Oh, no.

I have a movie on where many upsetting things happen. War, deaths, some massive dickishness, etc. Then one of the characters is an artist and she starts airbrushing, and I catch myself saying out loud "oh, no". I guess some things are just too much for me to take.

Here's some REAL ART!

Mr Gorbachev, tear down this mall!

So Worcester Magazine, our local alt-pub, wanted to do a year-end big-big-story roundup issue, and have it all done as a full-color cartoon section. Here's my addition to the collection:

Click to enlarge.

The story: I guess there was a big to-do involving the Governor and Lt Gov arriving here in the Worm, in order to officiate over the demolition of the local mall that has been sitting empty since, like, 1914. When folks showed up hoping to see a Vegas-casino-sized demolition, they got to see a small drill bit poke itself through one wall of the mall. Whee. Oh, also, they needed TWO countdowns before the drill bit actually emerged from it's hole.

When it did, it predicted another 10 years of unattractive real estate.

Next Year's Calendar

I like doing a calendar every year. And my 2011 calendar is in hand. Bug me if you want one.

Usually I use a mix of old and new stuff. Unfortunately I'm running out of old stuff and can't make any more old stuff. So the next one requires a plan. After watching Tron: Legacy and Star Trek: The Motion Picture yesterday, I decided that 2012 needs to be sexy scifi. PG, but sexy. So here's my short list of babes:

Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Leeloo from 5th Element
Ripley and Winona-bot from Alien Resurrection
Jabba's slave dancer girl
Natasha from Alphaville
Quorra from Tron: Legacy
Princess Aura from Flash Gordon

None are definite (ok, some are), but I've not seen every film, nor have I read every book. I am still open to suggestions, sales pitches and bribes.

Also should mention, since this is my project, I have ultimate choice, and there are some definite 'No's:
No 3-tit chick from Total Recall
No James Bond girls

Maybes: 
I'm not super into these ideas, but am considering...
Barbara from NOTLD
Barbarella
Maria-bot from Metropolis
characters from Planet of the Apes
Princess Leia
Elsa Lanchester as the Bride of Frankenstein

Like I said, I'm open to any and all suggestions, if only for the discovery of new stuff.

Cold morning.

I had to go out yesterday to do some recon-research for an illustration project. It was 19º or so out. It sucked. My fingers were freezing and my camera batteries died halfway through. Luckily, it was the camera that takes AA's, and not my stupid proprietary not-easily-recharged camera batteries, so I stepped into a convenience store. As I wandered the store, warming up, there was a manager interviewing a guy for a job.

Manager: "Very good, what's your phone number?"
Candidate: "I don't have one right now, I had to have it shut off."

Cold morning? Whatever. I have it easy. I know it pays shit, but I hope he gets that job. It's the giving season, so give some $ so your neighbors can eat. They're not lazy, they're not losers. They're just like you, they just got a shittier roll of the dice.


Worcester County Food Bank

.

Kids, bug your parents!

Rolling out the new calendar. Fingers crossed, I should have a batch of them for the Start at the Station this coming Sunday, Dec 5th.  Also should have some T-shirts as well. Not a brandy new design, but some sexy new colors.
$15 for shirts, $15 for calendars. If you're interested in mugging me, I'll be walking around with lots of fives.

Not close to MA? You can buy one straight from Lulu. and if you order today get 25% off with code CYBER305.

Street Fleecing

Well, we've had our street-sweeping signs up for the past four days. Today was the magical morning. It's chaos, with the shuffling and re-parking cars, and circling the neighborhood, just to discover all the streets around are 'no parking' as well. After all the ticketing and trucks and nonsense, here are the results...



What? You're not impressed? You will be.

I counted $300 in tickets, just within view of my front porch. This includes my own $50 ticket. Here's the thing about my ticket: I'm on top of this shit. We joke that I'm the neighborhood watch. I'm here all day and night, working next to this window. When the signs went up last week, I went out to the street with a shovel and broom, cleaned the gutters, scraped the curbstones of the artificial peatmoss that forms over the summer. I have a 30 year old motorbike out there and I don't like the idea of it sitting on top of a leafy, trashy swamp. And to illustrate how much silt piles up out there, while shoveling last friday I discovered among the other trash, a full sized wooden chair-leg buried under where I park.

I digress. The point is, I'm on top of this. I was up this morning before 8, expecting to hear the rumbling and beeping of Pat's Towing trucks, letting us know that our big angry squaredance was starting. This is the process we're accustomed to, after 4 years of living here: Beep beep, move your car. Some people don't. Beep beep, move your car. Some people still don't. They get a $50 ticket. It's usually college kids, UMass students in scrubs wandering out at noon to find a $50 fine on the windshield. The process is designed to get cars off the street, work with the neighborhood, so that the street can get swept. It's loud and crude, but it makes sense, it works, and if you're paying any kind of attention, you can avoid the ticket.

