QUANTUM CHRISTMAS CARD FOR 2009!

Sorry I've been away for so long. I've had some distractions and some computer issues recently that have thrown me way off my Blogging game, but I hope to start posting more regularly again soon and catch up with sharing more wondrously sexy male imagery.

The time has come at last for that most awesome of holiday events, the 21st annual Quantum Christmas Card. Once again the season has delivered some heroic imagery which I hope will meet with your favor and enjoyment.

The theme of this year's Card is one close to my own heart. In creating my own personal super-heroes, each with his own character history, there is one character type that shows up in a variety of forms and guises: the Prince. The Prince is that character who, even in the company of other super-heroes, is a figure of exceptional gifts, virtue, and nobility. Apparently Princes are to me what Princesses are to Walt Disney. (And appropriately, this season also brings us Disney's very first black Princess in the new animated film The Princess and the Frog. I'm seeing it for sure.) Quantum Princes are a storied and varied lot, each with one thing in common: In or out of costume (or armor, as is the case with the Machinist), they are the most gorgeous things walking, flying, or swimming. The Prince may appear in any number of ways. He may be a super-wealthy Mexican-American super-genius who wants deep down to be a regular boy (Lucky Star, leader of The Environauts). He may be a time-traveling, Irish-descended warrior with dragon wings and limitless strength and flame powers, who belongs to a society where women rule and snakes and reptiles are revered (Draco Rex, who is the Queen's son and actually, literally a Prince). Perhaps he's a living symbol of gay pride who was raised by two fathers and acquired vast powers on a trip through time (Idol); a British Rugby player who developed a terminal illness, the experimental cure for which left him one of the most powerful beings on Earth (Sterling); or the fallen Prince of a wealthy English family, cut off in disgrace from his home but elevated to immense superhuman power (Hero X). Brits seem to be a recurring sub-theme. Wild Jon, the Prince of Nature seen with Spider-Man on last year's Card, is the son of an Englishman, but the other side of his heritage is something that would take another long E-mail to explain. Point Man, a shrinking hero, is the illegitimate heir of a twisted tycoon in the U.K. And as for the aforementioned Machinist, our globe-trotting, armor-clad African-American Prince, the cure for his own nervous disorder installed computers in his brain that let him communicate with and control any device, including his own armor, that operates on a similar neural net!

Of course, I hesitate to say it, but you can never get anything perfect: Directly I finished this Card I came up with a better helmet for the Machinist than the one he's carrying under one arm here. See that? The Card hadn't even gone out yet and one character's gear was already obsolete! Oh well...

And before you ask, rest assured that the boyfriend of the clothing-shy Wild Jon was standing by with boots, a jacket, and a mug of hot cocoa as soon as this image was captured. (Jon, Idol, and Draco are all gay characters.)

Pictured, upper: Wild Jon, Hero X, Sterling, Idol. Lower: Lucky Star, The Machinist, Draco Rex, Point Man. All characters © 12-2009 by J.A. Fludd. Best wishes of the season and a happy 2010. As Draco might say, “Goddess bless us every one.”

THE YOUNG LAD OF THE SEA

In our previous post we met my version of the sea-going champion of a Distinctly Classic comics universe. As we've discussed before, that universe has a conspicuous tradition of giving its adult heroes teenage sidekicks and proteges. So it is that Aqualord has a young partner called Aquaboy...

...who one day outgrew that identity and became the sensational Seastorm. As you can see, he's not quite what you'd call a, ahem, Tempest in a teapot!

TELL IT TO THE ULTRAMARINE

In our last post I showed you my version of the very first super-hero with whom I ever bonded as a fan. The character depicted below would be the second. When I first discovered super-heroes, via a certain animated TV show, I immediately adopted as my favorite characters the ones I found easiest to draw! That would include the actual comic book versions of that previous character, and of this one, whose theme song described his powers as "Stronger than a whale, he can swim anywhere! He can breathe underwater and go flying through the air...!" The series theme referred to him as an "exotically neurotic and aquatic super-hero," a rhyme that has stayed with me all my life. The actual character, in his purest and most classic form, wears nothing but a pair of trunks and a belt, and sometimes a pair of gold wristbands. My version of him is called Ultramarine, and while I've adhered to the pure visual concept, you can see I've jazzed him up a bit after my own fashion. The actual character is one of the first, original super-heroes; in fact he and the company to which he belongs are observing their 70th anniversary this year!


