"TMNT SEASON TWOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Along with still doing consumer products concept art for the TMNT property, I recently got to do some concept work for the animated series season 2 promotional press art. I love the characters and world so much and think Ciro and Nickelodeon are doing a great job with it all.

Above is the concept they chose...then the final piece done by Nickelodeon below:

Below are unused concepts that didn't end up getting chosen:

"SPAAAAAAAAAACE-HEROOOOOOOESSSS!!!"

A while back I did some freelance for the newest TMNT series. It was an incredibly fun assignment (I have Ciro Nieli & Ireneo Maramba being to thank for being too busy for all the fun work!), paying homage to those old classic Dell and Gold Key STAR TREK comics from the 60s. I haven't posted any of my TMNT work before because it's either top secret, or otherwise prohibited--but since this episode already aired, I think it's safe to! If not I'll take it down. 

 My cover... 

...and a screenshot I saw on the web! 

"...MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!!!"

Because I am doing another project for IDW, I was asked to take a stab at a TRANSFORMERS cover in the animation style of SAMURAI JACK. The evolution of the cover below:

 This was my initial concept sketch.

 Above was the final cleanup--knowing I was just going to self-color the holding lines.

The final painted version. Had I just a little more time, I definitely would've adjusted the colors to Rodimus' feet and shoulders to read better against the backgrounds. Lazy mistake on my part. My bad.

Here's the final printed version that's been released.

TURTLE POWER!!!

So, for over the past two years, I've been quietly working on a little known project people might not have heard of called...THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Yeah, I really hope it takes off. 

Anyway, along with doing a few mutant concepts and miscellaneous images for the new animated incarnation on NICKELODEON, I've been designing all of their consumer products stuff. I was tasked with establishing a 2d line look versus the CG wrap that's on the series. I pulled series producer Ciro Nieli's original sketches and tried to combine elements from the original comic series. 

This has been probably my favorite gig I've ever had--and after 2 years of drawing, it's been so fun to finally see all the products with my artwork on it rolling out. Since most of it is CG artwork OVER my art, I try and grab whatever I can that keeps the 2d line style (although I think someone else does a Livetrace over it in Illustrator).  Like my animation jobs, I also created model breakdowns and construction sheets for other illustrators to draw from, for them to reference for children's books, etc. 

I'm pretty sure I can't post any of my original art, so I scanned a few pages from an already published coloring book I found..."all right's Viacom, etc"...just thought I'd share--and if I can brag for just one second more, my art ALSO adorns little kid's underwear! Enjoy. 

 Yes, I tried to insert Kirby-isms whenever I could!

CHARACTER CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A DIFFERENT COLOR

Most people are familiar with my character design work on more humorous or "cartoony" (Ahh! Bad word!) projects. I recently came across a few old files of conceptual work I did in a more serious/action tone. This was a project I worked on a year or two back that shall not be named yet, but I hope it makes it's way into your boxes soon. I really loved the concept. These designs weren't even CLOSE to the final character design--so it should be safe to post. I have more, but thought it would be fun to show two designs of the SAME character--and (CLASS, PAY ATTENTION), just by adjusting proportions, you can transform the character's personality. Personally, I would LOVE to revisit the bottom character sometime. He reminds me of a Caniff character in an old adventure strip. Anyone game?

MASTER LEGEND

While I'm paaaaaainfully waiting for the printer to complete our respectable order #'s for DOC BIZARRE MD (the latest in store date I have now is 11/30. Yeah, I know. Sigh), as well as the remaining 4 PLASTIC MAN shorts to come back from being animated at TOON CITY in the Philippines (the first 2 are back and turned out GREAT, btw)--AND I'm finishing up my storyboarding duties on MOTORCITY for Disney XD, or, more accurately Titmouse Inc. (or even MORE accurately whatever payroll company they use!), I wanted to update this blog with SOMEthing. Below is more than just something--but a few comic pages I did for the above mentioned Titmouse studios for a Live Action Documentary called SUPERHEROES, about--you guessed it: real-life superheroes. I've only seen an early cut, but from what I gathered it's an awesome documentary. Last I heard HBO picked it up and aired it. I'm not sure what work of mine made it, but was really proud of the pages I did--some of my favorites in this medium, I think. All in all, I did 10 or so--and all were done entirely digitally. I typically don't share work stuff on here (not true), but I've been sitting on these for over a year, so hopefully it's ok if I share a couple images. This was one of my favorite freelance gigs. Enjoy.

