MY WORKSPACE PART TWO

Part two of my art studio breakdown...

1. More post-it notes reminding me of looming deadlines or oft-forgotten logins.

2. Art/mail ready for the post office (delivered today!).

3. My dog's pillow when he comes to visit (he opts for the couch instead).

4. Surviving memento from past job.

5. The books that were saved from storage: top top shelf are Marvel Universes and "kids" comics, manga and 2 Parker's that need to be read. Top shelf are books about comics and comics pioneer cartoonists. Top Middle shelf are some essential collections. Bottom Middle shelf are European books I can't actually read, but enjoy making up my own stories to the art.

6. The bottom shelf reserved for oversized books, Kirby Collectors and IDW Artist's Editions that are currently getting all my $$.

7. The Swiffer that only comes out of the corner when my 3 year old wants to play/clean my office.

8. Pics of my dad and the reason I do what I do.

9. Storage shelf housing painting supplies.

10. My jams!

11. My painting alcove.

12. Primed canvases ready and waiting for me to get over my cold feet.

13. Acrylics pulled from the shelf (used for priming).

14. Picture of one of the strangest variety performance groups I encountered on my travels.

15. Picture of the Royal Family of Monaco (whom I also encountered on my travels).

16. 4-color printer proofs from two of my favorite NEW GODS issues.

17. My shirt discarded due to stuffy, poorly ventilated room.

18. The additional bookshelf I had to erect to house more books.

19. Sometimes my bed.

MY WORKSPACE PART ONE

I'm a big fan of seeing other people's workspaces. Fellow artists especially. Below are unstaged panoramic views of mine, in it's current state. Below I have attempted to breakdown some of it's more distinct features to note. 

View #1: 

1. That's my shirt slung over the chair. It can get pretty stuffy in the studio, so chances are I will be in various stages of undress. (I'm currently writing this sans pants).

2. That's a bin where I keep all of my CALARTS handouts and extra lesson plans. I don't know where else to put it.

3. Supply drawer that houses my most used/favorite tools. The top of this drawer is currently being taken over by 3 year old and his "art projects".

4. Huckleberry Hound, Darkseid and Doctor Orpheus standing vigil over ancient answering machine and long past mail that required my immediate attention.

5. Stacks of movies and comics awaiting me to look at.

6. My "on deck" folders of current work that usually travels with me throughout the week.

7. Some inspirational  Denis Bodart drawings.

8. 4 color printer proofs from my favorite NEW GODS issue(s).

9. PAPER!!!

10. Project folders of current projects/jobs in development.

11. Reference books.

12. Old, used up pens...but not used up enough to throw out. Good for inking hair texture or drybrush.

13. Kamandi custom figure figure given to me as a gift from Deane Aikins.

14. Kirby essentials within reach.

15. Reference materials: buildings, inking techniques and color.

16. Markers!!! (those that haven't dried up yet). Cools on top, Warms shelf below.

17. Kirby pages to stare at and be inspired/intimidated by.

18. Post it notes reminding me which job(s) are due immediately.

19. A stool for my short, muppet-like legs.

20. An envelope on deck for post office.

21. Memories/Night Terrors.

22. My (comic related) books that made the cut and not storage bound (yet).

23. IDW Artist's Editions where all my paychecks go.

24. My broken Herman Miller Aeron chair I can't afford to replace.

25. My work satchel AKA "Go Bag" (just like Jack Bauer from 24).

26. I guess I forgot a 26

27. Pillow for when my dog keeps me company (he usually opts for the couch though).

28. TMNT reference I was using (of my own drawings).



HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS GLIMPSE INTO MY SPACE.

THE SECOND PANORAMIC AND BREAKDOWN COMING TOMORROW!!

DICK DICKMAN P.I.: "Hard Boiled Dicking Through the Ages" PAGE EIGHT

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DICK DICKMAN P.I.: "Hard Boiled Dicking Through the Ages" PAGE ONE

Just for fun I think I'll upload a page a day of a short comic I wrote and illustrated a few years ago for Titmouse Animation Studios' Comic Anthology "MOOK". It subsequently made it's way into UK's TRIPWIRE Magazine as well. It's an idea I've had and dabbled with for many years previously--actually since 1995 or earlier! A hardboiled detective story set in the future is admittedly not the most original idea, but it's a fun trope to play in. The main character's design hadn't changed much over the years, which is rare: I typically revise and adjust a character design repeatedly and am never satisfied. What can I say, I know my angry, grizzled, old men. 

