Garrison's Junk

Christmas Caricatures

2011-12-15T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've had a couple caricature gigs at Christmas parties lately. Instead of doing them with a black marker plus one grey tone, I decided to try it with black plus one color. Takes the same amount of time, but adds a bit of cheer. Check 'em out!

These pics are kinda blurry, because I took them on my phone. But I think you can see them okay. (Click to enlarge.)

Awesome Birmingham restaurant Rojo had a great party, and here are some of the drawings I did there:

I think they came out pretty cute. Folks definitely enjoyed them, so it was a lot of fun. I still have theories about how I could get cartoonier, so I'll keep trying to improve.

Halloween Caricatures

2011-10-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was invited to draw caricatures at a Halloween party last night, and here are my ten faves. (Click to enlarge)

I solved my problem of smearing ink, mostly, by bringing along a little piece of cardboard, which I used to occasionally fan the caricatures as I worked.

I changed from one brand of marker to another, for my gray tone. The new one blends together better.

I'm trying to push myself into cartoonier territory, which I think helped to make this new batch better than the last batch I posted. What do you think?

Zoo Laffs Coloring Contest -- results show

2011-09-10T16:18:00.001-07:00

I recently had a Coloring Contest, over on my weekly webcomic Zoo Laffs. I asked my readers to add color to this pinup (click images to enlarge)--

I received two beautiful entries. One by Nazareth Craig:

... and one by Matt Bixler:

Wow, that's a tough choice! They're both gorgeous. I think I'll combine the two, taking the tinted background and dark, forboding Chickzilla palette that Nazareth used, and dropping in the candy-colored wombat from Bixler's version:

Voila! Prizes will be awarded to both winners.

Zoo Laffs Caption Contest -- results show

2011-09-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago, I held a Caption Contest over at my weekly webcomic, Zoo Laffs. I challenged the readers to create a caption or some dialogue to go with this pinup (click to enlarge) --

Contestants were asked to submit their solutions in the comments below the pinup. Although I got a lot of great entries, nobody's solution quite struck me as the PERFECT answer. So, I've decided to mix and match.

One solution, by Dave, began with the phrase, "Chip Slatherton, Daily Wombat!", which I quite enjoy. He also named the heroine Chickzilla, which I think fits her look. My idea, based on that, is that she is hotel heiress Chica Ramada, and that she's been dubbed Chickzilla by the tabloids.

Several people posited gags on the raunchier side. Which is understandable, considering Chickzilla's short dress and Chip's angle on things. I think there could be a solution which addresses this issue, without getting too crass. How about: "Chip Slatherton, Daily Wombat! Miss Ramada, would you mind keeping your legs together for just two seconds, so I can get a decent photo?"

On the milder side, Kevin came up with:

Bear: Any chance a guy like me has a shot
with a dame like you?

Girl: Bearly.

Bear: What say we take a chance and see what
develops?

Ha! Nice puns, Kev. I thoroughly enjoyed this answer. But since I've fallen in love with the idea of Chip's being a wombat, I don't think I'll go with the bear joke.

Joelle bided her time for a couple weeks, then finally chimed in with an ambitious piece of dialogue, including a complete story arc and the inner thoughts of both characters. A+ for enthusiasm alone, Joelle! And within her solution was the following exchange:

He: How do you stay in such great shape?!

She: By walking fast and kicking little jerks
like you to the curb.

I really like that, because one can plainly see her muscular legs and the curb in the picture. And I like the phrase "kicked to the curb," and judging by Chip's position between Chickzilla and the street, he's clearly in danger of being LITERALLY kicked to the curb.

The rest of Joelle's answer, like Kevin's, expresses the hopeful notion that the two may strike up a relationship, which warms my heart. But for brevity's sake, I think we'd better cut it.

So, in conclusion, by combining my favorite attributes from the answers of both Dave and Joelle, here is the winning solution:

Chip: Chip Slatherton, Daily Wombat! Miss
Ramada, how do you stay in such great
shape?!