Now, the Dynamite Competition of the company to whom that character belongs also has a sea-going aquatic super-hero. The actual character is one of the most beloved super-heroes to comic-book-reading gays. In his purest and most classic form, he's an affable Monarch of the Depths who's known for being the Dr. Dolittle of marine life. ("If I could talk to the sea animals...") He's also known for hurling balls of coherent water at his foes and riding around on enormous sea horses. There's a particular pre-teen charm about him that has always endeared him to gay fans. I've always liked this character, my version of whom is seen below and is dubbed Aqualord. But in my fan life, I've spent far more time with the character on whom Ultramarine is based than with the character from whom Aqualord is derived. It's just my own personal affinity as a comics fan, which I was discussing with you the other week. The character on whom Ultramarine is based is a very dramatic and volatile figure who, depending on his storyline at a given time, can be either a dangerous do-gooder or a heroic adversary. I always found him more personally interesting than the character from whom Aqualord is derived. My brother would agree; he once referred to the basis for Aqualord as "S*b-M*r*n*r Lite!"

Of course, as standards in comic-book storytelling have changed, the character on whom Aqualord is based has changed with them over the years into a darker, angrier, "edgier" figure. They've even grown his hair long and lopped off one of his hands and replaced it with a harpoon. Ironically, that actually detracted from his appeal for me! But they're both among the oldest, most classic characters in comics, and they're among the models for the super-heroes who have followed them. Dare I sign off with the exclamation, "Imperius Rex!"

"...WITH A HEART OF STEEL"

Now, anyone who's been near a cinema since May 2008 had better know from which world famous super-hero I derived Techno Man. This ferrous-suited fox is derived from the very first super-hero with whom I ever bonded as a fan. That character is all about human ingenuity: One of the most powerful heroes of the world in which he lives and battles, he actually invented his own powers! I remember very well watching the first adaptation of this character on TV, with that classic theme song that described his alter ego as "...a cool exec with a heart of steel!" It's great that after all these years, my original favorite hero is finally getting his props as the lead character of one of last year's biggest hit films--whose sequel will undoubtedly be among the biggest hits of 2010. To paraphrase that theme: "Amazing armor! That's Techno Man! A blazing power! That's Techno Man!"

WORLDS APART

I’d like to start this post with a shout out to a new online friend of mine, John Savage, who just yesterday posted a selection from Quantum Male Art on his own Blog, Rants, Roids, n Rasslin’. As you may surmise, John’s blog is themed on wrestling, albeit with a decidedly gay slant and an acquaintance with comic book art. In fact, some of his recent posts pit a couple of famous characters from a Decidedly Classic comic book company against each other in the ring; they’re characters who have appeared in my own veiled guises on this very Blog. Anyway, to return the favor, I wanted to give an appreciative link back to John this time. Thanks, John, and whatever may be the wrestling equivalent of “break a leg!”

Now, for our usual business, you see above the actual, unveiled versions of the two most famous (male) heroes in comic books. I include them because I consider these the two best drawings I have ever done of these characters (in their actual forms or otherwise). As for the character on the left, his importance can’t be overstated. Though he is neither the first fictional costumed adventurer nor the first fictional do-gooder with super-powers, he is the character to whom history points as the model for all true super-heroes. Heck, his name even says it! They’re called SUPER powers for a reason, and he is it! The character on the right, of course, has lately appeared in this Blog in his J.A. Fluddian guise of Manta Ray. Look back at Manta Ray and then look at where he came from.

The funny thing is that when I was first becoming involved with comics, if there had been nothing in the super-hero genre except the comics to which these characters belonged, and the other comics of that company, I probably would have been like your typical comic book fan who reads comics as a kid and then loses interest when adolescence and the hormones kick in. (Adolescence is the great killer of comic book fans! Suddenly girls and cars and computers and video games become more important than the super-heroes you loved so well, and we lose a lot of kids and never get them back.) I needed something more from comics even as a very young fan, and I got it from another company, the home of the character on whom this next lad is based.

Of course, you shouldn’t need me to tell you who “The Blaze” above really is and where he comes from. The group of characters to which he belongs, and the universe that grew up around them, was what held my interest in comics, precisely because they were never written with pre-teen boys in mind. They were the work of guys in their 30s and older, writing and drawing to please themselves (or “The Man” who was their head writer and editor). Those characters and that universe changed the context in which super-heroes and their adventures were placed, and that, ahem, Marvelous change of context made all the difference. The differences between that company and their Dauntless Competition are much diminished now from what they were when I was a very young boy (the majority of comics today are written, how shall we say, Marvelously), but back then they were enough to keep me interested. Contemplate the, ahem, Fantastic drawing above, and till next time, “Blaze On!”

