Zoo sketchin'

Fire Mario!

Screwin' around in the sketchbook. Colored with cheap-o generic markers (except the fleshtone, which was Prismacolor). Man, I still suck at markers.

Boo Boo Markeroo

Just thought I'd throw something up since I SAID I'd try and post more. Seriously, I'll start posting more stuff soon - it's just been very busy around here.

I started experimenting with markers. I've never really played around with 'em before. So I drew up a little Boo Boo, as seen from the cover of this Yogi comic book I posted last year.


Colors are kinda weird, and I used a brown pencil to add some shading/texture. I could've worked at it some more. His hand looks kinda wacky too. Kinda crappy, but oh well.

I'm really liking markers though! I like how they glide on the marker paper. Now I just gotta stop smudging stuff around, being left-handed and all.

Collegiate sports art - Part IV

OK, so this past Saturday was the local college Homecoming game (I think they lost 21-20... oh well!). Our community has a big Homecoming parade every year, which travels down the main street between the twin towns (Breckenridge, MN/Wahpeton, ND). Our parades are actually pretty plain - I mean, we really don't have any true floats. They're just decorated trailers being pulled by pickups. The small town version of a float, I guess.

Jef and I met up Saturday morning to watch the parade. It was unseasonably WARM and HUMID for an October morn. Oh well, at least it wasn't raining. I remember homecoming parades from my childhood, riding on a float and being drenched with buckets of icy rain (and getting no candy since I wasn't WATCHING the parade instead).

ANYWAY, the parade was interesting. There was the occasional float that made use of the homecoming logo we made for this year (check out my post about it here). One float had wooden cutouts of the chaparral head, which looked pretty good. To refresh your memory, here's the logo:
Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera along, so I wasn't able to take any pictures of the floats. There was this particular float that had giant versions of the heads from the logo - when Jef and I saw it we were equally stunned and amused! Now, I know, I'm just a guy living in a small town, making artwork for a relatively small educational institution. I don't claim myself to be some big-time successful artist at this point in my life. But, there is nothing more flattering to me than seeing my own artwork innocently copied and reproduced (albeit crudely) by others. I'm the faceless artist who drew this thing, and it suddenly becomes something bigger than the logo itself. These parade participants aren't deliberately ripping me off. All of these people put in their own work, whether it was 2 minutes or 2 days, trying to create something fun for the parade. They probably felt a sense of accomplishment when they were all done; much like I felt when I inked the final line in the drawing and took a step back to take it all in. But, let's face it - some of us aren't natural-born artists!

Oh yeah, that float. Lucky for me, I almost died the next day when I noticed a picture of this float appearing on the front page of our local Sunday newspaper!!! And now I will share it with you:
So, there you have it. The NDSCS Electrical Club made it, I guess. Not bad. The best part is the white negative space and big black teeth! I just think this whole thing is really funny. Thank you, Daily News, for putting this photo in the paper.

Here's to many more swipes of my homecoming artwork in the future. The entertainment value is guaranteed to be through the roof!

Here's an idea...

Why don't I start POSTING my artwork on here? Wouldn't that be somethin'?

So, I think I'm gonna start doing that. Cartoons and things. Not random artwork. CARTOONY-TYPE THINGS!

That is all.

R.I.P. Mike Wieringo

Mike Wieringo
1963-2007(image courtesy of Action Planet Comics)

Collegiate sports art - Part III

Here's the finished piece for this fall's NDSCS Homecoming football game:

This will go on the front of t-shirts and in various promotional materials this coming October. It's quite a different logo compared to the other two Jef and I have done. Part of the problem was coming up with a proper 'theme' for this year. First of all - the opponents are the CHAPARRALS. What the heck sounds catchy when placed with a word like chaparrals? 'Whip The Wolves' was easy last year... almost TOO easy. We literally had zero good ideas this time around.

The other side of the story involved Jef's idea of placing the heads of Willie Wildcat and a chaparral (better known as a road runner) facing off on the plastic cups and little footballs they hand out every year. The footballs otherwise have plain text on them. So when we couldn't think of any themes, we started on this first - at least to figure out how they were going to look cartoon-wise.

It took about a dozen sketches of Willie designs before I came up with this one. Same thing for the chaparral - I looked at some pictures of the Looney Tunes Road Runner, but come on - a REAL road runner is HILARIOUS!!! Look:

Which would YOU choose?

So I tried basing the chaparral drawing off actual road runner photos. As we progressed, we decided on abandoning the whole theme thing altogether, and just used these heads. Towards the end we also abandoned the usual color schemes - making Willie solid red and the chaparral solid green. The main reason being we didn't want the screen printers to screw up on ink choices. Last year, they made the brown WAY too dark (and halftoned lots of stuff... but that's a story for another day!). Jef then applied some distressed texturing - something we thought would look neat considering the tee market has been all about the worn (or "grunge") look for the past couple years.

If all goes as planned, this will be printed on the front of heather grey t-shirts. I can't wait to see the finished product!

I really like how this turned out - it essentially took out all the 'busyness' that the previous Homecoming logos had. We stripped it all down and got a bold graphic in the end. So in a way, it's almost a good thing we didn't go with any sort of theme.

"Their floors are sticky-Mart!"

This news is just too awesome - over the weekend, various 7-Eleven convenience stores across the country were transformed into real-life Kwik-E-Marts! This promotion is in conjunction with The Simpsons Movie release at the end of the month.

