Foo!

That Old Misty Mid Aired Water Stuff

2008-07-15T21:00:00.002-12:00

I rose yesterday to get ready to don the downtrodden and meet the mundane, sounding the similar that seems to have taken over for the past couple of years, squashing the semblance of just about any time not toiled in either a crusted chamber or looming lethargy. All of a sudden in the silent slavery a sounding socking came crashing upon my door. I opened the orfice to find the pencil pummeling me for neglectful nothings and creative crushings not spent. Long story short this blog has been all but abandoned as of late and it irritates to every inch that it's become that way. I'm praying to the tickled tiki gods of graphite to grant some majic time warp back again. In the meantime I guess I'll see what I can do myself. For anyone who still checks here, Thanks, I'll try to post more. It's necessary.

Illustration Friday: "Sprout"

2007-02-08T03:15:00.000-12:00

Originally I'd wanted to wait until I had something that more closely resembled a finished image to post for this weeks topic, but I soon remembered that this is the first thing I've posted in 2007, and it's already February. I'll still attempt to complete it, but for now I'm just happy to post something, even if one of them is a repost. Thanks for stopping by.

Illustration Friday: "Peace"

2006-12-23T23:05:00.000-12:00

Hope your holiday abode is more peaceful than wherever this one may be.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get anything whipped up for the season this year or not, but I managed to toss something together. Hopefully next year I'll be able to manage my time a little better and post more things at a more regular pace than this one. Thats my wish to the jolly old fat one anyway.

Merry whatever the hell your celebrating right now. And cutback on the eggnog will ya? Chickens need a break too.

Illustration Friday: "Mask"

2006-12-11T01:35:00.000-12:00

You can claim that your masking is grand
But it matters like water in hand
When they find you redhanded
And your luck is quite stranded
As your cuffed and tossed in barred pad

I'm not sure how well the above image fits this weeks IF theme, but what the heck, its got a mask at least, so I guess it qualifies, even if I'm not fully pleased with the attempt.

Thought I'd toss a couple other semi related sketches up as well. It's been too long since I've posted stuff on the ole blog, gotta try to work harder on that...

Till next time

Happy Halloween

2006-10-31T22:30:00.000-12:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Hope everybody had a safe and enjoyable holiday. I spent the better majority of it wandering about town as the kids ammassed more candy than they'll be able to consume in a year, followed by a healthy viewing of everyone's favorite Blockhead. Good times.

If anyone is interested, the above image, along with many other works by talented folks appears in Penelope Dullaghan's "Black and Orange" contest/collaboration

Illustration Friday: "ghost"

2006-10-26T08:30:00.000-12:00

Now Leroy did not like to boast
For his courage was much like wet toast
When his eyes saw a mouse
He'd retreat to his house
And swear that he'd spotted a "g-Ghost!"

...I'm still trying to work out some form of detailed color for this one, but so far I haven't been satisfied with anything I've tried to come up with for color on it thus far. Still, I figured it's been far too long since I've posted an Illustration Friday topic, and I was determined to get one in this week. So anyway, here's what I managed to settle on for now. Perhaps the powers that be will let me get something working as far as color for this piece sometime right off.. who knows. Enjoy

Anway, here's a couple other sketches, they're not necessarily ghosts, but I figured they at least remotely worked with the subject...

Magazine Stuffs

2006-09-06T09:45:00.000-12:00

Hey everyone! Check out the current issue of DirtRag magazine, my crap fronts the 'Old Coot' article within it.

(on a side note: All apologies for the lack of recent posts, my hard drive was erased last week, and with it the vast majority of my digital images. I'll try to post more sketches and whatnot soon)

Illustration Friday: "Play"

2006-08-17T07:10:00.000-12:00

I was originally going to use this image for something else, but I figured it'd work well for this weeks Illustration Friday topic. As a young boy, I don't remember ever having a tea party, but I know plenty of girls I grew up with who did. Either way, I did love playing with cake, more importantly, I loved getting the fork, cake and my mouth to play together, truly good times. Still, I can't help but wonder how often the cake really wanted to play....