As time gets nearer, I will try and post updates about Doc Bizarre's delivery, Plastic Man and a few other things I've got cookin'. T-M-N-T anyone?

"AVENGER TIME!"

I'm usually savvy enough to not post freelance--for a number of reasons, but I thought these were too fun and eventually revised so much they don't appear too similar to the final products, thus hopefully legally off the hook for posting.

The job required parody's of Marvel Super Heroes. Needless to say, it was probably my most favorite job--less any work Marvel wants to throw my way....? *crickets* No? Okay, moving on...

Below, a slight twist on a classic (I think the hat was a nice touch).
The HULK parody below was probably my favorite--as I have a fondness for the sort of hillbillyness of it's design.
And these two, well...
You can see the actual short here: http://www.cartoonbrew.com/tv/mads-marvel-superheroadventure-time-mash-up.html

MARKERS. SIGH.

I'm currently culling through what seems to be endless files searching for additions to do an updated portfolio (I'll be back on the job market soon!), when I came across this old freelance job I had done ages ago. It was being developed from a children's book called MOON DOG, if I'm remembering correctly. I was particularly pleased with the fact I was able to do this giant marker comp in one take (I think it was the scale of this thing that was so daunting)--I remembered being terrified I'd make a stupid mistake three quarters through. Markers are a lot less forgiving than photoshop and the convenience of a "command z"!

"WALLS"!!!

I was super excited to see a feature on the Flash animated short I worked on on the CHARACTER DESIGN BLOG. I probably was Pete Oswald's last choice I suspect and I'm pretty sure everyone else he'd asked balked at the very aggressive, labor-intensive 4-week delivery schedule; so he needed somebody for storyboards and I needed a gig--plus have been wanting to collaborate with Pete for ages, so it worked out all around!

Pete was great to work and collaborate with. He was very open to my ideas and accepted some of my designs as well, even though he's an amazingly talented designer himself. I had forgotten how fun it was to volley creativity back and forth--and I think the end result really showcases that for everyone involved.

The project was called "WALLS" and if you are eligible to vote, it's up for an Annie Award in the Short Subject Catagory.

"UM, WHAT!?"

So, what does THIS:

+ THIS:

Equal?

Apparently THIS:

I just found out I won an Emmy for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation" for Character design!!!

Wow, just two weeks after starting @ Cartoon Network I won an Emmy!? Hehe, okay, okay--it was for Maxwell Atoms' awesome UNDERFIST: "Halloween Bash", which I'd done over two years ago, consequently during that heatwave (--as depicted in that previous post of that time). My sweat is literally infused onto those sheets of 12 field animation paper. The heat was so bad I had foresaken any sort of proper drawing table or apparatus and used my soon-to-be-wive's 'hope chest', which was mere inches away from an air conditioner--the closest to cool I could possibly get. This had been a scary time for me: sort of a "no man's land", half-way point lull in my quest/experiment to stay home and do 'permanent' freelance. This sort of makes it that much more affirming and validating towards time well spent. That being said, I'm so happy and proud of the work I put into that incredible, albeit all-but-forgotten animated special/Billy & Mandy spinoff/pilot. It was a real cartoon--in its truest form and so fun to work on. It was extra special because I not only worked arm and arm with my buddy "Uncle" Phil Rynda, but in some cases, worked directly from development sketches which he had done before me. Plus, he more or less got Adam to hire me--so, thanks Phil! I'd share the Emmy with you, but you already got one! ; )