Who do you say is the MOST recognizable Comic Book Caharacter; out of costume?
I say Wolverine...
- The MOST recognizable Comic Book Caharacter.
As artist, the job and challenge is to represent the character on paper as consistently as possible. This is not always easy, some characters have distinct markers that make it easy to reproduce them. Wolverine has the sideburns and the wild unkept hair...this makes him a prime suspect in any lineup, for others it's not so easy to recognize them from the renderings of one artist to another.
Take for example, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, they embody the all-American Tall Dark and handsome image, however if you were to meet them in a comic book line up, would you know which is which? Would you even know who they were period? They have nothing distinct about them when in civilian attire, I guess their mannerisms are the only thing that makes them noticable, take for example Bruce Wayne and his placing of his tumbs outside his pockets, that is the only sure give away, take that away and you'd need Alfred and The Bat mobile at his side to make the assumption that the character drawn is in fact Bruce Wayne. I guess Clark has the glasses, but then again isn't that part of another costume; since he doesn't really need the glasses?
Comments please...spare no detail.
Comment
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Comment by Ron Kerronian on August 30, 2010 at 4:50am -
E.T., once again you enlighten us, those characters are trapped in customes. OK we need characters with out any mutations or scaring...The Full Metal Alchemist, one of the most unique toons of the decade.
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Comment by E.T. Dollman on August 30, 2010 at 3:49am -
Even if She Hulk, The Thing, Silver Surfer are unique, I don't think they are the right characters for this post.
Would you recognize She Hulk in a B/W comic? And Silver Surfer? Without the surf board (that's is his costume) he'd be just another metal sexless guy, or a T1000.
And the Thing, Nightcrawler, Modok (!): they're very recognizable, but is like they're trapped in their "costumes".
About me a comic guy with a recognizable characterization is Scar, from Full Metal Alchemist: he's got an X on his face!
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Comment by Ron Kerronian on August 29, 2010 at 10:10pm
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Damn Charles, how could I forget the Surfer...catching some galactic waves.
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Comment by Charles on August 29, 2010 at 10:03pm -
Silver Surfer, who else will carry a surfboard.
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Comment by Ron Kerronian on August 29, 2010 at 7:35pm
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Patrick, E.T. and I.D.M., you guys are posting some great responses, I like the feedback...we need more of that on this network. Patrick you are right, The Thing would stick out like an HONEST politician. I.D.M., I remember reading an article a few years back, it said that if you are able to design a character with a 25% difference from a known charater (Marvels Captain America and Rob Liefeld's Agent America), then the character is original. I say 25% is to little, don't you?
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Comment by E.T. Dollman on August 29, 2010 at 4:51pm
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a few days ago I've read an article, I think it was Rob Liefeld, and it was talking about Mary Jane Watson and how today's artists draw her without taking in account the characteristics John Romita gave her: cute dimples and thin high eyebrows. Without those, he said, she's just a girl with read hairs. He was very upset! I'd like to find the article, but I cant...
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Comment by I.D.M.Morgan'08' on August 29, 2010 at 4:20pm -
I think I could go as far as to say Peter Parker and Doctor Banner. Peters with no glasses on and just some normal clothing I think could be picked out of a line up like nothing. He's always been known to have very defined features and posture. Doctor banner as well with his very put down demeanor and relevantly shrimp-ish posture.
I'd def have to agree with E.T. on Both Naruto and She Hulk... It'd be damn near impossible to mistake who these characters are Ha-ha. As for Thing... You would just have to be an idiot not too :D
I'd also like to thank you Ron for posing such a question. It makes me really think about and analyze how recognizable my characters are. Makes me want to make sure my characters are well defined in their own individual looks. Something like that which your question brings up, makes you look at characters in the already established venues and think "Hmmm would I recognize my favorite character form a line up?"
I love hearing new and different things that help me reflect back onto my own characters and comic. Its something I think allot of others tend to forget to do when they get comfortable with what they have working already. I guess you could call it the "Image outside the Image" its something I hope that I never forget about.
:D and for future reference just remember who coined the term first ha-ha-ha-ha-haa
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Comment by Patrick Sessoms on August 29, 2010 at 3:49pm -
Uh, The Thing.
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Comment by Ron Kerronian on August 29, 2010 at 3:22pm
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E.T., so true she sticks out like the headless horse.
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Comment by E.T. Dollman on August 29, 2010 at 1:29pm
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Out of costume?
She Hulk!
First thought went to Namor (square head and spiky ears), but I didn't like him without costume, and he's too much Dr. Spock.
Naruto is fairly recognizable, too:
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