Marty Devine's MAD WORLD

CGS Super Show Sketch Cards

2010-03-29T11:01:00.004-04:00

Okay, I was going to participate in the CGS Super Show sketch card exchange. I even whipped-up six cards based on songs and artists I heard on my iPod. I attempted to draw all the folks from memory without using reference, with obvious results. Unfortunately, I forgot all about the exchange while I was at the show. My soft-minded oversight is your reward.

FYI: Ramones, Elvis Costello, Kate Bush, Devo, Cheap Trick (Rick Nielsen), and ELO (Jeff Lynne).

(Drawn on trimmed Bristol board using a wide variety of pens and markers.)

Isn't That Precious?

2010-03-08T10:51:00.003-05:00

An "Oscar" Awards quicky...

Well, it made me giggle.
(Sharpees on scrap paper and scanned, quick and dirty)

Funny Money

2009-12-11T13:14:00.003-05:00

So, I get this dollar bill in my change at lunch today...

...needless to say, it made me laugh like a ree ree.
Note: I in no way condone or endorse defacing legal tender, but that was comedy gold.

(Sharpee on a U.S. dollar bill)

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

2009-10-29T14:43:00.003-04:00

Remember the old Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom? Well I do! The thought of Jim giving a wild gorilla a rusty trombone made me laugh. This is the first thing I've been able to draw in WEEKS. Hopefully I'm getting my touch back.
(Sharpee on scrap paper.)

Remembering Apollo 11 - July 20, 1969

2009-07-20T21:27:00.009-04:00

I fondly remember those heady halcyon days of manned space flight. I spent hours in front of the TV watching and recording on cassette tape each and every manned flight. I was hooked on space and gobbled-up anything relating to rockets and space flight. I had inherited a deep love of science from my parents and an equally deep love for science fiction from my aunt. Being artistically inclined since I was young, I constantly drew rockets and spacemen and eventually bought comic books and magazines related to space. All those passions remain strong to this day.

With full knowledge that today would be 40th anniversary of the first manned landing on the moon, I read four different spaceflight related graphic novels on my recent vacation. Here's a brief look at each.

LAIKA written and Illustrated by Rich Abadzis

Laika is a well-written and beautifully illustrated story about the first living creature launched into space, a small dog named Laika. The story blends a factual story with a fair amount of emotional fiction. We follow the dog Laika from the streets of Russia to her capture and training as a cosmonaut. To move the story along, we also follow the intersecting lives of Korolev the Chief Designer and Yelena, the Lab Tech in charge of Laika. Like Old Yeller, it's a sweet yet eventually sad story about a dog.

FIRST IN SPACE written and illustrated by James Vining

First in Space is the enjoyable story of Ham, the first American chimp in space. The story is written and solidly illustrated by James Vining, and this is his very first published work. The story, like that of Laika, is based on actual events and characters with a dash of fiction for emotion. We follow Ham through training through his eventual historic space flight and to his final sad days in the National Zoo. It's obvious the story was written and illustrated with a younger audience in mind, but it's still an enjoyable read for older folks too.

ASTRONAUT DAD written by David Hopkins and Illustrated by Brent Schoonover

Astronaut Dad is the first volume of a two volume story. Deftly written by David Hopkins with great comic artwork by Brent Schoonover, the story is a tense, emotional and sometimes dark soap opera. It follows the lives of three NASA families at the height of the space race in the 60s. Think of it as a combination of The Right Stuff and The Wonder Years. It's a thoroughly enjoyable coming-of-age story (in more ways than one) and I'm looking forward to the second volume.

T-MINUS: THE RACE TO THE MOON written by Jim Ottaviani and illustrated by Zander and Kevin Cannon

The final book I read was perhaps my favorite of the four. T-Minus is a compelling work of historical fiction about the Soviet and American space programs. Jim Ottaviani, a former nuclear engineer, writes an interesting fact-filled story about the space race from the days of science fiction (Verne, Wells, Tsiolkovsky) to the age of science fact (Goddard, Von Braun, Korolev). The story is seen through the eyes of Sergei Korolev, the Soviet Chief Designer and though C.C. and Max, two of NASA's engineers. The retro artwork by the brothers Cannon is solid and fits the time frame of the story perfectly. T-Minus is loaded with facts and details that even the most ardent space fan may not have known. An interesting device used in the design in the book was adding launch attempts in the outer margins, complete with mission details and illustrations. A very nice touch. I'd recommend this book to anyone with the slightest interest in spaceflight and 60s history.

All in all, all four books were thoroughly enjoyable reads that helped bring back some of the thrill and excitement of the golden age of space travel.

Urine Trouble!

2009-07-09T14:34:00.007-04:00

This just happened to me here at at work . . .

It struck me as so odd and made me so uncomfortable, I had to immortalize it on paper.
(Copic Multiliner brush pen on scrap paper.)
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Now playing: Episode 600 - Nuff Said
via FoxyTunes

Welcome to Macy's

2009-06-26T10:25:00.001-04:00

Friday silliness!
(Sharpee on scrap paper, fast 'n' dirty!)
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Now playing: 11 O'Clock Comics - 11 O'Clock Comics Episode 62
via FoxyTunes

Captain America . . . #600 with a Bullet!

2009-06-19T09:40:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't been posting here to the blog. It's my own damn fault. Hopefully this bit of goofiness will smooth things over. While on the phone discussing Captain America #600, I started doodling at my desk with the tools at hand. Here's the result (at least it made me chuckle.)

Not bad for Sharpees, Highlighters, colored editing pencils and a scrap pad.
Kinda Paul Popey. Enjoy!

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Now playing: 11 O'Clock Comics - 11 O'Clock Comics Episode 61
via FoxyTunes

Freking Sweer!

2009-04-30T22:15:00.003-04:00

When one door closes, a trap door opens! After the untimely demise of Comics Now! magazine, I was offered the chance to become the official artist for the Freking Sweer comic strip over at Comic Geek Speak. I already was the unofficial artist on the strip, but now it's my baby. Check it out, I'll have an update at least once a week. You can find the strip HERE

Comics Now Takes The Eternal Dirt Nap. RIP.

