RANDOM ANOMALIES

Gesture Class 6

2008-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Gesture Class was "feelin' Polynesian" today. We had another 90 plus degree summer day in Southern California so the only thing missing was the ocean.

Profiles: William Andrew Loomis

2008-06-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

During the early nineties when I was trying to start a career in animation, my research basically narrowed down the list of essential reading: Frank and Ollie's Illusion of Life, Eadweard Muybridge's The Human Figure/Animals in Motion, Steven Katz's Film Directing: Shot by Shot, Preston Blair's Film Cartoons/Cartoon Animation (as part of the "How to" series by Walter Foster)

Capping that list are excerpted passages from the works of one ANDREW LOOMIS (1892-1959) called Figures in Motion and Heads (also by Walter Foster).

Before that time I had never heard of Loomis, but his talent, career and technique captured my imagination. And my fascination for his work continues today.

I recently bought a back issue of Illustration Magazine in which, A new article written by Jack Harris chronicles Loomis' life and career titled William Andrew Loomis: A Legacy in Words and Pictures. The lengthy and informative article follows Loomis from his days as a promising student in New York's Art Student's League through his successful five-decade career in commercial and advertising art. It is worth every penny and features some never before seen paintings photographed specifically from the Loomis family collection.

A contemporary of Norman Rockwell, Loomis was a consummate technician and eternal student of art. Unlike his fellow classmates like Rockwell, Loomis was encouraged to quit and return home by his instructors who felt he did not have the chops. Instead of discouragement, Loomis became inspired to prove them wrong. With great effort he worked to improve his skills and centered his work on commercial art studying at the Chicago Art Institute.

Drama. Elegance. Cinema. These words describe the essence of Andrew Loomis' work. The subtle realism in his depictions made him a sought after commercial artist for ads like Maxwell House, Palmolive and Kellogg's. He painted movie posters and magazine covers. A true working professional artist.

But aside from being an accomplished painter, Andrew Loomis is also known as a prolific author and teacher. During this era, sources for art instruction from books where minuscule. In 1942 he wrote and illustrated the now out of print FIGURE DRAWING FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, a book which blended intuition and science and helped the artist form easily applicable concepts in sketching the human figure. This book become one of the first to break down technique into simple terms. Consequently, the success of FIGURE DRAWING encouraged Loomis to write more books. He became known as a nurturing teacher especially of young talent.

What I really admire about Loomis is his tenacity and his unending quest for knowledge. He is an unconventional artist as well as a risk-taker. At the height of his success he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles where advertising work was virtually non-existent. But he knew his clients from Madison Avenue wouldn't abandon him. He was infatuated with the intrinsic beauty of the west coast of the United States and didn't let the geographical limitations of his profession get in the way.

He approached art and artistry as a life-long endeavor:

"..One's skill is never complete. One's knowledge is forever lacking.
One's taste is invariably altered. One's opinion ever subject
to controversy. There is a complete and constant urge
towards improvement...."

Sadly, the body of Loomis' work is unknown to the public, especially compared to Norman Rockwell. Loomis' family did not make a concerted effort to keep his legacy intact. No formal exhibitions of his work have been conducted to date. No books chronicle his work. The few Loomis originals are in the hands of some family and for those of you in the Los Angeles area, some originals can be viewed at the legendary art supply store CARTER SEXTON in North Hollywood.

On one of the last visits I made to the store before Mr. Sexton passed away, he told me of how he salvaged paintings from Loomis' garage when they where neighbors. Loomis told Sexton that he intended to toss them or paint over them to recycle the canvas. Sexton asked for the paintings outright and Loomis agreed. Thanks to Carter Sexton, some of the only known originals of Andrew Loomis' work are preserved and hang unceremoniously inside the store.

The current owners of Carter Sexton forbid any form of photography and have shun many an offer for the Loomis originals. As mandated in Sexton's will, the paintings are never to be sold and are to remain in family hands.

Perhaps it will be possible one day for a proper retrospective of Andrew Loomis' art and career in the form of an exhibit. Hopefully Loomis' family relents to organizing and loaning the remaining originals and recognizes the importance and lasting impact of Andrew's work and it's effect on the current generation of artists who have adapted his techniques, and shared his eternal passion for art.