Chickzilla: By walking fast and kicking
little jerks like you to the curb.

Prizes will be awarded to both winners.

Caricatures

2011-08-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

I went down to the college campus with Ed Abernathy today, and we drew a bunch of caricatures. Here are mine (click to enlarge) --

I definitely need to work on my caricaturing skills, if I ever want to call myself a proper caricaturist. This one of Wallace is nice, though. I decided to start using one gray marker today, and I think it worked out pretty well.

I love to use my favorite brush pen, but I keep smearing it. I guess I'll have to either be really careful, or else start using a less smeary brand for caricatures. I hated giving people these messy pictures with my fingerprints all over them.

The best one of the day:

Thanks for a fun time, kids!

Zoo Laffs Contest Prizes

2011-08-20T22:10:00.001-07:00

Over at my weekly webcomic Zoo Laffs, I'm holding some silly contests. The winners will be allowed to choose between the following wildly desirable prizes. There are nine of them.

All these things are in okay-but-not-completely-fantastic condition. That's a technical term, often used by professional appraisers.

Sorry for the slightly blurry pictures. I took them with my phone. I assure you these objects are not blurry in real life. (click the pics to enlarge)

==========================================

INSANELY GREAT CLOWN

This guy is seemingly handmade, probably crocheted or knitted or whatever by someone's grandmother. He's super clean and nice. 25" head to toe.

Read about the rest of the prizes by clicking Read More >>, below.

==========================================

VIDEOTAPE ABOUT DUCK MURDERS

55 minutes of exciting, fact-filled duck hunting and calling. Includes instructions on mallard calling, instructions on wood duck calling, and "what sounds to make in different situations with wood ducks responding" !!!

==========================================

VICIOUS BLOODHOUND

Look at this plush feller! He has a whole outfit, and he's about 14" tall, including his hat. Made by Fiesta. Pretend your child is an escaped convict and that Ol' Buford is on his or her trail.

==========================================

JANIS IAN: BETWEEN THE LINES

This LP, once owned by R. Ball (?), features Janis Ian's melancholy hit At Seventeen. This is a good record to play while lying on your back and looking up at the ceiling. And the sleeve would make a lovely wall hanging. (note that it's unglued at the bottom)

==========================================

FUNCTIONAL FLOWER DOG

This seemingly ceramic girl dog has a use, but I don't know what it is. I don't think she's a toothbrush holder, but I'm pretty sure she could hold something. I love her giant eyes. 7" tall, from I. W. Rice Co., Inc.

==========================================

THE LEGEND OF GRIMACE ISLAND, ON VHS

Set sail for a lost world full of Grimaces, with Ronald McDonald and his friends. With Ronald's help, Grimace finds the courage he never knew he had! A Klasky Csupo production, and you can totally tell. Running time approximately 40 minutes.

==========================================

BADASS YELLOW DOG

This is ANOTHER dog, wearing ANOTHER vest. His is black vinyl, so he's kind of a biker-type. Great gift for an outlaw biker, or for a Yellow Dog Democrat. 13" tall, made by Sugar Loaf Creations.

==========================================

WTF EGGBOY FIGURINE

Please don't choose this fellow unless you really love him, because I'd be happy to keep him myself. What were they thinking when they made him? Open him up, and there's a little egg inside. 2 1/4" tall, made by Pot Bellys in 2001. His official name is Little Dipper.

==========================================

COUNT DUCKULA COMICS

This lot of 6 Count Duckula comics, published by Marvel, includes issues 5-8, +12 & 14. They all have Danger Mouse stories in the back, except for #8, which features special guest star Geraldo Rivera. Did I just BLOW your MIND?! Well there's more, if you can take it: #8 is inked by BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and all the art in #14 is by HOWIE POST!!! I know, crazy, right?

