Space Slug
I recently found a packet of drawings I did when I was 12-13 years old. I was really into Ren & Stimpy and Earthworm Jim, and I think the influence is obvious, if not downright infringing. So here are some classic portraits of a character named "Space Slug: Intergalactic Bounty Hunter" although I'm not sure what he did besides shoot things and drink coffee. I was really into coffee at age 12.
Here we have Space Slug shooting two guns indiscriminately while giving the audience his classic devil-may-care smile. Heckling him in some capacity is Oral Bob, informed by the Bloom County character Oral Bill, although I wasn't quite sure what I was satirizing, I just knew money-loving priests was considered edgy. I obviously still operate under such guidelines. (Pretty sure this is not copyrighted).
This is a classic composition of Mr. Slug, coffee cup in hand (I Heart Caffine [sic]) firing his weapon at no one in particular. Notice the bloodshot eyes, saggy, exposed lids, and John Wayne stance. Perfectly normal attributes for a 12-year old.
Here we have a 4-sheet of Space Slug prepared for battle. I first drafted this at my cousin's house in South Boston on my aunt's Congressman's stationary. Highlights: A tennis racquet, an enormous rod of exposed plutonium, a refrigerator, Waldo, a guillotine, lots of supplementary caffeine, and a full Cadillac who's unnamed unwitting mutant driver is soon to dispatched by a ninja.
The first attempt at a group photo, this piece really explores the canon of our hero's universe. From Left to Right: Pansy Man (sorry, that was his name), unidentified scientist, unidentified robot, unidentified King Hippo knockoff, a comet, a gruff caveman, a toddler with a gattling gun, our hero, some sort of cloak figure, legacy character Nemo, a man with salt shakers for hands (Spiceman?), a blob with a tooth, a mohawked nerd, 'the unwitting mutant', Oral Bob, and I have no idea.
Group Photo 2 (with proper branding): Mohawked Nerd, a disgruntled hospital employee (?), the robot from the Dire Straits video, Nemo, The Comet, a demon dragon, Cave man, Cloak Dude, King Hippo, Unwitting Mutant, Tooth Blob, Pansy Man (if I recall correctly, he could adjust his size to fit the context of any picture), Oral Bob, and a character I guess is called Generic Scientist.
Rough draft of premiere issue of Space Slug's self-titled comic, courtesy of the now-defunct Liquid Press.
As I got more involved in 'mature graphic novels', I felt the need to create a character where I could draw abs all day. Hence 'Pansy Man' is born.
Rendered here in pencil on paper, Pansy Man and his brothers (inspired by Deadpool and John Lennon, respectively) descend on our hero.
The first in a series of entitled 'Jump', Space Slug fires on unseen assailants, while kicking Generic Scientist squarely in the jaw.
'Jump' continues, with Mr. Slug utilizing his jetpack to escape the flames and jutting spears below. Mushroom Cloud because who cares.
The 'Jump' series concludes with a Bauhaus inspired design of a seemingly intoxicated Slug returning fire with lots of what can only be described as 'emotion lines'.
Slug takes a breather in this candid shot, jittery with what is an unhealthy fixation on Caffeine for a 12-year old.
Entitled 'Shoot1', this piece introduces preliminary branding, and a special eyepiece which I guess actually helps him for once actually look at what he's shooting at.
Our exhibit concludes with the pièce de résistance, a 10-panel installation where a 12-year old tells the story of a Space Slug, experiencing extreme caffeine withdrawals at the unemployment office, where he hallucinates an enabling coffee pot, who suggests murder as a way to get to the head of the coffee line. Space Slug complies, much of the violence offscreen, only to find the coffee well dry. Our hero accepts a painful withdrawal eriod before the curious Pansy Man (THE HUGE ORANGE MAN WIT A BRIGHT YELLOW HAPPY FACE MASK!!) picks up Slug, crushes him, and casually tosses him aside. Space Slug expires, and his soul ascends to Heaven, where he discovers Heaven harbors a branch of the QuikJava coffee franchise. What the fuck.