Illustration Friday: "Clean"

2006-08-03T07:25:00.000-12:00

Pee-yu! Someone clean that kid up

Some Overdue Sketches

2006-07-25T18:20:00.000-12:00

So, I've started a new job, but alas, thats not much of a reason for me not to have posted in a while, really I have little excuse. Allow me to offer these sketches as retribution...

Just some head sketches I've had lying around.

I remember seeing some of Drazen Kozjan's gangster images some time ago and felt inspired to take a stab at one myself. Certain aspects of the image I like, others... not so much. Ah well, there's always next time.

Had elephants on the brain. Not really sure just what, if anything I'm going to do with them yet.

... A sketch done while trying to come up with something for a freelance gig.

And just a couple other random characters...
Hope everyone's enjoying the rest of the summer!

Illustration Friday: "Skyline"

2006-07-08T17:40:00.000-12:00

This wasn't originally intended for this weeks Illustration Friday topic, but I thought where it had a small bit of a skyline in the background it could squeak by. I've been working on it off and on for a while now, and just haven't managed to get around to finishing it up quite yet, something about my tablet kicking the bucket and a busy schedule just makes the progress a little slower methinks. Ah well, with any luck I can finish it up soon enough I hope.

Here's the progress on it thus far...

Doo Wop-a Dance Doo

2006-06-30T05:40:00.000-12:00

I'd originally meant to finish this up in time for Illustration Friday's dance topic, and the original plan was to have more detailed color, but for some reason the more limited color seemed to fit better.... isn't it funny how those things work sometimes?

Hip to the tunes
That waft through the room
All in a rhythmatic sound
I'll strap on my shoes
And dance to the tunes
Of music that makes me get down

Illustration Friday: "Rain"

2006-06-28T09:35:00.000-12:00

Hugo and Duck
Had views of their luck
Ranging from two sides of other
For though one is sad
The other, quite glad
Such is the view of another

There he stood with a frown
For soaked, he was feeling quite down
The rain made him wet
This wasn't his pet
Prancing about like a clown

"By golly," he thought, "Oh what glee
To have this small pond just for me
Made by this fellow
Who's all dressed in yellow
And best part of all, it is free!"

Much like the weather our day
To shift all about and to sway
And though it looks grim
Tis merely one's whim
To make it whatever you may

Illustration Friday: Dance

2006-06-21T22:45:00.000-12:00

I think I was born with two brick feet. For some reason, no matter how much focus I put into it, no matter how many dance steps I look at, no matter what, I seem to lack the ability to dance, or at least to dance without pummeling someone else's feet into two mangled sets of pancakes. That being said, I still act like a give it a shot and act like a goofball every now and then. Its never anything grand, but eh, at least it gets a chuckle out of almost everyone watching (so long as they're not in the path of my atomic shoe smashers.

Illustration Friday: Portrait

2006-06-05T18:55:00.000-12:00

I've never really been much of one for doing portraits, particularly when it comes to self portraits. For some reason I always tend to lose interest in drawing myself halfway through the process and as a result end up with either unfinished ones or ones that I'm just overall not happy with. I don't know if I'll have time to do anything else for this weeks Illustration Friday topic, various projects have kept me rather busy over the last couple of weeks, but I thought I'd post a self portrait I did a couple of years ago. I'm not completely happy with it, but there are still a small few areas of it I like.

The other is also an older image. I'd done it one summer day while the kids were outside playing. Looking back there's alot on it that I'd prefer were different, but then again, looking back on most of my images I can see alot on them that I hate. Ah well, the missus still likes it. I wonder how many others feel the same way when looking at older images of theirs.

Illustration Friday: "Fat"

2006-05-11T01:05:00.000-12:00

I was hoping I could manage to get a full color version of this done for this week's topic, but so far time hasn't been much of a friend to me this week. I still wanted to contribute though, so this is what I've got so far

Leather Stiched Orbs

2006-05-09T04:05:00.000-12:00

Well, its that time of year again, time for overpaid folks to waive a large stick in the air and dodge just as many scandals and rumors as wild pitches. Ah the joys of professional sports. Thankfully I haven't had to watch all that many of them as of yet due to the kids playing little league, instead I've been at the ball field most every night. At least I can bring the sketchbook. Just a quick sketch done at one of their practices the other night.

