Here's the other Star Wars PSC pano that my good friend Derek gifted me- one of the greatest duos in the history of movies- Han Solo and Chewbacca! I forgot to mention this in my last post, but this card (and the Yoda/R2D2 card from the prior post) were done by Mike on Derek's own personal card stock. That's right- Derek is such a dedicated sketch card collector he had his own sketch card stock made with a custom designed front and back. Too cool!

   As for the card, yet again Mike just knocked this one out of the park with such wonderful detail. The expressions on Han and Chewy's faces are sensational- especially Chewy giving his guttural Wookie growl/yell. Mike also nailed it on this sketch with the colors he used. I also love how Mike did the welding goggles on both Han and Chewy- they look perfect.

Sorry for such a long time in between posts. When I get low on sketch cards to write about I lose focus. Mike's cards aren't easy to pick up on a budget, so I get them when I can. Hopefully I can post more often. Anyways, thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #empirestrikesback #hansolo #harrisonford #chewy #chewbacca #milleniumfalcon

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

   Sorry that it's been a few weeks since my last post. I'm running low on inventory and Mike's cards aren't easy to pick up on a budget. Sometimes, when you least expect it, cards find you. Or in this case, it's nice to have great friends. I have a friend named Derek, he's a mega sketch card collector who's the biggest Empire Strikes Back fan that I know. I think he could quote the whole movie line for line if need be. He commissioned Mike to do two cards recently and he gifted them to me! Anyone who reads this blog knows that my favorite Star Wars scenes are the ones with Yoda (my favorite character) on Dagobah. So it's fitting that this first sketch card is just that- Yoda and R2D2 fighting over a light when Luke first (unbeknownst) meets Yoda on Dagobah. It's also on Widevision stock, which along with panoramic are my favorite card stocks. 

   Mike put a lot of detail into this sketch. I particularly like the shading, as I have always been fascinated at how great artists like Mike know exactly how to do the shading and highlights to enhance a sketch and make it even that much better. This scene always cracks me up in the movie- R2 staunchly defending his owner's stuff, and Yoda pushing the boundaries to see how Luke will react (hint: mostly like a whiny baby lol). Great stuff by Mike! 

   So thanks again to Derek for this week's card (and one more to be revealed soon), and thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #yoda #masteryoda #jedimaster #jedi #r2d2 #artoo #droid #astromech #empirestrikesback #Dagobah #lukeskywalker #jediapprentice 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    So, one last sketch in my big Duron sketch card trade. This one comes from another one of my favorite sets- 2009 Clone Wars Widevision, and it follows the same theme as the sketch in my last post- Bounty Hunters! This one is an awesome full color sketch of IG-88/Cad Bane/Aurra Sing. 

   Some background, that if you've read my blog you may already know. 2008 Clone Wars was the first Star Wars product I ever opened. I enjoyed the movie and when I found out Topps was making a card product for the movie that had sketch cards I ordered my first case. Cards were so reasonable back then. An 8 box case cost me $280. Down the rabbit hole of Star Wars cards I went. After the Clone Wars movie came the Clone Wars TV show. And in 2009 Topps put out their Clone Wars Widevision set. I had a few products under my belt by then- most notably Galaxy 4, so I went all in on Clone Wars Widevision. I ordered 4 cases from my local card shop. I loved the product. So being able to get this card in this trade thrilled me.

    Looking at the sketch, I love how Mike draws IG-88's head extra skinny while drawing Cad Bane's hat extra wide. And the looks on the characters faces show that these Bounty Hunters are all business. Speaking of the looks on their faces, is it just my imagination or do all 3 characters have the same scowl with their mouths? Also, it's great that this sketch was done on a Widevision card because the characters don't have to be bunched together. Mike also added the yellow background which gives the card some depth. Overall, just another great card!

    Well, that's all for today so thanks to all for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #clonewars #bountyhunter #ig88 #cadbane #aurrasing 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Sorry for being a bit lackadaisical with the blog the past two weeks- I've been mega busy here and have done a bad job with time management.

   That being said, let's get down to business. I'm still working my way thru the cards that I got in the big trade I made. Today card is another amazing one. It's a trio of Bounty Hunters on a 2010 Empire Strikes Back 3D Widevision card- Bossk/Boba Fett/Dengar. And while it's not a color sketch (yet), it sure is badass! These guys are all business. Bossk with his toothy grin, Dengar with his quiet stare, and Boba Fett with his steely resolve. Bad guys always make for great sketch cards!

   As I have said many times, I love Widevision cards because they give artists extra room to work. Could Mike do these 3 characters on a regular size sketch card? Most definitely. But they'd probably be a lot more mashed together. And while many sketch cards collectors aren't the biggest fans of Widevision cards because they are harder to store, in my mind the bigger sketches outweigh the storage issue. 

   So still one more sketch to go from this trade for next week, and it's.. guess what? Another Widevision sketch! Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #widevision #empirestrikesback #bountyhunter #bossk #bobafett #dengar #hesnogoodtomedead 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    The second card in my big trade is from the Revenge of the Sith Widevision set. I'm always a big fan of the Widevision cards as they give the artist more space to work. And this card (along with the other two that I'll reveal in the next two weeks) all have multiple characters. This one is a classic "Bad Guys" sketch!

