Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Many Times and Many Ways
Merry Christmas!
I’m still working on those holiday greetings.
Here above, is a totally misleading sample of some of my work so far - rough sketches colored in Photoshop. This year I’m returning to the TAGS characters... in national costumes. Atypical of TAGS art, but necessary for the theme, are pants and shoes.
Now I've gotta get back to it.
Happy new year, too!
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday - Extra
TUFF-GIRL vs. ED BENEDICT
Ed Benedict was an animator and layout artist who, in his work for Hanna-Barbera Studios, helped design many of its early television series including The Flintstones.
Character design and animation of this period had almost everything to do with economy, or in other words solutions to limited television budgets. As result you have a lot of characters who stand and talk, characters in lengthy walk cycles and running cycles (against repeating backgrounds) also usually talking, and characters with convenient accessories of collars and neckties that clearly define the body and a talking head.
This design is a caricature of anatomy and not very reliant upon a working skeletal structure. Peculiar to The Flintstones, for example, are Wilma’s and Betty’s skirts which operated more like puffs of fur from which their legs may protrude in any direction without, for the most part, disturbing the puff’s shape.
A large part of the joy of drawing The Flintstones are not only the fanciful dinosaurs but even more fanciful low-tech gadgets. How is it possible to cobble together a motor bike using stone wheels, logs, a tortoise shell and bee hive? If only real engineering were as easy and fun.
In the concept sketches, I tried giving Wichita a saber-tooth look which only complicated the fuzzy muzzle I wanted to keep in the design. The layout on the whole is not, admittedly, consistent with the original Flintstones series in which all action takes place parallel to the screen, left, right, up and down. Fred always made U-turns off screen. The change from a running dinosaur was to better fit it in frame without worrying about its tail, and benefitted from having a more interesting twist in its posture and its head popping out over the hill in groundhog fashion is a better visual than merely a hungry dino.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. CRAIG McCRACKEN
A lot of the designs of The Powerpuff Girls (PPG) were co-developed by both Craig and Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory). With both having worked at Hanna-Barbera on Two Stupid Dogs, it’s not surprising that both their first shows, PPG and Dexter’s Lab, carry on the H&B style. I describe much of the style as a theory of letting shapes be interesting first and descriptive or representative second. So there are irregular zig-zagging lines which could be a row of teeth, fingers or a torn shirt and loopy curls which could be puffs of hair, a tree canopy or a bunch of flowers.
It’s possible that from his work on Batman, The Animated Series, Genndy imbued strong lines of action to character designs, often as unbroken arcing lines on one side of an arm or leg.
As a pre-wide-screen series, rarely did PPG have more than three characters in an action scene, and as such, this layout is too busy as a faithful show set-up. This is really two scene squeezed together. Although I’d like the focus up front, but it’s kind of better to flatten the space to have Tuff-Girl more fighting along side all three Powerpuff Girls.
My first concept sketch is a post-battle, victory scene. This is what I do when I haven’t figured out what the characters look like. Once I’ve a design (and in a sense am bored with it), then more interesting poses come out as an expression of “I wonder what else this character can do?”
My Dexter’s Lab styled Tuff-Girl and Wichita would probably be the same as this. And I probably change little for a Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends style, also a show by Craig.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. MAN OF ACTION
Ben 10 was created by a group by the name of Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly and Steven T. Seagle). Although drawing upon stylistic influences of comic books and Japanese Anime, much of what ended up on screen became less stylized, more rounded and generally having less of a distinct style. This then became my biggest struggle – what does a Ben 10 styled Tuff-Girl look like? My solution mostly relies on a bigger head and an Omnitrix hour-glass motif worked into her costume.
My choice to draw Diamondhead as Ben’s alien-hero transformation did come from his sharp, crystal edges being a reasonable contrast to Tar Bear’s sloppiness. It is also a reflection of how much more comfortable I am now drawing him than seven years ago. Diamondhead was mostly designed to be seen in certain angles that allows his brow/ visor to naturally form a “V” for an intense gaze. There are other little details of his design that don’t work in three-dimension, so half about Diamondhead is figuring out a cheat for a better, stronger pose.
I like having Tuff-Girl (and Wichita) chasing Dr. Animo. Story-wise, once T.G. catches Animo the fights over and the action’s done and that’s not what you want on your comic book cover. Having decided to change the layout to have T.G. in the foreground, Animo still had to be in the fight.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. PENDLETON WARD
Pendleton Ward created Adventure Time. Although he worked as a storyboard artist on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, there is perhaps no one source of stylistic influence for the show’s design.
