Monster Mania Artist Commentary - Melt Man
The first batch of Monster Mania drawings were created in the fall of 2017. One of those drawings was called “Melt Man” and featured a radioactive skull with melting flesh. At the time it was one of my favorite drawings in the series. In 2021, I gazed at that irradiated skull and the little voice inside my head said “You can draw this better.” I like to believe that my drawing skills have improved with each new drawing. To be honest, that little voice is always screaming inside my skull. I constantly fight the urge to revisit all of my old drawings and George Lucas them to death. It would be easy to get trapped inside a Star Trek style time loop and just keep drawing the same 10 drawings over and over and over again. The original “Melt Man” was different because it was hastily drawn and considerably less refined than all of the other drawings in the Monster Mania series. The drawing stood out because it didn’t fit the aesthetic of the other drawings.
The new “Melt Man” drawing is more polished, more detailed and more vibrant. I went a little crazy with the Kirby Krackle on this one. Drawing Kirby Krackle is really fun. Is the new “Melt Man” a better drawing than the original “Melt Man?” I honestly don’t know. I like both drawings. The original drawing has charm. The crudeness of the drawing gives it energy. The drawing is moody and expressive and gritty. But I think the new drawing is a better fit with the Monster Mania series.