#clarktoon crossing

[clarktooncrossing]

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

Oh dear, it's been a while since I last posted anything, hasn't it? Time to fix that! I've been working all week on a commission for my friend @burningthrucelluloid involving his two cosmic characters, Jackie Valentine (left) and Princess Exa (right). Here's the end product:

Life on Earth was not easy for young Ms. Valentine. Being a determined black woman in the mid-1920s meant her options were limited and people were always looking down on her. Or at least they would be had she not spent most of her time in a rickety, rusty, reliable ol' biplane named Ghost Echo. It was while flying the Echo one day that our hero had an unusual encounter of the otherworldly kind. Before she could mount a proper attack, Jackie was whisked away off world by humanoid alien wasps! Y'know, that tale as old as time. On board the wasp's warship she spent many nights shivering in their cell whenever not being subjected to torture. Making matters worse was her inability to comprehend the language. Not that it mattered. Figured life would suck in the stars as much as it did back on terra firma. Nothing had changed.

At least not until a curious visitor stopped by the cell. Unbeknownst to our hero at the time, it was the Wasp queen's daughter, Exa. Being a naturally inquisitive insect by sort, the young princess was amazed by this human's tenacity and spirit. Especially in light of all the stories regarding those pesky 'fleshies'. She had to get a closer look. Over the time the two built up a report, so much so that the language barrier stopped being an issue. There was a certain look in their eyes that made everything crystal clear. Finally, after months of suffering, the two hatched a plan to free the adventurous astronaut from her captors. Exa would feign being a hostage as the Earthling carried her away on the biplane to parts unknown. Earth was now too far away to travel, but luckily a close-by planetoid provided plenty of parts to upgrade the ship, along with a much needed translator. Now the two could communicate and Exa could mistake her 'captor' as the Ghost Echo. What? It's written on the side of the ship, clearly that's the pilot's name. Jackie couldn't help but laugh. On that day forward, the Ghost Echo would defy the brutal bugs, foil the plights of space pirates, and continue courting that lovely insectoid that helped her so long ago. Heck, for one instance she even got dolled up for the occasion, complete with an appropriate 1920s style outfit. Sure, it was a tad girlier than she prefers, but Exa clearly didn't mind.

Neither did Alec when I showed this to him. Usually when artists draw Ghost Echo she's in her space suit. My masked amigo allowed me the freedom to be creative with her ensemble. So I figured I'd go all out and give her a nice formal outfit for a swanky date night. On top of that, I figured I'd include my character Rosie Stardust in on the fun:

She ships it. As I hope all of you will as well! By the way, if you're interested in a commission from me, ask me about my prices! With any luck, a proper Commissions Menu will be posted soon!

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

Wow. Using my question to plug your next storyline. How shameless! XP

Eh, I’m just happy Linkara responded to my nerdy rambling, so thanks a ton. As for me, I still love the multiverse idea. Ever since seeing Turtles Forever on TV the idea of alternate timelines and parallel dimensions have fascinated me. It’s why I created Rosie Stardust, a character who can traverse the multiverse. See? I can be shameless too!

Either way, fingers crossed the MCU’s multiverse saga gets more creative going forward. Deadpool & Wolverine proved the concept could still work and honestly RDJ returning as Doctor Doom could prove interesting. And if all that fails, at least we still have Spider-Verse.

To Linkara: Love your videos, especially when you review good comics. Also loved the Fortnite stream you did with other ComicTubers, it's nice to see you being a part of a bigger community again after that fiasco with the other site that shall not be named.

Been meaning to ask you something for a long time, but I couldn't think of what specifically. Problem is I'm a curious person by nature and I also like to ramble. However, while rewatching your Contest of Champions video (great arc, BTW, even if it took longer than expected), a decent question finally hit me. As someone who's a fan of Doctor Who, What If tales, the original Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths, do you think Hollywood has overused the multiverse idea? I almost got into an argument with someone on YouTube about the subject where I proclaimed the idea still has merit, it's just the folks running Tinsel Town were failed to be creative with it. Heck, to me the idea is like zombies: sure, it can feel repetitive, but that's only if you don't do anything new or original with it. Movies like Spider-Verse have proven as much. Then again, that's just me. Your thoughts?