Click HERE for Illustration Magazine's site and info on issue 20
Click HERE for Carter Sexton Art Supplies site
Click HERE for William Andrew Loomis on Wikipedia

I just lost my mind.....

2008-06-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

Alternating Currents: The Cover

2008-06-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here's the final cover for my new sketch book ALTERNATING CURRENTS. It's a full-digital illustration done in Adobe Photoshop CS3 using a custom brush. Drawing this was just sheer fun. (click the image for a larger view)

Click HERE for a little insight in the production process on MODBOOK JUNCTION.

Alternating Currents

2008-06-10T00:55:00.000-07:00

With Comic-Con San Diego a little over a month away, I am pleased to announce my new sketch book called ALTERNATING CURRENTS, a loose sequel to the highly successful Wayward Traveller from 2006 and features brand new illustrations and sketches, all with that now familiar sci-fi flavor.

As for Comic-Con, I'll be sharing a table once again with my friend and colleague, the talented Octavio Rodriguez who's debuting a preview comic this year. So make plans to stop by and hang with us in a few weeks at Exhibitor Table G4 in Hall A at the San Diego Convention Center (aka Nerd City) starting with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 23, 2008.

Gesture Class 5

2008-06-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Every second Monday is COSTUMED GESTURE CLASS and here's a sampling from today's session:

Sketched on the Modbook using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 2009 and Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Glory Days

2008-05-28T00:33:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen. We all turn into our parents at some point right? So my turn finally came Tuesday night.

For the duration of the 1980's I idolized THE POLICE more than any other rock act of their era. This was for me the ultimate power trio. The percussive assault of Stewart Copeland. The mind-bending, progressive guitar chops by Andy Summers, and the solid-as-a-rock, backbeat of Sting and his Fender Jazz bass.

Together they had taken elements of rock, punk, new wave, ska and reggae and made a concoction all their own. The result is a unique and now legendary body of work that spans the generations all culminating in what I regard as the absolute, quintessential rock album of my generation.

SYNCHRONICITY became a soundtrack to my life as a 17 year old attending art school in Manila. Between my brothers and I, we wore down the oxide on that cassette tape. It was a gigantic leap forward not only for The Police and their music, but all music in general. It was experimental yet poetic, cinematic, expansive, surreal and introspective. Beatles fans might say the same for Sargeant Peppers. But that was the previous generation.

We also rented the only copy of the Synchronicity Concert from our local video store over and over again and could only imagine having been there in attendance at the old Omni in Atlanta, Georgia where the concert had been recorded. Video pioneers Kevin Godley and Lol Creme marvelously shot and edited one of the best concert videos ever produced.

When The Police disbanded in 1985 I've often wondered whether I would ever get my chance to see them live. Getting to America certainly helped. I did my end of the bargain, now if they could only live up to theirs. Tuesday night I got my chance when a group of us including my wife Julie went to the historic Hollywood Bowl for a date with history. They played a fantastic set and for a moment there, I could almost imagine being in my own Godley and Creme video, bouncing and swaying in slow-mo, losing my mind as I screamed the lyrics to songs like "So Lonely" and "Walking on the Moon".

I am speaking for myself but this certainly was my Beatles reunion. And thankfully all the original members of The Police are alive and kicking and aren't too geriatric to forget the lyrics.

For one night I was 17 again without a care in the world. A sure testament to the power of music and it's power to help forge indelible memories in our minds.

(and since I missed out on a tour shirt from the original Synchronicity Tour back in 1985, I made sure I geeked out and grab myself a newly minted version of the same shirt with the very same graphic from the album. Now I can die. That bus can hit me now....)

Sydney Pollack: 1934-2008

2008-05-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

A great actor and director has died. Sydney Pollack passed away from cancer in Los Angeles today surrounded by his family. His amazing career as a director was highlighted by receiving the best director Oscar for the sweeping epic "Out of Africa" in 1985.

His other directing credits include Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way we Were (1973), The Firm (1993) and the wickedly funny, gender-bending comedy Tootsie (1982).

As much as I admire him as a director, I will remember Mr. Pollack more for his unique presence as an actor where he had an uncanny ability to bring credibility to any role he portrayed. He exuded strength, wisdom and grit just by being there. Something very few actors possess.