   From front to back: Grand Moff Tarkin, Darth Sidious, and Darth Vader. You can definitely see that Mike uses his caricature and Sugar Boogerz styles on this one. I love the exaggerated forehead on Grand Moff Tarkin and the elongated mouthpiece on Vader. And Tarkin and Sidious' eyes are definitely Sugar Boogerz style. The background gives the effect that the trio is walking, and Tarkin with his hand on his chin gives off the vibe that he's in deep thought. Any time I'm able to pick up a Duron sketch with great characters like this it's a huge plus in my book. Stay tuned for the next two weeks as they both give off the same vibes that this sketch does, and they share a common theme.

   Sorry for the shortness of this post, but it's been a busy day and I wanted to squeeze it in before the day ends. To all who stop by to read it, thanks!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #revengeofthesith #grandmofftarkin #darthsidious #emperorpalpatine #palpatine #sithlord #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #anakinskywalker 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

   Well, the big trade that I was talking about in my posts back in late March and April was put into motion recently, and I  got the cards from my end of the deal the  other day. I'm excited about all four  cards that I traded for, each for different reasons. This first card, because I have never owned a Duron sketch from this set- 2015 Topps Star Wars "Rebels". This set was retail only, and I have literally never seen a box. Sketch cards were extremely rare (1:421 packs or approximately 1 in every 18 boxes). Add to that the fact that only 25 artists worked on the set, so I feel lucky to just have this card. 

   I'll admit it, "Rebels" was a little tough for me to get into at first. I streamed season one then literally didn't watch another episode for about a year. Then a friend told me to give it another try, that the show got better as it went along. I did, and it definitely picked up. Today's sketch is the Grand Inquistor, who was a Pau'an male Jedi Knight who turned to the Dark Side. He was the leader of the Inquisitorius, a band of Jedi Hunters who served the Galactic Empire, and he personally served Sith Lord Darth Vader. The Grand Inquisitor had multiple run ins with Jedi Kanan Jarrus and his Padawan Ezra Bridger. After Kanan bested him on Mustafar, the Grand Inquisitor chose to fall to his death instead of facing the wrath of Vader. 

   Mike really captured the essence of the Grand Inquisitor in this sketch. The beady angry eyes and the grimacing scowl on his face. It shows the Inquisitor's anger and determination, right on the verge of hate. Maybe not on the verge- maybe it's over that line. Add in the lightsaber and the cool background and this card is just fantastic!

   Well that's it for today so thanks to all for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #rebels #grandinquisitor #kananjarrus #kanan #jedimaster #ezrabridger #jediapprentice #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithlord

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    The final comic book cover Mike did for me was a re-creation of a Galaxy 4 Return card from 2009 on a Darth Vader #1 comic book. It was a fantasy mash-up of Darth Vader and Darth Maul with lightsabers crossed. One thing I liked about the original card and now the comic book cover is the look on Darth Maul's face- the scowl and the look of determination (or maybe it's contempt.. or hate). Mike killed it on the details of this cover. I love how he did Maul's horns and just his coloring and markings in general. Mike also did a great job of showing Vader's dominating height, not to mention his impressive detailing on his helmet and suit. Plus I have always liked how Mike draws lightsabers, and this one with the lightsabers clashing is really fantastic. One last thing- the background color. It makes me wonder if Vader is back on Mustafar for another fight? He couldn't beat Obi-Wan so maybe he wanted some sparring practice with Darth Maul. 

Mike definitely hit a homerun with this one! Oh well that's it for today, so thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketch #sketch #comicbook #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #Sithlord #darthmaul #lightsabers 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio  

    2008 Indiana Jones Masterpieces was the third Indiana Jones product that Topps had put out that year ("Heritage" and "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" being the first two). People were burnt out so pre-sell orders were low, but when it was released something was immediately evident- the product was LOADED with sketches, including something new.. panoramic sketch cards. Double the size! So much room for an artist to create, so for an artist like Mike who absolutely loves Indiana Jones, I would think it was love at first sight.

   I haven't seen every panoramic sketch that Mike did for this set, but I will say this one is exceptional. Shortround is such a great character from "Temple of Doom", and when you add in the elephant and the jungle background it makes this card a homerun in my book. Shortround exudes joy with his smile and his outstretched arms. Mike spares no details, even giving Shortround his N.Y. Yankees ballcap. And how cute is that elephant with the big eyes? I also love how Mike did the elephant's trunk and his ears, and as always Mike does a great job with shading and defining details. 

   This card quickly became one of my favorite Indiana Jones sketches. Well, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#indianajones #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch  #raidersofthelostark #indianajonesandthetempleofdoom #indianajonesandthelastcrusade #indianajonesandthekingdomofthecrystalskull #shortround 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    I bought two return cards off Mike back in 2008 from the Clone Wars movie product- the Sith trio that I showed in this blog two weeks ago, and also one of Star Wars most famous droid pair- R2D2 and C-3PO. 

   I think if you asked Mike today, he would probably disown the original sketch lol. His art got so much more refined in the following years. But I really loved that original sketch. C-3PO is so cartoony, which I really like. Obviously his new stuff is better, but that early stuff will always have a special place in my heart. 

   As for the new comic book that he recreated from this card, he really upgraded the look and it came out fantastic. He also filled in the dead space behind the droids with the Death Star, which looks awesome. Mike also added a lot more detail on both R2 and C-3PO, and he definitely got the color spot on with C-3PO. I love it!

Well, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #customcomicbook #r2d2 #c3po #artoo #threepio #deathstar

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

   There are so many great scenes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy that it's hard to pick a favorite. I could easily pick 20 or 30. Mike did a bunch of scene sketches for Masterpieces II, and today's sketch is a very cool one.

