Cover of Isthmus about Congressman Paul Ryan's Rising Star

Here's a cover I turned in last friday for the newspaper Isthmus. It's about how the Republicans are looking for the next Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal essentially and they see Congressman Paul Ryan as the next one in line for the job. Many thanks to Carolyn Fath for using me on this one.

Janet Hamlin on Bill Maher's "Real Time" (HBO)

My good friend Janet Hamlin's courtroom illustration work was just mentioned in a bit called "New Rules" on his show "Real Time with Bill Maher". Max and I were watching this, and I saw her courtroom art and yelled out, "That's my friend Janet's Work"!. He grabbed his handy camera and "voila", here's what it looked like. Although, I do agree with Maher that courtroom illustration in the modern world is starting to make less and less sense. It is one area of illustration that is obviously going to become a thing of the past. One advantage that illustrated courtroom art has over just a quick cell phone pic is that it manages to interpret, through the illustrator, the mood and climate of the courtroom and all the players involved. A pic can't always express that.

Homage to Peter Bagge for The Stranger in Seattle

Aaron Huffman asked me to do a blatant homage to Peter Bagge in this illustration for an article about radio royalties for performers. I tried to make it more of a hybrid than a blatant copy of Bagge's work. It's somewhere in the middle.

Cavalcade of Food & Restaurant Review Illustrations

In these really hard times I am so grateful to have 2 restaurant review columns to illustrate each week. For the past 7 1/2 years I've illustrated more than 1000 newspaper columns for both The Miami New Times and also The Broward/West Palm Beach New Times in Florida. Thank God for Pam and Michael Shavalier for always keeping me as the illustrator of those columns. I've had to draw everything from sushi to pizza to crawfish to vegetarian dishes and the entire gamut in between. Asian fusion, to french bistro...The corner Deli to very high end cuisine. Half of the dishes I haven't a clue about. I have no idea what they look like and taste like. I usually google to find it or check to see if the restaurant has a website. Sometimes I just focus on the atmosphere and the overall experience. All in all, I do love illustrating for a regular column. Over the years I have illustrated for 13 newspaper columns and some end early and some last a very long time. When I illustrated for Joe Bob Brigg's column "Joe Bob's America", it ran for 10 years and went from Creators Syndicate to the New York Times Syndicate. Sadly, the NY Times Syndicate had no idea how to promote a humorous column like Joe Bob's and they ended it after a 10 year run. they only had it for I think about 2 years. I've also illustrated for an astrology column, a psychotherapy column and a DIY column. But as time wears on, I worry about the newspaper industry and as cartoons get cut, and the fat gets trimmed so they can stay alive, I worry that the columnists will lose their columns and I'll get dropped along with them. My fingers are crossed that newspapers will make the transition to the internet and find a way to survive and eventually thrive.

Financial Shakedown

I did this piece for NY Newsday recently, but it got altered quite a bit and became something else. I did like the original piece and decided to post it here. What do you think?

He's Just Not That Into You, Slumdog Millionaire

Max shot this marquee in his neighborhood. He's always telling me how the movie theatre is combining movies on the marquee that have these hilarious outcomes. Case in point, "He's Just Not That Into You, Slumdog Millionaire". I would give that movie 2 thumbs up.

Emotional Oscar Speeches

Hey there movie lovers! I just finished a spot illustration for Carolyn Fath over at Isthmus in Wisconsin. Here's the fruit of my labor today. I usually don't get too excited about The Oscars anymore, but maybe they'll be better this year? Anyone having an Oscar party? Max and I are completely open.

Flu Season Promotional Illustration

I just ordered a new postcard mailer and decided to send out an image about "Flu Season". Especially while it's hot. I'm deep in the middle of massive promotion on a daily basis now since work has slowed, and many newspaper and magazine budgets are cut down to a mere nub. I have a series of simpler pieces going out all week that are fun and only going to a targeted group of clients and people who've expressed a lot of interest in the past. But, this postcard is a fairly big mailing for me. At least 1000 folks.

My LOST Series

Here's a quick set of illustrations I did over the weekend. The drawings are somewhere between caricature and portrait, mostly because of the time crunch in getting all 13 finished and then the 2 maps. And they had to be used as icons throughout the supplement, so the readability factor was important. I love the show a lot and can't wait for the final season, but it's a difficult show to explain to anyone. The story almost makes zero sense...but, it's fun. It's no "Battlestar Galactica" is all I'm sayin'!

Evil Duck Says "Esther"

Max and I made this annoying little movie after I bought this evil duck from an "Out of The Closet" store for 2 bucks. Here he says "Esther" because we were about to go to see Esther Watson's Show at Billy Shire Fine Arts Gallery in Culver City. Eeeeeerie!

