Fan Art Site Shout-Out 5 of 5: BBC’s Sherlock

As CBS parades out its new fall line up, one of the much hyped shows is “Elementary,” the American present-day take on one of my favorite characters in classic literature, Sherlock Holmes.

Unfortunately, I have enjoyed the BBC “Sherlock” so much, I’m having trouble wanting to even see this.

Now I like the choice of Jonny Lee Miller as Holmes (the thought of a non-British Sherlock Holmes, even on American soil, makes me want to yak). Here’s a little trivia: Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays the tile role in the BBC production, and Miller are good friends, and even played opposite each other on stage in director Danny Boyle’s “Frankenstein.” They alternated who played the monster and who played Victor Frankenstein night to night, so they are well versed in sharing roles. As with these performances, I’m sure each will give their own distinct edge to Sherlock.

It’s Lucy Liu as “Joan” Watson that kind of bugs me. I have nothing against her as an actress or person, and I’m not grousing about a woman portraying the part, it is just the thought of Holmes and Watson being potential love interests that cheapens their wonderful dynamic.

Which brings me to the fan art sites for BBC Sherlock…there are a lot of fans out there who disagree with me and really, really, really, reallllly want to see these two go at it like British bunnies on both the sites I perused: sherlock.soup.io/tag/fanart and a tumblr site.

Personally, I don’t care if it’s a gay relationship or a straight one, I just feel some characters shouldn’t “hook up.” Even Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman (Watson in the BBC series) have indicated whichever way Holmes leans in the BBC show — a topic that will always be a popular viewer debate — he definitely doesn’t lean that way towards Watson. Holmes and Watson are one of literature’s best and earliest examples of the  “bromance.”

So fair warning for those who don’t want to see the “bow chicka wow wow” dynamic of these characters: you have to muddle through an awful lot of it as depicted from some fans, who apparantly are very good at sketching with just one hand unoccupied.

Much of the art, however, reflected the classic, slightly dark, slightly highbrow and very clever albeit tortured nature of Holmes. Cumberbatch has a very intriguing face that lends itself to creative portraiture, but I especially love the silhouette done in the crayon-drip method (lower left). I might even try that myself.

Also I had to include a picture of the long-suffering love-struck Molly, because anyone who has read my mother/daughter comic reviews, knows I’m particularly partial to that name.

So it is with Sherlock, I conclude my fan art site series, an old character who remains as much a mystery today as he was when he first ambled staunchly out of the mind of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, onto the page and into our hearts.

Check out more at http://sherlock.soup.io/tag/fanart  and tumblr.com/tagged/bbc+sherlock+fanart.