Cedric's Blog-O-Rama!

New RSS feed

2007-06-30T03:07:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, this blog has now moved to Wordpress. Unfortunately I set up the wrong RSS feed at the new blog. If you had problems switching over, I apologize. The feed should now be fixed.

My new blog (along with my new RSS feed) can be found here.

My Blog Has a New Home

2007-06-26T15:59:00.000-05:00

It’s moving day. I’m in the process of transferring my blog from Blogger to Wordpress. The new blog is here. Please update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. You can subscribe to the new feed at the new site.

I’m quite fond of Blogger, but the more I’ve learned about Wordpress the more I’ve found its just a better site with more options and features. For instance, with WordPress I can write several posts at once and then schedule them to show up one per day. That way, when I’m in a writing mood I can do more than just one entry….giving the illusion that I am more organized that I really am, and hopefully resulting in more frequent posts.

I apologize for any inconvenience, and I hope you will follow me over to my new home.

This and That

2007-06-26T01:30:00.000-05:00

iPhone mania is coming this Friday. People are posting on Craig's List hoping to hire someone to stand in line for them (lines have already started at one New York store.) I smell a career opportunity here. Find a wealthy businessman and offer to stand in line for him at the post office, the grocery store, the DMV...yessir, big money!

Last week I finally bought the new CS3 suite. Kinda buggy, but overall I really like the new look and feel of the applications. The new menus and palettes are a bit disorienting at first but I'll adjust soon. So far my only complaints are that merging layers in Photoshop feels clumsy, Bridge keeps crashing, and Paris Hilton is still in the news.

Today I went to the book store and bought some new software reference books for CS3. I also bought Designing a Digital Portfolio by Cynthia Baron. I've been wanting to re-design my website for a while now. This book, combined with a workshop I attended at Flashbelt, has me convinced that my site doesn't just need a fresh look, it needs a major overhaul. I enjoy tinkering around in Dreamweaver, I may even try using CSS in the new design. If I can find the time (which will be tough if this standing-in-line thing works out.)

My sleep schedule has been off lately, thanks to insomnia and converging deadlines. When I was single I would often stay up all night working on freelance projects. One of the perks of working at home and living alone was that I could work, eat, and sleep whenever I felt like it. For several years I went through a strange cycle where I couldn't sleep until I had been awake for at least 20 hours, causing my waking hours to gradually shift around the clock from nights to days over about a 3 or 4 week period. Now that I've got a wife and baby that's not working out so well. I'm trying to get my body to adjust to a normal schedule, but every couple of weeks I still get attacked by insomnia. I wonder if being a night owl is something innate, like being left-handed, or if its something that can be unlearned?

Have you seen the new Geico commercials? ("There are better ways to spend 15 minutes on the internet"). The caveman thing was funny but is getting stale. It's great to see them trying something new. You've got to hand it to the Geico ad folks, their campaigns have consistently stood out amidst the cluttered advertising landscape.

Fianlly, my wife and I have joined Blockbuster Total Access. Not that we watch that many movies, but we have a Blockbuster just down the street so it will be nice to exchange movies immediately instead of waiting for tomorrow's mail. The no late fees thing will also be nice since movies sometimes sit on our shelf for quite a while before we finally get around to watching them. We rented "Pursuit of Happyness" twice and still haven't seen it. We're trying the cheapest Blockbuster plan (2 movies a month for 6 bucks) so we'll see how it goes. We're going to start with the classics we've never seen. Cassablanca is first, then it's Bonnie and Clyde, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and eventually Little House on the Prairie season 3.

Conferences and Networking

2007-06-22T02:03:00.000-05:00

As a freelancer, working at home has a lot of benefits. But one drawback is that I spend most days holed up in my little cave and isolated from the outside world. (Weather...what's that?) The busier I am, the worse it gets. So when my time and budget permit, I go to as many conferences and art-related events as I possibly can. Its my only opportunity to network and hang out with other creative types.

The more I grow as a professional, the more important I find such networking becomes. Talent will only get you so far. Passion and personality are just as important, maybe even moreso.

Plus, since many of my friends and relatives struggle to understand exactly what I do for a living, its refreshing to chat with other creatives who "get it". It's great to make those personal connections with other people in the biz. And at every event I always pick up great tidbits and tricks that I can take home and use in my business. And if I'm lucky, I occassionally make a connection that leads to paying work down the road. The travel and registration costs aren't cheap, but the connections I make and the knowledge I gain almost always make the trips worthwhile.

I'm still pretty rusty at networking. Like many freelancers, I'm more comfortable by myself than I am around other people. I'm not great at small talk. But with every event I attend, I learn more and grow a little more confident. And I always walk away better for the experience.

In the last month I've attended two events, the Reubens and Flashbelt.

In May I traveled to Orlando for the Reuben Awards, a yearly event held by the National Cartoonists Society. Thanks to the kind sponsorship of illustrator Tom Richmond (pictured, left) I have the honor of being a member of the NCS. I've attended chapter events in the past but this was my first time at the Reuben's. For two days I walked among some of the world's greatest living cartoonists, which was a little intimidating but also exciting.

I had a nice chat with Stephen Silver, from whom I'll be taking an online character design class this fall (check it out at schoolism.com). I also shook hands with C.F. Payne, Sam Viviano, Dave Coverly, Chris Browne, and many other talented folks from all over the country. Everyone was very friendly and it was an honor just to be there. As you migh imagine, cartoonists are a fun bunch to hang around.

By the way, congratulations to Tom Richmond on winning another Reuben Award for Magazine Illustration. This is his third, I think.

Earlier this week I attended Flashbelt here in Minneapolis. Flashbelt is a large conference for programmers, designers, and animators (like me) who use Adobe's Flash software. The seminars ran the gamut, but there were some good ones on promoting yourself as an artist and on being successful as a freelancer. Even though I've got ten years of freelancing under my belt, I still learned a few things about improving my self-promotion efforts and strengthening client relationships.

There were also some fun afterparties where I had the chance to chat with lots of fun artists and animators, many who live right here in the Twin Cities. It was fun to hang out, share tips/advice, and hear about what's going on at some of the local agencies.

I brought my camera but unfortunately didn't snap many photos. Above is Shad Petosky from PUNY Entertainment and Big Time Attic. Shad is a fun guy and he knows pretty much every single creative person in Minnesota by name. He and his team do some terrific work with Flash animated games for Cartoon Network.

Next up is Comic-Con in July. I attended again last year and had a blast. Unfortunately I probably won't be able to go this year. But I've heard great things about the HOW design conference later this year. If any of you readers have ever attended, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought.

Now get out there and network!

To iPhone Or Not To iPhone?

2007-06-15T05:03:00.000-05:00

Unless you've been living in a cave you've heard about the upcoming release of Apple's new wonder-gadget, the iPhone. I'm a bit of a Machead, and I've been excited about the iPhone ever since Steve Jobs introduced the dazzling new product back in January. It's a truly amazing device...but also an expensive one. The "cheap" model is $500, and the more expensive model with twice as much memory is $600.

To use the phone you have to switch to Cingular/AT&T with a 2-year commitment. Fortunately I'm already a Cingular customer. However, the rumors are that Cingular will charge an additional fee of $30 or $40 per month to use the iPhone's internet capabilities. Add taxes and fees and you're looking at a minimum of $400 per year, times two years equals $800. Add in the $600 cost for the phone, and suddenly the iPhone has a total cost of $1,400.

But the iPhone is such an amazing device that for me it just might be worth it. Maybe. To learn about all of its incredible features, visit the official iPhone website or watch Steve Jobs give a snazzy demonstration. A quick Google search will also reveal that there are plenty of websites praising (and criticizing) the iPhone. Either way, its sure to revolutionize the cell phone industry.

Here's a list of some of the Pros and Cons that I am personally weighing as I consider whether or not to buy one:

PROS
(My current cell phone has some nice features, i.e. syncs with my computer's address book and calendar, so for me this is a fairly short list).

1. Virtual voice-mail is a smart feature. But I would rarely use it since I don't get that many voice mails at once.

2. Being able to browse the full internet and check my e-mails anywhere, anytime would be great. I would use that feature a lot. I mean a lot. Take shopping for example. If I'm in a bookstore and considering the purchase of a book or DVD, I could jump onto Amazon.com and see if someone is selling a used copy cheaper than what the bookstore is asking. If you can access the internet anywhere, anytime, that opens up a lot of possibilities.

3. I could listen to podcasts and other iTunes content even if I don't have my iPod along. However, it is unclear to me whether I could listen through the speakerphone or if I would have to carry headphones with me.

4. It would be great to easily enter new events into iCal.

5. The Google Maps application looks like a great feature. You can even save certain locations as favorites. For example, my sister moved earlier this year and I always had trouble figuring out how to get to her new place. It would have been nice to have it saved as a favorite so I didn't have to look it up every time.

CONS

1. Price. This phone ain't cheap. Can I really afford it? Are the convenient features really worth the cost?

2. A slow connection. The phone theoretically will let you surf the web and send an e-mail and talk on the phone all at the same time. If you are in a free wi-fi environment that should be no problem (although free wi-fi environments are rare). But if you are out and about, the only option is AT&T's Edge network, which I hear is disappointingly slow compared to their competitors. Maybe even as slow or slower than regular dial-up. (EDIT: According to this article, it takes half a minute for a web page to load on the Edge network.) Clients frequently send me e-mails with attachments, and I'm not sure I want to wait five minutes or more to download my latest e-mails. And if Apple ever does get around to supporting faster networks, could that be fixed with a software update or would I have to buy another iPhone?

3. A related problem with e-mail: How does that work with two devices (my computer and my iPhone) both checking the same e-mail? When my computer downloads e-mail, I can tell it to either delete the e-mail from the server or leave it there. If I have it set to delete, and then use my iPhone to check my e-mail, the message will then disappear from the server and my studio computer will never be able to retrieve it. On the other hand, if I have it set to NOT delete, then both devices will download the same messages each time they check for e-mail. Either option sounds inefficient to me. Or is there a way to work around this? (If you know of one, please leave me a comment.) (EDIT: Apparantly this problem is solved with something called "push e-mail".)

4. The phone may not have voice dialing, a feature I use a lot on my current phone (especially while driving). Apple has not said whether it does or doesn't. Since Apple has repeatedly drawn attention to all the other features, I worry that no news is bad news.

5. The iPhone's memory is pretty small. The only options are 4GB and 8GB. Add in all the software and you won't have much room for storing video (i.e. TV shows or movies). I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a year from now Apple releases new models that are 10GB or 20GB in size (that's the strategy they've used to get people to keep buying bigger and better iPods). Maybe I should wait until a bigger model comes out before plopping down my hard earned-cash?

6. The truth is I don't really NEED an iPhone. It's pretty much just a luxury item that would make certain aspects of my life a little easier. And as a Christian I'm not supposed to covet. So I really should only buy it if I truly believe it would be a worthwhile purchase from a practical standpoint. Which it might be. Maybe.

Either way, I know I won't be buying an iPhone when they are released on June 29 since my local Apple store will be a madhouse. I'd rather wait a couple of weeks and read what iPhone users have to say online. Maybe the product will have some as-of-yet unknown flaws. Or maybe it will be more amazing than expected. Who knows? Besides, Apple will probably sell out on June 29, forcing me to wait a couple of months before more arrive in stores.

Is anyone else planning to buy one? Let me know what you think.

The Amazing Color Card Trick

2007-06-07T23:41:00.000-05:00

Watch this magic trick.....carefully. You may not be as observant as you think you are.

