What's all this, then?

Since I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do with this blog right now, I've decided to post some of the strange doodles and drawings I've kept in boxes, folders, and cabinets these past 30 years. A lot of these things were done while on the phone, or while testing pens, or out of sheer boredom. There won't be any rhyme or reason to these drawings. I'm just grabbing stuff from off the piles, scanning it, and adding it here. Think of it as a game of cartoon Russian roulette. The neat thing about the drawings is that each one has it's own history and background story. There will be plenty of bonus posts and topical additions as the mood strikes. Forewarned is forearmed.

All artwork copyrighted 2007/2008/2009/2010 Martin A. Devine.

Please do not link to or use images or content without permission from the so-called "artist". (So there.)

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Goofy #45 - Drink



This sketch was also done during a staff meeting. I drew it to flash at the guy sitting across the table from me to try and make him laugh. Unfortunately, this doodle is appropriate for just about every staff meeting we have.
(Sharpee on notepaper.)

Friday, February 16, 2007

Goofy #44 - Paxil



This pencil sketch was done during a staff meeting about 3 years ago. One of our hypochondriac coworkers claimed to be addicted to Paxil. He was more addicted to attention than to any drug.
(Pencil on note pad.)

Goofy #43 - Bucky!



It's very easy to date this one. Remember when they reported finding a WW2 warplane crashed on a mountain someplace, and that the remains of the pilot were found in the wreckage? I drew this sketch immediately after hearing that news.
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Goofy Bonus #7 - Badguy



This image I created recently for one of our school texts. It was supposed to represent some of the bad things you may find while online. He came out so much better than expected, he earned a spot on the blog.
(Micron pen on drawing paper, scanned into a tracing program and colored in CorelDRAW.)

Goofy Bonus #6 - Cap!



Since it's so fuggin' disgusting outside, I thought maybe a couple more bonus images may cheer me up. This next one is my version of Captain America. It was drawn on a manila folder with a huge magic marker. I scanned and did some artistic acrobatics on it in Photoshop. I'll post a scan of the original uncolored image sometime soon.
(Black magic marker on a manila folder and colored in Photoshop.)

Goofy Addendum #1

You may be asking yourself, "Why the hell does this Marty guy draw pictures of himself?" Let me tell you why. Years ago, when I was a Boy Scout, I was on the Publications Committee for the council newsletter. We used to hold meetings once or twice a week. As it is my want, during those meetings I would doodle. Back then, I would look around me and draw the other folks in the meeting. One evening I was doing just that, and this huge guy I really didn't know shot me this angry glance. I was confused about it until after the meeting. He got me in the hallway, sucker-punched me, and told me he didn't appreciate my artist stylings. Since that evening, I've been very mindful not to draw anyone else unless they specifically ask for it. THAT's the reason I draw myself so much, I hardly ever get mad enough to sucker-punch myself. Nut shot, yeah, sucker-punch no.

Goofy #42 - Art



Since it's so crappy outside, let's play two! Here's a quick sketch done in response to someone (read that as someone from the editorial staff) saying the people in the art department are "retarded". Hey, I don't even have to write this stuff.
(Sharpee on scrap paper.)

Goofy #41 - Joy



Today's post Valentine's day blizzard sketch was done during a staff meeting last year. It's a self portrait again, with a flattop, and I'm in a foul mood. Ah, sweet sarcasm. You'll notice I have an extra finger there, too. The style is a tad too close to graffiti for my tastes, considering how much I loath illegal graffiti.
(Sharpee on white note paper.)

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Goofy Bonus #5 - Infinite Guys



More VD love for ya'll! This sketch is one of those scribbles you do when you're pretending to listen to someone. Sometimes a doodle ain't just a doodle. I had this tiled as my wallpaper for awhile, and it gave me vertigo.
(Felt tip pen, highlighters and White-out on note paper.)

Goofy Bonus #4 - Anchorman



Just for Valentine's day, here's a couple more bonus drawings.
This one was started during a staff meeting on a note pad.
I continued to mess with it until I got this result.
(Felt tip pen and highlighters on note paper and a bit of Photoshop.)

Goofy #40 - Bimbo


This sketch was done at the first ad agency I worked at. Our office had a copy machine that was shared by the entire floor. This one receptionist would come in and ask to use it all the time. She was impossibly tall, impossibly thin, had impossibly big hair, and wore impossible short mini skirts. Too bad she had a "butter" face.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Goofy #39 - Van Gogh


This sketch was done after one of Van Gogh's paintings sold for a record amount back in the mid 80s. Ungh! Urk! Eepp! Blork!
(Felt tip pen on scrap paper.)

Monday, February 12, 2007

Goofy #38 - Drummer


When I worked for the ad agency, one of our clients sold musical equipment. Being a former high school marching band bass drummer (Scranton Central Golden Eagles, Class of '79) I quickly whipped up this sketch to amuse the business owner. I called him Bonzo.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy Bonus #3 - Mercenary Artist


Third and last of the bonus images for now. This one was the first drawing I created back in my early freelance days. I considered myself a "mercenary artist" more than a freelancer. Note: I'm not left-handed, but it worked for this image.
(Rotring sketch pen, Rapidograph pen, and brush on drawing paper.)

Goofy Bonus #2 - The Natural


Here's another bonus sketch from my early freelance days. I did this one after seeing "The Natural" at the movies. Yet another image combining my passions for art, cartoons, and baseball.
(Rotring sketch pen, Rapidograph pen, and brush on drawing paper.)