Today, nothing but the thrum of the sweeper. At that sound, I went out and moved Nicole's car across the street, and waited in it until she was ready to go. Then I went inside and watched my own car from the window. I hit the bathroom. Back to the window. I checked my email. I kept my eye on that goddamn car. Then the little white DPW pickups show up and the ticket-man starts walking around. I go out and start up the Civic, and on the far side of the windshield, there's the ticket. I didn't leave the window long enough for him to fill it out. And even if I did, how did he hit that magical perfect timing? Or did he just wander through at 7am, silently passing out $50 fines*? I drove my car up onto the sidewalk, slammed the door impotently and went inside. Out the window, a girl was getting out of a little blue car that had just eased into my former spot. I got a little pissed, thinking my ticket was for nothing if that spot wasn't even going to get swept. O ye of little faith, I thought as the little white truck arrived a minute later. Damn, he's smooth.

Sweep time is posted 7am 5pm. The 5pm makes sense, since people will likely be at work, and the streets are likely to be clear of cars. What the fuck is the 7am for? That's when people are getting ready for work, so instead of showering and shaving, they're in the street in bathrobes, negotiating sweepers, dumptrucks, each other, and since we live on a main street, let's not forget about the usual traffic speeding through, treating the trucks and sweepers like traffic cones on a racetrack. Or maybe they are showering and shaving, blissfully unaware of the non-rippable little surprise on their windshield.

So, the facts of the case. The city decided not to pay for Pat's Towing. And they sent a ninja ticketer through. I'd say today's street sweeping was a success. Buy some fucking teachers with that money, you assholes.


* EDIT: I just thought to check the time on the ticket: 8:10 am. Must've been magic.

The Kiss

242 Show was last night, and it was quite good. Here's one of my pieces, finished. And some of the sketches/ideas/process.

It started out as just an idea, scratched on the back of an envelope.

I blew it up large, but I wasn't in love with the composition anymore. That heart shape doesn't hold up. Plus the poses are too tender. Seems forced, schlocky.

Pushing the idea further, I still wanted hands to be interacting, but they need to feel passionate, maybe even desperate.

Background/composition. I wanted wreckage, but it needs to be pushed away from the couple, so that we (the viewer) are pulled into their space. There are other 'people' in this world, but they don't matter.

The final, 12x36". I still wanted the colors to be sparse, but I don't want it to feel just black and white. I hit that spot between them with hot light, the sun, an explosion, a a-bomb, or just their emotion? The overall shape/flow of the background wreckage is also circular, originating in that same space between their faces. Click to enlarge.

Arrr...

Working on a pirate project. Here's a sketch.
This art won't appear like this in the final project.

Fun

Seriously. Consider coming to Space 242 on the 22nd. Details are below.

More in progress stuff....

I hope you can make it out to Boston on the 22nd. Details below...

Another peek

...at some of the stuff I'm putting together. It's been a fun exercise, trying to figure out the old "who I am". I often work with clients on illustration, figuring out their needs like a puzzle, trying to come up with clever ways of covering all their bases while still making stuff look cool. It seems to me more technical than artistic. So when the chance is dropped in my lap, to come up with some stuff that's just for me, well that's the toughest puzzle yet. And have it on Halloween/spooky theme; and still have it appealing to people without getting all Hallmark-cardy. I've got about 2 weeks left before it's back to commercial-ville.

This here isn't finished, it's just what's onscreen right now. I hope you can make time to come out on the 22nd.

Horseman sketches

Ok, so I wasn't planning on sharing much of what I'm working on for this new show. Screw it, here's some sketches and color studies of a headless horseman piece that's on the desk today.

CLOSED!

Hey all. I'm shutting down the office for a few weeks. I'll be available again mid-October. Why am I shutting down? I'm doing new work for the Space 242 Halloween show and want need to concentrate fully on it. Here's a small sample of some early stuff...

I hope you'll join me on the 22nd of October for the opening of this show. I think you'll want to bring a costume.

stART is Sunday

Park Avenue in Worcester. Come by tomorrow 11-5.

stART

EDIT: Thanks everyone who came by! It was a great day!

More Zombi

Who wants one.

One of two t-shirt designs I'm doing for this year's StArt on the Street festival. Come buy one. September 19. It's a Sunday, you ain't got no job and you ain't got shit to do.

Oh and here's one more, based on that image I posed last week. See you there.

Back to the Future is now available!

A few months ago I was asked to create the art for a Back to the Future card game. It was released yesterday. Getting some good reviews and now I'm just waiting to get my samples. Not yet available on amazon, but you can definitely bug your local comic shop. I'm sure That's Entertainment will carry a few copies.

The best thing is, now I can post some of the art...here's some rough sketches and final pics of the cars. First the sketches (show your work!)...

