New additions to the arsenal

Every year the local college in town has a silent auction for crap they don't need anymore. Most of the stuff is junk, like broken computers, broken ancient office furniture, broken sports equipment, broken ham sandwiches, etc.

However, I discovered a few gems amongst all the boxes of unidentifiable hardware and smelly old swivel chairs.

I put a bid in for a drafting table, similar to this one below:

A new one like this retails anywhere from $800-$1600!!! I got mine for twenty bucks! It's used, but in very good condition. The thing is built like a tank.

My other wins include TWO of these:

(my cat Einstein seems to like it)

It's a Panasonic video imager, or document camera. I have no idea what these things cost brand new, but they couldn't have been cheap. I'm planning on using them as pencil test stations - all I need to do is add a pegbar and capture the stills through the computer. The clarity is actually really good, for a standard video camera. I placed some drawings under it and they show up really well on the TV. Perhaps I'll try some stop-motion stuff too. I picked 'em both up for $25 each.

And finally, I bid on two 16mm film projectors - they're still at the college, but I got them for a dollar each! I don't know what brand they are, but they come in avocado green cases, and I'm sure they're 30+ years old. But they both work, and that's the main thing. I've always wanted my own 16mm projector, and now I have two!

So I got all that new stuff for under $80.00! Nee-hah! I know, this post probably wasn't as exciting as, say, NEW ARTWORK, but I've been too busy lately to post anything. I'm still planning on finishing my Popmart piece, and I've got a few new projects I gotta get done before the end of May. I'll try and post 'em here when I can!

If I were an M&M...

I guess I'd look like this:Yep, this is how I just wasted away 10 minutes of my life.

Rippin' off Redon

Trying out all the brushes on Painter with a Wacom - it's hard! You know, almost like REAL PAINTIN'! I think I overused the sponge tool. Well, it was fun anyway. And it was only like a 15-minute effort. Just thought I'd post something new!

Now that I look at it, that guy looks like a cross between Mike from Monsters, Inc. and Alfred E. Newman. Ohh well.

I basically imitated Symbolist painter Odilon Redon's "The Cyclops" (1914), as seen below. I wonder what kind of crazy stuff he'd come up with if he were alive today, using something digital like Painter?

Popmart Doodley Brainstorming

(click to enlarge)

In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of U2's 1997-98 POPMART (which launched in April '97 in Las Vegas) I decided on making a nice Popmart-like illustration. I happened to see Popmart when U2 came through Minneapolis later that fall. Thinking back to that night, all I can say is... HOLY CRAP was that an amazing concert!!! It's definitely one of the best shows (and live events!) I've ever attended.

I was thinking maybe doing this in acrylic/airbrush/colored pencil on illustration board. I don't know how I'm gonna draw it yet, but what you see above is my first sloppy roughed out sketch to get the ideas rollin'. I added a bit of digital color to experiment further. Should I place the Popmart stage in the center, and draw the 4 members around it? Kinda like how I have Bono and The Edge up there. Or should I focus on an actual stage shot, and flair it up that way? Any U2 fans out there got any ideas?

(P.S. Yes, I know MacPhisto Bono up there was from the Zoo TV era... I just drew him because it was fun!)

My First Vector: 2001

Here, this'll tide you over until I post a REAL drawing...

Back in 2001 Jasc Software was developing a new product called WebDraw - a Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) program. I was working there at the time. As the intelligent software guys were working out the final bugs I decided to give the program a whirl, and so I made this Spongebob. It was the first time I ever tried making a vector graphic, and as you can see, he's as stiff as a dry sponge! I drew this with a mouse - please don't laugh.


I don't know what happened with WebDraw after Corel acquired the company.

Funtime Links on the Left

I haven't made a post for February yet, so I better get movin'. I don't have any artwork right this second, but I'll post something shortly. In the meantime, how about giving a little rundown of everybody/thing in the 'Funtime Links' menu to your left? There is a reason for each link, and I will now tell you why I link him/her/it/them. Although, I'm ready for a nap, so this might seem a bit sloppy:

Blorch! Studios
This is the official website of the cartoon studio that I run with my best friend, Jef. We recently went through some domain troubles, and I ended up taking everything down from the old site. Perhaps some new artwork will surface on there soon?

WeDrawFaces.com
This is a new venture I am starting with my former boss, Jim Hungaski (see next link below). And I mean NEW. As of today, the site is still under construction (I just started putting it together last week), but it's basically a site for our caricature work. Something on the side. We're just using it as another way to pull in some extra business, whether it's booking for parties or just some random customer wanting to order a caricature. If I can get a few jobs here and there, great! Extra cash for me.

