Betty was one of those characters that just comes out when you least expect it. I did the original picture of Betty and Rolf just for fun, so it really wasn’t a character design. However, I liked the picture a lot, and people kept asking me about the characters. Eventually I began working with some of the other talented people at Valkyrie to turn Soul Chaser Betty into a game, so I went back to the drawing board and began to expand the concept a bit.
That game never happened, but the characters would eventually find their way into a comic series of the same name.
Tap each for more detail, and then on the larger image for more info.
Soul Chaser Betty Head Turn Around
Before I started penciling Slumber Party of DOOM!, I took the time to redesign my characters and bring them up to date with the way my style had evolved. After all, I hadn't drawn the characters in at least seven years!
Soul Chaser Rolf Head Turn Around
I began my character design updates with Betty and Rolf, creating front, three-quarter, and profile drawings to work out each character's proportions and look. I still use these as reference when drawing, even if some things, like Rolf's hair, have evolved a bit since then.
Tonya Head Turn Around
Tonya needed a lot of work to update her hair and glasses. I love drawing her, but never seem to feel like I get her hair right when inking.
Keith Head Turn Around
For some reason I really liked drawing Keith in the original series. His design (and maybe Grammy's) probably changed the least in the updates.
Grammy Head Turn Around
Grammy is definitely one of the characters from the original series that kind of got short-changed when it came to her design. Not as glamorous of a character to design, she just kind of evolved over time. For the new stories, I wanted to make sure I spent the time to make her more consistent and animated.
Sara Character Design
A "head turn around" design from Soul Chaser Betty Book 08. Sara is an older character with experience with the mysterious Bureau, an organization that Grammy used to work for in the years before World War II.
Young Grammy Turn Around
Have you read Soul Chaser Betty: Slumber Party of DOOM!? Yes, we get to see Grammy as a young woman, squaring off against Nazi agents in pre-war Europe! It was a neat challenge to "de-age" an elderly character into a young woman!
Studious Man Turn Around
A mysterious enemy who appears in Soul Chaser Betty: Slumber Party of DOOM! The Studious Man design started to lean into an almost Aeon Flux style. I also think he accidentally looks a little like Martin Landau.
Stinker Turn Around
A baddie from Soul Chaser Betty: Slumber Party of DOOM! Stinker is one of the henchmen that appears in a sort of flashback sequence in the dreamland of Nod. I wanted these characters to really be distinct!
Heavy Turn Around
Another baddie that appears in Soul Chaser Betty: Slumber Party of DOOM! The Heavy was another attempt to push my character designs into a more cartoony and distinctive look.
Mean Girl Blair Turn Around
Blair's hair was based on big "Schaumburg Hair" as we called it, back then in the Chicagoland area. Blair's design was influenced by Farah Fawcett and Linda Hamilton in the Terminator (taken to an extreme, lol).
Mean Girl Madison Turn Around
Madison is Blair's lackey. She's the type of 80s girl who thought Punky Brewster was actually "punk," lol. She's definitely influenced by that classic 80's anime girl style.
Sheriff Hanson Turn Around
Sheriff Hanson's updated design for the Soul Chaser Betty book 08. His cop hair is definitely inspired by Robert Patrick in Terminator 2!
Betty: Soul Chaser Costume
When I began work on a new Soul Chaser Betty story, I knew it was time to update some of my old character and costume designs. This is basically the original Betty costume design with her revised character design head added.
Betty: Florida 84 Costume
A costume design from way back in the day from the original graphic novel, but here it was updated with Betty's latest character design (head and face).
scb-costume-betty-03
Let's face it, Betty wound up running around in her underwear quite a lot on her summer vacation, so I worked out how to draw that, just like any other costume design.
Rolf: Soul Chaser Costume
My original costume design for Rolf for the graphic novel from back in the early 2000s, but updated as I began work on the Betty sequel series. That included not just updating his head / face / hair, but also working out a better, more detailed design for his pants, boots, and armor.
Grammy: Basic Costume
Grammy's design got updated for the sequel series, just like all the other characters. I don't think Grammy ever got a proper "paperdoll" for making costumes back in the day, so I finally made one for her.
Betty: Sleepover Costume
Costume design for Book 07: Slumber Party of DOOM! For the slumber party, Betty just stole one of Rolf's high school team jerseys. Hopefully, he won't mind.
Tonya: Sleepover Costume
Costume design for Book 07: Slumber Party of DOOM! Tonya probably spent an hour or two putting together her slumber party outfit. She's definitely ready for for Ouiji boards and truth or dare...
Rolf: Sleepover Costume
Costume design for Book 07: Slumber Party of DOOM! Rolf's slumber party costume is pretty basic. We get it dude, you're ripped. Go put a shirt on, lol.
