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.
'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.
'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."
'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.
'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.
'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."
'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!"
'O' is for Omega Red
To see the full Superbet range and to find out more, head to Simon Koay's website.