Wonder Woman (Drawn on a Block of Wood) by Ryan Benjamin

When I came back from the International Manga Festival in Tokyo, I ended up taking home a bunch artwork and prints belonging to a friend who sells OA and commissions for some international artists who work in the American comic book, animation and gaming industries. Since he needed a bit of extra space in his own bags and we don't live that far apart, the plan was that he would visit my house and pick up everything at a later date. I had some extra space in my suitcase, so I said sure.


Among the artworks was this rather unique commission done by one of the artists he helps out, Ryan Benjamin. Apparently, prior to his flight to Japan, which he was visiting to attend the 2015 International Manga Festival in Tokyo, he was perusing in an art store and found these 15cmx15cm blocks of wood and he thought these would be interesting to draw on. So, en route, Ryan pulls out one of the blocks of wood he brought along, a pencil and an ink brush and starts drawing on the plane. He finished one block, a very nice portrait of Batman, and then started a second, which, after adding the finishing touches after he landed, was this rather fetching portrait of Wonder Woman.


This was Ryan's second trip to Japan, and while I had previously gotten a sketch and bought a panel page from one of his Batman runs, I had yet to acquire an inked commission from him. Well, during the interval that it stayed in my office, I kind of got used to Wonder Woman being around the house, and, since Ryan had drawn that sketch he did for me while riding on a train, I thought artwork drawn on an airplane must somehow be destined for my collection. So, when my friend came to retrieve the art, I suggested we work out a way in which our beloved princess from Paradise Island stayed here with me. And so we did!


(So, now I have artwork by Ryan that was drawn on a plane and a train. At some point, I'll have to get him to draw something while riding in an automobile to complete the set.)