Project : Rooftop

Superheroes, Redesigned

Tag: Nick Fury

P:R Approved: Alex Mitchell’s Sengoku Avengers!

Note: Superheroes may be the the modern cultural equivalent of mythological gods for us, but who says they have to be stuck in our time? Artist Alex Mitchell takes on Marvel’s Avengers and takes them back to pre-Edo period Japan in this “Senguko Avengers” series. Michell’s work shows a remarkable understanding for both Japanese culture of that era and Marvel’s heroes, creating an intensive and holistic re-imagining of these characters that is positively striking. – Chris A.

I was wanting to do a new redesigned/ translated set of comics characters for a while, and the new Avengers movie presented a great team to build from. It has the kind of big iconic characters that work best for these sort of re-imaginings. Instead of the theatrical ‘chambara’ setting I used for my Justice League, I decided that the historically based, yet still legendary figures of the Sengoku era of Japanese history would be the inspiration.

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P:R Approved: theDURRRRIAN’s Fantasy-Styled Avengers!

Note: A Malaysian artist going by the moniker theDURRRRIAN has single-handedly rocked my socks and shoes with this Frazetta-esque fantasy take on Marvel’s Avengers. While it may not fit in with the 616 universe, I could easily imagine this being a great fantasy series like Avataars: Covenant of the Shield except, well… good. In terms of design, composition and technical skill each illustration leaps off the screen. – Chris A.

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P:R Approved: Kelsey Michele Soderstrom’s Avengers-Inspired Dresses!

Note: T-shirts and other clothing inspired by superheroes has become a staple of culture these days, so why shouldn’t it extend to high fashion? Artist Kelsey Michele Soderstrom has taken the heroes of the Avengers movie and adapted their style into slinky evening wear dresses. In terms of fashion design and fandom this is gets an “A” in our book. Look below each image for Soderstrom’s stance on the designs. - Chris A.

On the Iron Man dress:

I mainly wanted him to stand in contrast to the more demure dress of Captain America, something that would translate both his suit and his flashy personality. i will admit to putting a lot more gold in it than his actual suit has, but i reeeeaaallly like the red and gold together!

On the Hulk dress:

Hulk went through SO MANY revisions. I decided on this dress for a few reasons. I liked the fluffy boa as a representation of his broad, hulky shoulders, and the asymmetry is supposed to reflect not only imbalance but the fact that his clothes basically get ripped to shreds every time Hulk joins the party. I also wanted it to represent in a way how banner relates to the Hulk; how Bruce Banner is such a reserved guy while this Hulk is just this darkness inside him.

On the Captain America dress:

Cap’s outfit was really fun, as I am absolutely in love with styles from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. (of course, 40′s is his era, but 50′s is my favorite, thus the more classic 50′s look). I maaay have overdone it on the stars, but whocaresilovestars. His mask was translated into the fascinator on her head, and his shield of course into her clutch.

On the Thor dress:

Of all my designs, Thor’s is maybe one of the furthest from his actual costume, but it’s one of my favorite. the cape is a supposed to be a sheer material. I really wanted a better way to incorporate the hammer, but the clutch is as close as I’m getting this time round.

On the Agent Coulson dress:

Coulson was really tricky, and I’m not sure if I’m absolutely happy with him, but oh well. Ii wanted to keep his dress as suity as i could without making it too businessy while still matching his personality and demeanor. His tie morphed into a tied necklace, and his love of Cap into the star in his hair. as an added bonus (my boyfriend’s idea), I gave him a Captain America comic to hold. silly, i know.

On the Nick Fury dress:

I loved the idea of putting him in a big poofy princess dress for some reason. it is partially inspired after My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’s gala dress for Twilight Sparkle, though more so in the original designs for it.

