One Man’s Villain Is Another Man’s Hero
Villains like Lex Luthor (1940), The Toyman (1943) and the Prankster (1942) had been featured in the Superman comics 25 years before I started collecting but it was the poses they were striking that had more impact on me than the actual character and they were not directly referenced. DC-style was closer to the Gothic.
Rushes – Unedited Heroes & Villains Artist Doug Kemp Intro
One man’s villain is another man’s hero, so pick a side. Ming the Merciless had some great costumes whereas The Mecon appeared a little sartorially challenged and it appears that the Superman Revenge Squad just didn’t care. Even Anti-heroes tend to survive in the comic world and may continue as long running characters in their own right.
The alternative to having an archenemy that is vanquished by good, for good, at the end of each of the hero’s story would be to constantly develop new characters to challenge the hero. However, there may be many apprentice villains, perhaps as sidekicks, waiting in the wings.
A recurring archenemy almost puts them on par with the hero, and the hero is depicted as still being that slightly vulnerable and only just able to prevail. Why waste a good thing? – if the baddie is a hit, keep them. This happens in art too.
Doug Mugs Heroes And Villains Collection In Our Store
Passing Strangers Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 14’ collection.
Add pop art flair to your coffee or tea time with this vibrant mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes, with colourful rims and handles.
Ice Blond Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 13’ collection. Add cool pop art style to your coffee or tea time with this vibrant mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Ice Brunette Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 13’ collection.
Add cool pop art style to your coffee or tea time with this vibrant mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Ice Redhead Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 13’ collection. Add cool pop art style to your coffee or tea time with this vibrant mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Bus Stop Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 12’ collection. Brighten your coffee or tea time with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes, with colourful rims and handles.
I Love You So Much Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 11’ collection. Brighten up your coffee or tea routine with this pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes, with colourful rims and handles.
Madam Medusa Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 10’ collection. Brighten up your coffee or cup of tea with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes, with colourful rims and handles.
Crying Woman Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 09’ collection.
Bring art into your everyday routine with this bold pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims, handles, and interiors.
Wildcat Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 08’ collection.
Enjoy bold pop art style with the Wildcat Mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims, handles, and interiors.
Freda Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 07’ collection.
Enjoy your coffee or tea in style with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims, handles, and interiors.
Grim News Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 06’ collection. Make your coffee or tea break more colourful with this bold pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Masked Hero Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 05’ collection.
Bring bold design to your coffee or tea routine with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Blue Masked Hero Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 04’ collection. Add a splash of colour and art to your coffee or tea with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Intergalactic Argument Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 03’ collection. Bring art into your everyday life with this vibrant pop art mug, available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims, handles, and interiors.
Moonlight Hero Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 02’ collection.
Elevate your coffee or tea ritual with this vibrant pop art mug featuring Doug Kemp’s artwork. Available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes with colourful rims and handles.
Not Avon Pop Art Mug from the #PopArtDoug ‘Doug Pods 01’ collection. Brighten up your coffee or tea with this vibrant mug featuring Doug Kemp’s pop art. Available in 11 oz and 15 oz sizes, with colourful rims, handles, and interiors.
Doug Kemp Heroes And Villains Pop Art Interviews & Animation
As well as creating the Grannie Annie Ultimate Alphabet book children series, BoodleBobs is a video production service creating motion graphics and animation for web content and is run by Doug’s son, Luke.
“The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.”
“ANDERSON SHELTERS WERE GREAT, THOUGH.”
Doug Kemp
Art Of War Paintings & Print Collection From Doug Kemp
Doug Kemp was born nine days after the start of the Second World War (12 September 1939). He often reminisces on his earliest memories, that of an influx of servicemen from across the world, the air raids that destroyed buildings, homes and lives and even the noisy V1 Doodlebugs, many that went on to destroy a quite a lot of trees in Epping Forest after British Intelligence had managed to misdirect them, and also how the war transformed the City of London and the future way of life.
Young Heroes
Young Heroes. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s, featuring a young Roy Lichtenstein.
Grim News 1941
Grim News 1941 Acrylic On Paper. References the attack on Pearl Harbour. Also available as a limited edition prints
War Chic. Acrylic on canvas
War Chic. AKA Paris 1944. On August 25, 1944, Paris was liberated after more than four years of Nazi occupation. The search for some of the works of art stolen by the Nazis at the time is still ongoing. – Download image as a PDF and find out why from the Artist Vs Policy AI Post
Paper Mill Lane Iraq War
U-Boat
U-Boat. German submarine U-48 was a Type VIIB U-boat of Nazi Germany’s Kriegsmarine during WW2. During her two years of active service, U-48 sank 55 ships, a total of 321,000 tons; she also damaged two more for a total of 12,000 tons over her twelve war patrols.