For sure there are a lot of small button eyes, big round heads, rubber-hose arms and legs, small 3-fingered hand and a general absence of noses. Although none of these are shared by Tuff-Girl’s traditional design, it’s perhaps due to these that so much fell into place quickly. A lot of stylized Tuff-Girl draws upon the Fionna character design as opposed to series regulars like Princess Bubblegum or Marceline the Vampire. Stylized Wichita is somewhat based on a wolf cub that appeared in an episode. Stylized Eagle One could be based on any of the rugged warriors that pop up in the series.
The back story also seemed to fall in place quickly. As the last of the four scenes I was creating for this celebration, the victory moment also seemed appropriate.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. IWAO TAKAMOTO
Iwao Takamoto was a Japanese-American Animator who was a production and character designer for Walt Disney Productions and for Hanna-Barbera design characters for such shows as Scooby-Doo.
My exploration here is a slightly shorter Daphne in a simplified Tuff-Girl costume. Given how this basic girl design served as the house-style over many years, there wasn’t any reason to push it further.
Wichita is her same silhouette with Scooby eyes.
TUFF-GIRL vs. GLEN MURAKAMI
Glen Murakami is an animator, animation director and producer known for his work on Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and the Ben 10 series Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.
My exploration keys in on Murakami’s signature style of strong posing and lines and sharp definitive corners. A finer tip pen would have helped. Her costume has much larger areas of black than I usually design just to take advantage of Glen’s sense of using strong black shapes in his designs.
Wichita’s design is almost all made up as his designs for terrestrial, four-legged creatures is rare, especially small, furry ones.
Ed Benedict was an animator and layout artist who, in his work for Hanna-Barbera Studios, helped design many of its early television series including The Flintstones.
Character design and animation of this period had almost everything to do with economy, or in other words solutions to limited television budgets. As result you have a lot of characters who stand and talk, characters in lengthy walk cycles and running cycles (against repeating backgrounds) also usually talking, and characters with convenient accessories of collars and neckties that clearly define the body and a talking head.
This design is a caricature of anatomy and not very reliant upon a working skeletal structure. Peculiar to The Flintstones, for example, are Wilma’s and Betty’s skirts which operated more like puffs of fur from which their legs may protrude in any direction without, for the most part, disturbing the puff’s shape.
A large part of the joy of drawing The Flintstones are not only the fanciful dinosaurs but even more fanciful low-tech gadgets. How is it possible to cobble together a motor bike using stone wheels, logs, a tortoise shell and bee hive? If only real engineering were as easy and fun.
In the concept sketches, I tried giving Wichita a saber-tooth look which only complicated the fuzzy muzzle I wanted to keep in the design. The layout on the whole is not, admittedly, consistent with the original Flintstones series in which all action takes place parallel to the screen, left, right, up and down. Fred always made U-turns off screen. The change from a running dinosaur was to better fit it in frame without worrying about its tail, and benefitted from having a more interesting twist in its posture and its head popping out over the hill in groundhog fashion is a better visual than merely a hungry dino.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. CRAIG McCRACKEN
A lot of the designs of The Powerpuff Girls (PPG) were co-developed by both Craig and Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory). With both having worked at Hanna-Barbera on Two Stupid Dogs, it’s not surprising that both their first shows, PPG and Dexter’s Lab, carry on the H&B style. I describe much of the style as a theory of letting shapes be interesting first and descriptive or representative second. So there are irregular zig-zagging lines which could be a row of teeth, fingers or a torn shirt and loopy curls which could be puffs of hair, a tree canopy or a bunch of flowers.
It’s possible that from his work on Batman, The Animated Series, Genndy imbued strong lines of action to character designs, often as unbroken arcing lines on one side of an arm or leg.
As a pre-wide-screen series, rarely did PPG have more than three characters in an action scene, and as such, this layout is too busy as a faithful show set-up. This is really two scene squeezed together. Although I’d like the focus up front, but it’s kind of better to flatten the space to have Tuff-Girl more fighting along side all three Powerpuff Girls.
My first concept sketch is a post-battle, victory scene. This is what I do when I haven’t figured out what the characters look like. Once I’ve a design (and in a sense am bored with it), then more interesting poses come out as an expression of “I wonder what else this character can do?”
My Dexter’s Lab styled Tuff-Girl and Wichita would probably be the same as this. And I probably change little for a Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends style, also a show by Craig.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. MAN OF ACTION
Ben 10 was created by a group by the name of Man of Action (Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly and Steven T. Seagle). Although drawing upon stylistic influences of comic books and Japanese Anime, much of what ended up on screen became less stylized, more rounded and generally having less of a distinct style. This then became my biggest struggle – what does a Ben 10 styled Tuff-Girl look like? My solution mostly relies on a bigger head and an Omnitrix hour-glass motif worked into her costume.