Here I Come To Save The Day!

2006-04-29T19:25:00.000-12:00

Just a quick watercolor for the Mighty Mouse thread over at the Drawing Board. Chances are that if I came to save the day, I'd get my butt kicked, so I guess its not really for me to help out in superhuman proportions (I've never really been one to prance around in flashy tights anyway), but its a good thought to at least help someone out in whatever way you can. Still, I have to wonder just how much cheese I'd actually have left in my house if a superpowered rodent came to town...

Here's a couple unrelated sketches that I'm still trying to figure out just what to do with.

Illustration Friday: "Robot"

2006-04-26T00:45:00.000-12:00

Wind me up for here I go
Shake the bell and then you'll know
In my head are gears and springs
Pushing me to do these things

Along the way I lost control
Move about, but have no soul
Pick me up and turn the key
That is all that I can be

I've always loved odd toys, but the ones that always seem to linger up in my melon holder would more than likely be those clanging monkey toys. There's just something about the creepy cute aspect of them that makes them quite appealing, at least to me anyway. Needless to say, when I sat to come up with something for this weeks Illustration Friday topic, I couldn't help but think that these, and other similar wind - up toys were practically the forefathers of modern day robots, well that and I wanted an excuse to draw a monkey. :)

Illustration Friday: "Speed"

2006-04-12T04:10:00.000-12:00

I'm not sure if being fully furnished in speedy gear will help these two or not, but it might...

Illustration Friday: "Spring"

2006-04-05T07:35:00.000-12:00

When I tried to think of an image for this weeks Illustration Friday topic, all that came to mind for spring was the little elfs that supposedly make it possible. I'd wanted to do more to it this week, but I don't think I'll have the time to finish any of them up right off, so for now enjoy the sketches, I hope :)

Highway Robbery: Part2

2006-04-03T08:45:00.000-12:00

A while back I found out about the Maine Illustrators Collective but it wasn't until this past Wednesday that I finally got around to joining. As a result, I was informed of the Art Mingling the following night, sponsored by the Portland Phoenix. There was a political theme, and the only thing I could really think of at the time was this image. I wasn't completely happy with the prior version of it, so I tweaked it a little, hopefully for the better.

(edit): For anyone interested, the online version of the show is here

Illustration Friday: "Feet"

2006-03-24T01:20:00.000-12:00

I've seen plenty of ugly feet, namely my own, but I don't think I've ever seen Bigfoot. When I was a kid I'd set plenty of traps in the backyard hoping to catch one, but for some reason or another he must have been hip to my plans. I think my brother may have tipped him off. Maybe I just needed better bait...

I'm Not Irish, But

2006-03-17T23:45:00.000-12:00

Happy St. Patricks ye shalalee waivin, clover pickin, green beer drinkin gold sniffers

Mama Mia Pizzaria

2006-03-17T21:43:00.000-12:00

A few years back I worked for a while at a popular pizza chain. It was a reasonable job, but after working around it long enough, the thought of consuming a wedge of cheese covered tomato sauce on a flat piece of dough just wasn't as appetizing as it used to be. I've only recently gained even a fraction of an appetite for it anymore. Still, I find it curious that such a simple assemblage of ingredients can produce something to which numerous people take delight in partaking.

Illustration Friday: "Tea"

2006-03-02T01:50:00.000-12:00

To be honest, I've always considered myself more of a coffee drinker than that of the 'comes after S' liquid. Not that I don't mind drinking it or anything, its just coffee seems to make his presence known more often. I'm sure it would be better healthwise if I drank more tea, but for some reason I don't get much of an appetite for it aside from those times when I'm feeling under the weather.

As a child, I always found it more fun to use a golf club to hit anything other than the ball it was invented to hit. Come to think of it, given the chance, I'd probably still choose the same. Either way, when trying to come up with an idea for this weeks topic, that was all that kept bubbling to the surface. I think one of these days I might give a go at whacking a few teacups with the ole club again, I urge you to give it a try also

Illustration Friday: "Song"

2006-02-23T22:45:00.000-12:00

Songs come in many different shapes and sizes. They can be digitized and downloaded onto tiny listening devices, or played from magnetized tape and blared out from massively sized speakers. You can dance to them at an auditorium, or hum a quick tune while performing the housework.

