Surfer Magazine cover contest

Hey folks! I hate to ask favors, but if you're reading this, could you please click here to vote for my design? I'd highly appreciate it. I've been working with an Australian client recently. He's asked me to do several dolphin projects, including a possible kid's book concept. I can't tell all, but check out a few of the images below.

I wish all my visitors, the small, special group of you, an excellent Summer in the sun!
xoxoxo

Oodles of Random Doodles

Directory of Illustration

Check out my work in the Directory of Illustration. The illustration above has been one of my recent favorite additions to my portfolio. I'm slowly honing in on my "professional" kid's book style. I'm shopping agents, and doing various projects, but I thought I'd take a moment to leave a sample on the ole' blog. If you have a second, I'd really really love artistic feedback or opinions about this collection of images. My Directory of Illustration ad page will look like this...

We'll be right back after these messages...

...until then, here's a maessage from one of our sponsors: (click image.)


Cartoon Curio is on recess. I'll return as soon as I'm done relaxing. :D

Isabella, you inspire me

Science never looked so FUNNY or as SCANDALOUS as Isabella Rossellini shows here.

Trying to learn Flash!

Drawing from life at The Society of Illustrators

Thought I'd post some recent life drawing samples on the ole' blog. I can't display my other projects due to clients, but naked models are fine! An ink brush was used to sketch these but I'll probably use a pencil next time for more detail. I like how they vary from cartoonish to realistic.

2009

Wishing everyone a year filled with good creative work. Luckily, I've been too busy doing freelance assignments to update Cartoon Curio. Hopefully I'll be back soon!

Ho Ho Ho!!!

Holiday Cocktails

Did another illustration for the New York Press. This one's about the Holiday Cocktail Lounge in the East Village. The ancient bartender, Stefan, will begrudgingly serve you your poison. I've never been there but I want to go.

Here's a picture of Stefan I used as a reference.

Getting Stuffed

It's a little late for a Thanksgiving related post, but this illustration I did reflects a writer's recent holiday experience. It should be running in the upcoming issue of the New York Press (hopefully with a CREDIT). His reverie described his excitement and anxiety surrounding his first attempt at cooking a turkey for his family. The outcome was successful, but there was much self-doubt and rigorous turkey cavity stuffing involved. Meanwhile, his girlfriend was obsessed with finding Pilgrim shaped candles for table decor. Hope you like it! I think I successfully channeled my own cooking anxiety into the finished piece. :)

Enjoy the holiday season!

No Pain, No Gain

Thanksgiving is over and the the New Year looms right around the corner, just beyond 30 days or so of holiday madness. If you're like me, you've stuffed yourself beyond capacity this turkey day and you're rolling around on the floor in the aftermath of major gluttony. You might be thinking, "Why exercise now? It's cold outside and I have a full month of procrastinating before making any damn resolutions." To that, I say, "I agree."

I'd still like to share the "Virtual Coaches" I designed for NeverSayDiet.com. They made a special widget you can attach to your facebook or myspace account that will give you occasional fitness tips in varying degrees of compassion. Click on it above. It was a challenging job because they sent me photos of real trainers and wanted caricatured versions of them. I don't plan on following their fitness advice until January but feel free to jump on the treadmill with them.

MILKy

I saw MILK last night at a free preview screening in Chelsea and I loved it. I was really impressed. I'd heard some gossip about it just being "okay" but it was thoroughly enjoyable–and moving. Sean Penn delivers such a heartfelt, solid performance...I fell in love with him over the two hours I watched him struggle against odds greater than I can ever imagine. Plus, James Franco was absolutely dreamy as his main squeeze. Go check it out, even if you don't know the history behind the true story. You will be awestruck at Penn's first major portrayal of a gay character.

A week or so before the screening, I was commissioned to do the above illustration of Sean Penn as Harvey Milk for Genre magazine. It was a real challenge because the film wasn't out yet, and I wanted to create something really recognizable for a historical gay figure that most people have never heard of AND it still needed to resemble Sean Penn. I'm hoping the angular, funky visage I drew works. I like how the deconstructed flag motifs work all around him, but I was concerned about the face. Both Penn and Milk have oddly proportioned, yet oddly attractive faces, so it was tough. I looked at as many historical photos and MILK movie stills as I could get my hands on. I just hope I did them justice.

Oh, and to someone who commented that I should post more often, I promise to try! I've been so busy either going out or marching in rallies against Prop 8, that I am just getting back to posting. But check it: ME and MY PROTEST SIGN made it onto the AfterEllen blog next to pics of Whoopi Goldberg at the march!

Fears of the Dark

As much as I loved the raw, historically urgent, black and white animated tale of Persepolis, that film-going experience pales in comparison to this year's Fears of the Dark! I finally caught this film last night, at New York City's IFC Center, and it BLEW ME AWAY.