Hungaski Illustration
Jim Hungaski - the guy who trained me into becoming a professional caricaturist. He's also the first "real" professional I got to know in the artist world. I've known him for nearly two years now. He's a great friend and all-around cool guy. Before I met him, I had never drawn a single caricature in my life. He's really helped open me up to a whole new world of art, and I can't thank him enough for that! Check out his site - he's a very accomplished caricaturist and illustrator out of Anoka, MN.

Tom Richmond
One of the current members of MAD Magazine's "Usual Gang of Idiots." And he's RIPPED! Also a fellow Minnesotan, and one of the most talented caricaturists around. Really! His coloring techniques are amazing as well, and he's great with the gags. Jim (above) trained under him, so I feel like I learned some of my caricature techniques courtesy of the "School of Richmond." Tom is a very nice guy and I feel privileged to know such a master in the caricature world. Pick up a copy of MAD and there's a good chance you'll see one of his hilarious parodies!

Reed
A former college floormate - he lived across the hall from me during my sophomore year at Concordia College. We lost touch for 6+ years but just started talking again last year! He lives out in Oregon with his wife and is gonna be the next big composer. He already scored an independent film, and I hope one of these days he will score one of my cartoons! That would rock!

Cartoon Brew
The definitive blog for cartoon news. Go here daily like I do.


WOXY is an independent radio station based out of Cincinnati, OH. I discovered them when I was living in Ohio over five years ago. They used to have a terrestrial signal out of Oxford, OH from 1983 until 2004, when they went online only. The button above was created last year when WOXY started offering a subscription service, and it was meant to spread the word as they started to struggle financially to keep up with bandwidth costs. I was a proud subscriber, but things took a turn for the worse. There was a scare last September, when they went off the air for good. Crap. Suddenly, a "white knight" known as Bill Nguyen (from the addicting lala.com) came in and saved the day, and WOXY went back on the air in October. This station plays the best mix of modern and indie rock - you SERIOUSLY won't find a better mix anywhere else. And they have a "Vintage Channel" as well, which plays everything rock, alternative and punk from the past 30 years. Bottom line, it's my favorite radio station and that is why I link/support it!

John K.
A cartoon legend! Spumco! Like many of you, Ren & Stimpy was my favorite cartoon as a kid. It's still one of my favorites! His style has produced copycats by the zillions. John Kricfalusi recently celebrated the 1-year anniversary of his blog, as linked here. His blog is the most thorough, eye-opening, tell-it-like-it-is analysis and commentary on everything related to cartoon animation, past to present. Many people disagree with him in the comments, but this guy knows his stuff. So many people think he's stubborn, and I don't know why. It's is his blog - he can voice whatever he feels! He's always honest in what he says. It's another blog I visit daily and I've learned so much already.

Jim Smith Cartoons
Jim was the other big guy at Spumco and is currently working on a thrilling project called "Chestacles!" I happened to receive a hand-written letter from Jim a few years ago, and it's one of my most prized possessions. He probably doesn't even remember writing it, but he scribbled one of his signature "Spumco girls" at the end of the letter in ballpoint pen! The link above is to his website - order one of his sketchbooks!
Jim Smith Blog
This is Jim's blog - he's always updating it with random sketches and vintage art. Another great place to go for some inspiration!

Vincent Waller
Yet another guy from the classic Ren & Stimpy days at Spumco - he's mostly doing Spongebob stuff as of late. I really like his blog because he posts a random mix of bizarre doodles, Spongebob production art, and crazy stories!

Uncle Eddie's Theory Corner!
Yeah we're still in the list of ye olde men of Spumco. I visit Eddie Fitzgerald's blog because it's all about theory and life observations. Many posts relate to art and cinema, others about cartoons, but he also tends to pick apart the little things in life, and it really makes me think! I also enjoy Eddie's cartoon drawings of himself, which pop up regularly on his blog.

Bill Wray
Bill Wray painted many of the close-up shots in Ren & Stimpy. He also drew Big Blown Baby, Hellboy Junior, as well as the Monroe comic for MAD! His work has also been seen in comics such as Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack. Visit his site above for a look at his delicious paintings. He's also become quite the prolific landscape/scenery painter as of late...
Bill Wray Paintings
Check out this blog for a ton of Bill's "realistic" fine art paintings. "If Thomas Kinkade is the painter of light, I'm the painter of blight," says Wray.
Bill Wray - Mad About Cartoons
A second blog by Mr. Wray, featuring cartoon-related work!

Nick Cross
Nick Cross was at Spumco during the Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon days, and just recently finished his brilliant short, "The Waif of Persephone." Go to his "plog" (production blog) and check out some previews! He JUST released it on DVD too! I'm definitely ordering myself a copy! It appears to be one of the funniest, cartooniest shorts to come out of anywhere in a long time!

Stefanie Achtnig
Stefanie is from Germany and has some of the sharpest, cleanest cartoony drawings I've seen online. It's no secret that she is heavily influenced by John K., but her talent goes far beyond her amazing Ren & Stimpy renderings! She really seems to have a knack for drawing FUNNY. A lot of her stuff is marker and I only wish I was that good! WOW is all I can say!