Yes, there are many different kinds and styles of music, and it'd be nigh impossible of me to list all the ones that I admire. That being said, perhaps its my age, but I have a hard time getting into most of todays modern music. It just seems that the majority of whats out there nowadays is so overproduced that it lacks the same heart and life that made for great listening, or at least memorable listening anyway. Ah but I digress...

This image is actually part of one that I've been working on for a little while, but I figured what I had done so far fit the topic, so here it is. I'll try to post further progress on it in future posts.

'Chair' Revisited

2006-02-19T08:47:00.000-12:00

Once oft a time as most stories go
Lived a wild royal ape, named Agu Koko
Who never gave care to others they say
That bowed to his wishes, whatever they may

"I'm better than giraffes, or coconut stew.
Far greater than lions, I'm better than you!
I'm king of this jungle, now all of you bow
I want my bananas, I want them right now!"

So they brought him his things, his trinkets and food
And they grumbled away, in a terrible mood
For they were all messy from peels thrown astray
And their backs were all aching, he'd worked them all day!

But he'd learn his lesson, all in good time
For he slipped on his peels, and broke his behind
And that is the story, I'll leave it for now
Be thankful of others, or you'll also say "Oww!"

Golden Frosted Sugar Balls Of Sunshine

2006-02-18T00:45:00.000-12:00

I remember many a morning in my younger years sitting (or standing, for I don't remember too many times when I was actually able to squeeze myself into the torture chamber that was the shopping cart seat) in the grocery store with my parents, doing my best to work my way into obtaining a box of something other than that lowly 'no name' brand cereal that they loved to purchase. Rarely did I ever succeed in my efforts, and more often than not, the enchanted sugar frosted fairy passed me by, tempted instead by those lucky ones to grace their bowls with candy colored brand name flavored cardboard. Needless to say, even without the sugar and preservatives I still wound up a hefty fellow, and I managed to learn the sacred art of scooping and sprinkling. I'm sure my parents are proud.

Illustration Friday: "Simple"

2006-02-15T23:47:00.000-12:00

I often wonder just how many times something thats truly basic gets overworked, overthought and more than likely overanalyzed, all in the effort to make it "better". Shaving companies are doing it nowadays, a simple razor has now been modified to have far more than enough blades to adequately evict the facial hair from the leathered skin of any man, and if you really want, they can even emit a low electronic pulse, possibly in the attempt to give electroshock treatment to said hair follicles. Evidently those hairs must have some serious issues that need to be dealt with. Companies aren't the only ones who do this though, we all make things far more complex than they need to be on a daily basis, at least I know I do.

For this weeks Illustration Friday topic, the first thing that came to mind was the ever wise sleuth, Sir Holmes himself, always quick to remind us that "Its Elementary dear Watson." Ok, so we're not all named Watson, and we're not all trying to solve murders either, but I think the phrase works fairly well in other areas also.

With a BANG! and a shout
The lights all went out
Jewelry stolen, men killed
For hatred or money
Whodunit now honey?
Ring up the man wisdom willed

That bloke with a pipe
Grasps clues all the night
And peices the puzzle together
The butler or maid?
Some goon that they paid?
He'll solve it, for there is none better

Forsooth what a win
The culprit his kin
How did he figure it out?
For try as I may
My heads in dismay
Simple? Ah me I have doubt

Illustration Friday: "Chair"

2006-02-09T21:35:00.000-12:00

Wow, I can't remember the last time I participated in Illustration Friday, come to think of it, its almost equally as hard to remember the last time I posted on the ole blog (big thanks to those of you who still stopped by during the long hiatus, I'll be trying to make myself more frequent than I did last yr).

