A Half-Baked Decision...

No caption necessary, boxing fans!

Because Daryl Dixon Cares About Glenn...and Steve Kim

After Sunday night's brand-new episode of "The Walking Dead," I couldn't resist this meme of my fictional, post-apocalyptic guiding light, Daryl Dixon, setting professional boxer James "Lights Out" Toney straight. If they watch "The Walking Dead," fight fans who remember the unfiltered Toney's banter with Maxboxing.com's Steve Kim will get this. The rest of y'all will understandably be scratching your heads.

Spider-Man in Ink!

Another quick ink piece, this time featuring The Amazing Spider-Man (8 1/2" X 11" sketch paper, Staedtler pigment liners)! And I don't know quite what my deficiency is but every damn time I draw "Webhead," I fail to make him lanky and flexible like he should be and he winds up looking like he's on the PEDs.

Hmmm...maybe I should ask my pal/Maxboxing.com cohort, Gabriel Montoya, to look into this guy's training regimen!

Joe Palooka in Ink!

Since renowned ring announcer Joe Antonacci revitalized the "Joe Palooka" franchise with a revamped Palooka (actually a mixed-martial arts fighter named Nick Davis) last year, I wondered to myself what my version of Antonacci's cage-fighting fugitive would look like (and if you missed it before, here's my review of issues one and two of "Joe Palooka" from February of last year: http://www.coyoteduran.com/2012/02/joe-palooka-old-school-icon-with-new.html).

Well, as per usual, I went a little ink-heavy but (submitted for your approval, critique and/or derision), here's my comic book take on Nick Davis a.k.a. "Joe Palooka"! (8 1/2" X 11", Staedtler pigment liner on sketch paper) And if you dig comic books and MMA, make sure to check out "Joe Palooka" (now brought to you by IDW Publishing!) at comic book stores now!

Roberto Duran in Ink!

A couple days after finishing some snazzy, new cartoons for East Coast boxing promoters, Boxing 360 (I'm their official boxing humor artist. Check out www.boxing360.com/blog and click on "Boxing Humor" to peep my work!), I decided to try something a little different by drawing a fully-inked portrait of a boxing legend. I wanted to do something comicky but not wacky like the Boxing 360 'toons. Something much like my Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. piece from September of last year (http://www.coyoteduran.com/2012/09/sergio-martinez-vs-julio-cesar-chavez.html) but with more mood and depth.

Originally, I considered drawing Mexican featherweight legend Salvador Sanchez until I remembered I've never drawn my all-time boxing hero, "Manos de Piedra" ("Hands of Stone") Roberto Duran. (8 1/2" X 11", Sharpie archiving pen on sketch paper) By this time, I was fully overdosing on the Facebook photo albums of my pal, Cory Hamscher (a damn fine comic book artist and inker), and although I don't use a crow-quill pen like Cory (or even come close to this cat's inking skill), I was inspired to throw down with the darkness.

Bonus inspiration for this piece: one of my favorite artists, Charlie McGill. Odds are, you mightn't know the name but his art will look familiar. Bergen, New Jersey's McGill is a sports illustrator who has rendered some of boxing's most famous personalities (among many more sports icons), some whimsically, others in photorealistic splendor, all in the same inimitable, old-school style only McGill can deliver.

So, yeah, I think I'll do a few more in this style between paintings and cartoons! I hope you dig it!

Really? Sad Keanu's a No-Brainer!

In light of Manny Pacquiao's recent knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez (in their fourth outing), I find it hard to believe that amid the rash of Manny memes going around, there's been no "Sad Keanu" memes. Really? This is the easiest one in the bunch! I mean, the bench is right there!

Hey, I Made the Hometown Paper!/Blogging Made Simple for the Masses...

So last month, I received an email from Joy Davis, a freelance writer from my hometown paper, the Beacon-News. Joy came across the very website you're reading (being an actual blog site courtesy of Blogger.com) and contacted me about featuring me in her column, "Blog Log." Needless to say, I jumped at the chance (incidentally, I'm an avid reader of "Blog Log." It's interesting, inspiring and encouraging to read about all the local cats and chicks doing really hip things in their - and my - community and in turn, I encourage you to shed up a cool blog/site too to tout something you're passionate about). I mean, it's one thing to do neat things and get recognition by those in your community (hard work and a lot of shameless promotion helps, Howlers) but it's really cool to show folks in your neck of the woods that you're doing something noteworthy, even if the things you do cater to a niche audience (and some folks in my community didn't even realize I have the good fortune to do what I do).

And you can do this. If a nimrod like Yours Truly can hawk some pretty pictures and a few anecdotal tidbits every now and again, you definitely can do this. Hey, all it takes is a hobby, something to share and/or say. Site hosts like Blogger and WordPress gain new users every day. And with a little scratch, you can even get yourself your own snazzy domain name. Mine costs $10 a year via GoDaddy.com through Blogger, therefore I've been running this very site for $30 since January of 2010 (I can't make up stuff like this). And the smartest of celebrities aren't above watching their pennies either when it comes to creating a worldwide home for their work on the Worldwide Web. Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park (www.mikeshinoda.com) and TV personality Ross Mathews (www.helloross.com) use WordPress and Blogger, respectively. See? You can garner fame, acclaim and a whole buttload of money through very creative (and legal!) means and still not be too rich and famous to save a few bucks. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Anyway, if you're a noob to the Creation Nation groove (or you haven't visited the link to the Beacon-News article yet), here's the link for you to enjoy:

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/lifestyles/16523707-423/blog-log-coyote-durans-creation-nation.html

It's kind of a short read but anyone who knows how the internet works realizes that catering to short attention spans is key for the success of any online article. I did answer quite a few questions so I do feel sorry for Joy, who was probably tearing her hair out trying to whittle this down to something non-Homer-esque (the Greek poet, not the Simpson. Again, I'm really sorry, Joy!). I don't know if it's kosher with her but if it is, maybe I'll print the full Q&A here sometime in the near future. As an editor myself, I know how publishing rights work so I might not be allowed to so I can't promise you anything (and it might put you to sleep anyway)!

