Wednesday, January 21, 2015

The Return of Bay Side Blues

I'm proud to show all of you the first character designs for issue #1 of the rebooted "Bay Side Blues!" Filipino manga artist Mike Banting has really hit these out of the park, and I couldn't be happier. Here they are below, with my commentary.

Here is my favorite old codger, Griff, who has been given a more youthful appearance by Mike. I really liked what Mike did with Griff's jacket and the designs on the shoulders & the sleeves, along with the cargo pants and the boots. I think Mike nailed Griff closer than any other artist has before.












 


To our right is Michiko Sakegawa (the re-named Miaka Kitagawa--thanks to Mike for the new name!), in her jumpsuit-wearing, raven-haired glory. Mike got the fact that her hair was long and fell close to her knees, and her straps and belts look awesome. The knife sheath behind her back looks sick, and her expression reminds me of every bad girl that's crossed the pages of anime & manga. Hats off to Mike for nailing this one too.







And for the crowning touch, here's Moses Malone, the baddest mo-frigga this side of Bay Side City. This is my favorite character design of Mike's, as he's the first artist to get Moses exactly the way I envisioned him. The other artists wouldn't put the bulls-eye on his shirt for some reason (or they didn't know how to do it), but Mike pulled it off, and with the mushroom afro, gloves, and sneakers, Moses is one bad mother--I know, I know, shut my mouth, right?








"Bay Side Blues" is set for a release in late March or early April (sorry, but no date yet), but I will keep you updated on its status throughout the production phase. Stay tuned for more, and remember to hit the "Subscribe Via E-Mail" button on the right-hand to get the latest updates!

Until next time, ladies and gents, this is Justin Swartz, signing off.

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