So anywho, I sat down in a chair earlier this week pondering and probing the ole noggin for something to contribute, I'd been meaning to since the turn of the year, but for some reason or another the bus came and went each of the prior weeks, I think all the chairs inside were taken or something like that for the busdriver kept giving me evil looks. I suppose I could have gotten on one of the schoolbusses, but I wasn't quite in the mood for that. Getting back on track though, there I was sitting in the chair, when all of a sudden, well more of a big crack, crash and thud sudden, I was sitting plump on my portly posterior on the very spot where once a fully formed chair stood. But the forsaken thing wasn't done yet, for as I started to grasp for the table, an earth shattering rip echoed throughout the room and I felt a rather unsatisfying draft, not to mention several splinters. Now what that has to do with the images above, I haven't really a clue, save for chairs come from trees, and trees are homes to bees, and bees have knees, and I itch from the fleas. Moral of the story: Don't tip in chairs unless they're for rocking, and next time, use wood glue instead of bubblegum.

Swamps And Scales And Green Gator Tales

2005-10-10T08:43:00.000-12:00

...Thats what brain goo is made of, well at least in this particular case anyway. Whoo boy its been a while since I've posted anything on the ole blog, not that I haven't meant to, things have just been, well, hectic, i guess thats a good word as any for it. As a result, I haven't done nearly as much drawing as I'd like to lately, hopefully with any luck that'll be subject to change soon enough.

Anyway, for quite some time now I've been muddling over the thought of actually trying to do something productive and peice together some semblance of a picture book or something. So far it hasn't progressed nearly as much as I'd like it to, but what the heck, even a snail's crawl of progress is better than no progress at all I guess. In an effort to get back into the swing of things working on it, I thought I'd post some of these gator sketches that were done a while back while trying to hash out some characters for it.

Reptiles can be such fun critters. I'm just glad that being up here in the northeast, I don't have to worry much about the National Association For The Prevention Of Aligator Racism knocking on my door for such steryotyping, I have to worry enough about the lobsters.

Mr. Gator, full of scare
Be thankful that you have no hair
Your skin is thick and colored green
And with your teeth you seem so mean
To eat me up you wouldn't gag...

'Least I won't become a handbag!

Illustration Friday: "Depth"

2005-09-16T09:12:00.000-12:00

I tried to reach into the depths of my noggin for some smidgen of an idea for this weeks IF topic, but for most of the week, I couldnt seem to clench hold of anything worthwhile, I guess I just wasn't digging deep enough. Either that or there simply wasn't anything there in that melon that I so reluctantly try to call my head. Who knows, perhaps I simply wasn't even looking in the right spot. Whatever the case may be, it took me forever to come up with an idea for the topic this week, so as a result, all I've got for yet another week is some sketches. Eh, at least its better than nothing...

Perhaps I should make a pact with the devil... hmm

Deep down below
Is where the souls go
When they've been packed full o sin
With devils and fire
The damnations mire
Just pray ye that Satan don't win

Highway Robbery

2005-09-15T06:20:00.000-12:00

So, I went to fill up the van the other day, cuz unfortunately the gas hog was the only vehicle left standing after the events of a couple weeks ago. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but it left my wallet a little sore to find that it cost me a wopping $40 just for the pleasure of sitting in traffic with millions of other purse starved fellows trying to get here or there. So I went in to pay the attendant, and tried to lob off one of my pinky toes, thinking, well, they're worth something, and they're not going to do me any good, but then I saw the bucket full of pinky toes that they had there. No, they wanted something better, more valuable. They wanted a leg, or an arm. The whole shebang. Fortunately I didn't have to give them my drawing arm, so I decided I'd whip this one together.

....I think I'm gonna try to switch over to one of those Flinstones vehicles...