   Aragorn had been hesitant throughout the trilogy to step into the role of his lineage- being Isildur's heir he had claim to the King of Gondor. After Elrond visits Aragorn at Dunharrow and gives him the sword Anduril, forged from the shards of the sword Narsil, Aragorn finally embraces his heritage and enlists the Army of the Dead to fight against Sauron's Army. When Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrive with the Army of the Dead, Aragorn leads the charge. One thing that has always made me laugh (in a good way) about Mike's sketching a dead character is he always uses X's for the eyes. And as with any of Mike's scene sketches, you can look at it and be transported right to that scene in the movie. I love it!

   Well, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#lordoftherings #lotr #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #aragorn #viggomortensen #armyofthedead 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio  

   

    I bought my first Return card off Mike in 2008 from "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" movie that was released in August of that year. Actually I bought two off him from that set. I was newly into sketch cards, just having discovered them on Ebay earlier that year. I joined a message board called 'Scoundrel Art Community' because I needed help identifying artists and characters, and the people on Scoundrel Art were amazingly helpful. I quickly found out that a lot of the sketch card artists were also on there. I didn't even know what a "return card" was at first. What I found out was, part of Topps agreement with the artists for compensation was that the artists could designate a set amount of cards to be returned to them (instead of being pack inserted) and the artist could sell these cards for as much as they could get. To cut to the chase, Mike posted his returns for sale, and I was lucky enough to grab two of them. Now as much as I had appreciated the artwork from day one of seeing sketch cards, I didn't have the financial means to actually collect. I would rip a case of one product and sell the hits to finance the next product. For the longest time Mike's cards were the exception. Those I always planned to keep, always wanted to keep. But sometimes life gets in the way when it comes to finances, and I ended up selling a majority of those cards from Mike over the years. I have a ton of seller's regret and remorse, but I did take solace in the fact that I knew the cards were going to hard core collectors who loved the cards. 

   Fast forward to 2015 and I discover something new (for me).. custom comic book covers. Some issues of certain comic books are made with blank covers so you can get the artist of your choice to draw whatever you want on the cover. Cool! I bought some comic book blank covers when Marvel released Star Wars #1 in I believe January of 2015. First artist I asked for a cover.. Michael Duron. He did a great Luke Skywalker for me. Also got covers done by Katie Cook, Rhiannon Owens, George Davis, Kevin Doyle, Jeff Chandler and other artists that I like. 

   Fast forward again to last year. Actually I had been running this idea thru my brain for a few years, but it didn't get put into motion until last summer. I asked Mike if he would re-create the return cards that I had bought off him (and sold) onto blank comic book covers. That way I would have a reminder of those cards, albeit on a different form. Bonus was, these were BIGGER versions of those cards, so I liked that. Fast forward again 11 months and I have the first three in hand. I got Mike to do the two Clone Wars returns, and the Galaxy 4 return that I had gotten off him in 2009. Here's the first one- a Sith group portrait of Darth Sidious, Count Dooku, and Asajj Ventress! I loved the original card and I'll include a picture of it under the new comic book cover version. I think it's brilliant!

   I'll have a few more of these to show off in the upcoming weeks. Until then, thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #comicbook #blankcomicbook #sith #sithlord #sithapprentice #Palpatine #darthsidious #countdooku #asajjventress 

    There are many haters out there for the Star Wars prequels, but I took them for what they were- backstory for the original trilogy. Was the acting bad? Yeah, some of it was. Were a few of the characters annoying? Yeah, a few of them were. But there were also some very cool characters and backstories that came out of the prequels.

   Boba Fett has been a Star Wars favorite since the Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978. Boba Fett was one of the most feared Bounty Hunters in the Galaxy. And we find out in the prequels that he (and his father Jango Fett) were clones that were made on Kamino. In "Empire Strikes Back" we see Boba in his Mandalorian armor, a silent but ruthless Bounty Hunter. It's not until the prequels that we find out where and why he got his steely resolve. Boba watched his father Jango die at the hands of the Jedi Mace Windu. 

   This leads me to today's sketch- Jango and his young son Boba. I love the details, shading, and the color that Mike used in this sketch. I don't know if this is a specific scene, but if it is I would think it was when Jango and Boba were getting ready to flee Kamino in Jango's ship 'Slave I'. This sketch is from 2013 Star Wars Galactic Files Series 2. 

   That's all for today. Thanks all for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #bobafett #jangofett #bountyhunter #kamino #slave1 #macewindu #jedimaster #jedi #prequels #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #revengeofthesith

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    This is part two of last week's blog post. When I was on my last Disney trip I asked Mike to do both my first and last names on "nameplate" art- and I chose my two favorite movie genres for each one. My first name was "Star Wars" themed, and my last name "Lord of the Rings" themed!

   In case it hasn't become painfully obvious, I'm a huge "Lord of the Rings" fan. I started playing Dungeons and Dragons back in 1980 and "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" remind me of Dungeons and Dragons. 

   Anyways, back to the nameplate. I love it! Gandalf and the Balrog as the "B", Gimli and the Eye of Sauron as the "A", "Legolas" as the "K", and silhouettes of the Fellowship, a Nazgul, and the One Ring for the "E" and "R". Add in Frodo and Gollum hanging out on the fringe, and the chain for the ring weaving thru the picture and it's just one great piece of art. Mike definitely hit it out of the Park with both pieces!

   Well, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#lordoftherings #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #gandalf #gandalfthegrey #gandalfthewhite #balrog #gimli #gimlisonofgloin #eyeofsauron #legolas #fellowshipofthering #thetwotowers #returnoftheking #frodobaggins #frodo #gollum #smeagol #myprecious

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    I try to do a blog post every Wednesday, but I was under the weather part of last week and it completely slipped my mind until the next day. So if anyone did visit the page looking for a post last week, I'm sorry that I didn't have anything prepared.

