Fem Force tickle art?? (From Legion of Superticklish Heroes)

[ktklr]

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction...

Several years ago there was an excellent colored drawing on the now-nearly-defunct Legion of Superticklish Heroes group site. It depicted various team members of AC Comics' Fem Force captured and helplessly tied up in different positions in a warehouse. They were all being tickled by supervillains (villainesses?). There was lots of foot tickling, as well as some rib and underarm tickling if I'm not mistaken.

The minute I first discovered the pic I tried to download it but the file was so big I couldn't complete the download due to my then super-slow dial-up connection. I waited a day or so to make another attempt when I thought there would be less lan line traffic. Unfortunately, by then the LOSTH group moderators had removed the picture, at the request of the artist. Needless to say I was quite dismayed.

I have since searched far and wide, to no avail. I have hit probably every FREE tickling art site in existence. I haven't tried any pay sites because there's frankly no way of knowing whether any of them actually contain that particular piece of art. I never learned who the artist was (though I think it might have been a mainstream comics artist, probably one who worked mainly for AC or other independent publishers) so I couldn't search by the artist's name. I would be willing to pay for a copy of the piece, except that I have no idea where to look or whom to contact.

...so I'm hoping some other "tickle toon" fan can help me. Does anybody know where I can obtain a copy of that drawing, or at least the name of the artist? If you've seen the drawing you know how good it is and why I want it for my collection. Again, I would be willing to pay a reasonable price (for the drawing, not the information).

Please help? Thanx in advance...

 

[BZTickler]

Hi, I did the color version of the piece. Mark Heike did the original piece as a commission for Hahathna for the Legion site. Mark is the main artist for the Fem Force line at AC comics. Mark didn't realize it was going to be posted. They thought at some point they would use it in one of their publications. In any event it was within their rights to have the piece pulled, so it was pulled.

On a price point, I know Hahathna paid quite a bit for it. Even before I colored it I seem to remember the price of $500.oo floating around.

Anyway, that's the story.

BZ Tickler

 

[Kalamos]

Even before I colored it I seem to remember the price of $500.oo floating around.

!!!

...


EDIT:

I think I just remembered the piece of art you were mentioning, and some bits of its story.
It was rather large and complex too - and I think I've only seen the "sepia" version of it... a few years ago.

 

[Hahathna]

BZT's account of what happened is pretty much accurate. I originally posted the piece thinking it was ok, but Mr. Heike asked that I pull it down, so I did (if I do see it on somewhere, I'll contact the poster, explain the situation and ask that it be please be pulled).

So I'm sorry I can't fulfill that request, ktklr. However, if there are any other pieces I had posted on the LOST group, please drop me an e-mail and I'll see what I can do to help.

And yeah... when all was said and done, that piece topped out at over $500. Y'know what they say about a fool and his money... ^_^

 

[Kalamos]

And yeah... when all was said and done, that piece topped out at over $500. Y'know what they say about a fool and his money... ^_^

...

Well... I am not good with English sayings, but I recall something about "one's trash is somebody's else treasure"...

It is not just money itself. It is the kind of pleasure you get out of it.
And another - rather rude, as I later learnt - saying about "getting the most bang for your buck" comes to mind...

...

I know this might sound inappropriate, considering the kind of money you invested in that pic, but if you were still interested in funding art, and artists, I could name a few guys who could do a pretty decent job for a little bit less than that.

😉

...

And no, I was not referring - only - to myself.

...

😀

 

[BZTickler]

There wasn't a sepia version of the Fem Force pic. You might be thinking of a Wonder Woman multi character piece I had originally had commissioned. It was done on Duo-shade. Youngsters won't remember Dup-shade, but it was popular in the 70's. You used a treated paper and a chemical to create shades that resemble sepia. Marvel used it a lot on Conan.

I sold that piece to Hahathna years ago. I think the only version of the Fem Force piece that was out there was the one I colored if memory serves.

Oh well, art comes and goes out of our lives as time goes by.

Hahathna, I forgot to mention on the phone. All my beard hairs have turned grey now.

 

[Kalamos]

There wasn't a sepia version of the Fem Force pic. You might be thinking of a Wonder Woman multi character piece I had originally had commissioned.

Yeah, probably so.
I recall you were relating its tale a while ago.
Is it a "retired" piece as well?

Oh well, art comes and goes out of our lives as time goes by.

I tend to think that we come and go out of our art's life... after all, the point in art is outlasting the artist...

...

Mmm...

😉