Cartoon Sketches: B.A.T.s!
by Jerzy Drozd on April 16, 2012 at 4:16 pmTook time for a warm-up sketch today before diving into penciling, and I got my inspiration when I looked over at the shelf next to my desk:

B.A.T.S pencil and brush pen on 5.5×8.25″ bristol. (You can purchase the original here)
You can imagine my reaction to the BATS when I was 12 years old: Cobras? Robots? SIGN ME UP Loved the lenticular shield on their chests to give the impression of looking at their robot innards (didn’t make sense, but hey, that’s part of the kid logic of G.I. Joe-why are they wearing clothes as well?). Interchangeable gun-hands just sealed the deal. These days I have several in my collection, and I never get tired of them.
Plus, since they were robots, we now got to watch Sgt. Slaughter go wildly violent on them without having to worry about parent groups censoring our show!
Check out the 5:23 mark for awesome Slaughter action:
Robots. Cobras. Great Big Punch-Out Scenes. Great.
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| Apr 7, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: Windhammer! |
| Jan 14, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: Tarantulas! |
Cartoon Sketches: Windhammer!
by Jerzy Drozd on April 7, 2012 at 3:15 amMan, it seems like I’ve been having a lot of unrelated conversations about Silverhawks lately, and I haven’t had much time to sketch for myself. So it’s high time I scratched both itches!

WINDHAMMER Pencil, brush pen, and crayon on 5×8.5″ bristol.
I plan on talking about this at length in a future Lean Into Art Cast, but Silverhawks is, in my mind, one of the most creative cartoon series ever made, hands down. Maybe the acting was a little stiff. Maybe the writing in the later seasons didn’t shine. But in terms of overall concept and design, I have yet to see an equally creative action/adventure cartoon. Don’t believe me? check out the intro!
Oh, and if you liked this sketch, I’m holding a commission sale for a limited time, and in limited quantities! What 80s/90s cartoon character would you like me to draw for you?
Related Posts ¬
| Jan 14, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: Tarantulas! |
| Apr 16, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: B.A.T.s! |
Cartoon Sketches: Tarantulas!
by Jerzy Drozd on January 14, 2012 at 3:04 pmWarm up sketch today is that nasty Predacon mad scientist (not a ninja) Tarantulas!

Pencil and brush pen on 5.5×8.25″ bristol.
Tarantulas brought such great things to the Transformers franchise. He introduced a third faction in what was usually a two-sided war and he was the first really creepy mad scientist (check out The Web, linked below). Above all, he was just a super fun villain.
Related Posts ¬
| Apr 7, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: Windhammer! |
| Apr 16, 2012 | Cartoon Sketches: B.A.T.s! |
Saturday Supercast 28 – The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
by Jerzy Drozd on December 23, 2011 at 9:47 pm
I’m joined by Dave Roman for one more holiday special walkthrough for 2011, and we’re pointing our lasers at one that often gets overlooked by fans of the Rankin/Bass specials. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, originally a book by L. Frank Baum, was the last of the Rankin/Bass “animagic” stop-motion features released in 1985 and featured what some might consider a bizarre combination of high fantasy with the sweet song-and-dance numbers one expects from the studio’s specials. But Dave and I both love this special and I think it shows as we proceed through an exhaustive walkthrough complete with audio clips.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
- Thundercats
- SilverHawks
- Tigersharks
- The Hobbit
- The Return of the King
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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| Dec 20, 2011 | Saturday Supercast 27 – Christmas in July |
Saturday Supercast 27 – Christmas in July
by Jerzy Drozd on December 20, 2011 at 9:43 pm
After a very long hiatus, the Saturday Supercast returns! I’m joined this time by Dave Roman, who walks with me through the Rankin/Bass epic holiday special Rudolph & Frosty’s Christmas in July. Throughout our walkthrough we discuss the strange issues that arise out of referring to one’s own “continuity” while disregarding or altering parts of it. Who knew that these holiday specials were so much like the American Comic Book Industry!
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Jack Frost
- The Year Without a Santa Claus
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (Amazon instant video)
- Santa Claus Is Comin to Town (DVD)
- Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
- Frosty Returns
- He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special
- Dave’s talk on the Muppets on the Comics Are Great! podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download





