Costas Barbatsis

Meet My Newest Character: The Werewolf

I’ve been busy designing new characters for my comic book universe, and today I’m excited to share one of them – a werewolf.

I know, I know: werewolves aren’t exactly an original idea. But to me, what makes a character worth caring about isn’t whether the concept has been done before. It’s their background, their struggles, and where they’re headed. And this one has a story I can’t wait to tell.

He’s a rebel who turned against his good-natured tribe to help outsiders-beings who were never supposed to know of his kind. Now he’s being hunted by werewolves from both sides: the good and the bad. But in the end, he’ll become a hero accepted by all.

For the artwork, I used Procreate for both sketching and coloring. It’s become my go-to tool for bringing characters to life.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite werewolf from comics or movies? Let me know in the comments!

Welcome back X-Force

I avoided reading the most recent X-Force title because I didn’t enjoy the one before it. I hadn’t read an X-Force comic since John Francis Moore left the original series, which must have been back in 1997.

I started reading X-Force for the chance to follow several of my favorite heroes from the New Mutants. I grew to love the series, especially John Francis Moore and Adam Pollina’s run, but after they left I dropped the comic and never read any of the following versions.

When they announced that Forge, Sage, and Surge would be part of the new X-Force, I thought this would be my chance to get back into it—I’d always believed those three would make excellent team members. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy that comic.

So, when they announced Inglorious X-Force, I was of two minds. Still, I gave #1 a chance just for Boom Boom and Cable, and I’m so glad I did.

Tim Seeley not only knows these characters, he knows his Marvel Universe history. He integrates the story with the rest of the Marvel universe in a fresh and interesting way, just like in the good old days.

The interactions are spot on and believable because each hero stays true to what I know of them. I might not be a fan of Archangel, Hellverine, especially Ms. Marvel being part of the team, but the way they all interact with each other and how the story unfolds makes it worth reading.

I think X-Force will once again become my favorite comic. I’ve read all three issues and can’t wait for the next one—highly suggested and highly enjoyable.

Doctor Strange Fan Art – A 60s Style Tribute

A fan art tribute to Doctor Strange, inspired by his classic 1960s look. Pencil sketch, ink, and Procreate colours. Plus a quick summary of why Stephen Strange is one of my favourite Marvel characters.

I’m a big fan of Doctor Strange’s comic books.

Let me give you a quick summary of who he is.

Doctor Strange’s real name is Stephen Vincent Strange. He was a successful surgeon — but a car crash damaged his hands and ended his career as a medical doctor. He later became the Sorcerer Supreme after seeking a way to heal his hands.

Although he never managed to heal his hands, he is one of the strongest magicians in comics and one of my favourite Marvel characters.

Doctor Strange Fan Art

So I did a Doctor Strange fan art, following the style of how he looked in the 1960s.

It’s a pencil sketch, inked on paper and then scanned and coloured with digital tools in Procreate.

I referenced legendary Steve Ditko’s art of who I am a big fan off.

Which character should I draw next? The one who gets the most mentions wins!

Northstar

Currently I’m focusing on doing a lot of fan art so I can learn and improve my drawing skills with Procreate, it’s an amazing drawing app.

One of the fan art that I’m working on is Alpha Flights Northstar.

I really liked Northstar in X-Factor but annoyed me immensely when I first read his stories in the early Alpha Flight issues, a bit arrogant.

Zacharias the Zombie Boy – Reviving an Old Character Design

Years ago, I created a young hero named Zacharias — the Zombie Boy. I recently found my original drawing and decided to ink and colour it with Procreate. Here’s a look at his family, supporting characters, and a small taste of his backstory (almost a Greek tragedy).

Many years ago, I had many ideas for my own superheroes. One of them was Zacharias (Ζαχαρίας) – the Zombie Boy.

I found the original drawing I had done of him, and I decided to ink and colour it with Procreate.

The Original Drawing

Family & Supporting Characters

The following drawings feature his family and some supporting characters.

Zacharias, his cat and grandmother before and after, I finally have an origin for the grandmother.

Zacharias, his cat, and his grandmother – before and after. I finally have an origin story for the grandmother.
Zacharias’ mother
Zacharias’ father

The parents are shown as I originally thought of them. I will keep the father close to his original design, but I will change the mother completely.

A young boy and girl – Zacharias meets them. Possible supporting characters. I’m still thinking about how they can fit into the story.

I also found the original plot for the comic book, but I have developed some twists and built a better background on what led Zacharias to become a zombie.

Here’s a small summary of how his story begins:

“Zacharias was a greedy, pampered boy who became a zombie. One day, his grandmother — just as she was going to give him a tender kiss on the cheek — decided instead to nibble on it. She was a zombie too, but not fully formed. Realising what she had done, she fled. Leaving poor Zacharias with a new greed… a zombie’s greed. Almost a Greek tragedy.”

Stay tuned for more on his story.