Le Gallerie Plastique (with bonus cosplay!): Kempo Cornelius

Every now and then someone will send a message my way — sometimes to share tips about latest appearances, or to talk about a particular Plastic Man story, most often to just say they’re fans of Plas, too.

But, once in a while, I’ll hear from somebody who is super-enthusiastic, somebody who loves Plas with such depth that it almost makes me feel like an imposter.

That somebody is Kempo Cornelius.

To be honest, Kempo is enthusiastic about a lot of things, but her devotion to Plastic Man can’t be denied. I give you Exhibit A — a really dynamic illustration of Plas making what looks like a dashing exit. (Has Plas gone back to his Eel-like ways? I’d like to think he’s just snatching it from some would-be crooks.)

What most impresses me about this drawing is the way every inch of the character has a sense of being in motion. Many artists will show Plas stretching, but a lot of times it’s limited to his limbs, or a particular shape-change. This, on the other hand, reflects Plastic Man’s personality by putting his entire body on the move, from the bend in his toes to the twist in his chest. It’s one of those images I like the more I look at it.

A well-thought-out illustration would be one thing, but Kempo’s cosplay is on point, too. Exhibit B:

I’m always a fan of good Plastic Man cosplay, and I think Kempo pretty much nails it. (I won’t even quibble about the belt. Because what sort of nerd would even bring something like that up?! Er …)

If you’d like to see more of Kempo Cornelius’ work — including her original comic, FU! — head over to her comics site, and then check out her Facebook page.

You never know where Plastic Man will pop up next

I’ve been falling behind on my posting (again), but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some Plastic wares to share! Let’s take a look:

First up is this completely amazing Plastic Man statue pointed out to me by NBI agent Charles Ward. (What’s that? There’s a difference between Plasti-fans and Agents of the NBI? Oh, yes, there is.) I honestly don’t know what the original poster was talking about when he called it “bizarre and nightmare-inducing” – this is a thing of beauty.

According to the author, the statue of Plas pulling off at least six simultaneous shape-changes is about three-and-a-half feet tall and was last seen taking up residence at an unnamed Milwaukee antiques store. According to our old buddy/nemesis Math, this picture was taken sometime in 2012, so it’s anybody’s guess whether it’s still there. But for my money, the $350 asking price is a bargain (and I’d bet you could talk it down to $300, at least).

Going by what little information there is, I’m guessing the artist is Randall Fisher, though a quick Google search turned up nada. Does anyone know the artist, or recognize the store itself? I now have a burning desire to track down this art for the ages.

Meanwhile … a short video produced by DC Entertainment recently went up over at Comic Book Resources that flashes through every member of the Justice League, from the team’s debut in 1960 to the present. And guess who finally shows up in 1998?

Honestly, I was surprised it had taken that long for Plastic Man to join the League – I’m guessing that chump Dibney was blocking his addition to the team from happening sooner, because it really seems like such a no-brainer. Thanks for nothin’, Elongated Man.

Here’s the video, with Plastic Man showing up at the 2:09 mark; feel free to argue about which characters were left out of this “complete” listing.

Charles Ward can be found on Facebook at his Plastic Man Fan Group page, and you can check out more from CBR at the website.

Plastic Man to the rescue

It’s been a rough couple of days in America.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but every now and then I’ve had to take a comic book break just to keep myself from going crazy with anger and sadness over the senseless murders in Charleston, South Carolina. I can’t let you dig through my collection, but I can share this short strip by Evan “Doc” Shaner that always gives me a laugh, even at times like this. I hope it does the same for you.

Idle hands are the Plasti-fan’s workshop

As I said when I posted this on Instagram yesterday, this what happens when I have a Silly Putty egg and some office supplies (most notably, a yellow highlighter). I also found out later that the Plastic Man “belt” makes a nifty egg holder, so I’ll have to remember that in case I ever decide to have a superhero-themed hard-boiled egg party.

Those are a thing, right?

Le Gallerie Plastique: Seth Tucker

I spotted this on a high-shelf at Chicago Comics a few days ago, and if I wasn’t traveling I definitely would’ve picked it up!

Of course, all you plasti-fans know this is taken from the very first Plastic Man story (published in Police Comics #1, 1941) and shows the moment Eel O’Brian discovered his new powers. Great guns!

You can check out more of Seth Tucker’s “pilfered art” (hey, that’s what he calls it) at his website and on Twitter.

Art by Seth Tucker

based on original art by Jack Cole

Catching up with Plas

Posting has been irregular here lately (sorry ’bout that — blame life), so here are some quick Plas-centric items to wrap your mind around!

• I swear, I’m not going to start swiping everything from Firestorm Fan, but Shag did share this great image by Gregg Schigiel. Can we have a Muppet JLA, please? Why don’t we get this started? It’s time to get this started!

• Speaking of that Shag guy, he and partner-in-crime Rob Kelly (of the amazing Aquaman Shrine) co-host Who’s Who: The Definitive Podcast of the DC Universe, and they finally got to Plastic Man! Woo-hoo! For what it’s worth, I agree with the guys’ assessment: The image of Plastic Man on the cover (by George Perez) is fantastic; the static (boring, dull, uninspired) image on the entry page less-so.

I’m a little surprised, considering interior artist Joe Staton did a much better, much more imaginative, job depicting Plas in the pages of Adventure Comics and The Brave and The Bold. Take a look and see what you think. (And while you’re at it, be sure to give the Who’s Who and Fire & Water podcasts a listen!)

• Look, guys, I go to Target fairly often, and I’ve never seen this Plastic Man figure! And, boy, do I want it. I really like that it’s kind of a bendy, and that it looks both like Plas and Otto the Autopilot from Airplane! (clip slightly NSFW). And I can think of one person who’ll be happy to see that Martian Manhunter!

Go check out Toyrrific for the original post and pictures!