Character Design Portfolio

Character designs for my creator-owned comic, UNDERSEA HERO. One of the questions I ask at the onset of a new character idea is, "Do they HAVE to be human? If so, why?"
© Ian Chase Nichols

Character designs for my creator-owned comic, UNDERSEA HERO. UH is a blending of my love of marine biology and comics. There are characters that are sea creatures, exaggerated or enhanced creatures, and sea-themed people.
© Ian Chase Nichols

Character designs for my creator-owned comic, UNDERSEA HERO.
This was the initial group of characters. I've drawn and come up with dozens more since them.
© Ian Chase Nichols

Character designs for my creator-owned comic, UNDERSEA HERO. Lord Krakus is a master of subtlety.
© Ian Chase Nichols

If a character doesn't have to be human, it creates all-new storytelling possibilities. I find it also resets the expectations of the audience on the character's limitations. © Ian Chase Nichols

Sometimes it's just fun to draw a large monster-warrior with a twinge of vanity.
© Ian Chase Nichols

I almost always have a story or reason behind every piece of a design, no matter the complexity.
© Ian Chase Nichols

I draw inspiration from a myriad of resources. Sometimes its a book, a movie, and sometimes it's a jacket I almost bought at the thrift store.
© Ian Chase Nichols

This is the title character, Hellena, from my creator-owned comic book, The Axe of Hellena. In her world, she befriends and battles creatures and beings of all sorts. © Ian Chase Nichols

I'm always drawing. I have stacks of sketchbooks filled with ideas for characters. © Ian Chase Nichols

Another sampling from my stacks of sketchbooks filled with characters and ideas. © Ian Chase Nichols

I designed a bunch of characters for a horror convention. They were all takes on the classic Universal and Hammer monsters.

Character art had to fit with the horror themes, but be all-ages friendly.

I drew standalone character art and separate backgrounds for different applications. These were used for the badges.

Here's a poster design that used a bunch of the individual character art and a separate background.

More of the individual character art.

Badge Artwork that used more of the character art.

Another sampling of different characters on badges.

A George E. Romero homage for one of their advertisements.