nicktoons: rush zone

next up in my nicktoons calendar:"rush zone"!

i've gotta admit, i had never even heard about this NFL-based 'toon until i got the calendar assignment. after doing some research i ascertained that the story revolves around ish, a 10-year old kid who must protect a lifeforce (known as the "core") that resides in each NFL stadium from the evil overlord sudden death.

for those still not following, that's ish in the foreground of my illustration and sudden death juuuuuuust behind him.

© 2011 Nicktoons

nicktoons: tmnt

another page from my nicktoons calendar..."teenage mutant ninja turtles"!

i've probably drawn each of these guys at separate times since they appeared back in the late 80's, but i've never drawn 'em all in a group shot like this. fun and challenging to make sure they (and their weapons!) got the proper visibility.

© 2011 Nicktoons

wired: "jukebox"

here's a spot illo that just debuted in the current issue (january 2011) of wired magazine.

the feature story focuses on spotify, a remarkable music streaming service...that happens to be unavailable in the US because of record label wrangling. it's a pretty cool read. check it out.

for the image, i chose to morph a jukebox with a mobile device to illustrate the power spotify brings into the palm of your hand.

thanks again to wired for the opportunity to collaborate.

© 2010 WIRED magazine

nicktoons: danny phantom

here it is, the next image from my nicktoons calendar: "danny phantom"!

i've been a huge fan of butch hartman's style for a long time. "danny", along with "fairly odd parents" and now "t.u.f.f. puppy" are some of the coolest looking, most kick-ass 'toons on tv. it was an honor to be able to work with one of his creations.

© 2011 Nicktoons
Danny Phantom created by Butch Hartman

nicktoons: power rangers

here's the second image from my nicktoons calendar: the power rangers!

i wanted to keep this image as straightforward as possible. in other words, i didn't want to clutter up the affair by trying to illustrate every ranger, their samurai symbol, their full body and their weapon of choice. instead, i kept it streamlined by stacking the team members, each in a uniform, sideways pose. my art director kept pushing me towards bright, primary colors instead of my normal (somewhat muted) palette. gotta say i'm happy with the result.

and, yes, i know it's out of sequence with the image (january) that i showed a few days ago. i'm going to jump around as i reveal them. so there.

© 2011 Nicktoons

nicktoons: ren and stimpy

finally!
(i've been waiting over a year to show this project off.)

nicktoons commissioned me in october of 2009 to create a 12-month calendar to be used as a promotional giveaway. after a few months of intense work, the project was finished. all i needed was the green light to post images of my work.

then, months went by. and....nothing. the calendar never printed. apparently, a few images hit legal snags that halted production. i thought the project was dead and buried until i received an e-mail this past october asking me to create seven replacement images that would get the calendar polished up and ready for 2011.

well, the dust has settled, the new pages have been completed, the calendars have printed and i can finally show my work.

the challenge in january's page, "the ren & stimpy show" was that i wanted to make the hugely iconic characters instantly recognizable, yet still put my own twist on them. this is the second draft, and i think it accomplishes that goal much better than the first. all in all, great fun to work on characters that i love.

© 2011 Nicktoons

gremlins commission

so here's the backstory on this one:

• i originally designed a gremlins poster for inclusion in gallery 1988's 3G show this past fall.

• john louie, the actor who played the young boy whose grandfather refused to sell the mogwai at the beginning of gremlins, saw it and dug it.

• since the posters were sold out at the gallery, he contacted me asking if he could purchase one of my artist proofs, which i agreed to.

• john received said artist proof and subsequently got the idea to commission me to create a companion piece to the poster. he wanted it to feature him as a young boy, the mogwai, and his grandfather as well as references to his family (the chess pieces) and his chinese name (on the cabinet in front of the grandfather).

• i loved the idea and took the job.

• this is the result.

• the end.

planet-pulp: ghost rider

this is my initial submission for the new planet-pulp online gallery. "what is planet-pulp?", you might ask...well let me quote the site's co-founder, jayson weidel:
__________

planet-pulp is an intergalactic hub of awesomeness...an illustrated collection of radness, Its an artist's gallery for a new generation.

It's premise is very simple...every month we will send out a Call-For-Entries based upon a theme. That theme is drawn from a collective conciseness; a social awareness of sorts of something remembered as nothing less than amazing. That theme could be anything from He-Man and 80's Action Hero's to Comic Books and Saturday Morning TV. It could be ANYTHING! The only thing that is certain is that the topic will draw from a well loved Pop-Culture, no, scratch that, PULP-CULTURE reference!
__________

so, there you have it. the inaugural theme is "hero or villain redesign". i had no idea where i was going when i sat down to sketch this out, and ghost rider just kind of appeared on my page. i've always loved the look of the character in all of his incarnations, and i hope i've done 'im justice.

be sure to check out planet-pulp on a regular basis to watch all of the talented folks involved attack the monthly theme!