DEVIL RAY

You can substitute the names and designs of the actual characters as you ponder how Manta Ray's original Skate grew up and took on the adult identity of Devil Ray, leaving the Skate identity as a mantle for other adventurous boys to take up. And the legacy of hotness goes on...

SKATE 2

There is a tradition at a given comic book company to pass on a costumed heroic identity from one character to another, creating generational "dynasties" of heroes. So it is that Manta Ray has had more than one teenage sidekick named Skate. When the original Skate grew up, a new one took over. In his own way, he's at hot as his predecessor.

SKATE

A skate is a marine animal related to the rays. The dark avenger of the night, Manta Ray, has often been accompanied into battle by teenage sidekicks in the costumed identity of Skate. Here's a shot of the original Skate, whom I designed to avoid, ahem, "Robin" the trademark of a large comic book company.

MANTA RAY

It shouldn't be too hard to figure out the true identity of this character unless you've been living in a cave and you're positively batty. To create my version of him, I just had to swap his accustomed image for that of another "winged" creature that has frightened or unnerved people through history, which has at times been called a "Devilfish". The imagery still works pretty well. After all, "criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot..."

DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN...

And yet another lesson in how to use a famous character without violating the trademark. This version of him is called Night-Spider, but do I actually need to tell you who this really is? This is a character whose main appeal is that of an "Everyman" with super-powers--but sometimes, in the hands of the right artist, he's enough to make you wish every man could be an Everyman! I hope the hotness of this master drawing will have you climbing the walls with pleasure.

A STORM IS COMING

It's one of those hot, sticky, simmering summer days--a day when you'd welcome a little thunder shower just to cool things off. And a storm is coming, all right: But when it's brought by an awesomely sexy God of Thunder, it will make your day anything but cool. What can possibly lower the temperature when he's making it so steamy?

Here's my version of one of my enduring favorite heroes to put you on notice that it's "Hammer Time." Don't you wish you could touch this?

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN...

And here is what I think is the finest image I've ever drawn of the world's greatest patriot hero, presented for your pleasure for the 4th of July. Even as we speak, this assassinated Living Legend is on the brink of being resurrected, and I'm looking forward to reading the first issue of the miniseries in which it happens this afternoon. Happy 4th, everyone!

MY COUNTRYMAN, 'TIS OF THEE...

As we enter the fantastic Fourth of July Weekend, there's no better time to share a couple of images of the greatest champion of liberty and freedom the world has ever known. Here's my version of him, called The Countryman.

THE EYES HAVE IT

There's a certain very popular comic book of which this character with the energy-firing eyes that have to be kept behind special lenses used to be the lead. By rights he should still be the lead, but much more attention has been lavished on a certain other character with metal claws that come out of his hands, who is a vulgar, glorified homicidal maniac. (And whom comic book artists never draw as drop-dead gorgeous as the movie version of him.) However, when drawn with the right attention to his brooding masculine beauty and well-honed, well-haired form, this character is one of the sexiest heroes in comics. Here's the classic version of him, the way I used to enjoy him.

JUNGLE JON REDUX!

For the auction that I just completed this week, I did a new series of images in the Jungle Jon, Prince of the Wild series that got me so jazzed about Jon and the boys that I've decided to revive a project that I had planned a few years ago, but had to discontinue for health reasons that left me unable to keep up with the work. I'll soon be going back into a Jungle Jon, Prince of the Wild Graphic Novel. I just finished a revised plot for it, and it's great! This image of the master of Rainbow Island was inspired by a Spider-Man cover from a few years back! Look for more Jungle Jon here at Quantum Male Art in the near future.

...FROM MOTOROLA

Somewhere among my souvenirs I still have the Marvel Swimsuit Edition magazine that has one of the most beautiful drawings of a male hero that I've ever seen.  It was a shot of this character, lounging in a canoe in just a Speedo in black with stars on it.  It was positively stunning.  In this combination shot, that same character appears in both full costume and in that starry Speedo.  He's named for one of the most distant objects in the universe, but he's definitely someone you prefer to see up close and personal!

