UofMUSCLE.com – M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures from Mattel

Sometimes being first is not enough to solidify your place in history, or at least popular knowledge. For example, look at the history of the automobile. Karl Benz is widely considered the inventor of the automobile and, although it took many forms before, the first assembly line is credited to Ransom Olds. However, many people think of Henry Ford and his Model T when it comes to the birth of the automobile.

Nathan Newell could be considered the Henry Ford of the M.U.S.C.L.E. community. There were other M.U.S.C.L.E. collectors to do things first, but collectors would have great difficulty suggesting any other person has had the same enormous positive impact on the M.U.S.C.L.E. community. His website (Nathan’s M.U.S.C.L.E. Page) has been a staple of the virtual M.U.S.C.L.E. world since early 1998. Along the way, through web design, drawings, comics, and more, Nathan has created some of the most exceptional, enjoyable, and creative fan art.

Nathan’s work is difficult to catalog for a variety of reasons; most notably because of the difficulty in categorizing his work and/or the challenges in even assigning an accurate year to much of his work.

For all of these reasons Nathan Newell’s fan art from Nathan’s M.U.S.C.L.E. Blog! is awarded an uncustomary distinction. It will receive its own section within Art 300.

Nathan’s Photoshopped M.U.S.C.L.E. Figures:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Nathan’s Miscellaneous M.U.S.C.L.E. Fan Art:

The Fox and Tortle Show!(Web Comic)

Past Incarnations of Nathan's M.U.S.C.L.E. Page/Blog

Nathan's Childhood M.U.S.C.L.E. Fan Art

Nathan's 'Tortle's Advertisements'

Nathan's Miscellaneous M.U.S.C.L.E. Fan Art

'Super Rare' Trilogy Packaging

Nathan’s LittleRubberGuys.com Fan Art Contest Entries:

All of these entries were part of the LittleRubberGuys.com Fan Art Contests. Many of Nathan’s entries went on to win their respective contests. Nathan’s entries often set the bar in terms of quality, and were even a source of frustration for some participants because of their quality. As the LittleRubberGuys.com contests continued, both the focus of Nathan and the contests started to stray away from M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. The non-M.U.S.C.L.E. entries help to illustrate the growth in both ability and techniques.

Nathan has not only been an active contributor of Fan Art to the M.U.S.C.L.E. community, he has also been an important member in shaping the M.U.S.C.L.E. community. Most notably Nathan’s involvement with the M.U.S.C.L.E. community has always been consistent, selfless, and positive. It’s likely that the accessibility of M.U.S.C.L.E. information, to the world at-large, would not be possible without his continued efforts. The sustained, and occasional growth, of the M.U.S.C.L.E. community would not be possible if collectors did not first pass through the metaphorical doors of Nathan’s M.U.S.C.L.E. Blog!

Nathan has done so much Fan Art it is difficult to uncover all of it. If you have some Nathan Newell M.U.S.C.L.E.-inspired Fan Art or any M.U.S.C.L.E. Fan Art, then please email the University of M.U.S.C.L.E.. Even more of Nathan’s non-M.U.S.C.L.E. related art can be seen at his blog, The Dork Dimension.