Lord Pumpkin was a villain from the now defunct Malibu comics Ultraverse. I've never read any stories with him in them, but how could I resist the devilish figure of mayhem he presents!{2.5x3.5, created in Adobe Photoshop}
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4 comments:
Like this guy. He's sorta like Batman, The Scarecrow and The Joker all rolled into one. Was he also, perhaps, the inspiration for your Reaper in Night of the Cauldron?
Lord Pumpkin does have an excellent visual allure! I hate that Malibu went under. :-( I enjoyed their characters and general vibe.
The short answer on Lord Pumpkin and the Reaper from NOTC is yes. Now for the long answer - The Reaper from Night of the Cauldron was inspired from many sources. Lord Pumpkin and all the other pumpkin headed figures I've been drawing for the Saturday Sketches this month fed into my imaginings of the Reaper. I've been drawing flaming pumpkin headed figures since around 2000.
The main inspiration for the reaper was the scene from Nightmare Before Christmas where Jack Skeleton as a scarecrow sets himself on fire and then emerges as himself from the green fountain. That particular scene had a profound effect upon me when I saw it for the first time. The crescendo of music and the ritualized 'rebirth' spoke to me on a primal level. The imagery has been with me ever since. Even watching it now, I still get tingles.
I just checked on the the publication date for Lord Pumpkin's first appearance. It coincides with the release of Nightmare Before Christmas - both came out in '93. I had thought Lord Pumpkin had appeared much later. I find it interesting, that image entering the zeitgeist from multiple sources simultaneously.
I'm shutting up now. I could talk about flaming pumpkin heads all day. It has been a strong part of my personal mythos for a long time.
You're absolutely right. The pumpkin-headed reaper has been a staple in your artwork. Not sure why I didn't pick up on that. I guess I was just more struck by the Reaper's personality in NOTC and forgot his physical appearance was already a familiar feature.
You know, Nightmare Before Christmas was always a movie I've been curious about but somehow never got around to watching. I may have to change that, possibly this weekend. The wife and I have big plans for this weekend and horror movies are part of it!
It's all good. I don't expect anyone else to keep track of my madness. :-) ...besides I only draw them about once a year.
I always imagined the Pumpkin Headed Reaper character as scary and mischievous but essentially harmless. NOTC proved that dramatically wrong! LOL I guess anyone who carries a scythe around and isn't a farmer must be considered dangerous...that and the flaming head. Never a good sign. :-P
I hope you guys enjoy Nightmare Before Christmas! I feel like it is THE essential Tim Burton movie. I'll be watching all my favorite horrors later at some point, but right now it's all Parade - write, draw, write, write! BTW Happy Halloween!!!
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