I’m a big sucker for fan art – well, appropriate fan art – and that’s why I’ve been pounding my desk all morning over the news that the world’s biggest patent troll is going after Etsy’s new $40 million investment. But while soulless thieves are going after the sources of the Internet’s showcases for art and inspiration, they’ll thankfully never be able to crush the actual artists. At least not yet. I’m sure they’ll find a way eventually.

My Internet Artist of the Day of the Week goes to the guys at Double Scribble, a Tumblr site devoted to NBA fan art.

Double Scribble is the lovechild of basketball and art; two of Nick Kastner and Mike McGrath’s favorite things in the world. From the coldest, murkiest depths of Cleveland, OH (and now to some extent, some obscure part of North Carolina) Nick and Mike have forged a blog out of blood, sweat and tears in their unwavering vision to provide you, the viewer, with a never ending source of basketball related art.

And it’s pretty awesome. I’ve been shuffling back and forth through its archives since a friend emailed the link last week and there is just a ton of great artwork on this site that has really inspired me to consider re-launching my web comic series, “The Erotic Adventures of a Sports Blogger.” Spoiler alert: it’s sad and gross.

After the jump, I’ve included many of my favorite efforts of Double Scribble’s authors, but I encourage you to check out the submissions that they’ve posted from other artists as well. It’s a highly recommended worm hole to limit your productivity today.

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A few months back, I scoured the depths of Deviant Art and a few other sites to dig up some of the most beautiful athlete fan art that we’ve ever seen, but a few days ago I realized that I left out another great resource – Etsy. An online marketplace for independent artists, jewelers, and general retailers, Etsy is apparently also a haven for people who love to make unique sports merchandise and memorabilia. Some friends and I have a little game we like to play, as we try to find more obscure and interesting (read: borderline absurd) items to send each other as birthday gifts. After all, why celebrate your friend’s team for him when you can induce shame just as easily?

Etsy turned out to be a treasure trove of paintings, knick knacks and clothing, so I did my best to limit the catalog today. But I’m pretty sure with this little collection, including that fantastic painting above, you’ll get the general idea of what you’ll find if you ever pull on your cyber galoshes and wade through the Etsy waters.

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As a connoisseur of fine art and generally classy dude, I spend a good chunk of my day scouring the Internet for the next Bob Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci Code, and Randy Warhol. Originally, I spent a lot of time in elementary school art classes trying to discover artists at early ages but courts in 12 states told me that was not allowed anymore. Thankfully, there are some great web sites that help aspiring artists debut their work and showcase their talents. Take Deviant Art, for example.

I was perusing this site the other day, but while experiencing initial disappointment in my expectations for something a little different based on the name, I found my way to some pretty cool artwork (like my new office decoration). And then I found some interesting postings. And then I just found some really creepy stuff. So I wondered to the homeless man viewing pornography on the public library computer next to me, “Could there be an undiscovered world of athlete fan art that I’ve never known of?” Oh there is, friends. Like that handsome goblin above, who you might know better as TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley.

Seriously, that’s Chuck. Enjoy the ride.

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