Zoo Laffs Coloring Contest

2011-08-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to enter the Zoo Laffs Coloring Contest, please use this high-res image. Click to enlarge, then right-click or control-click to save it. And thanks for entering!

Wanna Be a Zoo Laffs Guest Artist?

2011-07-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

It sure would help me stay caught up on my webcomic Zoo Laffs, if I could occasionally present a strip by a guest artist. Do you want to do one? Drawing comics is fun! Especially drawing funny animals and cute girls. Plus, DummComics has a great following. Your strip will be enjoyed by thousands, and we can put up some links to your stuff or whatever.

You can use my characters -- Alistair Woods, Buckley, Jakey the Jerk, Michael the Armadillo, Perry & Sherry, The Nice Pair, Alex Gander, Onion Puss, HornDog, and Horatio Hamhockefeller -- or, if you think none of them are suited to your gags, you can make up new Zoo Laffs characters.

I'd dig it if your strip carries on in the Zoo Laffs tradition of jokes about girl trouble, revolving around meeting women, maintaining relationships, or suffering breakups. But if you want to buck the trend by exploring other subjects, that's cool too. I won't reject a strip just because it doesn't deal with romantic foibles.

Before you get too into it, email me a rough sketch or scriptlet. This way, if your joke is too similar to one of mine or another guest artist, we can nix it or rework it before you spend much time on it. Email me at cgarrison[at]bham.rr.com.

Don't have an idea for a Zoo Laffs strip? Email me anyway. If I like your work, I might just give you one of mine!

Chris Garrison's Cartooning Workshop

2011-05-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

Calling All Cartoonists!

Forstall Art Center of Birmingham will be hosting a one-day cartooning workshop, taught by me, cartoonist Chris Garrison (creator of Zoo Laffs and founder of the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas). As you draw, I'll help you hone your basic cartooning skills: construction, line of action, silhouette, and expression. As the day progresses, I'll discuss inking, character design, appeal, flair, staging, and storytelling.

You are strongly encouraged to bring your sketchbooks and drawings with you for some informative input. Whether you want to draw superheroes, manga, or breakfast cereal mascots, this workshop will help you to become the BEST cartoonist you can be!

Ages 16 and up.
$75 gets you in, and a very nice set of supplies comes with the deal. And lunch is included!

Saturday, June 25th, 2011
10am - 3pm
at the
Forstall Art Center
(at the Palisades, in Birmingham)

Here are some more samples of my work. Click to enlarge:

My Very Big News

2011-03-27T00:14:00.001-07:00

Wow! Starting now, I have my own weekly web comic! It's called Zoo Laffs, and it'll appear on DummComics.com (the greatest site for web comics of all). A new installment will come out every Sunday. Click HERE to see my first comic!

*note to parents: DummComics isn't always okay for the kiddies.

All That Raz

2011-02-19T07:02:00.001-08:00

First, a bit of background: As you may recall, I drew a couple of guest strips for the web comic 1930 Nightmare Theatre, which runs on DummComics.com. (you can revisit those strips HERE and HERE).

Rad Raz, by Jack Cusumano, is another cool feature on Dumm Comics. It runs every Saturday. It's a fun comic, with a very 80's aesthetic. Raz is a little green whatsit, who's completely despicable in both his personal life and his life as a corporate tyrant. If you haven't been following it, and you want to sorta catch up on the evolution of the strip, start by reading the pre-Dumm incarnation HERE. The comic got something of an overhaul when it started on Dumm Comics, HERE. (use the arrows underneath, to navigate forward).

Now here's my news: Jack Cusumano invited me to do a guest strip for Rad Raz! So I did, and it was posted on the site today. Check it out HERE. Again, I tried to honor the spirit of Rad Raz, while at the same time putting my own spin on it.

Inking in Manga Studio

2011-01-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

You already know about my adventures in digital inking, if you've read these posts on my sketch blog: Inking in Flash, Inking in Illustrator (calligraphic brush), and Inking in Illustrator (art brushes).