New Art Blog: Sherwin Schwartzrock

2007-06-05T10:57:00.000-05:00

Introducing a new art blog by the amazing and talented Sherwin Schwartzrock. He's not only a terrific artist, but he can play the Star Spangled Banner with his armpit. Okay, I made that part up. But he really is a stellar designer, illustrator, and comic book artist. Check it out.

You Owe the Government $516,348

2007-05-29T18:18:00.000-05:00

Allow me to veer off the artistic path for a moment...

According to this USA Today article, if we wanted to pay off the Federal Government's debts right now that's how much every American household would have to pay. If you don't happen to have half a million in spare change lying around, how about an installment plan? You could pay $31,000 a year (or $2,580 per month) for 75 years and that would do it.

If you've got a lot of credit card debt, you might find some comfort here. You're spending peanuts compared to the debts the government is racking up for you.

Does this concern anyone else? The next time you hear a politician complain that we aren't spending enough on this or that program, ask yourself...Isn't the government spending more than enough already?

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

From the Archives

2007-05-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

Last year I used Apple's iPhoto printing services to print a small paperback version of my portfolio. The prices are reasonable, the printing looks very professional, and it's been a great way for me to promote my work in person or target desired clients through the mail. I'm down to one copy left so its time to order a new batch. I thought I'd update some of the artwork, and in the process I came across these sketches that somehow never made it onto my blog or website.

I was approached by a manufacturing supply company whose mascot is a cartoon pig. They were looking for ideas for a new sidekick character to partner with the current mascot. They wanted someone who was stupid and/or mischevous. The idea was that he would always be breaking safety rules (either intentionally or not, that part hadn't been decided). His humorous mishaps were intended to teach employees and customers about product safety.

Unfortunately the project never got past the early sketch phase. But these are some of the designs I had submitted.

Update

2007-05-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings, faithful blog reader. Sorry for the lack of posts lately, I'm in a bit of a time crunch. I've taken on a large project that I'm super excited about. I can't say too much, but thanks to a referral by the guys at FunnyPages Productions I've been hired as a character designer for a new animated tv show that will be airing soon (this fall I think) on one of the major networks. The show is funny, the concept is clever, and it's produced by a company that I've always wanted to work for. In many ways it's my dream job.

There's only one catch. The gig will likely only last a couple of months and then its back to regular freelancing. Which means if I turn away my regular clients now to focus on the show, they won't be there when my involvement with the show is over. By then they'll have found other artists. That would not be good. So, I'm essentially trying to work two full-time jobs for a couple of months. Fortunately I have a very understanding and supportive wife, and because I work at home I can take short breaks throughout the day to spend time with her and our baby girl. But for now I won't be posting as often as I have been. But there are plenty of great art blogs listed to the right to tide you over. Give them a looksee!

In other news, I'll be down in Orlando next weekend (May 24-27) for the Reubens, the annual get-together of the National Cartoonist's Society. It's a weekend conference on cartooning capped off by an awards banquet. The awards (Reubens) are named after one of the NCS founders, I think. I've been an NCS member for several years but this will be my first time attending a Reubens weekend. From what I hear its a ton of fun, and the event is attended by some pretty big names in the fields of cartooning, illustration, and animation. Personally I don't put too much stock in awards when it comes to the arts (Oscars, anyone?). When you reach a certain level of excellence, there's no real way to single out one excellent artist as "more excellent" than all the others. But it should be a fun weekend nonetheless.

Finally, I've discovered a new website called Illosaurus that seems to be a great collection of resources for illustrators. A lot of it is UK-centric, but the site is helpful nonetheless. Check it out.

Review: Spider-Man 3

2007-05-04T03:04:00.000-05:00

It's 3am and I just got home from the midnight premiere of Spider-Man 3 at my local Imax theater. All I can say is "Wow!" These guys sure know how to make a good movie. In fact, this may be the best Spider-Man film yet.

First, they've topped themselves in the special effects department. The action scenes and sense of vertigo were pretty amazing in Spider-Man 2. Who'd of thought the bar could be raised any higher? Of course, it helps to watch the movie on a giant Imax screen that is six stories tall and completely fills your field of vision. Still, the eye candy was pretty amazing.

But what really makes it a great film is the story. In the classic Spidey tradition, Peter Parker's personal life is a mess during most of the film, even pushing him into heartbreak and depression. But unlike the previous films, this time his problems are mostly his own doing. Parker spends part of the film wearing a special organic black suit that "feeds" off of him like a host. The suit heightens his powers and gives him a rush of exhileration, but it also draws out the worst in his human nature. I don't want to give too much away, but Peter does some pretty awful things and his bad behavior has very real and tragic consequences. Yet given the circumstances his actions are understandable and we sympathize with him even when he is being a total jerk. There are also some humorous chuckle moments sprinkled throughout the film which keep it from taking itself too seriously.

The movie also explores powerful themes like revenge and forgiveness, and even the importance of self-sacrifice in marriage. In one scene Peter decides to propose to Mary Jane. Before giving her blessing, his Aunt May tells him, "A husband must put his wife's needs ahead of his own," and asks, "Are you ready to do that?"

Even the three villians are sympathetic (well, two of them are anyway). When I first heard there would be three villians I rolled my eyes, fearing the writers were running out of good stories to tell and instead trying to pad the movie with over-the-top action. I needn't have worried. While the movie does ask you to suspend disbelief--I had a hard time believing that a living, breathing human being could be made entirely of sand--somehow the movie's larger story draws you in to even the most implausible moments. I think that's part of the appeal of Spider-Man. He's a superhero who deals with very real problems we can all relate to. Despite having super powers Spider-Man is very flawed. As are we.

The first Spider-man film had an underlying moral theme ("With great power comes great responsibility"). This film also weaves a morality tale. Towards the end of the film one of the characters tells us we all have a choice in how we respond to our difficulties. We can either do the natural thing (be bitter, hold a grudge, get revenge), or we can do the noble thing (forgive, put other's needs ahead of our own). Forgiveness and self-sacrifice are powerful Christian themes. If we are honest, when someone hurts us our sinful natures prefer bitterness and revenge. Why is it the right thing to do is often the hard thing?

I happened to have a few Are You a Good Person? mini-comic gospel tracts on me. So as we left the theater, I stood outside the door and handed them out. "Did you get one of these?" I would ask. Due to the movie's themes, it seemed like a good thing to do. I was pretty nervous, but amazingly most people took them and some even asked for more. Maybe watching a cool superhero movie put people in the mood for reading a comic book?

Anyway, go see Spider-Man 3. And if you can, see it on a giant Imax screen. This Spider-Man truly is amazing.

MicroCon 2007

2007-05-02T07:46:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Minnesota's comic book fans once again descended upon the state fair grounds for MicroCon, the second-largest comic book convention in the state (FallCon being the largest). As usual I was there displaying my work and hobnobbing with some of the North Star state's most talented artists.

Paul Fricke (left) is a local freelance illustrator and all around nice guy. Among his many current projects is a children's book about bedbugs, which is a fun concept. Paul used to ink for DC Comics way back in the 20th century. On the right is Len Strazewski from Chicago, who used to write for DC. In one of the comic book bins Len found an old issue of "The Fly" that he had written and that Paul had inked. He was kind enough to give it to me as a gift, signed by him and Paul. Super cool. (Or should I say, "Super Fly!")

I shared a table with the very talented Sherwin Schwartzrock. Sherwin is a great guy who has given me a lot of great advice throughout my freelance career. Give his website a looksee.

These are two of the guys from Big Time Attic, Kevin Cannon (left) and Zander Cannn (right). No, they aren't related. But they are talented. Zander won an Eisner award for his graphic novel Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards. Their blog is also worth a read.

Terry Beatty is an inker on Batman. Brent Schoonover is a local freelance illustrator. Both a very nice guys.

I saw this and had to snap a photo. Some local reporter was interviewing Superman. Not something you see every day. (Isn't that Lois Lane's job?)

Finally, don't forget that Saturday May 5 is Free Comic Book Day. And if you live in the Midwest, mark your calendars Oct. 6-7 for FallCon, Minnesota's largest comic book convention.

Image Problems?

2007-04-26T11:49:00.000-05:00

Lately when I load my blog page, it seems that half the time the image header doesn't load. There are also times when some of the images on the right side of the page don't load. Is anyone else having this problem when viewing my blog? If so, please do me a favor and leave a comment saying so. If it is a problem for other people besides me, I need to look into it. Thanks!!

Sketchbook Update: The Merchant of Venice

2007-04-13T08:25:00.000-05:00

(Click for a larger image.)

Last night I took my wife to see Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" performed onstage at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. That makes me sound a lot classier than I am. My wife is the Shakespeare fan, I honestly couldn't tell you half of what was going on in the story. But it was still fun for two reasons. First, I always have a great time going out with my wife. And second, I took a small sketchbook along and was able to spend over two hours filling the pages. I've been so crazy-busy with client work lately that it was a real treat just to draw for myself, whatever and however I wanted.

If you ever get the chance to attend a high-quality stage production, especially a period piece, by all means bring your sketchbook! The stage last night was filled with expressive character faces and fun costumes to draw. The lighting also created wonderful dramatic shadows across the faces that you normally wouldn't see in "real life".

It's hard to overstate the value of keeping a sketchbook. For some good reading on that subject, I recommend a series written by Mark Kennedy on his blog. Kennedy reminds us that the point of a sketchbook is not to do beautiful drawings, but rather to risk making lots of bad drawings you can learn from. Personally I prefer to sketch with a pen, for two reasons. First, not having an eraser as a "crutch" forces me to think harder about my lines before I put them down. Second, knowing I can't fix anything anyway frees me up to make bolder decisions (and yes, lots and lots of mistakes). In the short term I get sketchbooks full of bad drawings. But in the long term my skills are sharpened and my instincts are honed, so that over time I can work more confidently and with better results.

Photo Reference

2007-04-11T03:09:00.000-05:00

Many professional artists use photo reference when drawing, which can be especially helpful when deadlines are tight. In the days before the internet artists would collect a "morgue", or "swipe file", a collection of photos cut from magazines and books and then organized under headings (i.e. "children", "ducks", "trains", etc.). When I was in art school I used to collect old magazines anywhere I could get them, even digging through dumpsters at the local recycling center (with permission), hauling them home, and snipping out photos. My swipe file now fills 2-1/2 filing cabinets.

In my early years of freelancing I also took a lot of my own photos. I purchased an expensive camera, some lights, and even purchased or rented a few costumes when necessary. Then I would either take photographs of myself or invite friends over to dress up and pose for me. With the advent of digital photography I could instantly manipulate a photo in Photoshop to fine-tune it for the perfect composition.

My style has since evolved to the point where I don't do "realistic" illustrations anymore, so my dependence on photo reference is not as heavy as it once was. But even as a cartoonist I still find myself using it on a regular basis. Drawing in a "cartoony" style doesn't mean I can just make things up in my head all the time. I find that before I can simplify something into a cartoon drawing, I first have to study and understand what it looks like in the "real world". For instance, doing life drawing and studying anatomy helps me to simplify the human figure more gracefully. As the saying goes, you have to understand the rules before you can break them properly. Or, as another artist once said, "Always respect your subject matter".

There's a big debate in some artistic circles about the value of using photo reference. Some see it as a virtue, others as a vice. Using photo reference certainly has its pitfalls. It can easily become a "crutch", tempting the artist to lazily copy rather than create. There are also copyright issues to consider when drawing directly from a photograph. (Contrary to popular belief, there is no law that says you can legally alter an image X percent to avoid violating copyright. In a court of law, the real test is whether or not the average person would look at the photo and then look at your drawing and conclude that one was copied from the other.)