I still love multiverse stuff and things like No Way Home or Deadpool & Wolverine have shown how the multiverse can be used to give fanservice, while Spiderverse, Loki, and Multiverse of Madness have shown the story potential of meeting alternate universe versions that reflect character development for our main character... but the problem especially with the MCU is that it feels like they don't have much in the way of a PLAN for it. Sure, Kang was being set up as the next big bad and they're shifting to Doom, but even before then it feels like there wasn't much of a story beyond "There are a lot of Kangs." Sure, with Thanos we didn't know his deal beyond the Infinity Stones being powerful until we actually reached him, but you could get the idea how dangerous it was even without that. Still, I think multiverse stuff is still fun and cool as long as it's used in creative ways... and hopefully people will feel the same with the next storyline once it launches. =)

[clarktooncrossing]

Happy Election Day 2024

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW!

IT IS I, CLARK!

A few months ago I launched 'Ask the Clarktoons' with a question about elections from Grendelkin. It revealed who Crocie was voting for, none other than the head of the Floating Marshmallow poster, Bumper. Upon drawing that, this idea sprung to mind. With Election Day still in effect and all of us praying that Annoying Pumpkin doesn't win a chance to destroy democracy, I figured I'd quickly make this! Helps that I had this sketched months back. Here's hoping you all enjoy the sketch, went out to vote, and picked the candidate who isn't a racist, homophobic, sexist loser!

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Waiting Sucks, Pt. 2

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Being patient sucks! Especially when you have to wait through an entire year before any decent Holidays start popping up on the calendar. You all can keep Valentine’s Day or the Fourth of July for all I care! Far as I’m concerned, the best months out of the year are the last three. It all kicks off in October with Halloween. Or September if you’re crazy and can’t wait to watch Hocus Pocus for the billionth time. That’s when I got started anyway. My office is coated with spoopy decor, I begin listening to playlists full of terrifying tunes, not to mention work begins proper on DUDELZ of the Damned. It makes all the crap one waged through during the rest of the year feel totally worth it! Still, in the back of my mind, there is a presence that never goes away. A gnarling, hungry, eager one just waiting for a chance to break through the surface. Honestly, it doesn’t take much. Even the slightest hint of jingle bells triggers the transformation. Santa Clark wants out! Not that Crocie will let him forget what month it is.

Unlike yesterday’s DUDEL, this one was very much planned out in advance. So much so that this too is a leftover idea from last year. Mostly because this picture is insanely accurate. Ask any of my loved ones and unanimously they’ll say they go all out for Christmas. One buddy even stated she associates me with the Holiday, which might be the nicest thing I’ve ever been told. Heck, there’s a reason I’ve gained the nickname Santa Clark over the years. It’s what makes waiting through October beyond frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, I love Halloween. Getting to watch monster movies with my family, hosting ghoulish games nights on my Discord, listening to Thriller on loop, drawing these DUDELZ, it’s always a ton of fun! Yet at the same time, the vibes I get from October are never as strong as those I get during the preceding two months. My guess as to why is because Halloween still scares me to some degree. There’s something to worry about. With Christmas, even when stress levels rise, I somehow manage to overcome the dread. Blame it on my brain being wired differently. Even still, this was a fun DUDEL to draw. Crocenstein’s return was something I eagerly anticipated and designing that Halloween tree allowed for some details to be added. Honestly, this came out better than expected. So I hope you all enjoy this DUDEL as much as I enjoyed drawing it. And remember: it’s never too early for Christmas!

BONUS QUESTION: Which Holiday do you deem the best?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Halloween Heroes

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Anybody can be a hero, though not everyone can be a superhero. Some of us are stuck making their wardrobe. Not that Patricia Arif minds. The Muslim fashion designer takes great pride in her work designing outfits for her girlfriend, Sarah Bosewick aka Saura. Outside of giving herself a creative challenge, Patty simply loves creating clothes that’ll fit her buff, blue gal pal. Unfortunately most people will never know it’s her doing all that. It’s all part of being a seamstress for a superhero. Luckily this hero has a wide group of confidants. Among them is Sarah’s own little sister, Girasol, who’s arguably the prehistoric powerhouse’s biggest fan. So much so that when Halloween approached, the little Latina girl surprised her sibling with a costume modeled in her image. Proudly Patricia watched on as her happy little client charged around as the Blue Beast of Fosslin as her big sister looked on in joyful tears. Anybody can be a hero, and on Halloween, everyone can be a superhero.