Krüger News Blog
I chose this over his official site because of the news updates. Sebastian Krüger is probably the most famous living caricaturist in the world. Even if you aren't familiar with his name, you've most likely seen his work - such as the Rolling Stones. I don't even know how he does it - his paintings are like Rockwell, but twisted and contorted. Yet his subjects still retain a complete likeness!! I wish I had enough money to buy one of his originals... I could just look at his paintings for hours. He's another great influence as I continue to learn the art of caricature.

Shane Glines
Shane's worked for Spumco, Warner Bros., DC, and currently runs Cartoon Retro (below), an amazing online collection of vintage cartoons that'll inspire the heck out of anybody! Check out his site above for some of the sleekest and elegant character designs around!
Cartoon Retro
Check it out for some cartoon retro fun! That was original, no?

Katie Rice
Katie also worked for Spumco during the APC era, and now you look at her "funny and cute" character designs at her blog, FunnyCute! Her drawings make it look so easy, yet I've never been able to draw womanly characters well! I think she's working on stuff at Nickelodeon right now.

Marlo Meekins
Marlo burst onto the scene within the past couple years as one of the most zany caricaturist/cartoonists around. I think her blog finally got updated after a 3-month hiatus, but that's OK... go check out all her past stuff today! The energy and excitement she pours into every drawing is unreal, and it's a huge inspiration. She makes drawing FUN and that's what it's all about, right?

John Rozum
Mr. Rozum actually discovered my blog out of the blue... I can't remember exactly how - a Hanna-Barbera search? In any case, ever since his first comment, I've been a regular visitor to his blog. He writes for comics, is a classic horror film buff, but is also a workhorse when it comes to his insane paper collages! He's created over a hundred different collages of Hanna-Barbera characters, and I really wish I could have his Space Ghost one.

Chris Wahl Art
Chris animates, does caricatures, and is a very talented individual. I don't know much about him, besides the fact that he's worked on some big projects in the industry. Other than that, I definitely like his art! Hence, he gets a link.

C. Martin Croker
Mr. Croker is probably best known as the voice of Zorak on Space Ghost Coast to Coast! But he's also done a lot of animatin' at the Williams Street studios. I really enjoy his blog because he uses it as a place to discuss nostalgia, with a lot of it relating to cartoons and pop culture from yesteryear.

David Gemmill
This young man is gong places. He posts a lot of funny drawings, comics, and sometimes short animated cartoons on his blog, all done by himself. The character designs are strong and the humor is top-notch. He gets a lot of inspiration from the "people studies" he does, many of which are done in clubs - I can't help but laugh out loud at some of his "hipster" depictions... he seriously needs to put out a book of all these characters! A highly enjoyable blog.

Mark Kennedy
I don't visit this site every day, but I linked it here because I think Mark Kennedy posts some useful information at times. His posts mainly talk about theory in animation - what works, what doesn't - and it's just another resource I like to have available!

Corbett Vanoni
I think I found Corbett's site through Tom Richmond's blog... after discovering his blog I really enjoyed his caricatures and the strong foundation behind them. Sometimes his work reminds me of Drucker or even Richmond's... but you can definitely see his own style too. His blog is just another I like to look at for some fun caricature inspiration.

Pedro Vargas
Of ALL the cartoony-type artists out there, I think Pedro is my favorite! When I think cartoons, I think of one of Pedro's characters, Jackrabbit McGee! That character is UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE! I seriously hope I can work with this guy someday... I hope he doesn't think I'm stalking him, because I'm always telling him that! It's just that, when it comes down to the kind of cartoons I want to create, Pedro's drawings match the look. I don't think I'm as good as he is, but I hope I will be one day. This is exactly the kind of cartoon style that needs to be shot back into the arm of the animation industry! He recently posted a short Misfits music video (Braineaters), and it makes me wanna dance. And I don't dance! This fella's got a bright future in the animation business.

Louie del Carmen
Louie works in the animation industry (Billy & Mandy, Kim Possible), but I'll be honest - I don't know much else about the guy. But I will tell you this - his website is so cool that I HAD to link him so I can always go back there and check it out! His blog is linked about, but here's the link to his website here!

Jessica Borutski
Like Stefanie above, Jessica has amazing control over her cartoon designs. And they're SO expressive! She is another alum of Spumco (APC), and you may have seen her short film, "I Like Pandas." I think it just won an award from Channel Frederator too!

Noir Nouar
I recently added Noir to my list of links because I think her oil and acrylic on wood panel paintings are incredible. They display a wacky sense of humor, but also remind me of advertisements from '20s and '30s. Check out her site - the cow squirting the milk is my favorite!