Now I've been trying out Manga Studio. I have to say, I think it's pretty awesome! Here are some examples, with different settings on the brushes. With some more dabbling, I think I could figure out several more nice looking methods, too.

I definitely found it faster, easier, more fun, and more accurate to my intentions than inking in Flash or Illustrator.

I've been using the non-vector style, but it can also do vector inking, and I suspect it would be good for that, too. (But note: You only get the vector option if you pay for the expensive version of Manga Studio.)

My Nightmare -- Again?!

2011-01-05T00:40:00.000-08:00

Remember how I drew a guest strip for the web comic 1930 Nightmare Theatre? If not, go back and read all about it in this recent post, HERE.

And now look: I've done another guest strip for 1930 Nightmare Theatre, and it was posted this morning! Check it out HERE.

The Electric Heartbreaker on DVD

2010-12-30T18:14:00.001-08:00

This isn't cartoon-related, but I'll post it here anyway. Years ago, I co-created a live-action short film called The Electric Heartbreaker. Recently, we finally made it available on DVD, with fun extras and everything. If anybody's curious, here are a couple of clips:

official site

facebook

buy it on amazon ($9.99)

My Nightmare

2010-12-20T00:20:00.000-08:00

First, a bit of background: For anyone who doesn't know, DummComics.com is a great site for web comics, featuring new strips everyday, by a brilliant stable of artists. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, they have one called 1930 Nightmare Theatre, by Ricky Garduno. It's an awesome comic.

It's been running for a long while now. If you haven't been following it, and you want to sorta catch up on the evolution of the strip, start by reading the first few installments, starting HERE (then use the arrows underneath, to navigate forward). Read a few pieces from the middle of the run, starting HERE. And read some of Ricky's most recent editions, starting HERE.

Now here's my news: Ricky Garduno invited me to do a guest strip for 1930 Nightmare Theatre! So I did, and it was posted on the site today. Check it out HERE. Like most of the guest artists, I tried to honor the spirit of 1930 Nightmare Theatre, while at the same time putting my own spin on it.

Inking in Illustrator

2010-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

I'm still practicing my digital inking. I tried inking in Flash, then I tried inking in Illustrator with a Calligraphic Brush. Here are my latest experiments -- still inking in Illustrator, but this time using a set of Art Brushes that I made myself.

I get more accuracy this way. I mean, I can really get the ink line to sit RIGHT ON the pencil line, if I want. But I think it has a little less life than the previous two methods I tried. It lacks a certain spontaneity and humanity. Next I'll try inking in Manga Studio.

Inking in Illustrator

2010-11-02T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've dabbled with inking in Flash, and now I'm trying my hand at inking in Illustrator. I'm using the Calligraphic Brush method. I like it okay, I guess. It seems like it's a little more controllable than Flash, but the result sort of feels more cold. I haven't quite made up my mind about it. Neither way is quite as accurate as I might want.

(painted in PhotoShop)

Next I want to try inking in Illustrator using a different technique, before I move on to trying other applications.

Inking in Flash

2010-09-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Since I got my Cintiq, I've been trying to take a little time to dabble in digital inking. I figured I'd start by working in Flash, because I think that's what a lot of other cartoonists do. By watching a few online tutorials and practicing the craft, I think I've managed to achieve a non-horrible level of ability. Check these out:

The challenge is figuring out how to avoid getting those ugly, Flashy-looking lines, that do all kinds of things a computer would do, but real ink would never do. If you click on these and look closely, you can definitely find the tell-tale signs. I think if I tried hard enough, I could get rid of most of those, but the process would take ten times as long. So no wonder so many people allow a certain amount of Flashy-ness in their inking.

After I spend some more time with Flash, I plan to move on and try my hand at inking in Illustrator, and maybe a few other programs.

Recent Sketches

2010-09-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Old Sketches - 1988

2010-08-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

Here's another batch of old sketchbook drawings, this time going way back to the fall of 1988!