Chalk that up as a major reason why I will never understand some folk’s hatred of the Holiday. Pagan origins aside, what’s the harm in letting little kids dress up as their favorite characters? The reason I dressed up as Spider-Man when I was younger is because of my overwhelming urge to be just like him. Much as those crappy Walmart costumes sucked, it made me feel just like the wall-crawler, at least for a little while. Having said that, none of this was in my mind when I went about sketching this. Actually, this DUDEL wasn’t planned out in advance like most of the others. Originally this sketch was meant to star Crocie and Bumper with the ghoul dressing as the reptile. It was a suggestion given to me by my friends on Discord that was a genuinely cute idea. Yet as I stopped to think it over, the idea of Gigi doing this in honor of her big sister became much more appealing to me. So to my friends who were excited to see Bumper dressed as the chubby crocodile, I hope you can still enjoy this sketch. Granted, it’s not perfect. Sarah’s face in the background didn’t turn out as quirky as I had hoped. If nothing else I can finally say her human appearance has made an appearance. As for the colors, once again I decided to tweak my rules and make Gigi the only one in color while everything else is grayed out. Not only because it lets the little girl pop more, but also my gray markers are starting to fade out. Looks like I’ll have to buy more before next year. Until then, I hope you all enjoy this DUDEL as much as I did making it. And remember: anybody can be a hero!

BONUS QUESTION: Have you ever dressed up as a superhero for Halloween?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Rosie of the Jungle, Pt. 1

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Legend says there is an ancient city hidden deep within the jungle of Africa. Many have ventured deep into the wilderness to find it, but seldom have come back successful. Or alive. This fabled city and all of its riches is at risk to becoming lost to time. Unless Rosie Stardust can find it first! Finding herself on Earth-618, the cosmic cutie becomes acquainted with a naval merchant named Paul D'Arnot, who tells her of the infamous civilization the locals call Opar. Never one to shy away from a challenge, or the chance to discover something new, the sentient spacial-anomaly tasks herself with finding the jungle's last hidden treasure. After she dresses for the trip, of course. Luckily this world is still stuck in the late 1800s, meaning she's sporting the trendiest dresses coming out of London. Luckier still, Rosie is able to befriend most creatures she encounters, so the local animals are more than willing to help. One baby baboon quickly grows to liking the Cosmic Cutie.

Needless to say, Rosie has an easier time traversing Africa than Jane Porter did. This sketch idea came about after my friend @burningthrucelluloid watched Tarzan earlier this year. He was providing commentary over on my Discord server and it got me to watch the movie again. I say, as if I needed an excuse. Disney's take on this classic story is easily one of my all-time favorite films. It features amazing animation, a sensational soundtrack, doesn't treat the gorillas like savage monsters, makes its lead hero more compelling than he's ever been, and their version of Jane Porter is hot. She's brainy, competent, managed to teach a man with no English how to speak it fluently in like a week, and voiced by Minnie Driver in her prime. You might think that's why I drew Rosie in this outfit, but really it was the realization that her curious nature and kind spirit would mean she'd get along swimmingly with the cosmic cutie. From there the image of Rosie in Jane's dress refused to leave my mind, so here we are. Actually this was my second attempt at putting this idea on paper. My first draft turned out great, save for Rosie's arms. She was meant to be holding the baboon in awe while the furry rascal looked on in confusion. Upon rewatching the movie it dawned on me that having the monkey draw the lady would be a funny reversal of roles. Either way, happy 25th anniversary to this fantastic film! I hope you all enjoy this sketch. And remember: be kind to baboons. They usually roll with backup.

BONUS QUESTION: Are you a fan of Disney's Tarzan?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | We're All Mad Here...

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Alice was mighty confused. One moment she was following a strange cat through her family's gardens. The next she's falling down a hole behind the shed to a strange land called Wonderwhere. What a curious name indeed. It's almost as if the land itself didn't know where it was. Quickly Alice discovered how fitting that mindset was. Nothing made sense here. People preferred walking on the ceiling instead of the floor, doors would lead to nowhere in particular, there were staircases going in every direction, it got dark during the daytime, rabbits would randomly explode, and yet somehow there was still a Starbucks in the middle of all this absurdity. Our heroine wasn't in the mood for overpriced pumpkin spice lates, but a drink sounded stupendous right about now. Luckily the cat, Cola, reappeared and led the young girl to its master: the Mad Hatter. She was sweeter than Peach soda and bore a smile oh so welcoming. The blue lady then kindly offered Alice a chair to sit and some soda to drink. Mmm, how delicious! Wait, why is the room suddenly spinning? What was in that soda?