In this memorable scene from Tootsie, Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) storms in to the office of his agent George Fields (Sydney Pollack) demanding an explanation on why he was passed up for a part. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant here but notice how Mr. Pollack's incredible sense of delivery and timing made this the amazing scene that it is.

A tremendous talent and by all accounts, a wonderful man. He will be missed.

UPDATE: Film Critic ROGER EBERT writes a short but meaningful eulogy via his website.

Tension & Suspense

2008-05-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

Recently I was going through that rolodex of movie scenes in my head just for the heck of it and one of my favorites is a scene from the 1997 film BOOGIE NIGHTS, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

In this scene, a trio of mentally unstable and desparate friends, Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg), Reed Rothschild, (John C. Reilly) and Todd Parker (Thomas Jane) visit the home of Rahad (Alfred Molina) to make a drug deal. Clearly these guys are overmatched and way over their head. But times are tough and their own personal addictions have not only created a need for money but it has clearly clouded their judgement. By this time, Dirk has gone way down the deep end and at the end of his rope. A far cry from his days as the top male performer in adult films.

In a filmmaking sense, this is a study in creating and staging tension. Notice how this scene slowly escalates and builds to a nerve busting climax.

(WARNING: Viewer discretion advised due to language, violence and drug use)

This scene is not only uncomfortable for the three characters in the film, but P.T. Anderson does an amazing job of making us in the audience feel uncomfortable as well. The other brilliant elements he used are the loud music and the exploding firecrackers which heightened the tension and made you really feel jumpy. At around 05:27 mark, notice how the camera stays on Dirk for an uncomfortable 28 seconds. This not only added more suspense and tension, but you could almost see what Dirk is thinking here as he takes stock of the situation, and perhaps his life.

It's just another perfect example of how staging, editing and effective use of camera can make or break a scene. It's also a good demonstration on how to incorporate details without making them dominate the scene.

.... oh and I loved Rahad's prophetic vision of something we now know as iTunes.....

Gesture Class 4

2008-05-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

It's Monday so it was time for another GESTURE CLASS. My output this week was a little on the low side but I did try sketching directly in Adobe Photoshop for a change. I also did some on Sketchbook Pro 2009 as usual.

These drawings are from five minute poses so I had some time to compose and be less sketchy. Then I added color aftewards.

Moving Pictures: Beyond

2008-05-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Shortly after the release of THE MATRIX in 1999, The Wachowski brothers commissioned a group of top japanese artists and animators to create and produce nine original short films based on the film for a special OVA. (original video animation)

The ANIMATRIX demonstrated once again why the japanese are light years ahead of their north-american counterparts in terms of vision and progressing animation. Here they pushed the boundaries and showed what can be achieved when combining traditional and CG animation.

One of the segments titled "BEYOND" was directed by accomplished animator and illustrator KOJI MORIMOTO whose credits include ROBOT CARNIVAL and the now classic anime AKIRA. He is also the co-founder of STUDIO 4C which produced projects like MEMORIES, SPRIGGAN and parts of TEKKON KINKREET.

Morimoto-san also published the stunning sketchbook called ORANGE which showcases his skills as a designer and illustrator. I consider this book a must have in anyone's collection and one to study in terms of design sense, graphics and color.

The following images are from BEYOND and demonstrates Morimoto's innate sense of cinema, composition and draftsmanship. Just great images to look at and derive inspiration from.

The Animatrix is available on DVD and as a download via iTunes . Portions of BEYOND can also be viewed via YouTube.

Click HERE for Koji Morimoto's site.

The Color Rush

2008-05-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

**** Potential Spoilers - Read with Caution! *****

I'm astounded that the brunt of the reviews i've read for SPEED RACER all pretty much complain about the over-saturated world and the nauseating camera work. What about the story? The characters perhaps? Anybody care about that?

It seems to me that what most people care about (including so called movie reviewers) are visuals. To them this tells the whole story. Never mind the swiss-cheese plots, weak dialogue and stupid characters. At the center of any movie should be a story that resonates with the audience. Call it heart or a spine, but this is what makes you believe in what you are seeing regardless of whether it is fantastic or improbable. Remember that you've already made a gigantic leap of faith by being in a darkened room with a bunch of strangers, watching pure make-believe.

