UNSEEN SUPREME by RICK VIETCH
The following is compiled from multiple posts on Mr. Vietch's Website, http://www.rickveitch.com
The way Alan Moore and I worked, when we created these characters for his Awesome Universe reboot, was via the phone. He’d have a bunch of ideas; some well thought out and others still in a raw state, which he’d describe to me. I’d start sketching as we spoke, throwing in ideas as they came to me. Since almost all the characters were knock-offs of existing golden and silver age icons, the trick was to catch the flavor of the original while adding some new and interesting angle; be it a different costume or power or hairstyle or whatever.
For this guy, Alan didn’t have anything solid in mind except that he wanted a PLASTIC MAN type. I suggested that, since these characters were supposed to have originated in the early 1960’s, we could base his stretching powers on the polymer industry, which during that era was mixing up new molecular structures to create exotic plastics and “space-age” materials. POLYMAN was the natural name and his costume design was based on a molecular grid.
A sort of female Adam Strange knock-off that Alan Moore conceived and I knocked off for the Awesome Universe. Pen and ink, 1998.
Don’t remember much about this time-traveling hero Alan Moore and I came up with for the Awesome Universe except that it brought a phone call from Jean-Marc Lofficier at Starwatcher, pointing out that he looked a bit too much like Moebius’ MAJOR GRUBERT. I think we agreed to remove the spike on his helmet and white out the infinity symbol on his chest, but not sure if we ever did anything more with him.
Another in the seemingly endless series of retro characters Alan Moore and I worked up during his run at Awesome. Pen and ink, 1998.
Looks like I made the legs a little too long on this Challengers Of The Unknown knock-off for Alan Moore’s reinvention of the Awesome universe. Pen and ink, 1998.
Another taste of retro from Alan Moore’s remake of the Awesome universe. Don’t have a clue if this guy ever appeared anywhere. Pen and ink, by me, 1998.
Here’s another character sketch for Awesome Comics imaginary past as conceived by Alan Moore and myself. Don’t think this Blackhawk knock-off ever saw print. Pen and ink, 1998.
Another in the seemingly endless series of retro characters Alan Moore and I worked up during his run at Awesome. Pen and ink, 1998.
More retro-cowboy character development for Alan Moore’s Awesome Universe upgrade. Pen and ink. 1998.
Another retro character design for Alan Moore’s take on the Awesome Universe. I think Gil Kane ended up drawing the actual story this guy appeared in. Pen and ink on bristol board, 1998.
Would you believe this is the last of the Alan Moore character designs I drew for Awesome? This guy is the archetypal psychic detective with a buttoned down sixties look. I have no idea if he ever saw print in any actual stories. Pen and ink. 1998.
The above is a character/concept sketch for an idea Alan Moore and I were toying with back in 1998. We were still doing SUPREME, but it was obvious that the publisher was on the verge of collapse. Alan and I had been so happy doing our Jack Kirby tribute, “NEW JACK CITY”, that we started playing with a new, possibly creator-owned, series pitch based on my faux-Kirby style.
I don’t think we had a title, but the high concept was to imagine the galaxy as Jack might of if he’d been around to read some of Alan’s favorite futurist thinkers (who’s names escape me ten years after the fact). Historically, this up-to-now unseen work fits in between Alan’s work for Awesome and America’s Best Comics.
I’ll be running more of these sketches in the upcoming days. This fellow is THE STEERSMAN AT THE HELM. Pencil on board, 1998.
Brave Ulysses.
Another character sketch for the unnamed Kirby pastiche Alan Moore and I were toying with ten years ago. Can’t remember all the details on this guy, but I think he was one of an army of patriotic androids that a human character would inhabit (think Captain America meets Doctor Bedlam). I kind of like the way the star mask works. Pencil, 1998.
As we played around with ideas and concepts, Alan suggested a grouping of worm-holes forming a dimensional doorway through which any part of the galaxy could be accessed. This is how I saw ZOOM STREET (using Kirby-Vision). Pencil, 1998
More concept art from my and Alan Moore’s untitled Kirby pastiche. This is THUNDERLAND, which I think was helmed by the big headed STEERSMAN.
In this final character sketch we see what would have been the lead hero for Alan’s and my unnamed Kirby thingy. Don’t remember much about him although he might have been a futurized version of the USA character from our 1963 title, TALES OF THE UNCANNY. Pencil, 1998.