Inspiration, that's what! Along with making drawing most of these DUDELZ, most of my summer was spent crafting new backstories for the Clarktoons. This included AnimatedTigerGirl's addition to the You Are What You Eat series, Fizzy, a soda monster. Before this year she had no real backstory, which is what I blame for a lack of artwork featuring her. Having some idea of a character's past helps me to inform future artwork. Now I've made it so she was a High School friend of Pizza Monster, the outgoing type that was always peer pressuring her pizza-loving pal into trying new, cool things. She now lives in Clarksburg running a soda parlor, still giving PM helpful advice from time to time. Armed with this new backstory, I also looked back onto older artwork for ideas, stumbling upon Tiger drew of Fizzy as Alice with one of my now defunct characters as the Hatter. One thing led to another and now we have Fizzy as a creepier version of the twisted tea-drinker. For the record Tiger, yes, I do challenge you to draw this yourself! As for the rest of you, I hope you enjoy this sketch! And remember: never accept drinks from strangers.

BONUS QUESTION: What kind of soda do you prefer?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Pizza Fairies and Ice Cream Pirates

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

When speaking of the deadliest pirates plundering across the Seven Seas, Captain Neapolitan ranks high amongst the rest. Don't be fooled by her seemingly sweet demeanor, one wrong word and she'd throw your carcass overboard. Or at least she would before she stumbled across a peculiar island. For this was the Isle of the Fairies, home to one Pizza Fairy. Upon meeting the pirate he offered her fame and fortune surpassing even her wildest dreams. In exchange he only asked for one thing: flesh. Specifically the flesh of people, cooked to temperature and piled atop melty cheese. He was oddly specific like that. Not that the buccaneer minded. She agreed to the terms, the oceans soon running red with blood. The fairy was kept well fed. And true to his word, Neo's hull was filled with gold! Many tried to take her down over the decades, but none prevailed. Legend says she still roams the high seas to this very day in search of more food for her friend.

Either that or Pizza Monster and Villa wanted to switch things up from last year.

Let it be known that I never sketch these DUDELZ with these dark, twisted, sinister backstories in mind. Nah, I make these all up when typing these descriptions. I figured it'd fit the spooky month and give me a chance to show off my more macabre storytelling skills. Either way, yeah, this pic was meant to contrast with last year's Pizzabeard and Ice Cream Fairy sketches. Pizza Monster you all should know, but Villa the Ice Cream monster was created by my friend Fantasynarium, who sadly no longer posts art online. Villa was meant to be a love interest for Pizza, since what pairs better with ice cream than pizza? Admittedly I haven't used the character as much as I should over the years, but I plan on fixing that! For now though, I hope you all enjoy this silly little sketch. And remember: be considerate to those with differing diets. Unless they eat people.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you prefer pirates or fairies?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Punishment, Pt. 1

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Fighting evil by moonlight! Winning love by daylight! Never running from a real fight! She is the one called Sailor Moon! Meanwhile, I'm the guy who got tricked into wearing this stupid freak'n costume. Again. It never fails. Every year at least one of my friends manages to manipulate events so I end up dressed in a girly costume. This year it's for a character I'm not even a fan of. Well, like heck am I doing it alone this year! Not when @burningthrucelluloid looks so good in a skirt. >:3

