[x]

Browse More Like This

More from *mcguan

View Gallery

Featured in Groups:

#Marvel-Universe

#ComicFemales
The beautiful ladies of comics!

#FanZone

#toon-up

#ComicVixens

#Assembled-Avengers

#SuperHeroineAddicts

Details

Submitted: July 20, 2012
Image Size: 147 KB
Resolution: 600×1121

Link

Thumb

Statistics

Comments: 23
Favourites: 125 [who?]
Views: 2,117 (2 today)
Downloads: 215 (0 today)

[x]

Firebird - OHotMU Redesignby *mcguan

Cartoons & Comics / Traditional Media / Comics / Mixed Media

Have you been following "The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (REDUXE Edition)" site [link] run by Calamity Jon Morris [link] ? If not, you're missing out on a fun comic stop on the Interwebs, so really, do yourself a favor and check it out. A wide range of artists are recreating every single character entry in the original Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe (Deluxe Edition) in their own style. And it's all been awesome so far.

I was lucky enough to request my way in, and this redesign of Firebird is the first of my two submission.

I tried to incorporate actual fire into her outfit, but everything ended up looking like Phoenix (I kept hearing the kids on South Park chanting "X-Men did it!"). So then I went with Plan B, which I titled: "Wing/Flame Tattoos Would Be Bad-Ass."

Brushing up on the character, I remembered that her "West Coast Avengers" days portrayed her as a social worker and devout Catholic who found herself gifted with abilities that more-or-less made her immortal. I have to think that would mess with any one's head, so my redesign finds her when she's in full-blown "Existential Crisis Mode." A little bit of "crisis of faith," sure, but mostly someone trying to find her place in the (much, much) bigger picture once the canvas gets expanded exponentially.

The original art was drawn by Jerry Ordway and Joe Rubinstein (and it took awhile for that to sink in as "Ordway" and "Marvel" - at least outside of the "Shazam" sense of the word - just don't seem to go together for me). You can check out my redesign next to the original here: [link]

PITT Pens, Adobe Photoshop CS 5.5

~~love 0 0~~

~~joy 0 0~~

wow 1 1

~~mad 0 0~~

~~sad 0 0~~

~~fear 0 0~~

~~neutral 0 0~~

=TRDLcomics Oct 19, 2012 Professional Interface Designer

that's a really savvy redesign. The details are excellent.

*mcguan Oct 19, 2012

Thanks - I have loads of prelims on this piece. I took it in about 8 different directions.

=TRDLcomics Oct 19, 2012 Professional Interface Designer

The face and hair are outstanding as well.

~Kate-Kyrillion Aug 28, 2012

Beautiful work, and I love your thoughtful reasoning for the costume design.

*mcguan Aug 29, 2012

Thank you much - this was a fun piece.

~undiscoveredcountry Aug 11, 2012

First saw her in an old issue of Incredible Hulk ... and for some reason she always appealed to me. Perhaps because she was a Mexican superheroine - and not one of the gazillion supers from the US of A.

Oh, and your redesign is absolutely kewl. I wish they would use *that* *in* those comics published in the US of A!

*mcguan Aug 11, 2012

Thank you much - I appreciate it!

~wtatew Jul 25, 2012

this is gorgeous. I wanted to redesign her for a story I have been writing in my head. My attempts have been no where near as awesome as this. I am very envious of your ability.

*mcguan Jul 26, 2012

Thanks a lot - I hope this inspires you to take another shot at that version in your head.

~wtatew Jul 27, 2012

truthfully, I'd rather steal your concept. But don't worry I don't have the artistic ability to pull it off. But I do appreciate the encouragement.

I actually try to draw whenever I can, but as a father of a 2yr old with a baby on the way and as a teacher of children with autism. Improving my skills often takes a back seat.

More from *mcguan

Featured in Groups:

Details

Statistics

Firebird - OHotMU Redesignby *mcguan

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style