Art - Christmas Special: 12-20-16 - MK Stangeland Jr.

(I wound up liking my Christmas Script for this year so much - the relative simplicity of it helped - that I felt driven to do art for it as well.)

(So here, Merry Christmas.)

Christmas Special - What's in Marvel NOW's Stocking? - Travis M. Holyfield

Panel 1: The all new GHOST RIDER holds a Christmas stocking in one hand. In his other hand he is holding a book up to the light so that he can see the title

GHOST RIDER: “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. Sigh.

Panel 2: THE SCARLET WITCH holds her Christmas stocking in one hand and examines a piece of paper she has drawn from it.

THE SCARLET WITCH: A gift subscription to Ancestry.com.

Panel 3: THE SILVER SURFER holds a Christmas stocking in one hand while staring at a small circular tin he holds in the other.

THE SILVER SURFER: What is “Sex Wax”?

Panel 4: ROCKET RACCOON has his Christmas stocking thrown over one shoulder. He holds up his arms to display a tiny potted BABY GROOT, its arms outstretched in happiness. Rocker is smiling widely.

Panel 5: The All-New Captain America (Sam Wilson) is holding up his stocking. It has been stuffed with a giant, very familiar, disc shape.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: No idea what THIS could be.  

Panel 6: THANOS is holding his Christmas stocking and frowning in disappointment. In his other hand he holds up a pair of mittens.

THANOS: Not quite.  

Christmas Special - The Madding Crowd, Part 15 - Ray Wonsowski

Previously: ECLIPSO, God's former Angel of Wrath, has opened a gate to an elder dimension in an all-out assault against the Almighty and his Creation. The tables have now turned, as time has been bent backwards, and HAWK and DOVE bring the fight to ECLIPSO above the streets of Gotham...

Layout: 3 rows of 2

Foreground is the same in each panel: little kid in his pajamas (in the Quiet) sitting on the sofa, facing us, bathed in the light of an unseen TV.  Behind him is a big window (it looks like he lives in a sixth or seventh floor apartment) where we see the action unfold. The window action is as follows:

Panel 1- DOVE takes a blast of black energy to the gut from above, and is thrust backwards to the ground below.

TV: ".nworB eilrahC, tuoba lla si samtsirhC tahw s'tahT"

Panel 2- As DOVE tumbles, HAWK catches him by the forearm as he zooms upward to meet his foe.

TV: ".nem drawot lliw doog, ecaep htrae no dna, tsehgih eht ni doG ot yrolG, gniyas dna, doG gnisiarp, tsoh ylnevaeh eht fo edutitlum a legna eht htiw saw ereht ylneddus dnA"

Panel 3- HAWK and DOVE right themselves midair as ECLIPSO thrusts himself at the brothers, scimitar in one hand raised above his head, the other hand holding a Black Diamond up to his eye between his fingers, charging up another blast.

TV: ".regnam a ni gniyl, sehtolc gnilddaws ni depparw ebab eht dnif llahs ey: uoy otnu ngis a eb llahs siht dnA"

Panel 4 - HAWK grapples with ECLIPSO's sword arm while DOVE hooks himself through his other arm, pulling the sparking Black Diamond away from his face.

TV:  ".droL eht tsirhC si hcihw, roivaS a yad siht nrob si uoy otnu roF .elpoep lla ot eb llahs hcihw, yoj taerg fo sgnidit doog uoy otnu gnirb I, dloheb rof: ton raeF, meht otnu dias legna eht dnA"

Panel 5- HAWK twists around, landing a right cross across ECLIPSO's face. The Black Diamond is dropped, and DOVE reaches out to catch it.

TV: "diarfa eros erew yeht dna, meht nopu emac droL eht fo legna eht, ol dnA .thgin yb kcolf rieht revo hctaw gnipeek, dleif eht ni gnidiba sdrehpehs yrtnuoc emas eht ni erew ereht dnA"

Panel 6- HAWK and ECLIPSO dive out of view toward the ground, while DOVE smashes the Black Diamond in his palm with his fist, releasing a cloud of black sparking dust.

