{"id":45807,"date":"2025-09-02T07:47:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T11:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/?p=45807"},"modified":"2025-09-02T07:47:16","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T11:47:16","slug":"larry-hughes-born-to-lose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/09\/02\/larry-hughes-born-to-lose\/","title":{"rendered":"Larry Hughes, Born to Lose"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Sketch of Larry Hughes. This one may be too dweeby to survive.<\/p><\/div>\n

Before my monster became a monster in Teenage Beast<\/em> he was a human being. I have a name for him — Larry Hughes<\/em> — but I wasn’t sure what he was going to look like.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"

1980s Goo-Goo Muck sketch based on a guy I knew<\/p><\/div>\n

When I was first cooking up the character back in the mid-1980s, he was based on a guy I knew who had a pug nose and vaguely resembled Kevin Bacon<\/em>, but that doesn’t work for me any more. Times change and I’ve lost touch with that guy. I tried to draw him from memory, but it wasn’t working. I started anew. My character will retain the pug nose, but I am still working out his other attributes. Larry is going to be particular to the time period which I am figuring is somewhere between 1978 and 1982. He’s not a fashion plate or very good looking kid. I’m trying to picture him as every other guy I went to high school with. He’s the kind of kid who rolled out of bed and into a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt with a graphic — usually a band logo — either silkscreened or ironed on to it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once in school, it was a matter of surviving either the pitfalls or the acute dullness of the day. A break would come to the stultifying boredom about mid-day in the form of lunch in the cafeteria. It was like a visit to one of the nine circles of hell in that it was a deafening tumult with bad catering. Afterwards, it was a return to the stultifying boredom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"I’m still searching for Larry<\/em>. I’m not basing him on anybody in particular. I keep my high school yearbook close at hand to refer to the unkempt messes that boys considered hair styles at the time and to give me the mood of that period. High school yearbooks are really excellent time machines. Movies and TV always tended to have a veneer of artificiality to them unless they were low budget. Kids in Hollywood were always too good looking, Outside of the senior portraits, yearbooks take you back to the time period warts and all.<\/p>\n

Larry Hughes is not a particularly likable fellow. He is a sad sack but a lot of it is self inflicted. He’s the guy that becomes my Teenage Werewolf,<\/em> but unlike Michael Landon who played the hapless lad beset by lycanthropy in what I consider his greatest role, Larry is not sympathetic. He was given the rhyming moniker of Larry Hughes, Born to Lose<\/em> in grade school and it has always stuck. Sadly, the name fits.<\/p>\n

\"Larry's <\/a>
Larry’s bad choice <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Larry <\/a>
Larry meets the Punk Rock Girl <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before my monster became a monster in Teenage Beast he was a human being. I have a name for him — Larry Hughes — but I wasn’t sure what he was going to look like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":45717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4953,49,16],"tags":[33,158,17,76,43,5,2143,3663,25,5937,480],"class_list":["post-45807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doodle-tuesday","category-it-came-from-the-sketchbook","category-sketch","tag-1980s","tag-analog","tag-cartoon","tag-horror","tag-humor","tag-joe-williams","tag-punk","tag-sketch","tag-sketchbook","tag-teenage-beast","tag-usa"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/especially-nerdy-Larry.jpg?fit=400%2C681&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1ed1x-bUP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":521,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2009\/10\/05\/teenage-beast\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":0},"title":"Teenage Beast","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"October 5, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Another sketchbook variation of the Teenage Beast A.K.A. Goo Goo Muck that I did back in the 1980s. In true, '80s, monster movie fashion as the movie progresses, our hero turns into a bigger and badder monster as the remnants of his humanity fall away. Once again, this was done\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blast from the Past"","block_context":{"text":"Blast from the Past","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/blast-from-the-past\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/teenage-beast-02.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":45889,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/09\/09\/when-does-the-band-go-on\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":1},"title":"When does the band go on?","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"September 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is another sketch from my developing Teenage Beast story. The crowd awaits the arrival of Brian Bubonic and the Plague. I drew this with sky blue mechanical pencil leads and Sailor Fude De Mannen fountain pens in a small UCreate sketchbook by Ticonderoga. It takes ink surprisingly well and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Awaiting-Brian-Bubonic.jpg?fit=640%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Awaiting-Brian-Bubonic.jpg?fit=640%2C448&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Awaiting-Brian-Bubonic.jpg?fit=640%2C448&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45906,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/09\/16\/burn-baby-burn-punk-rock-inferno\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":2},"title":"Burn, Baby, BURN! Punk Rock Inferno","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"September 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019ve been pouring my heart into Teenage Beast, a punk rock horror story set in the 1980s that\u2019s slowly clawing its way out of my brain and onto the page. Right now, it\u2019s a chaotic mix of notes, half-formed scenes, and sketches that fuel each other. I often start with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Burning-beast-9-5-25.jpg?fit=640%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Burning-beast-9-5-25.jpg?fit=640%2C431&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Burning-beast-9-5-25.jpg?fit=640%2C431&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46177,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/10\/21\/the-beast-of-times\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":3},"title":"The Beast of Times!","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"October 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm having the beast of times with my Pen+Gear Sketch Diary sketchbook, a gem my wife Tina unearthed for me at our local Walmart. The sturdy paper withstands the rough handling of my pencils and erasers, while its surface handles the ink from my Sailor and Pentel pens better than\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Teenage-Beast-Gray-web.jpg?fit=800%2C1029&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Teenage-Beast-Gray-web.jpg?fit=800%2C1029&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Teenage-Beast-Gray-web.jpg?fit=800%2C1029&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Teenage-Beast-Gray-web.jpg?fit=800%2C1029&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44965,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/04\/22\/teenage-beast-coming-through\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":4},"title":"Teenage Beast \u2022 Coming Through!","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"April 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I continue to carve out the Teenage Beast story in my sketchbooks. In this case, I am finishing up a 7-inch by 10-inch Canson XL Mixed Media pad. I pencil in my characters and then ink them in with my Sailor Fude De Mannen fountain pen which is quickly becoming\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast_Coming-Through-detail.jpg?fit=640%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast_Coming-Through-detail.jpg?fit=640%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast_Coming-Through-detail.jpg?fit=640%2C300&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44907,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2025\/04\/15\/doodle-tuesday-demonic-delineations\/","url_meta":{"origin":45807,"position":5},"title":"Doodle Tuesday \u2022 Demonic Delineations","author":"Joe","date":"April 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been bopping back and forth between digital illustrations and hand drawings of late enjoying both which is kind of weird. It feels like working digitally and by hand are two different skill sets requiring different ways of thinking. I thought it would be tricky juggling both analog and digital\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Doodle Tuesday"","block_context":{"text":"Doodle Tuesday","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/it-came-from-the-sketchbook\/doodle-tuesday\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast-backhanding-the-jock-detail.jpg?fit=800%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast-backhanding-the-jock-detail.jpg?fit=800%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast-backhanding-the-jock-detail.jpg?fit=800%2C337&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Teenage-Beast-backhanding-the-jock-detail.jpg?fit=800%2C337&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45807"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45807\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}