Watchin' The Watchmen

This week DC Comics announced they're finally going through with their plans to publish a prequel to Alan Moore's 1986 ground-breaking graphic novel Watchmen.

Not surprisingly, Moore refused to participate in the project. I can't say I blame him. The original Watchmen graphic novel is a high water mark in the history of comic books and I don't see how these prequels could possibly add anything of value. If anything they'll most likely tarnish Watchmen's legacy. But who cares about artistic integrity when there's merchandising money to be made, right?

DC released cover images for seven or eight of the prequel issues. As I looked at them, this is the one that caught my eye:

Um... is Dr. Manhattan really doing what it looks like he's doing? Introducing Silk Specter to his Bronx, right there on the cover for everyone to see? He pretty much has to be, amiright? I can't think of any other reason he'd be holding her in such a manner.

Maybe it's not as bad as I think. Maybe they're really at one of those corporate team-building retreats and Silk Specter has to fall backwards and trust the Dr. to catch her. Or maybe it's her birthday and he told her to close her eyes and he's guiding her into the next room to see the surprise he bought.

Or maybe it's exactly what it looks like and he's coming right up Broadway.

Dr. Manhattan: From Sketch To Final Art

Here's a step by step guide to how I did my Dr. Manhattan drawing, if anyone's interested.

Step 1: Doc started out as a rough sketch that I scanned and placed into Photoshop.

Step 2: I used the sketch as a guide to draw the body on a new layer with the pen tool. Usually the characters I draw have an outline (like the sketch) but I went a different direction this time.

Step 3: Next I added details to his head and lower body (again with the pen tool instead of the usual brush) on a separate layer. Adding details to a separate layer makes it easier for me to make changes.

(Not shown: The part where I try to decide if I should go ahead and draw his wiener or not)

Step 4: I added each arm on a separate layer as well. This made the shading that's coming up in the next step easier to do. Note that his right arm is on a layer underneath his body.

Step 5: Then I added shading on yet another separate layer. Again, that makes it much easier to edit if I don't like the way it looks.

To do the shading I selected his body, then created a new layer. I then had a blank layer with a selection in the shape of his body. I used the brush to add the darker blue shading. Because I was painting inside a selection that was the exact shape as his body, the shading didn't slop over into the background (I hope all that makes sense). I repeated the process for each arm.

Step 6: Finally I added a shadow under his floating feet, an energy ball around his hand, and a scratchy painted background, all on additional layers. Layers are your friends, kids!

Dr. Manhattan

Here's an illustration I did of Dr. Manhattan from the "Watchmen" graphic novel and movie.

I first read the book way back when it came out in 1986, and have been a fan of it ever since. I've lost count of how many times I've read all or parts of it. I really liked the movie too. It's a brilliant adaptation, but I wonder if I would like it if I'd never read the book? I honestly can't tell.

Sadly the movie didn't do as well at the box office as the studio hoped it would. Maybe it'll find its audience on DVD. I suspect the general public didn't know what to make of it, and probably found it overly complicated and impenetrable. The lack of recognizable characters might have scared people away too. Even my mom knows who Batman and the Hulk are, but Rorschach and Ozymandias? Not so much.

If I had a dollar for every movie review that mentions Dr. Manhattan's penis, I could buy a Hi-Def TV and have enough left over to put a substantial dent in my mortgage. The way they go on about it you'd think IT was the star of the movie (and now I'm talking about it too. D'oh!). It's just a wiener, folks. Everybody's seen one before.

I wonder if DC Comics would be open to doing a Watchmen kid's book in this style? ;^)

Drawn in Photoshop on the graphic tablet.