2009-03-25T10:54:00.003-04:00

Sad News. Comics Now! Magazine is officially no more. It was a fun ride. Hopefully the fourth issue will surface somehow, I have my toes crossed. I have some other stuff in the works, so keep an eye out on this space for more details. Thanks to Bryan Deemer for the opportunity and to the guys at Ape Entertainment and the entire staff of the magazine. Lastly a big thanks to you for stopping by and giving our little dog and pony show a try! See ya in the pixelated funny pages!
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Now playing: Webcomics Weekly #57 - Live at NEWW
via FoxyTunes

A St. Patrick's Day Greeting From My Friend Scott

2009-03-12T11:03:00.005-04:00

My friend Scott sent me one of those wacky custom JibJab Flash greeting cards. He customized it with some of our favorite characters, Paulie Walnuts, Eddie Van Halen, Captain Kirk, Rip Taylor and myself. Because it's so frightening, it's funny.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

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Now playing: Comic Geek Speak - Episode 591 - Talking Original Art
via FoxyTunes

New (Old) Light Table!

2009-03-01T09:42:00.002-05:00

Hey kids! Uncle Marty managed to grab an old surplus light table from the place where I work. The company has gone totally digital, so we no longer need an offset stripping department. When the Facilities department made these babies available, I jumped on it. This thing is GINORMOUS and is 100% steel and glass. Now all I have to do is find a spot for it. Oy!

New York Comic Con 2009: The Pictures

2009-02-09T13:09:00.010-05:00

I brought my camera along again, and once again I forgot to use it most of the time. Here are some of the images I DID manage to shoot this time around.

A shot inside our hotel in downtown NYC. Vince is saying "Hello". Those wacky Eye-talians. Note the GINORMOUS bottle of Jim Beam.

The view out our hotel room window. I shot it in hopes of seeing Spider-man swinging by or getting a shot of Daredevil kicking ass. No such luck.

Walking to the Javitz on Saturday. That's Vince, Mike, Tiki and Wood.

In the Javitz headed towards the upper entrance to the Con floor.

In the subterranean general admission queue. It may look like Wood is standing in the middle of a rushing river of comic fans, but the line wasn't moving THAT fast.

Tiki Tim and Vince at the bargain boxes.

Wood digging through some bargain boxes.

The CGS booth is jumping. Pants, Murd, Shane and Tiki chat while Andrew Charipar takes care of business.

Murd and Andrew gleefully man the CGS booth. Pants is bending down in front of Adam for some reason.

What would a Con be without the boys from the Raging Bullets podcast?

The Podcast Arena is BUSY. Pants, Bryan and Peter at the booth. Danielle is busy doing a sketch.

Wood, the ever lovely Pat Loika, Vince and Mike. Shocking!

Danielle Corsetto chatting with a fan. I'm very good at capturing people with their eyes closed.

Vince, Julian Lytle and Tom Katers winding down at Stitches on Saturday night.

Tiki and Wood corner Mike Norton at Stitches. Oh yeah, one of the 2000 Jokers at the Con was there too. Didn't see a single Rorschach at the bars. Hrmmm.

Julian, Tiki, Mike Norton and Vince at Stitches. Yes, that is a mirrored disco ball on the ceiling.

Sunday morning and we're checking out. I thought it would be a nice bookend for this group of photos to end it the same way it started...with someone saying "Hello". In addition to being very good at capturing people with their eyes closed, I'm also very good at taking photos of people flipping me the bird. Thank you Mike.

That's it for NYCComicCon 2009.

New York Comic Con 2009

2009-02-08T18:43:00.002-05:00

I have returned. It was a long weekend, interrupted by moments of joy and glee, but still LONG. I'm getting too old for this stuff . . . OY! My feet ache, my legs ache, my head aches, but all in all I had a swell time. When I get out of the ICU, I'll post some comments and photos from the con. Stay tuned.

Comic Geek Speak The End

2009-02-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

In celebration of the Comic Geek Speak Super Show in 2008, CGS forumite Harold Jennett put together a comic book to mark the occasion. More than a dozen members of the CGS forum lent their artistic, writing and editing skills to tell the strange tale of the CGC podcast mascot, the Puppet Rios. Here's a sample from my pages.

If you're interested in seeing more, you can order your very own copy of Comic Geek Speak The End at IndyPlanet. It's fun with a capital F!

Short Stack #2

2009-02-05T23:11:00.006-05:00

Angry Gnome Comics publishes a horror anthology called SHORT STACK. It's a series of two page horror stories. Shawn Shawn Gabborin, the chief cook and bottle washer over at Angry Gnome offered me a script to illustrate called Twins. He didn't have to ask twice. Here's a couple panels from the issue.

The big guy is a self-portrait, the little fella is based on my buddy Vince B.
If you're interested, you can order the issues from Angry Gnome or from IndyPlanet.
Each issue is a bloody good time!

Madman Christmas Sketch for my LCS

2008-12-24T11:39:00.008-05:00

I did this quick sketch of Mike Allred's Madman as Santa on the back of one of my Christmas cards for Dave and Matt down at my local comic shop, COMICS ON THE GREEN.
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Now playing: The Beatles - Christmas Albums.mp3
via FoxyTunes

My Department Christmas Card 2008

2008-12-18T10:22:00.006-05:00

Every year I make a batch of custom Christmas/Holiday cards for my coworkers.
Since I work with an editorial staff, I used that fact as the theme.

The outside

The inside

I make the original drawings, scan 'em and lay 'em out in CorelDRAW.
I print them out on a laser printer and then hand color each.
If you want a PDF of the card, click the link below.
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vv6oki
I'll post my annual card for the Geeks over at CGS a bit closer to Christmas.
Stay tuned!
(Pen and ink on smooth Bristol, scanned in Photoshop, edited in CorelDRAW, printed on buff card stock and hand-colored with markers)
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Now playing: Comic Geek Speak_Episode 559 - Top 5 Christmas Comics.mp3
via FoxyTunes

Batman Paintings

2008-10-21T19:57:00.006-04:00

My wife asked me to do a couple Batman drawings for the seven year old son of a guy she works with. He already had a Batman theme for his bedroom, and he liked the Animated Batman more than the darker movie Batman. I decided to do the illustrations as paintings. I haven't set a brush to canvas in ages, so it did take some time to shake off the rust. Luckily, I found canvases on sale at the local art supply store. I stayed close to the Bruce Timm style Batman.

First, a close-up of the Batman. I'm very happy with this one.

Next, Batman fixing to throw a Batarang. There's some wonky stuff going on there, but the kid loves it.

They're not masterpieces, but they're not bad for being out of practice since the 80s.