After seeing it, I realized how LONG it's been since I've been authentically transported to an inspiring new realm by a film. That realization was sad for me, because I tout myself as being much more of a feverish film fan usually. I suppose WALL-E had a similar effect on me, but I expected it to, because PIXAR has built such a beautiful reputation over the years, and their latest treat surpassed their last brilliant offering. What was surprising about Fears of the Dark was that it opened a whole new viewing experience for me, one that was refreshingly different from your typical CG loaded adrenaline-fest. Mind you, it has CG imagery, but it does an expert job of blending it with traditional methods of animation. The combination is graphically intoxicating. This film is both new and old in feel, and I love it for that. It feels classic despite its newness, and it evokes pure graphic poetry with its imagery. It's been a long time since I've seen visual storytelling on the screen this artful.

The film is a series of nightmarish short stories. Each story is book-ended by an ongoing narrative concerning demonic dogs and the film is punctuated by reflective comments by a crazed neurotic philosopher musing on the banalities of life. These moments are very French, and it's all very arty, but in an accessible and non-perplexing way. The short stories throughout the film all deal with fears in the broad sense of the word, not just campfire ghost stories.

The list of contributing graphic artists includes several European masters and a couple American masters of the craft. All the short stories in the film are brilliantly done which genuinely makes it hard to pick a favorite section. Included are amazing sequences by Richard McGuire and Charles Burns, two graphic artists I've loved for years. McGuire was a huge influence on me while I worked at Primal Screen studio and Burns has always been a cartoonist that's creeped me out in the best way possible. (The still at the beginning of this post illustrates his masterful ink lined sense of creepiness.) I recently saw an exhibit of Burns work here in NY, so his style has been on my mind a lot lately, so this film came at a perfect time.

All in all, I highly recommend this film if you're a fan of dark humor and horror stories or if you're a fan of any of the artists involved. The experience brought to mind the same thrills I got as a child by reading Edward Gorey's sinister strips or by watching Tim Burton's early, pre-fame animation sequences, namely Vincent. The opening to PBS's "MYSTERY!" series comes to mind as well, along with some of the creepy animation work of Rene Laloux.

GO SEE IT!!!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! This whole week counts as Halloween as far as I'm concerned. I still don't have a costume idea and the days are counting down. I don't know how I'm going to top last year's NYC Halloween parade outing as David Bowie from Labyrinth, but I'm taking suggestions. I need to get get busy.

In the meantime, enjoy Count Dogula. He was created for a t-shirt.

Collaboration

I recently did these pieces in collaboration with Edson, continuing our string of fashion illustrations for AVENUE magazine. These depict a few activities favored by the New York social set, and were included with an article titled, "My Perfect New York Day". I wish I could afford to do these things every day, but New York is the kind of town where too much of all this will make you broke! Ahhh...to be loaded in NY, that must be the life.

The line art is by Edson, and the color backgrounds were created by me. They're mostly digital photo collage, combined with fabric swatch textures for the clothing. Hope you enjoy.

Fall Outré Boy

Hey peeps, my loyal peeps who give a crap, thanks for stopping by. I'm tossing out a post just to stay on whatever radars are left out there. I've been busy, busy, busy. Working hard for the money. Shakin' the money maker. We can't be too careful during these economic hard times brought to us by the lovely Bush administration, so I've been doing all the freelancing I can.

I just finished this illustration of Pete Wentz, the cute bassist from Fall Out Boy, and I thought I'd share the joy. It'll be accompanying an article about his penchant for kissing boys (probably for shock value) and the recent media exposure of his private parts (via his handy Sidekick). I can't say I'm a huge fan of his music because I haven't listened to most of it, but I will say I'm willing to support these new kids with androgynous leanings and lax sexual boundaries. Try as many flavors as you like...that's all I'm sayin'.

I witnessed further evidence of Mr. Wentz's coolness recently when I stumbled into lesbian night at his bar, "Angels & Kings", in the East Village. I tagged along with my friend Julie for "Starlet Sunday" and was impressed that he'd offer up his bar for just the ladies one night of the week. Of course, maybe that's in hopes of getting in on the action, but hopefully it's a purer gesture. Whatever the case, we had a blast and I walked around secretly hoping to run into Ashlee Simpson lip-locked with some butch babe.

Show Style Explorations

Recently, I was asked to create some pre-vis work exploring a "look" for a new kid's show. It's not in production yet, but I was sort of pleasantly surprised by the outcome of my concept art. It's a bit of a different style for me. I was trying to channel South American art into the look since the show creators are using Latin rhythms for the songs. A very multi-cultural cast and eccentric melodies should offer up something a little more folksy and different for kids and parents to watch together. I hope it gets made! ...and I hope I get to work on it! Feedback and/or critiquing would be greatly appreciated. :)

Have a drink o' Lemonade

I'm proud to announce I'm now represented by Lemonade Illustration Agency. Check it out!

I also set up a profile on Altpick, another seemingly good illustration networking site. I'm not sure if my portfolio here has too many styles. I might re-edit the selection. What do you think? Does an illustrator really have to have ONE style?

It's good to be getting my portfolio out there, and overseas, even. Hopefully, it will bring in some good freelance work. We'll see...

Olive Oyl as seen through the Cartoon Curio lens...

Olive grooves to the music



Olive metamorphosis



Olive in love



Olive as Edith Head (small fashion figures by Edson Alves)



Olive on acid


I've been doing so many version of her for a client recently...but I can't keep them up on here for long...trademark issues! Shhhhh... I just couldn't resist sharing. Hope you're enjoying Summer!