Disclaimer: I'm all for conservation, and huge monstrosities such as SUV's and whatnot just plain shouldnt be on the road in my humble opinion. Unfortunately, there are quite a few times, and quite a few areas where going without a vehicle is nigh impossible. Such is the way of the coorporate world. I say thee Bah Humbug

Illustration Friday: "Roots"

2005-09-08T23:51:00.000-12:00

There just can't be enough said about having a good set of roots. The best beverages come from high quality ones, certain ones are good for your eyes, they help hold you into the ground when someone wants you out of their garden, they're great for keeping oneself upright when children decide to swing on you or build a house in your branches, the list goes on and on. All too often they're covered with a little mud or dirt, but once you wash that stuff off, you've got a pretty decent jem. When I sat down to think of something for this weeks topic, all this stuff came to mind, and I had a hard time narrowing it down to one thing, so I didn't :) Needless to say, as a result, some things didn't wind up getting fully finished as I would have liked them to be. Ah well, I guess thats the way things go sometimes :)

I'd like to do more with the both of these, add full color to the first one and more detail to the second, but I guess for now they'll have to wait till I have a little more time. Below are a few other sketches I did while trying to be a little decisive on an idea this week.

There should be some prose to follow, stay tuned to find out for sure :)

(edit): Ok, so I lied, no prose. I'll try to pound some out of the ole noggin for next time ;)

Illustration Friday: "Dreams"

2005-09-01T23:21:00.000-12:00

Dreams can be strange little critters. Two weeks ago tonight I'd had a dream that I was driving into work and somehow flipped my car. Oddly enough, that following Sunday morning, while driving into work, that exact thing happened to me. I'd nodded off, jumped awake to find myself across the line and facing an oncoming vehicle. Almost out of instinct I swerved, started hydroplaning, and somewhere along the way flipped my car, hitting the roof on a tree. I fortunately managed to walk away from it with only a couple small bruises and some major soreness in the back, neck and shoulder areas (the main reason its taken me so long to compose a new post), but it kinda wierded me out that I'd dreampt almost exactly what happened only a couple days prior. Wacky wild stuff.

Anyway, getting on to the images... I thought I'd post one of the critters from my less premonitiony, but still odd, dreams that I've had. This was originally done as a gift for a friend of mine, but considering he'd came from another strange, though entirely non-premonitiony, dream I'd had, I thought he might fit for this weeks IF topic. I have alot of dreams about creatures such as he, and others doing various things, sometimes marching, sometimes deathmatches, sometimes just simply sitting there and morphing into several different manifestations, somehow similar to each other, but different. I find it fun to try to capture some of the images from these dreams, that is when I can remember them long enough to do so.

The other image is an older sketch of Humpetillio, a character I've been muddling around with for quite some time, but haven't quite settled on anything just yet. Either way, at least he's comfortable at this point :)

Dreams can be funny little creatures, be sure to nurture them well.

Illustration Friday: "Wisdom"

2005-08-17T18:41:00.000-12:00

Its amazing to note how many places wisdom can be garnered if your willing to soak it in. A good book, the news, even potentially the internet are all obvious choices, but there are so many other places where wisdom is sitting on her doorstep with a tall glass of lemonade, an open door, and a giant welcome mat ready to take in all who dare embark for the visit. Yet all too often we seem oblivious to her invitations, and we don't realize the wisdom we've soaked in until years later. Such was the case with my grandparents. Most every Sunday we'd travel to visit, and I'd sit with my 'gampie' and look at all the pictures while he read the comics section to me. There were many other wonderful moments shared on those weekend afternoons, but for that brief moment, it was a treasure trove of joy and knowledge to me. Its a tradition I strive to keep with my own children, to share even a few minutes to read to them, no matter how small it may seem. Hopefully one day they may share similar sentiments as I.

We sat with the paper
And read through the capers
Of Opus, Calvin or Brown
And gaze at the fixtures
Containing the pictures
That bore to themselves wisdoms crown

Doodle Oodle Dojo

2005-08-12T11:57:00.000-12:00

Similar to The Drawing Board's Drawing Jam, Paintmonster's Drawing Dojo offers participants an opportunity to draw their impressions of a choice of weekly images. I find it to be an entertaining excersize, and its always a pleasure to see how many different interpretations can be achieved from one single image. I haven't managed to participate in a while, but recently I managed to squeeze out two sketches for it.

On a side note to go back to the whole IF: aging topic, I suppose I did have something that would have qualified.