(Gesso and acrylic paints on pre-stretched canvas)

I Don't Like Ike

2008-09-12T15:42:00.003-04:00

My thoughts and best wishes go out to all involved, but this was the first image that popped into my noodle when I say this exact headline on CNN.com . . . TEXANS FLEEING IKE

(Sharpee on scrap paper)

Grendel and Kevin Matchstick (Mage)

2008-03-31T19:49:00.006-04:00

Here's a scan of my long-delayed "Secret Santa" sketch for Damian Smith, Lord Shaper on the CGS forum. Shaper requested a sketch of Grendel, I decided to spice it up with the addition of Mage; another Matt Wagner character. I did a few rough sketches in anticipation of doing a cleaner final. I actually liked the roughs better, so I went in that direction. I hope it was worth the wait. Damien co-hosts a podcast called KRYPTOGRAPHIK. Check it out HERE.
(Brushpens, Micron pens and Sharpee on smooth Bristol board.)

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Listening to: The Motels - Suddenly Last Summer
via FoxyTunes

Dwight Howard Who?

2008-03-29T23:22:00.004-04:00

A thank you sketch for Chris Murrin for all the hard work he did editing the CGStories comic. Chris works on Fox Sport's Best Damn Spots Show Period and collects sketches of Mr. Mxyzptlk. After seeing the slam dunk contest at the NBA All Star game this year, I thought this would make a perfect sketch.
(Brushpens and Micron Pens on smooth Bristol board.)

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Listening to: The Dickies - Stukas Over Disneyland
via FoxyTunes

Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2008

2008-03-17T12:53:00.004-04:00

All the blessings of ol' Saint Patrick be with ye on this fine day.

In addition, the blessings of St. Jack, St. Will, St. Wally, and the inky litany be on ye.

May your pull list always be full.
May your life be long and your long boxes even longer.
May you wake every morn to new comics smell.
May your "to read pile" always be one comic too many.
May your future be the best Con imaginable, with your name atop every sign-up sheet on artist's alley.
May ye be in heaven a full hour before the devil knows you've been bagged and boarded.

Have a great day and UP THE REPUBLIC!

What the hell is all that crap on your bulletin board?

2008-03-11T14:12:00.007-04:00

Since my days as a young lad, I've had this compulsion to cover my bulletin board with things I find interesting. I did it in my room at my family homestead and I've continued the practice at every place I've worked ever since. There's found stuff, used stuff, important stuff, goofy stuff, lots 'n' lotsa stuff. I get this Zen thing going and I add, remove, and move stuff to match my mood. It's a constant work-in-progress. Here's my current bulletin board.

If you're the slightest bit interested, here's a list of the stuff on the board:

a bamboo back scratcher (used quite often)
a faux dealer's name tag for a fictional Indian Casino (Hello, I'm Marty Thundercloud)
a Xerox enlargement of a Drew Friedman cartoon of Tor Johnson from an old punk magazine
a photo of me in my Central High School marching band uniform (with drum!) from 1979
a 2000 visitor's pass from Colonial Williamsburg
a blinking lapel pin from a former employer
a homemade wooden Christmas ornament of a former boss
a baseball glove key chain
a Coconut Monkey insert from an old PC Gamer magazine
a Church of the SubGenius informational pamphlet
a personalized card from the defunct Spacemon CCG
art inserts from the Captain America and Bucky Marvel Legends figures
a das ArtWerks company card
a plastic sheriff's star
a photostat of Pinky Lee
an Elvis Christmas ornament (dressed in gold lamé)
a cardboard pirate eye patch (with elastic string)
a photo of my old fire-damaged archiver's desk (insurance photo)
2003 NRA membership card
my Spacemon name tag from the 2002 NY Toy Expo
a faux I LIKE IKE button
a Yukon Cornelius key chain
a Jim Benton "Bunny" postcard
a Nexus meets Madman promo poster (art by Steve "the Dude" Rude)
a news photo of Teddy Kennedy yelling
a Mister Coffin "Wacky Packages" sticker
three Mike Mignola Hellboy coasters
an Alex Ross art card insert from the Unbreakable DVD
loose desk calendar pages
a news photo of former PA Governor Dick Thornburg watching a kitten fall off a desk
a post-it supposedly written by Bela Lugosi
two American Legion lapel poppies
three Evan Dorkin Milk and Cheese coasters
a brown bag from a local Chinese restaurant with "Free Soup" written on it (long story)
a Frank Miller That Yellow Bastard promo poster
a Jim Benton "Just Plain Mean" postcard
a Yoe Studios business card (with attached safety pin)
a Christopher Walken Halloween mask
a small American flag
a stuffed paper Christmas partridge covered in colorful sequins

Happy Birthday Billy

2008-02-24T11:45:00.005-05:00

I was asked to do a card for my nephew Billy's birthday this week. I was given free reign to do anything I wanted. Thanks to recent events, I got my gag.
(Pentell and Micron pens and brushpens on bristol and colored with markers.)
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Listening to: Iggy Pop & The Stooges - No Fun
via FoxyTunes

Captain America?

2008-02-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

As a huge fan of funny books, especially funny books featuring Captain America, I have a small collection of Cap figures on my desk at work. Just before Christmas 2007, I found a neat little plush Captain America at the local Target store. The little guy has been sitting right beside me ever since. I was glancing at him during lunch today when something disturbing caught my eye.

Yikes. Izzat a cameltoe that I see?

T-Shirt Week #5: CON! Unused CGS Tour Design

2008-02-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

The guys over at Comic Geek Speak held a competition recently to design a shirt they can wear to comic conventions around the country for 2008. There were many good entries. I decided to go off in an odd direction when I was yelling the word "con" at home. It immediately reminded me of Captain Kirk in The Wrath of Khan movie. My design was born.

Some understandable legal concerns removed the design from the competition, but I still like it.

(Photo adjusted in Photoshop, converted to vector and imported into CorelDRAW for text and layout.)
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Now playing: 40Kradio_episode02
via FoxyTunes

T-Shirt Week #4: It's Cool to be a Viking

2008-02-07T08:21:00.003-05:00

This was the design that replaced the first two entries. It was aimed at the general school population. I removed the instrument and music cleft and substituted a 'hang-loose" sign and a RHS tattoo. The shirt was printed in dark navy ink on red t-shirts, the school colors for the Riverside Vikings in Taylor, PA.
(Micron pen and brushpen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop and imported into CorelDRAW for text and layout.)
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Now playing: Web Comics Weekly - EPISODE24 - Working Space
via FoxyTunes

T-Shirt Week #3: Band is Cool Shirt

2008-02-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

My niece Sara asked me do do a design for a T-shirt that her high school marching band could sell to raise some money. She wanted to push the point that band is cool. As a former band geek myself, I accepted the task. The mascot for Riverside High School is a viking, so I did the design based on that.