My choice to draw Diamondhead as Ben’s alien-hero transformation did come from his sharp, crystal edges being a reasonable contrast to Tar Bear’s sloppiness. It is also a reflection of how much more comfortable I am now drawing him than seven years ago. Diamondhead was mostly designed to be seen in certain angles that allows his brow/ visor to naturally form a “V” for an intense gaze. There are other little details of his design that don’t work in three-dimension, so half about Diamondhead is figuring out a cheat for a better, stronger pose.
I like having Tuff-Girl (and Wichita) chasing Dr. Animo. Story-wise, once T.G. catches Animo the fights over and the action’s done and that’s not what you want on your comic book cover. Having decided to change the layout to have T.G. in the foreground, Animo still had to be in the fight.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. PENDLETON WARD
Pendleton Ward created Adventure Time. Although he worked as a storyboard artist on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, there is perhaps no one source of stylistic influence for the show’s design.
For sure there are a lot of small button eyes, big round heads, rubber-hose arms and legs, small 3-fingered hand and a general absence of noses. Although none of these are shared by Tuff-Girl’s traditional design, it’s perhaps due to these that so much fell into place quickly. A lot of stylized Tuff-Girl draws upon the Fionna character design as opposed to series regulars like Princess Bubblegum or Marceline the Vampire. Stylized Wichita is somewhat based on a wolf cub that appeared in an episode. Stylized Eagle One could be based on any of the rugged warriors that pop up in the series.
The back story also seemed to fall in place quickly. As the last of the four scenes I was creating for this celebration, the victory moment also seemed appropriate.
[final color art]
TUFF-GIRL vs. IWAO TAKAMOTO
Iwao Takamoto was a Japanese-American Animator who was a production and character designer for Walt Disney Productions and for Hanna-Barbera design characters for such shows as Scooby-Doo.
My exploration here is a slightly shorter Daphne in a simplified Tuff-Girl costume. Given how this basic girl design served as the house-style over many years, there wasn’t any reason to push it further.
Wichita is her same silhouette with Scooby eyes.
TUFF-GIRL vs. GLEN MURAKAMI
Glen Murakami is an animator, animation director and producer known for his work on Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and the Ben 10 series Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.
My exploration keys in on Murakami’s signature style of strong posing and lines and sharp definitive corners. A finer tip pen would have helped. Her costume has much larger areas of black than I usually design just to take advantage of Glen’s sense of using strong black shapes in his designs.
Wichita’s design is almost all made up as his designs for terrestrial, four-legged creatures is rare, especially small, furry ones.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday - part 4 of 4
What would happen if Tuff-Girl and Wichita found themselves transported to the Land of Ooo of Adventure Time?
Original animation in the last five years of the network’s first 20 years (2007-2012) were marked by 2 things.
The first is investing in the action show. Besides the three (so far) spin-off Ben 10 series, three new action shows premiered: Secret Saturdays, Generator Rex and Sym-Bionic Titan. This far out paces the first fifteen years which only saw two original action shows premiere. And where these three may have failed to win big audiences, partnerships with Lucas Films Animation and DC Comic/ Warner Brothers Animation helped to satisfy viewers’ craving for a good, fantastic battle with the likes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-present), Young Justice (2010-present) and Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011-present).
The second, arguably, is the ironic or non-sequitur comedy of a post-Simpsons world. Chowder (2007) and The Marvelous World of Flapjack (2008) were the first to hit with their unique worlds of characters and their ever more outrageous comic adventures. The two series which had quickly to dialed in on the right mix of funny and weirdness are Adventure Time (2010-present) and Regular Show (2010-present).
Happy 20th birthday, Cartoon Network.
I think that not only would Tuff-Girl and Finn get along well, a young woman who loves bashing a baddie and a boy whose life seems to be an endless if reckless adventure, but Finn would probably have a crush on the power-house in red.
Wichita, by contrast, would be absolutely freaked out by Jake’s stretching abilities.
Eagle One and Ice King would initially find common ground in mayhem and destruction and shared admiration of the ladies of the land. But the buds would inevitably parts ways with Ice King’s jealousy of Eagle One’s successful flirtations with a few princesses, and Eagle One’s growing suspicions that the King is kind of a weirdo.
 |
| “Adventure!” Digital color over cleaned scan of India Ink |
The first is investing in the action show. Besides the three (so far) spin-off Ben 10 series, three new action shows premiered: Secret Saturdays, Generator Rex and Sym-Bionic Titan. This far out paces the first fifteen years which only saw two original action shows premiere. And where these three may have failed to win big audiences, partnerships with Lucas Films Animation and DC Comic/ Warner Brothers Animation helped to satisfy viewers’ craving for a good, fantastic battle with the likes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-present), Young Justice (2010-present) and Green Lantern: The Animated Series (2011-present).
The second, arguably, is the ironic or non-sequitur comedy of a post-Simpsons world. Chowder (2007) and The Marvelous World of Flapjack (2008) were the first to hit with their unique worlds of characters and their ever more outrageous comic adventures. The two series which had quickly to dialed in on the right mix of funny and weirdness are Adventure Time (2010-present) and Regular Show (2010-present).
