BRUCE TIMM WALLPAPER & SKETCH GALLERY

Character designer, animator and cartoonist, Bruce Timm is more respected in the world of comics and film than a schizophrenic pitbull. The man reinvented superhero animated shows and propelled them into the 21st century with a distinct retro flavor. The first Batman: The Animated Series (1992), co-created by Timm, started it all and became a fan favorite with kids and adults alike. If anyone can illustrate sex appeal with two lines or less, it's Timm. All wallpapers 1024 x 768.

Frank Cho wallpaper & sketch gallery 2

Time for another gorgeous wallpaper gallery by the master of cheesecake fantasy, Frank Cho. Frank should've been born in 1901. His pulp fiction illustration work in the 1930s would've been astonishing. But, lucky for us, he's part of our generation and we can expect a lot more from him, especially if he gets out of his Marvel deal and starts doing some censorable material again. But I don't blame Frank. Paying bills is fine. All wallpapers 1024 x 768. Clueless Insider strongly recommends Frank Cho's stunning art books, Apes & Babes and Women.

Milo Manara and branded entertainment

Imagine your beloved girlfriend leaves you suddenly. In the depths of your despair, you accidentally encounter a 70-year old playboy, member of an ancient secret sect dedicated to the art of seducing women. The handsome guru sees something special in you, decides you've got the sacred fire and proceeds to mentor you in the fine art of infallible seduction. Sounds like fun? Well, this is the actual premise of City Hunters (not the Japanese manga), an animated show from Argentina inspired by character designs created by Italian erotic artist Milo Manara. The show is produced by Unilever, the makers of Axe Body Spray, and is a fine example of branded entertainment. The web site is loaded with sexy features and slick navigation, but, for some reason, I couldn't get the videos to play in Canada (it may be a regional restriction or my Commodore 64). The clips are available on YouTube under City Hunters Axe. While the web site is in Spanish, the show was produced in English to satisfy the international aspirations of partner Fox and sub-titled for the Hispanic market. Online branded entertainment is in its infancy and it almost feels like the early days of cinema, where anything that moved was a movie subject. But, while concepts are still a little rough around the edges, expect to see some great shows emerge as strong creators and cutting-edge companies gang up to produce original content (remember those BMW short films?)

Michael Turner's greatest feat

(A Michael Turner wallpaper and sketches gallery awaits here!)

In spite of what the contents of this blog may lead some to believe, the comic book universe remains largely dominated by male characters in colorful tights. Good monthly titles starring female heroes are as rare as an anorexic person in Louisiana. While it seems like every week a new femme fatale or bad girl title hits the shelves, it usually vanishes after a few issues. Only Wonder Woman (1942), Catwoman (1993), Red Sonja (1977), Witchblade (1995) and Fathom (1998) can claim the distinction of having starred in their own books for more than 10 years. The late Michael Turner, an extraordinary artist who lost his battle with cancer in June 2008, was directly responsible for the success and the longevity of the last two. He not only had a devilish gift for drawing torrid women, but Witchblade and Fathom were and still are truly original characters, inhabiting rich worlds filled with magic, sci-fi and a bizarre supporting cast. Most astonishingly, they appeal to female readers, a feat comparable to climbing the Everest backwards. In the 90s, where the only women found in a comic book store were printed characters, girls started walking in and purchasing Michael's books, scaring the living daylights out of clerks everywhere. His disciples are many, but none of them have yet given us a lasting heroine. Essential reading: Witchblade Compendium Vol. 1 and Fathom - The Definitive Edition Vol. 1.

Aria Giovanni and Bill Ward make cartoons

Bill Ward, who passed away in 1998, was one of America's favorite erotic cartoonists, known for his "good girl" comics since the early 1940s. Aria Giovanni is an actress and nude model, who was Penthouse Pet for the month of September 2000 and is still very much alive today. The wonderful editors of Femme Fatales magazine had the brilliant idea of bringing together the talents of both for a 6-page spread (Volume 15, number 3, 2006). The concept turned out so cute that many mainstream magazines took notice and reprinted the images. I thought I post this in the hope that more cartoonists and editors may be inspired by the idea and bring us similar pictorials... Wait... Scratch that... I want to do that myself! Other cartoonist and editors: Forget what you just read... How the hell do I delete this posting?

Robert McGinnis, poster master

I will not entertain you with a bio of Robert McGinnis, one of the masters of poster and cover art of our times. Wikipedia was created for that purpose. Just glad to introduce you to his work, in case you were not familiar with it. Do not miss the McGinnis wallpaper gallery here.