A SOUND OF THUNDER

The comic book company that publishes this character--and used to publish him in the form we see here--is taking over the entertainment industry one character and one film at a time. The film starring this character is now in pre-production and its hunky lead has been cast after his brief but high-profile appearance playing Captain Kirk's valiant father in the new Star Trek film. In my opinion the Hollywood physical trainers will have to put the young Australian lad through a Christopher Reeve/Brandon Routh treatment to build him up into the shape to play the God of Thunder, but that's a win/win as far as I can tell. Hunkier is better. I'm looking forward to seeing this film in the next couple of years.
"SO BE IT!"

STAR CENTURION

The apparent mission of this familiar hero is to uphold law, order, and hotness throughout the galaxy.  I'd say he does more than a fair job of it.

SWING FROM A WEB

This character has a famous theme song that says, "Can he swing from a thread? Take a look overhead!" To the question, "Is he strong?" it assures us, "Listen, Bud: He's got radioactive blood!" This is, I have no doubt, the best drawing I've ever done of one of my all-time favorite heroes.

HORNED JUSTICE

One of the most gratifying things about being an artist is those days when you sit down at the drawing board, whip out the old pencil, and just come up with a winner. This drawing was done on one of those days. It is the best drawing I've ever done of this particular well-known character from a large comic book company. It's just one of those pieces that make me glad I have "the gift."

Now, an even more gratifying thing would be if I were actually taking a guy like this to bed every night...

IS THIS ANGEL OFFENSIVE?

Regarding the previous post, I think the above is one of the drawings that MySpace removed from my profile. Now I ask you, is there anything the least bit offensive or harmful about this image? I happen to think it's one of the most beautiful auction pieces I've done recently. Okay, so the character is wearing only a pair of bikini briefs. And okay, he doesn't have a flat crotch, which is the way a lot of straight-male comic book artists would have drawn him. Would the Republic really fall if MySpace users got a look at this? I repeat, what is wrong with people when it comes to the human body? What are people so ashamed of? What are they so afraid of? We are one of the most sexually backward societies on Earth. Enjoy this shot, and remember that MySpace didn't want you to have a chance to enjoy it!

IS MY SPACE REALLY MINE?

No pictures in this post; I'll hold them for the next one. I just wanted to vent a bit. A few weeks ago I decided to join MySpace and have been gradually establishing a presence there. (Find me at www.myspace.com/jafluddspace.)  In the last week or so I've started posting artwork on MySpace and have been noticing that half of the drawings I put there have been disappearing! Really! One of the drawings I selected, as a matter of fact, is the title image (look above) for this very Blog! Another is one of the first pieces I put here, "The Scene They Didn't Show You In Brokeback Mountain!" MySpace has been tearing down my pictures! Seriously! They seem to think the drawings in question are "too sexual". I want to go on record here: I hate censorship. Hate it. I don't like the implication that I do "dirty" pictures. I resent the climate of fear and loathing of the human body in our culture. I resent the demonization of anything sexual that our society fosters. What in the hell are people so afraid of? What possible harm could any of the things that I posted on MySpace--not one of them depicted an exposed penis or a sex act--have done to anyone? Why this fear of the appreciation of male beauty? If I weren't planning to investigate using it for business purposes in the near future, I would seriously consider removing my space from MySpace.

ME AND MY "ARROW"

For your pleasure this week: One of the most stunning specimens of male beauty on current television, or on television period. This former star of a daytime soap designed to arouse your "Passions" is now starring in a prime-time drama on The CW that is a portrait of a super-hero as a young man. Actually, it's turned out to be the portrait of a number of super-heroes as young men, including a certain character played by the star depicted below, whose aim is always true and whose arrows are always green!

But I'll tell you something: when this star was on daytime TV, there was one thing about him that made him even hotter than he is now: HE DIDN'T SHAVE HIS CHEST! Imagine the superbly beautiful face and the exquisitely beautiful body posing at the pool below--with a growth of lush hair on those perfectly sculpted pecs! This is one of my great complaints about the beautiful men we see on the screen: Why, when nature has endowed them with perfect faces and forms, must they shave off what nature put on their chests? Chest hair on a guy like this is the piece de resistance, and should be kept for all to enjoy and desire! But they keep shaving it off. (I'm looking at you, Matthew Fox on Lost!)

Then again, gratifyingly, sometimes they grow it back. So perhaps there's hope. But for now, just look and imagine...

DESPERATELY HOT!