Keith: Sleepover Costume
Costume design for Book 07: Slumber Party of DOOM! Keith is super stoked to hang in a house where cute girls are having a sleepover. Unfortunately, as per Grammy's rules, it's "girls upstairs, boys downstairs."
Grammy: Nightgown Costume
Costume design for Book 07: Slumber Party of DOOM! The kids are coming over for a slumber party, and Grammy is the chaperone. She might have let her hair down, but she's got her eyes on the kids: no shenanigans!
Tonya: Frankie Says Costume
Like, you know, this was a totally fun 80's costume to design, right? Like, it's so cute you might as well gag me with me a spoon.
Tonya: Like a Virgin Costume
Tonya may be a nerd, but she loves to dress up in the latest styles. This one was inspired by the fashion of Madonna, of course.
Betty: School Costume
This was my first costume design for Betty's tomboy, back to school clothes for book 07. Ultimately, I decided that it wasn't quite right, and went with something else. I'll probably use that jacket in a future book, though.
Betty: Back to School Costume 02
This just felt more like Betty, and more 1980's than the original costume design. Betty's not the kind of girl to dress up, so a little tomboy meets rocker chick seemed just about right.
Betty: Fall Costume
It can't be summer forever! The latest adventures of Betty move the story from the summer of 1985 to the fall, and so it was time for jeans and long sleeves.
Keith: School Battlejacket
Keith's been struggling to find his own style for a while now. In the original book, his attempts at trendy fashion fell pretty flat. But as he's gotten more into rock and metal, he's found that a jean jacket with some band patches and some concert T's are more his style.
Rolf: Work Clothes Costume
Rolf's a bit older than the rest of the gang. In book 07, he's shown working around the farm for Grammy, so he needed a simple set of work clothes for that.
Rolf: Letterman Costume
Rolf's letterman jacket comes from his time playing sports at Armstrong high. I figured he's sport a classic style as the temperatures turn cooler.
Blair: Cheerleader Costume
Blair is too cool for school. As the tallest, most fashionable girl in school, she thinks she's more grown up than anybody else. Her boyfriend's letterman jacket is the perfect accessory—he's probably the Home Coming King to her Queen.
Blair: Underwear
Blair's sleeping attire is a silk nightie, just one more illustration of how she thinks of herself as more sophisticated than the kiddie hicks she goes to school with...
Madison: Cheerleader Costume
Pint-sized Madison is a crony to mean girl Blair. Her style is an 80s mix of slap bracelets, face paint tattoos, and two-tone hair. She probably thinks she's "Punk," but she's just an overgrown "Punky Brewster."
Madison: Underwear
Blair and Madison get taken over by strange forces at night and sleepwalk in a trance. In the comic, she's not actually wearing her bracelets at this point, but don't ask me why she was sleeping in her leg warmers...
Studious Man: Costume
I wanted the lead baddie in the young Grammy flashback to be stylish and sophisticated. He won't get his own hands dirty, but look out for his henchmen.
Stinker: Costume
This henchman is someone who likes what he does, taking a glee in hurting people. His 1930's costume tells us he's probably someone who has mob ties, or really wants to be in that life.
Heavy: Costume
The "Heavy" is a lunk, a big, dispassionate slab of stupid muscle. His unique body shape emphasizes this, something almost devoid of personality, a robotic henchman who just does what he's told. His coat is a Norfolk tweed jacket, most likely British, although I didn't include the tweedy pattern in the final page art.
Young Grammy: Costume
Grammy in 1936. Her period appropriate costume required her to be able to blend into polite society while acting as an agent for the elusive Bureau.
Sara Costume
Costume design from Soul Chaser Betty Book 08. Sara is a bit older than most of the gang, about the same age as Rolf. Her costume is meant to evoke a more stylish, and less "teen girl" 1980s look.
Betty and Rolf (Original) - 1998
This was the original picture of Betty. This started out as just a sketch of a young girl, but I got so into the character that I continued on and gave her a partner! I named them Betty and Rolf and began to develop a back story as I was drawing, (as I often do).
Betty and Rolf Color - 1998
The original drawing turned into a color concept for a game, circa 1998.
Betty Lunge - 2000
We began developing Betty as a concept at Valkyrie Studios, and I began to do a few more concept drawings of her. Here was Betty going in to kick some ass!
Betty Defiant Sketch - 2000
This was the original doodle that became the Betty Defiant piece. This drawing is probably not larger than five inches wide. I often like to work small to get the basics of a drawing down, then enlarge it and work from there. Its easier to keep the anatomy in check that way. These days I am trying to work larger.