If you want to see more old sketches, check out these posts you might have missed:

May, 1992
July, 1996
December, 1999
September, 2006
June, 2007
June, 2008

November, 2009

Comic Jams

2010-04-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

I'm in a club, you know, of middle-Alabama cartoonists, called the Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas. We've recently added some galleries to our web site, and you can see some comic jams here that I've worked on along with the other members:

Comic Jam '08 - The Secret Sorcerer

Comic Jams '09

Turtle Clock

2010-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

I was asked to create a face for a child's clock, and here it is. Whaddya think?

Student Art

2010-02-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

I recently found a whole bunch of slides of my student artwork. These are from high school (ASFA) and college (SVA), so that encompasses the late 80's and early 90's. I decided to scan them, so I could save them on my hard drive for posterity. They're pretty darn student-level, so I'll just put up the twelve least-bad ones here.

Mommy of All Hiccups - Scrolly Comic

2009-12-13T09:57:00.000-08:00

For a little while now, John Kricfalusi (creator of Ren & Stimpy) has been posting rough cartoon storyboards on his blog. These, along with a few similarly formatted web comics I've seen, got me thinking: We ought to coin a term for web comics where you have to keep scrolling down and down and down. I'm suggesting "scrolly comics."

Scrolly comics have their advantages and disadvantages. You lose the beauty of artful panel arrangements. But there's something fun about just continuing to scroll down and down, as you reveal more and more of the story. They're also handy for posting on blogs, which are already set up for continually scrolling down.

As an experiment, I decided to take a 4-page, traditionally-formatted comic I drew recently and turn it into a scrolly comic. (You may have already read it HERE, in its original version, a few months ago.) Here it is in scrolly form:

Do you prefer the traditional version, or the scrolly version? It was easy to transform it, so it occurs to me that any old comic could be quickly turned into a scrolly comic, if anybody wanted to.

Recent Sketches

2009-11-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

Ptooey and Loogie - The Mommy of All Hiccups

2009-07-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

As I told y'all before, my college chum Cheese Hasselberger publishes House of Twelve comics. He said I could contribute something to their upcoming kids' anthology, so I started work on a 4-page Ptooey and Loogie story. And now I'm finally done! (click each page to enlarge)

I said before that I might change the gags in the first half of page 2, and now you can see that I did (just compare this to the rough pencil version).

Ptooey & Loogie - The Mommy of All Hiccups, early pencil draft

2009-05-27T07:50:00.000-07:00

My college chum Cheese Hasselberger publishes House of Twelve comics. He said I could contribute something to their upcoming kids' anthology, so I'm working on a 4-page Ptooey and Loogie story. Here it is in progress (click each page to enlarge) --

I plan to tweak the drawings a bit more, add gutters between the panels, and ink it all nice-like. And I may change out some of the hiccup cure gags in the first half of page 2.

Old Animations

2008-10-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm on YouTube! (Warning: This stuff is kind of PG.)

Here's some stop-motion puppet animation I did as a student, in 1993:

And you can see more of that on the YouTube channel that my buddy John Walker and I put up: YouTube.com/Miltonicity

And here's a short I did for MTV's Cartoon Sushi in 1998:

Blog Trouble

2008-10-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well . . . I wanted to convert my old "classic template" blog to a new blog with "layouts enabled." This turned out to be a whole lot of trouble, where I had to copy each post over to the new blog, one by one. The worst part is that I've lost all my old comments! Not that I usually get that many, but it's nice when someone stops by and says something nice. So everybody please feel free to comment again on your favorite posts!

Old Sketches - 1996

2008-10-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some more old sketches. I believe these are from around July and August of 1996.

I got a grant!

2008-09-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Awesome news: I got a grant from the Cultural Alliance! This is really going to help me make some good progress on Riverside, the animated music video I'm working on.