Nevertheless, those who frown on photo reference are (in my opinon) throwing the baby out with the bath water. When used properly (and not overused) photo reference can expand an artist's mental library as he draws, thereby strengthening his mental drawing muscles. Studying good photographs can inspire and enhance an artist's creative instincts. When deadlines are tight photo reference can help the artist to quickly capture the perfect pose, expression, prop, or camera angle. Also, if the photo is used as *reference only* and not copied directly, most copyright concerns can be avoided.

Canadian comic book artist Stuart Immonen (pictured below) recently wrote an article for Comic Book Resources discussing his use of reference material. It's a good read.

Finally, here's just a few of the many websites and books available for photo reference:

Google Image Search
Photo Reference page on DrawingBoard.org
Terra Galleria
FellowHumans.org

Facial Expressions: A Visual Reference for Artists
Virtual Pose: Children
The Fairburn System of Visual References (clothing and hairstyles are dated, but still a great reference)

Good Friday

2007-04-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

This is an old drawing I did ten years ago when I was still in art school. At the risk of sounding "preachy", I thought it would be appropriate to post today as Christians pause to remember Jesus' death for our sins. Think about it--he willingly took the punishment that you and I deserve. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Amazing. We don't go to heaven because we are good people. We go because we are guilty sinners who have a Savior.

If you've never thought much about that before, consider this.

The Truth About Deadlines

2007-04-05T08:58:00.000-05:00

Illustrator Tom Richmond has some good thoughts for freelancers on his blog here and here.

Skinny Rabbit Animation

2007-04-02T13:05:00.000-05:00

I've been dabbling in Flash animation again. This time its a brief internet promo for a forthcoming book by best-selling author John Trent titled "The Skinny Rabbit" (to be published by Thomas Nelson). A couple of months ago I did some character designs and artwork for the book. Then they came to me with the concept for this animated promo.

The book is still in its final stages of development, but Mr. Trent gave me his permission to post the Flash promo on my blog. (The "Send to a Friend" link at the end has an incorrect link, I just needed some filler to show what could be done).

Being a self-taught animator, I'm open to feedback/suggestions if you have any.

New Header

2007-03-31T22:42:00.000-05:00

Nothing fancy. But a change was long overdue. Hopefully sometime soon I'll find time to do up something really cool, but this'll do for now.

EDIT: Someone wrote me that the top half isn't displaying on their computer. If anyone else is having problems seeing the header, please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!

Digital Color Tutorial

2007-03-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

MAD Magazine artist Tom Richmond has a new digital color tutorial on his blog:

Tutorial Part 1
Tutorial Part 2
Tutorial Part 3

New Book on Character Design

2007-03-30T09:44:00.000-05:00

Artist David Colman (his blog, his website) has recently published a book, "The Art of Animal Character Design". I just got my copy and overall I am very happy with it. Colman is extremely talented, and this 174-page hardcover book is filled with great eye-candy. While light on text (Colman's writing is short and to the point, which I like), he sprinkles the book with great little tidbits of advice on character design. (One of my favorite quotes: "Drawing is more thinking than actual drawing.") The sketches are loosely grouped in "chapters", each of which focuses on a different aspect of good character design. Even if you are more of a "people artist" than an "animal artist", you will find a lot of principles and tips that will apply to you as well. I should mention that there are a few sketches of the nude female form in the chapters "Humans and Animals" and "Creature Design". Still, in terms of artistic inspiration and advice this book has a lot to offer.

Bullhead Days

2007-03-21T00:31:00.000-05:00

I've had some pretty fun projects lately.

I spent my my teenage years in the small town of Waterville, MN, the Bullhead Capital of the World. Every summer they celebrate with Bullhead Days, a town festival complete with a parade, carnival rides, a fried bullheads stand on the corner, and a Miss Bullhead competition (well, they call it "Miss Waterville" but I say why break with the theme?) This year is Waterville's 150th anniversary. I was given the honor of designing a button and t-shirts to be sold as a fundraiser. It's a pro bono project so I couldn't spend a ton of time on it, but this is what I came up with. (I didn't realize this was the 150th anniversary until after I had completed the design, but they told me not to worry about it since the celebration will be rather low-key).

And in case you are wondering, the bullhead's name is Barney. Barney got his start as a go-cart dressed up to look like a bullhead. The owner drives Barney in the parade each year, complete with mechanical swishing tail.

Who says small town life is boring?

Day of the Field Trip Zombies!

2007-03-20T18:43:00.000-05:00

(Click image for larger version.)

Last week I finally completed the artwork for "Day of the Field Trip Zombies" for Stone Arch Books. This is now the sixth children's book I've ever illustrated, but unlike the rest it is a "graphic novel" (fancy name for a comic book). It was a lot of fun, but having never pencilled, inked, and colored a graphic novel before it took a lot longer than other books I've done. If you think of each panel as its own illustration, this 32-page book has over 60 illustrations, and approximately 1/4 of them are "crowd scenes" (which for my definitition is 5 or more characters in one shot). I had to really rush at the end so I'm being very selective about which pages I'm showing. But it really was a lot of fun, and the illustrations should work fine for the target audience (young children).

I think the book will be out this fall.

Even More Problems With "The Lost Tomb of Jesus"

2007-03-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

I know I've probably beaten this topic to death, but I can't resist. Here's the best summary I've found yet...

Cherry Picking Casket Evidence: 45 Problems with "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" (PDF document)

Sign Up Fast!

2007-03-17T19:53:00.000-05:00

Breaking news! There are some awesome new art classes being offered online...but you better sign up fast before all the spaces are filled. The current courses at the new website Schoolism.com include:

Digital Painting with Bobby Chiu

Character Design with Stephen Silver

Drawing the Female Figure with Alberto Ruiz

(I wouldn't be surprised if more classes/instructors are eventually added).

These instructors are some of the top people in the biz. Each week there is a new lesson/demo presented as an online video tutorial which you can watch at your leisure. There are also weekly assignments, and (this is the best part) the instructors will give you a personalized one-on-one critique of your work every week (although I'm not sure how that will work. Chats? Phone calls? Video cam? You get a special schoolism.com mailbox when you sign up, so I'm guessing it will be an e-mail critique. But elsewhere on the site the critiques are referred to as "discussions" so who knows?). (EDIT: Instructor Stephen Silver writes on his blog that his students wll receive personal video feedback from me as I draw over top of your assignments."

The classes aren't cheap, but if you are serious about making your living as an artist this promises to be a good investment.

But you better hurry. Spots are filling up. For example, there are only fifteen spots for Stephen Silver's character design class. Even though his particular class doesn't start until August, registration just started yesterday and this afternoon I was already student number 9. Although I might have been the 9th student to sign up for any of the classes, or the 9th student for his specific class. Not sure. Either way, don't dawdle.

Sketchbook Minis!

2007-03-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

The golden rule of drawing is "Carry a sketchbook with you wherever you go". Following that rule just got a little easier.

Today I was at my local Barnes and Noble, and they had a neat little Moleskine display. For those who don't know, Moleskine (pronounced mo-lay-skee-nay) are luxurious high-quality journals and sketchbooks produced in Europe, and they are a big fad right now in certain art circles. But for good reason. Most moleskine's are nice, smooth drawing paper mounted with a classy cover, a cloth bookmark sown in, and an elastic band attached which protects the sketchbook by holding it closed (or open). Also, the pages lie flat when opened for easy scanning.

Like most small sketchbooks, they fit nicely in the large pockets of my winter jacket but are a bit clunky to carry around during the warmer months.

So I was delighted to see that my local Barnes and Noble now sells what I'll call "moleskine minis". You can get a package of three small, 64-page sketchbooks for about $7.00. 192 pages for $7 is not bad as art supplies go, and the books are small enough (3.5" x 5.5") to fit in the pocket of my jeans but not too small to do a decent sketch on each page.

Now I have no excuse not to draw whenever I've got a little down time. And I couldn't be happier.

PS--If you browse the moleskine website, the sketchbooks are listed under "notebooks". Instead of sketchbooks they're called "plain notebooks". Go figure.

DrawerGeeks: Sandman

2007-03-10T16:17:00.000-06:00

The upcoming assignment for DrawerGeeks is "Sandman" (as in the Marvel comics villain from the upcoming Spiderman 3 movie). I don't know much about the character, other than that he can turn himself into sand, so this silly doodle is what I came up with.

Hotel Rwanda

2007-03-10T01:51:00.000-06:00

My wife and I just finished watching this movie. Truth be told I wasn't looking forward to it, but ten minutes into the movie I was hooked. If you have never seen it, go rent it now! This is one of the best films I have seen all year. I mean it--this movie will captivate you.

Did you know that in 1994 almost a million people were massacred in Rwanda? Neither did I. The event received very little press here in America, which is a shame. In fact, the world by and large stood by and did nothing as the bodies piled up. This film tells the true story of a shrewd and courageous hotel manager who sheltered over 1,200 refugees in his high-class hotel while the country around him spiralled into chaos.

Surprisingly, the movie conveys the gut-wrenching horrors of war with hardly any actual "blood and guts" depicted on screen. The film also gives us something we rarely see from Hollywood these days: a true hero to admire.

I tend to be somewhat finicky with my taste in movies. So believe me when I say, this movie is good. (It was nominated for a "Best Picture" Golden Globe). Definitely worth your rental dollar.

Problems with "The Lost Tomb of Jesus"

2007-03-02T10:33:00.000-06:00

If you haven't heard already, on March 4th the Discovery Channel will air a documentary by Titanic director James Cameron called "The Lost Tomb of Jesus". The documentary claims that archeologists have discovered the actual grave of Jesus and his family, including his wife Mary Magdalene and their son Judah. If true, this find would shake the very foundations of Christianity.

In 1980, ten small caskets were unearthed in a suburb of Jerusalem. Six of the caskets contain inscriptions with the Biblical names "Jesus", "Maria" (or Mary), "Mariamne" (or Mary Magdalene), "Matthew", "James", "Yose" (Joseph), and "Judah, son of Jesus". If this really is the family tomb of Jesus of Nazareth, and if those really are his bones, then we have scientific proof that the resurrection never happened and Christianity has been officially debunked. Even the apostle Paul admitted, "if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith...If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (1 Corinthians 15:14-19)

But don't go closing the church doors just yet. The "lost tomb" theory is far from clear-cut. In fact, it's full of holes. A quick Google search will reveal that there are plenty of scholars who doubt the findings or even dismiss them outright. For one thing, the tomb was discovered back in 1980. Archeologists have known about it for over 25 years. If the find is really so earth-shattering, why didn't anyone say anything sooner?

Below are several flaws in the theory that this is really Jesus' tomb (taken from Christian News Wire):

Ben Witherington, New Testament professor at Asbury Theological Seminary, and other scholars offer 10 reasons why they think the “Jesus tomb” claims are false:

1. There is no DNA evidence that this is the historical Jesus of Nazareth.

2. The statistical analysis is untrustworthy.

3. The name “Jesus” was a popular name in the first century, appearing in 98 other tombs and on 21 other ossuaries.

4. There is no historical evidence that Jesus was ever married or had a child.

5. The earliest followers of Jesus never called him “Jesus, son of Joseph.”

6. It is highly unlikely that Joseph, who died earlier in Galilee, was buried in Jerusalem, since the historical record connects him only to Nazareth or Bethlehem.

7. The Talipot tomb and ossuaries are such that they would have belonged to a rich family, which does not match the historical record for Jesus.

8. Fourth-century church historian Eusebius makes quite clear that the body of James, the brother of Jesus, was buried alone near the temple mount and that his tomb was visited in the early centuries, making very unlikely that the Talipot tomb was Jesus’ “family tomb.”