Betty Defiant Pencil - 2000
Here is the Betty Defiant sketch blown up and finished off. It was rare back then for me to find the time to take a sketch to this level of detail, but in this case I was interested in taking it into Painter and seeing what it could do.
Lynn Sketch - 2001
This started off as a design for a more fantasy version of Betty's costume. I blew it up and worked the drawing into the Blade Enchantress painting in the Color Illustrations Gallery. But, I ended up using this costume for Sofia in the original Betty graphic novel.
Lynn Pencil - 2001
This design came out of a sketch I was doing for one of Betty's costumes. Later I decided to work on it some more and turn it into a new character. Eventually, the costume was swiped for Sofia, and this drawing was used for the illustration I named Blade Enchantress.
Early Betty Faces - 2001
A few sketches of Betty from my sketchbooks. I'd been playing around with my style and the look of the characters before I began penciling the pages. These drawings are all different takes on an evolving character. Betty is still pretty young. Sometimes she tries too hard at being cool, and tends to put on an air of confidence, even when she has none. At first she seems like a pretty quiet girl, at least until her temper is invoked. Hell hath no fury like a teenage girl scorned!
Early Rolf Faces - 2001
Here are a few sketches I did while finding Rolf's look. The ones in the upper left and upper right are closest to what I had in mind. Notice the size reference in the bottom left. Rolf is Betty's older, more experienced Daemon Hunting partner. Betty likes Rolf a LOT, much to his embarrassment.
Betty Paperdoll Study - 2002
This is a sketch of Betty I did to use as a character design and paper doll. Each of the characters had one. I use them not only as a character design when I pencil but also to try out new costume designs.
Rolf Paperdoll Study - 2002
A design I did to work out Rolf's basic body type.
Tonya Concept - 2001
Tonya is the daughter of Doctor Phillips. She spends most of her time taking care of her overworked, single father, and the rest of her time reading any science fiction and fantasy books she can get her hands on.
Tonya Paperdoll Study - 2002
This is the design I did to work out Tonya's basic proportions and costumes.
Grammy Concept - 2001
My first sketch for Betty's grandmother. She lives on a farm near a small town somewhere in the southern midwest of the USA. She takes in Betty when the girl's parents enter into a nasty divorce.
Keith Concept - 2001
This was my first sketch concept for Keith. He was originally introduced in Chapter 3 as a neighbor kid that does the farm chores for Grammy. He's not very assertive and kinda lets the girls walk all over him.
Doctor Phillips Concept - 2001
A design for Betty's doctor. He's a pretty laid back dude. Being a doctor and single father in a small town means he is constantly working, hence the unkept appearance of the clothes.
Geist Concept 01 - 2001
Here is one of the designs I did for the demons that Betty fights as a Soul Chaser. I wanted the minions of the Weaver to be non-humanoid. I've always liked the idea of flying creatures that defy gravity as well. The blades on the tail are quite deadly - if the teeth don't get you, they will!
Geist Concept 02 - 2001
This was the design I settled on for the demons that the Soul Chasers can call to their aid. These are quite smaller than the Weaver's minions. The fixture underneath the face is used to hurl energy at their enemies. Notice the blade attached to its tail.
Shivani and Geist Concept - 2001
Here is the design I did for Shivani, one of the Soul Chasers. From India, her specialty is summoning geists against the Weaver.
Cormac Concept - 2001
Another Soul Chaser. Cormac's specialty is physical brawling and his ability to cast a barrier of pure energy...
The Colonel - 2001
This design for a southern Civil War Colonel shows up in the later chapters of Betty, when the "South Shall Rise Again...From the grave..."
Witch Finder Sara - 1999
This one started out as just a mindless sketch for fun. As I worked on it I began to see her as being a rival of Betty. Back then (before I scripted issue #1) the Betty universe was quite different - more fantasy and (maybe even of the post apocalyptic type) rather than set in a small town in the '80s.
The Weaver Concept - 1999
The Weaver is Betty's main antagonist in the first story arc. I wanted the design to be mysterious, so I gave him a white mechanical head, and left his internal features to be revealed at a later date. I much prefer the second, reborn, Weaver that arrives at the and of Chapter 3.
Unleash (Page 07) - 2001
Here is one of my completed pencils (for page 07 of the original Soul Chaser Betty Issue #1), before it's inked and before the sound effects or dialog are added. There were a few things I went back and fixed up before inking, notably Rolf's arms and Sofia's face in the bottom right.
Sofia and Shivani Arrive - 2001
A detail from one of my penciled pages from issue #1. Sofia, in the foreground, is another Soul Chaser, and she's wearing the costume that had originally been designed for a different character.
Betty and the Weaver - 2001
Another detail from a page from the first issue. I had to go back and redo his "hands," but his cape was fun to draw.