Tuesday, January 27, 2015

THE ARTLESSNESS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL


So my oldest son is going into middle school.

And like his weirdo parents,
he's less of a math/science kid
and more of an artsy creative kid.

So we've been looking for a school that'll
embrace his creative side.

Problem is...
there are very few schools that 
push the arts.

Sure, there are schools that stress
PERFORMING ARTS...
but not
VISUAL ARTS!

Every school has a 
band
and a
chorus
and 
school plays.

But barely any art classes.

Maybe an
'art on a cart'
teacher might come in once a week.
But even that's disappearing.

WHY?

While playing an instrument 
or acting in a play is a wonderful thing...
how many of those students go on to a career
in music or acting?

I'd like to argue that more careers might come out of 
visual arts training.
Stuff like:

Illustration
Fashion Design
Editorial
Graphic Design
Advertising
Filmmaking
Game Design
Industrial Design
and let's not forget the 
poor saps who get into
Animation

Perhaps teaching visual art
is more subjective than
teaching music or acting?

Perhaps a play or a concert is 
considered more of a big ticket school event
 than an art show?

Everybody likes when their kids make art when they're young

So why are we chasing them away 
from it so early?

Anyway...
one of the schools in our area has some amazing
performing arts magnet programs and 
is just starting a visual arts program.

To apply,
kids need to present a portfolio
of their work.
There's even a place on the application
to include the URL for their online
portfolio if they have one!

LOL
I don't even have an online portfolio!


So we've been compiling some of my son's work
and having him work with an art tutor to help him 
create some new pieces to show.

And he's kinda kickin' butt.

Check it out:







Sooper proud dad over here!


Monday, January 19, 2015

LUNCH WITH VINCENT X. KIRSCH


Last week I got to have lunch with
author/illustrator/craftsman
Vincent X. Kirsch!


I first met him in NYC
where he showed me one of his amazing 
papercraft toy theaters:


He's done lots of really fun books:



Vincent recently moved to LA 
so we got together so he could show me 
some of his latest characters:


He carries a big box
with lots of compartments
that house his little friends.

Here are a couple:


And I totally scored a bunch of signed books:


Thanks, Mr. Kirsch!


He makes wonderful stuff!



Thursday, January 15, 2015

THE SKETCHCARDS OF 2015


Another holiday,
another bucketload
of
sketchcards 
drawn!

And every year I forget to 
take pictures of
all them!

But here are 
some of my 
favorites from
2015:




















Which are your favorites?

And while the free sketchcard offer is 
finished
over
done
and
you can still get signed
prints and stuff
in the mighty

Monday, January 12, 2015

MY SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR COMIC COVER


So I guess IDW
DID
use the cover I illustrated for 
Cartoon Network's
SUPER SECRET CRISIS WAR.

I know this because I
just received
my complimentary copies:



I also know this because
I somehow just noticed the section in the back
that explained that there were
THREE COVERS:


So mine was the 
Retailer Incentive Cover.

I wasn't sure what that meant so I 
looked online and found this:

Here is an example: 

RETAILER INCENTIVE: 
For every 15 copies of JADE: REDEMPTION #1 
ordered, get one Premium edition for $1.00. 
or 
For every 25 copies of JADE: REDEMPTION #1 ordered, 
get one Premium edition FREE. 

While the incentive is more valuable than the regular edition, 
keep in mind that every dealer who fullfills the order requirement gets one.

So mine is the sooper rare one.

AND I'VE GOT
FIVE
OF THEM!

BWA HA HA HA HA!




Thursday, January 8, 2015

SOUL EATER



I know you're going to be all like,

SHUT UP
with all the 
manga
already!


But I can't because
I just got caught up with this series:


I originally read it in the ill-fated
print version of
But after it went online,
I didn't bother to keep up.

Now that so much
manga is available on my iPad,
I'm hanging with the Soul Eater gang again!

It's a weird concept,

Written and illustrated by Atsushi Ōkubo,
the story is set at the "Death Weapon Meister Academy",
and revolves around weapon meisters and weapons that can transform into humanoids. 
Trying to make the latter a "death scythe" and thus fit for use 
by the academy's headmaster Shinigami, the personification of death
they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, 
in that order; otherwise, they will have to start all over again.


I like it for a lot of the same reasons I like

It's a bit cartoony:


The poses get pushed all over the place:







And the characters are weird and funny.
I especially love Medusa and her snake powers:







The anthromorphic Sun and Moon
and an especially freaky/weirdly touch




The series finished in Japan a while ago but we're still
waiting for the last couple volumes here in the States.


Can't wait to see what happens!

But what to read
NEXT?!

Got any suggestions?!







Tuesday, January 6, 2015

TOM OTTERNESS


I got to visit my old
NYC stomping grounds over the holidays.

We ate and drank good:


We went ice skating:


Wandered the 


And got to see the 
natural sculpture of NYC:


Speaking of sculpture,
I was reminded how much I love the work of
when we made our way through the 
14th street subway station.

His work literally
litters the place:


His pudgy little 
characters are tucked into 
all manner of crack and crevice:




I wish I had time to track them all down,
but here are some other pieces he's done for assorted 
other places:








And while I love the work of Mr. Otterness,
he's not without controversy.


When he was young he made an
"art film"
(sic)
where he adopted a dog and then shot it.
He has apologized profusely for doing 
something so heinous in his youth,
but that didn't stop
someone from adding their own
unauthorized fake
Tom Otterness
sculpture to the subway.


Another reason I love
NYC!