I also did a female viking to keep my options open.

The officials at the high school liked the idea. They liked it so much they decided to delete the band element and do a shirt that could be sold to benefit the entire school.

(Micron pen and brushpen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop and imported into CorelDRAW for text and layout.)
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Listening to: Webcomics Weekly - EPISODE25 - COLORIZE!
via FoxyTunes

T-Shirt Week #2: NEPA Chorus

2008-02-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

The T-shirt design for today was done for my niece Sara for the regional high school chorus. They wanted shirts to express a certain attitude but still seemed "cute". I went with a sort of Watterson-eque kid, without being a blatant Calvin rip off. I tried to render the thing as loose as possible, yet still make it silk-screen reproducible.

(Micron pen and brushpen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop, traced into vector and imported into CorelDRAW for text and layout.)

T-Shirt Week #1: Bait 'n' Tackle

2008-02-04T18:48:00.000-05:00

This week on The MadWorld, it's T-Shirt Week! All week long I'll post designs and art of t-shirts that I've worked on recently. First up, Bait 'n' Tackle.

My nephew Tommy asked me to design a logo for his inter mural flag football team at the University of Scranton. The name of the team was Bait 'n' Tackle. That clever name needed a clever design. So I did a sketch of a can of worms, with one of the worms wearing an old-school leather helmet and striking the classic Heisman pose. Now that I look at it, there are some things I would have done differently (the shirt was white on cardinal red), but this the art as printed.

(Micron pen and brushpen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop, converted to vector and imported into CorelDRAW for text and layout.)

CGStories Anthology Available on IndyPlanet!

2008-02-04T18:36:00.000-05:00

The CGStories comic book anthology is now available at INDYPLANET.COM.
It costs a paltry 3 bucks and all the proceeds benefit the CGS Super Show this September.
Go out and buy your own copy (or copies) NOW!

CGStories Final Cover Design

2008-01-22T19:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the incredible Mister Chris Murrin, I got my comp copies of CGStories in the mail today . . . and it looks BEE-YOO-TEE-FOOL! Kudos to everyone involved. So finally . . . drum roll please . . . the cover artwork for the CGStories anthology.

CGStories Intial Cover Designs

2007-12-29T14:20:00.000-05:00

There had been some discussion on the Comic Geek Speak forum for quite a while about doing some sort of anthology. The idea would get kicked around every so often, and then die. Sometime during the past year, a concerted effort was started to make the thing a reality. Chris Murrin shouldered the daunting task as editor of the entire project. It went for a grand 100 page plus monster of an anthology down to a typical comic book length read. A title was selected, CGStories, by a poll on the forum. What he didn't have was a suitable cover for the book, so he asked me. I gladly accepted and set about designing the cover. I ran through a half dozen goofy ideas and settled on an idea based the artwork of M.C. Escher. I wanted an image that would convey the fact that the book was done by artists and writers that are fans of the CGS podcast. Here are my initial sketches and mock-ups.

This first sketch is my original blueline rough of the cover idea

This next image is a cleaner and slightly inked version of the sketch. I added the outline of what would be the sheet of drawing paper and I added the iPod controls.

This image is the black and white mock-up, without type, that I sent to Chris for his approval. He really liked the idea and the art so I proceeded. I added the CGS logo and woodgrain to show what I was going to do and I rotated the art slightly to mimic the original illustration by Escher.

I'll post the initial colors and final artwork for the CGStories anthology comic soon.

Have One Helluva Holiday Season!

2007-12-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

Here's a scan of the artwork I sketched onto the cards I sent to the CGS Podcast and to Comics on the Green, my local comic book shop. For those that may not know, the sketch features Mike Mignola's Hellboy and Abe Sapien characters as Santa and his little helper. My initial sketches also included Liz Sherman (the firestarter) and Johann (the guy in the containment suit) also dressed-up as helpers. It was a little too busy and I felt using just Hellboy and Abe worked best to convey the message.
(Pens and brush pens on bristol board and colored with a variety of markers)

The Christmas Cards . . . now in Glorious Color!

2007-12-20T15:59:00.000-05:00

You've seen the black and white images of my custom Christmas cards, well here's scans of the colored versions of those cards.

First up is the "Walken" card.

Next, the colored version of the "Yul Cheer" card from this year.

(Art laser printed on buff-colored card stock and colored with various markers)

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 4

2007-12-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Today's Christmas card is brand spankin' new. This is the card I'm sending around this year. I intended to do this one last year, but ran out of time before the holidays. I have all the cards completed to a point, all I have to do is color and fold each one.

The front of the card . . . hopefully folks will remember who Yul Brenner was:

The inside with the comedic gold punchline and standard checklist greeting:

I'll post a scan of one of the hand-colored cards tomorrow.

(Micron pen and brush pen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop and imported into CorelDRAW for layout.)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 337 - Previews
via FoxyTunes

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 3

2007-12-05T00:32:00.000-05:00

Today's card is from way back in 1990! Once again, I don't have any hand-colored originals, but I do have scans of the inked line work. No extra work done on these, hand lettering and photo copies this time around.
The front features the nativity:

On the inside, the payoff:

(Felt tip pen on drawing paper and photo copied)

BONUS! Ich Bin Ein Klawspiel Prize

2007-12-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

While I was out shopping recently, I spied one of those claw game machines in the store's lobby. You know those machines, the ones that you use controls to manipulate a crane and claw to pick up prizes like toys and clothes. Well, when I peered at the prizes in this particular machine, I saw this:

Yep, that's right . . . a plush President John F. Kennedy doll. I was kinda shocked and taken aback by the thing. I NEVER expected to see one of the US Presidents as prize for a kid's game. Seeing the lonely little JFK doll sitting forlornly in the corner made me feel sad. The more I thought of it, the sadder I felt. I knew I had to capture the wee guy in pixels for posterity.

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 2

2007-12-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today I'm posting scans of the big Christmas card I did last year. The card was over-sized and a copy was given to my local comics shop Comics on the Green and another was sent to the cast of the Comic Geek Speak podcast. Naturally, the subject of the card is comic book related. Since each card was an original, I don't have a color copy. I do have scans of the inked artwork before they were colored.

