough drawings he had done.
MORE SUPER THAN BAT - MAN !

The Hero drawn  looked like a Superman -ish character was dressed in red long John Tights with dark shorts and boots. No gloves or gauntlets. Unlike Superman he worn a small face mask to hide his identity. Not a full face mask, but a small domino mask.  Instead of a Cape, this hero had two large Bat Wings. The Name Bat-Man was written underneath.

After a bit of a discussion it was suggested that the mask needed to be bigger, and the wings needed to be more cape like. And the main thing was the red suit needed to go...... and the BAT-MAN needed a logo like Superman.
More Like the Finished article , but not quite right. More Night Wing ?


After some more revision the Bat-Man resembled what was seen in my last blog...... and by then Kane & Finger had worked out who BAT-MAN was and why he did what he did...... and the rest is history so they say.


Next time meet Bat-Man's new trusty side kick.

ENJOY !

Tuesday 28 May 2013

The Original BAT - MAN Begins



The new Topic of my Blog will be concerning the original Caped Crusade himself...... THE BAT-MAN. Along with some of the characters who make up the so called BATMAN FAMILY

Back in 1939 Artist Bob Kane along with writer Bill Finger created THE BAT-MAN who appeared in Detective Comics 27#. .  This was the story of a everyday Millionaire business man and Playboy who by day built up his business empire, and by night beat up the Criminals and evil doers of Gotham City. He character was an automatic success, and would go on to star in many more publications, Films, TV Shows and Cartoons ever since.

Unlike most "SUPER" heroes The BAT-MAN had no super powers, accept his enquiring Mind, his arsenal of amazing equipment and his TWO Fists.

The original concept of the character has remained very close to the original idea, showing that if  you have a good idea, DON'T CHANGE IT.

Well in my Dawgs Style here is the 1939 version  of THE BAT-MAN.
THE ORIGINAL BAT-MAN 1939


Although the original look included purple gloves, the overall appearance  is very near to how he looks today.  The Original Dark Knight carried and used a hand gun, but soon he relied on what he had been given..... his two fists. His Cape still doubled as a gliding parachute, and was depicted as being more like Bat Wings, but as time went on even this changed into what we see today

BAT-MAN and his BAT WING CAPE


A few issues later his gloves now matched his costume, and his Bat Ears pointed in a more up right direction, and he now had a new styled chest logo and a new styled utility belt.
The Bat-Man from Detective  Comics 30 #

Next time we meet the first member of the BAT-MAN FAMILY.


until then Enjoy.

Wednesday 22 May 2013

COMING SOON ........

Here is a clue to the next subject to get the DAWGS treatment.



So keep popping back to see who it is !!!


ENJOY

Sunday 19 May 2013

SAM ALEXANDER THE NEW NOVA

Here is an extra post, whilst I was doing my Richard Rider Nova for my New Warrior posts, I decided to have a go at doing the New Nova on the Block.

So Presenting Sam Alexander The New NOVA



ENJOY !

Saturday 18 May 2013

A Final Farewell From The New Warriors

When I am planning the subject of my Blog, I usually do more designs of the characters than I end up using.

So as an extra treat here is a complete line up of the studies I did of the original New Warriors, some I used and other I did not .


Enjoy.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

The New Warriors Part Eight The Team comes together



So here we are. The final part of how Dwayne Taylor's "New Fantastic Four" became the Six Heroes that called themselves The New Warriors

Dwayne Taylor aka Night Thrasher had decided that he needed to put together his own group of Super Heroes, mainly to assist him in his quest to take on the Criminal element of New York City.






The Night Thrasher aka Dwayne Talyor





His initial idea was to model his new team on the Fantastic Four, and realised the family connection this team had was something he could try and replicate.

Choosing younger Heroes who were not part of any existing group was his idea. These heroes also needed one other thing in common....... a Longing to find a family unit...... something and somewhere to belong to.

His first recruit was Kid Nova, an already established hero, who had since lost his powers. Dangling Richard Rider off of a building was all it took to reignite the dormant Nova Force within him.

