Most people think losing 10 pounds is an ambitious New Year's resolution, but Pixar artist Everett Downing set out to create 365 brand-new superheroes in one year. Downing has brought iconic characters to life in classics like Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up, so coming up with a bullpen of his own characters seemed like a simple enough task. Like most resolutions, it didn't quite work out. What started out as a year-long project has become three years and counting. So far, he's created 285 homespun heroes and bespoke bad guys, and vows that 2013 will be the year the project is completed. Wired Design talked with Downing about his super-size resolution, what he's gained from it and what will happen when he finally hits number 365.

The origin story is a critical part of any hero's development. Downing is no different. "I got into a rut, I wasn't drawing enough and a friend told me I was over-thinking things," says Downing. "I just needed to do something I was really into that wouldn't require too much thinking. I started thinking about designing superheroes and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. I threw the gauntlet down and decided to draw a super every day." Just as Edna Mode from The Incredibles had rules for superhero costumes, Downing developed ground rules for his characters. "I don't want to spend too much time on these, so they can't go over an hour." The project was also intended to be a fun way to generate ideas and exercise his creativity so Downing wouldn't allow himself to stockpile designs to keep up the pace. Other than those guidelines, anything was fair game. Downing's horticulturist hero (above) gained super powers after his super grass growing solution exploded on him — transforming him into the Hulking Mulch!

To keep the creative juices flowing Downing has a list of hero names that he created with friends, chock full of impressive monikers, plenty of puns, and even suggestions from loyal readers. "A lot of my super designs are driven by this list of names." says Downing. "If you have a list of names it's easier to schedule." He starts every drawing with a name that falls into one of three buckets. Some just sound cool, like Power Fist. Others come from puns or goofy word play, like Re-Pete. Then there are those that come completely out of left field like Lance-a-Lot — a half man, half unicorn "mythic crusader from another world, who wields a sword made of righteous light and shoots a rainbow of wrath from his horn!" "This just goes to show you what can happen when you forget about everything and just draw for fun. This is probably my favorite super I created for this blog." says Downing. "These things come in waves. Sometimes the ideas just come and I'll just belt them out, other times I'm not so excited. When I stay consistent and do it daily, there are times I scrape the bottom of the barrel and I have to be OK with the bad ideas. When I'm working on bad ideas, I know a good idea is just around the corner, that's how it worked with Lance-a-Lot." Another unlikely favorite is "Dober-Man and Pincer," a silly looking duo with a hilarious history "Altruistic exotic veterinarian Voss Brown was bitten by a genetically altered rabid doberman and given its approximate powers. He can run as fast as a pinscher and wields a dog-like fury! Together with his pet, Pincher (the now toothless dog that gave him his abilities) they pursue crime with a dogged determination!"

"Doing something like this is completely worth it. Looking back, it's a time capsule of where you were at that time." says Downing. "There are ideas where when I'm done I think it was terrible, but a few months later I think its great."

Downing can trace his love of superheroes and animation down to a specific source, The Uncanny X-Men, specifically issue #173. "The artist, Paul Smith, would do these amazing drawings of Wolverine fighting the Silver Samurai." says Downing. "He drew every move of the fight, every counter and block and as a kid I remember thinking 'They're really fighting!'" He also credits modern comic artists like Darwyn Cooke, Tonci Zonjic, David Aja, Cory Walker, Chris Samnee, and Michael Avon Oeming as influences.

Even though Downing failed to create 365 superheroes in a year, it helped him get out of the rut he was stuck in. "It's helped me a ton creatively. It helped me loosen up — I was getting stagnant in my drawing. I was reluctant to take risks." he says. "When your really tense, you're not as flexible; it's not as easy to get back to things. When you're loose, if you fall down you bounce back up. If you're tense, something will break." He also says "It helps me get in the zone quicker. Every time I try to fuss over a drawing — let's see what guy comes out today." It turns out that "anything" can be a playful approach to emoticons (left) or a slightly grittier take on the "Fail" meme (right).

Downing says creators should also be open to modifying their projects. For instance, after drawing the characters for a while, he decided to come up with one- or two-line backgrounds for each of his characters that help explain the influences and inspiration. Downing got on an archaeology kick and came up with the mysterious "Pandorceress," an "archeologist who finds the legendary Pandora's box and opens it up. She's granted dark wisdom at the price of her eyesight." And her protector, "Chip Scarab," is an "Egyptologist turned Sorcerous protector."

Downing has advice for creators looking to undertake a similarly ambitious project advice for creative projects. "If your going to start something like this, some things are going to look bad. You'll have to throw away 10 OK ideas to get one great one." says Downing "I want to get these bad ideas out so I can get to the nuggets of gold." He also warns creators not to be fixated on fan responses. "Don't be discouraged if you don't get a lots of likes and buzz and chatter. You should be doing it for yourself and the other stuff comes second." Downing offers one last piece of advice - Carefully consider the scope of the project, especially if making public declarations about it. He says "When I started, I said '365 I can do that!' Now that I'm in the 280's I think 'why didn't I say once a week?' That's just 52. I'd be good by now!"

Like a superhero, Downing has a utility belt full of tools that help him develop his modern day marvel universe. Classics like pen and ink never go out of style, but Photoshop and iPad apps like Brushes, Paper, Sketchbook Pro, and Procreate have become part of his arsenal. This diversity of tools leads to a varied texture of drawings, from simple line art to richly colored compositions.

What's next in Downing's continuing saga? It wouldn't be a comic book story without a cliffhanger, but Downing does hint at some ideas for when he's done drawing. A comic book "one-shot" featuring the best of his creation seems like the logical next step. He'd also like to pay homage to the legendary (in geek circles) OHOTMU or Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, a field guide to every hero and villain that appeared in a Marvel Comic along with their key stats and biographical information. However, until the project is completed Downing is still looking for names. He has no complaints, though. "Is it fun to do?" he asks. "Yes. Hard to do? Extremely. Worth it? For sure!"