Your ultimate source for everything related to cartoon and animation history! And please donate money (or volunteer some time if you're in the L.A. area). I hope this place never goes away, and I wish Steve the best of luck with its continued growth! We should consider ourselves lucky for having a resource like this!!!

Kyle Baker Luxury Cartoons
I just love Kyle Baker - I first got into him when his Plastic Man comic came out 3 years ago. It's no longer being published, but there is a lot of Baker's work that I have yet to see.
Kyle Baker's QUALITY JOLLITY Animation Podcast
Here, Kyle presents animated versions of some of his comic scenes! They audience sound effects are the best!! Go watch these for a good laugh!

The Bruce Timm Gallery
I go here to look at hundreds of drawings of Bruce Timm characters! You should too! Enough said!

The Inspiration Grab-Bag
This blog hasn't been updated in a while, but I hope it will soon. I do know that Clarke, who runs the site, recently made a big move from the East Coast out to L.A... to pursue his dream of working in animation. But go there and look back at some of his posts - some of the artwork will definitely inspire you in one way or another.

The Blackwing Diaries
Story artist Jennifer Lerew brings us a regular update of sketches and Disney-related posts. I especially enjoy when she talks about Freddy Moore! Just a fun site that I like to visit every once in a while.

Cartoon Research
He may post more on CartoonBrew, but Jerry Beck has his own site with lots of information and stills from cartoons, past to present. I'll usually go here first if I'm having trouble finding the year a certain cartoon was made. Just another great resource to have online - thanks Jerry!

DRAW! Magazine
The perfect read for all your cartoon and comic types out there. It only comes out maybe two or three times a year (if that), but it's a spectacular magazine. DRAW! includes interviews with popular artists in the industry, as well as drawing and inking tips and other tutorials! I've read almost every issue, and each one is chock-full of useful information!

Animation Meat
I go to this site because it has a load of animation notes, model sheets, and templates! All in PDF's that you can print out! I've filled up 4 binders full of printouts from this site alone!


A podcast featuring animator Clay Kaytis interviewing (mostly) Disney animators from past and present. There hasn't been a new podcast since last year, but it sounds like Clay is getting ready for more! These are fun to listen to, because it takes you into the mind of a real animator. You learn how they got into the industry, what they worked on, and how they work on things. I'm looking forward to the next one - check out the past interviews if you haven't already.
Diggnation
I used to be a huge fan of The Screen Savers on the old TechTV, even after Patrick and Leo left - leaving it up to the two new hosts - Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht. This was back in '04... and then... G4 took over everything fell apart and the Screen Savers perished and I never watched Attack of the Show. Alex was canned, and luckily Kevin left soon afterwards... ANYWAY if you never watched TechTV this probably makes no sense. But about a year and a half ago, Kevin and Alex started doing a podcast where they discussed the top stories that got 'dugg' on Digg.com. If you're still confused, I'm not gonna explain anymore - just go visit the site for crying out loud. I listen to this podcast every week and it's a riot. Well, a riot if you're a geek like me.

CartoonSupplies.com
A good place to buy animation supplies.

Chromacolour International
Also a good place to buy animation supplies - including stuff you might not be able to purchase at CartoonSupplies. So use 'em both!


Last but not least: GET FIREFOX ALREADY you IE-usin' dolt!

So, that took a lot longer than I thought... and now I'm about to pass out. So, goodnight.

Bessie Higgenbottem = Dexter doppelgänger?

So there's this new show being developed for Nickelodeon called "Mighty B." Here is the main character - I guess her name is Bessie Higgenbottom.


Umm... I know this is a single picture, and I haven't seen ANY other art from this show, but she looks a TAD too much like this guy:

RSS Feed

Thanks to a suggestion by Reed, I have now enabled my Blogger with RSS. Never miss another update! You can find the subscription link to the left, directly above the 'Recent posts' menu.

Recommended books I got for Christmas!

Happy 2007!

I got lots of fun stuff for Christmas this year! My wife got me a black DS Lite, which I've been wanting all year! I haven't checked out the Nintendo Wi-Fi features yet, but it looks like a lotta fun! She included the game Brain Age with it, and let me tell you - it's actually FUN to stimulate your brain every day with little training exercises. Every couple of days it has you draw random objects as best as you can from memory, and then it will compare your drawings with actual 'clip-art' style drawings to see how well you did. It had me draw a paramecium today - I don't think I've drawn one of those since high school biology class!

I also got 3 of the 4 new Walt Disney Treasures DVDs - The Complete Pluto - Volume 2, More Silly Symphonies - Volume 2, and Your Host Walt Disney. Somebody convince me why I should get the Hardy Boys set, and maybe I'll get it! Haven't watched Pluto or Silly Symphonies yet, but I skimmed through the Walt DVD while I was at the in-laws in Ohio. It's pretty good, but between both discs in the set, the total content seems a bit meager. Although, it's awesome that Disc 1 includes the complete broadcast of Kodak Presents Disneyland '59, a parade held during the re-dedication of Disneyland.