Kid Nova aka Richard Rider

The 2nd recruit was Marvel Boy aka Vance Astrovik. Rejecting his unhappy home life, and then being rejected for membership as an Avenger by his  Boy hood Hero Captain America, made young Vance ready to accept any offer of a place on a super hero group

Marvel Boy aka Vance Astrovik

The 3rd recruit was Firestar aka Angelica Jones. After months of being manipulated by Emma Frost and the Hellfire club, Angelica returned home to her widowed Father to realise that he was so frighted of her Mutant ability he did not want her around him. Originally Night Thrasher had asked Firestar to join his group, BUT Angelica rejected this offer, as she was worried that she could end up in the same situation as she has been under Emma Frost's care, However, Dwayne did not take kindly to Angelica's refusal to join so he blackmailed her into joining his group.

Firestar aka Angelica Jones

However as Firestar has on her way to meet Night Thrasher for the first time an emergency literally popped up in the Centre of New York City.

Namorita Prentiss , taking a break from her studies  at Empire Sate University, she attended the ground breaking of a building project of her cousins company  Oracle Inc.

Namorita aka Namorita Prentiss

Technicians of Oracle had discovered strange radioactive readings in the soil on the proposed site. They had pin pointed the source of the radioactive contamination in the soil, and isolating the Terra firma, they unwillingly unleashed Terrax.
TERRAX, FORMER HERALD OF GALACTUS

Terrax the Former Herald of Galactus and foe of the Fantastic Four had regained his powers and his form and wanted to cause destruction to the planet and the people of Earth......  Originally Terrax   had been believed to have been destroyed in battle many months before. However, although his body had been destroyed his essence and energies had remained buried beneath the soil. As manipulation of Earth and Rock was a main part of his powers, his supposed death was not all it had been believed.



When the newly reformed Terrax emerged from this underground grave, this caused enough noise and destruction to cause Night Thrasher, Kid Nova, Marvel Boy and Firestar to race to the location where they met Namorita and Speedball who had already engaged the monster.

Speedball also had been in New York city, and literally jumped at the chance to help defeat the cosmic  foe.


Speedball aka Robbie Baldwin


The Teen heroes battled the Cosmic Foe, and found they were no match for Terrax's power cosmic and his powerful Axe, however, Terrax's body was not fully reconstructed and Night Thrasher noted that when the Alien Powerhouse lost contact with the Earth, his body began to disintegrate.

A REAL BAPTISM OF FIRE

 With this knowledge Night Thrasher used his leadership skills to direct the other heroes into eventually defeating  Terrax.

After the Battle Night Thrasher convinced the 5 other heroes to remain together as a new fighting force. The Name of The New Warriors was suggested and thus the newest super hero group was born.
Presenting The Original New Warriors

As time went on member came and went, and members grew as heroes.

Night Thrasher would front the team mostly, and as he was funding the Team via his Company found he had built a very successful super team to rival that of the The Mighty Avengers or Fantastic Four.

The Original Line up remained the same for some time, however the Heroes look changed  as did their understanding of their Powers and each other...

Some of the many looks of the original New Warriors

Close Relationships began, Firstly with Marvel Boy and Firestar, and then with Kid  Nova (Now calling himself Nova) and Namorita.


One of the biggest changes happened when Marvel Boy was arrested for the accidental murder of his father. On his release from prison Vance Astrovik took the name Justice as he felt this title better reflected his personality.

FROM MARVEL BOY TO JUSTICE
Well that brings the story of how  the New Warriors were founded.

Next Time something NEW !


Until Then Enjoy !

Monday 6 May 2013

Thanks 17000 Visits

Here is a very big Thanks You to all the many visitors new and old who come and view my blog.

Here is a special Thanks You Post



Thanks Again


ENJOY !

Wednesday 1 May 2013

The New Warriors Part 7 Meet Namorita Prentiss a Princess of the Sea


Namorita or Nita to her friends, story is complicated. Long before she became involved with Night Thrasher and his newly formed super group, she had spent many long years enjoying a carefree life as an Atlantean Princess.

Nita looked and acted like she was in her late teens, BUT was in fact a lot older. Due to her unique genetic nature, she was a Human - Atlantean hybrid, she appeared to age much slower than normal Humans.