First, the outside of the card featuring that lovable ol' Marvel planet eater out for a stroll on a brisk Winter's day:

The inside features those four fantastic do-gooders as kiddies, and they're up to no good:

(Micron pen and brush pen on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop and imported into CorelDRAW for layout.)
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Now playing: ELO - Out Of The Blue
via FoxyTunes

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 1

2007-12-03T14:04:00.000-05:00

It's December, so I'm finally giving in to the holiday hype. All this week I'll feature original Christmas cards I've drawn over the years. This first card was done two years ago. I drew the original card and then scanned it and laser-printed numerous duplicates. I then hand colored all the individual prints. I don't have any of the colored originals laying around, but this is a scan of the original inked art.

The front of the card, featuring everyone's favorite character actor:

Inside the card with the punchline and my standard checklist greeting:

(Micron pens and brush pens on drawing paper, scanned in Photoshop and then imported into CorelDRAW for layout.)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 334 - New York Anime Fest, Bryan's Back from Italy, and the mailbox
via FoxyTunes

Meet You, Greet You at the Lady's Room

2007-11-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Another quickie (also large) sketch for today. This just happened during lunch. (FYI: my cubicle is located just outside the women's bathroom here at work, so it's not uncommon for me to be in that general vicinity...really.) I don't know what compelled me to draw it, I just had to.
(Micron Pigma pens on scrap paper.)

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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Comic Geek Speak: Book of the Month 05 - Tomb of Dracula
via FoxyTunes

Halloween 2007 Walken Goofiness

2007-10-31T15:23:00.000-04:00

It was a Christopher Walken kinda day at the office today.
Mask downloaded from brandonbird.com
First, we have the hastily-colored Walken mask:

Now some great moments from Christopher Walken's career, first CW as Whitley Strieber in the movie COMMUNION (FYI: That scene when the alien peeks around the corner still scares the bejeezus out of me.)

Next, Christopher as Bruce Dickenson on SNL

Chris as Captain Koons from PULP FICTION

Your favorite hoofer in the Fatboy Slim WEAPON OF CHOICE video

Finally, Christopher Walken as Nicky from THE DEER HUNTER
"Didi mau!"

Thanks to Vince Bonavoglia and Scott Shemo for the photography.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Goofy #123 - Seizures

2007-10-26T13:51:00.000-04:00

I was feeling silly today and quickly whipped-up this sketch during break.
(Faber-Castell artist pens on scrap paper.)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - CGS BOMC 19 - Comic Geek Speak - Book of the Month Club - Episode 19 - Marvels
via FoxyTunes

Lace 'em up!

2007-10-22T15:18:00.000-04:00

I was messing around with CorelDRAW today when I was inspired to do a logo after installing a new font. The font reminded me of the font used on the circles on the Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers. I threw it together in CorelDRAW and added a texture in Photoshop. I'm pretty happy with it. I may take this a bit further.
(CorelDRAW and Photoshop)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - CGS BOMC 18 - Comic Geek Speak - Book of the Month Club - Manhunter
via FoxyTunes

Messing Around with a Couple New Brush Pens

2007-10-05T14:34:00.000-04:00

I love to try new drawing implements just to find new and fun ways to draw. At the CGS Episode 300 podcast, Mr. Bruce Rosenburger (the Dean of Comic Podcasts) gave me a Bienfang brush pen for my birthday. One day this past week, my computer at work went down. I filled the down time by playing around with the pen. I had an older Pentel brush pen and the new Bienfang to test drive. The first image is a self portrait done with the older pen. I like how scrubby the line is, it looks kinda like a Gary Panter drawing. (Note: the drawing was done while listening to my Phillies being beaten by the Rockies during the first game of their playoff series.) The second drawing is of my buddy and officemate Vince. I did the Vince doodle with the new Bienfang. I really like the line, although it may be a bit heftier than the line I usually use. It should come in handy for some specialty work or when I don't feel like getting a brush dirty.
Check out Bruce Rosenburger's KomicsKast podcast HERE.
(Bienfang and Pentel brush pens on scrap paper.)
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Now playing: AroundComics.com - Around Comics Ep. 137 - The End? Not Really
via FoxyTunes

2007 CGS Freking Sweer Award

2007-09-28T23:19:00.000-04:00

Every year since 2005, the Comic Geek Speak podcast has awarded their Freking Sweer award. The award is presented to listeners and forum members of merit as decided by the CGS cast. This year I was amongst a group of 4 recipients of the award presented during the 300th episode celebration in Reading, PA. I'd like to thank all the Geeks at CGS for this honor, it was humbling and totally unexpected. For more info on Comic Geek Speak click HERE.

CGS Episode 300 Trading Cards

2007-09-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

Here are three original art trading cards created for the Comic Geek Speak Episode 300 artist card exchange. I decided to use my Mr. Zombie and Chad characters and I added one of myself. Since the cards are cut to the same size as traditional baseball cards, I designed them to look like classic Topps baseball cards.
(Micron and Sharpee pens on smooth bristol board, colored with markers and colored leads)

The Geeks Episode 300 Finished Artwork

2007-09-28T11:25:00.000-04:00

Here's the finished artwork for the CGS Episode 300 comic book.
(Pen and brush on smooth bristol board, scanned and colored in Photoshop, text and vector art added in CorelDraw)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 300
via FoxyTunes

The Geeks Episode 300 Original Inked Linework

2007-09-28T11:08:00.000-04:00

More geeky goodness! Bryan Deemer from the CGS podcast asked me to submit some artwork for their 300th episode commemorative comic book. I said yes and started to ponder what I was going to draw. The inspiration came to me as I was boxing some comics. I saw the cover for the first issue of Garth Ennis's THE BOYS. I thought doing a parody of that cover was the way to go. There's no way I could ever expect to match the great Darick Robertson talent wise, so I hope my attempt is taken in the spirit it was presented. Here's the original inked linework for the image.
To learn more about the Comic Geek Speak (CGS) podcast, click HERE.
To find out more about The Boys by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, click HERE.
(Pen and brush on smooth bristol, scanned)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 300
via FoxyTunes

Big Iron Pinup Finished Artwork

2007-09-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

Here's the finished colored pinup artwork for the Pixelstrips Big Iron comic book.
I scanned my jeans to get the color and texture on the pants, I scanned my leather jacket for the vest and holster, and I scanned a pillowcase for the texture on the shirt.
(Pen and brush on smooth bristol board, scanned and colored in Photoshop)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 300
via FoxyTunes

Big Iron Pinup Original Linework

2007-09-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

To kick off the return of the Sketchblog, here's the original inked linework for a pinup that appeared in the Pixelstrips Big Iron comic book. Thanks to Pixelstrips and Kevin Volo for the opportunity. You can enjoy Pixelstrips web comic strips by going HERE.
(Pens and brush on smooth bristol board, scanned)
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Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 300
via FoxyTunes

The CGS Illuminati

2007-08-20T00:28:00.000-04:00

Over on the Comic Geek Speak (CGS) podcast forum I posted a new Freking Sweer strip. Here's a detail from that particular cartoon. UPDATE: The original inked drawing for this particular image will be donated to the CGS auction during Episode 300.
(Pens and brush on smooth bristol board, scanned and colored in Photoshop)
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Now playing: The Who - Quadrophenia
via FoxyTunes

It won't be long now . . .