ENJOY. 

PAGE ONE

"BULL$HIT!!!"

More playing. Less polished than the Hawkeye piece below, although similar line application.

STILL PLAYIN'...or "HEY HAWK GUY!!"

Still playing with line weights and style...

I'm getting a bit closer to where I'd like to be. It's a slightly tighter than the Prophet sketch below, but still expressive.

MY LOVE LETTER TO "PROPHET"

I just finished my freelance, but not the movie I was watching, so I spent the few remaining minutes drawing (one of) the new incarnations of PROPHET. For those unfamiliar, Prophet was an Image title way back when, now reincarnated and turned on it's ear by Brandon Graham--whom I have a mad artist crush on. It's incredible and so is his other creator owned projects. Check them out.

...In any event, I've been playing with several styles lately to help increase my cleanup speed while not losing or changing my pencils too much, which my previous brush style did. I felt my solid drawings underneath would always graduate over too much towards "animation" style--although still retaining energy, I would lose myself in the literal line work too much, slowing me down. Finished pages became much different beasts, no matter how much I drew realistic, stylistic or whatever, my inks always brought it back to Kirby or cartoons. Again, not bad, but regardless of my intentions that's where I'd always end up.  So this piece may look sloppy, but I'm pleased with how fast I can be with this looser style. I can live with the spontaneous lines and even the stray ones.

Thoughts? Discuss.

"GET BACK TO THE PAST--" and WONDERCON 2013

If you're down in Anaheim at WonderCon this weekend and happen past the IDW Publishing booth, take a gander at this banner...

 I can't confirm what my involvement in this upcoming title will be, but I did provide this cover artwork nonetheless. Here's the non-cropped full version:

Hope you like!

"DIRECT HIT!!!"

So...this happened at approximately 9:30 this morning...

"M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-EEEEE!!!"

YAY! The official press release has rolled out and I can FINALLY say what I've been working on for the past year!! These Mickey Mouse shorts are under 4 minutes, look beautiful and are actually funny!

It was a sort of homecoming coming to Disney; working again with folks like Paul Rudish (who's the exec. producer on these shorts), Jenny Gase-Baker, Aaron Springer, Chris Savino, Derek Dressler, Darrick Bachman, Clay Morrow, Chris Roszak, Chris Hacker, Joseph Holt, Illya Owens, Alex Kirwan, Dave Wasson, Robert Lacko and Stephen DeStefano--all whom I've worked with over the past 12, 13 or so years (mostly on Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, etc)--as well as new, talented friends like Justin Martin, Justin Parpan, Narina Sokolova, Rae McCarson, Alonso Ramirez Ramos, Greg Levitan, Kali Fontecchio, Tara Billinger, Jasmine Bocz and Todd Popp, Steve Lininger, John Chang and Monica Mitchell.

Croissant de Triomphe on Disney Video

YOU CAN ALSO GET 1st MICKEY SHORT HERE!             

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!

SKETCHES FROM ECCC 2013

Seattle's EMERALD CITY COMIC CON was super fun and a huge success! I had a blast and am already looking forward to next year. Thanks to everyone that popped by the booth, said hi and got a sketch, book or prints from me--I nearly sold out of everything which was a first. 

Here's a few sketches I did up there--and of course forgot to take pics of some of the bigger ones (if you have any of those big SAMURAI JACK sketches I did for you, feel free to email me a pic or scan!). The requests were varied, which is good, because so are my drawing styles...

FOOM!!!

In my "WHAT IF--?!" fantasy, a baby Fin Fang Foom would be invited into Matt Fraction and Mike Allred's FF. Heh. Dragons.

MASH UP AND ECCC

Do you like SAMURAI JACK? Do you dig JACK KIRBY? Do you like MASH UPS??

(Was this a terrible idea?)

I just finished "play-drawing", this was the result. I'm thinking about printing a few of these and selling and/or giving away this coming week/end up at Seattle's EMERALD CITY COMICON--where I'll be in the ARTIST'S ALLEY section, BOOTH J-03. Come see me. Buy something!