I'll preface everything by saying that I really enjoyed Speed Racer. The Wachowski Brothers deserve credit for creating such a unique and memorable world and yes it is filled with color and lots of it. In one scene inside the Racer home, the color of the walls harmoniously complement the color of each characters' outfits as the camera cut to them. For those who think "how hard could that be? Just throw a bunch of colors together!" It takes a lot of planning and a lot of thought to make palettes work together and I know from experience that they spent a good amount of time making sure your eyes engaged the right part of the screen.

What I really liked about this movie is the story. I loved that despite all the fast-paced racing scenes and cartoony quips is a simple story centered around a family. You may ask what is original about this? Absolutely nothing. But the Wachowski's set out to make a movie about a family for families to enjoy. The knew they where not making The Matrix here and I applaud them for staying true to their vision. The family dynamic is a universal theme and thus, stories about them will keep re-appearing in movies forever.

And speaking of staying true, I really loved the fact that the movie doesn't stray from being what it really is: A Cartoon. At no point does it try and cross into our side of reality to get some validation. It is a self-contained world with it's own rules and it's own physics.

The plot is simple. Speed Racer must make a monumental choice. One essentially sells his soul to the devil but sets his family up for life while the other would kill his career and put a giant bullseye on his back. (like the one I recently acquired by saying Iron Man had a weak plot) At the same time, the naive Speed is eternally haunted by the death of his older brother who like him was an accomplished racer but lost his life by making seemingly bad judgements. (figuratively and literally) Could he end up like him? Speed has a good relationship with his family whose life has been spent operating their own independent racing team. But another choice he must make is whether to stick to tradition or to sell out. Yet another one of those universal conundrums that appear in films time and again.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that it is easy to watch a movie and say that "it's the same, tired story i've seen so many times. Why couldn't they have come up with something else?" Well it's all in the telling my friends. A great storyteller will take the mundane and make it a masterpiece. A weak one will take a great story and make it underwhelming.

The Wachowski's have never been known to write convincing dialogue and they certainly didn't do it here in Speed Racer. They aren't the best at being concise with their narrative either and here they could have certainly trimmed 20 minutes from the movie. Then there's the blinding and disorienting racing footage that people are complaining about. These are the same people that didn't have a problem watching the Bourne movies as well as that largely incoherent mess called Cloverfield. Oh and there's Transformers as well. There's some logic issues in the film as well but nothing so large as to disengage you from watching. (Like why they really needed a new car for the final race when they already had one that seems to work fine)

What they did do is keep things simple story-wise. Wrapped in the intricate corporate intrigue is a family trying to deal with adversity. (while having fun in the process) The Wachowski's even managed a little taste of the bittersweet in the end. Something for you to ponder while your eyes adjusted back to seeing the real world.

Gesture Class 3

2008-05-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a new group of sketches from Monday's GESTURE DRAWING CLASS. As usual I had my Modbook in tow loaded with the new Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 2009. (Click HERE for my complete review on Modbook Junction) These where all done predominantly on 4B pencil.

Calling Mr. Spock....

2008-05-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

The release of IRON MAN this weekend meant the beginning of another crazy summer at the movies. Naturally I had to geek out and see it on it's opening weekend like most of you and for the first time, I looked forward to taking my soon to be 9 year old son along to experience it all. His journey to the "Nerd-side" has begun. (It actually started last year with the release of Transformers)

So what about this much hyped flick? Was Robert Downey Jr. the right man to play Tony Stark? The answer is a resounding YES.

.... but wait. I wouldn't be posting this review if I didn't have my gripes about it right? Like i've mentioned before in previous reviews, the true benchmark of any film is character and storytelling. As an audience we've come to expect state-of-the-art special effects and art direction from films these days but we all know that story is king.

**** READ NO FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE!! ******

The problems I have with IRON MAN are mainly in the plot/logic departnent. These rather surprising plot holes diminish a fine performance by Downey Jr. along with the really well staged and well executed action scenes. Again, there was nothing wrong with the visuals at all and it's well worth the price of admission. But if your audience goes "huh?" in the middle of your movie, it's a killer. Here are the glaring quandaries that took me out right out of the film:

1. An enibriated Tony goes to Afghanistan to demo the latest Stark Industries superweapon called the Jericho. (it makes parking lots out of mountains) On their way back to base his convoy is wiped out and a half-dead Tony is taken prisoner. He comes to and finds out that an electromagnetic plate has been surgically implanted on his chest to keep in-operable, wayward shrapnel from entering his heart. A fellow prisoner greets him and introduces himself as the man who saved his life. He is not an american but someone local. He is well-dressed, urbane and soft-spoken. Someone somebody could trust? Maybe? Maybe not? Soon their captors make it known that they want Tony to build them their own version of Jericho so they can use it to fight the Americans as well as terrorize their own people. Afterwards they claim that they will set Tony and his friend free. Something they both believe will not happen, even if Tony builds the weapon. So Tony decides to defy his captors and build something else. Something they can use to bust out of captivity. Sounds pretty simple right? I'm buying it so far. What should be in your mind right now if you where Tony?

a) Can I trust this guy who can speak arabic and english who claims to have a family he hopes to come back to? Why is he here in the first place? (Other than maybe they forced
him to keep me alive)

b) How can I go on tricking them that I am building them the Jericho, something they know that looks like a missle yet build a suit of armor that will help bail me out of here?

You would probably say, if this guy even double crosses me i'll beat him with a tire iron and, I'll use one of the missle casings and pretend I am working on it while I build my suit just off the security camera's view/incognito. Very logical right? But guess what? Tony not only trusts the guy one-hundred percent, he OPENLY draws up schematics and builds the suit for everyone to see. All the while it's inter-cut that the Afghans are continually checking in on their progress and convincing themselves that they are "working on it". Even Doctor Emmet Brown from Back to the Future built a bomb made up of pinball machine parts to confuse the terrorists in that movie.

So Tony gives the Afghans a list of stuff he will need to build them their missle. Most of the parts are already there when Tony realizes that these guys have somehow gotten a hold of all of his company's neatest WMD's.

Then it's the"building" montage as Stark and friend form sheet metal and weld parts and such including the iconic iron face-plate. The uber Afghan leader is finally fed up with delays and personally pays them a visit. He threatens to kill Tony's new friend but Tony says he needs him to finish the missle. (Uber Afghan even looks at the schematics which clearly reads as a suit and not a missle) Uber-leader gives them 24 hours or they're dead. So they hustle up, get Tony suited and he goes on to kicks ass and escapes. His friend, in a heroic gesture gives up his own life to buy Tony some time by engaging the insurgents while the iron suit charged up. In a massive fireball, Tony launches himself away from the terrorist camp and lands in a scrap heap a few miles away. He wanders the desert but is soon rescued by American troops.

HUH? First of all his friend was exactly who he said he was. Just another prisoner. In the throws of death he tells Tony that his family had already been murdered and he had nothing to live for. Now he can join them in the afterlife. I kept waiting for this guy to betray him or something but he doesn't. NO ONE IS EXACTLY WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE!! If so then we can pack it in and call it a day folks.

2. Tony upon returning to civilization decides his company can no longer make weapons because they kill people. Obadiah Stane, the man who helps stark run his company does his best to diffuse the situation. He is leads us to believe he's nicey-nice but he turns out to be the guy that wants Tony out of the picture. Thank goodness finally someone who is not who they say they are! Obadiah not only wants Tony dead (he ordered the ambush on his convoy) but he's also "dealing under the table" by selling weapons to those same Afghan terrorrists who kill innocent people.

HUH? Why all this elaborate mumbo jumbo? Obadiah is a powerful man himself and could have rubbed Tony out easily. He lives fast and drives fast cars? Stage an accident or something?... And why where the same people that Obadiah sold weapons to want Stark to build them their own personal Jericho?? Obadiah was already supplying them with WMD's, why not just give them the Jericho (which by the way, they end up miraculously acquiring in the middle of the movie) in the first place??? My head hurts.

On top of that, the afghans recover the remains of the original iron suit in the desert (where Tony and the military decide to just leave there for no apparent reason) so Obadiah can conveniently make his own IRON MONGER suit.

There are more incredible plot holes but I really don't want this post to go longer than it already has. Despite these issues, IRON MAN is a really fun movie and I don't think there's an actor out there than could have played Tony than Robert Downey Jr. It's just too bad they couldn't find time to polish their story.

So it goes for Iron Man. Bring on the sequels. But now my money is on SPEED RACER.

A girl and her dog

2008-04-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening I attended the premiere party for the new animated series The Mighty B! at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank. It was great to see so many familiar faces especially the incredibly talented crew of the newest "NickToon".