Heroes' artist Tim Sale

All those moody paintings featured in the TV show Heroes are the work of comic book great Tim Sale. Tim was already known to fans worldwide for his landmark collaborations with writer (and Heroes co-executive producer) Jeph Loeb. Their partnership thrives in the exploration of the mythology of some of the most iconic super heroes of Marvel and DC, creating out-of-continuity tales, often set in the characters' early years. Tim's style is unmistakable and definitely a throw-back to romantic pulp-fiction and film noir, with bold brush strokes, shadows, large cinematic panels and fluid renditions of wicked, sultry female characters. Two books, the lavishly illustrated and insightful Tim Sale Black and White, covering his life and work, and the sexy Tim Sale Pin-ups, featuring fabulous sketches of obvious nature, are now available. His best graphic novels with Jeph Loeb include Batman's The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, Catwoman's When in Rome, Spiderman Blue and Daredevil Yellow. Tim's web site is worth a long visit.

Happy 10th anniversary, Danger Girl!

(See some of my favorite J. Scott Campbell wallpapers & sketches here!)

What do you get when you cross a goat with a lizard? I have no idea. Don't care. But when you cross James Bond, Charlie's Angels, Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, you get Danger Girl. Andy Hartnell (story) and J. Scott Campbell, an artist renowned for his curvaceous female characters and dynamic action sequences, published in 1998 their finest work to date. No one since has created a more fun, over-the-top and campy comic book in this genre. The original series ran for seven issues, followed by a number of one-shots and mini-series by other artists, along with some special editions and a gorgeous sketchbook. All the stories have been reprinted in convenient trade paperbacks, which is a good thing, considering that at this past Comicon in San Diego some 9.8, 9.9 cgc-graded* issues of the original series sold for well over $1000 (original cover price: $2,50). Beat that, Google stock.

*Sorry for the comic lingo. That means the issues were never breathed upon, nor exposed to the earth's atmosphere or sunlight by the collector who bought them.

Ed Benes' sultry pencil

(Ed Benes wallpaper and sketches gallery available here!)

Ed Benes is Brazilian. That explains a lot. This slick comic book artist has overloaded hardrives of fans around the world thanks to the excessive download of his gorgeous drawings of super babes. His latest gig on Justice League of America injected some much needed sizzle into one of the most sterile books around. When it comes to female-driven comics, Benes is one of the top masters of the craft. Of particular note are his celebrated runs on Gen 13, Birds of Prey and the campy, adults only, Codename: Knockout. I have kindly provided a link to his extensive gallery at the Comic Art Community. WARNING: Once you go in there, you will be trapped, like a grave robber in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Besides Benes, you will find amazing art by hundreds of the best artists in the business. NOTE: Some original black & white Benes sketches were colored pretty badly by eager fans before uploading them. Stick to the originals.

Frank Cho's Jungle Queens

(See Frank Cho wallpapers & sketches here!)

Frank Cho is the creator of the often-censored strip Liberty Meadows, which chronicles the hijinks of a veterinarian, Looney Tunes-like talking animals and two of the most curvaceous women in comics. Don't ask. The damn thing just works. Frank's obvious gift for rendering the female figure in a way that should grant him the job of God's assistant in heaven, has led him to numerous gigs at Marvel and others. A fan of old matinee adventure pictures and pulp fiction, with a soft spot for giant monkeys and dinosaurs, Frank is at his finest drawing stories of prehistoric and barbarian ultra-women from a time where Wal-Mart hadn't made clothes so affordable and semi-nudity was the norm. His Shanna mini-series made even velociraptors look sassy. Now, our friends at Brandstudio Press have released a magnificent compilation of his best women & dinosaurs illustrations, Frank Cho's Jungle Queens, but it would appear this limited edition sold out before hitting the stands. Go to Brandstudio or Google the book and see if you can trade your first born to get your hands on a copy.

Hard Case Crime novels

In the own words of the publishers, "Hard Case Crime brings you the best in hardboiled crime fiction, ranging from lost noir masterpieces to new novels by today’s most powerful writers, featuring stunning original cover art in the grand pulp style." This is a magnificent collection, a throwback to the days of sharp-tongued rugged men and the devilish damsels who knew how to manipulate them. At their web site, you will find blurbs about each book and a glorious gallery of cover art. Congratulations to the creators of the line, Charles Ardai and Max Phillips.

The erotic eye of Milo Manara

(NEW! By popular request, a great Manara wallpaper gallery is now available here!)