Enough of the gloating. OK not quite, just a little more. I wanted to tell you about the new books I got for Christmas!

Gorillaz: Rise of The Ogre
By: Gorillaz/Browne/Hewlett
(2006)

This book kind of took me by surprise, in a great way. If you don't know, Gorillaz is a virtual cartoon band co-created by Damon Albarn (of the band Blur) and artist Jamie Hewlett. I've always admired Hewlett's work (his short comic for Pulp's 'Common People' is classic). And although I was a Blur FANATIC throughout my teens, I was never a huge Gorillaz fan. Until now. This book is amazing!! Not only is it chock-full of colorful cartoony illustration, but it's a rather detailed 'autobiography' with the band. It's got everything from the origins of each member, an in-depth chronology of everything Gorillaz, and lots of behind-the-scenes storyboards, screen shots, and drawings - all spanning this 300-page hardcover gem. Did I mention the colorful illustrations? Obviously a must-have for any Gorillaz fan, but I recommend this book to ANYONE who loves animation. Gorillaz surpass most animated entities, because A) as characters, they're designed and animated EXTREMELY well (as opposed to everything else being animated these days), and B) these four cartoon characters - Murdoc, 2D, Noodle, and Russel - are literally living, breathing beings. They're a successful band that coexists with our actual, tangible world - they record albums, make videos, go on tour. And to think they were all born on a piece of paper.

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination
By: Neal Gabler
(2006)

You may have read biographies on Walt Disney in the past. But believe me, this one is gets top honors in the cultural studies department! Daphne Durham of Amazon.com writes the following:

"Neal Gabler's meticulously researched biography, Walt Disney offers the full story (Gabler is the first writer to gain complete access to the Disney archives) of the American icon. Readers will discover the whole story, witnessing Disney's invention of a "synergistic empire that combined film, television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise." What fans don't know could fill a book (this book in fact)."

I'm only one chapter into this book, and already I can tell how insanely in-depth the rest of the chapters will be. The first chapter covered Walt's early childhood all the way up to his teens. Did you know that as a kid, he once scribbled drawings with tar on the side of his whitewashed farm home (outside of his beloved Marceline, MO), convinced that the tar would wash right off? It didn't. And his strict father Elias probably blew his top. But from what I've read so far, Walt was somebody with great talent and ambitions at a very young age, and it's interesting to see how his childhood experiences would shape his incredible future. You either love or hate the guy - but you can't deny what Walt Disney did for animation and modern entertainment as we know it. Are you a Disney expert? Pick this book up and I bet you'll learn something new too!

Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons
(2004)

No, I've never been a subscriber to Playboy. Yes, sex is a subject that I don't openly talk about, especially with strangers. That's set aside for me and my lovely wife! Besides, can't there be any decency left in the world? Everything is always about SEX, isn't it?!? Maybe it's because of my strong Christian upbringing, but you'll never see me posting my own renditions of cartoon genitals. Sorry. I hope my mom isn't reading this post either! Mom, this isn't pornography! It's just... hand-rendered nudity? That doesn't sound any better, does it?

In any case, this book is an amazing collection of various cartoons taken from Playboy's first fifty years. The first cartoon in the book is by one of Playboy's earliest cartoonists, Jack Cole (better known as the creator of Plastic Man). I was already aware of Cole's artistic abilities when it came to drawing buxom female figures (I bought this book several years back - get it for its ink washes alone!!), but this first cartoon, in color, shows a voluptuous starlet singing, "I ain't got no bod-eee..." Humor aside, this cartoon is a museum-worthy work of art. Cole was a master with the brush, and the colors are warm and lush, nearly kaleidoscopic, which help set the mood of a hazy night club behind a vibrant seductress. Again, I'm not familiar with Playboy's cartoon history, but I am aware of some of the cartoonists featured in this book, like Yeagle, Sokol, Didini, and Kiraz - each with their own distinct style. Every artist draws the nude body differently, in different mediums, and it's rather interesting to see how each artist varies from the next. I still think Jack Cole had the greatest talent out of any of the Playboy artists - that guy had UNBELIEVABLE expertise when he drew his women! It's such a shame he took his own life too soon.

This book is actually being sold at Barnes & Noble stores right now in the bargain section for under $13! So I advise you to get one ASAP. It's 365 pages of spectacular cartoons in spectacular color. And to be honest, I've been flipping through the book without even reading the captions below. I'll get around to reading them eventually, but the humor isn't why I got this book - it's the hours I could spend just examining the raw talent and mastery found on every page. The color theories and the human figures (even as cartoons) are plentiful enough to call this book a very useful reference manual.