Riverside blog
More detailed announcement from me
More info about the grant on the Cultural Alliance site

Overflowing Closet

2008-07-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is for an ad for The King's Ranch and Hannah Homes. If you've got too much stuff, donate it to them, and they'll sell it at America's Thrift Stores:

Cell Phone Gator

2008-07-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's an alligator I drew for a company that will put up a cell tower at your lake house. Apparently, they chomp down on the signal and never let go, or something to that effect:

Recent Sketches

2008-06-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

This little drawing was just about two inches tall, but I think I might like it better blown up:

Woodland Creature

2008-06-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, all. This is my cat, Woodland Creature, drawn for my wife's birthday card. She really is gray, tan, and orange (the cat, not the wife):

Marathoner Card

2008-04-20T07:09:00.000-07:00

Here's another little job I got on Elance.com. It's a greeting card, from a line that's specially made for athletic shops or something. This one's for runners.
Then on the inside, it says, "Stairs are tough, when you can't bend your knees." Or something like that. Cute.

Kissy

2008-04-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

I got my first little job on Elance, already! (see last post) The buyer needed a mascot for her blog about romantic advice and fashion tips. She wanted her mascot to be a little bit Beyonce, but also a little bit ghetto, because she's going to be talking a lot of trash:

I never paint stuff in this airbrushy style, but I tried it for Kissy here, and I think she came out pretty good.

This color technique isn't my favorite, but so many modern comics are painted this way nowadays. It gives it a professional feel, which I think will impress the viewer, if only in their subconscious. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they'll be thinking, "Up to date, corporate, trustworthy." Which the client needs, because she'll be selling some of the products she touts on her blog.

My Elance.com Portfolio

2008-03-18T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have a page on elance.com now, although I don't know how much I'll actually use it to get freelance cartooning jobs. A lot of the stuff there has already been seen here on my sketch blog, but it's pretty cool to have it all collected in one place like this. Click below, then go to Portfolio:
chris_garrison.elance.com

Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas

2008-03-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

For the last couple months, I've been putting together an online list / gallery for middle-Alabama cartoonist-types, called Salty 'Ham Cartooneestas. As of today (3/18/'08), we have 22 artists on the page. But there are a bunch more out there who I still want to get on board! If you know any who aren't on the site yet, send them my way:

Breakfast Time

2008-01-11T15:35:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I've never posted this. I didn't realize it was up on youtube until just now, which makes it a lot easier. In June/July of '05, I went to L.A. and worked on this Nickelodeon PSA for my friends at Titmouse.

I did a lot of the animation in the first half, before the place settings appear. The rest was animated by Mike Roush.

Anti-Christmas Card

2007-12-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

13ghosts Poster

2007-12-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a poster I drew for the band 13ghosts:Clockwise from top: Brad, Sammy, Trey, Andrew, Jason, and Buzz.

I tried to "brand" it, so it sort of looks like the style of the music video I'm making for their song Riverside.

Riverside Blog

2007-12-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I've started work on an animated music video. It's a video for the song Riverside, by the band 13ghosts. The song will come out on their upcoming album, The Strangest Colored Lights, in March.
I was posting updates here on my sketch blog, but I've decided to give Riverside a whole blog of its own. So you can click here to visit the Riverside Blog, or you can click the button in the My Other Sites section on the right. All the posts so far have been moved over there.

Thank-You Card

2007-06-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

I got married and moved into a house with my wife! This'll be the card we send out to everybody who helped us get started with their super-extra-generous gifts. Thanks, y'all!

Father's Day Card

2007-06-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad ... and all the other dads out there:

Recent Sketches

2007-06-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Kids' Birthday Cards

2007-02-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Business Card Ad

2007-01-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Here's an ad I put in a comics magazine. Sex sells!

Comics Country

2007-01-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here's an ad I drew for the Comics Journal. It's a two-page spread, so the composition is a bit odd. Imagine that the spine of the magazine (or the "gutter") splits the picture down the middle.

Secret Project

2006-12-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

Sherman Bookmark

2006-12-27T06:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a bookmark I made, starring my girlfriend's favorite little shark.

