Early on in the beginning of what I call the ‘VILLAIN INITIATIVE’, I had a pattern in my head of what I was going to do: independent character (non-Marvel/DC), Marvel and DC, and so on. That went right out the window pretty early on but I really wanted to do another Batman villain , and Mr. Freeze was right up there.
In terms of villains, he’s perhaps the one who doesn’t REALLY deserve that label. His character received a MAJOR revamping thanks to the BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, and that’s what really made him the character he is today. Think about it: his wife was dying and the only way to save her was to put her on ice so that he could find a cure and save her. But when things go wrong and he no longer has access to legal funding to carry on his research, he finds other means. Are they legal? No. But his cold heart is definitely in the right place, and if Batman would just see that then MAYBE Bruce Wayne would be willing to step up?
When it came time to decide on his look, I simply couldn’t do something simple a la B:TAS, and I sure as Hell was not about to carry this down into the muck of BATMAN & ROBIN. I ultimately took a lot of my choices from a Sideshow Collectibles statue. Statues would become a major element of resource material in a lot of villains later on.
11” x 17”
Ink & Digital Color