Okay, this one's gonna require some context. Back in 2017 I had reached 300 Watchers on my deviantART page. As a celebration of this achievement, folks could suggest stuff for me to review, one peep picking a Sailor Moon mobile game. These were the original Giraffe's Eye Views, and this one in particular sported me wearing the iconic Sailor Scout uniform for a gag. Now you'd think that'd be the end of it. After all, hardly anybody read the review in the first place. So how could this possibly come back to bite me? Quite easily, as it turns out. See, I have malicious friends. One of them saw this review and decided to draw me in this outfit once more. They then drew me as Harley Quinn from Arkham Knight. From there Alec would keep the gag going by paying multiple artists absurd amounts of money to draw me as various other female characters, usually with boobies so large they have their own gravitational pull. I've been drawn as Mayday Parker's Spider-Girl, Carol Danvers's Miss Marvel, Pinkie Pie from Equestria Girls, it never seemed to end! Now far be it from me to foil a good running gag, but this really got annoying after a while. For crying out loud, it started to feel like my friends were forgetting I was a dude. So after a talk we all agreed the joke would be saved for special occasions. Turns out Halloween is one of those special occasions. Especially when it follows a year of my friend putting me through the wringer in Dungeons and Dragons. Remember this when you start up your next campaign, buddy! Besides, I've had that 'in the name of the moon, the bear, and the big blue house' gag rattling around in my head for a while now and Sailor Bumper demanded to be drawn. Here's hoping you all enjoy this more than Alec does. And remember: wear leggings under your battle skirt! The October breeze is not forgiving, even to magical anime chicks.

Also, since it seems I didn't post last year's DUDELZ on tumblr, here's how I embarrassed Alec back in 2023:

Here is my friend dressed as Abigale Brand from Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a show I convinced him to check out and a character he deemed 'sexy'. All this paired with a quote he said. Remember folks; giraffes can be devious! >:3

BONUS QUESTION: Which Sailor Scout is your favorite?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | La Doncella de El Río

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Recall the tale of Crocenstein, a reptilian monstrosity made in the laboratory of Doctor Clarkenstein. His story continues deep within the jungles of South America circa 1500 BC. It's also the beginning of Princess Alberta’s story, second heir to the queen of the Amazons. Much to the dismay of her majesty. As far as the malicious monarch, the eldest of the two always had to make up for the youngest. Princess Nara wasn’t as cold-hearted as her mother. Her biggest concern was her sister’s safety. Not that Alberta ever noticed. Being wrapped up in her mom’s mind games meant she was always used as a pawn. Such was the case when the Queen ordered her daughter to find the Necroscroll, a lost piece of parchment fabled for raising the dead. Years passed and it seemed her majesty’s plight to quietly exile her daughter had worked. Until she walked up the temple with the scroll in hand. Never had Alberta felt prouder. It was the last thing she felt before a blade was buried into her heart. A horrified Nara watched as her mother slaughtered her sister for the sake of using her blood to activate the Necroscoll. Only problem? Even with her daughter’s blood inking the paper, she couldn’t understand a word of it. Less so when Nara chopped off her head. Mother’s mind games had taken her sister. When all was over, all the princess could do was bury the scroll, mummify her sister, and pray that the next life would treat her more kindly. Undoubtedly what happened next wasn’t exactly what she had in mind…

What comes next can wait for tomorrow. For now, let me explain how this came to be. Like many pieces this year, this one acts as a sequel:

My original plan for Crocenstein was inevitably to draw his bride. Sadly every attempt I made to draw Alberta in the role came out looking lackluster. Not terrible, mind you. Just not what I had envisioned in my head. Eventually I was forced to scrap the idea altogether. Turns out this was a blessing in disguise. During the last year I had canned my 3K characters, meaning the Clarktooniverse was in need of a new mummy. Luckier still, South America was known for mummies older than those in Egypt. With this in mind I combined The Bride and the Mummy to craft this version of Alberta you see before you. She even comes complete with a white streak as my own little tribute. Here's hoping you all enjoyed this pic as much as I enjoyed making it. And remember; every country has mummies, so you're not safe anywhere!

BONUS QUESTION: Are mummies your favorite monster?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Pumpkin Predicament

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill in the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Jack-O-Lanterns! You'd be hard-pressed not to find one porch in your neighborhood sporting a fat, orange gourd with a funny or frightening face carved into its side. It's been a staple of the season for years, though hardly anybody ever asks why. Or maybe they did and we never paid attention to the question. Either way, Bumper and Xena quickly discover the real reason why. Lying dormant within every pumpkin is a mischievous spirit. The kind with a voracious appetite! Should you not wish to become their next meal, you must ward off their kind by placing their brightly-lit brethren near your house. Only then will the sinister spirits be drawn away. Bumper, being a gentle-hearted ghoul themselves, can't find it within themselves to push a razor-sharp blade into everything. Hopefully for Xena's sake, they begin changing their tune soon.

