When I was a kid, I was amazed and scared by the idea of the Globe of Death stunts at the circus in my town. One day I drew this character with its head as the metal cage and its eyes reflecting the craziness and daring gravity of the performers. I had worked on this idea a few times; initially, it was more minimalist, but years later, I felt like adapting it to a more complex character and have more fun with it. Inspired by the great Evel Knievel and the 70s style, I revised the concept for this new iteration. I hope you like it.
Idea Sketch
First iteration of this idea, it was simpler and focused on its face, then after some years I wanted to do something more fuller, that face idea become just a detail.
I wanted the smoke to be a 2d element, to feel more graphic, here is the base animation I made.