   This week's blog is something a little different. This is a piece of personal art that Mike did for me on my last vacation to Disney World. Mike was working at the Festival of the Arts in Epcot when I got to Disney, and he was doing what I believe he calls "Nameplate art". He takes your name, and uses an art theme (of your choice) while drawing the letters. Being a big Star Wars fan, I asked him to use it as the theme. As usual, Mike blew me away! Chewbacca as the first letter "D", a Stormtrooper as the "A", crossed lightsabers as the "V", Darth Vader and the Death Star as the "i", Boba Fett as the second "D", and R2D2 and C-3PO just hanging out. I love it!

   Well, that's it for today so thanks to all for stopping by and reading. Be safe and be healthy.

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketch #sketch #chewbacca #chewy #stormtrooper #lightsabers #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #sithlord #deathstar #bobafett #r2d2 #c3po

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    The last member of the Fellowship, and personally one of my favorite characters: Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck. Merry was best friends with Pippin and also one of Frodo's closest friends, and was also Frodo's first cousin once removed. I think that the movies really shortchange Merry. In the Book, Merry is Frodo's protector after Bilbo's birthday party. He organized the Hobbits packs and ponies as they were fleeing the Shire. His shortcut thru the Old Forest put distance between them and the Nazgul. And he was seen in Rivendell studying maps and plotting their path. He even led the Hobbits revolt against Saruman in the Scouring of the Shire after the Hobbits returned to the Shire. These are just a few of the incidents that weren't included or emphasized in the movies.

   Merry was played masterfully by Dominic Monaghan in Peter Jackson's trilogy. For me, Monaghan acting shines in every scene he is in. I always joke about the final scene where Frodo is saying goodbye, how Merry looks totally heartbroken, and how Pippin has a look on his face that (to me) says "with Frodo gone that leaves more female hobbits for me" lol. I think Billy Boyd is a great actor too, but Monaghan just has a way of becoming totally engrossed in the character he plays like only the greatest actor can do. 

   So for me, I saved the best for last. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#lordoftherings #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #meriadocbrandybuck #merry #dominicmonaghan #hobbit #fellowshipofthering #thetwotowers #returnoftheking #pippin #billyboyd #gandalf #aragorn #frodobaggins #samwisegamgee #aragorn #legolas #gimli #boromir #lordelrond #bilbobaggins 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    Card #4 and the final card in my big Duron sketch card trade. In case you haven't been following along, I was able to pick up 4 sketches for another big Michael Duron collector who has a big collection of Mike's cards from two specific Star Wars sets (2012 Galactic Files and 2013 Galactic Files Series 2). Normally I don't trade my Duron sketches, but in specific situations where a collector that I know and respects has a specific focus (either a character or set), I'm willing to trade something in my Duron collection. It also eases the pain when I get something cool by Mike in return.

   So back to this final card. Admiral Ozzel. I didn't know much about Admiral Kendal Ozzel until I did some research for this post. He's most remembered for getting telekinetically killed by Vader aboard Vader's ship- the Star Dreadnought "Executor". Before being promoted to Fleet Commander, Ozzel was being investigated by Mara Jade who believed Ozzel to be either disloyal or dim-witted. Mara Jade thought Lord Vader should keep an eye on Ozzel, and Naval Command agreed with her and promoted him to be the captain of Vader's personal ship. It appears Mara Jade was right about the dim-witted assertion, as his blunder of coming out of hyperspace too close to Hoth alerted the Rebels and allowed some of them to escape (Ghost Ben: "Luke... go to the Dagobah system..."). 

What's not to like about this sketch? Ozzel in a defiant stance. His short cap riding high on his oversized head. Those piercing blue eyes. And of course the candy corn and gum drop in the foreground as is typical of many of Mike's Sugar Boogerz sketches. Just a great sketch. 

   Well, that's all for today. You've seen the four cards that I'm trading, as soon as I get the cards in return I'll start posting them. They're coming from overseas, so not sure when that will be. Until then, thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #empirestrikesback #hoth #admiralozzel #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #Sithlord #jamesearljones #davidprowse #marajade #lukeskywalker #jediapprentice #jedimaster #jedi #dagobah #Yoda #masteryoda #sugarboogerz 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Card #3 in my big trade is this beauty of Zam Wesell, the assassin hired by Jango Fett to kill Padme Amidala on Coruscant in "Attack of the Clones". Zam was a shapeshifter who could assume any humanoid form. She was pursued by Anakin and Obi-Wan who finally caught up to her in the Outlander Club. She tried to escape, but in the end she was killed by Jango. 

   Mike drew Zam in the attractive human persona that she had chosen to blend in at the club. After Jango killed her with a Kiminoan dart, Zam reverts back to her actual Clawdite form. As the other Galactic Files cards from this trade, Mike did his Sugar Boogerz style, which always includes characters with big heads, eyes set far apart, and of course candy corn and gumdrops on the card. I also like that Mike did a border on a lot of the cards from this set. 

   That's it for today so thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #zamwesell #assassin #anakin #anakinskywalker #obiwan #obiwankenobi #jedimaster #jediapprentice #attackoftheclones #sugarboogerz 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Back to the big trade. This will be card #2 going in the trade. 