Looks like we have our first follow-up from last year:

As you can see, Xena (dressed as Ellen Ripley) has no problem ripping into the soft, orange flesh of a pumpkin. Bumper (dressed as a Ghostbuster) isn't as willing. It was a fun scenario to sketch out that demanded a follow up this year. Luckily the idea of a gourd-based monster was always rattling around in the back of my brain, resulting in this amazing abomination! Here's hoping you all enjoy this more than Xena is. And remember: a Jack-O-Lantern today keeps the monsters away.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you carve Jack-O-Lanterns for Halloween?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

DUDELZ of the Damned | Waiting Sucks, Pt. 1

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

A chill is in the air. You can feel it can't you? Perhaps you even recognize it. That same chill arrives every year right on the dot. With it comes a frightful howl in the moonlight, the only other sound to be heard. Otherwise there is a strange calmness settling around you, like the point of ease before the storm. By now the howling has stopped. It has been replaced by a different sound. Footsteps. Big, heavy, dragging, as if the figure didn't quite know how to use their legs. Perhaps it's a random passerby. Perhaps it's a rotting, frightful feature freshly risen from the grave. Perhaps it's some other, unspeakable horror waiting to pounce! Whatever it is, you're not waiting around to find out! Yet no matter how far you run, it can't be escaped. The chill on the air, the howling of the wind, the heavy footsteps, it all leads back to one thing: October is here! And with it comes the return of the DUDELZ of the Damned!

Yes weirdos, like last year, my approximation of Sketchtober has returned. I call it an proxy because there was no list of prompts. Nah, that'd be too limiting. This is yet another case where I compiled my own list of ideas, sketched them out, then used one color per picture. With all that said, let's see what spoopy scribblings await us today!

Summer sucks. At least it does for Croc's daughter, Xena. Being around the paranormal and supernatural most of her life means she's accustomed to a more adventurous lifestyle. More than that, she's used to the macabre and the unordinary. Heck, the girl laughs at most monster movies. Naturally this means Halloween, a holiday where stuff like that is celebrated, is practically like Christmas for her. Sadly it also makes waiting through the rest of the year a slog. Gotta pass the time however one can.

The same can be said for me, since I sketched this back in July. In fact, memory recalls me doodling this on Independence Day. Fireworks are fine so long as you don't like loud explosions getting set off ten feet away from you. Since I don't, naturally my mind wandered to Holidays I do enjoy, including Halloween. Plenty of DUDEL ideas flooded my mind after last year, though this one wasn't one of them. Not really sure how this came to mind, but hey, I'm super happy with how it turned out. Much like how Xena is super happy that October has finally arrived. Hopefully all of you feel the same, for we've only gotten started with the DUDELZ of the Damned! And remember: keep Halloween in your heart all throughout the year!

BONUS QUESTION: Which Holiday is your favorite?

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW! IT'S ME, CLARK!

For the last twelve years peeps have asked me if I was opened to commissions. I had only offered services like that once, resulting in a weird transformation comic where some dude gets turned into a sexy duck. Hey, guy's gotta pay for pizza somehow, folks. Especially when Pizza Monster keeps stealing mine! At this rate I should stop spending my moola on deep-dish and use it to fortify my home. Luckily I might be able to do so now, thanks to all of you out there! For you see, it was during those twelve years that a few of you kept coming back to my deviantART page to see what crazy new things the Clarktoons and I were up to. Whether it was to see how many characters I could cram into one Sketch BOOM, hear my thoughts regarding Christmas Specials in Giraffe's Eye View, or simply to witness whatever cute crap Bumper was up to, 500 of you weirdos liked whatever I was doing. I couldn't be more grateful to those 500 peeps. I've always said my purpose in life was to make people happy, so knowing I've done so for that many people helps remind me that I'm doing something right. You all are truly the best and there's nothing I could do to express my immense appreciation. Or is there? A few of you may recall my promising something whenever I reached that many followers. While I've been distracted with my recent hacking incident or preparing for the upcoming Holiday seasons, I didn't forget about said promise. At long last, I have opened myself up to commissions! If anybody out there wants me to draw some silly silly, I'm ready to do so [within reason]. Details and prices will be posted in a journal sometime soon, but for now let's get to a commission paid for by my friend @the-pale-servant.