9. The two Mary ossuaries do not mention anyone from Migdal, but simply has the name Mary, one of the most common of all ancient Jewish female names.

10. By all ancient accounts, the tomb of Jesus was empty, making it highly unlikely that his body was moved to another tomb to decay for one year before putting his bones in an ossuary.

Here's another problem with the "We found Jesus' grave" theory: From the very beginning the enemies of Christianity have wanted to crush it. The reason guards were posted at the tomb of Jesus was to keep the disciples from stealing the body and claiming a ressurection (Matthew 27:62-64). If Jesus did not really rise bodily from the grave his enemies could have simply gone to the tomb, thrown the body in a cart, wheeled it down the streets of Jerusalem, and Christianity would have been dead in the womb. But even Jesus' enemies had to admit that the body could not be found. And the disciples died horrible martyr's deaths because of their belief in a risen Jesus. Would they really have given their lives for something they knew was a lie?

Every year around Easter we see stories in the media designed to undermine Christianity. But eventually they all crumble because they are built on sand. If you decide to watch the Discovery channel special, keeping the above facts in mind will help you separate the truth from the hype.

(EDIT: According to a blog at TIME magazine, immediately after "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" on March 4 the Discovery channel will air an hour-long panel discussion hosted by Ted Koppel. "The panel will explore the filmmakers' profound assertions and challenge their assumptions and suggested conclusions." I hope there will be someone on the panel that points out the many flaws in the documentary and set the record straight. But I'm not holding my breath.)

Just a Doodle

2007-02-20T18:18:00.000-06:00

Big Shark's Valentine Surprise

2007-02-20T09:13:00.000-06:00

My first children's book for Scholastic was finally published this month. "Big Shark's Valentine Surprise" is the fifth children's book I've illustrated, but my first time with Scholastic. My comp copies finally arrived last week. It's too late to order copies for Valentine's Day, and actually I'm told the book is only available through Scholastic's book club and not in stores (at least not yet). But if you want to get one there are a couple of used copies for sale on Amazon.com (regular and audio-book versions).

(EDIT: I've also posted a scan of an interior spread from the book. You'll notice that the shark on the cover is not quite the same as the shark inside the book, for example his hat is missing and his mouth is bigger. These were changes that Scholastic insisted I make to the cover, although I never did get a good explanation. Oh well. Overall I'm still pretty happy with how the book turned out.)

I'm currently working on two more children's books, a follow-up book for Scholastic and a graphic novel for Stone Arch Books. More info on those projects soon.

The Rebelution

2007-02-18T20:31:00.000-06:00

Here's a website devoted to promoting modest dress among teenagers. They recently took a survey of 1,600 Christian teenage guys asking them questions related to how girls should dress. The results are interesting. I remember what it was like to be a young man with raging hormones and roving eyes, and I don't think most women truly realize what a powerful stumbling block their clothing (or lack thereof) can be for the guys all around them. So I'm glad someone is finally talking about this issue.

DrawerGeeks: Grrrrrrr!

2007-02-10T08:28:00.000-06:00

The upcoming assignment for DrawerGeeks is "Grrrrrr!". Our instructions are to create "the most bizarrely hilarious 'grrrr' face you can come up with!" It's not due for a couple of weeks yet, but this was a sketch I did this morning while playing around with my new Cintiq. I've always admired caricature artists who can distort the human face into crazy rubbery shapes. So in this sketch I thought it would be a good exercise to try and push an expression a lot farther than I normally would. It's not supposed to be a caricature of anyone in particular, just a generic face I made up in my head.

Speaking of Phil Vischer...

2007-02-08T20:39:00.000-06:00

Phil Vischer also has a blog that is worth checking out:
www.philvischer.com

Book Review: Me, Myself, & Bob

2007-02-08T18:34:00.000-06:00

"My big hairy audacious goal: To build the most trusted of the top four family media brands within twenty years,"

So writes Phil Vischer, the founder of Big Idea Productions (creators of VeggieTales), an ambitious Walt Disney wanna-be. And he was off to a good start. Between 1996 and 1999 Big Idea's revenue grew by 3,300 percent, from $1.3 million to $44 million. One in three households with children owns at least one VeggieTales video. Their first theatrical release, "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie" was the highest-grossing Christian film in history until "Passion of the Christ".

Yet less than a year after "Jonah" hit theaters, Big Idea filed for bankruptcy.

What went wrong? Vischer's new book, "Me, Myself, & Bob" is a fascinating and surprisingly transparent account of the rise and fall of Big Idea. Part auto-biography, part business book, and laced with goofy humor, the book is a remarkably good read. My wife and I started reading chapters aloud to each other at night or in the car together, and we could barely put it down. One night we read four chapters back-to-back, and after my wife went to sleep I kept reading and finished the book.

I was a college student working at a Christian bookstore when VeggieTales exploded onto the scene. As an art student and an animation fan, I was thrilled to see Christian videos that were actually funny, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Someone was finally proving that Christian media didn't have to be lame. Big Idea was giving hope to people like me who aspired to do something truly positive with mass-media. I began to dream about working at Big Idea (I actually applied for an opening once but didn't get in).

So I was surprised as anyone to hear about Big Idea's bankruptcy. The cruise ship full of happy vegetables had suddenly hit an iceberg. (The company was eventually purchased by Classic Media which continues to produce the videos.)

Ultimately Vischer takes all the blame for what went wrong at Big Idea. The buck stops with him, and he is open and honest about the many mistakes he made. Chapter 20, "Lessons", is worth the price of the book as Vischer shares seven important lessons which any business or ministry leader would do well to heed. He describes how the whole experience has changed him for the better (hint: becoming the next Walt Disney is no longer Vischer's goal), and warns that passion and ambition can create spiritual blind spots--even for successful ministry leaders. Vischer's humility, humor, and honesty about his mistakes makes him a refreshing role model.

As an animation buff and business owner, "Me, Myself, & Bob" is now officially one of my favorite books. The last third of my copy is full of dog-eared pages and underlining. Vischer's honesty and likeability will keep you turning pages. You could do a lot worse than to pick up a copy for yourself.

Day of the Field Trip Zombies!

2007-02-08T09:33:00.000-06:00

I'm currently illustrating a graphic novel for Stone Arch Books, designed to help elementary school kids improve their reading skills. The book is called "Day of the Field Trip Zombies". Here's a couple of rough pages:

DawerGeeks: Caveman

2007-01-26T08:40:00.000-06:00

My DrawerGeeks submission for this week.

I got me a Cintiq! Woo hoo!

2007-01-25T12:11:00.000-06:00

After lots of research and deliberation, I took the plunge and ordered a Cintiq. It arrived yesterday, and I was so excited waiting for the FedEx truck that I could barely focus on my projects. Each time I heard a big vehicle drive by, I would literally jump out of my chair in anticipation.

I have a Wacom tablet which I've used for digital painting, but drawing on a Wacom just isn't as natural as drawing on a Cintiq. For example, I can actually rotate the Cintiq just like I would rotate a piece of paper while drawing or inking, something you can't do with a tablet. The CIntiq is large, sturdy, and amazingly natural to draw on. No more drawing on paper means no more time wasted scanning and cleaning up drawings. I can also make changes faster on the computer than on paper, and the Cintiq has several programable buttons and a touch pad for scrolling/zooming that will definitely make my workflow more efficient. It's amazing, I tell ya! Once I get the hang of it, over time ths machine will definitely pay for itself.

I spent a couple of hours last evening getting it set up and playing around with it. Above is the first piece of artwork I created on the Cinitq.

So far I've only discovered one glitch in this otherwise perfect machine. I tried some inking and discovered that, when making vertical brush strokes in Photoshop, the line gets visibly jagged unless I make the stroke really fast. The slower I draw, the more jagged the line looks. But this doesn't seem to be the case with horizontal or curved brush strokes. Strange. I've tried swapping pen nibs and adjusting the settings, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The lines aren't terribly jagged, but enough that it will take a little fussing to get a smooth vertical stroke.

I'm also having difficulty figuring out how to calibrate the color on the Cintiq without affecting the color on my main monitor, but I'm sure that can be solved with a little more putzing as well. (EDIT: Figured it out, piece of cake.)

Also, the Cintiq is plenty big. In fact, it's just a few inches too big for my computer desk. So for now I've got it set up on an adjoining drawing table and I'm shuffling the keyboard back and forth between the two stations. Looks like eventually I'll be making a trip to the office supply store for a new desk.

Still, the Cintiq is a beautiful machine and I am extremely fortunate to have one. Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice and feedback on the decision.

Real Cartoonists

2007-01-17T06:06:00.000-06:00

John K has written an article on his blog entitled "Dan Gordon and What Makes a Cartoonist". John briefly surveys the history of animation and cartoons, pointing out the difference between cartoonists who can draw well structurally but tend to use cliched poses and expressions versus cartoonists who perhaps can't draw quite as well but who bring a heightened sense of believabilty and authenticity to their characters. Fascinating stuff.

While I don't agree with John entirely, I do see what he's getting at. If I were to be honest, I probably see myself a lot more in the "cliche" camp of cartoonists and not enough in the other, perhaps because when I draw I tend to think structually first and emotionally second. But I don't want to stay where I'm at, I want to keep growing and maturing to the point where I can put more personality and gut-level believability into my drawings.

John K's blog has some great stuff. It you haven't lately, give it a read.

Curious George

2007-01-13T06:48:00.000-06:00

Last fall I was approached by Houghton-Mifflin about possibly doing a Curious George project. They were looking for an artist who could replicate the style of H.A. Rey, the writer/artist who created Curious George. This is what I submitted. (EDIT: The images have been removed at Houghton-Mifflin's request until their Curious George project is completed.)

It's not uncommon for larger publishers to approach several different artists at once and then pick their favorite for a project. In this case, ultimately a different artist was chosen. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Someone recently wrote me asking if it is hard to land a job working with licensed characters. Well, this marks the fifth time in my career I've been approached to work on a major licensed character, but each time either the project fizzled or another artist was ultimately chosen. Hopefully 2007 will be my year!

New! Download My Portfolio

2007-01-12T04:29:00.000-06:00

You can now download a condensed version of my portfolio in PDF form. If you are an art director (or you know someone who is), just print the PDF and you'll have some of my character designs and illustrations for your files. Pretty neat, huh? The mini-portfolio is five pages and contains 25 pieces of art from 13 recent projects. It's 7MB so it might take a minute or two to download depending on your connection speed.

You can also request a free hard-copy of my portfolio in the form of a glossy booklet by joining my mailing list. Just check the box on my sign-up form and I'll be happy to pop one in the mail.

Ain't technology grand?

Finally! A Tablet Computer for Mac Users

2007-01-09T23:31:00.000-06:00

The other day I wrote that I was seriously considering the purchase of a Cintiq so I could draw directly on the screen. Then I read about the Modbook, a new computer unveiled today at the Macworld Expo conference. It's not sold by Apple, but it is a Mac. Made by Other World Computing, the Modbook appears to be a Macbook laptop that has been converted into a tablet computer.

It's got everything a MacBook would have, except the screen is where the keyboard and mousepad should be. I phoned the company and was told that if you want to use a keyboard and mouse, you have to provide them yourself and then plug them in to one of the USB ports. This seems a little bizarre to me, but if I can draw on the screen I almost don't care. For only a little more money than a Cintiq monitor, I could have what is essentially a smaller, portable Cintiq that is also a fully-functioning computer.