Happy 20th birthday, Cartoon Network.
I think that not only would Tuff-Girl and Finn get along well, a young woman who loves bashing a baddie and a boy whose life seems to be an endless if reckless adventure, but Finn would probably have a crush on the power-house in red.
Wichita, by contrast, would be absolutely freaked out by Jake’s stretching abilities.
Eagle One and Ice King would initially find common ground in mayhem and destruction and shared admiration of the ladies of the land. But the buds would inevitably parts ways with Ice King’s jealousy of Eagle One’s successful flirtations with a few princesses, and Eagle One’s growing suspicions that the King is kind of a weirdo.
I have worked as a staff artist for Cartoon Network since 2001.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday - part 3 of 4
What would it look like if Tuff-Girl and Wichita teamed up with alien-transforming Ben Tennison against their arch rivals The Tar Bear and Dr. Animo?
I consider the first half of Cartoon Network’s second decade (2002-2007) the years that the network tried stuff.
By the numbers (which may be as misleading as they might be instructive), CN premiered 16 produced or co-produced cartoon series, more than its first five years (naturally), second five years or most recent five years (4, 9, 14). This period was also busy with seven shows that were still in production from the previous decade. With hits like Codename: Kids Next Door, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Ben 10 and popular shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Chowder this period had a respectable average show life of 2.6 years for it’s new shows, although not quite as healthy as the 3.6 years average for the prior five year period.
While the first decade drew heavily on the legacy of Warner Brothers’s and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, these five years has the Network seemingly trying to dial in on a winning formula. First identified by a colleague, the most repeated set-up popping up in these five years is the “boy and his best thing friend” show. For example, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends featured a young boy (Mac) and his imaginary friend (Blooregard). My Gym Partner’s a Monkey had Adam and Jake Spidermonkey. Squirrel Boy had Andy and Rodney the squirrel. Even “Billy and Mandy” is a little like that too.
Before the its 15th birthday, the Network showed that it was also willing to extend beyond the limits inherent of having a such a clearly and narrowly self-defining name of “Cartoon Network” by trying its hand with a live-action/ animation hybrid show, Out of Jimmy’s Head.
Here I drop Tuff-Girl and Wichita in the middle of the Network’s only second action show, Ben 10 (Samurai Jack being its first). With my choice of Ben’s many alien hero transformations, I thought Diamondhead’s sharp edge, crystal forming abilities would contrast well with The Terrible Tar Bear’s slop slinging. Dr. Animo then becomes a natural addition as the nefarious force that takes control of The Tar Bear’s mind, and perhaps imposes mutant changes on the goopy bruin.
 |
| “Omni-Team” Digital color over cleaned scan of India Ink |
By the numbers (which may be as misleading as they might be instructive), CN premiered 16 produced or co-produced cartoon series, more than its first five years (naturally), second five years or most recent five years (4, 9, 14). This period was also busy with seven shows that were still in production from the previous decade. With hits like Codename: Kids Next Door, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends and Ben 10 and popular shows like The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy and Chowder this period had a respectable average show life of 2.6 years for it’s new shows, although not quite as healthy as the 3.6 years average for the prior five year period.
While the first decade drew heavily on the legacy of Warner Brothers’s and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, these five years has the Network seemingly trying to dial in on a winning formula. First identified by a colleague, the most repeated set-up popping up in these five years is the “boy and his best thing friend” show. For example, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends featured a young boy (Mac) and his imaginary friend (Blooregard). My Gym Partner’s a Monkey had Adam and Jake Spidermonkey. Squirrel Boy had Andy and Rodney the squirrel. Even “Billy and Mandy” is a little like that too.
Before the its 15th birthday, the Network showed that it was also willing to extend beyond the limits inherent of having a such a clearly and narrowly self-defining name of “Cartoon Network” by trying its hand with a live-action/ animation hybrid show, Out of Jimmy’s Head.
Here I drop Tuff-Girl and Wichita in the middle of the Network’s only second action show, Ben 10 (Samurai Jack being its first). With my choice of Ben’s many alien hero transformations, I thought Diamondhead’s sharp edge, crystal forming abilities would contrast well with The Terrible Tar Bear’s slop slinging. Dr. Animo then becomes a natural addition as the nefarious force that takes control of The Tar Bear’s mind, and perhaps imposes mutant changes on the goopy bruin.
I have worked as a staff illustrator for Cartoon Network since 2001.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday - part 2 of 4
What would it look like if Tuff-Girl and Wichita met The Powerpuff Girls?