On the Black Widow & Hawkeye dresses:

Both very much inspired by vintage looks, Hawkeye more from the sixties, while i was going with a more classic Hollywood with Black Widow (diamonds are a girls best friend, anyone?). For some reason, I see her being a really sharp-dresser, despite her wearing a dress I just haaaated in Iron Man 2. i really feel like her characterization in the Avengers is completely different than that original appearance, though.

P:R Redesign: Denis Medri’s Fantasy Avengers!

Note: Denis Medri has become a real sensation here at P:R with his Rockabilly take on Batman and his supporting cast, and now he turns his attention to the Avengers… but with a fantasy bent. With all the greatness going on in this design, the only thing missing is Black Knight! – Chris A.

P:R Approved: Kris Anka’s Captain America Animated Series!

Note: Kris Anka dreams up a Captain America animated series. ‘Nuff said. – Chris A.

Here’s what Kris Anka had to say about his designs:

So the basic premise I had when I approached this, was an attempt to create a “Bruce Timm” like show for the Marvel Franchise; and the Captain America/S.H.I.E.L.D. side of Marvel has always been the most appealing to me so it was an obvious place for me to start.

I didn’t want to make this just another superhero project, so I intended to make it in the 50s/60s Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. super spy vibe. I wasn’t able to get anything finished for this, but i wanted Steve to be a sort of James Bond. Often going to high end parties for supervillians dressed in a tux, having a lot of gadgets, flying cars, the whole deal. Sadly, I never got around to making any of this happen. Maybe one day.
My approach towards Cap was to combine the classic costume with elements from the film costume. I feel the chainmail look doesn’t translate well into the simplicity required for animation. It either comes off empty, or cluttered. There are a lot of parts I love about the film costumes. One thing I had to keep were the wings on the cowl. Besides being an incredibly iconic element to his look, but it helps make his silhouette unique and definitive.

Black Widow & Nick Fury by Daniel Krall

Characters: Black Widow & Nick Fury
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Artist: Daniel Krall
Reviewers: P:R Staff
(Larger Version)

Dean: This drawing is a big blast of awesome as far as I’m concerned. These dressed down versions Nick Fury and Black Widow would play perfectly in a comic, cartoon, or film. The red hourglass corset in inspired, and the spider-like mechanical sleeve holsters add a great Cold War element of spytime fun. Great job pairing up the U.S. and Soviet iconography, also. The familiar odd couple pairing works perfectly. I love Nick’s leather jacket and Natasha’s grey turtleneck.

Vito: I think that there is no better compliment to be paid…no review that can be written better…than to say that just looking at this, as a writer, I can write a year’s worth of stories. Black Widow alone is such a strong piece, that it can be a What If? story or an Ultimate story or just plain ol’ Marvel U. Nick Fury here reminds me of Darwyn Cooke‘s King Faraday…Cold War remnant in a modern world. Fantastic!

Rachel: Absolutely. It’s obvious that a lot of thought and attention have gone into designing these costumes, and behind that lies a wealth of contexts and stories. As Dean mentioned, too, the iconography’s there, but it’s subtle enough not to get in the way of the style. Instead, it’s worked seamlessly into the costume elements.

Chris: Daniel’s really done his homework here. Not just a visual update, but this has heavy context that fits with the character’s history and his wardrobe of the past. And I’d fight Vito to write this.

Vito: It’s really the streamlining of the characters to the essential elements that does it for me here. Cold War spy. World War 2 vet. If Marvel did something like The New Frontier, Daniel should very well be considered for the art.

Joel: I really like that this Nick Fury is showing his years. I think it’s very boring when an artist makes everyone in the comic look like a twenty-something hottie. And if there’s any hero that works as a faded warhorse who just doesn’t truck with .mp3s and arugula, it’s Nick Fury. And this is not the acrobatic Widow who flips off of flagpoles with Daredevil. This is a Cold War Mademoiselle Marie, ready to slog through the mud and storm the compound of her choice. I agree with Dean that the corset is a fun way to bring in the widow’s mark, but it might not translate into a less graphic style. I love her hair, her palette of grays, and that jaunty hat.