One genius piece of fan art combins two unlikely characters for the ultimate ’90s crossover – as Griff Tannen, from theBack to the Futurefranchise’s legendary second installment, is transformed into theGhost Rider. The mash-upanswers a question most readers didn’t even know they had: “What if Griff Tannen became bound to the Spirit of Vengeance instead of Johnny Blaze?”
Shared on Instagram by fan artist Tom Hoskisson (@tomhoskissonart), this clever Griff Tannen/Ghost Rider combination brings together the most striking aspects of both characters while adding a fun and colorful ’90s twist.There have been many iterations of Ghost Riderand many have even had cybernetic enhancements, but Tom Hoskisson’s fan art takes the character in an unusual, yet ingenious direction.
The addition of Ghost Rider’s flames makes the slapstick villain of Griff Tannen appear fierce and the inclusion of Griff’s cybernetic enhancements innovatively modernizes the Ghost Rider character while also alluding to some of Ghost Rider’s high-tech variants.
Ghost Rider and Griff Tannen Are an Unlikely Pair That Somehow Fit Perfectly
Fan Art By @tomhoskissonart
Hoskisson’s fan art combines the most memorable aspects of Griff and Ghost Rider’s character designs to make something unique.The fan art turns Griff’s bully gear into dangerous hellfire weapons with a smoking hot cybernetic bat and knee pads studded with spikes, and his futuristic green jacket and silver helmet are stunningly redesigned to match Ghost Rider’s aesthetic in Hoskisson’s art style. The fan art also pays homage to both characters' origins through the use of a fun 90s aesthetic background.
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Despite having drastically different motivations, both Griff Tannen andGhost Rider are largely imposing figuresthat use physical transformation as a form of power. Griff as Ghost Rider with the Spirit of Vengeance or the demon Zarathos would be a more self-serving evil as opposed to Ghost Rider’s usual anti-hero nature. Tom Hoskisson’s fan art poses a hypothetical new direction for how Marvel could modernize Ghost Rider, while bringing back under-utilized cybernetic counterparts. Though even more immediately, it targets fans' nostalgia for bothBack to the Futureand the classic iterations of Ghost Rider.
Ghost Rider Griff Tannen Fits Right In Among Marvel’s Many Spirit Of Vengeance Variants
Ghost Rider, First Introduced InMarvel Spotlight#5 – Created By Writers Gary Friedrich & Roy Thomas, & Artist Mike Ploog
Johnny Blaze was the first Ghost Rider, and Danny Ketch took the character to new heights of popularity as the 1990s incarnation. There have been35 version of Ghost Rider in the Marvel Universe, and counting, and Tom Hoskisson’s Griff Tannen incarnation of the character wouldn’t feel out of place among them. Though, certainly, he would be more likely to occupy the villainous end of the Spirit of Vengeance spectrum, though he would certainly not be alone in that regard.
As unexpected of a crossover as it might be, Ghost Rider Griff emphasizes the fact that pop culture is endlessly permeable.
Hoskisson’s fan art of Ghost Rider Griff Tannen, who rides a flaming hoverboard and boasts an assortment of cybernetic enhancements, is a delightful reimagining of both iconic characters. As unexpected of a crossover as it might be, Ghost Rider Griff emphasizes the fact that pop culture is endlessly permeable, and that is the most exciting thing about it. If anything,Hoskission’s amalgamation ofGhost RiderandBack to the Future’sGriff Tannen should inspire more cosplay artists to go out on a limbwith surprising new iterations of classic characters.
Ghost Rider
TheGhost Riderfranchise revolves around the Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider, a supernatural anti-hero who gains the ability to transform into a flaming skeletal figure and ride a hellfire-fueled motorcycle. The most famous Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, is a stunt motorcyclist who makes a deal with the demon Mephistopheles, transforming him into the Ghost Rider to battle evil spirits. The franchise includes two films starring Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, exploring his fight against demonic forces and his internal struggle with the curse.