2007-08-16T10:54:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know that's what Lorena Bobbit said to John, but it's true. To coincide with the release of the artwork I've recently completed, I'll fire this sucker back up shortly. I'll be posting the usual inane oldies-but-goodies and I'll sprinkle in the new work here and there for taste.
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Now playing: Gossil - Mookalooka
via FoxyTunes

Where The Hell Have You Been, Asshat?

2007-07-14T09:13:00.001-04:00

Okay. I heard ya. I haven't put anything up here on the blog in quite some time. Well, I'm taking a short vacation this week, and when I come back I'll go back to posting the same stuff I was posting before. I do have a couple things in the works that will debut here, so check back often.
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Now playing: Gorillaz - O Green World
via FoxyTunes

Just what the hell is going on here?!

2007-06-12T10:54:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay. You may (or may not) have noticed that I've taken a long break from posting stuff to the blog. My original goal was to post something once a day for a solid month. I did that and then some. I still have TONS of older stuff I can post. But I want to set things up where there are running themes along with the possibility of posting topical and relevant new content. It'll probably mean I'll get away from posting daily to posting something 2 or 3 times a week. I'm currently completing some new drawings and scanning older stuff with the goal of relaunching my MAD World. Keep checking back, I'll be posting the new stuff very soon. I promise . . . really.

I also intend to follow through on Mr. Zombie and Chad.

Don't say I didn't warn ya'll.

Goofy #122 - NASA Today 2

2007-05-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

Part 2 of the NASA Today comic from 1979. Where this comic was going next is a mystery, a story that's lost to the ages. I can't remember what art or storyline was to come next. You can see where all those years of reading Mad magazine really rubbed off on the younger me. I'm lucky to be scanning these pages now, the paper and markers aren't in the best condition.
(Felt tip on drawing paper.)

Goofy #121 - NASA Today 1

2007-05-14T16:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, I took another weekend off. To make up for that, I'll post what are the oldest sketches added to the blog to date. I did these drawings back when I was still in high school in 1979. NASA was having a tough time of it and I thought they could use a little positive PR. This sketch is the first of two I did as a possible comic solution for the situation.
(Felt tip on drawing paper.)

Goofy #120 - The Pope's Hat

2007-05-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know what it is about this goofy doodle that makes me laugh. All I know is it makes me chuckle every time I see it. This was done 7 years ago during another of our exciting staff meetings.
(Felt tip on note pad)

Goofy #119 - Split Seconds

2007-05-10T14:14:00.000-04:00

I've been debating if I'd post this doodle or not ever since I fished it out of the "box-o-sketches". Since I've posted everything else so far, I'll continue. The idea for this sketch is from about 10 years ago. It was a rough idea for a possible "24 Hour Comic " that never happened. You may have noticed there are a lot of sketches on this blog that are related to something that never got off the ground. I'm such a go-getter! FYI: this is the watered-down version of an original idea where everyone in the story was dropping an F-bomb.
(Sharpee on scrap paper)

Goofy #118 - Wedding

2007-05-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

This sketch was done 15 years ago just a few days before my wedding. Incredibly, I somehow managed not to drop a cookie during the ceremony. Who sez miracles don't happen anymore?
(Pencil on scrap paper)

Goofy #117 - Cowpoke

2007-05-08T11:27:00.000-04:00

This pencil sketch was done about 5 years ago for an ad for a local country/western bar. The customer wanted a more realistic drawing, so this cartoon was unused. It looks like I was channeling the ghost of Tex Avery for this one, and that ain't a bad thing. I'll post some of the more realistic drawings sometime in the future.
(Pencil on drawing paper)

Goofy #116 - Achtung!

2007-05-07T10:08:00.000-04:00

This sketch is an enlargement of a quick doodle done on a post-it during a staff meeting. I scanned it and added some colors. Ya gotta love those WWII Ratzi uniforms!
(Felt tip pen on post-it, scanned and colored in Photoshop)

Goofy #115 - Condiments

2007-05-06T18:21:00.000-04:00

This sketch is from 10 years ago. I was out to lunch with the boys and we decided to eat at Arby's. After we got our order, we went over to the condiments table. I was reaching for some ketchup when this kid told me not to mess up the counter because he just cleaned it. The fact that the restaurant employed mentally handicapped workers prompted me to doodle this. I think I captured the kid perfectly.
(Felt tip on scrap paper)

Goofy #114 - WOW!

2007-05-05T13:36:00.000-04:00

To some folks today is Cinco de Mayo, but more importantly it's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2007! To honor the occasion I'm posting what's probably the oldest doodle to date. This sketch was done almost 25 years ago when I worked at my first ad agency. I used to listen to the radio as I worked at my desk. Every so often, this annoying local ad guy would start off his commercials with a scream. That annoying fella inspired this doodle.
(Rapidograph and Sharpee on scrap paper)

Goofy #113 - Big-Headed Baby

2007-05-04T14:44:00.000-04:00

This is the kind of doodle that comes from a long and boring staff meeting. It's a tradition around here to try and make the guy across from you at the meeting table laugh. I don't know what prompted it, but it's as silly today as it was 10 years ago.
(Felt tip pen and Sharpee on note paper.)

Goofy #112 - Marty as Hellboy

2007-05-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

Wow, a brand new drawing for today! I was goofing around and thought I'd do an avatar of myself as Mike Mignola's Hellboy.
(Micron brush and Pigma pens on drawing paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop.)