The Modbooks won't ship until March or April, but hopefully there will be some demo models reviewed on the internet before then. Apple products generally consist of very sophisticated technology and high quality materials, so the thought of someone cutting apart and rebuilding a MacBook makes me shudder a bit. But from the detailed description on the Modbook website, this looks like more than just a hacked-up Mac sold out of some back-alley chop shop. It seems they've taken great care to make this a durable, quality machine. They've even re-mounted the iSight camera so that it will point directly at the user if he is lying the Modbook flat on his desktop. And they've installed an optional GPS capability, something regular Macs don't have (although why I would need that is a puzzle). It comes with a one-year warranty that can be extended to three years, just like a regular Mac. And the pen/screen interface is designed by Wacom, the same people who make the Cintiq, including low-glare glass that is specially textured to feel like paper. So one can assume that an artist could do some pretty nice drawings with this machine.

If the Modbook turns out to be as good as I hope it is, I will almost certainly buy one.

EDIT: Before I get too excited, I'm going to have to think harder about the missing keyboard thing. When I draw with my Wacom tablet, I still use a lot of keyboard shortcuts (to change tools, resize brushes, rotate and transform, etc.) because keyboard shortcuts are much faster than drag-and-click menus. One of the main reasons I want a tablet computer is to increase my speed/efficiency, but the lack of a keyboard might seriously slow me down. Then again, maybe I could navigate drop-down menus faster with a stylus than I can with a mouse or trackpad? Makes me wish there was a demo model somewhere here in Minnesota that I could play around with.

The Secrets of Sustaining Success

2007-01-09T23:26:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not quoting Anthony Robbins. This is the title of a great little article I just read on CreativePro.com. If you make any income doing freelance artwork, this is a must-read. It begins:

"Starting a business is easy. Sustaining it is hard. Here's what successful creative professionals say about what makes them stay successful."

Click here to read more.

Cartoon People

2007-01-08T22:43:00.000-06:00

I recently completed illustrating some Sunday School curriculum for a publisher. Here's a few of several misc. characters I illustrated for the project. I've pulled them out and plopped them in front of a background as a fun way to display them.

To Cintiq or not to Cintiq?

2007-01-08T05:03:00.000-06:00

I'm seriously considering the purchase of a Cintiq. For those who don't know, the Cintiq is a large, sophisticated computer monitor that lets you draw directly on the screen with a special pressure-sensitive pen. For artists working in the digital age, it's a very impressive tool. The Cintiq's I saw on display at Comic-Con were basically covered with drool.

A Cintiq is also expensive. The latest models run about $2,500.

For the last few years I've been using a Wacom tablet to draw/paint on the computer. Well, mostly I still draw on paper, then I scan in the artwork and color or paint it digitally with the Wacom. The Wacom is a great tool, but it really taxes my eye-hand coordination. Instead of looking at my hand while I'm drawing, I'm looking up at the computer screen. I've been working this way for years but it still feels klunky and unnatural, so drawing on paper is still faster for me.

A Cintiq would be nice for several reasons. First, I could draw straight into the computer just as quickly as on paper, and the computer's "undo" command is much quicker (and less messy) than erasing. Second, I'd no longer have to scan in my artwork and then spend time cleaning up all the dust and scratches. Third, the Cintiq has special buttons off to the side that I can program to do simple but tedious tasks (i.e. changing brush sizes) without having to use pull-down menus. Overall, a Cintiq would (theoritically) make me faster and therefore increase my profitibility on projects. According to a "payback calculator" on the Cintiq website, by my conservative guess a Cintiq would pay for itself in about 8 months.

But there are drawbacks. Some say that since the Cintiq is basically a shallow box, the way your arm rests on the edge makes it uncomfortable to draw on (although I suspect this would be more of a problem for some artists than for others). Some say the thick glass makes a slight "gap" between the pen tip and the line you are drawing, which is problomatic when drawing fine lines and details (others tell me the gap is not really an issue).

So I'm wondering, do any of you blog readers own a Cintiq? If so, have you found that it improves your efficiency? Was it worth the steep purchase price? Or is it just a nice luxury item? Let me know what you think.

EDIT: My friend Tom Richmond (who is a brilliant caricature artist for MAD Magazine) just posted a very detailed review of the Cintiq on his blog. Check it out.

Mike Kunkel's Blog

2007-01-08T04:43:00.000-06:00

How did I miss this? Mike Kunkel, creator of "Herobear and the Kid", has an art blog. Cool!

Some Warm-Up Sketches

2007-01-07T09:33:00.000-06:00

I don't do warm-up sketches nearly as often as I should. Here's a few from some coffee table books that I picked up really cheap at a thrift store (mostly LIFE magazine photos, I think). I'm experimenting with using a chamois and a soft-lead pencil, so far with very mediocre results. Guess that means I need to keep doing more.

Dream On Silly Dreamer

2006-12-29T07:15:00.000-06:00

I just finished watching a DVD documentary called "Dream On Silly Dreamer". It's a fascinating collection of interviews with former Disney artists chronicling the rise and fall of 2-D animation from the 1980's to the present. I've always had a fantasy of moving to LA and working for a big animation studio, so I was riveted by the testimonials and anecdotes of some of the people who actually lived that dream. Filmed during the massive Disney layoffs of 2002, "Dream On Silly Dreamer" gives a compelling inside look into the recent history of Disney animation, from the "warehouse" animation of the 80's through the enormous success of the 90's and culminating with the massive Disney layoffs of 2003. The interviews are moving and insightful. These artists clearly love the artform, and their real-life story is a compelling one.

If you are an artist or just have a love for animation, you will find this documentary fascinating, even poignant. Order a copy at www.dreamonsillydreamer.com or click HERE to watch the trailer.

FoxTrot Now Sundays Only

2006-12-27T00:39:00.000-06:00

According to Universal Press Syndicate, the comic strip FoxTrot (created by fellow NCS member Bill Amend) is switching to a Sundays-only format. Bummer.

Questions Santa is Sick of Being Asked at Parties

2006-12-22T10:56:00.000-06:00

Need some Christmas humor? Check out these lists from Cap'n Wacky:

Questions Santa Claus is Sick of Being Asked at Parties

Supervillains, What Are Your Plans For Ruining Christmas?

Mafia Christmas Traditions

There ya go. Some jolly for your holly.

Christmas: From the Archives

2006-12-21T17:14:00.000-06:00

This illustration is from one of my very first freelance projects after graduating from college (1997). Even though my artwork is much more cartoony nowadays, I though this would be an appropriate image to wish everyone a very merry Christmas.

If you look past the Santas and the shopping and the stress, the story of Christmas is really amazing to think about: The God of the universe humbled Himself to become a little baby! He was a King, yet instead of a palace He chose to be born in a cattle stall. His birth was announced not to dignitaries and heads of state but to working-class shepherds. From the very beginning He set an example of complete humility. (This is even more remarkable to me now that my wife and I have our own baby to feed, change, and care for. She is totally helpless in almost every way.)

It's also remarkable that His birth actually fulfilled many Bible prophecies, including specifics about his ancestry, his place of birth, and the events surrounding it. It was foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem to a virgin who was a direct descendant of King David, and that there would be a celesstial event to mark His birth (the star) and also a great tragedy involving dead children (Herod's "slaughter of the innocents"). And it all came to pass!

And what's with the virgin birth anyway? Well, Christian teaching is that had Jesus been born in the normal way He would have inheritted the sinful nature that has been passed down to every human being since Adam and Eve. But because He was conceived supernaturally, Jesus remained sinless and could therefore be a worthy sacrifice for our sins. I can't pay the penalty for your sins because I've got my own sins. But because Jesus was perfect, He could take our punishment upon His shoulders at the cross. All who repent and come to Him in faith can receive complete forgiveness and eternal life! "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Sorry if I'm starting to sound "preachy", but that's why Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. Warm Christmas wishes to one and all!

Christmas Promo

2006-12-21T16:50:00.000-06:00

This year I decided to do a Christmas self-promotion campaign. My plan was to buy jumbo chocolate bars, replace the labels with new labels illustrated by me (see above), throw in a card (also designed by me) and ship them to my various clients and friends. But then our beautiful baby girl was born early. We love her immensely, but now wiith the late-night diaper changes, doctor visits, Christmas shopping, and deadlines, I've barely had time to slap the promo together. I did get a few out in the mail but unfortunately not as many as I wanted to send. Here's what they looked like:

A few of the packages went to warm states like Arizona, Texas, etc. so I hope the chocolate doesn't melt in transit. Next year I hope to send something to everyone, especially the people I missed this year.

Anyway, warm Chirstmas wishes to one and all!

Anna Louise Hohnstadt

2006-12-15T10:27:00.000-06:00

That's right, our boy turned out to be a girl...to our great surprise (and delight). Anna was born at 5:55pm on Thursday, Dec. 14 2006. She is 19.5" long and weighed 6lbs. 4oz.

Above is a photo of the happy family. For a slideshow of more photos, CLICK HERE.

We will be staying at the St. Francis hospital in Shakopee, MN until sometime on Saturday. Then Cedric will drive the family home, provided he can get himself unwound from around Anna's little finger.

Clever Advertising in a Bowling Alley

2006-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

This really made me laugh. Thanks to Ernie Schenck for the link.

Tagged!

2006-12-11T07:04:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by illustrator Doug Jones for the Christmas Song game. My job is to post my five favorite Christmas songs, and then tag five other people. It's hard to pick just 5, but here they are (in no particular order):

1. The Muppet's version of The Twelve Days of Christmas. Miss Piggy's "five golden rings" is classic.

2. Tie: Have a Holly Jolly Christmas and Silver and Gold. Specifically the versions sung by Burl Ives as the Snowman narrator in the charming Rankin-Bass special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". They don't make 'em like that any more.

3. Zat You Santa Claus? by Louis Armstrong. I just discovered this song last year, but I love it. Not only is it an upbeat, jazzy number, but it's so different from most other Christmas songs (which all start to sound alike after a while).

4. Do you Hear What I Hear? I was in the church Christmas program as a kid and this was my favorite song to sing. Not sure why, but it brings back warm memories.

5. Finally....Handel's Messiah. Ok, it's not just one song, it's a whole album. But it's beautiful music inspired by the true reason for Christmas: not Santa, shopping, or sleigh bells, but the Savior. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners..." (1 Timothy 1:15)

There ya go. Merry Christmas and happy singing to one and all!

Ikaw ba ay mabuting tao?

2006-12-11T06:58:00.000-06:00

That's "Are You a Good Person?" in Tagalog, a language of the Philippines. Let me explain:

About a year ago I illustrated a cartoon gospel tract called "Are You a Good Person?" for a ministry called Living Waters. I gave it to them for free, under the condition that it remain copyright-free so that I can offer it to any ministry that wants to print them. I don't make a dime off it, and don't want to. The tract has been very well-received. So far almost a million copies(!) have been printed in English, and translations have recently been completed in French, Spanish, and Tagalog (a language in the Philippines). That's more than I would have ever dreamed. But it's nothing compared to all the hard work being done by full-time missionaries around the world who have comitted their lives to the gospel. I'm just a yutz at a drawing board. They're the ones on the front lines.

Today I received word that the first Tagalog tracts were distributed at a Christmas party in a slum in the Philippines by Jeff and Mary Ann Anderson, missionaries with Action International. Jeff and Mary Ann are doing tremendous work, be sure to visit their blog. They were kind enough to send me photos of the tracts being distributed at the party. Mary Ann writes:

I'm really excited to tell you that we had our first Christmas party for children in a squatter area today. This was the first time we distributed the "Ikaw ba ay mabuting tao?" tracts. I wanted to send you a few pictures that I took. The first picture shows you about how many kids were there (more than in the photo) and the surroundings. The next two pictures are Jeff talking with kids as he was handing them out. The other pictures show how the kids immediately began reading the tracts. Everyone wanted one. We must have given out about 150 or more at this one party.