R.I.P. Joe Barbera

Joseph Barbera
1911-2006
Joseph Barbera (sitting) and William Hanna

We lost one of the greats yesterday.

Bee Movie trailer rips off Aqua?

While I'm on the subject of crap CG films, has anyone seen the trailer to this Bee Movie yet? Aren't we done with these insect type movies already? Blech... in my last post I said Happy Feet reminded me of Coke commercials... they should rename this film to 'NASONEX: THE MOVIE.'

Can we also stop with the 'let's - get - a - big - name - actor - and - turn - the - character - into - a - caricature - version - of - himself' nonsense?? Jerry Seinfeld is voicing the lead character. I can only imagine Jerry and the writers will be throwing in plenty of bee-related observational humor in this movie.

Anyway, I figured since I haven't posted anything in a while, I'd share my own observation I made after watching the live-action Bee Movie trailer. Only God knows why I actually sat through it:



Many of you may not know that I have a strange fascination with Scandinavian pop. There, I said it. There's just something about it that's so pure and happy, and the perfection in melodies and musical production amazes me sometimes. Curious? Start with ABBA, and work your way forward to 2006.

Well, after watching the Bee Movie trailer above, it reminded me of a video I probably hadn't seen in a good 5 years, but I remember it like yesterday. Here's the video for 'Bumble Bees' by Aqua, which came out in 2000 (you really CAN find anything on YouTube!). If Aqua isn't your thing, mute the music at least. And don't be fooled by the beginning - MAKE SURE TO WATCH THROUGH IT. Did Bee Movie get some inspiration from this six-year-old music video? Decide for yourselves:

(Cr)happy Feet

I dislike most CGI movies - let's say a good 90% of them. If an animated film isn't visually pleasing to my eye, let alone 90 minutes of it, I'm not gonna pay $8.50 and sit in a theatre full of noisy 5-year-olds, wincing at screams AND poor 3-D animation.


Which brings me to this point - I have no intention on seeing Happy Feet. It looks like one long Coca-Cola commercial to me. Plus, penguins aren't built for tap dancing. But what I really find disturbing is that Happy Feet apparently includes underlying environmental propaganda aimed at children. I also watched a clip on TV the other night where one of the penguins (I think Robin Williams' character) had a plastic six-pack ring stuck around his neck. And I've heard about the 'aliens' in the movie, which are actually us, the humans!!! COME ON NOW. I'm all for recycling, going green, conservation, protecting our endangered animals (I clip six-pack rings before I throw them away, and you should too), blah blah blah, etc. I've tried to do my part over the years. Like many of you, I love animals and I don't love pollution. BUT DON'T THROW THAT ENVIRONMENTAL CRAP INTO A MOVIE! If you want your kids to learn about that kind of stuff, tune them in to Animal Planet or take them to the zoo. But PLEASE, don't make them watch reruns of Captain Planet. There are better ways to learn about the environment than to expose your children to DiC cartoons.

Obviously it would benefit your child to learn about the dangers of man's destruction and its effects on Earth. We should be responsible and proactive in preserving our planet. But a G-rated family movie just isn't the place to be shoving this kind of stuff down a kid's throat, that's all.

You know, it'd make even better sense to keep the propaganda OUT of the films, and license these characters to organizations such as the WWF or AZA. Use them in promotional materials and educational films that are AIMED at such awarenesses. Kids would recognize the characters from the popular movie and immediately take interest. It's been done before, right?

So in conclusion, don't see Happy Feet unless you have bad taste in animation AND loved the Al Gore movie.

Quisp cereal box comic

(click to enlarge!)

This is a scan of the back of a Quisp cereal box I had saved from several years ago. You can also view this same comic at the beginning of the concluding Flash cartoon that Spumco produced 5-6 years ago, by going to www.quisp.com. But I think it's just cool to see it on the back of an actual cereal box! Also, it's good to see that this cartoon is alive and well, still advertising Quisp all these years later!

I asked John K. about the comic and who worked on it, and from what he could remember, Gabe Swarr was in charge of the comic. John storyboarded and did layouts on the cartoon, while Gabe probably worked on some layouts as well. Gabe, Matt Danner and others did the animation.

If you want to know more, the rest of the crew can be seen at the end of the cartoon by clicking on the 'credits' button.

It's definitely effective advertising, as it really made me want to buy Quisp (although it's harder to find these days)! It's a brilliant ad, and captures the fun-pun cartoony magic that is the character of Quisp.

First-ever gig photo (August 2005)

My mom just found this photo and gave it to me yesterday. I don't remember her even taking this picture, but I'm sure glad she did! This is a photo of me in action, drawing somebody at my first ever caricature gig last summer (2005) at the Wilkin County Fair in my hometown. I was only about a month into being a [lousy] professional caricaturist, yet I thought I had what it took to set up my own tent at the fair and charge customers for what I thought would be passable as a decent caricature.