   Watto. On Tatooine, Watto was a Toydarian junk dealer in Mos Espa. He bought Anakin and his mother Shmi off one of the Hutts, and Anakin worked for him. Watto loved to gamble, and he ended up losing Anakin in a podrace bet to Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin returned to Tatooine years later with Padme to look for his mother Shmi and found out Watto had sold her to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars. I think he is a great minor character in "The Phantom Menace", and Mike does a fantastic job drawing him in this sketch. Watto was made to be a Sugar Boogerz sketch- short and squat with wings, Mike makes his head oversized as he does with all of his Sugar Boogerz sketches, and it looks awesome. Another characteristic of his Sugar Boogerz sketches are the eyes set wide apart, and of course the candy set into the background with candy corn being Mike's favorite. Just a great sketch overall. 

   That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #watto #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #revengeofthesith #anakinskywalker #anakin #sithlord #sithapprentice #darthvader #shmiskywalker #podrace #padmeamidala #tatooine

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Continuing my post from last week, I'm on the verge of making a big 3 person trade between collectors who all love Mike's sketches. Last week's post featured a card that I traded, while today's post and the next 3 weeks posts will all be cards that I got in trade but won't have long- they are headed to a collector who collects Mike's sketches from two specific sets- 2012 Galactic Files and 2013 Galactic Files Series II. 

   Mike did sketches in his Sugar Boogerz style for those two sets, and today's sketch is a standout. It's from "A New Hope" and features Princess Leia in her cell with Stormtroopers looking in on her.  Leia's pointing up at one of the Stormtroopers, who is short in stature ("Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?"). I like that Leia also has a smirk on her face- that's so fitting for her attitude in that movie. The whole sketch is just drawn to perfection, from her hair to her eyes and how she's sitting and leaning on one arm. He even drew the Stormtroopers with the same split eyes as Leia. Just an awesome sketch! 

   Check back next week for card #2 from this set. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #princessleia #leia #carriefisher #stormtroopers #lukeskywalker #anewhope 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    It takes a lot nowadays for me to trade a Michael Duron sketch from my collection. There's two situations where I'll consider it. Either 1) I'm trading a Duron for a Duron, or 2) a Collector is a specific character or set collector, AND they are willing to trade a different Duron to me for one(s) that fit into their collection. I've been working on a trade for some time- my good friend Brian collects Mike's pano sketches from the Star Wars Illustrated sets, and I had one. It's the sketch that is today's blog subject, and Brian has wanted to add it to his collection for awhile. I wasn't sure what to ask in return, and then I was talking to another Duron collector and his focus was on Mike's sketches from the 2012 and 2013 Galactic Files sets. Turned out my friend Brian had four sketches by Mike from those sets. This eased the pain of trading this great pano, knowing that I was trading a Duron (and a few other sketches) to Brian for 4 Duron sketches, even if they would only be in my possession for a short time, as I would be trading these 4 Duron sketches for different Duron sketches. Confused yet? Hopefully the blog posts the next few weeks will help. Today's sketch comes from Star Wars Illustrated The Empire Strikes Back and features Han Solo punching Lando Calrissian. This sketch is fantastic- great characters in a great scene, and Mike just nails every aspect of it.  Literally, they don't get much better than this one. But it will take a special place in Brian's collection, and the 4 sketches he traded to me will take a special place in another collection, and in return I'll get back some amazing Durons for my collection. I promise you, it'll all make sense in the end. As for today's blog post sketch, it's already off to a great collection, so this is my send off. A blog post send-off. 

   Well, that's it for this week. Be sure to check back next week as I reveal another piece to this triple trade between Duron fans. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#Starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #empirestrikesback #hansolo #harrisonford #landocalrissian #billydeewilliams

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Back to the Fellowship. The final two members were also the youngest members of the Party. This included today's subject.. Peregrin Took, aka Pippin. Billy Boyd played Pippin in Peter Jackson's trilogy. To be honest, Pippin is one of my least favorite characters. Not because of Billy Body's acting- he did a great job. Pippin is the group screw-up. When he knocked the bucket and chain into the well in Moria and alerted the whole place to their presence.. well, that was a cringeworthy moment. But he also has some great lines in the movie.. "What about second breakfast?" is probably my favorite. He breaks down and tells Denethor the truth about Boromir even after Gandalf tells him not to speak.. and ends up getting drafted into the Army of Gondor for his trouble. 

   As for the sketch, Mike does a good job of capturing what I call Pippin's "sleepy eyed" look, which I'm sure is more of a byproduct of Billy Boyd's physical features than anything. Or maybe it's his need for second breakfast. 

   Whatever the case, that's all for today. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#lordoftherings #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #lotr #pippin #peregrinetook #fellowshipofthering #thetwotowers #returnoftheking #lordelrond #frodobaggins #bilbobaggins #samwisegamgee #aragorn #legolas #gimli #boromir #merry #gandalf #billyboyd

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    I got a late start so this will probably be a short entry. Today's sketch is an Anakin sketch from 2010 Star Wars Rise of the Bounty Hunters (some people call this set Clone Wars Season Two). I've never asked Mike about this set, but I think just from looking at the sketches his deadline was tight. Almost every sketch I've seen from that set by Mike are just inked and not colored, after he had done a lot of color sketches for previous sets like Clone Wars Widevision and Galaxy 4. Mike put a decent amount of detail in them even if they aren't as refined as some of his other work. Like on this sketch, I like that Mike includes Anakin's scar and that he's holding a lightsaber- great touches for this card. Another thing that I like about sketches like these are I can usually pick them up for a fairly reasonable price. Full color, highly detailed sketches by Mike can sell for high prices, especially in today's market, and I'm usually priced out of those sketches. I have a very cool (and very similar) Obi Wan from this set that goes very nicely with this sketch. I'll try to post it soon.