We are now praying that God will use the pictures throughout our distribution and Christmas parties this season. Our missionaries are asking for more copies they can hand out.

Is this cool or what?

Disney is Back in the Shorts Business

2006-12-05T01:41:00.000-06:00

This is pretty exciting. Thanks to new leadership at Disney, you will soon be seeing animated shorts in the theater when you go see a Disney film. And many of them will be done in 2D! That's encouraging news for those who have been mourning the "death" of 2D animation at Disney.

From the article:

Four new shorts are in development at Disney: “The Ballad of Nessie,” a stylized account of the origin of the Loch Ness monster; “Golgo’s Guest,” about a meeting between a Russian frontier guard and an extraterrestrial; “Prep and Landing,” in which two inept elves ready a house for Santa’s visit; and “How to Install Your Home Theater,” the return of Goofy’s popular “How to” shorts of the ’40s and ’50s, in which a deadpan narrator explains how to play a sport or execute a task, while Goofy attempts to demonstrate — with disastrous results. The new Goofy short is slated to go into production early next year.

(Read more.)

Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut

2006-11-29T13:26:00.000-06:00

My wife bought this DVD for me as an early Christmas present:

For those of you who don't know, here's some background:

Superman I and II were originally filmed simultaneously. As both films were being finished, the decision was made to focus on Superman I and then wait to see if it would make any money at the box office.

Of course, Superman I was a huge success. But tensions had been building between the producers and the director to the point where they would barely speak to one another. So the decision was made to fire director Richard Donner and hire a new director to finish Sueprman II. Even though the movie was about 80% completed, large portions of the movie were rewritten and re-shot (partly because the new director had a different take on the film, and partly to keep him from being accused of taking credit for Donner's work). Only about 30% of Donner's footage remained when Superman II hit theaters.

Now, finally, we can see the movie as Donner intended it to be. Well, almost. There are a few bits that Donner never got to finish shooting, including one scene with Clark and Lois that was only shot as a screen test. And in a "behind the scenes" featurette Donner admits that the film was shot so long ago that he has trouble remembering what his original vision was. But all things considered, the film holds together quite well.

There is a TON of new material in the film. For someone familiar with the original Superman II (as a kid I watched it about a zillion times and knew every line by heart) it was a real treat to watch this movie in a fresh new way. And dare I say it, I think I prefer this version to the original.

Granted, the plot (and some dialogue) are still cheezy and over-the-top by today's standards. The special effects budget for this restored version must have been about ten bucks. And there were a couple of sequences that felt "cobbled together". But so much of the Donner material is well-written, well-acted, and sprinkled with great one-liners, that the movie was still very enjoyable to watch. It feels smarter and snappier than the original.

(SPOILER ALERT) Some of the biggest changes I noticed include:

• The opening sequence at the Eiffel Tower is gone. Instead, the movie opens at the Daily Planet. Lois figures out that Clark Kent is Superman, and jumps out the window to prove it, declaring "You won't let me die".

• The scene at Niagra Falls where Lois jumps overboard is deleted, and replaced with a scene (shot as a screen test) where Lois fires a gun at Clark to prove he is Superman.

• Several new scenes involve Superman talking with his father Jor-El (Marlon Brando) in the fortress of solitude.

• Many scenes of General Zod and the gang wreaking havoc are deleted or replaced (for example, instead of re-carving Mount Rushmore the villains knock over the Washington Monument).

• Superman regains his powers thanks to a moving act of self-sacrifice on the part of his father.

• During the big fight scene, Superman is thrown into the torch on the Statue of Liberty.

• Instead of the "magic kiss" ending, Superman (again) turns back time, essentially undoing everything that happened in the entire movie. Still a dubious ending, but I prefer it to the silly "magic kiss" bit.

(END OF SPOILERS)

Has anyone else seen this movie? Anyone planning to see it? Let me know what you think.

Phone Doodles

2006-11-28T20:08:00.000-06:00

I did these this evening while talking on the phone.

IllustrationMundo

2006-11-18T12:44:00.000-06:00

Apparantly this website has been around for a while, but I just discovered it. Illustration Mundo is a great little site for freelance illustrators. There are articles, book recommendations, a great little forum, and if you are a professional illustrator you can advertise your work for free, complete with a large thumbnail that links to your website. You can also rate other artists, add them to your favorites, and track news of their latest goings-on. I've seen some illustration sites that are, well, less than professionally done. But I'm pretty impressed with this one. Check it out.

Rabbit Trail...

2006-11-17T01:11:00.000-06:00

These are some concept sketches I did for a character I am developing for a book publisher. I don't want to say too much about the project yet, but since these particular sketches didn't make the final cut I thought I'd post them. I was pretty happy with how they turned out. (Click for a larger image).

What's On My Desk

2006-11-16T14:08:00.000-06:00

Apparantly other bloggers are doing this, so I thought I'd join in.

Things currently on my desk include:

A yo-yo.

Several toys including a Buzz Lightyear doll and a Bob the Tomato mug filled with pens.

A photo of my wife as a young girl.

A stack of art books I was planning to sell on amazon.com or ebay until I discovered they were not worth very much.

A sketchbook.

"The Purple Cow" (a book I am currently reading)

Disney's "Hercules" DVD (I'm studying one of the characters as reference for a project).

A jar of Carmex.

A stack of DVDs I bought at Comic-Con but still haven't found time to watch.

A button that reads "I Done Real Good." My wife gave this to me after we found out she is pregnant.

FreelanceMan!

2006-11-15T14:30:00.000-06:00

Every year the Evangelical Press Association publishes a catalog of freelancers (artists, writers, photographers, etc.) who want to work in Christian markets. Last year my listing was published with the wrong phone number. Turns out it was completely my fault, not theirs. But to patch things up they were kind enough to let me design this year's cover in exchange for a free listing.

Even though I won't be getting paid for this project, it is a neat way for me to promote my work. And I can pretty much do whatever I want, which is a rare freelance opportunity. I decided to stretch myself by doing something in Illustrator with a flat, graphic look as opposed to my usual "soft and shaded" work in Photoshop. Since this is essentially a promotional piece it could be argued that I should show off my strengths, but I've been doing a lot of self-promotion lately so I think I can afford to bust out of my mold a bit. Besides, it was a lot of fun.

Once the main character was designed, I had to create a layout. This is where I really feel wobbly since graphic design is not my strength. Fortunately there are some great books out there filled with appealing color schemes, so I think the color harmony keeps it from totally falling apart.

(Click images for a larger view.)

VeggieTales Uncensored

2006-11-14T15:15:00.000-06:00

According to VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer, NBC has done an about-face. When the network first began airing VeggieTales a few months ago, they were editing out most of the references to God and/or the Bible (a decision which never made sense to me). Well, no longer. Future episodes will apparantly be aired un-edited. Woo hoo!

Recent Projects

2006-11-09T23:28:00.000-06:00

Two projects which I just finished:

First, Arctic Cat publishes a children's magazine three times a year, and they wanted to update their "Cool Cat" character who offers a safety tip for snowmobiling at the end of each issue. This illustration will be placed next to the safety tip. It was a rush project, so if I had it to do over again I would have made the pose read more clearly. It's hard to make out the right leg at first glance.

City Place Steakhouse is a new restaurant that will be opening soon in New Jersey. The owner is styling his menu in a newspaper format, and he wanted a comic strip to go on the "Children's Menu" page. This was what I came up with (click for a larger image). It's adapted from an old Ole and Lena joke. Hey, I'm an artist not a writer. At the last minute the client requested that the restaurant name be incorporated into the comic strip somewhere. So I stuck the logo in the background on the first panel. Hopefully it looks natural.

If you live near Carlstadt, New Jersey, look for City Place Steakhouse to be opening soon.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

2006-10-27T08:34:00.000-05:00

Custom Tract Source recently commissioned this illustration of Santa for a "Christmas Cash" gospel tract. The tract will resemble colorful toy money, with an upper-body "portrait" of Santa on the front, and on the back Santa will be holding his "naughty and nice" list. There will be some accompanying text with the Christian message that we are all "naughty" sinners at times, and therefore we need a Savior.

It was a fun project to work out. I mean, how could you not have fun drawing Santa?

How Rich Are You?

2006-10-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Wow. This really puts it in perspective.

(Thanks to Mirosław Urbaniak for the link.)

Sketchbook Update: It's a Bird!....

2006-10-23T11:55:00.000-05:00

My wife and I went up north this weekend for a mini-vacation at a friend's cabin and to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It was also our first trip together with no itinerary, no friends or family, nothing to do but relax. We had a great time, and we both came back very refreshed.

Of course, what's a weekend getaway without some sketching? It was nice to just kick back and draw whatever I wanted without having to worry about deadlines or a client's specific needs. I'd recently purchased some 8B leadless pencils and was looking forward to trying them out (John Naverez does wonders with those things). There was a nature magazine in the cabin so I sketched a bird from a photo. I think this took me about an hour.

Lotsa New Links

2006-10-16T16:50:00.000-05:00

If you look off to the right, you'll see lots of art blogs listed. I just added about a dozen more. It's a pretty long list, but they are all super-talented artists. I try not to link to a blog just because it comes from my grandma's third-cousin's nephew. I post links because the artwork is excellent and/or inspires me in one way or another.

Below that I've listed some other artists who inspire me but (unfortunately) don't have blogs.

Then below that is a new section, "Misc. Blogs". These have nothing to do with art, but nevertheless make me think or make me laugh. As if you needed more time wasters....

Doug TenNapel - A prolific comic-book artist, writer, animator, director, and producer. His posts are often witty and thought-provoking.

Ken Levine - Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer. He has worked on MASH, CHEERS, FRASIER, THE SIMPSONS, WINGS, and EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND.

Capn' Wacky - Lots of silly humor. Their "Lists" section is hilarious (for example, Upcoming Air Travel Passenger Regulations.)

Albert Mohler - Christian radio host and commentator. Time.com called him the "reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S".

Pulpit Magazine - A website about "key ministry issues and contemporary evangelical happenings".

Savage Chickens - A addicting little comic strip about, well, chickens.

Purgatorio - A wacky look at American Christian subculture. Particularly funny are the "You Supply the Caption" contests.

[EDIT]: I've also added a few more lniks to the "Podcasts" section. Great stuff to listen to while drawing.

The Slumping Illustration Market

2006-10-16T16:07:00.000-05:00

Why does the modern illustration market seem to be in a slump? Adrian Shaughnessy offers some thoughts on DesignObserver.com. His article, Graphic Design vs. Illustration is very thought provoking (despite his overuse of big fifty-dollar words). There are also some really good comments posted by readers who echo the problem but draw different conclusions.

From the article:

"The professional world of illustration is widely believed to be in poor shape. As Steven Heller noted recently: “I am an advocate of illustration and saddened by its loss of stature among editors who feel photography is somehow more effective (and controllable).” There are, of course, many reasons for illustration’s fading stature..." Read more.

We Cows Ain't Dumb

2006-10-13T11:59:00.000-05:00

I've recently been hired by a dairy producer to create a cow character that will be printed on kids' milk cartons. The cow needed to look smart and scholarly, maybe a Socrates or Einstien cow. These are the sketches I've developed so far. Last I heard the project is "on hold", but they are leaning towards Sketch C3.

(Click for a larger image).

Top 10 Lies told to Naive Artists and Designers

2006-10-12T20:34:00.000-05:00

A must-read for any aspiring freelancer.

Thanks to NO!SPEC for the link.

FallCon and NCS Pics

2006-10-11T09:04:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was the annual meeting of the North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society. The meeting was set to coincide with FallCon here in Minneapolis. Two weekend cartoon events for the price of one. It was a blast! I had a great time catching up with some old art buddies and making a few new ones.