Heroes And Villains, v1
Heroes And Villains, V1.
A commissioned acrylic painting on canvas for the ASK restaurant chain and part of a collection called the Hen’s teeth.
Superhero Comic Art, Heroes & Villains Acrylic Paintings On Paper
Heroes and Villains acrylic paintings on paper. Painted in the 1980s & 1990s, some of these Doug Kemp pop art paintings listed below will soon be made available as limited edition Giclee prints.
Atomic Hero
Atomic Hero. 61 x 61 cm Acrylic painting on paper in the 1990s and Heroes & Villains collections.
The Wildcat
The Wildcat. 61 x 61 cm Acrylic painting on paper in the 1990s and Heroes & Villains collections.
The blue Masked Hero
The Blue Masked Hero. 61 x 61 cm Acrylic painting on paper in the 1990s and Heroes & Villains collections.
Moonlight Hero
Moonlight Hero. 61 x 61 cm Acrylic painting on paper in the 1990s and Heroes & Villains collections. * Moonlight hero print – this kickstarter painting has been reworked into a 35-limited edition Giclee print.
Masked Hero
Masked Hero 61×61 cm Acrylic painting on paper from the 1990s and Heroes and Villains collections. * Masked Hero print – this painting has been reworked into a 75-limited edition Giclee print.
Star Man
Star Man. 61 x 61 cm Acrylic painting on paper in the 1990s and Heroes & Villains collections.
Space Man. AKA Intergalactic argument
Space Man. AKA Intergalactic argument. 61×61 cm Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s and Heroes and Villains collections.
Free
Free. 61×61 cm Acrylic painting on paper from the 1990s and Heroes and Villains collections.
“Be careful who you call your friends. I’d rather have 4 quarters than 100 pennies.”
AL capone
“True crime!”
Doug Kemp
AL CAPONE’S GUNS DON’T ARGUE
Prince Buster
Gangsters, Murder & Crime Canvas Paintings
This collection of paintings is only a sample of the large category of Doug Kemp work. Please visit the Murder Suicide & Scandal art collection for the bigger picture on work involving Gangsters and crime.
Zelda & The G-Men.
Zelda and the G-men.
G-man is an American slang term for agents of the United States Government. It is especially used as a term for an agent of the FBI.
“You’re a man of a thousand G’s, right?” “A thousand what?”, I quipped. “Why, G-man, girls, guns, guts….”You’re my type.”
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band.
Gangster Tango
Gangster Tango. Part of the Soho Mini collection – Soho in the late 1950s was always like visiting a separate village within the city. Full of low-lifers and high-flyers, drunks and dreamers, sex workers and bar workers – every walk of life is represented by the nightlife and many of the nightclubs were often run by the gangsters.
Chicago had the Tommy gun with life too easily snuffed out and, in New York, they had Murder incorporated. Soho readily used the axe and knife to intimidate and maim, with the occasional shooting in the face to make a statement.
Gangster Tango. Painting Acrylic on canvas 45 x 50 inches 2000s collection.
Little Bohemia
Little Bohemia. Acrylic painting on canvas 45 x 50 inches. Art story of Little Bohemia. This painting depicts the botched raid by the FBI (then called the Division of Investigation) against the John Dillinger Gang who were staying at the Little Bohemia Lodge, a rural vacation lodge and restaurant located off US Highway 51 in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.
During the gun battle…
Biograph Chicago
Biograph. 50 x 45 inches. Painting on canvas 2000s Art Collection Doug Kemp.
Depicting the death of John Dillinger. After evading police in four states for almost a year, Dillinger was wounded and went to his father’s home to mend. He returned to Chicago in July 1934 and sought refuge in a brothel owned by Ana Cumpănaș or Anna Sage, nicknamed the Woman in Red.
She informed authorities of his whereabouts as a way of obtaining permanent US residence. On July 22, 1934, local and Federal law enforcement closed in on the Biograph Theatre.
As BOI (Bureau of Investigation, later renamed the FBI) agents moved to arrest Dillinger as he exited the theatre, he never drew a gun but attempted to flee. He was shot multiple times in the back and was killed; this was later ruled as justifiable homicide. John Dillinger’s famous dying words were……but only as speculation….”You got me”
There were stories of women soaking their handkerchiefs with his blood as macabre souvenirs. Ana Cumpănaș was eventually deported.