The campfire themed party was a huge success and was capped with a private screening of two choice episodes from the show. It was a gratifying experience to be part of this amazing project and to work with some of the best people in the business.

My extreme gratitude to show creators Erik Weise, Cynthia True and Amy Poehler for being such cool people and for letting me indulge my ideas and have fun. This show is truly a rare synergy of writing, art direction and animation and goes down as one of the best shows I've worked on.

My personal thanks go to associate producer Monique Beatty and her amazing production crew and to Nick's VP and GM Mark Taylor for his tremendous encouragement and support. Thanks as well to the talented and hard-working storyboard crew including Chuck Klein, Sherm Cohen, Octavio Rodriguez, Fred Gonzales, Eddie Trigueros, Chris Graham, Lynne Naylor, Ken Boyer and Ian Graham.

The Mighty B! airs Saturday mornings on Nickelodeon. Check your local listings. The image above is a shot from the first episode. Below is a storyboard panel I drew from a future episode done on Sketchbook Pro.

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*** RELATED VIDEO***

AP review by Frazier Moore featuring clips from the first two episodes: So Happy Together and Sweet Sixteenth. Frazier gets a little cheesball here but worth the
watch.

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The next two videos are from last year's Comic-Con panel and features some rough pencil animation from two future episodes We got the Bee and Super Secret Weakness. That's Erik and Cynthia moderating.

Traveling Light

2008-04-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

It's essential for any artist to always to find any excuse to sketch, (at least I do) so carrying a sketchbook should be standard operating procedure. It's a great way to stay sharp and expand the inner visual vocabulary.

For weekend jaunts to wherever I always lug a backpack filled with sketchbooks, a pouch for my drawing implements and my Windsor & Newton Cotman mini-watercolor set. Sometimes the opportunity won't be there but whenever I'm killing time somewhere I'll reach into my bag and sketch whatever catches my eye.

Recently I dug up these 2 x 4 inch newsprint pads that my brother Ron gave me as souvenirs from one of his trips to Japan. The great thing about them is they're small and compact and will fit easily in your pocket. Instead of a whole pouch of pens I'll bring a 0.9mm Automatic Pencil, one ink pen and a waterbrush. The Cotman is around 6 x 3 x 2 inches and fits in my pants pocket as well.

This is a great alternative to carrying a bag of stuff, and personally, it eliminates the "I'm too lazy to lug a backpack so I won't bring one" excuse as well.

These sketches are from Los Angeles' historic Farmers Market. All sketched quickly by pencil on the above mentioned newsprint pads. Coloring done digitally via Photoshop with faux watercolor brushes.

Private Dicks

2008-04-10T23:22:00.000-07:00

They work cheap. Won't you hire them?

Au Naturel

2008-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

I took a much needed break from all this digital hoopla i've been hyping for the past few months and went back to basics.

Though I still do a lot of drawing digitally, i've been balancing things out by sketching traditionally as well. There is nothing like the feel of real pencil, paper and watercolor. Drawing without the "undo" button also forces you to commit to a line. This keeps you sharp as well as economical and direct when laying down form.

The sketch is of the many quiet nooks around the grounds at the Dreamworks campus. I used a little Photoshop to correct levels and bring out shadows. Otherwise it's pencil and water color on sketch paper.

Short and Sweet

2008-03-30T21:20:00.000-07:00

As they say, big things come in small packages. Today's super*MARKET comics extravaganza at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood was just that. It was fun hanging out with some old convention friends, other self-publishers and colleagues in animation. There where even some faces I hadn't seen in a while.

I've mentioned in the past how I love small venues like this. (I am a big fan of the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco) It really gives everyone a chance to talk and feel comfortable without feeling like visitors in a zoo. I try and spend time and chat with everyone so smaller gigs like this are ideal. And of course, seeing amazing work by talented artists really gets my blood pumping. Now I feel energized and inspired ready to draw and complete my latest projects. Just what I need headed to Comic-Con 2008.