This weekend was also our first wedding anniversary. And my wife's birthday was the day before. Fortunately I have the most supportive wife an artist could ask for. I made it up to her with a Gondola ride Sunday night and plans for a weekend getaway at a friend's cabin later this month.

Here's a few pics from the weekend events. The NCS chapter meeting kicked off Friday night with an art show at MCAD.

MAD Magazine artist Tom Richmond calls for backup.

Guest lecturer Michael Jantze (The Norm) asks, "Where'd you get that sweet hunting jacket?"

Ken Alvine and Dave Phipps admire a lifelike statue of Mike Edholm.

Illustrator extraordinaire Bucky Jones talks shop with one of the artist's wives.

Terry Beatty (left) is an instructor at MCAD and the inker on The Batman Strikes. And he has a killer goatee.

Saturday afternoon I took part in a panel discussion on cartooning with fellow NCS members Tom Richmond, Michael Jantze, and Jerry Van Amerongen.

Bill Brewer emceed the discussion: "How many cartoonists does it take to change a light bulb....?"

Tom dozes off as I ramble on.

Back on the show floor, Batman's cape is stuck in his car door. "This looks like a job for Superman!"

My lovely wife Jennie helps me man my table at the Con.

Michael Jantze had the tidiest table at the convention.

Nicole Nelson, Bucky Jones, and Dave Phipps (right) man the NCS table. Dave has a weekend radio show devoted to cartooning.

Kelly McNutt and Mike Edholm. No bald jokes, please.

My Dad collects old comic books (especially westerns). So he and Mom stopped by the Con to say "hi" and pose for a few pics:

Incidentally, Dad is running for Le Sueur County Commissioner. If he wins, he gets to ride one of these in the parade:

(In the background, a policeman gives Batman a speeding ticket.)

The weekend was loads of fun. Big-time kudos to Tom Richmond and the gang for pulling it all together.

Scratch-N-Sniff

2006-10-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

These are two pages from a children's book I am currently illustrating for Living Waters Publications. It's going to be a "scratch-and-sniff" book with a different smell on each page. Lots of fun to work on! (The blank areas are for text).

Can Cartoonists Make Money With The Internet?

2006-10-07T01:25:00.000-05:00

With comic book sales in a slump and with newspaper readership steadily dropping, is it possible to be successful in comics or cartoons these days?

Certainly. In recent years a few have become quite successful, thanks to the internet. The internet is opening brand new doors for comics creators to explore. But while some doorways eventually lead to success, many others are proving to be dead ends. With the internet still in its infancy and technology changing so rapidly, there is not yet a well-trodden path that cartoonists can follow to digital success.

I'll be part of a panel discussion at FallCon this afternoon where we will discuss this very thing. Since I'm an illustrator and animator, not a cartoonist, I've had to brush up on the issue. In my research I've found the following articles on the subject. Maybe some of them will be helpful to you aspiring cartoonists out there:

Can you make money posting your cartoons online? Here's an interesting interview about comics and micropayments.

PVP creator Scott Kurtz discusses problems with the current syndicate system.

Here's a blog totally devoted to helping artists make money with their webcomics. I don't know whether the advice is good or bad, but it seems worth a once-over.

Comics guru and author Scott McCloud is trying some fascinating new things at his website. He writes that information wants to be cheap and briefly discusses Reinventing Web Comics.

Got any other links/articles to recommend? What are your thoughts? Post a comment and let me know.

FallCon and National Cartoonist Society Events this Weekend!

2006-10-06T06:05:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder, there's a ton of great art and cartoon events going on in Minneapolis this weekend.

First, of course, is FallCon. Minnesota's largest comic book convention. Stop by my table and say "hi".

Second, the North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonist's Society is having their annual get-together in Minneapolis this weekend. They will hosting a table at FallCon, as well as the following events that are free and open to the public...

1. Friday October 6, 6-8pm there will be a "meet the cartoonists" gallery opening at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. The exhibit, called "eyeToons" features over 80 cartoons and illustrations from members of our chapter of the National Cartoonists Society. More info here.

2. Saturday Oct 7, 1:00pm - Panel discussion at FallCon entitled "Ask the Cartoonists!". Discussion will focus on the future of cartooning, impact of the internet, breaking into cartooning, working with publishers and syndicates, and Q&A from the audience. Panelists are Michael Jantze (The Norm), Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine), Jerry Van Amerongen (Ballard Street), and myself.

3. Saturday Oct 7, 7:30pm - MCAD Auditorium - Slideshow presentations by artists Michael Jantze, Tom Richmond, and Jerry Van Amerongen. I've seen Tom's part of the presentation before. He talks about his experiences as a parody artist for Mad Magazine and it's a great presentation.

Again, this is all free! Hope to see some of you there.

Avalanche!

2006-10-04T01:10:00.000-05:00

Check out this great new group blog called Avalanche. I don't recognize all of the artists (though I recognize some), but it's pretty impressive stuff! They are kicking off the blog with a series of illustrations based on the TV show "LOST".

Another Rockwell Study

2006-09-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

Hardware Hank Redux

2006-09-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

(Click for a larger image.)

Recently I was contacted by a local ad agency looking to update the logo for Hardware Hank, a chain of small-town hardware stores sprinkled throughout the upper midwest. When I was a kid it seemed like every town had a Hardware Hank store, but in recent years they've been eclipsed by the "big box stores" (Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.) and the remaining stores are pretty much mom-and-pop establishments. Anyway, I was told Hardware Hank was looking to update their "Hank" character and that several local ad agencies were competing for the job. I was hired by one agency to do a few sketches in the hopes that we would get the bid.

I have fond childhood memories of shopping at Hardware Hank with my dad, and their "Hank" character is looking rather dated, so I jumped at the chance. Besides, there is still a Hardware Hank in the town where I grew up, and I thought it would be neat for my parents to tell their friends that their son designed the new store logo.

The original Hank character is in the upper left. I was asked to do one version that stayed close to the original design (upper right), and then do 2-3 additional concepts (I did a few extra for good measure). Ironically, the current trend in cartoon art is to go for a 1950's "retro" look, so I had that in mind with a couple of the designs.

I waited several weeks without hearing anything. Finally I was told that the Hardware Hank people had changed their minds and were going to stay with their original character. Oh well, that's the freelance biz. At least I've got a few more pieces for my portfolio.

Rockwell Studies

2006-09-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

Some late night sketches from a book of Norman Rockwell art.

Coming Soon: FallCon and the Nat'l Cartoonist Society

2006-09-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

Fallcon is Minnesota's premier comic book convention, and it's always a lot of fun. I am usually there with a table promoting my illustration work. Except for last year, when I couldn't attend because I was getting married to my lovely and beautiful wife Jennie. That means that this year FallCon is happening the same weekend as our first anniversary!

It's also the same weekend as the annual meeting for the North Central Chapter of the National Cartoonist's Society, which is being held in Minneapolis this year. The NCS will be having a panel discussion/Q&A at FallCon called, "Ask the Cartoonists: Cartoonology 101", and I have been invited to be one of the panelists. I am honored to join the other panel members Michael Jantze (The Norm), Tom Richmond (MAD Magazine), and Jerry Van Amerongen (Ballard Street). We will be discussing the business of cartooning, where the industry is headed, and answering questions from the audience. The discussion will be at 1:00pm on Saturday, Oct. 7 in the FallCon auditorium/meeting room. So if you are planning to attend FallCon, come check it out!

I've also been coordinating an art show at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design featuring over 80 pieces of work from NCS chapter members. The exhibit (called "EyeToons") will run in the MCAD gallery from October 6-22. There is also a special reception where you can meet the artists on Friday, Oct. 6 from 6-8pm. So come to FallCon, then head on over to the MCAD gallery!

Then on Saturday night come back to MCAD at 7:30 p.m. for show-and-tell presentations in the Auditorium by Tom Richmond, Michael Jantze, and Jerry Van Amerongen. I've seen Tom give his presentation before, and if you have any interest in cartooning this will be well worth your time. And it's free!

It's going to be a very full weekend. What a time to have a wedding anniversary! Fortunately I have a very understanding wife, and I'm planning a special anniversary celebration for us on the following weekend to make it up to her. I luv ya, Honey! You're the best!

Copyright Law Being Changed, Not Good for Artists

2006-09-21T02:25:00.000-05:00

As some of you may have heard, Congress is working on major changes to U.S. copyright laws. The new law, called the "Orphan Works Act" has good intentions but will have disastrous results. Congress is trying to make it easier for people to use non-copyrighted images, but in the process they are opening the door too wide. The new law would make it easy for someone to violate your copyright and difficult for you to get compensated for the infringement. Illustrator Tom Richmond gives a good summary of the issue on his blog. Or, for more detailed information visit the Illustrators' Partnership website.

If you make a living or gain any income from creating artwork, you have real cause for concern. This is definitely something to write or call your congressmen about.

New Art Blogs

2006-09-21T01:57:00.000-05:00

Two new art blogs you should know about:

1. Brother Jones is a blog by three terrific illustrators who happen to also be brothers: Dennis Jones, Doug Jones, and Don Jones. Here's a few samples of their work...

2. FunnyPages Productions is the new blog by animators Tom Bancroft and Rob Corely. They've shared a studio together for a while now and decided to combine their individual blogs into one. Check out some of the recent work...

Birthday Sketch

2006-09-17T23:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday was my 34th birthday, and my lovely wife Jennie gave me a moleskine sketchbook as a gift. If you aren't familiar with moleskine (pronounced mol-a-skeen-a), they are luxurious high-quality sketchbooks. They are bound in a classy black cover and come with a cloth bookmark sewn into the binding and an elastic band for keeping the book closed or for holding down the page you are drawing on. They also lay flat when opened for easy scanning, unlike most sketchbooks which leave a shadowy gutter area when you try to scan them. It's the kind of sketchbook that makes you feel like a real artist. You want to do drawings worthy of the pages.

My wife and I went out for dinner at Applebee's (free dessert on your birthday), and I brought along the sketchbook. While we waited for our food I sketched this guy from a photo in a magazine. I think he's a US Senator, not sure who. When you start a new sketchbook, the first sketch is always intimidating because you know it will be the first drawing anyone looks at when they open the book. Fortunately this one didn't turn out too badly.

Thanks, Honey, for the terrific gift and the touching inscription. Your love, encouragement, and respect mean more to me than words could ever say.

Business Lessons from VeggieTales

2006-09-14T00:13:00.000-05:00

As you may have heard, a couple of years ago Big Idea (the animation studio that gave us VeggieTales) went bankrupt. As a result, Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are now owned by Classic Media (which also owns Lassie and Rocky & Bullwinkle). VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer has posted a detailed description of what went right and what went wrong with the company. It's fascinating to read, and I understand it is now required reading in at least one business school.

I am just a humble illustrator, but that also makes me a businessman. While I love my job, for the longest time I detested the administrative trappings that come with it. Budgeting, taxes, self-promotion, e-mails, paperwork, databases...I saw them as a necessary evil, a distraction, and a nuisance. It's amazing how much time it all takes when I could be drawing instead. And talk about boring! But they are the engine that keeps my business running. If I neglect those responsibilities, I will soon find myself wearing a paper hat and asking, "Would you like fries with that?"

Fortunately my gracious wife loves doing administrative stuff, so I am in the process of passing those tasks off to her. What a blessing she is! The goal is that I'll be able to spend more time drawing, and therefore bring home a little more bacon (which we will need with a baby on the way).

