Altresde – Spirit of Vengeance Red Hulk (3D Print)

Little did I suspect when I decided to print this denizen of Hell – that the process of doing so would be a kind of Hell in of itself.

First, a little backstory on this unique looking figure. This creature is a amalgamation of Red Hulk both possessed by the Ghost Rider and merged with Venom. Evil within evil….like some sort of Hellish Turducken. This being shows up near the end of the ‘Circle of Four’ storyline and is only featured for a few pages. But he certainly makes an impression.

To date there is only one officially licensed figure for this character and it is a heroclix. So when I saw someone had actually taken the trouble to make a printable 3D model I just had to have it for my collection.

At first glance the figure seemed easy enough to print, but quickly I learned those spikes and the chain hook was problematic to print. Thankfully the designer helped by providing me the model broken up into more pieces which helped a lot.

The torso was the hardest to print, but the rest went fairly smoothly. There was some gluing of broken pieces and plenty of sanding to remove residual support structures.

Printing took a couple weeks of trial and error. Painting was easy for the most part, but getting the fire and flaming skull looking good took the most effort. Still not perfect, but I’m happy with where it ended up.

Overall I’m actually pretty happy with how it turned out – all things considered. I’m a bit dis-satisfied with the pose. He seems kind of awkward given the way he’s balancing. Also that hook sticking out is just begging to be snapped off. That being said I still like it and am glad to have it join my Planet Hulk sculpture.

If you wish to print this yourself I encourage you to check it out here.

https://www.instagram.com/al.tres.de/

Marvelocity: Ross and Kidd Book signing

If you follow this site then you’ll know I had the opportunity to meet Alex Ross earlier in the year. Thankfully he decided to make a second appearance on August 10, 2019 at the Dunn Museum. He was there to promote both his book Marvelocity, and his art exhibition of the same name. This time was the added bonus of the co-creator, Chip Kidd, who was in attendance.

They both sat down for a few hours to sign their book and take some quick questions. I showed up early and after waiting a few hours I was able to quickly meet them. This time I was clear-headed enough to grab a photo with Alex. I also requested he sign my bust of the Earth X Hulk created by Alex. All in all an awesome moment for me as a huge Hulk and art fan.

I also was treated to a signature by Chip Kidd. So now my copy of Marvelocity is signed by both these awesome guys. Having a signed bust of this unique Hulk by the creator is a great addition to my collection. To date I am lucky enough to have a hulk statue signed by Stan Lee and this bust signed by the Ross.

Can’t wait to see if he makes another appearance. I am so happy to be living close enough to meet him like this.

Till next time – GET SMASHED!

Variant Alert: Immortal Hulk #20 (Alex Ross – A/B editions & Sketch cover)

The Immortal Hulk series is really doubling down on all the variants being provided. And issue #20 is no exception. However, with this one we are treated to three different covers by Alex Ross (the main cover artist for IH to date).

Lets first begin with IH #20 second printing, this is an Alex Ross sketch cover variant. I am a huge fan of Alex Ross, and my LCS only had two issues in stock. So of course I bought both. One for bagging, the other for signing. As you can see it’s signed by Alex Ross which I accomplished by visiting him at the Dunn Museum for a second appearance at his Marvelocity exhibition (post to follow on that event).

The others are Ross cover edition A and B sold either at SDCC this year or through the Ross Art website. They sold out rather quickly. Edition A is a CGC certified version signed by Alex Ross and features the Hulk lifting a tank over his head. I was not aware this was an homage cover to Foom #2. If you have seen my earlier post you will have noticed I was able to see this original painting in person at the Dunn Museum. So it’s really special to me to own a copy of this painting signed by the man himself.

Edition B is Ross’s re-imagining of the cover of Incredible Hulk #1 after Jack Kirby. It was actually featured previously on a Hulk Omnibus book, but this is its first appearance as a comic cover. It’s also a virgin cover, my first. I make a point of collecting any comics that are an homage to Incredible Hulk #1. I’ll likely never own an Issue of #1, so I kind of make up for it by buying the ones that reference it.

 

As usual Alex Ross’s work is exceptional and striking. I may be biased but if you are going to buy any variants of this issue you won’t be disappointed with Ross.

That being said they are sold out on the website so you’ll have to look at the secondary market which has slightly jacked up the prices. Though last I checked was not as bad as it could be.

Get SMASHED!

 

 

Spirit of Vengeance (Red Hulk) #MP17-002 Heroclix

This is quite possibly one of the most insane Hulk transformations ever created. What you are looking at is indeed a Hulk…yes the Red Hulk…but a Hulk nonetheless. At least in part.

During the storyline titled “Circle of Four” or “Venom: Circle of Four” (I highly recommend you read this BTW – but warning its not exactly kid friendly) this form of the Hulk was revealed. He does not stick around long and only pops in near the end.

This form was brought forth due to the unlikely merging of Red Hulk, Venom…and Ghost Rider. Yep…those three. With all three put in a blender you get…Spirit of Vengeance, a large spiky flaming skull-beast complete with chains and riding a Harley straight from the 6th circle of Hell.

Easily said this whole series is metal-as-hell and can be summed up in his special catch phrase -“WE AM SMASH FOR VENGEANCE!”

As of this writing this is the only physical representation of this character. This heroclix is very well painted and sculpted. It includes many little details and is a rather fine representation of him from the comics. Released in 2017.

For a Hulk purist you might not be interested as this is barely a Hulk figure. But for those of you with darker sensibilities, or mutual fans of Ghostrider/Venom, then this figure should be part of your collection.

Average eBay Price:

• $30-40 loose or in-package (6/24/19)

 

Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross @ Dunn Museum 2019

On March 9th, 2019 the Dunn Museum in Libertyville, Illinois hosted the opening of an exhibition celebrating Marvelocity: The Art of Alex Ross.

This was incredibly exciting to me as I’ve only recently discovered this man’s work through his covers on Immortal Hulk. Learning that he physically paints his work blew my mind so I knew I had to meet him. So, of course, once I learned this was happening I made a point to be there bright and early.

I arrived at the gallery at opening time and took my time in absorbing the works on display. It was an assortment of items ranging from complete paintings to drawn boards and even sculptures he helped make.

He even had childhood items on display showing his early love for comic books. Many of these items were featured in his book, Marvelocity – released late 2018.

Not too long after I got into line to meet Alex as he was doing a signing later in the day. Though I had to wait a few hours (mostly handled by watching ‘The Avengers’ on my iPad) it was worth it.

It was so great to meet this guy. I was admittedly a bit starstruck so I regret not having a clear head to ask for a photo with him. Nonetheless I received his signature on a number of items including the official Dunn museum Hulk poster for the event, the Marvelocity book, and my copy of Immortal Hulk #14 (which released earlier that week).

 

The work of Alex Ross is amazing and I hope to find another opportunity to see him again. His body of work is incredible and as an aspiring artist myself he is truly inspirational.

If you happen to live in the area or plan to visit I highly recommend you visit this exhibit. It will be active until September 8th, 2019.

For more information: https://www.lcfpd.org/museum/exhibitions/