Many thanks to Jessica Gao and Gaston D.L. for the invite and to all who stopped by to purchase books and art. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Here's a rundown of the fine folk who stopped by my little corner today:

Animation historian/ Cartoon Brew master Jerry Beck
Artist/Director David "Mucci" Fassett
Designer extraordinaire Sean "Cheeks" Galloway
El Muerto creator/artist Javier Hernandez
El Gato Crime Mangler creator/artist Michael Aushenker
Crying Macho Man creator/artist Jose Cabrera
Fuzz and Pluck creator/artist Ted Stearn
Storyboarder Sherm Cohen
Bookseller Stuart Ng
Mighty co-creator Erik Weise
Writer Jessica Chaffin
Storyboarder Rudi Berden
Artists John and Leigh Fountain
Robot Publishing head honcho Rob Goodin
Hot Mexican Love Comics' Ira Sherak
Hot Mexican Love Comics' Larry Reynosa
Ni Hao Kai Lan creator Karen Chau

I did a less than stellar job with the picture taking today but it was a short gig so time was a factor.

Animation Historian and Cartoon Brew's Jerry Beck (Left) and talented artist David "Mucci" Fassett (Right)

two-thirds of the brain-thrust of Hot Mexican Love Comics: (R-L) Ira Sherak, Larry Reynosa and Ira's girlfriend Janice

"Yes Rob, it's time to go..." Robot Publishing's Rob Goodin wondering why the day had to end.

These are two of my most favorite people in the biz. "The Jessicas" are reunited fresh off their stint writing for the anticipated new Nicktoon "The Mighty B!" Jessica Chaffin (Left) and super*MARKET's Jessica Gao (Right)

That's bookseller Stuart Ng (Left) chattting it up with storyboard artist
Sherm Cohen (right)

.. That's one of Los Angeles' comic book meccas, Meltdown Comics.
An end to a fun event and another gorgeous day in Southern California...

More pics HERE on the Crying Macho Man Blog and HERE on Cartoon Snap.

SUPERMARKET this Sunday! (updated)

2008-03-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

It's short notice but if you're not tied up cleaning your gutters or shaving your back, come down to Meltdown Comics this Sunday, March 30th for the one-day, independent jam of comics and publishing called super*MARKET L.A.

From noon to 6pm, a bunch of indie comic guys (who work in animation) are doing a little mini convention right inside the hallowed halls of "The Melt"! So if you wanna see my ugly mug while perusing work from talented people, come on down and hang with us. Signed copies of RANDOM ANOMALIES, WAYWARD TRAVELLER and STEEL NOODLES: A Slice of Heaven will be on hand as well. You really don't have to buy anything. My kids just won't go to college that's all... Even our good friend and bookseller extraordinaire Stuart Ng will be there and has promised to bring a small batch of French titles, some procured during his recent visit to Angouleme, France for the International Book Fair.

Check out SuperMarket LA's straightforward mission statement:

super*MARKET is a quarterly independent comics event based in Los Angeles. We aim to provide a regular salon for comic makers, lovers, and haters alike so that the gap between creators and readers shrinks down to an uncomfortable closeness. Though it's focused locally on Los Angeles, everyone is welcome (listen, we're not going to kick an out-of-stater out of bed, we're just sayin'). By determining a focus or theme for each event, we are able to cover varied genres within indie comics from goth to cry-baby.

Now if that doesn't get you pumped then you're pretty much dead. Here are the particulars once again:

super*MARKET: The Animator Special Sunday
a comics salon for every nerd

March 30, 2008
12noon - 6pm
Meltdown Comics and Collectibles
5722 West Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, California 90046

EXHIBITORS:

Javier Hernandez
Ted Seko
Michael Aushenker
Jose Cabrera
Jerrell Conner
Tom Neely
Levon Jihanian
Sherm Cohen
Stuart Ng Books
Louie Del Carmen
Dan Goodsell
Paul Harmon
Pete Von Scholly
Robert Goodin
Bernyce Talley
Sketch Theatre (featuring Mari Inukai, Jim Wirt, and TBA)
Dangerkatt Creative Studio
And more!

Big thanks to Meltdown head honcho Gaston D.L. and writer Jessica "Chairman" Gao for the gracious invite.

Click HERE for super*MARKET on MySpace

Gesture Class 2

2008-03-24T17:01:00.001-07:00

Here are some sketches from Gesture Drawing class today. I think the poses I drew in the previous class where a bit stronger and had more character. Overall I still need to work on pushing my sketches even more. A dash of caricature would help as well.

I added the tones later for clarity and emphasis.