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Alphabet Assemble! The A-B-C of comic books unite for 'Superbet' (pictures)

It's never too early to start loving superheroes and it's never too late to brush up on your alphabet. Now one art series is bringing the two together in a comic-lover's dream.

Claire Reilly
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Claire Reilly
superbet-simon-koay-a.jpg
1 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'A' is for Captain America

The brainchild of Hong Kong-born Australia-based artist and illustrator Simon Koay, the SuperBet series features the 26 letters of the alphabet each designed to resemble a matching comic book character. Koay has created art prints from each design, or you can get the whole series on a single poster -- perfect for a bedroom wall or pinned up at a School for Gifted Youngsters.

superbet-simon-koay-b.jpg
2 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'B' is for Batman

The Superbet series came about when Koay was looking for a way to keep his creative alter ego busy.

"I just needed an outlet for illustrating as my day job at the time wasn't utilising my drawing skills," he told CNET. "I did the alphabet because I needed a passion project with some scope for longevity that I could keep working on instead of just a one-off."

superbet-simon-koay-c.jpg
3 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'C' is for Cyclops

Koay says he's always been a doodler, and his passion for comics started at an early age when he began collecting X-Men cards at the age of 9.

"I pretty much learned how to draw by pencil drawing the artwork from those cards," he says.

He's since built up a career in advertising, studying and working in Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia, and now works as an illustrator full time.

superbet-simon-koay-x.jpg
4 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'X' is for Professor X

Koay isn't just passionate about comics -- he's also done a range of other design projects, including work with big names such as Nike. But he now describes the Superbet series, which began as a "humble project," as one of his favourite works.

superbet-simon-koay-i.jpg
5 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'I' is for Iron Man

According to Koay, the project has developed over time.

"The first few only took me a night or two each, but then I started to get more critical of the project and the letters became more and more detailed, taking a couple more days or nights depending on the character."

superbet-simon-koay-w.jpg
6 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'W' is for Wolverine

As for his favourite designs, you clearly can't take the young comic fan out of the grown-up illustrator.

"My favourites would have to be Wolverine and Batman," he says. "But I am also biased because they've always been my favourite characters since I was a kid!"

superbet-simon-koay-o.jpg
7 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'O' is for Omega Red

To see the full Superbet range and to find out more, head to Simon Koay's website.

superbet-simon-koay-v.jpg
8 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'V' is for Venom

superbet-simon-koay-f.jpg
9 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'F' is for Flash

superbet-simon-koay-l.jpg
10 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'L' is for Loki

superbet-simon-koay-n.jpg
11 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'N' is for Nightcrawler

superbet-simon-koay-p.jpg
12 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'P' is for Poison Ivy

superbet-simon-koay-u.jpg
13 of 13 Image © Simon Koay. Used with permission.

'U' is for Ultron

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