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“Puff and Tuff”
Digital color over cleaned scan of India Ink.
|
The second half-decade of the Network (1997-2002) are it’s formative years, the time in which are developed and created the shows that continue to be referenced as to what a Cartoon Network is. Within these years, Dexter’s Laboratory and Johnny Bravo are continuing with new episodes, and The Powerpuff Girls, Grim and Evil and Samurai Jack are launched. Also, with in this time frame, the late night block, “adult swim” is launched.
Tuff-Girl shares this with The Powerpuff Girls: super strong girl fights bigger monsters and bad guys. But then, that also describes a lot of super-powered heroines including Wonder Woman.
I think each of the PPG’s is probably stronger than Tuff-Girl, and they certainly have more powers. The set up is in the tradition of most cross-over team-ups where the kick off event involves the bad guys in a cross-over team-up first. Here PPG nemesis Mojo Jojo manipulates TG villain, Rip Tyler into another overly complicate scheme against The Powerpuff Girl. Naturally the heroes must combine their forces in response.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday, part 1 of 4
Cartoon Network celebrated it’s 20th birthday officially earlier this week on Monday, Oct. 1, 2012.
I have already contributed my artist skills to the celebration. First with my piece “Monkeys versus Robots” which I have previous posted and discussed. The second was as one of five artists to create, develop and refine the Network’s official art of “a thousand characters”, not literally.
In a fit of “what shall I draw now?”, (they do come in fits) I started musing on the idea of having Tuff-Girl meet some CN characters. It’s a key part of my day job to draw like some one else, and frankly it just seems to be a primary artistic goal of mine (one such expression of which has yet to come in my postings of TAGS).
With all my ambitions, I can’t do 20 idiomatic scenes, but four, I believe, I can do before I start on my Christmas plans.
This first one represents the beginning, the first five years, because why not? The launch of this new 24-hour network began, as most do, with the acquisition of existing content. I was excited, 20 years ago, to have a destination to see again The Flintstones, Johnny Quest, Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes. I may have been less excited about The Snorks and Yogi’s Space Race.
In almost no time, the Network began producing it’s own shorts and before its fifth year, Space Ghost has his own wacky talk show and Dexter was creating mayhem in his laboratory.
 |
| “Unrockable” Digital color over cleaned scan of India Ink. |
I have already contributed my artist skills to the celebration. First with my piece “Monkeys versus Robots” which I have previous posted and discussed. The second was as one of five artists to create, develop and refine the Network’s official art of “a thousand characters”, not literally.
In a fit of “what shall I draw now?”, (they do come in fits) I started musing on the idea of having Tuff-Girl meet some CN characters. It’s a key part of my day job to draw like some one else, and frankly it just seems to be a primary artistic goal of mine (one such expression of which has yet to come in my postings of TAGS).
With all my ambitions, I can’t do 20 idiomatic scenes, but four, I believe, I can do before I start on my Christmas plans.
This first one represents the beginning, the first five years, because why not? The launch of this new 24-hour network began, as most do, with the acquisition of existing content. I was excited, 20 years ago, to have a destination to see again The Flintstones, Johnny Quest, Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes. I may have been less excited about The Snorks and Yogi’s Space Race.
In almost no time, the Network began producing it’s own shorts and before its fifth year, Space Ghost has his own wacky talk show and Dexter was creating mayhem in his laboratory.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Weather Girl
 | |
Tuff-Girl.
conceptual sketch. |
Do super-heroes wear rain coats? A few wear trench coats, but rain gear when it’s raining? No? Well, I think that they should.
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| detail. |
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Sketch Arm Strong
Dragon*Con 2012, Aug. 31 - Sept. 3, Atlanta, GA —
Thanks to the folks at Dragon*Con for a great freshman outing at their Artist Alley.
Thanks to some of the folks who discovered my table and Unstoppable Tuff-Girl: Richard, Leo, Todd, Ariel, Amanda, John, Bill, Kevin, Brian, Jim, Bob, Elizabeth and Sandra,
These are a few of the comissioned drawing I did D*C weekend.
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| Steampunk Ariel |
Thanks to the folks at Dragon*Con for a great freshman outing at their Artist Alley.
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| Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) |
Thanks to some of the folks who discovered my table and Unstoppable Tuff-Girl: Richard, Leo, Todd, Ariel, Amanda, John, Bill, Kevin, Brian, Jim, Bob, Elizabeth and Sandra,
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| Princess Aurora |
These are a few of the comissioned drawing I did D*C weekend.
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| Lady Loki |
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| John Carter |
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| original Dungeons & Dragon avatar |
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Dragon*Con 2012 - Somewhere in There
See ya’ll there.
Keeps on Kickin”
“They’re Not Going To Lick Me.”
Digital mixed media
Here’s more of the art I created for my Dragon*Con announcement, the first time that I’ll have a table at the Atlanta fantasy/ science fiction fan convention. After this year’s Wonder Con show (Anaheim, CA) and Heroes Convention (Charlotte, NC), both of which I depicted city icons, I wondered in what way should I best capture Atlanta.
