That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

Happy Thor's Day, folks!

As I mentioned in my last update to the Gallery yesterday, I left Neil Gaiman's Dreamland and shifted focus with my warm-ups, arriving to somewhere closer to us, but equally epic and archetypal: Gotham City.

I've been re-reading Loeb/Sale's The Long Halloween lately and the latter's style's got me mesmerised all over again. His interpretation of the Batman mythos is amazing and both retro and unique with such simple strokes. He isn't afraid to exaggerate or be over the top, which is just what Batman is after all but at the same time, brings a noirish feel to it that grounds it marvelously. 
It's no wonder then, that when putting pencil to paper at the start of my day, one of the Dark Knight's archvillains popped-up. More specifically, The Clown Prince of Crime: The Joker! And while I was fleshing this image out, I kept wondering (me liking archetypes so much) why I'd never dabbled into the Gotham underbelly sooner. I think the answer is twofold: I believed I couldn't bring anything new to the characters and I was embarassed at my skills, which re aboth concerns I've shaken off in the past few months/year. 

So here's my take on one of the most notorious villains of pop culture and his classic dangerous gas. I've always liked The Joker when he's almost a force of nature, because in that state he's akin to Batman and sometimes achieves some good in his chaotic vision, such as getting rid of mob bosses while they dine as seen here I also went for a more classic look which I think is creepy enough without having to make the hair or make-up more violent. I think him being aware of his whole persona makes him even more psychopathic.

Black and white, whilst being a choice for its speed and the fact that I don't have time for color works amazingly well with Gotham and enhances my style's qualities tenfold.

So, be on the lookout for another famous nemesis of The Bat tomorrow and thanks for watching as usual!

Nic.-