Here's a blog with plenty of pictures from a Seattle Kwik-E-Mart.

And here's a flickr set with loads of pics from the Burbank Kwik-E-Mart!

They really did this promotion right. Any Simpsons fan should be proud. 7-Eleven didn't just half-ass it either. I mean, look! The 7-Eleven sign is COMPLETELY covered by a Kwik-E-Mart logo:


These Kwik-E-Marts, along with the rest of the 7-Elevens nationwide, will also be selling Simpsons-themed products - such as Buzz Cola and KrustyO's! The signature 7-Eleven Slurpee is now a Squishee, and look at those donuts:

Straight outta the Simpsons universe - pink AND with sprinkles!

Unfortunately, 7-Elevens are extinct in my neck of the woods, so I can't partake in some authentic Simpsons-themed junk food. eBay, maybe? Fargo used to have a couple 7-Elevens (my friend Jef & I enjoyed our weekly Slurpee tradition back in high school days), but have since turned into Kum & Go stores (yes, haha, giggle, snicker, chortle). They still have the slushy drink machines though, but call them 'Koolees.'

I think I have to go out of the country to visit my nearest 7-Eleven - in Winnipeg! They still have 'em everywhere up there. Lucky Manitobans. Otherwise the only 7-Eleven I'm familiar with is the one off I-70 outside of Indianapolis - I try to stop there every time my wife and I drive out to Ohio to visit the in-laws. Nothing like a late-night Slurpee surge for that final stretch of road to Dayton!

Speaking of Slurpees, it looks like specially-marked Slurpee/Squishee cups are giving one lucky winner the opportunity to be drawn into a future Simpsons episode. Wondering what you might look like as an animated Springfieldian? Head on over to The Simpsons Movie site to create your very own Simpsons Avatar!

It's me, I guess...

Collegiate sports art - Part II

Here's something I just got done inking the other night - a preview to this year's NDSCS Homecoming logo. Sorry it's a blurry phone pic - we just moved this month and I haven't hooked up my scanner yet:


I also made a post last July with previous years' artwork here.

Ventriloquist Cat ringtone

One of my all-time favorite animated shorts is Tex Avery's Ventriloquist Cat (MGM - 1950). To me, the short is a quintessential cartoon: laugh-out-loud drawings, successive gags at a great pace, and a funny premise (black cat pisses off bulldog, bulldog chases cat, cat finds 'throw your voice' trick device, cat throws voice to confuse slow-witted bulldog, hilarity ensues).

(image courtesy of bcdb.com)

Many would probably agree with me, though, that the FUNNIEST aspect of this whole cartoon is the sound of the cat's ventriloquist voice! The duck-like "meow meow" is voiced by none other than Clarence Nash, best known as the original voice of Donald Duck Harry E. Lang! I've probably seen this cartoon a hundred times since childhood, and I still find myself laughing every time I hear that meow.

When I got a new cellphone last month, I discovered that I could copy my own sounds to it (thanks to this program)! So... what did I do? Yes, I did it. I recorded the "ventriloquist cat meow" and copied the sound file directly to my phone! Let me tell you, it sure makes getting a call a lot more fun. It's as if the cat is nearby, throwing his voice to my pocket. I admit a few people have given me strange looks - hmph, they just don't recognize a good cartoon sound effect when they hear it. Even IF it's audible from my pants.

Now I just gotta watch out for Spike, in case he tries to rip my clothes off! No worries, I'll just rip his hide off in return.

Here is the audio file in case you wanna try!

GIANT TIGER likes Preston Blair too?

My wife and I were up in Winnipeg for a few days this week, and while we were driving around on Friday, we drove past a strip mall and I noticed a familiar face in the form of a store logo. Some of you may recall my little exposé from last October, which I thought was the mother of all rip-offs. Then there was this one, and of course let's not forget all of the documented forms of related rip-offs compiled over at Cartoon Brew. Well, there's more swiping action going on out there, folks. See what you think - I was rather taken aback by this:

(click 'em to enlarge 'em)

Yes, the Canadian chain store known as GIANT TIGER (or Tigre Géant for the French-speaking folk!) seems to be using a logo that has a cartoon 'tiger' face resembling something out of the classic Preston Blair Animation book. I scanned a few of the Blair cat drawings out of the book:

Now, perhaps the designer of the Giant Tiger logo had only good intentions in making a logo that was legally distinct enough from Preston Blair's originals. Or maybe it's just guys like me who flip through Preston Blair books on a regular basis, hence every instructional drawing is burned into my memory, hence I tend to spot anything that even vaguely resembles Preston Blair cartoon figures. Regardless, this guy seems to resemble Blair's. And in the tried and true tradition of Preston Blair swipes, the appeal and solid form of the original was lost in the copying process.

I'm not familiar with Giant Tiger (we didn't go into the store either), but according to its Wikipedia entry, it was founded in 1961 and there are 171 stores nationwide in Canada. What I'm wondering is, how long has this logo been in use? If you're a Canadian reader please help me out. I tried Googling this logo, trying to see if there were any other web pages pointing out its Preston Blair similarities, but I couldn't find anything. Although, I don't know much about copyright law, so perhaps because it is a Canadian company, it's safe from any U.S. copyrights related to the book and its publisher, Walter Foster. Who knows?

I guess the real problem here though is the fact that once again, Preston Blair was ripped off and the artist created a knock-off meant for commercial use. Look above and you'll even see a little ® in the logo too. That just doesn't seem right.

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:

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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.