Old Sketches - 1999

2006-11-22T16:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some more old sketches, this time from late '99 and early 2000.

Secret Project

2006-11-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

Old Sketches - 1992

2006-10-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

Here are some selections from an old sketchbook - the spring and summer of '92.
Check out Spymer's thumbs:

This is Frankenstein's monster, on the upper right:

Here's the singing harp and Jack - note the golden egg. And below that, my old alter ego, Cowboy Rodge:

Concept Sketches

2006-09-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few concept sketches I did for a sci-fi movie monster costume. They're just about to go into pre-production.

This first one is just a blank slate guy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon (a big influence on the director).

Which one do you like best? The froggy guy with the antennae is my personal fave.

Recent Sketches

2006-09-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

Another B'day Card

2006-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

This is based on the baby giraffe at the Birmingham Zoo:

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Train of Thought thought

2006-08-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick sketch, commenting on a friend's children's book cover.

Birthday Cards

2006-08-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Catherine!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Sylvia!

Vacation Painting

2006-06-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

I just went to the beach with my girlfriend. She took some acrylics, and I started messing around with them one morning, before she woke up. Here's what came out:

Selves Portrait

2006-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Children's Book

2006-04-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

Children's Book

2006-04-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Children's Book

2006-04-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Bone Town update

2006-04-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a new version of the Bone Town posterette, with warm golden brown colors stolen from this piece by Heath.

Children's Book

2006-04-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

Lester Lobster

2006-03-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Just Sketches

2006-03-12T10:31:00.000-08:00

Bone Town Showdown

2006-03-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Book Sketches

2006-03-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here are some early sketches for a children's book I might illustrate.

Us Two

2006-01-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

Me and my Sylvia (best girl ever).

Gil's Wives

2006-01-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Felano-lami, Manini, Saranimsay, and Boshnipu.

Gil' and Enk' with Full Armor and Mounts

2006-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

Utnapishtim and Urshanabi

2006-01-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

Utnapishtim, aka the Far-Away, who lives forever at the mouths of the rivers. Also, Urshanabi, the boatman.

Ishtar and Samishu

2006-01-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Goddess of Love and War, and one of her priestesses.

Humbaba

2006-01-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

Humbaba - Guardian of the Cedars. He wears seven layers of armor.

Enkidu and Gilgamesh

2006-01-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

But I think I'll change Enk's design.

Bronco

2006-01-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

I made this mock-up movie poster, to go with an action-comedy screenplay I wrote with my buddy John Walker, III.

A Party For Arty

2006-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a poster I drew for a short film, produced by Pantu-Tanosimi Corporation of America.

So You Want to Make a Movie

2006-01-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

A brief excerpt from a pamphlet I wrote and drew for Birmingham's Sidewalk Motion Picture Festival. They show it to high schoolers, to give them tips and tricks on making short films. Download the whole, 4 page thing as a pdf, here (on the upper right).

Eberhard Sketches

2006-01-28T08:58:00.000-08:00

Eberhard Faber the 8th is an arctic wolf, and heir to the pencil fortune. And he's a glam rocker. Early sketches.

Gritter Aging

2006-01-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

Professor Pantywinkle

2006-01-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

Gritter - The Scam in Alabam'

2006-01-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

This is the first page of a comic I did for Greater Birmingham Ministries. It explains all about the problems with campaign finance in Alabama. You can read all six pages at The Scam in Alabam'.

Love's Rich Bounty

2006-01-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

This is from an old cartoon I made for MTV's Cartoon Sushi. You can see the whole thing (it's about a minute) at Love's Rich Bounty.

Oogataki Bookmark

2006-01-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Televangelist Ray Lovelady sends his Glory-bot to bring a message of salvation to the people of Cincinnatti.

Heyyy 02

2006-01-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

Heyyy

2006-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

Day One

2006-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

Heath made me start this. Are you happy now, HEATH?!!