She had paid me to draw a Full Body piece for her Hollow Knight OC, Giolla. I'd go deeper into detail, but I know next to nothing about these games. Instead here's Jart's description of the character for some context:

Well they are a vessel created by the Pale King and lived in the White Palace with the King and his Lady for a short while before their kingdom fell to ruins. Now they live their life as a wanderer and console  the bugs dying of the Infection, their shield is memento from a friend and lover long passed from the plague

Let it be known that she also said I didn't have to know anything about the series to get this backstory. Uh huh. So I didn't have to know who the Pale King is or what significance the White Palace has, eh? Not to make this piece I didn't. This is actually my second attempt at drawing this character, the original sporting a different pose. I wasn't fond of how it turned out, so it was back to the drawing board with a better, more dynamic sketch. From there it was just a matter of coloring and getting Jart's approval, which only happened after I muted the colors. After years of making art that looks like Walt Disney's vomit, it feels so weird using darker colors. Still, my friend seemed to enjoy it as I hope the rest of you do. If anybody out there wants me to draw something like this with their own characters, be on the lookout for that upcoming journal and feel free to send me a Note via deviantART. Until then-

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

Blue Beetle vs Moana

HEY THERE PEOPLE OF TODAY AND ROBOTS OF TOMORROW!

IT'S ME, CLARK, BACK WITH ANOTHER DOSE OF WEIRDNESS!

Man, March is gone. Good riddance! The first three months of this year have sucked! The weather sucked, my health has sucked, it's been a non-stop suck fest! Yet here April is, already off to a kick@$$ start! Little Caesars brought the Pretzel Pizza back, Disney clap backed hard against Florida, and DC released a trailer for a superhero movie I've been dying to see! Ladies, gentlemen, and weirdos, may I present to you the Blue Beetle!

The Positives:

+ That perfect photo-realistic translation of the costume! Not since Raimi's Spider-Man or the original Iron Man have I seen a supersuit this sexy!

+ Apparently the actor chosen to play Jaime is a fan favorite. I haven't seen Cobra Kai, so I have no prior exposure to Xolo Maridueña, but he seems to be having a blast!

+ Emphasis is placed on Jaime's family life, making it very clear from the start they're as essential to the story here as they were in the comics.

+ Dang, that initial suit-up is something out of a horror story! Nice!

+ So many references to the prior Blue Beetles, Ted Kord and Dan Garrett, including The Bug! Heck yeah!

+ More representation for non-white superheroes is always a win!

+ DC is releasing all of his original adventures from the Pre-Flashpoint universe! FINALLY!

The Negatives:

+ Suffers from 'generic trailer' disorder, meaning I don't know a ton about the plot or Jaime's antagonists. Then again, I actually haven't read a ton of his books. Yet. Here's hoping Trailer #2 is more interesting.

+ George Lopez's stupid joke about Batman being a fascist. First of all, how dare you waste the comic genius of Lopez! Second, unless Frank Miller wrote this, Batman is not a fascist!

All that said, I am super excited for this movie! Let it be known that were it not for Across the Spider-Verse, Blue Beetle would be my most anticipated film of 2023! Good lord, I am so hyped for this! This trailer had me riding high this morning. Only for Disney and Dwayne Johnson to have me crashing down to Earth.

Much to my shock, this is not a late April Fool's Day prank on behalf of the Mouse House and Ex-Black Adam. This is actually happening. Disney is remaking an animated movie that's not even a decade old. Now I'm not a huge fan of Moana, but even I think this feels desperate on Disney and The Rock's part. In terms of Disney, it feels like they finally realized they're running out of classic cartoons to 'reimagine', forcing them to result in current critical darlings. Sure, they could bring retell stories like The Black Cauldron or Atlantis, but they didn't make money the first time! Why take creative risks when you can make stupidly safe ones? Mark my words, Frozen is next. As for The Rock, this feels kinduv' insulting following the praises he sang towards animation at this year's Oscars. I guess his alliances changed following Shazam: The Prequel securing the final death nail on the DCEU's coffin. Maui needs moola. No matter which way ya' look at it, it looks pretty freak'n stupid. Thankfully I'm not alone on that though. Currently the like to dislike ratio leans heavily on the later and there are plenty of comments wondering why this is happening. What about you weirdos?

