![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlhBbTS8DBeKT4AVrikSgXpVLaJFHOlhPlI_gfC332xyKF85bnZNyz8gL9aQjDoAje39sditxY956wgC5NSg7uUwBiAvUa1hHZ_4ovFGmGCau8FNWZMHzJtZjJGsLjTIVyizGERxWoj0v/s400/Thrazar+001.png)
This year I came in 3rd in the B&W illustration section of
Fight On's Erol Otus Challenge and won some cool minis. This was my entry, which I owe thanks not only to
S. John Ross' Encounter Critical for not minding me dropping Thrazar's name, but also to one of my readers here.
I forget who, but someone commented that my stuff reminded them of comic panels, and asked if I did that kind of work. (I usually don't) This got me thinking of some of the cheap b&w sci-fi comics I used to read when I was a kid. In particular, this issue of this magazine.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTNKhyphenhypheniCoQ7YF5L0fFTuuHy9qQGz7wVhCjzGaXhjTDA2eug9temgFoWDtACA4vzygbM2V_qs-D85uSmGJPww10wEOrJniWG-ID3n0lfQwaTUla18smqLdjJGqaxyoyiiYhH6D_jV619JT/s400/empire+encounters.jpg)
I remember some fairly tacky stories in here, but very gritty and well drawn. And it did cast me back to do something about Thrazar, whom I believe could have appeared in this magazine without problem. Hence, our post today. Thanks, readers!