The original Ripping Friends-created in 1988 were actually a watered down spin off of my Brik Blastoff concept from the early 80s.
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/01/brik-blastoff-of-outback.html
Brik himself was modeled after Kirk Douglas in Detective story.
So was Rip. Crag is a variation, as are some TV and CG movie guys.I watered the "CARTOONS FOR MEN" concept down to what I thought would sell on TV. It took ten years to get it on TV and then it got watered down even more, to the point where I shudder watching it. I shudder even more seeing all the rippoffs which are also watered down - in weirder and weirder ways.
But here's how they were originally conceived:
Here they are as super geniuses, drawn by the great Jim Smith.
Jim draws them tampering with the laws of the universe with their ungodly scientific instruments.
In an article from Chris Gore's Wild Cartoon Kingdom-early 90s.
Here's their girlfriend, Dr. Jean Poole.
People tell me they've seen her before, just not in my cartoons.
The drawing below was done by Lynne Naylor and inked probably by Libby Simon.
Here's a doodle I did for a line of children's clothing accesories. It's Rip modeling the latest Mattel Idiot-Ride-'em-Helmet.
I'm sure I have some more early sketches somehwere. I might even have an old story outline for a movie idea. I will hunt...
This is as close as the show ever got to using my drawings. They still changed them and blanderized these from the originals, but they are at least recognizable as my style.