Fellow caricaturists out there, I'm sure you've all been there and can relate to this story.

I felt the need to post this because, it's over a year later, and that guy in the photo above has grown so much as an artist since that county fair experience. I look at this photo and just laugh at my obvious inexperience at the time. First of all, I airbrush these things when I color them. Look at how flat my table is! And I wondered why my paint would occasionally spill all over me? Secondly, I bet it took me a half hour just to draw and color a single person. Nowadays it probably takes me 1/3 of that time. Finally, I think back to all the dozens of caricatures I drew throughout those 4 days of the fair - and having (but politely hiding) this HEAVY feeling of dissatisfaction with the finished product. I rarely got their likenesses down, and always felt like I was swindling these paying customers out of artwork worth keeping. But most people either a) didn't care and loved it, or b) thought it was crap but smiled anyway, paid, and went on their carnival-going ways.

What a nightmare. Loose/rough linework, poor composition, airbrushing splotches, you name it. I lived through it all at that fair. I remember drawing the crowned Wilkin County Princess, who was maybe 5 or 6 years old, just a cute little girl, and her caricature ended up looking like a Bratz-esque teenage troll prostitute with too much makeup. Argh! Sure, I was having fun drawing all these people, finally earning money doing what I love (DRAWING!), but it was just as STRESSFUL getting frustrated every time a drawing took a wrong turn.

That was the only live gig I did last summer.

Since then, I've worked retail in 3 different shopping malls, drawn crazy teenagers at post-prom parties, did more county fairs, car shows, rock festivals, and corporate picnics. I'm confident in saying that I'm a much better artist now, although I still have A LOT to learn. When I surf around and look at all these other amazingly talented caricaturists' blogs and websites, I get jealous, inspired, hopeless, and optimistic all at the same time. I'm still not satisfied with most of my caricatures, but I'm always trying to get better.

Caricature legend Tom Richmond recently told me, "People... ...who are a little insecure about their work but determined to make it better are the ones who put in the work necessary to become great artists." Such simple words of wisdom from one of the best in the biz. I hope I can look back at my work again in another 15 months and see some undeniable improvements.

Count Chocula

The final part of the Trilogy. Sorry, Fruit Brute and Fruity Yummy Mummy fans! Maybe next year.

Boo Berry

I didn't go so crazy on this one. Turned out a little better than Frankenberry, I think! 2 down, 1 to go!

Frankenberry

Bleh, I think this kinda turned out too graffiti-like... I'm not very satisfied with the finished product. Oh well, it's Halloween, so I figured I'd post it, since it's new artwork'n all!

The Mickey Formula

The following is an excerpt taken from Design For Animation by Grim Natwick - which was posted today on the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive Project Blog. This is the best explanation I've ever read describing the effective design and appeal of Mickey Mouse. Perhaps if more modern-day animators took this kind of approach in designing their own characters, we wouldn't end up with the infinite piles of stiff, lifeless crap we see in TV and film today!

Mickey Mouse was a good example of a character designed to eliminate the early problems of animation. His head was a ball with a rounded lump for a nose, a few circles for eyes, and two frisbees for ears. His body was shaped like a pear or gourd. Four pieces of garden hose were used for arms and legs. His hands were just two bunches of peeled bananas. Four old-fashioned donuts served as cuffs and anklets. He had a hair snake for a tail, and his shoes were two boxing gloves with the thumbs cut off. He animated perfectly. Mickey has changed through the years, but the formula is still the same.

Happy Hallowee... huh?

Right in time for Halloween, I present a new post. Check these out!

Whilst visiting the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth a few weeks ago, I came across these festive window decals in the zoo's Safari Cafe. I didn't get a chance to photograph ALL of the decals, but what I captured should be adequate. My apologies for the blurriness - I took 'em with no flash and on an empty stomach. I suggest clicking on each image to enlarge for better detail:

As you may or may not have noticed, these costumed critters seem familiar. But I can't quite put my finger on it... hmmmmmmm.

Hey, wait a minute! I know now! Whad'ya know...

If you haven't figured it out by now, witness the BLATANT rip-off of cartoon animals taken from the famous Preston Blair Animation instructional book. The 'artist' behind these cute little Halloween characters isn't alone, unfortunately. Check out some of these old posts - here (Ohio lottery ticket), Here (an Ohio school mascot), and HERE (Australian restaurant ad) - over at Cartoon Brew, and you'll totally see what I mean! Of course, what I'm about to show you triumphs over all of these aforementioned one-offs. Not only do these Halloween drawings steal from Preston Blair in mass quantity, most of them might as well have been traced directly from the book itself, they're that obvious. And even THEN the artist managed to lose whatever perfect form the original drawings possess in the first place.

I have included scans from the Preston Blair book for comparison/double vision.