The answer: “Gone With the Wind”. Points to you if you recognized it as such. The title is a direct swipe from Scarlet O’Hara’s famous line in the movie “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they’re not going to lick me.
I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be
hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or
kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.” The defiant tone is right for Tuff-Girl, although I’m not sure what circumstances would drive her to “lie, steal, cheat or kill.” That, I guess, are things Merrill, I and the readers can look forward to finding out in future adventures. Tuff-Girl’s gesture also borrows from that moment.
However, the layout with silhouetted tree framing the scene and the mansion in the back ground are from a different part of the film.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Get Your Dragon On
Dragon*Con has confirmed that I will have a table this year, which will be the first year that I will be on the opposite side of a table at D*C.
Also, writer Merrill Hagan has confirmed that he will be available to show at my table on all four days of the con!
Actual location and table number is yet to be announced. If you’re looking for us, you may also want to look under “Monster Enterprises” in D*C’s guide book.
UPDATE: (08/31) We’ll be at Comics Artist Alley Table “T52” in the Grand Hall East on the Exhibit Level of the Hyatt Regency, listed as “Bryan Mon” in the program.
This would be the point of my official con post/ notice where I announce that I would be accepting pre-orders for commission sketches. Unfortunately, I can’t with D*C now less than 10 days away. I do expect to have my daily commission schedule wide open during the con, what with being a largely unknown artist with a largely unheard of book.
And speaking of my book. We’re looking forward to premiering issue No. 2 of Unstoppable Tuff-Girl at Dragon*Con!
I hope to see you there!
“Belle” and “Beast”
Convention sketches.
red pencil, India Ink and marker on Comic book backing board.
TAGS June 5, 1994
Sunday, 06/05: Jill’s not impressed.
Black and white: black India Ink on paper as originally published.
Black and white: black India Ink on paper as originally published.
As I’ve probably said previously, I tended to use the expanded format of TAGS’ Sunday editions to explore storytelling with more pantomime and less dialogue. This is inspired by I don’t know what. It, I don’t think, was newspaper comic creator heroes, Charles’s Peanuts, Hank Ketcham’s Dennis the Menace or Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes. If I were to site any thing it would be the few story board examples I was exposed to in books like The Art of Walt Disney(1) and The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation(2).
Here Jill (reindeer, 4th appearance) and Vern (horse, 4) spend time in the Impressionists gallery of a fine art museum, and I go for the obvious joke of having Jill do impressions of the other gallery guests to keep herself occupied.
I would some times muse that I should just have made hoofed characters like Vern and Jill wear gloves a la Porky Pig. It would have and still would make little things like gestures easier to draw and be communicative.
In panel 1, I hope that even in this black and white rendition the painting is easily identifiable as a TAGS version of Georges Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island La Grande Jatte”.
All of the ancillary characters were inspired by the crittatures that were featured in my defunct BackStage and Stagelights comics, the lunch period doodles I wrote and drew when I worked for Disneyland Restaurants.
(1) Finch, Christopher. Lasseter, John. The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to The Magic Kingdoms and Beyond. Harry N. Abrams, new edition 2011 hard cover ISBN: 9780810998148. Cover price $85.00
(2) Thomas, Frank. Johnston, Ollie. The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Hyperion Books, 1995 hard cover ISBN: 9789990080506. Cover price $60.00. 2000 soft cover ISBN: 9780786885060. Cover price $29.95.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Monkeys Versus Robots: Fight Card
Because of resolution issues, there’s probably no great way to share this legend for my piece celebrating Cartoon Network’s 20th birthday, “Monkeys Versus Robots: Bobo/ Robo Battle”.
Below is a column of text re-jiggered from that originally in a spread sheet.
It’s not pretty, but it is better than trying to read from the image of the final layout of the fight card.
Monkeys vs Robots
The Epic Bobo/Robo Battle
Main Event:
Mojo Jojo
(The Powerpuff Girls)
vs
Techadon Robot
(Ben 10: Alien Force, #09 “The Gauntlet”)
+
Robo-Dexo 2000
(Dexter’s Laboratory, #06c “The Big Sister”)
Winner: Mojo Jojo
2nd Match
Rainbow Monkeys
(Codename: Kids Next Door, #12b “Operation R.A.I.N.B.O.W.S.”)
vs.
Titan
(Sym-Bionic Titan)
Winner: Rainbow Monkeys
3rd Match
Rainbow Monkey Kong
(Codename: Kids Next Door, #35a “Operation: H.U.G.S.”)
vs.
MEGAS
(Megas XLR)
Winner: Rainbow Monkey Kong
4th Match
Shocksquatch
(Ben 10: Omniverse)
vs.