Oh, and last but not least, as of today, the Blog Log featuring the Creation Nation has gained 128 Facebook "likes" from the page itself. Nothing I've ever posted, between articles I've written at Maxboxing.com or posts for this site and their companion links at the Facebook "Howlers" page (www.facebook.com/CDCreationNation), has ever gained this many "likes." For that, I'm so grateful and very, very humbled.

That said, I admit some of my thunder was stolen by the taco truck handing out free vibrators in Chicago on "Black Friday" (see below). Apparently, the buzz was too great.

Sergio Martinez vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Comic Art Giveaway!

So, in a fit of curiosity, I decided I would try rendering a boxing scene in a comic book style, done up in ink and uncolored. I've always been a fan of exaggerated, comicky musculature and what better fighter to study than World Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez? Since his impending battle against titlist Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this Saturday for all the middleweight marbles is on the lips and minds of all hardcore fight fans, it gave me an idea:

How about a comic book scene pitting the two 160-pound warriors against each other with some Manga-esque speed lines bringing up the rear? Even better...what if I gave it away when I was done?

So here's where you come in, Howlers. My little contest has a few simple rules.

1) First, join the Creation Nation "Howlers" page at www.facebook.com/CDCreationNation. If you're already a Howler (or a fan. I like "Howlers" better...) there, even better! You're halfway there! But remember: you have to be a member of the Facebook page to participate.

2) Find the post on the fan page regarding this contest (if you're a member, that very post probably linked you to this very page!) and make YOUR prediction as to who will win the World Middleweight Championship fight between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez. And that's your EXACT prediction. If  you think your pick will win by a specific decision, tell me what type (unanimous, split, majority) and what you think the scores will be in the end. If the fight ends in a draw, what variety of draw will it be and what will the scores be? And if the fight ends in a stoppage of any kind or a knockout, tell me how, what round the fight was stopped in and the time.

3) If you feel you need to amend your prediction, DO NOT edit your post. Just add to the status comments with your new prediction. This eliminates the possibility of cheating (and you wouldn't want the world to think you're a cheater...would you?)

4) The deadline? No posts later than 9:30 p.m., ET/6:30 p.m. PT, SATURDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 15 will be accepted. That's 30 minutes after the start of the HBO pay-per-view broadcast and should give you plenty of time to get that prediction in!

The closest prediction wins. That's it. that's all you gotta do. Easy, huh?

Now, I do have to be honest. As the caption stapled to this image implies, this piece isn't finished yet. I have more detail, shadow, etc. to add so if you think these guys look wonky, well, I'm not done, dammit! And it's in a comic book-inspired style! It's supposed to look a speck wonky!

Speaking of honesty, the piece (8 1/2" X 11" image size on 10 1/2" X 13" Bristol Board in pigment liner) doesn't include matting and framing but it will be signed and shipped flat next week right after I put on the finishing touches.

So what are you waiting for? Make your predictions NOW!

Knockout Publicity's New Logo!

Just wanted to share my latest offering, a ginchy little Photoshop deal for my good buddy, Matt Yanofsky, whose boxing public relations company, Knockout Publicity, needed a logo. Originally, I drew the piece by hand but cleaned it up by computer and added a cartoony vibe with a sleek font. Currently, Matt uses it for Knockout Publicity's Twitter account, which you can follow at www.twitter.com/kopublicity (Also, please visit www.knockoutpublicity.com). So give him a follow, Howlers! He's a bitchen guy to know.

Joe Palooka: An Old-School Icon with a New Twist

(Cover art courtesy of Palooka.com)

Just recently, my good friend and fellow Maxboxing.com staffer, Alec Kohut, brought a new comic book concept to my attention, involving an old name with a brand-new spin: Joe Palooka. It turns out veteran boxing and mixed martial arts ring announcer Joe Antonacci has brought back an American icon in Palooka with an emphasis on modern-day action and suspense. 

For those of us with a modicum of knowledge about professional boxing, we associate the word
"palooka" with a fighter. Some use it in the context of a boxer who might be punchy or washed-up or just a throwback, tough-guy scrapper. Nonetheless, the comic book hero who was originally associated with the word was Joe Palooka himself, a heavyweight champion who did battle in comics and the funnies (as well as television and movies) from April 19, 1930 (my birthdate...not the 1930 part, however) until November 24, 1984.

In the aftermath of the brand's trademark lapse, Antonacci, a fan of Ham Fisher's original creation, decided to take the character's name and move it into an entirely fresh direction, this time, in the gritty, blood-soaked world of mixed martial arts. As someone who doesn't follow the wildly popular sport but loves comic books, I took advantage of a fantastic offer at Antonacci's new site, www.palooka.com, and purchased the first and second issues of Joe Palooka, bundled up for only $1.99 (available in PDF format. You can also sign up for a free preview). 

What I discovered was action from the gate. It turns out our hero, Nick Davis (more on his "Joe Palooka" name change later), is a 22-year-old rookie light heavyweight (only having begun his MMA training the previous year) with a professional record of 3-0. He's a guy with a dysfunctional remnant of a family but a bright future and a beautiful girlfriend, Nina, to match. That said, it wasn't long before it all fell apart...