Look at that. EXACT pose, EXACT head shape, EXACT everything. Except for the lengthened tail on the mouse, the costume, and the pitchfork. Oh, and just to be on the safe side, a halo is added to ensure us that this cute little guy isn't promoting satanism in any shape or form (artist pun intended!). I should also point out that you will notice all of these Halloween drawings have altered scary giant green-colored iris eyes.

Hey, at least this one looks like the artist didn't do a direct carbon copy... although that's not really helping the situation. It now looks like a slightly melted version of Blair's, colorized! Badly!

Wow, huh? This one, on the other hand, IS a direct carbon copy. OH, but hold the phone!!! That darn cat is looking UP in the Halloween version! And that major alteration alone gives it character (pun!) all on its own. I noticed his eyes don't follow the line of action either (not saying it HAS to), but if you're designing crude non-animation holiday decals, who needs line of action anyway?

This one is rather interesting. It's some kind of super hybrid Franken-dog! He gets the special treatment - not ONE Preston Blair reference, but TWO! I included both references. The curve of the front leg, the expression of the dog's face. If you're gonna do direct copying, you might as well go nuts and mix it up a little. And look at that - instead of attaching the earring to the dog's actual ear, it's just part of the pirate hat! And that's safety. Kids, don't be piercing Rex's ear now! Do what the decal says!

And, is that an oak leaf sticking out of his hat? Well, it IS changing colors just in time for Halloween I guess! This artist realizes that the little details matter.

Here is the other dog. And he's just as amazing as the previous pup! Another mashup of dogs! If only dog breeding were this easy in real life. Wouldn't it be cool to have a German Shepherd body, with say, a Chihuahua's head? Anyway, the artist took a big gamble by drawing the standing ear a SECOND time, and creating an ALL-NEW tail! And how about that nose? Seems fitting for a clown-dog. By the way, I hate clowns.

This one wasn't as obvious, and is the least noticeable... but I THINK I found the proper references in the Preston Blair book. First, if you look at the jester cat on the left, the mouth kind of gives it away for me. There are plenty of other drawings of this 'faux-Tom' cat in the book, but the Blair cat I included seemed to be the closest match. Now take a look at the bodies. The jester cat has the same legs as the Springer Spaniel on the right... likewise, the Elton John kitty seems to rip off the foundation of the Boston Terrier (or whatever it is). At least we have S-shaped cat tails, though. If those hadn't been drawn I don't know what kind of animals I'd be looking at!

I don't even have to explain this one. Sheesh.

And this one's just as bad! But what's going on with its hands? If you look at the Blair version, you can see that they're a cat's HANDS/PAWS. In the Halloween version, they look like grotesque webbed claws. I'm sure it's because he keeps getting his dirty little paws too close to that boiling cauldron of bubbling brew. See, even the pumpkin is trying to warn him not to make that mistake again.


So there you have it. I'm sure some of you out there are speechless.

Now, while I let you finish shaking your head in disbelief, I have one last Halloween SCARE for you all! But be careful! It's not for the faint of heart. Here's the link. Just remember, I warned you...

Caricature Stand Scribbles #2

This is actually from last spring - I just discovered it in a stack of papers inside a box, along with other random doodles. I thought this was the funniest out of the bunch. Maybe I'll post some more later. Slooooow day at the caricature stand, I'm sure.

R.I.P. Ed Benedict

Ed Benedict
1912-2006

I'll be honest when I say that as recent as a few years ago, I had no idea who Ed Benedict was. But, I have known his work all my life, as a guy addicted to cartoons since early childhood.
It wasn't until I started getting serious about animation that I began to discover the names of artists connected with their artwork, characters, and designs - there ARE geniuses responsible for every single element of a cartoon, believe it or not!
A lot of the other [more prominent] blogs out there have already covered the important and amazing aspects of Mr. Benedict's contributions to animation history, so I won't bore you with redundant information. But I would like to express my pure awe and admiration for a guy who was an absolute genius in his medium. From the '50s era Droopy shorts ('Deputy Droopy' makes me laugh every time!!), to his indisputable layouts and character designs that define the Hanna-Barbera 'style' (see these pictures?), you can see why Ed Benedict was a legend.
Ed Benedict lived to be 94. You can't complain about that! He sure will be missed, but Ed's work will live on forever, and continue to entertain countless fans and inspire artists worldwide.

Sesame Treet!

How To Feel Miserable As An Artist

This excellent list is taken from illustrator Keri Smith's blog, Wish Jar Journal. Keri's got some gooood stuff over there if you've never visited. She actually posted this months ago on her site - but I was just reading it again tonight, and I thought, hey! Wouldn't it be good to share with all of the fellow artists out there in Artopia? Sure.

And yes I've been away, but I made a pact with myself to post some NEW ARTWORK before August is history. And that means I have one more day. And I'm working on stuff as I type this. Well, not quite, I can't type and draw at the same time.