Now that that burden is lifting I find myself looking at the bigger picture. Strangely, my attitude is changing. I'm actually starting to get interested in the business side of things--self-promotion, networking, and the like. Maybe it's a desire to have more stability in my career (freelancing can be incredibly stressful and chaotic, with relatively little financial reward). Maybe I feel the need to gain a foothold now that I live in the big city and swim with the big fish. Maybe I fear shipwrecking my career because of a bad business decision. Maybe it's just my latest personal "fad" (I have a long history of getting curious about something, studying it ferociously, burning out, finding a new topic to fascinate me, and starting the cycle all over again). Or maybe I'm just getting older. But something's changing. Suddenly the business side of things doesn't seem so boring anymore.

I recently I stumbled upon a free trial subscription to Inc., a magazine for small business owners. I was sure it would be capital "B' boring, but it was free so why not? It's actually a very good read. I find myself soaking up the advice and tidbits in their articles, and reading case studies of business owners facing difficult decisions and asking myself, "What would I do?". I've also been buying a few business books on Amazon.com. It's scary how much I don't know. Artists's are generally poor at business, it cuts against the grain of our creative, emotion-driven natures. All the more reason for us to learn. I may never run a big studio or hire employees, but there is still plenty I can learn from those who do.

Don't get me wrong. I still love drawing. I will probably be creating artwork until the day I die, even if it's just doodles on the paper placemats at the nursing home. But for now I want to learn what I can from the successes (and mistakes) of other business owners. Especially those in creative industries like art and animation. I'd rather learn from their failures than make my own. So I'm very grateful for Vischer's honest and informative tale. His humiity and humor despite his mistakes is very inspiring. I have a feeling I'll be following Vischer rather closely from now on to see what else I can learn. Maybe you should, too.

The Path to 9/11

2006-09-12T01:17:00.000-05:00

It's been five years since the terrorists have had a successful attack on America. As a result, it's tempting to think that the war on terror has pretty much been won. Can't it all just be over already?

No, it can't. And now I understand why.

Over the last two nights my wife and I watched "The Path to 9/11", a two-part mini-series on ABC. There has been a lot of controversy and finger-pointing surrounding the mini-series, so there's no need for me to talk about that here. Rather, I want to focus on the bigger picture.

It was riveting, much better than I expected it to be. A tense, tightly woven tale with high production values. It did more than entertain me, it educated me. And I didn't mind a bit. "The Path to 9/11" illustrated vividly the fanatical hatred the terrorists feel toward us, and how fiercely dedicated they are to destroying America. Their threat now feels more real to me than it ever did before.

It also helped me to understand that this is not a traditonal war. Al Queda is not a country, they do not have troops or borders. This enemy fights not in battlefields and beaches but in the underground, the black market, and the back alleys of the world. They are sly, they are sneaky, and they could care less about the Geneva Convention or any other so-called "rules" of war. I'd heard about the terrorists' zeal for violence, but now I understand how real the threat truly is. And it won't be going away any time soon. There is no negotiating with these people. They will stop at nothing short of destroying America as a world power.

This is not a battle of ideologies, this is a real war, and like all wars it is sometimes very bloody and very messy. I used to roll my eyes at hearing news about the war on terror. Now I see we need to roll up our sleeves. My eyes have been opened and my resolve has been strengthened.

I've heard rumors that "The Path for 9/11" will soon be avaiable as a free download on iTunes. No matter what your political leanings are, I highly recommend that you watch it. Even if you have to pay for the download, it will be well worth the money.

Noah

2006-09-12T01:05:00.000-05:00

I'm currently working on some illustrations for a Sunday School publisher. One of the illustrations was supposed to be a waist-up shot of Noah, but after I did the sketch they changed their mind and wanted Moses instead. So I thought I'd post the sketch just for fun.

I was gonna make him all smiling and cuteness, but I started thinking that if you had been warned that God's judgment was coming, and you had to endure the ridicule of your friends and neighbors as you buit a giant boat in your back yard, you would probably have a heavy heart, not a cheery one. But I'm not sure it comes across in this sketch because of the cartoony-ness of the lines. So it's probably just as well that the illustration was changed.

The Miniature Earth

2006-09-11T00:15:00.000-05:00

I recently stumbled upon a very thought-provoking Flash presentation. If the world's population were simplified to only 100 people, this is about how it would look. Powerful stuff, really makes you think. We Americans are probably a lot more spoiled than we would like to admit.

So appreciate what you have. And maybe do something to share your blessings.

DrawergGeeks: Sgt. Rock

2006-09-08T04:21:00.000-05:00

This week's topic at DrawerGeeks is "Sgt. Rock". Tonight I was up late working on a deadline, and I got over-tired. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to sketch Sgt. Rock. I liked it enough to ink it. Then of course I had to color it. It's now 4:18am, the art is finished, and I'm finally tired enough to sleep. Pretty soon I'm going to be too old for this all-nighter stuff, but being self-employed I'm able to set my own hours, so why not enjoy it while I can?

Anyway, things always look better to me when I'm tired and my visual perception is dimmed. I'm sure in the morning I'll look at this and want to completely redo it. But for now I think it turned out ok.

eyeToons

2006-09-06T19:18:00.000-05:00

The north central chapter of the National Cartoonists Society (of which I am a member) is having their yearly get-together in Minneapolis Oct. 6-8. The event is set to coincide with FallCon, Minnesota's largest comic book convention, so it will be a fun, full weekend.

As part of the event, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design will be hosting an exhibit of work by chapter members in their gallery. The exhibit will be called "eyeToons". Since I'm helping organize the show, it fell on me to design a postcard image that would be mailed out to announce the exhibit. [EDIT: If I had been thinking at all, I would have worked music into the illustration somehow to go with the "iTunes" pun, maybe have the guy listening to an iPod. But with my busy schedule this was what I banged out. Oh well.)

Our chapter is chock full of talented cartoonists and illustrators. Some names you may recognize include Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Jack Bender (Alley Oop), Tom Richmond (Mad Magazine), and Jerry Van Amerongen (Ballard Street). For a complete list of members, visit the chapter website.

The exhibit will be showing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design gallery Oct. 6 - Oct. 22 with a "meet the cartoonists" reception Friday October 6 from 6-8 pm.

Animatior vs Animation

2006-08-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

An animator faces his own animation in deadly combat. The battlefield? The Flash interface itself. Click here to watch.

(Thanks to John Barry for the link).

New Napoleon Dynamite Ads

2006-08-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

If you liked Napoleon Dynamite, you'll enjoy these ads for the Utah State Fair. Napoleon and Pedro reprise their roles in humorous fashion. Unlike other efforts to capitalize on the film's success, these ads stay true to the spirit and humor of the movie. Sweet.

(You may have to scroll down the page a bit to see them. They are posted under a weird video featuring talking food puppets).

Sketchbook Update

2006-08-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

Here's some recent doodles from my sketchbook (click on the image for a larger view). I generally sketch in ink, because not being able to erase forces me to think harder before I put down a line. The drawings don't turn out as well as they could with the ability to erase, but in the long term using a pen makes me more confident and decisive in my drawing.

VeggieTales is Coming to NBC

2006-08-29T13:23:00.000-05:00

Phil Visher, co-creator of VeggieTales, has announced that America's favorite cartoon vegetables are coming to NBC Saturday mornings this fall. I'm very excited to see such a quality Christian product getting a wider exposure. Unfortunately, NBC wants the show's religious content be watered down or even removed altogether. In other words, these veggies might be lacking in nutritional value. Vischer is not thrilled with the decision, but it sounds like he didn't have much choice. Here's how he describes it:

"At first we were told everything was 'okay' except the Bible verse at the end. Frankly, that news really surprised me, because, heck, we're talking about NBC here. God on Saturday morning? It didn't seem likely. Since we've started actually producing the episodes, though, NBC has gotten a little more restrictive. (I think they actually sat down and started watching a few VeggieTales videos. "Hey wait - these are religious.") So it's gotten trickier, and we're having to do a little more editing. More than I'm comfortable with? Frankly, yes. But I had already committed to helping Big Idea with this, and I really didn't want to leave them in a tight spot. Plus, the new stuff we're coming up with is really fun, and at least some new kids will meet Bob and Larry on NBC, and maybe wander into Wal-Mart and buy a video with all the God still in. So it could be better, but overall it's not a total loss. The new stuff is really cute. You'll like it."

Let's hope the anti-religious editing isn't too extreme. The first episode is tentatively scheduled to air Saturday, Sept. 9 at 10am EST. Then at 11am EST NBC will air more Big Idea programming, either Larryboy or 3-2-1 Penguins!. Be sure to watch. It might also be a good idea to contact NBC and let them know you support VeggieTales, Bible verses and all.

Tempted Online

2006-08-25T13:16:00.001-05:00

Internet pornography is a huge problem. Almost every guy I know has been tempted with it to one degree or another. Internet filters help, but I've found they typically have two shortcomings. First, it's impossible for even the best filters to keep up with all the bad stuff out there. Second, every filter I have tried occasionally blocks "innocent" sites by mistake, making it frustrating to get around the internet.

The best software I've found to deal with the problem is called Covenant Eyes. Instead of using filters, it keeps track of your internet surfing and then e-mails a weekly report of your activities to a friend (or friends) of your choosing. I like the accountability it provides. Combine that with a good internet filter and you've got a winning combo.

Why am I telling you this? Recently the creator of Covenant Eyes hired me to illustrate a book they are producing for people who struggle with internet pornography. I've been burning the midnight oil (and drinking lots of Monster Low-Carb) to finish up the artwork. Here's a sample illustration from the project.

One More Project

2006-08-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

There's one more project I forgot to include. Doh! Here's a couple of spreads from a childen's book I'm working on for Scholastic:

Long Overdue Art Update

2006-08-14T22:01:00.000-05:00

I've been super-duper-crazy busy lately with freelance work. I've had several large projects on my plate for a while now, and the deadlines are all converging within the next two weeks. With freelancing everything seems to happen at once. Illustrator Tom Richmond put it well on his blog:

"Part of the problem with freelancing is that you never know when the next phone call will be your last for a while. As a result, you tend to take on more work than is good for you, for fear of a possible dry spell just around the corner."

I'm getting better at dealing with it though. In the last couple of weeks I've actually turned down a couple of projects, something I very rarely do.

Here's a few of the many balls I have in the air...

First, some spot illustrations for a children's book I am doing for Living Waters Publications:

Some character design concepts for a bumbling pig character:

Turn-around drawings for a rubber pig promotional toy:

Some character design concepts of a smart cow for a dairy company:

And finally, some character designs for the re-design of a hardware store mascot:

In addition, I've got three other projects in the works. Two are still in the very early stages and the third has a Non-Disclosure Agreement attached, so I can't show you anything....yet.

PLAY! Promotion

2006-08-07T13:26:00.000-05:00

I've taken out a two-page spread in the upcoming 2007 version of PLAY!, a sourcebook and website for artists targeting the toy and game industries. The deadline to submit a page was Friday, and since I've been so super-crazy-busy I threw this together at the last minute. I would have liked to have done a more creative and energetic design, but this will have to do. In the mean time, you can view my page on the PLAY! website here.

Character Design Sketches

2006-08-07T13:13:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty swamped with freelance work, but here's a peek into one of my current projects. It's a children's book for Scholastic. I was asked to totally re-design an existing character, a young boy shark. Here are a few of the exploratory sketches I did that led up to the final design on the right. This one is a bit of a challenge because the shark has to be able to stand upright like a person, but also swim horizontally like a real shark. Also, since the shark is a lemon shark, I thought it might be fun to give him lemon-ish colors. But ultimately the client asked me to use the same colors from the previous artist's design.

I'll be finishing up the book in a couple of weeks and will let you know when it is available for sale.