Ultra-Robot
(Samurai Jack, #18 “XVIII”)
Winner: Shocksquatch
5th Match
Baboon
(I Am Weasel)
vs.
N.E.P.T.R.
(a.k.a. Never-Ending Pie-Throwing Robot)
(Adventure Time, #08a “What Is Life?”)
Winner: N.E.P.T.R.
6th Match
V. V. Argost
(The Secret Saturdays, #35 “And Your Enemies Closer”)
vs.
Robot Jones
(Whatever Happened To... Robot Jones)
+
T.O.M. 3.0
(Toonami)
Winner: T.O.M. 3.0
7th Match
King Raymond
(Johnny Bravo, #13b “Jungle Boy: Mr. Monkeyman”)
vs.
Bobert
(The Amazing World Of Gumball)
Winner: Bobert
8th Match
Windsor Gorilla
(My Gym Partner’s A Monkey)
vs.
Vilgax’s Attack Drone
(Ben 10, #08 “The Alliance”)
Winner: Windsor
9th Match
Dickie Galoot
(The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy, #57a “Hurter Monkey”)
vs.
Mechanical Genie
(The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack, #11a “Mechanical Genie Island”)
Winner: Draw
10th Match
Jake Spidermonkey
(My Gym Partner’s A Monkey)
+
Lazlo
(Camp Lazlo!)
vs.
Larry 3000
(Time Squad)
+
BMO
(a.k.a. Beemo)
(Adventure Time, #25a “Video Makers”)
Winner: BMO
11th Match
Simion
(Dexter’s Laboratory, #03b “Simion”)
vs.
Billybot
(Billy And Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure)
Winner: Simion
12th Match
Bobo Haha
(Generator Rex)
vs.
Thrasher
(Robotomy)
Winner: Bobo Haha
13th Match
Skips
(Regular Show)
vs.
Mandroid
(Billy And Mandy’s Big Boogey Adventure)
Winner: Skips
14th Match
Miss Simian
(The Amazing World Of Gumball)
vs.
Blastus
(Robotomy)
Winner: Miss Simain
15th Match
Monkey
(Dexter’s Laboratory, #01b “Dial M For Monkey: Magnanamus”)
vs.
Robo-Mama
(Johnny Bravo, #44a “Robo-Mama!”)
+
Mecha-Courage
(Courage The Cowardly Dog, #26b “Courage vs. Mecha-Courage”)
Winner: Monkey
Winners: MONKEYS (9-5-1)
Early casualties:
A. K-999
(The Problem Solverz, #03 “K-999 And Da Little Explorerz”)
B. Rainbow Monkey Doll
(Codename: Kids Next Door, #06a “Operation O.F.F.I.C.E.)
C. Powerpuff Dynamo
(The Powerpuff Girls, #13 “Uh Oh... Dynamo”)
D. H.I.P.P.I.E.-H.O.P.
(Codename: Kids Next Door, #05a “Operation: T.U.R.N.I.P.”)
E. Randy the Robot
(Courage The Cowardly Dog, #14b “Robot Randy”)
STATISTICS:
15x - Monkeys, gorillas, apes and other primates
1x - Monkey horde
24x - Robots, androids, automatons and other mechanical beings.
1x - Plank
27x - Cartoon Network shows represented
14x - Scattered lettered blocks from the original Cartoon Network black and white checkered logo.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Dragon My Books Around
Atlanta’s famed Dragon*Con will be happening again this year all during Labor Day weekend, Aug. 31 - Sept. 3. If you’ve never been and are curious at least about the above bill, unlike other comic sci-fi conventions, Dragon*Con happens in the ball rooms, meeting rooms and the very halls of five major participating hotels. Saturday morning has a parade.
Wear comfy shoes.
This very well may be the first time Merrill and I will have a table there. Also, this very well may be where we will be premiering Unstoppable Tuff-Girl Issue No. 2.
Regardless of our fortunes, I direct your attention to these attending artists:
Stephanie Gladden
Tyson Mcadoo
Monday, August 6, 2012
Kimberly M. Zamlich
Tuff-Girl
Artwork by Kimberly M. Zamlich
Tuff-Girl TM and © Bryan Mon
Kim is a painter who has transitioned those skills well to digital media. A soft, storybook quality comes through in most of her work.
Kim is a self-employed illustrator working in both traditional and digital media. She work a stint for the Walt Disney Company.
My association with Kim first came through her husband, Greg. Greg and I had worked as young character artists at Walt Disney Consumer Products group. Years later when I was at Cartoon Network, the illustration group was in need of some digital artists. We directed some work to Greg and later found that much of the work was being handled by his wife, Kim. She created the above image for “Unstoppable Tuff-Girl”, issue no. 2.
