Goku

Technique: Pencils (Prismacolor)
Size: 33x38cm
Soft pastels for the background

Son Goku (孫 悟空 Son Gokū?), better known as simply Goku, is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Dragon Ball manga series written by Akira Toriyama. He is based on Sun Wukong, a main character in the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. Goku is introduced in chapter #1 Bulma and Son Goku (ブルマと孫悟空 Buruma to Son Gokū?), originally published in Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine on December 3, 1984, as an eccentric, monkey-tailed boy who practices martial arts and possesses superhuman strength. Goku is initially believed to be an Earthling, but is later revealed to be a member of an extraterrestrial warrior race called the Saiyans. He later discovers his birth name, Kakarrot (カカロット Kakarotto?).

In Dragon Ball, Goku trains himself in martial arts in his deceased grandfather's mountain home. He meets Bulma who is searching for the Dragon Balls. Bulma notices Goku's power and asks Goku to join her after explaining the legend of the wish-granting Dragon Balls. As Goku matures, he becomes one of the universe's mightiest warriors and protects his adopted home planet, Earth, from villains who wish to harm it. Goku is depicted as carefree and aloof when at ease but quickly serious and strategic-minded when fighting. Goku is able to concentrate his Ki and use it for devastatingly powerful energy-based attacks, the most prominent being his signature Kamehameha technique, in which Goku launches a blue energy blast from his palms.

As the protagonist, Goku appears in most of the episodes, films, television specials, and OVAs of the manga's anime adaptations Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, as well as many of the franchise's video games. Due to the series' international popularity, Goku has become one of the most recognizable and iconic anime characters in the world. Outside the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku has made cameo appearances in Toriyama's self-parody series Neko Majin Z, has been the subject of other parodies, and has appeared in special events. Most Western audiences were introduced to the adult version of Goku appearing in the Dragon Ball Z anime, itself an adaptation of Dragon Ball manga volumes 17-42, as opposed to his initial child form, due to the limited success of the first series overseas.[1] Goku's critical reception has been largely positive and he has been recognized as the greatest manga/anime character of all time.

Joker Sketch

The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain appearing in DC Comics publications. The character was created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, and first appeared in Batman #1 (Spring 1940). Credit for the character's creation is disputed; Kane and Robinson claimed responsibility for the Joker's design, but acknowledged Finger's writing contribution. Although the Joker was planned to be killed off during his initial appearance, he was spared by editorial intervention, allowing the character to endure as the archenemy of the superhero Batman.

In his comic-book appearances, the Joker is portrayed as a criminal mastermind. Introduced as a psychopath with a warped, sadistic sense of humor, the character became a goofy prankster in the late 1950s in response to Comics Code Authority regulation before returning to his darker roots during the early 1970s. As Batman's nemesis, the Joker has been part of many of the superhero's defining stories (including the paralysis of Batman's ally, Batgirl, and the murder of Jason Todd, Batman's ward and the second Robin). The Joker has had a number of origin stories during his seven decades in publication. The most common has him falling into a tank of chemical waste which bleaches his skin white, turns his hair green and his lips bright red; the resulting disfigurement drives him insane. The antithesis of Batman, the Joker is considered by critics his perfect adversary.

One of the most iconic characters in popular culture, the Joker has been cited as one of the greatest comic-book villains and fictional characters ever created. He appears in a variety of merchandise, such as clothing and collectable items, real-world structures (such as theme park attractions) and references in a number of media. The Joker has been Batman's adversary in live-action and animated incarnations, including the 1960s Batman television series (played by Cesar Romero) and in film by Jack Nicholson in 1989's Batman and Heath Ledger in 2008's The Dark Knight (earning Ledger a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor). Mark Hamill, Brent Spiner,Michael Emerson and others have voiced the animated character.