.Lara and the Bear.
Why is it that after all these years I still can't get enough of Lara Croft? It surely can't be the number of game sequels... After all, none of them ever measured up to the brilliance of the first one, and I stopped playing them after the second. Shoot, I couldn't even tell you for sure how many Tomb Raider games they've made now. But for some reason, that first game made such an impression on me that Lara Croft is still one of my favorite videogame characters of all time. I even admit to enjoying the movie, although I'll wager my fondness of Angelina Jolie probably made it more bearable for me than for some. Lara Croft took the world by storm by being not only one of the first females to be the lead role in a videogame, but by possessing a toughness that surpassed that of many of her male counterparts while still retaining her feminine charm.

As geeky as it sounds, I still remember the very first time I saw a Tomb Raider ad in PC Gamer. I remember the first time I ever played Tomb Raider at my friend Jason's house before I owned my own copy. And for those who would challenge that Lara Croft's only lure is her physical appearance, I can remember Tomb Raider being one of the only games in history that was interesting enough that my mom actually wanted to watch me play.

Lara is just good people. And she'll probably be showing up in my drawings for years to come.

*steps down off soapbox*

Okay, now on to the picture. After a close encounter with a bear, Lara whips out the first-aid gear to patch up the scratch. I originally planned to have the bear's face showing so I could make him look a bit meaner. I figured it would help to convey the idea that the "really mean" bear deserved to die, but I just couldn't get the picture to work right that way. So you have to settle for a sideways bear instead, and you'll have to trust me... He was really, really mean. And I also realize claws of that size would probably have done a bit more damage, but humor me. It's my picture and I'll draw it how I want. And check out her schnazzy Frank-Castle-inspired belt buckle. Nice, huh?