The Evolution of Batman Films Part 4

Director Tim Burton was out, and now it was Joel Schumacher's turn to helm the next Batman movie. The result was Batman Forever. Arriving in 1995, it marked a return to more of a lighter, campier style, similar to the 60's TV show. Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones played the baddies, each competing to see who could chew more of the scenery. Despite grumblings by comic fans, the movie made a ton of money, and Warners decided to go all in on with this campy style. As we'll see, this proved absolutely disastrous.

The Evolution of Batman Films Part 3

1989's Batman was a massive hit. A sequel was greenlit, and Warner Bros allowed director Tim Burton to fully indulge himself in Batman's dark tone and vile villains, resulting in Batman Returns. Unfortunately, the dark and violent tone of the film backfired in a major way. While the movie was a commercial success, it gained much notoriety as being TOO dark and gruesome. Burton and star Michael Keaton left the franchise, while Warner Bros reversed their decision to make Batman grim and gritty and instead turned the caped crusader 180 degrees into the realm of campy farce. Brace yourself, Batfans. Things are going to get rough.

The Evolution of Batman Films Part 2

In summer 1989, Tim Burton's Batman arrived and took the world by storm. At the time the only other major superhero movies released in theaters had been the Superman films, whose quality was diminishing rapidly. Batman had been a kitchy fad in the 60's, but had now gone back to his roots as a dark avenger of the night. Batman introduced the concept of superheroes wearing black rubber suits instead of tights, a costume conceit that still persists to this day. Considered very dark and unsuitable for young children at the time of its release, Batman shocked many parents expecting Adam West style antics. But things were about to get even darker...

The Evolution of Batman Films Part 1

Hey guys! This is really exciting. I've been working for weeks on my biggest "Evolution" ever! This time it's the entire Batman theatrical movie saga, featuring not only Batman, but the main baddies from each film as well! I'll upload one or two a day. After they're all posted, I'll reveal the end product, a beautiful art print with all the characters on it, measuring 18"x24". Stick around, you won't want to miss it!

Sketch Dump

 Just a couple things I've sketched in the last week or so

Cute Enemies Art Show

Hey guys, here are two pieces I did for the gallery show called "Cute Enemies" art show opening this Sat in LA! If you're in the area, come check it out!

PT Anderson's America

Illustration done for the Washington Beacon for an article about Paul Thomas Anderson's film characters representing the dark side of America. Characters above are from the films "Inherent Vice", "Boogie Nights", "The Master", and "There Will Be Blood".

The Evolution of Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe is one of my favorite actors, and here are some of my favorite roles he's done over the years. Which performances do you think are his best? Comment below!

PS. I'm now on Instagram at JeffVictorArt

Best films of the year editorial illo

Here's a piece I did for the Washington Free Beacon celebrating their author's opinions of the best films of the year. Characters included are from the films Snowpiercer, Whiplash, Frank, and Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm sorry I haven't been posting more art. I've been doing many freelance projects, including one for Cartoon Network that I'm not able to share yet. But hang tight, lots more art is on the way! Happy holidays everyone!

Drax quickie

The Road to Mount Doom

"Mordor... the one place in Middle-Earth we don't want to see any closer... the one place we're trying to get to... is just where we can't get."

The Evolution of the Movie Vampire

Happy Halloween everyone! For a spooky treat, I wanted to track the progression of how vampires have evolved in films from the terrifyingly ratlike Nosferatu to the near-superhero Dracula of this year's Dracula Untold. Vampires have often bounced between comedy and horror, and I tried to represent as many different iterations of this as possible. How did I do? Which movie vampires would you have included?

A lil Star Wars/Goodfellas mashup for ya

More fun if you say it your best Yoda voice

The Evolution of Catwoman(film and tv)

A tribute to one of the greatest comic characters of all time: Catwoman! I can't decide who I like better- Michelle Pfeiffer or Julie Newmar. Which Catwoman is your favorite?

The Evolution of Robin Williams

My tribute to the illustrious career of Robin Williams. Obviously, there are many, many more movies that could be included in this piece, but I tried to represent as many highlights as I could. This particular Evolution was quite emotional to draw. Williams' work was so meaningful to me, and a big part of my childhood. His death is a loss for us all. I'm not very eloquent at eulogizing, so hopefully my art will speak for itself and remind you of the joy you felt watching his films.

I am selling this piece as a print here, and for every copy I sell, I am donating $5.00 to the St. Jude Children's Hospital, a charity Williams was very passionate about.

Countdown to SDCC 2014

I'm extremely excited to announce that I'll be at San Diego Comic Con selling my books and prints. This year marks the first year I've had a table space, and I'm super stoked to show you guys new stuff! I've got all new goodies debuting at the show including this '89 Batman print, and tons of 5x7" character mini prints! I'll be at table F-2, sharing with the extremely talented Danni Shinya Luo, so pop by and say hi!

Rebooted: Ninja Turtles

A piece done for the "Heroes in a Half Shell" exhibit opening in 2 days at Gallery Nucleus. Maybe it's just me, but the over designed Michael Bay turtles have none of the charm and warmth of the originals, and that makes me kinda sad. I haven't seen the movie yet, but judging how much I hate the new Transformers movies, I doubt I'll enjoy this one.

Griping aside, the 30th anniversary of the Turtles IS pretty exciting, and Nucleus has a great show to celebrate this historic milestone. If you're in the LA area, check it out! It looks amazing, and the roster of artists is incredible. Info here.

Mystical girl

I was looking through a great book of artwork by legendary pin-up artist Gil Elvgren and wanted to take a crack at a sexy pin up girl. I don't usually draw these type of comic-book proportions, but I think it's a pretty good attempt.

Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Wow, I simply can't believe it's been 25 years since Tim Burton's Batman flick came out. I remember it had a massive impact on me at the time, to say the least. It got me heavily interested in superhero toys and comic books, which I still love to this day. While I adored the Superman films, this one hit at just the right time in my adolescent development, as I started to crave something a little more mature than Adam West and Burt Ward's antics. I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging this milestone somehow. What's your favorite Batman memory? Leave a comment!

Adventure awaits!

Hey guys, I'm off today for a trip to Spain. I'm very excited, since this is the first time I'm traveling alone. Wish me luck!