Calling All Artists and/or Ricky Potts Fans!!
Hey there!! So recently I put a poll out asking if anyone would be interested in participating in an RTC fandom art event, specifically a Ricky-centric one. I'm already seeing a good amount of interest, so I figure I should just go ahead and make a post detailing what exactly the project is about.
We all know and love Ricky Potts, and his iconic song: Space Age Bachelor Man. If you don't know him. . . well, let's fix that. x)
I run @enter-the-rickyverse where I draw various Rickies all the time. I've been to see many productions of Ride the Cyclone live and have seen many a slime tutorial and something I know I always look forward to is the bachelor man costume reveal. It's always something fun, colorful, and "out of this world." Ricky himself is also, design-wise, incredibly versatile. There's a version of Ricky for everyone to see themselves in. Inspired by some collaborative art events I've seen take place in other fandoms, I thought: What if I compile a list of every bachelor man fit, and everyone interested picked one and drew that Ricky in their respective bachelor man regalia? Then, by the end, we'll have a collection of drawings of one character who appears a million different ways.
Here's the plan:
1. Click this link and look through the pictures in this Google Drive folder. I've numbered them instead of naming specific productions for the sake of simplicity, and also to make this project accessible to anyone who isn't familiar with obscure productions (not everyone is like me and collects Ricky pictures like they're baseball cards, I get that). All are welcome, even if you've never even seen the show before I invite you to check out the drive and choose a bachelor man based purely on aesthetics. I promise you they're all a blast!!
2. Pick one you like and DM me that number, and I'll then add your name in parenthesis next to the number in that file name so anyone who looks through the list will know who claimed which design. Just please keep in mind that it's first come first serve and if you have a particular favorite you have your heart set on it would be a good idea to send me that DM as soon as you can. If the one you chose has already been claimed, I will ask you to choose a different one. You'll notice that some of the pictures are very low-quality-- don't worry. For most of these guys I have a lot of reference photos/videos that show their faces and/or costumes more clearly; once you DM me the number you choose I can gladly provide you with as many reference photos as I have. In some cases there really are so few known images of a particular costume (ie Connor Russell in Seattle 2018, the only documented instance of his costume we have is a low-res Tiktok filmed from a distance) for which I'll have few to no further references to give you and it might require some guess work and/or taking some creative liberties on your part. Feel free to tell me if you need a hand with choosing.
3. Both traditional and digital art submissions of any and all art styles and skill levels are acceptable. Go nuts with this, give it your all, make it your own! All I ask is for no art theft and no generative AI. The main point is to have fun, share your art with an amazingly creative fandom, and show love to an amazing character!!
4. For those who don't know, a big part of Ricky's story is that, in life, he had a physical disability which affected his speech and mobility. In most (but not all) retellings, he no longer has that disability in the afterlife, wherein most of the plot events, including his song, take place. There are a lot of differences of opinion between fans, for a lot of valid reasons, about how exactly this should be approached, and I don't think it's my place as just one fan to dictate what is 'the right way' for everyone to go about drawing afterlife Ricky. A lot of artists depict him in their drawings continuing to use mobility aids/AAC devices even in the afterlife (I personally tend to err on this side with my fan art), and if you would like to do that also you're more than welcome to, regardless of whether it's 'accurate' to the one you chose. I guess what I mean to say is, do what you feel in your heart would pay the most respect to his character.
5. We're a pretty small and tight-knit fandom, and as such I anticipate a relatively small group of participants. If you would like to draw more than one Ricky you're totally welcome to do so, all I ask is that you wait until everyone has picked their first. When we reach that point I'll make a post letting everyone know.
6. On the list is every bachelor man fit I could find at least one usable reference photo of. There are over 120 of them and counting. If there's one you don't see on the list that you would like to draw, or see someone else draw, you can let me know and I'll add them to the list. The one catch to this though, is that you'll have to provide me with at least one photo to add, because if you don't see that particular design on the list it's because I don't yet have a reference photo for it.
7. When you finish your drawing(s), post it on Tumblr and tag the event page: @bachelormanartcollab, and I'll reblog it there. I would like to try to wrap up the project by March 10, 2026, so please try to have your submissions in by then.
I encourage everyone who likes to draw/design characters to join in, and consider sharing this post. Feel free to send me an ask or DM if you have any questions.
