Fatal Error

Me in Gruene, TX

2008-09-03T21:02:00.002-04:00

Ah, I really miss Texas and had a great time in Gruene, the site of the oldest dance hall in TX. An incredible town that was basically undeveloped until 1974, it is now swarming with people on the weekends even though the temp was 105 degrees on the day I arrived.
I am wearing my Mi Tierra cap which the management at Mi Tierra restaurant gave to me when we, me and 25 other family members, had a terrific lunch in San Antonio. I will be back, but for now I am preparing for another winter in Connecticut. Snow shovels on sale soon.

Skulls and Stars

2008-08-30T11:41:00.004-04:00

This illustration is a companion piece to "Cain's Legacy" which appeared in the magazine The Leading Edge. Skulls, skulls, skulls...I love 'em! But so does everyone else if the t-shirt selection at Walmart is any indication. It's archetypal this fascination, people just can't get enough of it.

The Prophetic Method

2008-08-26T19:15:00.002-04:00

This is a small illustration I did about 4 years ago for the magazine The Leading Edge.

Did You Ever Have "One of Those Days?"

2008-08-21T20:24:00.003-04:00

Look, it's been a rough summer for me as evidenced by this recent picture.

Trek related, I would like to draw a montage of Mark Lenard characters, one of my all-time favorite actors. And, yes, it would include General Urko...

Hiatus Over...Now Rejuvenated!

2008-08-18T18:10:00.004-04:00

Image copyright Mel Brown

I just got back from Texas where I spent a week on the Guadalupe River and bonding with family! Highly recommended...Go Gruene!!
Still trying to finish watching the first three seasons of Battlestar Galactica and am on season 3 disc 3. It has been great to watch all three seasons back to back having never seen the series before. They have done a very good job so far.
No Cylons in my closet.

Go Nucular

2008-07-25T22:15:00.003-04:00

Primetime by Randall Ensley

Ooh, I love the photos on this site devoted to missiles, NORAD, nukes and 60's and 70's high technology.
NUKEPHOTO.COM

I was glad to see a pen and ink drawing of a nuclear explosion I did last year make it into print.
Don't forget to google Shooting War, my favorite webcomic ever. You will love it! The link to it is also on the right hand side of the blog.

If Only I Could Speak Spanish

2008-07-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

This looks like an interesting blog about comics, art and movies...but I can't read it.

Crochet Hellboy

2008-07-15T23:01:00.002-04:00

I find Crochet Hellboy to be a source of inspiration. Future cultures will judge us from this artifact.

The Art of Yuliya Kostyuk

2008-07-09T19:50:00.005-04:00

Fellow Illustrators of the Future winner Yuliya Kostyuk's art was quite a surprise when I first saw it. Very surrealistic, I would say in the extreme. I loved it! Upon seeing some of the fantastic and not-of-this-world creations I just had to ask her, "So, you do a lot of hallucinogens?" She maintains innocence (and I believe her!) Just her synapses are definitely firing differently...in a good way. Please google Yuliya Kostyuk for more. She is a delightful person and wonderful artist.
More on Yuliya at this link.

Production Design Character Sheets: Godzilla Animated Series

2008-06-29T21:50:00.002-04:00

Click on the above image for redirection to a very informative and educational look at the design sheets for the short-lived Saturday morning cartoon Godzilla that came out in conjunction with the big budget movie. Hey, I always liked things Godzilla and my kids were at the right age to be psyched about the reboot and the series, so I watched pretty much every episode and was disappointed a little when it left the air.
These design sheets are fun to look at.

Nerd Hall of Fame: Vote Early Vote Often

2008-06-28T21:15:00.003-04:00

I think just the fact that I actually used this lunch box qualifies me for immediate inclusion in the Hall of Fame.
Mark Lenard, one of my favorite actors, portrayed the gorilla general in the series. The artist captured his features well in the art on the lunch box.

Springfield Museums in Springfield, Massachusetts

2008-06-28T12:46:00.002-04:00

If you're ever in Springfield, MA for the day and would like to have an interesting museum experience, I highly recommend you visit the Springfield Museums. Basically, it is a complex of 4 museums; Natural History, two fine arts and antiquities and one regional historical. There is a $10 admission which grants you access to all of the museums and a lovely park and sculpture garden. I had a lot of fun and there are some great works of art on display. My favorite was in the fine arts museum, but I don't recall the artist. It portrays Niagara Falls circa 1900 at night. It was powerful!

