Although Super-Hero Shared Housing was conceived in the winter of '03/'04, the bulk of our creative capital was expended on initial scripts and, somewhat related, the rhythms of life of the House of High Style. Less energy, perhaps due to a lack of inspiration, was spent on what the housemates looked like. Obviously, we knew what Mudman looked like (not much), and we knew Humidor had a moustache (obviously). Aecca and Rig were great unknowns, visually.
In mid-2008, Collision collaborated with one Tyler Stripes on a comic called The Wart. The Housemates, long dormant, were conscripted, this time as villians, to that comic's protaganist(s). After posting some of Stripe's early art (including Rig and HUmidor), Collision sent mes a "text message" notifying me of such. I realized then and there that I had to get my sketches of the 'mates done before viewing stripes, or the vision would be contaminated, as it were.
The next day I sketched the housemates for the first time.
Aecca/Decca
I'd been thinking about Aecca so I tried sketching him first - and nailed it on the first try!
The static-hair, the on-edge demeanor, the worried expression. Bingo.
El Humidor
Humidor was more complicated because I had more in mind for him. Although he was as fully formed in my mind as Mudman he was also a lot more faceted than Muddy. The moustache was a given, but I knew he had to at least be trying to look the part of the lady-killer, and I wanted to start experimenting visually with using his "fumokinesis" (the ability to shape and control smoke with one's mind). There's a great old-school special effects gag in the otherwise not-very-good Dragnet movie where guys are smoking and making smoke rings and one guy blows smoke and it turns into the siloutte of a woman and walks around. I made a go of it.
Didn't quite come together. Turns out the easiest way to differentiate characters is hair and/or hats (see: anime, etc.). I didn't originally conceive of Humidor in a hat but I was having a fit with Humidor's hair so I threw an aviator's cap and goggs on him. Unshaven, 'course.
Mudman
Mudman was easy. I knew exactly what he was supposed to look like.
The only stumbling block, which still lingers to this day, is I can either "muddy" him up lightly, like in the sketch, which allows a little more facial expression by hinting at the eyebrows and nose. Or I can just basically completely ink him in, turning him into dirty shadow with eyes and a mouth. The later looks better, visually, I think, so that's where he's gone.
Jerry Rig
Rig gave me fits. This is a guy who's character notes basically read "makes tiny robotic furniture, invented table that can transform into smaller table, made chore wheel." I had some idea of him having some sort of eyepiece thing, so I gave that a try.
I felt that the eye-piece made him look a little too... compentent. He also looked like Aecca, with an eypiece and a hat. But the hat has the Pokeball on there, so I ran with that a bit.
Better. Aecca with a hat and glasses. The "Ash" from Pokemon spiky hair coming out the bottom of the hat is nice. Try again. Add 15-20 pounds.
Jackpot!
