Joonho “JK” Kim can draw. Need proof? Look at this drawing he did of Chris Costa. Sure, he looks badass. What you don’t know is that when Costa was posing, he was actually eating a Twinkie in his boxers while checking his voicemail. So, yeah, JK can make anyone look like a badass.
So, why draw Costa? Why not. JK’s earlier work “Spirit of a Warrior” features a badass with a Spartan-looking shadow. Turning to Costa, the man has a gladiator fetish and a following. Heck, even his Beard has a following. And, it turns out, Costa’s been looking for a way to satisfy his fans’ hunger for autographs and pictures; so here we are. JK does his thing, Costa takes care of his fans. Win-win.
JK will offer a series of seven drawings, the first of which is available today from JK’s website, www.tacticaldrawings.com, for $45. The remaining six drawings will follow at roughly 3-4 month intervals.
Costa is giving 100 percent of his proceeds to the Stars and Stripes Foundation. JK’s invested his time and talent heavily in this project. He can’t afford to donate 100 percent, so JK’s donating a portion of his proceeds to Stars and Stripes Foundation as well as his church.
I know what you’re thinking: “$45 for a drawing? Of Costa?” These are not shop wall pin-up posters. This is an 18″ x 12″ water-colored, pencil drawing printed on 100 pound matte paper using a digital press bearing Costa’s digital signature.
Consider all the work that went into the drawing. JK spent 20 hours researching and preparing. He made period-specific props from cardboard and found a gladiator-esque model to guide his representation of the “spirit” warrior. He roped-in Pima County Deputy Sheriff Avery Cox as the model. (As an aside, JK told me, “I feel sorry for any criminal caught by that guy.”) He added some of his own touches to the armor, but the shoulder, arm and shinguards are period-accurate, as is the shield. Russell Crowe fans may recognize the helmet is inspired by the one worn by Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the film, “Gladiator.”
So, all that work and we haven’t even gotten to Costa, yet. JK worked from photos of Costa and his gear. From his shades to his shoes, it’s all there in detail. I jokingly asked JK if the beard was the toughest part to get right. “Actually, the LaRue was the hardest part,” JK told me. “Chris’ gun has a unique rail configuration and it was tough to get the rail covers right.” I’m glad the man’s priorities are in the right order. In all he racked up another 40 hours drawing and coloring the piece.
“The artist gets his share. If not for the JK, this wouldn’t happen, it’s not like I could draw this myself. JK’s allowing me to do something cool that profits Stars & Stripes Foundation,” Costa told me. “Am I going to make a profit on my T-shirts, my patches, and other stuff? Absolutely, I’m trying. But this is different.”
“I think it’s important for people to see that Costa Ludus is a small company starting in the red and we’re trying to do the right thing,” Costa explains about the idea of donating his share of the artwork profit, “and one of those things is this project.”
If you haven’t seen JK’s work, you should check out his portfolio. He does custom work for agencies and individuals that want to memorialize or commemorate people or events. He’s heavy on the law enforcement art because that is his background at the moment. He’s been the Pima County, Tucson, Ariz., Sheriff’s Dept. and Regional SWAT chaplain since 2005. So he’s been immortalizing his boys while using them for models. You might tell from the lines in his work that he studied sculpting as a student in South Korea before moving to the U.S. in 1981.
