Funny Money

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

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.)

Urine Trouble!

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.)
----------------
Now playing: Episode 600 - Nuff Said
via FoxyTunes

Welcome to Macy's

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

Captain America . . . #600 with a Bullet!

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!

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

I Don't Like Ike

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)

Dwight Howard Who?

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.)


----------------
Listening to: The Dickies - Stukas Over Disneyland
via FoxyTunes

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

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

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.)
----------------
Listening to: Iggy Pop & The Stooges - No Fun
via FoxyTunes

Have One Helluva Holiday Season!

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!

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

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.)
----------------
Now playing: Speakers of Geek - Episode 337 - Previews
via FoxyTunes

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 3

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

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

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.)
----------------
Now playing: ELO - Out Of The Blue
via FoxyTunes

'tis the season: Christmas Card Week, Part 1

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.)
----------------
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

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.)

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

Halloween 2007 Walken Goofiness

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

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

Goofy #122 - NASA Today 2

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.)