Captain Latvia

On the 18 of November we celebrate the independence Day, also known as Proclamation Day of the Republic of Latvia.

Wanted to commemorate this day by drawing the protagonist of the national epic Lāčplēsis (The Bear Slayer) as a Bronze Age superhero. Lāčplēsis is one of the most important fictional figures in Latvian Culture. We celebrate his day on the 11th of November, there are streets named after him, there are statues of him in many Latvian cities and adorning the Parliament building and the Monument of Freedom. One of the most popular beer brands in Latvia is called Lāčplēsis.

The biggest challenge was to incorporate his bear ears, that are the source of his superhuman strength. I originally planned to make a helmet like that of Orion or Adam Strange, but since I already decided to make the costume in the colours of the Latvian flag, the design would've ended up too similar. I opted for kind of Flash earpieces, but I think the Ears lost prominence in the end.

Also as a symbol I gave him the Auseklis star - the symbol of the Latvian God of the morning star, his symbol stands for Victory of Light over Dark.