Goofy #111 - Soviet Fleet

2007-05-02T10:14:00.000-04:00

This sketch is another one of those done back in the early 80s when the Soviet Union was still the "Evil Empire". Back in those days, the Red Fleet had a series of naval accidents and disasters that were reported in all the papers. I thought, "What would a Russian Navy recruiting poster look like?
(Rapidograph and colored felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #110 - Boob Guy

2007-05-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

This last two-fer should compensate for me taking last weekend off. This sketch is one of those that I do when I'm on the phone and on hold. What prompted me to do this is long forgotten, but it amused me so much I kept it. Man-boobs are as funny as they are disgusting.
(Felt tip on scrap paper)

Goofy #109 - Hank the Fetus 2

2007-05-01T15:29:00.000-04:00

This sketch was done way back when I did the original "Hank the Fetus" sketch (see Goofy #54). This is the kind of stuff Hank would be doing if he were in a daily comic. In this panel he's calling out some Iraqis during the first Gulf War.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy #108 - Nipple Head

2007-05-01T15:15:00.000-04:00

Another piece of doodle idiocy for today. Lil' Jimmy emerged from one of our lunch time "scream in the car" sessions on day about 10 years ago. Look at the lil' guy . . . ain't he cute. Remember, this was done years before "The Oblongs" even existed.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy #107 - Muscle Man

2007-04-30T15:39:00.000-04:00

This sketch was done to illustrate setting goals. My editors thought showing a 98 pound weakling longing to be body-builder would be a good concept. This drawing was my solution.
(Rotring drawing pen on drawing paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop)

Goofy #106 - Parachute Tester

2007-04-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Okay, I didn't post anything this past weekend. To make up for it I'll post a couple things today and two more tomorrow. This first cartoon was done to illustrate a story about quality control. Back during WW2, it was rumored that the women manufacturing and packing the parachutes for the Army were so confident in their craftsmanship that they would be willing to test the chutes themselves before they were sent overseas.
(Rotring drawing pen on drawing paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop)

Goofy #105 - Doctor Glen

2007-04-26T23:18:00.000-04:00

When I worked for the ad agency back in the 80s, one of our clients was a local chiropractor. He wanted a series of humorous cards he could send to his patients on their birthdays. This was one of the ideas that didn't make the final cut. I think Kneil and Vic could have their own show.
(Felt tip pen on drawing paper.)

Goofy #104 - Water Cooler

2007-04-25T09:27:00.000-04:00

Nothing special today. This is an unused doodle of a water cooler for the company newsletter. I'm going to mess around with animating it in Flash for shits-n-giggles.
(Sharpees on drawing paper.)

Goofy #103 - Skinny

2007-04-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

Surprize, surprize, another self-portrait. This one was done back in '89 when I was working as an archive clerk. I can tell that because I'm wearing sneakers, casual clothes, and I'm not wearing glasses. I used to be skinny and dorky at one time. Now I'm robust and dorky.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #102 - Flyin' T-Squares, Version Three

2007-04-23T09:41:00.000-04:00

The next version of the Flyin' T-Squares logo work-in-progress. Lots of changes here. I put a lot of effort in doing some fancy line and fill work in the font. I also changed the t-square's face and mouth, making it closer to the original Flying Tigers paint job. I also changed the angle on the art and changed the proportions to make the artwork more dynamic. There will be more changes to come including shading, drop shadows, clouds, and color adjustment. I'll post those at the end of the week.
(Original art scanned and traced in CorelTRACE and imported into CorelDRAW.)

Goofy #102 - Flyin' T-Squares, Version Two

2007-04-22T09:19:00.000-04:00

This next version of the Flyin' T-Squares logo was started by scanning the original mechanical and bringing it into a trace program to convert it to a vector. Then the vector was brought into CorelDRAW for editing. I dumped the "disco" era font in favor for a font that had a bit more of a painted-on look. After looking at a lot of WWII insignia books, I started to monkey around with the colors. There were a lot of changes to this design. You'll see them when I post the next version.
(Original art scanned and traced in CorelTRACE and imported into CorelDRAW.)

Goofy #101 - Ack!

2007-04-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

A Saturday morning quickie! This was done back in 1990 when I used to have to wear a suit to the office. Ain't all my self-portraits handsome? The influence of Bill the Cat from the Bloom County comic strip is pretty apparent in this one.
(Sharpee on note paper.)

Goofy #100 - Flyin' T-Squares, Version One

2007-04-20T10:32:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the blog's 100th Goofy entry I'm digging up an old project that I've decided to refurbish. When I was fresh out of school, I was trying to decide what I wanted to do. One of my thoughts was to do freelance art exclusively. You may have seen some of my earlier efforts to establish some sort of identity for the business. This idea was based on the Flying Tigers AVG Squadron from WWII. I imagined the logo to be like nose art you would find on old bombers or painted on the back of leather flight jackets. I thought it was pretty cool that Flyin' T-Squares sounded close to Flying Tigers and this was my first attempt. It has original drawn artwork combined with computer graphics done in on ancient computer art program called Arts and Letters. This is a scan of the original pasted-up mechanical. More work in progress (versions) to follow.

(Rotring art pen, Rapidograph pen, scanned with computer text added, pasted-up and stated.)

Goofy #99 - Punk

2007-04-19T15:21:00.000-04:00

An bit of an oldie for today. This doodle was done on the back of a notepad over 20 years ago when I was still in college. I managed to fit most of my favorite bands of the time in there. The Ramones are top and center, as they should be.
(Felt tip on white chipboard backer board.)

Goofy #98 - Ironman Redesign

2007-04-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

Here's a recent project. Last year the CGS forum issued a challenge to redesign Ironman's armor. Instead of just redesigning the armor, I thought it would be neat to make Tony a one-man Avengers. I crammed a load of old and current Avengers into the armor. How many can you find?
(Micron and brush pens on drawing paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop.)

Goofy #97 - Ken O'Brien

2007-04-17T07:21:00.000-04:00

I know it's baseball season here in the US, but I can't help what I snag from the pile 'o' drawings. The subject will help date this doodle. Back in the early 80s, the NY Jets had Ken O'Brien as their starting quarterback. He had some pretty good years but he was never a superstar. Once back in that decade (85 I think) the Jets jumped out to a sizzling start for the season. Then the wheels fell off and the Jets just barely made the playoffs. A lot of folks laid the blame on Kenny O'Brien, so I guess that's why I did this drawing. Note: I think the hand that's holding the football is another left hand . . . dumb-ass kid artist.
(Felt tip pen on drawing paper.)