Many of you probably watch one of TV's most popular series, which airs on Sunday evenings on "The Alphabet Network". Its hottest leading man plays a character sometimes described as "the sexiest plumber on TV"--which his real-life wife puts into perspective by pointing out that the character is "the ONLY plumber on TV". Nevertheless, millions of viewers tune in every week and feel positively "Desperate" to have a man as scorchingly beautiful and masculine to curl up with at night. With such a guy as this, you'd need never despair of being satisfied. Talk about a good man to have around the house!

THE FIGHTING BRITON

Back during the holidays we saw my favorite All My Children hunk, Aiden Turner, in super-hero guise as "Iron Brit". Here he is again as just himself (although with his chest hair restored), and while he's not a super-hero this time, he is in fighting form. This piece is from one of my auctions. God save the Queen!

SORCERER AND DEVIL

Here are a couple of other ACEO Cards from a recent auction. These two heroes are probably familiar to you even in partial costume. One of the mightiest of sorcerers; the other gives the world of crime a "devil" of a time when he stalks by night. They're both perfectly..."Marvelous," wouldn't you say?

LIKE A SHOT!

This is another ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) Card from last year. It is one of my personal favorites. I just love the body language (not to mention the body itself) and the action in it. I consider this little drawing an example of my very best work. I hope you'll agree.

HUNKY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

I have a decided fetish for beautiful-looking Irish men. For St. Patrick's Day, here's a look at some of my favorite stars whose ancestry traces back to the Emerald Isle. Do you know who they are?

This first one first came to my attention by being Reckless. He was also desperately seeking Susan, though I would be desperately seeking a guy like him. Whoever wrote the book of Daniel, this guy could have written the book on being hot.

I can't help but be jealous of a certain former TV Nanny who got to act out the dream of "Living With" this stunner.
And this is one of my all-time favorite guys, period. I remember an episode of a TV sitcom in which he played a delicious pastry chef who would sleep with anyone! I only wish I had crossed his path. He also starred in an independent film in which we learned all about Adam, and for one season on TV he stalked the night. Any night spent with him would be well worth stalking through! Did you know he and his longtime (female) lover, also a movie star, have refused to marry until all gays everywhere have full marriage rights?

So, can you guess the identities of these hotties?

FUN ON RAINBOW ISLAND

More fun on Rainbow Island: This image was originally done for one of my auctions as an ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) card. It was originally a pencil sketch at the size of a typical trading card, and I later colored a print of it. Since it's been a while since we heard from Jungle Jon and the guys on Rainbow Island, I figured this frolicsome shot of Jon and Tom would be the perfect way to get back in touch!

HOT VISITOR FROM ANOTHER PLANET...

Everyone knows this character, even under the alias I've created for him. Sent from a dying world to be the champion of mankind, he could easily be the champion of many of our fantasies. You know what he's faster than, more powerful than, able to leap over, etc. Just imagine him coming to your romantic rescue!

RING AND ARROWS

Here we see one of the most celebrated duos in comics. Who knows what adventure or battle would put them into action in only the bottoms of their costumes? It would doubtless be fun to watch!

LUCKY VALENTINE'S DAY

For what is touted as the most romantic day of the year, here’s a shot of the guy I consider the most beautiful leading man on daytime TV. Who is he? Hint: His character is the son of the greatest romantic couple in soap history, and you’d be incredibly “fortunate” to have a guy like this!

SWINGING

You should recognize this pair if you know your comics. One swings among the rooftops of New York, the other through a prehistoric jungle kingdom. But really, all you need is something to swing from--and preferably, a bod hot enough for people to want to see in action!

FEATHERS AND FROST

The original black-and-white pencil version of this piece fetched the highest closing bid that I ever had in an auction. The color version, seen here, is pretty hot in its own right, if I say so myself.

EARTH DUO/SPACE DUO

A recent couple of auction pieces that demonstrates how hot super-heroes are when they come in pairs.

WITH THIS RING...

Here's another auction shot of that hero that I think is the hottest of them all. He may not actually be offering us a ring, but you'll agree he has plenty else to offer...

HERO X

For another look at one of my own personally created heroes, here's another of my most powerful and sexiest creations, the mysterious Hero X. A British hero, this character operates out of London in such secrecy that some people consider him an urban myth. I see the adventures of Hero X as being a costumed, super-powered version of Doctor Who or Torchwood. Imagine this guy and Captain Jack getting together...

IDOL

One of my artistic specializations--and one of my favorite things to do--is to create my own super-heroes and villains and build worlds for their adventures and their battles. This is a character dating back to about 2004-05. He's called Idol. As you can see, he's a super-powerful symbol of gay pride--not to mention superhuman hotness!