   Well, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #anakinskywalker #anakin #jediapprentice #sithapprentice #darthvader #vader #lordvader #haydenchristensen #obiwankenobi #obiwan #lightsaber #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #revengeofthesith #clonewars #riseofthebountyhunters #ahsokatano #ahsoka

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio  

     I always thought Jedi Master Plo Koon looked cool and had the prototypical Jedi mentality. He was wise, he was always calm, he was a protector, and he was a leader. And I thought he was mega cool looking. Personally, my favorite thing about George Lucas' Prequels were all the cool Jedi he wrote into the stories. They're my favorite characters. If I could build my collection off of only one one type of character, it would be Jedi. Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Obi Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Qui-Gon Jinn, Shaak Ti, Kit Fisto, Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi... on and on. If my collection only contained Jedi, I would be a happy man.

   This sketch is another from the Revenge of the Sith Widevision set. I say it with every Widevision sketch I blog about- I love them because they give the artist more room to work. This one appears to be another in Mike's series of (what I call) "up close and personal" sketches from that set- head shots. I do like how Mike added a lightsaber to this one, as lightsabers always make a sketch better! And if I never mentioned it before, I like how Mike draws lightsabers- a little detail like the specks that Mike scatters along a lightsaber to me show off the energy of the weapon. Mike is great with the little details. Plo Koon has a really detailed face, and although Mike didn't do fine detail on all of it, I like that he did on one of Plo's coolest features- his eyes.

   That's all for today so thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #plokoon #jedimaster #jedi #georgelucas #lukeskywalker #luke #Yoda #obiwankenobi #obiwan #benkenobi #macewindu #quigonnjinn #shaakti, #kitfisto, #kiadimundi #lightsaber #revengeofthesith #anewhope #empirestrikesback #returnofthejedi #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #theforceawakens #thelastjedi #riseofskywalker 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Mike started transitioning to his Sugar Boogerz style I believe in 2012's Galaxy 7. That's the first set that I can remember firsthand seeing that style sketch cards. In fact, the last sketch that I blogged about in my original Locoduck blog was a Sugar Boogerz Darth Vader with two Snowtroopers.  

   Which leads us to this week's sketch, which ironically is a Sugar Boogerz Snowtrooper. This one is from 2014 Star Wars Chrome Perspectives. I picked this one up in a big sketch sale along with three other Durons. That was a great day for my collection! Normally I don't collect Trooper sketches, but I make exceptions for my favorite artist. And I like the fact that it's a Snowtrooper instead of just a plain old Stormtrooper. There are many cool things about the movie "The Empire Strikes Back", and Snowtroopers are one of them. George Lucas was a marketing genius with his Star Wars troopers. He had them for every weather condition and scenario. Me, I would have used Stormtroopers in every scenario. So thank you George Lucas. And I'll just say it now, Snowtroopers are my favorites. That being said, I'm also including a picture of that Galaxy 7 Darth Vader  w/Snowtroopers sketch that I mentioned earlier. 

   That's all for this week. Thanks all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #empirestrikesback #snowtrooper #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #Sithlord #jamesearljones #davidprowse #sugarboogerz @michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    If you follow this blog it's probably not much of a surprise to hear me say I like Mike's early stuff the best. It's a combination of the style and the fact that those were the first sketches by him I had seen. I got into the hobby with the 2008 "Clone Wars" product- the animated movie, of which I was a big fan. Obviously all those sketches were of animated characters. So when Topps announced it's next product.. Galaxy 4.. I was all in (well, all in for as much as I could afford). Being a noob to the hobby, at first I didn't realize how big of a deal this set was going to be. But I was frequenting the Scoundrel Art message boards multiple times daily, and I soon found out. People on there were FREAKING OUT! And when I say FREAKING OUT! I mean "running around screaming, hands in the air, then falling on their knees and crying, then curling up in the fetal position and sucking their thumb FREAKING OUT!" And looking back, that was the appropriate response. Not only was this the first Star Wars Galaxy product made by Topps in 14 years, Topps was loading it up with all kinds of goodies. One Sketch per box, for the first time ever (in a Star Wars product) Shaped (die-cut) Sketches, Printing Plates, Artist autographed cards, Retail only Sketches, Foil Art insert cards with bronze (1:box), gold (#/500), and refractor (1/1) versions, Etched Foil inserts with the chance (1:44,000 packs) to pull the original artwork done by Joe Corroney, Lost Galaxy inserts, Retail only (and mega rare to find now) Galaxy Evolution Foil insert cards, and the piece de resistance... Lost Yoda Reprints, and signed (by artist John Rheaume) Lost Yoda Reprint cards. When you look back it was mind-blowing. I think the artists doing sketch cards for the set also realized what a milestone set this would be, because previews we were seeing of artist approved cards on Scoundrel Art were top notch amazing!

   I, of course, was looking forward to seeing what my favorite artist was doing for that set, and Mike crushed it! Which leads us to today's card. This card was a gift from a good friend as part of a major trade deal we had worked out. He knew Yoda was my favorite character and this one, well.. what a scene! The death of Yoda. Luke Skywalker by his side, mourning the death of the Jedi Master who taught him most of what he knew about the Force. Pretty powerful piece.

   And it's not like this piece is loaded with fine detail- it's not, but Mike conveys the moment in a beautiful way. I love it and I hope you do too!

   Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! Stay safe and check me out again next week.