I'd worked on it as a bit of a retake on an older image while trying to come up with an idea for it, but I didn't really want to use it as the actual image, cuz I figured I could do something better. Well, perhaps I can, but I didn't manage to get it done in time. I think I tend to overthink things from time to time. Ah I guess it could be worseTo scribble on paper
Can be quite a caper
When wanting to bend them just so
I'll scribble, erase
Or mark with some haste
But worst is when crumpled they go

Illustration Friday: "Empty"

2005-08-10T20:55:00.000-12:00

I'd tried to do an IF image for last week's aging topic, but unfortunately the image I've got in mind is ending up being more time consuming than I'd previously thought. So I decided I'd place it on the backburner for the time being and work on one for this weeks topic, 'Empty'. After running around between work and the fam and trying to squeeze a few moments in to pray to the gods of black goo and graphite, I find my noggin to be feeling pretty well empty. Sometimes I wish I could just switch out the ole grey matter to rest while I do the less fun things only to replace it at a later, more enjoyable time. Anyone else ever feel that way?

Rufus Elgrombie was a weary ole Zombie
With tummy all bloated and sore
For he was in mood
To fill with some food
That hole while it hungered for more

He sat down and thought
"People? Theres nary alot.
Too wary of us here you see
But all with good reason
In undeadly season
Innards are hardly for free"

"I wonder, why pain?
When I have me a brain
Up in this skull painted blue
I'll open it up wide
To chomp the pink inside
And find myself empty in 2"

The meaning is this
Tis far better to miss
The fill in one or the other
For while hunger's no fun
Its far better than dumb
Least thats the word from my mother

(edit: It was brought to my attention that the prior image could do without the 'empty' wrote in it, so I tweaked it a little and posted it below. If you feel so inclined, feel free to tell me which one you prefer)

I've Lost My Remote...

2005-08-03T11:39:00.000-12:00

...Not that I've ever had control of it for more than 5minutes anyway. I find whenever I do have control of the remote, either I'm the only one home or someone else grabs it the second I look away.
This seems to be the most prevalent during the entire period of baseball season, or at least from opening day till the Sox found some way to screw it up (I know I know, they won it all last year, somehow it still doesn't seem possible) Ah the joys of having Sox fans in the house.
I must admit, I've never really been all that big a fan of the game. I dunno, something about seeing 9 innings of balls being thrown from pitcher to catcher just doesn't keep me engaged enough for my awake senses to stay functioning. Lately I've been tolerating it more (mostly cuz I don't have a choice), but I'm still finding it hard to sit through the entire game.
So I decided instead of just sitting there, I'd at least make an attempt at squeezing a pencil long enough to make some interpretations of the whole thing. If I get the time, theres a couple of them I might like to work out a little more, backgrounds and whatnot. Ah, there's still a couple months left to the season...

Slide into first
And hear the crowd burst
Delight from the all loyal fans
With swings of the bat
Worn gloves, or a cap
Tis that time of year once again

Play Ball!

Illustration Friday: "Tranquility"

2005-07-30T22:51:00.000-12:00

All too often its easy to get into a mindset where your so busy that the mere mention of taking a moment to escape from it all is utterly preposterous, I mean, there's places to go, things to do, work that needs to be done. Those bills aren't going to pay themselves! So we rush rush around like a huge pot of boiling water. Funny thing about a pot of boiling water, eventually the water all turns to steam, and if you let it steam too long, all the water runs out and you burn a hole in your pot. You can always go to the local store and purchase a new pot, but its not all that easy to patch the hole when the pot is you.
I guess what I'm getting at is that every once in a while you need to take a moment, no matter how brief it is, to stop, turn off the burner, check the water level, and add a cup or two if necessary. Surprisingly it doesn't take much to recharge those batteries, if you do it on a regular basis.
For me, it can be as simple as spending a few minutes before going to bed to look up and get lost in the stars, a freshly brewed cup of coffee first thing in the morning, or even one of those moments when you catch your children attempting to emulate you. Anyway, enough preaching, onto the images and prose :)

Georgie Mcnool
Got picked on in school
My how those fellas were mean
But they nearly fainted
In line while they waited
Watching as he ate ice cream