Milo Manara is, simply put, the best erotic artist working in comics today. Born in Italy, Manara created countless graphic novels, short stories and illustrations around the theme of female sexual fantasies. His women tend to be allergic to clothing and spend most of the tales nude or in various states of undress. Manara captures their sensuality with pure, cleans lines and an unparalleled mastery of the female figure. Amongst those seduced by his art, we can count cinema maestro Federico Fellini, with whom Manara co-created the graphic novel Viaggio a Tulum (Trip to Tulum). Their collaboration brings us as close as one can get to an epic and mystic erotic dream through fabulous lands while being awake. You won't find Manara's gorgeous comics in most North American comic book shops due to the abundance of human nudity, the most offensive thing since the invention of nuclear weapons and smart bombs. Actually, according to Bush & Co., nuclear weapons and smart bombs are still preferable to nudity when it comes to the moral well-being of our society. Rush to discover Manara online and place a few orders, before a naked Sports Illustrated model streaks across the White House, materializing the fears of the administration and banning exposed flesh forever, along with all the other civil liberties already supressed by the Patriot Act.

The Spirit

Frank Miller loves The Spirit. The comic book, that is. He acknowledges the work of legendary comic book artist Will Eisner as one of the fundamental influences of his career. During his famous 1980s run on Daredevil, Miller occasionally drew billboards featuring The Spirit into his NY backgrounds. The Spirit was originally published as a 7-page feature in Sunday newspaper supplements, between 1940 and 1952. Eisner introduced cinematic storytelling and lighting devices into his pages, effectively breaking new ground. Walk into a good comic book store and ask for any of the countless reprints still in circulation today (I love the "noir" mood of black & white issues, if you can get them). After you read as many of those as possible and discover why Frank Miller was so taken by this unique comic, proceed briskly to purchase Darwyn Cooke's wonderful and "true-to-the-spirit" 2007-2008 revamping of the character (issues 1-13). Darwyn, as befits his name, cooked the evolution of The Spirit to perfection.

Michael Turner: A comic book great has left us

(See the Michael Turner wallpaper and sketches gallery here!)

Michael Turner, the gifted comic book artist renowned for his spectacular female characters and modern mystical/sci-fi worlds, passed away on June 27, 2008, after a brave 8-year fight against cancer. He was 37 years young. In his short career, Michael developed a powerful, rich and sensual style that inspired a whole generation of artists. Everyone should check out his strong and seductive lines on Witchblade, Fathom and various Tomb Raider/Witchblade crossovers. I personally blame him for creating something so distinctive and attractive that, for a period of time, one couldn't buy an Image book that didn't look like a poor version of his work. He was a pioneer and a winner in the long battle for creator rights and a tireless presence at comic conventions, always gracious and available to his fans, even under extreme pain. I think back to that 2006 Fan Expo in Toronto, where he signed one of his stunning posters for me. He was so upbeat, I had no clue what he was going through. Reading subsequent interviews and seeing his continuous output of covers for DC and Marvel, I thought the man had won his battle. I was stunned to hear the news. His attitude in the face of death is one lesson I will never forget. I wish him an after-life where fiction meets reality, spent in the company of his creations. Hey, Michael, if that's the case, let us know. It would take away a lot of anxiety.

Frank Miller's Ronin: Do not wait for the movie!

After either ignoring Frank Miller for decades or destroying shamelessly his work (Elektra, Robocop 2's script), Hollywood finally saw the light in 2005 thanks to Robert Rodriguez' remarkable commitment to produce a Sin City adaptation true to its original material. We can now expect anything ever written or drawn by Mr. Miller, including letters to his attorneys and kindergarden doodles, to be coming-soon to a massive-plex near you. If you haven't read his comic books, you are missing out on some of the finest pieces of fiction ever created in any medium. Read The Dark Knight Returns to understand why Batman is such an interesting character today. Read the original Sin City stories and 300. And let me direct your attention to Ronin, Miller's landmark comic book series (1983-84). Inspired by serious Japanese manga, Miller revolutionized graphic storytelling in a yarn that blends medieval samurai traditions with mind-blowing sci-fi. The content was miles ahead of its time, but also the format. The original 6-part Ronin series was printed with the best paper and color reproduction ever used for a comic until then. The movie is coming sometime soon, but do yourself a favor and get the book first. Amazon and eBay are fine, but a trip to your local comic book merchant would be better. You'll discover more jewels.

Milo Manara wallpapers and art (part II)

All wallpapers are 1024 x 768, including some of the nicest Manara illustrations available on the web. Still, every fan should have a printed copy of The Women of Manara.

(More Manara wallpapers here!)

Terry Dodson Songes wallpaper & art gallery

Wallpapers (1024 x 768) and pages from Terry Dodson's Songes, published in French by Les Humanoïdes Associés (2006). As you will see, in this case, language is quite irrelevant.

(Visit Terry Dodson's heroine wallpaper gallery here!)