#starwars #michaelduron #locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #yoda #masteryoda #jedimaster #dagobah #lukeskywalker #luke #jediapprentice #jeditraining #topps #toppsgalaxyfour #favoriteartist 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Today's post is about one of the most beloved characters in all of Star Wars. A character who has been in (a tie for) the most Star Wars movies ever... ten (10). He was Luke's favorite companion, and although I have never understood a word he said I still think he's cool. He's my favorite droid and yours... R2D2! Or as R2 would say "boop beep beep boop!". 

   I picked up this Revenge of the Sith Widevision 3D sketch last year in (I believe) the Star Wars Card Collectors group on Facebook. Mike did a few of these "close up" views of characters for this set. In fact I believe I posted a General Grievous in this style a while back. I've probably said this before, but I'm a big fan of Widevision sketch cards because they give the artist more room to work. To be 100% honest, I'm not a huge fan of these close up sketches by Mike. Personally, I'd rather see the whole character, especially one like R2D2. But I still love having this sketch in my collection. 

   I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the actor who played R2D2 for most of his Star Wars movies- Kenny Baker. He passed away in 2016, but he was a key member of the core actors that made the original trilogy so special. Thanks Uncle Kenny.

   That's all for this week. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #r2d2 #artoo #r2 #kennybaker #anewhope #empirestrikesback #returnofthejedi #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #revengeofthesith #theforceawakens #thelastjedi #riseofskywalker #rogueone 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Months without a comic book cover post, and now two back-to-back. Truth be told, I just got this one in off Ebay last week and I might be trading it to a good friend as part of a 3 person trade, all parties Duron fans and all parties receiving Duron cards and or comics in the deal. But back to the custom comic book cover at hand..

   The Hulk has always been a favorite of mine since the Lou Ferrigno/Bill Bixby "The Incredible Hulk" TV show of the late 1970's- early 1980's. Yeah, you go back and watch it now and the special effects are almost laughable, but I was 10 years old when that show debuted and I thought it was awesome at the time! Plus that show is 44 years old, so cut it some slack lol. So I have been a big Hulk fan for a long time. I wasn't as much of a fan of the 2003 Eric Bana "Hulk" movie, but I did think the 2008 Marvel "The Incredible Hulk" movie with Ed Norton was pretty good. I know there are many haters of that movie out there, and maybe I liked it because I'm a fan of both Ed Norton and Liv Tyler, but there it is... I liked that movie. And of course the latest version of Hulk has been played brilliantly by Mark Ruffalo in various Marvel Avenger and Marvel superhero stand alone movies. I thought the Hulk stole the show in the first "Avengers" movie. Best line in the movie (in my opinion) was after Hulk ragdoll thrashed Loki in Tony Stark's building and as he walked away muttered "puny god". Two words bring a smile to any Hulk fan.. and those two words are "Hulk smash!"

   This custom comic book cover is from 2014, so not too long after the "Avengers" movie came out in 2012. I love how Mike drew Hulk- in all his glory! Mouth open, fists clenched... you can almost hear him say "Hulk smash!". One small detail that I also like is how low the Hulk's ears sit- kinda makes me laugh when I look at them. That's what Mike's art has always been about for me- it makes me smile. 

   Well that's all for today. I promise next week won't be a custom comic book cover, it'll be back to a card. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading!

#marvel #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #theincrediblehulk #thehulk #hulk #theavengers #markruffalo #edwardnorton #ericbana #louferrigno #billbixby #stanlee #jackkirby #ironman #captainamerica #thor #blackwidow #hawkeye #nickfury #loki #kevinfeige

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    So it's been awhile since I posted a custom Comic Book cover by Mike, but I just got a new one today (subject for a future post) so I thought I would reach into my small collection of them and bring one out for today's post. I honestly can't remember where I got this one at, but I believe it was an Ebay purchase. 

   This one is a Darth Vader and Stormtroopers on a Darth Vader #1 comic blank cover variant edition. Vader. Lightsaber. Stormtroopers. It's awesome! If you ever have the chance to commission an artist like Mike to do a custom comic book for you, go for it! At Cons, many artists will bring both blank cover comics ready for commissions, or comic books with the artwork already done and ready to buy. It's a fantastic way to support an artist you like. And there are many different comic book titles to choose from, so you can find a book for pretty much any character(s) you want drawn. 

   Back to today's comic book, it reminds  me a little of the opening scene of "A New Hope" where Vader was coming aboard Princess Leia's ship. I think all the shooting was over by the time Vader boarded the ship, so I don't remember him having his lightsaber drawn, but that's why I said it reminds me "a little" of that scene. I also like how Mike uses the familiar (to Star Wars fans) background designs on each side of the cover. Another thing I like is that Vader has his fist clenched as a signal of dominance, and it's very cool how Mike has Vader towering above the Stormtroopers, showing off his impressive size. And that brings me to my last point for this post- another big plus of getting a custom Comic Book cover is it's a bigger piece of artwork to enjoy. I love sketch cards, but there is so much room for an artist to work on when they do a comic book for you. 

   Well, that's all for this week. Thanks to all for stopping by and reading! 

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #darthvader #vader #lordvader #sithapprentice #Sithlord #jamesearljones #davidprowse  #Stormtroopers #lightsaber #anewhope #empirestrikesback #returnofthejedi #thephantommenace #attackoftheclones #revengeofthesith #theforceawakens #thelastjedi #riseofskywalker #rogueone #anakinskywalker #anakin #comicbook #comic 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

 

    Another recent pick-up and again from Topps first Indiana Jones set from 2008- Heritage. My last Indiana Jones post was a card from the very beginning of "Raiders of the Lost Ark", and this one is also very early on in the movie... Indy's "reunion" with Marion. 