These are mostly just sketches and thumbnails for communicating with the client. The most difficult one was the last one, the lightning-powered Delorean from the end of the first movie. We needed to cram a whole lot of information into a very small space:

• Car needs to look cool (a little bit in-your-face, never small or far away) 
• Car needs to be visually distinct from other versions (in this case the only major diff was the fishing pole antenna), 
• Show the town is still 1950's, not run-down 1980's
• Show the lightning/streetlight apparatus
• And what the hell, let's put the clock-tower into it

And it all needs to fit into the efficient little space of a half a playing card. Lotta rounds of discussion on that one.

Here are some of the final Deloreans.

As you can see, not all the sketches were used, which is why it's nice to have a place to post this kind of stuff that would otherwise just end up in the memory hole.

One of the things that I've discovered in my month-long crash course into becoming an expert in BttF was that every home-built car, every illustration, every representation you'll find online is wrong. Almost no reproduction of the car is ever faithful, so I spent about 50% of my time doing research, mainly consisting of watching the films in slo-mo (huge thanks to  Mr Scymszlacks for letting me borrow his BttF dvd set).

Speaking of insane details, here's the train. This was about the toughest part of the whole project. It works very differently than I originally thought (thanks to my dad for pointing out that the rockets that hold it aloft are under the center of the train, and not in the wheels). Every piece on it has a purpose. It is either: a larger version of a piece that was on the Delorean; a clever re-purposing of the train's steam power source; or a reference to the submarine in Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues. It's really kind of amazing.

It was an honor to be able to add to the pantheon of this story. The only thing I wish I could have done was the character likenesses, which for legal purposes just wasn't possible.

Derby coming atcha

Made this yesterday for a new CMRD poster. They needed something they could reuse a few times, plug in the info and go. I may post the fully info'd poster, but you'll probably see it around town...but only if you live in WORCESTER McAWESOMETOWN U.S.A.

Sorry it's so low res. Been dealing with webthieves lately ...and then I got accused of stealing my own work. Fun times. 

If you want to use this art, just fucking ask.

Back to normal

Work is easy when my head is clear. The beginning of the month is always tough because I'm prepping and stressing over our Mr Smartass show. In case you missed it, it was last night...and this happened:

Long live Gumby.

More Zombi

Well. Here's my first conception of the new book I'm (slowly) putting together. The last 242 show (the one that didn't yet happen) was a challenge to create comic book heroes and villains. I'd always had the idea for this character, but nothing solid. She's kinda hot, kinda gross, smart and tough. I doubt that Zombi will be overly super-heroey. See below for the pencils.

Skadebord done

So, this is basically just a giant insane-o-doodle. I just wanted a shitload of skulls. I used one whole Sharpie marker for this.

Click for enormous view. This will be on display at the Dark World's annual Skate of the Art 2 skateboard show, August 7. All boards will be silent-auctioned off during the whole month of August. The proceeds go to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central MA.

I'll hopefully have a few more for this show, albeit less functional ones.

Skadebord

...for the Dark World's skateboard show. Finally got a little bit of work in on this one. Skulls, skulls, skulls, in glorious Sharpie marker. This would be the only board I'm putting in that isn't busted in half.

Sketchbook...

Some doodles and character ideas for upcoming projects...really enjoying the new brush pen.

Remember kids...

Just goofing around. I want to get more used to hand-inking. I love this new brush pen. Already gone through a couple ink cartridges in what seems like no time at all.

New Blog Design

Feel free to leave me lots of nice compliments on it.
Also, while editing I noticed this odd image on my Zazzle store. What's up with this poor guy?

Got asked for a Batman sketch

...a day or two after I watched the The Batman episode where Joker decides to give Batman a bad name...

Pretty Ghoul

I'm going to be slowly rolling out this idea that I've had for a few years. Zombi, kind of an undead Modesty Blaise character. Sexy and gross at the same time (I love attraction/repulsion), with basic g-man/spy story kind of stuff. She can take a lot of bullets and no one knows she exists, sort of like the old Hulk tv show. There's a lot about this that I see in terms of 1970's comics. Still writing and fleshing out the character...



I'm really disappointed that Mike Allred just released a series called iZombie, about a girl zombie. It was pretty dopey and after two issues I've taken it off my subscription sheet at the store, but I know the comparison will persist. I might have to read it, just to keep this project from going anywhere near it. Blecch.

Back to the Future

What up, kids. This morning was the wrap up (for me anyway) for the artwork for Looney Labs' new Back to the Future game. Most of the art is still legally under wraps until the game's release this fall. I will be posting as often as I'm legally able, but here's what I can show as of today...click for larger view.


Cheers.

EDIT:
OK, bizarro time.

I was just cleaning up the files and folders for this project. After getting it ready for backup, I clicked Get Info, to check the size of the project folder. What are the chances of that filesize?

SORRY

I've got another Space 242 show coming up...details below. Here's the big difference. I'm only putting one piece in, but it won't be shown anywhere until after the show. It's the least I can do for the folks who make the trip out to Boston and pay the ten bucks for parking.

So yeah, see you there.