TV: "...esaelp, sthgiL..."

...to be continued...

(Backwards quotes from Linus Van Pelt's monologue in A Charlie Brown Christmas...and Merry Christmas to Thoughtballooners everywhere!)

Christmas Special – Baker & Grodd’s Festive Adventure! – MK Stangeland Jr.

(The ever-unpredictable gift that keeps on giving adventures of ANIMAL MAN and GORILLA GRODD continue…)

(8 Panels)

Panel 1: The planes from the heart of AFRICA, where ANIMAL MAN and THE FLASH (WALLY WEST) are standing next to GORILLA GRODD’s invisible lair. ANIMAL MAN is dressed with a SANTA BEARD and HAT over his normal costume and carries a standard-design brown bag, while FLASH is wearing one of those silly ELF hats that has faux elf ears attached. ANIMAL MAN looks as pleased as ever, while FLASH looks unusually concerned about the situation – it’s more a concern for ANIMAL MAN than anything.

While the area around the invisible lair looks off, the surest sign that it’s actually there is the doorway that’s standing out in the open that GORILLA GRODD has opened, allowing us to see just a touch of the inside of the lair past the open door. GRODD looks very annoyed by the presence of ANIMAL MAN.

ANIMAL MAN (1): HO! HO! HO!

ANIMAL MAN (2): MERRY CHRISTMAS!

GRODD: YOU AGAIN!

Panel 2: GRODD points at FLASH as he comes just short of shouting in ANIMAL MAN’s face.

GRODD (1): What are you doing here, what is he doing here, and how did you even FIND this place?!

GRODD (2): This is supposed to be a top-secret invisible base!

Panel 3: THE FLASH facepalms as ANIMAL MAN responds to GRODD’s questioning. ANIMAL MAN looks highly pleased with himself.

ANIMAL MAN (1): Magic, Mr. Grodd!

ANIMAL MAN (2): Christmas magic! It is Christmas Eve, after all!

SFX: (From THE FLASH) *Facepalm*

Panel 4: Unamused reaction shot from GRODD.

Panel 5: GRODD slams the door shut as he disappears back into his invisible lair. THE FLASH does another faceplam. ANIMAL MAN holds a generic present box in his hand as his bag hangs in front of him.

GRODD: BEAT IT!

SFX: SLAM!

ANIMAL MAN (1): The proper term is ‘Bah Humbug!’, Mr. Grodd!

SFX: (From FLASH) *Repeat Facepalm*

ANIMAL MAN (2): And you forgot your present!

Panel 6: GRODD opens the door to his invisible lair again and slaps the box onto the ground out of ANIMAL MAN’s hand. ANIMAL MAN and FLASH both are taken aback at the sudden reaction.

SFX: (From GRODD hitting box) SLAP!

SFX: (From box hitting ground) klump

Panel 7: GRODD slams the door and disappears back into the invisible lair.

GRODD: (From invisible door) BAH HUMBUG!

SFX: SLAM!

Panel 8: ANIMAL MAN looks down at the ground where GRODD’s present currently sits. THE FLASH does yet another facepalm.

ANIMAL MAN: (Minimized) That’s, uh…the…spirit?

ANIMAL MAN: (Fading out) Not…uh…really? I think?

SFX: (From FLASH) *Continued Facepalm*

(END PAGE)

Why Christmas Special

Some of you may not know, but it is Christmas this week.

Merry Holidays and stuff.

One of those things that goes hand in hand with this time of year is the Christmas Special.  They happen in every form of media - and comics are no exception.

(I don't even know who the guy with the guns in this pic is)

So this week on Thought Balloons we pay tribute to the Christmas Special.

Got time now that you are on holidays to submit a script?  Please do so below!

Have a great new year from all of us here at Thought Balloons.