IJ: "Hello Marion"

Marion: "Indiana Jones... always knew someday you'd come walkin' back thru my door" 

Okay, "reunion" might be a stretch. Indy turns his head after that line and she punches him in the face lol. Payback for young love gone astray. 

   I'm a big fan of when Mike "frames" in a sketch with a border, like he does with this sketch. I also like the perspective of this sketch- the far away shot so you can see the shadow on the wall. I went back and watched that scene today and Mike nailed it. I also like how Mike does the shadows in this sketch, as in the shadows on Marion's clothes and even in the top corner of the card. It's the little things like adding a shadow that make Mike a master of his craft. And this sketch was from 2008! He's gotten even better since then. 

   I've been a little under the weather today, so that's it for today. Thanks all for stopping by and reading!

#indianajones #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #raidersofthelostark #harrisonford #indy #marionravenwood  #marion #karenallen #indianajoneskingdomofthecrystallskull

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    More Chewbacca love!!! Who doesn't love Chewbacca? You in the back with your hand up... get out!

   If you go back to my "Chewbacca punch!" post from October 14th of last year, you saw five of Mike's versions of Chewbacca. A good friend of mine (Justin) traded me today's Chewbacca- It's an earlier one, from Galaxy 5. It's fun to see how Mike's style has morphed over the years. In fact, another good friend (Brian) has tried (so far unsuccessfully) to get me to do a blog post about Mike's style thru the years. I told him if he writes it, I will gladly take the credit and post it lol. This Chewbacca sketch isn't really detailed, but it doesn't have to be- it's still a great depiction of Chewy. I like how Mike almost always draws Chewbacca with the ammo belt around his shoulder. And this version of Chewbacca looks more like a dog than a Wookie. That's okay though. No matter what version he draws, Mike always finds a way to show the essence of a character. Maybe I'm biased. Okay, no maybe about it... I know I'm biased. Mike's art just speaks to me. 

   Anyways, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #chewbacca #chewy #petermayhew #anewhope #empirestrikesback #returnofthejedi #theforceawakens #thelastjedi #riseofskywalker #soloastarwarsstory

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio 

    Samwise Gamgee. "Sam". Frodo Baggins' best friend and gardener. Frodo's loyal companion, and some say the true hero of the Lord of the Rings saga. Sam was played on-screen in the latest Lord of the Rings trilogy by Sean Astin, and voiced by illustrious actor Roddy McDowall in the "Return of the King" animated movie in 1979. I have been a big Sean Astin fan since "The Goonies" and "Rudy". I do have to mention, since this is my blog, that Sean ripped my heart out at a Con in December of 2019. Sean and Billy Boyd were to be at Steel City Con outside of Pittsburgh so I bought tickets for the show and got a CUSTOM PIECE OF ARTWORK made by (you guessed it) Michael Duron featuring all 4 Hobbits of the Shire (Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin), and what did Sean Aston do? Cancelled on the show two days before the show started! Noooooooooooooo! I was bummed. Okay, enough of my personal Sean Astin tragic heartbreaking schedule changing disappointment. 

   One of Sam's greatest attributes is his loyalty. When Sam said he was going to show up somewhere, he did. He didn't let his Shire agent schedule a conflicting gardening job. He showed up! He didn't disappoint hundreds yea thousands of fans or Fellowship members, whichever the case may be. 

   That's all for today folks.. too many painful memories of a Sean Astin-less Con flooding my memories. 

#lordoftherings #michaelduron #Locoduck #locoduckduron #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #sketch #fellowshipofthering #thetwotowers #returnoftheking #samwisegamgee #sam #seanastin #roddymcdowall #thegoonies #rudy #steelcitycon #lastminutenoshow #schedulingconflict #whyseanwhy

Note: Although I was disappointed by Sean's late cancellation, all references to that subject are just my attempts at comedy. I have and always will be a big Sean Astin fan!

    I'm always on the lookout for Mike's sketches, especially from Star Wars products from the early years of my collecting (2008-2009). My first ever set was 2008 Clone Wars, and my second was the glorious return of the Galaxy line with Galaxy 4 in early 2009. Being only the second product released since I had gotten into the hobby, I wasn't aware how big of a deal this set really was. I'd have to say one of the coolest things about Galaxy sets was the base cards were made thru artist submissions. Galaxy 4 also had a sketch card per box, even more rare "retail red" sketch cards (found only at Target stores), the first ever Star Wars die-cut sketch cards, artist autographed Galaxy Two base cards, printing plates, and limited edition reprints and autographed reprints of the ultra rare "Lost Yoda" promo card. This set had it all! 

   I saw this Anakin on Ebay, and it was a little above what I would have really wanted to pay for it. I originally wasn't going to bid on it, but a friend generously offered to help if I wanted it. Luckily for me, two days before the card was to go off I made a sale on Ebay for literally the exact same price as the starting bid for the Anakin sketch. Problem solved. On the last day I bid, and I was the only bid, so I had it!

   Just by the looks of it, I'm going to say this is a "Attack of the Clones" Anakin, because he has no scar above and below his right eye. And I think that ponytail is also a dead giveaway of AOTC Anakin. Full color, great facial expression, love the background- this is a top notch sketch and I was very glad to add it to my collection. 

   That's it for today. Thanks all for stopping by and reading!

#starwars #michaelduron #Locoduck #artistsketchcard #artistsketch #anakinskywalker #anakin #sithlord #sithapprentice #darthvader #vader #lordvader #haydenchristensen #galaxysketch 

@michaelduron @locoduckduron @michaelduronportfolio