A major character from a project of mine called "Bright Skies" (formerly "Skyfox"). Originally a take-off on Disney's Talespin setting, it has taken something of a life of its own... and possibly wandered away from being anthropomorphic and closer to "Sky Captain" in tone. It's hard to be certain, since it has become more prose than art. I might post odd bits from this projects, including old concept art and the like.

The character of Captain Peril was originally conceived as the prime villain. Back when this was a "Talespin" take-off, Peril was intended to be the founder of the Air Pirates and Don Karnage's former mentor — "former" as in "ousted and assassinated by his ambitious protege". Suffice to say, the "late" Captain turns up after many years, bent on taking his revenge... on pretty much everyone, including a certain corporate mogul who abetted his usurper in order to cripple the Air Pirate threat.

The idea was that Peril was a consummate strategist who was a true and able rival for Shere Khan, whereas Karnage — gifted tactician, ace pilot and charismatically ruthless squadron commander though he was — would be merely an irritant in comparison, unable to pull off the large-scale, machiavellian "Xanatos gambits" of the Captain. Khan, naturally, was entirely correct in this assessment and effectively engineered Peril's "retirement" — though Karnage would, of course, believe it was his own cunning that accomplished it.

Ultimately, the overall story was nothing remarkable, really, practically a stock TS outing with the Skyfox gang taking the lead to save Cape Suzette.

In the present form of the project, Bright Skies, Peril is still an AIr Pirate, master and patriarch of the "Fighters of the Crimson Banner", perhaps the most notorious band to hunt the skies. He is, however, not the prime antagonist anymore and his role in the convoluted narrative is complex and far more nuanced.

This illustration is a fresh recolor (with some line-art tweaks plus a new pistol, a broomhandle Mauser C96, to replace a poorly drawn, inappropriately anachronistic flintlock) of an old ink drawing of the original character concept, prepared for a new gallery. The old color version is not worth showing.

(For those thinking "how can he aim properly with just one eye, especially shooting with his left hand?" Well, you see, that's not actually an eyepatch strapped to his face, it's a lens...)

Pen & Ink on Bristol
with Digital Color