Goofy #96- Eggvis

2007-04-16T08:21:00.000-04:00

What's that? You say you want more Elvis? Well OK! Another King doodle done about 10 years ago. I loves me some Elvis.
(Sharpee on the back of a large envelope.)

Goofy #95 - Breathe

2007-04-15T12:49:00.000-04:00

Here's another sketch done years ago for a local charity. There was a fun run/walk for the Lung Association and they wanted a "Breathe of Fresh Air" cartoon for T-shirts and other media. Hey, I'm always game to use my pens for a good cause. I think the image was used reversed with the guy facing to the left in most of the media.
(Rotring drawing pen on drawing paper.)

Goofy #94 - Desk

2007-04-14T08:42:00.000-04:00

It's very early Saturday morning, I haven't had my coffee yet, I didn't get paid yesterday, I have to go to work in a couple minutes and then I have to attend a funeral. I found an old doodle that matches the mood. This is from 20 years ago, I would guess judging from the equipment and my lack of glasses.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #93- Cannes

2007-04-13T16:03:00.000-04:00

Today is a rough sketch for an illustration I did about 20 years ago for a local video rental business. The company specialized in foreign and art films and they needed a humorous illustration for their catalog. If I remember correctly, the gist of the drawing was "experience the Cannes film festival without leaving home."
(Rotring drawing pen on drawing paper.)

Goofy Bonus #23 - CGS Episode 300 Poster

2007-04-13T00:15:00.000-04:00

Another bonus image for your ass! Here's a faux movie poster for Episode 300 of the Comic Geek Speak podcast. For more info go here or here. (Revised 4/16/07)
(All Photoshop baby!)

Goofy Bonus #22 - Grendel-Prime Commission

2007-04-12T11:25:00.000-04:00

Hey, more commission sketch bonus goodness! I was asked to draw a humorous version of Matt Wagner's comic book character Grendel-Prime. Unfortunately I was totally ignorant in all things Grendel. After much research, I found a point in the story that I thought could be made humorous. This sketch depicts Grendel-Prime on the run with the boy he is duty-bound to protect. Kids being kids, I thought it would be funny to show the moment nature calls.
(Micron pen, brush pen, brush and Sharpee on Bristol board.)

Goofy #92- Loud Boy!

2007-04-12T11:14:00.000-04:00

A relatively new doodle today. While driving around in the car with my buddy Vince, we tend to scream and yell a lot. All that shouting led to the creation of a character named "Loud Boy" by Vince. Since that moment all the screeching was done in the voice of the fictional Loud Boy. This sketch was my initial attempt to capture L.B. in all his deafening glory. Check out Vince's wacky Marvel podcast with David Price at Bullpen Bulletins.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy #91 - Game Show Hostess

2007-04-11T00:18:00.000-04:00

About 12 years ago, the company I work for attempted to break into the educational CD ROM market. We delivered a lot of text-based content peppered with sounds, video and animation. It all looks very crude now, but back then it was cutting edge. I was able to do a bunch of cartoon characters that appeared here and there on the disc. One of the characters was a Vanna White type game show hostess. I made a ton of sketches and a handful made it onto the disk. This image is a scan of an old wax-print proof, the only sample I have from that project. Of all the hostess sketches I created, the few that were selected had to have the tops of their gowns redrawn to show less (more like NO) cleavage. Go figure.
(Rotring drawing pen on drawing paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop.

Goofy #90b- Pumpkin

2007-04-10T08:56:00.000-04:00

The second of the pumpkin doodles. I don't know if it's customary everywhere else, but here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Halloween jack 'o' lanterns eventually end up smashed in the street. If not thrown there, they're placed there by rascals to be run over by cars. I give you the day after Halloween from the pumpkin's point of view.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy #90a- Pumpkin

2007-04-09T10:33:00.000-04:00

A two sketch series to start a new week. I did these doodles about 20 years ago right around Halloween time. I wanted to examine the holiday from the poor helpless gourd's perspective.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy Bonus #21 - Punisher/Captain America

2007-04-08T00:29:00.000-04:00

As a special Easter Sunday bonus, here's a sketch I did in the wake of events in Civil War #7. After Captain America surrenders to the authorities, he removes his mask. In the issue, Frank Castle (aka. the Punisher) picks up the mask, fueling speculation that he would don the red, white and blue. With that in mind I quickly drew this sketch. After seeing some of the promo images from the future issues of Punisher War Journal, I wasn't that far off.
(Micron pens on scrap paper, scanned and colored in Photoshop.)

Goofy #89 - Three Kings

2007-04-08T00:18:00.000-04:00

I don't have an Easter specific doodle to post today, but I do have one for Christmas. Close enough. This doodle was done for an acquaintance serving in the first Gulf War. This was well before the movie of the same name.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Goofy #88 - Promotion

2007-04-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

I did this sketch back in '93 for the company newsletter. I've reworked the text to eliminate the name of the company.
(Rotring pen and Rapidograph pen on drawing paper.)

Goofy #87 - King Ding

2007-04-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

Don't even ask me from which twisted and dark part of my brain from which this sketch sprang. It apparently disturbed me so much I never inked it. The pencils are just creepy enough. I guess this was done about 10 years ago. I can't tell for sure because I blocked it out of my memory until I found it in the pile 'o' drawings.
(Pencils on scrap paper.)

Goofy Bonus #20 - Batmen Commission

2007-04-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

This commission sketch tries to answer the question, "What would Jim Lee's All Star Batman say to Frank Miller's Dark Knight?
(Micron pen and brush pen on Bristol board.)

Goofy #86 - Marty 'n' Stinky Show

2007-04-05T00:15:00.000-04:00

Now this is wacky. This quick sketch was done just after I let college. Some friends and I thought it would be a hoot to do a TV show featuring a human and a dirty sweat sock as co-hosts. We came up with the Marty 'n' Stinky Show. Well the idea wasn't that shitty since the concept has been used a handful (pun intended) of times since. Age is taking a toll on the markers and paper, the yellowing and bleeding are very apparent in this one.
(Markers on scrap paper.)

Goofy Bonus #19 - Animal Man Commission

2007-04-04T11:14:00.000-04:00

Here's a commission I did for Braxton on the CGS forum. He requested Buddy Baker aka. Animal Man. I put Buddy in the unfortunate vicinity of Dave Wachter's pigeon guy from Fiendish Fables.
(Micron pens and brush pens on Bristol board.)