Band Resolutions for 2009

Well, I just wrapped up a vertical formatted illustration about New Year's Resolutions for local bands in St. Louis to go in the music review column of The Riverfront New Times. Here's how it came out.

The Life and Times of Tim, Xavier: Renegade Angel and Superjail

I'm doing some animation here at home over the holiday and I think it's time for some inspiration from Adult Swim and HBO. These shows are so weird and freaky, and yet somehow....funny. You might have to be stoned to appreciate all the psychedelic niblets and nuances on the Adult Swim selections. Tim is just plain silly though.

Watch Superjail randomness in Entertainment Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Open Fly

I did a quick spot illustration for The Stranger up in Seattle this weekend about an actor who left his fly open during a performance of "The Adding Machine". Here's what I came up with. It's a "wee bit" phallic....

Post-It Show Madness

If it's late Fall, then it must be.....Post-It Season! Yes, another post it show is just around the corner at GR2 this weekend. Here's one of my samplings from that show. I'll scan in more and document the show this weekend. See the info card below for the dates and times and location. Hope you all can make it.

More Christmas Madness

I had a feeling that I'd be doing more reindeer and elfin nuttiness. Here's a 1/4 page illustration I did for a review of Christmas cd's. The concept is based on the client's suggestion.

Christmas Consumption

I'm slowly but surely getting my freelance work moving back up to speed since I left Delfino Media. I managed to do at least a couple of jobs a week while I worked there in-house, but now I have to do at least a couple more a week to be back to normal. Here's a piece I turned in friday for New York Newsday about Christmas Consumption. It's basically about whether or not we should bail out Christmas to save the economy and the myth regarding Christmas making or breaking the economy.

Bubble Boy

I have some good news finally! I'm leaving my position as art director of Delfino Media. Trust me, it was a very smart decision. I'm back to freelancing again full-time, but man do I have a lot of promotion to do. I appreciated the job at Delfino, but I was really unhappy with the quality of the projects that we were developing. It was uninspiring and very dull, and I just felt very unfulfilled. But, it was a great education for sure, and I'm grateful just the same. My Boss was and is a fantastic guy.

Here's a spot illustration I did for a client in St. Louis. It was entirely done in Illustrator CS3.

Everyone Loves The Unibrow!

This is living proof that the unibrow is SEXY! Damn Sexy......

Cincinnati Magazine

I turned out this spot illustration this week for Cincinnati Magazine. It was about how living next door to a house showcased on Extreme Home Makeover could be very annoying and problematic. Thought it might be a good little piece to show. I think I'm getting the hang of using Adobe Illustrator for certain kinds of illustrations.

Why Granny Makes Me Laugh

Seriously, Granny is one of the best animated characters out there in adult animation right now. The voice alone, by Dana Snyder, is so wickedly funny. I think he must have based her on Geraldine Page from her performance in "The Dollmaker". Here's a smattering of Granny-liscious moments. I need to have Dana Snyder do a voice for one of my animated characters....soon!

Lyle Lovett for art director Cynthia Wahl.

I did this illustration this morning as a rush for Cynthia Wahl, one of my favorite art directors. I thought it came out fairly well, especially since I'm trying to use Adobe Illustrator more and more with pieces like this. It's not my best program, but I feel like I must become better at how I use it.

It's A Great Sandwich!

I found this old commercial about the Fluffer Nutter Sandwich, straight outta the 1950's. Speaking of Fluffer and Nutter, I am very close to finished finally with my animated short. It runs about 6 and a half minutes long, and I did all by myself. It was like running a marathon. Soon, I'll have it posted here and many other sites and webchannels.

Nutter's Girlfriend

I've been so busy trying to juggle my new venture as an art director of an entertainment company with illustration that I've had virtually no time to blog or post or anything. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a little more often now that my schedule is falling into place a little better. Here's a recent "Fluffer and Nutter" strip.

Peter Lorre Mini Fest!

I went out on a date at The Egyptian to see a double feature of Peter Lorre movies this weekend. It's really fun to see that crazy character up on a giant silver screen in the way that Hollywood intended. The first film I saw was "Stranger on the Third Floor" (1940) and it starred an actress that bore an uncanny resemblance to NBC wunderkind alumni, Tina Fey. The actress who played the Lorre pseudo victim was Margaret Tallichet. She was a starlet from Dallas who later married famed director William Wyler and then chucked a really promising career. I thought she was amazing in this. I sure hope that Peter Lorre's crazy teeth were a part of his character and not his own teeth. The second film was titled "The Face Behind The Mask" (1941). This one was part tearjerking melodrama, and part film noir mobster fun! Here are a couple of clips from both movies. I was actually very moved by Lorre's performance in this one. It's basically a tragedy, but in the noir genre, it's the only way it can make sense. When Lorre approaches the mirror and says "What have you done with my...my face"!, it reminds me of my morning ritual when I first get up to look at my puss in the medicine cabinet.

