My Comic Life
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 14th, 2006
My sinister dark side (above) is given some cartoon life, circa 2000, by an unknown artist on Fox TV’s “Freaky Links” production team (who had just become famous for their Blair Witch Horror).
It is weird to see yourself through others’ eyes and realize the vision can be so similar, or not, among different artists. I’ve been on television, my photograph is not rare, and yet, here’s how artists, years apart, “see me.”
In 2004, racing through the pages of Swamp Thing #7 and #8, I was depicted as “Coleman Wadsworth,” cryptozoologist (above and directly below, running for my life from the Swamp Thing).
The story is by Will Pfeifer and art by Richard Corben. My end is death in #8 at the hands of a villian, but I was told by the comic book people that characters do come back to life, so not to worry.
Click on image for full-size version
Above, created by artist Tom Holtkamp, circa 1999, is an unpublished full panel (only revealed if you click on it). The comic itself is still in development and pre-production hell. This is an early version of what I think of as “Trenchcoat Loren.”
Above, the new old Loren has been created by artist Peter Loh, 2006, for the Crypto-Man comic series. Scott Marlowe is Crypto-Man; my character is an investigative guest.
Updated Image for 2007 from Peter Loh.
These are just too priceless. Evidently artists are fond of drawing the purely awesome subjects like you.
When go, Loren, you will have left a body of fine work that should transcend any comic interpretation of your looks. After all, if your life becomes a movie, maybe Tom Cruise Jr. will get the role!
That’s EXACTLY how I remember Loren from that blazing hot day in the woods of Turner, Maine. Great illustrations. I think they captured your true soul.
You really do look fun to draw for some reason though.
That hat really does it. You must get one!
Just admit it, Loren. You love this. It’s OK. Acknowledgement is the first step on the road to seeing sasquatch.
Never denied I didn’t appreciate the public persona, as long as I don’t lose track that that’s not entirely all of me.
:-)
This is true fame, you know, being a comic book character. Who could ever ask for more?!
These pictures destroy the Loren Coleman myth. Do you realize how many people think you’re a middle-aged mom doing this in her spare time?
This myth is only popular among the newbs, btw. >_>
You go, Loren! But you haven’t really made it until you are in Mad magazine! Keep up the good work and maybe one day…
You’d better come up with a signature look that you’ll be happy with. A hat gives an Indiana Jones look but that’s been done. If you had a trademark gimmick, it would draw public attention on you. How about starting a poll amongst us what your trademark should be and posting pictures of the top five suggestions for a final vote.
The hat in the last drawing is *straight* out of Indiana Jones. I recently picked one up myself, to wear with my WWII bomber jacket. You look good in that hat, Loren - consider picking one up off of eBay.
Peter and I had real trepidations about how to portray Loren. Since we never envisioned him as a villain, we wanted something that conveyed his “natural persona”.
We settled on a role that was a bit X-Files — Cigarette Smoking Man. But, given that the strip is for kiddies, as well as the young at heart, we didn’t want to associate Loren with tobacco products. So Loren became an informant (taking his Cryptomundo connection as a base) who works both sides of the aisle. He’s an operative for the government and the society of cryptids — but the government doesn’t know about his cryptid affiliations.
Peter and I envision Loren in a recurring role and have no plans to “kill Loren off” as in other of his comic incarnations — until Loren says he wants out of the strip.
Actually, Indy wasn’t the inspiration for the hat — that’s from Bogart as is the Trench Coat.
Personally, I like the topmost one best. Captures your eyes well. As for the hat and trenchcoat, well, it was bound to happen. Everyone knows investigators always wear hats and trenchcoats (I know I do).
the entire reason i got into cryptozoology was to own a fedora and trenchcoat.