The heat sure was swelting
They thought they were melting
Ther'meter racin in red
But clothing wern't soakin
Cuz sweat was a smokin
quick as it formed on their heads

They waited all day
For jingles that sway
From trucks caryin out the sweet tune
Of mighty relief
Escape from this grief
"Golly, it must be high noon"

Ole kid knew the corner
Where held the treats out for
Anyone willing to flee
From sidewalk fried eggs
And liquidy legs
Quickly he ran with the glee

He got to it first
And felt like he'd burst
With knowledge of what was to come
For with holy treat
Was they who'd be beat
For he'd have relief 'fore their done

So oftway he skipped
While frosties got dipped
Upon his dear tongue so serene
To tranquil the spot
The setting he sought
Def'ly he was a keen bean

H2O Hobo

2005-07-28T00:55:00.000-12:00

As much as I enjoy coloring images digitally, its always nice to squirt goo out of tubes and slap it onto something every once in a while. Its with this in mind that I broke out the watercolors and worked on this one.

I must say, it was quite enjoyable to do something completely in traditional media again. I've always preferred paints to computer anyway, the give of the paint, the feel of the brush, the looming knowledge that you don't have an 'undo' feature, purely wonderful stuff. The problem is, its just so much more convenient, particularly with all the kids currently on summer vacation, to push the button and click on the ole Photoshop icon and do them that way. Either way, I want to do more watercolored stuff.

I sat, slightly downhearted
For I couldn't get started
My noggin was stuck in a fog
To conjur a prose
That fit with his nose
Empty, just like hollow log

So I threw a fit
A gripe and a spit
And tapped my foot on the floor
Drummed fingers on table
I thought I was able
Seems that this verse was no more

I guess that is it
I decided to quit
And leave it without a writ poem
Cep't this little verse
Guess it could have been worse
Least it has a dear ho'em

Illustration Friday: "Karma"

2005-07-26T15:31:00.000-12:00

Illustration Friday is a nice little oasis in the week where hundreds of illustrators gather to post their interpretations of weekly topics. I've meant to participate for quite a while now, but up until recently, I haven't been able to do so. Hopefully, with any luck, I can participate in them with some reasonable regularity. Last weeks topic was "Karma", and while I sat to muddle over what I might do for an image, my foot was painfully punished with what felt like a thousand pinpricks. I looked down and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature kitten and several blood smears. In knee-jerk reaction, I quickly thrust my foot up, much to the excitement and delight of my litle hellspawn. What makes kittens attack anything that even shows a slight semblance of movement anyway? Eh, needless to say, he became part of the thought process behind this image...

Once was a creature so dire
That brain was fuel'd with a fire
To chase feet or strings,
Any creature who sings,
Postmen, or maids who they'd hire

Twas really a troublesome spot
To fall to his terrible plot
A pounce from out nowhere
"Yeow!!", and your legs bare,
Full scratches, with cotton to blot

The people were really a mess
Clothes torn, they sat 'round depressed
Looked up to the sky
And all pondered "why?"
"Please, can't his temper get rest?"

Then all of the sudden, one day
Became he, a victim, his prey
Cuz something sat playing
His butt, ripe for slaying
"Would he?" Quite surely he may!

A quick turn, skilled leap, and a grab
That tail, quite quickly he'd nab
His jaws opened wide
And clenched his own hide
Snipping the end and some flab

The moral is this here, my friend
Clothing's far better to mend
Have manners, be clean
The op'sit of mean
Cuz karma will bite you in end

(Edit:) I must have had Steve Mack on the brain when I'd originally posted this, cuz I'd not only put the link forhis website where the IF link should have been, but I'd also wrote Illustration Farm instead of Friday also...

George Liquor Inks

2001-07-23T22:19:00.000-12:00

Word is, John K's working on a new George Liquor series. Recently I happened to see a post or two of his regarding the show, and I thought I'd take a stab at inking some of them. I'm not sure if I quite hit the mark, but I'm hoping so. Anyway, here they are...

and here's the sketches by John and Jim Smith that they were inked from...

All Comments/Crits welcome. Thanks for looking

(George Liquor created by John Kricfalusi/Spumco)