Namorita was the daughter of  Talan, a Full Blooded Atlantean, and Namora a Human - Atlantean  Hybrid herself...... or so Nita believed and thought.

Nita's mother was Royal Born herself. She like her cousin Namor was a result of a Human - Atlantean relationship.  Like Namor, Namora or Aquaria Nautica Neptunia to use her full title  had pink skin and ankle wings, and was nearly as powerful as her cousin Prince Namor.
Royal Cousins Prince Namor & Princess Namora during the 1930's




Namor and Namora ( a nick name she had been given to honour   her cousin) had first met in their teens. And after many years of being close both realised that their love for each other was as Brother and Sister.  Also, as both of them were Pink skinned, and Namor was heir to the throne of Atlantis, the Atlantean Council believed that Princess Namora was not a suitable bride for the Prince.

However, this did not stop the two enjoying each others company and teaming up to fight and protect the people of the undersea nation of Atlantis.
The Avenging Son and Daughter of Atlantis during the 1940's

After the end of W W 2, Namora fell in love and was married to Talan. Talan was a member of the Atlantean  royal family.  Due to Namora's  Hybrid nature she found she was unable to conceive naturally with her husband, much to their disappointment. Namora tracked down a  rogue Atlantean scientist  and asked him for help. His solution was simple, but would be dangerous and illegal.  He cloned Namora , also infusing genes from some of Atlantis's greatest warriors into the baby Namora clone and placed the child in  Namora's womb so to appear as she was born naturally. Talan knew nothing of how his daughter Namorita was actually conceived, believing she was his own. Cloning in Atlantean society  was outlawed, so Namora kept this fact a secret from all, even her "Daughter" Namorita.

When Nita was growing up she lost both of her parents. Her Father Talon was killed in an explosion when she was three, and her Mother Namora was poisoned and died when Nita was in her early teens.
Alone and looking for a purpose she met her Mother's cousin Namor (who had himself disappeared for many years. )  Namor decided that he would take his little cousin under his wing, and would act as her guardian and father figure.

The Young Namorita and her guardian Namor


 However, Namor knew that his was a life of danger and having Nita close to him opened her up to unnecessary dangers. His solution was simple.

Before and during the W W 2, Namor had had a on off relationship with a Human called Betty Dean now  Prentiss

During the 1940's Namor had met a young surface woman called Betty Dean. Both remained very close over the next decade, sharing adventure and romance. Betty would have been the idea mate for Namor, or so he believed, she was strong willed and feisty. However, he knew due to her being a Surface dweller, the Atlantean people would not accept her as a mate. Also due to Namor's slowing ageing process, they both knew that whilst she would age and eventually die, Namor would look younger and live much longer. When the couple parted they still remained friends,

Namor decided that Betty Dean, now married and called Prentiss would be the ideal guardian for Nita. She had the qualities he liked, she would be able to provide a positive mother roll model for Nita, and he knew she would up hold the ideals that were important to him.

Betty agreed to look after Namorita, and under Betty's guidance she enrolled in High School and learnt about life as surface dweller, and with this came a greater understanding for Humans. At first Nita was not happy to be dumped with Betty, she wanted adventure, but as time went on she realised that Namor had made a good decision and that Betty always put Nita's welfare first.

As time went on,  the young Atlantean  regarded Betty as her Adopted Mother. After Betty's death to honour her "Mother"  Nita asked if she could adopt Betty's family name as hers. Thus Namorita became Namorita Prentiss. Now she had the names of the People most important to her as her own.

Namorita at home above or beneath the Ocean 

Namor always over protective of his younger cousin would go on to offer Nita a place with him at his company, Oracle Incorporated, as well as a place as a co ruler of Atlantis.  Nita unlike Namor felt at one in or out of the water, and this reflected her views on the divide between the Surface dwellers and the people of the undersea world of Atlantis. This did not always sit well with Namor, BUT he felt that her unique views were honourable.


 However, whilst Nita was attending studies at Empire State University in New York she would be drawn in becoming a member of a new super human team.

Add caption

Next time the team comes together for the first time.


ENJOY !