Are you excited for a live-action Moana or do you think it should stay in the realm of animation? Furthermore, are you eager for Blue Beetle's first big screen adventure? Leave your thoughts in the comments below! Until then-

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

Hey there people of today and robots of tomorrow! It's me, Clark, back at last with another #throwbackthursday! I now take you back to the year 2020 with this insane piece of fan art drawn by yours truly. At the time I was working on a series of reviews showcasing each season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. A ton of art was made for said reviews, but sadly I had to drop the project upon realizing just how time consuming it was. I honestly still wanna do an MLP review since Gen 4 turned out as good as it did and 2023 marks the franchise's 40th anniversary, but for now I'm working on other projects. Still, no harm on reminiscing on what might have been.

This would've been for the Season 2 review. That season was a marked improvement over Season 1 with its introduction of Discord, the premiere of the sensational Smile song, having a truly epic season finale, letting Tara Strong deliver vocal gold with Lesson Zero, and of course there's the matter of the episode where Spike turns into Godzilla! Yes, this was for real a thing and I loved it! So much so that when it came time to make art for my Season 2 review, I knew I had to showcase it. Sadly this pic didn't work with what I had in mind, but still, why let something this cool go to waste? Come one, come all, as Spikezilla takes on King Discordah!

And as a bonus; Mothrasprite!

MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!

[clarktooncrossing]

Hey there people of today and robots of tomorrow! It's me, Clark, back at least with another #throwbackthursday, just in time for the highly-anticipated Across the Spider-Verse! With Miles set to swing across the big screen again, I figured how would be a good time to show off this piece I made in 2020 featuring my characters from 3K. 3K is set in the year 3000 (hence the super subtle name) where robots are as common as people. So much so that a group of them band together in order to defend the planet from internal and external threats. One of its founding members is AH, a robot who went blind after seeing years of war now fighting for peace. Yet in another dimension she is one of a handful of robots who is infused with the powers of a spider, AH herself dawning the mantle of SpidAH-Girl. She fights crime in New York City alongside her friend ERN-E (Classic Spidey) and EMIL-E (Spider-Gwen).

In case this pic doesn't make it super obvious, I am a huge fan of Mayday Parker's Spider-Girl, her series acting as a gateway for my eventual love of comic books. Having fallen in love with the Raimi trilogy around the same time I discovered Google, I stumbled across the cover for The Amazing Spider Girl #1 and my life was never the same after. May zigged in everyway her father zagged. While she wasn't as physically strong as Peter was, I'd argue she was mentally and morally stronger than her old man ever was. Where Pete thinks that someone dies every time he fails, May sees it as somebody lives every time she succeeds. Along with that she has faster reflexes, a keener spider sense, can magnetize surfaces with her adhesion abilities, and even inherited her mother Mary Jane's sense of style. This is most evident by the fact that she looks way better in Ben Reily's spider suit than Ben himself ever did. On top of that she's a big brother, which is also cool.

I have draw AH as Spider-Girl before, as seen with this sketch from 2019-

However, this pic didn't keep me up until 1 or 2 AM. What can I say, when I get an idea in my head, nothing stops me until I see it completed. Especially when the end result turned out so great. I liked how AH looks in both her super suit and casual clothes, not to mention her lil' logo was a nice personal touch. If I were to change anything now it'd be to swap out EMIL-E's Spider-Gwen outfit for MJ's Spinneret from Renew Your Vows. EMIL-E and ERN-E are supposed to be a couple and by now I've jumped aboard the Miles x Gwen ship. It's the one time I will ever ship a Spider-Man with Gwen outside of Spectacular Spider-Man. Otherwise the reason I drew EMIL-E like this was because of a Halloween pinup my friends SIM-N and I did for Halloween back in 2016.

Looking back now, I wish we had named these pin ups something other than Playbot. Chock it up to be being a dumb teenager. Speaking of dumb, hey tumblr, screw you and your limit on image size! This is an art sharing website, I should be able to upload files regardless of size! Especially when I wanna share these old Halloween pin-ups later this year!

For now though, there's other retro Spidey art to show! Such as this DUDEL I made for SIM-N back in 2016.

For those of you wondering, the robot in the Jessica Drew suit is Monova, a bad@$$ character he designed that he now criminally underutilizes. I'd ask him why that is, but he never gives me straight answers! However, he did leave this comment when he saw this pic:

Monova: Okay you two definitively need to get married soon

So, y'know, that was funny. XD

With all that said, I hope you all enjoy this nostalgic trip through my past Spider-3K work and enjoy Across the Spider-Verse when it comes out tomorrow! I know I will! Until then, MAY THE GLASSES BE WITH YOU!