David Talaski-Brown is a Portland, Oregon-based artist, husband, and chihuahua dad. He's been drawing, sculpting, and clicking his way around MS Paint for as long as he can remember. Eventually, David ended up in the animation program at the now deceased Art Institute of Portland, mostly focusing on 2D animation. He didn't end up in animation but instead landed in a studio making art for video games.
Talaski-Brown is also working on his personal projects, one of which is a cool drawings series where he turns male superheroes into classic pinup models.
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Aquaman
To those who know him, these funny drawings shouldn't have come as a surprise. "Comics and superhero movies were both activities my husband and I did together when we first started dating, so they've become a significant part of our relationship. Even when they aren't good, they're an event that we always look forward to," David told Bored Panda.
The artist started developing the character designs about 2 years ago, when he started dipping his toes in local conventions and online sales for his personal work. "I was going to table at my first convention and I felt like I had nothing to sell that people would want to buy," David recalled. "I had an idea of illustrating famous superheroes in the pinup girls style akin to Elvgren and Vargas."
"What I love about vintage pinup drawings, and what I think makes it appealing is that it walks the line between erotica and comedy. It's sexy enough to make you blush and ridiculous enough to not take it seriously. Basically, erotica you can hang on your walls and still have mom over."
David said he also saw these cartoon drawings as a good opportunity to make art for nerds who are attracted to men. "There are a lot of us. There's always a plethora of art depicting scantily clad women at every other convention booth, so why not give some of the MCU's hottest hunks the same treatment? It only seems fair, right?"
Iron Man
So, he began the series depicting some of the most popular guys from the MCU like Thor, Captain American, Dr.Strange, etc. "After that, I started making ones I would get frequent requests for like Loki and Bucky," David said. "I most recently stepped out of the MCU and took on Momoa's Aquaman because how couldn't I? I mean, look at him. I'm not sure which one I'll do next. I have ideas for a few from both Marvel and DC. Maybe some from other media as well."
Talaski-Brown's take on the genre really does honor its early creators. With origins in the 1890s, the erotic but always safe for work pin-up girls took off in the mid-20th century, when American men were hanging up their calendars on their walls.
Captain America
Bucky Barnes
Why did Steve leave his pants in Bucky's room? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) (Look at the nametag)
I wish he had one with Bucky and Steve with arms clasped or something, like best gal pals.
Doctor Strange
Black Panther
Star Lord
Green Lantern
Thoroughly bizarre yet oddly enjoyable at the same time. I suppose it goes to show just how strange some of the classic female pinup advertisements were. I do love Thor's slippers.
I like what one person said is that you never really realized how ridiculous the original pin ups were until you see it done like this with male celebrities....
I dunno. Do one with the female superheros in classically tough guy macho poses. It would look equally silly. Have them topless and flexing in that Superman stance holding a giant weapon.
Load More Replies...Ok how about doing the Female Super Heroes? Never mind, I think the internet is already full of those albeit they tend to be on the R or X-Rated types.
I think the real actors should pose as pinups and sell the prints. Hubba hubba
What's really great about these is the artist didn't just take female pin-up poses and place male figures in those positions. Female poses are meant to highlight the curves of a female body, and this guy worked to the strengths of the male body type.
Ooh, now I want to see him do Nightcrawler ( but not the Alan Cummings version, though the artist would no doubt like that version)
Remind me of The Hawkeye Initiative, where people replaced oversexualized female characters in comics with Hawkeye. Also, check out RDJ as pinup girls :)
Love these - they are so great! If Thor poses for you again, I would love to attend :)
And now we await the outburst of comments from butthurt men who have no problem to sexualize females and are ok with impossible beauty standarts for women, but will be outraged when the same s**t is done to males.
I'm a female and I don't think either are okay to be frank.
Load More Replies...Why did you scroll all the way through just to post a nasty comment
Load More Replies...um. They're superheros. chill. please.
Load More Replies...Throughout history (with the possibility of ancient Greek times), the female body has been celebrated in art. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander. There is nothing wrong with a male pin-up. And, so what if the artist is gay? Does that cheapen his art?
Load More Replies...Thoroughly bizarre yet oddly enjoyable at the same time. I suppose it goes to show just how strange some of the classic female pinup advertisements were. I do love Thor's slippers.
I like what one person said is that you never really realized how ridiculous the original pin ups were until you see it done like this with male celebrities....
I dunno. Do one with the female superheros in classically tough guy macho poses. It would look equally silly. Have them topless and flexing in that Superman stance holding a giant weapon.
Load More Replies...Ok how about doing the Female Super Heroes? Never mind, I think the internet is already full of those albeit they tend to be on the R or X-Rated types.
I think the real actors should pose as pinups and sell the prints. Hubba hubba
What's really great about these is the artist didn't just take female pin-up poses and place male figures in those positions. Female poses are meant to highlight the curves of a female body, and this guy worked to the strengths of the male body type.
Ooh, now I want to see him do Nightcrawler ( but not the Alan Cummings version, though the artist would no doubt like that version)
Remind me of The Hawkeye Initiative, where people replaced oversexualized female characters in comics with Hawkeye. Also, check out RDJ as pinup girls :)
Love these - they are so great! If Thor poses for you again, I would love to attend :)
And now we await the outburst of comments from butthurt men who have no problem to sexualize females and are ok with impossible beauty standarts for women, but will be outraged when the same s**t is done to males.
I'm a female and I don't think either are okay to be frank.
Load More Replies...Why did you scroll all the way through just to post a nasty comment
Load More Replies...um. They're superheros. chill. please.
Load More Replies...Throughout history (with the possibility of ancient Greek times), the female body has been celebrated in art. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander. There is nothing wrong with a male pin-up. And, so what if the artist is gay? Does that cheapen his art?
Load More Replies...