Angels 2 1933
Angels v2 1933. 45 x 50 inches Acrylic painting on canvas depicting John Dillinger.
The central subject is modelled on Johnny Depp. He starred in the 2009 ‘Public Enemies’ movie, where he played John Dillinger. Johhny Depp was convincingly cast in the movie and his physical likeness to Dillinger made it readily apparent that his image should be used in this painting, titled Angels 2. ………. and not a Dirty face between them.
In 1934, the “G-Men” at Hoover’s orders, superimposed John Dillinger’s mugshot over their standard law enforcement silhouette targets. They were still using these into the 1950s.
Murder In Soho
Murder In Soho. Acrylic painting on canvas 127×115 cm. Murder In Soho has its own page here
Soho Boogie Woogie. Painting on canvas. Gang life in London is nothing new – but while we are shocked by violent crimes in our modern cities, but in the city where I lived, it was recognised as an unfortunate fact of life.
14 Minutes – Ruth Ellis
14 Minutes. Sad story of Ruth Ellis. Painting on canvas 45″ x 50″ inches. Part of the ‘Murder, suicide & scandal art’ collection of paintings. Fine Art by Doug Kemp
Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in England for the crime of murder.
Ruth was convicted of the murder of her lover, David Blakely, on Easter Sunday 1955. In the USA, they would likely say “He had it coming…”. She was hanged by the state executioner…
True Love
True Love – 114 x 122 cm canvas pop art painting 2010s hero villains murder collections. Features many of the things Doug loves, including film noir, mediaeval wall painting, Colour and Line and dance. Thomas Beckett is shown kicking the bucket and there is an image of Rita Hayworth that has had a little Leger treatment applied.
The last gangster
The last gangster. 116 x 127 cm Acrylic pop art painting on canvas from the 2000s & Heroes & Villains collection.
Torpedo jacks v1
Torpedo Jacks v1. 116 x 127 cm Acrylic pop art painting on canvas from the 2000s & Heroes & Villains collection.
Torpedo jacks v2
Torpedo Jacks v2. 116 x 127 cm Acrylic pop art painting on canvas from the 2000s & Heroes & Villains collection.
ORDER NOW – New Limited Edition Giclee Artist Prints (Out Now)
By popular request, Doug Kemp paintings undergoing conversion into Giclee prints. These prints have been are now part of the post 2020 collection and available from our store.
Comic Art, Heroes & Villains Limited Edition Artist Prints
Heroes and villians for your wall. This growing collection of limited edition artist prints features a diverse range of characters and Superheroes. More Superheroes and Villains artist prints are on their way, starting with some listed in the Heroes and Villains paintings on paper below.
More Paintings Found In The Hero & Villains Collection
More heroes and villains paintings, Paper & canvas painted in the 1980s & 1990s
Fiend and Heroine
Fiend and Heroine. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1980s and Heroes and Villains collections. Possibly Kempeitai but no relation.
Alisicia
Alisicia. Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s and Heroes and Villains collections.
Great Grief Volcana’s Free
Great Grief Volcana’s Free. Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s and Heroes and Villains collections.
More Conflicts
More Conflicts. Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s and Divorce collections
Good Guy Bad Guy
Good Guy Bad Guy. 122 x 92 cm Acrylic painting on paper from the 1990s and Heroes and Villains collections.
I, Wonder Woman
I, Wonder Woman. Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s and Heroes and Villains collections.
Self murder
Self Murder. 116 x 127 cm Acrylic painting on canvas from the 2000s and Murder scandal collection
The Detectives V1
The Detectives – 114 x 122 cm canvas pop art painting 2010s hero villains murder collections Doug Kemp
The Detectives V2
The Detectives v2 – 114 x 122 cm canvas pop art painting 2010s hero villains murder collections Doug Kemp
ASK restaurant Heroes & Villains Artist Commission
ASK, also known now as ASK Italian is a British casual dining restaurant chain that serves Italian cuisine.
The chain of restaurants was founded by the brothers Adam and Samuel Kaye in 1993 and were also the ones to commission Doug Kemp for this series of Heroes and Villians canvas paintings for use as decoration and talking points in a couple of their flagship restaurants.
The name of the restaurant ‘ASK’ can be construed either as the founders’ initials ‘Adam/Samuel Kaye’ or as an acronym for “Authentic Sicilian Kitchen”.