Goofy Bonus #1 - T-Square


I dug up these sketches that I planned to use when I first started doing freelance work. This first one is a very young version of me doing what I usually did with a t-square at the time, playing air guitar.
(Rapidograph, brush and felt tip on drawing paper.)

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Goofy #37 - Izzy


A sketch that represents some of the males from Northeastern PA. He didn't have a name at first, until someone saw it and said, "He's just like so-and-so, is he or no? Izzy Ornoe was born.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #36 - Flattop


Another Self-portrait, this time with a flattop haircut. Yes, I would get the occasional flattop. Once again, I'm bummed . . . surprise.
(Sharpee on scrap paper.)

Goofy #35 - Morton Downey Jr.


Here's a pencil sketch I did when I was doing work for the local Fox affiliate. They carried the Morton Downey Jr. show and wanted some drawings they could use in their newspaper ad campaigns. Here's one that was never used. It's one of the few pencil sketches in the archive.
(Pencil on drawing paper.)

Goofy #34 - Beelzebub McKenzie


Wow, this one is from way back. During the Spuds Mckenzie ad campaign, some of those wacky TV evangelical types were implying that the dog was a soldier in satan's service. Look at the way the broads swoon over him, that has to be the devil's doggie! I left the misspelling intact.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Goofy #33 - Democracy Sucks!


A historical oldie-but-goodie. This one was done right after the walls fell and the Communists skipped town. I think I based it on an evening news story.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #32 - Shat


Years ago, William Shatner was the commercial spokesman for the school I worked for. Mind you, these were the days before Priceline and Boston Legal. These were the days of the fat, unemployable Captain Kirk.
(Sharpee on scrap paper.)

Goofy #31 - Hitler


This one was done in response to a tabloid story about the Nazis working with space aliens.
Heh, any reason to draw Hitler and spacemen.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #30 - Troubled



Another self-portrait, a quick doodle done while talking on the phone.
Bummed as usual. I love the freedom of scribbling with a Sharpee.
(Sharpee on scrap paper.)

Goofy #29 - Diaper


Arg. Don't even ask me what this sketch was all about. It's better left unsaid.
(Felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #28 - Bowling Man


Jeebus, I forgot all about this one. This is another scribble done on the back of a bowling scoring sheet. The guy was on an alley right next to me.
(Sharpee on bowling sheet.)

Goofy #27 - Dapper Fella


Another self portrait done very early on, probably 1985 or so. That's a lot of years and pounds ago. I used this image on my very first resumes.
(Black felt tip on scrap paper.)

Goofy #26 - Road Warrior


I did this one about 25 years ago at one of the ad agencies I worked for. This was my boss after he quipped about the parking lot being something from the Road Warrior.
(Rapidograph on scrap paper.)

Goofy #25 - Cursing


Another self portrait done at work. This was done when we first got computers. It seems all the pictures I do of myself I'm either mad or bummed. Note: In my haste to throw this one together, I didn't notice that I made myself left-handed. Continuity be damned!
(Black ballpoint on note paper.)

Friday, February 09, 2007

Goofy #24 - Pug fez


I don't know why I did this one just a couple months back. I guess I wanted to see a doggy in a fez.
(Micron pens on drawing paper, shaded in Photoshop.)

Goofy #23 - My Father #2


The second 50th birthday cartoon for Billy Devine. There's not a day I don't miss the guy.
(Felt tip on drawing paper.)

Goofy #22 - My Father #1


Here's the first of two cartoons I did for my Father's 50th birthday party back in 1989.
(Felt tip on drawing paper.)

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Goofy #21 - Pitcher


Another baseball player, this time a pitcher. Pitchers just ask to be exaggerated when drawn. I tried to get this hurler in mid-kick.
(Black felt tip on drawing paper.)

Goofy #20 - Batter


Hey! A couple drawings about my favorite sport, BASEBALL!
I could draw the dynamic poses of ball players all day.
Here's a slugger.
(Black felt tip on drawing paper.)

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Goofy #19 - Toolbox Boy


Here's a VERY early self portrait, probably one of the first things I ever drew using technical pens. Yeah, I was a skinny, odd looking dork that carried all my art tools with me to freelance jobs. Now I'm a pudgy, odd looking dork chained to a computer all day. Like sands through the hour glass . . .
(Black Rapidiograph pen on Bristol board)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Goofy #18 - Seagulls


I ran into this poor soul shopping at the grocery store one morning. He got separated from the group he was with, and met me. Lucky me. I loved his T-shirt, so I was compelled to immortalize him.
(Black Sharpee on copy paper)

Goofy #17 - Pist Brothers


Irk and Ire Pist, the Pist brothers. Yet another idea for a strip that never was. (Just look at them and say, "I'm Pist" with a Yiddish accent.)
(Black felt tip and Sharpee on drawing paper)

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Goofy #16 - Shirley


I must have been in a goofy mood from hours in the archives when I did this one.
I stll like it.
(Black Sharpee on copy paper)

Goofy #15 - Kid


I did this after seeing some skater kid down at the mall.
No shite . . . he looked exactly like that. Scary.
(Black felt tip on copy paper)

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Goofy #14 - Burnt Out


I did this one during a long and agonizing staff meeting at the ad agency I used to work in. I added the color marker later in the day. It hung over our receptionist's desk.
(Markers on copy paper)