It’s now Day Three of this year’s Jack Kirby Tribute Month, focused on Fantastic Four-related characters. And today’s prompt is none other than the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed Thing himself!
It’s been said that every superhero group needs a super-strong character. And Ben Grimm definitely fills that bill. But he’s more than that. His powers came with an obvious cost, and there’s a sadness and regret that periodically come out (something that some later writers have tended to forget or neglect over the years). He’s got a rough exterior (literally!), but a big heart. Strong as he is, sometimes the Thing would be in situations where he was beyond his limits. But he never would stop trying. And in a tough situation, he’s definitely the sort of person you would want backing you up.
One more member of the group to go tomorrow!
As a youngster picking up two copies of FF #1, I clearly remember what an easy read the FF comics were. In fact, all the early Marvel material, even Thor, was immersible because it was not much of a leap to personalize the stories. Any literature that grabs me goes so for that reason.
For a youngster feeling on the outside, not being included can be lonely. Having someone in the books juggling that same difficulty can both lesson on the fact you are not alone and that even physical strength may not be the ticket out. Even Thor, with his off-putting flowery language had struggles. Not sure if the early Stan writing had that in mind, but there were therapeutic benefits.
However, the writing could only make that experience go so deep. The art needed to accentuate the emotion.
The piece you did today accomplishes that beautifully. There is the Thing carrying (and I do not mean this literally) the world on his back. Great choice. Thanks.
Glad you like this one! The Thing is not the easiest character to draw.
My friend and mentor Larry Houston (producer/director on X‑Men: The Animated Series) once told me that when he was a kid, one of the things he liked about reading The Amazing Spider-Man was that, “No matter how bad a day you had in school, Peter Parker had it worse!”