Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Sketches from Archive Edition #1

I've recently been pouring through my Legion Archive Editions, sketching out things that I find interesting. I'm particularly looking for cool robots and aliens and creatures. From the first Legion story, Adventure Comics #247, there were actually only a few examples of what I'm looking for.... they're in the drawing.

The Invisible Eagle of Neptune had a very small part in the story, but I still thought it was cool. Wouldn't it be scary to be out on the street when this thing flew over?

Saturn Girl commands a giant sea creature, a Denizen of the Deep, to bring a statue to the surface. I think it's great that there are giant sea creatures in the oceans of the 30th century!! Since Denizen of the Deep is the closest thing to a name given for this creature, I chose to call him/her Denzy!

Robots do the physical labor instead of humans. The robot shown in the issue was out cleaning litter off the streets! It actually looks like paper!! Heh!

Okay, so Saturn Girl isn't exactly a cool creature or robot. She is an alien, though a human one. Yeah, every now and then there will be sketches of people in this project. It's true that I like to draw pretty girls, but I suppose I really should have done a drawing of Cosmic Boy to fit into the sci-fi aspect of this project. He had the most far-out costume. Oh well!

Many more sketches from the Archive Editions coming soon!!!

Here's a sketch from the second Legion story...

Superboy dug a cavern, back at home in Smallville, and evidently, it lead to a land beneath the surface of the Earth! So this creature came out exploring. The monsters they used to show in these comics were silly by today's standards, so this was my attempt at drawing a monster from the cavern that could scare a kid today. Maybe it'd even scare a grown-up?

I have many, many more sketches to come. It's been really fun and interesting looking through those old stories, with an emphasis on finding the most ficticious parts. In upcoming sketches of robots in particular, I took artistic lisence in altering their body types just to make them look a bit more modern. Most of the time they looked like a bunch of tin cans wired together. I tried to take the basic design of the robot in question, and maintain the most distinguishing features, but streamline it a bit. At least once, my version turned out sillier looking than the original. I'll let you guys decide once they're posted....

Dean, keep 'em coming! It's always a joy to see your art!

Thanks, Cobe-ster!

Yes, definately keep 'em coming. There's something about them that's fascinating...the old meets new mystique perhaps. The sketches are beautiful.

I love Dean Lee. There, I said it.

lil'rhino

Thanks draub and rhino! You spin me round like a record baby!

These are great! Cant wait to see more ^_^

In Adv. 282, Zynthia was introduced as Star Boy's girlfriend. I guess Thom's really into blondes (Zynthia, then Nura, and later, his wife...forgot her name). The Parakat was an interesting creature from Xanthu's southern Jungle Mountains. The Parakat can mimic human speech!

Action Comics #276, was the Supergirl story about her three supergirlfriends and the Legion. It's so weird that that mask fooled Kara. Didn't she see the big ol planet Saturn on Imra's shirt? Oh well, I can understand when you see someone out of context....

There were other cool things in that issue that I could have sketched out, primarily, the girlfriends themselves, but there was also the romantic spark between Kara and Querl, there was the original Brainiac and KOKO!!! There was Lori and Jerro, the mer-people, there was Krypto.... but what do I focus on? That weird horse/lizard robot the Legionnaires were riding in a parade!
Maybe I'll get this story out again and do more sketches....

There have actually been several Lightning Beasts of Korbal shown in Legion books, but I believe this is the first one. This was shown in the Curt Swan drawn story about the Legion of SuperVillains and the adult Legion of Superheroes, from Superman #147...

Here's Cyclops the Robot from ADV 290...
This is a case where I took extra artistic liscence and altered his bodytype. Cyclops was much taller than a human being, but I thought he should be rather slim, but muscular. I just like the wiring effect in his neck and joints...

These are all incredible Dean! Looking forward to more as you post them!

*giggle*

lil'rhino

Thanks, V and rhino! I have so many sketches to scan and post, I'll never catch up. Hang in there!

Great stuff Dean! Your figures are as cool as ever, but the robots and creatures are something I haven't seen from you before -- great stuff!

I especially like your #247 collage -- it reminds me of something from an old children's biology text book (super retro Saturn Girl too).

Thanks for the trip into Legion history too -- I feel like I'm learning something

Great Sketches! Love the background info.

Thanks! I do have more coming, I just have to make the time to scan and post em!!

Excellent work (as always) Dean! The monsters and robots do get short shrift in the fan sketching department, it's fun to see your interpretations of these early day classics!

Here are some characters from Action #287...
The Tree Men of planet Arbro, The Chameleon Men (planet never named, could they have been rogue Durlans?) and the kind of robot that was used to steal androids by remote control. Supergirl was the main hero in this issue, btw...

In Act. 287, Lon Duryal is introduced as a major android manufacturer.

I swore that when I drew the Energy Beast, that I wouldn't use the same pose that it seems every other artist uses for it... but I did.

Sorry, don't have my copy of the Archive handy, but this is Luma Lynai of planet Staryl, from the story where Supergirl wants to find a Superwoman for Superman. My question is, what ever happened to Staryl? Does Luma have 30th/31st century descendants?

Ladies and gentlemen, the infamous...

LESTER SPIFFANY!