Check out her blog (a.k.a. “LePardine”):
http://kimberlymzamlich.blogspot.com
Darren Hunt
Eagle One
Artwork by Darren Hunt
Eagle One TM and © Bryan Mon
Darren is a cartoonist, and in the best ways he draws like a cartoonist. His style is an amalgamation of childhood influences: classic Walt Disney animated features, Warner Brothers’ Looney Tunes, “Speed Racer” and “He-Man”. He takes all of that, distills it and finishes it with bold decisive line work.
Darren worked for the Disney Design Group in Florida, the team responsible for producing the Disney Parks’ souvenirs. From there he worked for Cartoon Network as a staff character artist for more than ten years.
I came to know Darren when I was hired on, like he, as a character artist/ illustrator to the Cartoon Network Atlanta offices. At the time, Darren was “Dexter’s Lab” and “Johnny Bravo” master artist of the south. In our concurrent years at CN, I could look to his work as a check to see if my own work was still “too Disney” and not enough “Cartoon”. Darren drew the above image as a pin-up for the second issue of Unstoppable Tuff-Girl.
Print to the Finish
 |
| Unstoppable Tuff-Girl, Vol. 2, No. 2, Page 2 (creators biographies and legal) |
Materials for issue No. 2 of Unstoppable Tuff-Girl have been sent to the printer.
Yay!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Logo Go Go
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Disneyland at 57
“Happy 57th Birthday, Disneyland!”
digital color over scan of pen on paper
8.89cm x 10.16cm (3.50" x 4.00")
2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
Exhibitionism
SDCC, July 11-14, 2012 – Cartoon Network 20th Birthday Celebration, Jett Gallery, San Diego
Read about it and see more commemorative art at Mark Murphy’s “Scribble 08” blog:
http://murphydesign1.blogspot.com/2012/07/cartoon-network-exhibition-july-1314.html
Read about it and see more commemorative art at Mark Murphy’s “Scribble 08” blog:
http://murphydesign1.blogspot.com/2012/07/cartoon-network-exhibition-july-1314.html
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Cartoon Network 20th Birthday Exhibtion
 |
| Monkeys Versus Robots |
Jett Gallery in San Diego will be exhibiting over 75 unique pieces celebrating Cartoon Network’s 20th Birthday during this year’s run of San Diego ComicCon International.
WED – July 11 – 11am to 5 pm
THURS – July 12 – 11am to 5pm
FRI – July 13 – 11 to 5pm
SAT – July 14 – 11 am to 8pm
FREE
Admission to the gallery each day if free to the public, all ages.
JETT GALLERY
Located in the heart of “Little Italy”
989 West Kalima Stree, San Diego, CA, 92101
WED – July 11 – 11am to 5 pm
THURS – July 12 – 11am to 5pm
FRI – July 13 – 11 to 5pm
SAT – July 14 – 11 am to 8pm
FREE
Admission to the gallery each day if free to the public, all ages.
JETT GALLERY
Located in the heart of “Little Italy”
989 West Kalima Stree, San Diego, CA, 92101
More detailed information can be found at Mark Murphy’s Scribble 08 blog.
My own entry, Monkeys Versus Robots, will be presented as a framed, poster-sized print of the digitally composed and colored final image (above). A framed companion piece presents the original pencil, ink on board art as well as a legend identifying the monkeys and robots as a pseudo boxing match fight poster.
If nothing else, judging by the peeks found on Mark’s blog, Monkeys Versus Robots might stand out by featuring the most “on-model” representation of the Cartoon Network’s characters.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Book Collector
Heroes Convention, June 2012 - In a 60-minute sprint Sunday afternoon I found and picked up a few things in addition to my usual random 1970s dollar bin finds and loose toys:
Mr. Mysto’s Wizard Academy: Simple Magic & Stunts
as revealed to John Carney
Illustrations by Stephanie Gladden
as revealed to John Carney
Illustrations by Stephanie Gladden
by Mr. Mysto
The Collection of the Ultimate Uko Girl, vol. 1
by Uko Smith
by Uko Smith
Silent Orchid Studio
on Etsy.com
Monday, June 25, 2012
I Draw Stuff
 |
| Dart. |
Heroes Convention, Charlotte, NC, 2012 — Thanks to the folks at Heroes Convention for another swell comic convention experience.
 |
| The Bride |
Thanks to the folks who found my table in artist alley and took home some of my art: Eric, Royce, Jan, Lee, Joe, Jeff, Greg, Ashley, Daniel, Charles, Jason, Jennifer, Alley, and Tom.
 |
| Cowgirl |
Here is a sample of what I drew this weekend:
 |
| Vampirella |
 |
| Scarlet Witch |
 |
| Witch |
 |
| Nurse |
 |
| Spider Woman |
 |
| Mockingbird |
 |
| Harry Potter |
 |
| Tuff-Girl |
 |
| Space Girl |
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