Pirate Kitten Book Dummy Fun

I just signed up at issuu.com to make this little dummy for my old pirate kitten book. The book has changed a bit since this version, but I thought it would be fun to do book dummies digitally and show them to potential editors. I could just make a version like this in flash too, but this service was so easy and fast. It's also great for making portfolios and embedding them into your websites. All free! Click the small book here if you want to view it at a larger size to read.

Opening of "SIDESHOW"

The opening for Sideshow was really incredible. A very big turnout as you can see. I had a great wall for my pieces that seemed to be the perfect spot for people to check it out and discover what I do. Brad Benedict, the curator, seemed so busy chatting it up with about a million people. Bergamot Station has a pretty big parking lot, but man they need to start thinking about valet parking after the last year because the shows just keep getting bigger and bigger. So, if you are in the area I hope you come see the show while it's up. The Gallery has it up for basically the majority of April. I'm in good company as you can see by the samples here of Colin Johnson, Everett Peck and Van Arno. See the post below for links and more information!

Brad Benedict's Sideshow

I just got back from dropping off 10 paintings for Brad Benedict's curated "Sideshow" at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica. Hope you all can come out for the opening on the 5th of April. That's a week from this Saturday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. 2525 Michigan Ave C2, Santa Monica, California.(at Bergamot Station) Also check out robertbermangallery.com

The Morlock and The Eloi

Yes, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells got me inspired to paint a piece about The Morlock and The Eloi. And, I read an article about how we as a species are evolving into 2 separate species based on rich and poor, which is so very "Time Machiney". I've always been a fan of eating the rich anyway. It's their fault for being so succulent...so delish! Some day in the distant future you may see a Morlock, who slightly resembles me, turning the gears of some underworld mechanism to supply the patrician Eloi with a milk-fed diet of sunshine and moonbeams... only to be devoured by the poor brutish Morlock.

A boy can dream, can't he? (and I would totally rock that Morlock hairdo!)

Brainiac Club

I'm working way into the night to get a bunch of illustrations done, so I have a feeling that I won't be getting an ounce of sleep tonight. I've been working for a company in North Hollywood creating backgrounds for an interactive web game and now I find I am getting up at 4:30 am and doing my editorial work here and then rushing into the Valley to work 8 hours on those backgrounds. Well, I got what I wished for...to be busy. Here's an illustration I just finished about joining the Mensa Group. If you haven't heard of them, it's a group for people with high IQ's. Nerds galore!

Now I'm starting all my finishes for a cover and 2 inside spots for The Washington City Paper. Maybe Tuesday I'll get to sleep again.

Sympathy For The Cyclops (Part Deux)

I finally got around to getting this painting shot. There are still a few more paintings being spiffed up for the Sideshow Show at The Robert Berman Gallery coming up in April. The next one I'm dropping off to get shot is about a Morlock and an Eloi, 2 of my favorite science fiction characters from H.G. Wells' The Time Machine.

Don't Touch My Pic-a-Nic Basket!

I just finished a marathon website posting week, my taxes and now a small illustration for a St. Louis newspaper. I feel like my little stuffed friend here. Tattered and old, but oh so lovable! I'm about to head off to try to get some sleep, but felt like making a small post.

A Little Cupidity

Click this link for something really stupid I made a few years back when I was teaching myself Flash. Notice how odd the lip synch is. But, consider this my Valentine's Day gift to you. Click me for a Special Valentine's Day Message!

The Book of Esther

You can purchase Unlovable comics and products at Funchicken.com or at other fine comic stores and boutiques across the universe. Also, Visit Esther's Site for news and info on her other projects.

Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Poster

I did this poster last year for my friends Paula Killen and Lisa Orkin at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Hollywood. Their show got rave reviews and I've since done another poster for Lisa's one-woman show. One promise I have for myself is to do more independent theatre posters if I can get them. I love illustrating for the Theatre.

Uncle Sam Postcard Mailer

Here's the image I came up with for the next postcard mailing. Hopefully this image says a few things....The Economy, the Government, The Recession. I don't know about you guys, but work is slowing down to a crawl. I guess it's just that deathly tax season crawl that distracts art directors from assigning or maybe they are just told to hold back on their budgets. Either way, it always freaks me out. Speaking of freaking out, I gotta finish my taxes.

Oh yeah, and by the way!!!! I fixed my subscription button to my mailing list. So, please feel free to submit your e-mail address to get updates here. Aw, come on...try it!

Nutter Speaks

I finally learned how to export some animation clips for the web using imovie. This was my test.