Link:
Springfield Museums

More Crushed Childhood Dreams for Sale

2008-06-18T19:54:00.004-04:00

Look, I had great toys...but, it's time for them to go. Some that are designed well or good graphics I feel might be right to post. That top one of the Cylon Raider from the OG (Original Galactica, Boooy) launched many a space fantasy of mine, probably. Unless it is all confabulation.
Anyway, you can see how I surrounded myself in fantasy and sci-fi during the stages "The Dawn of Awareness" and "Ooh, A Girl. Soft."
There are probably hundreds of toys that I am unloading.
As to the lack of posting to the blog, my apologies. Pure sloth and pride at work. I am working on a "big for me" art project that is taking a lot of research time. More about this later, but, did you know there are some Gruesome pictures on the web of the aftermaths of motorcycle accidents? Ughhh!

Paolo Rivera: Comic Artist

2008-06-15T00:31:00.002-04:00

Art Copyright Paolo Rivera

Link:
Paolo Rivera

Comic Book Artist Rob Osborne

2008-06-09T19:46:00.005-04:00

Gee, this guy is awfully good! I am sure he is super popular, but I am out of touch and feeling aold.

Link:
Rob Osborne Site

A "Freebird" Moment

2008-06-04T21:46:00.006-04:00

"Final Frontier" by Randall Ensley

I missed Yuri's Night again.
Watching "Elmer Gantry" on the tube right now. That's some good actin' by Burt Lancaster.

Artem Mirolevich

2008-06-03T20:40:00.004-04:00

Copyright Artem Mirolevich

Fellow Illustrator winner Artem Mirolevich's art absolutely deserves a look. What great detail and vision.

Link:

Artemart Official Website of Artem Mirolevich

Movie Art of Bob Peak

2008-06-02T20:23:00.004-04:00

All Rights Reserved

Anyone interested in movies and art, which is I think everyone who visits this blog, will be interested in a Google search of the work of Bob Peak, aka Robert Peak. He was a great movie poster artist and who also did some pre-production design for very big movies.
The artists I spotlight on the blog, especially those from the mid-70's; these are the artists who have most influenced me over the years.

1970's Model Kits

2008-05-31T22:15:00.002-04:00

I loved building sci-fi and comic book models in the 70's and these were two of my favorites. Planet of the Apes was what really got me into drawing and I was constantly doodling General Ursus and Dr. Zaius. I am selling a lot of my old stuff to make room for, well, new old stuff and these two unopened kits are available on Ebay. My first real venture into the online auctioning world.
My favorite model was King Kong with the glow in the dark face and also a "working" or semi animated with rubber bands Pirates of the Caribbean model with a skeleton pirate steering his haunted vessel. The sword hand really made a chopping motion. But my all time favorite kit was the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Hope that turns up in my trek through old-time junk collection.

Don't Freak Out

2008-05-28T21:41:00.007-04:00

This illustration appears in the magazine The Leading Edge as a companion piece to "Quarantine."
On an unrelated topic, I notice that much of the search engine traffic which points people to this blog involves the search for Joe Kittinger or "world record sky dive."

In the Light

2008-05-25T19:47:00.002-04:00

This is about 10 years old. A good start for something bigger.

Soon I Will be Invincible

2008-05-23T18:52:00.002-04:00

I must recommend this book to all readers of this blog. It is downright funny and plain good. A novel about superheroes that reads like a soap opera. "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman was a big hit last year when it came out and I have been meaning to mention it sooner.

The Art of James Steranko

2008-05-22T20:22:00.005-04:00

All images copyright James Steranko/respective copyright holders

I saw James Steranko at the NY Comic Con but I didn't get to ask him for an autograph. He was super popular and always engaged in discussion with his fans. His work, now that I revisit it on the web, was probably much more influential to me than I have previously realized. A great, clean, ahead of its time sense of graphic design in sequential art...I am completely loving my current Steranko research.
I am involved in a project currently and what better role model could I emulate, than to try and channel James Steranko for the next three months. I recently sold all my comic books or I'd be tearing through them to find some of his art.

Link:
James Steranko Art

Geir Lanesskog

2008-05-21T20:44:00.004-04:00

"Hammer Smote"

"Nokara Orbit"

Above is some artwork by fellow Illustrators of the Future winner Geir Lanesskog. His artwork is reminiscent to me of Ron Miller
Please visit his website and enjoy.

The Art of Bryan Beus

2008-05-18T23:10:00.003-04:00

Image copyright Bryan Beus

I want to share the art of my buddy Bryan Beus, a fellow recipient of the Illustrators of the Future Award. He is definitely going to have success in the fantasy/science fiction genre.
Bryan works a lot with the Wacom tablet, an instrument I am a total novice with, but am learning.

Links:
The Art of Bryan Beus