StrongStuff

mondo: roger rabbit variant

2012-01-20T01:42:00.000-05:00

since it went on sale today, i'm finally able to show the variant for my "who framed roger rabbit" poster.

produced through mondo and sideshow collectibles, this version sports a completely new colorway and is printed on a different stock than the original.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on french speckletone madero beach 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 85

"murmaider 12.21.12" poster

2012-01-10T23:07:00.002-05:00

i am really psyched to be a part of the killer lineup for gallery 1988's cartoon network sponsored adult swim show opening this friday (january 13).

participants could select from any adult swim original programming (i.e., no syndicated shows, such as family guy) and go to town. i immediately gravitated towards metalocalypse because of my genuine love of The Metal and my recent itch to design a gig poster. with all of that in mind, i decided to pay homage to dethklok's insanely violent "murmaider".

"knives? check.
rope? check.
dagger? check.
chains? check.
rocks? check.
laser beams? check.
acid? check.
body bag? check."

show opening
friday, january 13th, 2012
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 12"x24"
medium: 3-color screenprint, french madero beach speckletone 100# cover
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

on sale info
prints will be available at the show. any left after the opening will be available online here within a day or two.

mondo: two-gun mickey

2011-12-30T02:18:00.001-05:00

one of the last entries in the disney poster series: 1934's wild west epic, "two-gun mickey"!

i've definitely got a special place in my heart for the very early disney shorts. it's a wonder to watch these iconic characters take shape before our eyes. you can check out "two-gun mickey" in all of it's black and white glory here.

poster specs:
• 4-color screenprint on french speckletone madero beach 100# cover
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 370

online sale info:
• fri, dec 30
• time: random
• where: mondo

alien handbills

2011-12-28T07:22:00.001-05:00

i had some open space at the edge of a sheet of posters that i had screenprinted, so i decided to throw reversed colorways of this image on there.

they'll be freebie pack-ins for customers of the strongstuff shop.

IDW: g.i. joe/snake eyes/cobra covers

2011-12-13T17:32:00.004-05:00

i'm so honored to have been asked to illustrate this series of interlocking retailer incentive covers for IDW's g.i. joe line of books.

much like the snake eyes/helix covers that i did last year, these needed to be interlocking. i proposed the idea of vertically arranging them (instead of the standard horizontal layout) to IDW and they dug it.

flint will appear on g.i. joe #10, snake eyes will be on snake eyes #10, and the baroness will grace cobra #10. all issues will be out in february, 2012.

as i've stated many times before, gi joe owned my childhood. having the opportunity to work on the comics that inspired my career is truly a dream come true.

"yo, joe!"

peanuts: a charlie brown christmas variant

2011-11-30T17:41:00.002-05:00

here's the variant colorway of my "a charlie brown christmas" limited edition screenprint for the folks over at dark hall mansion. (you can check out the regular edition here.)

this is, hands down, my favorite peanuts special. It invokes a quiet tone and humble demeanor that captures the true spirit of christmas so perfectly. i had this one in rotation early this year as i was working on the poster and not surprisingly, my son is enamored with it. nice to see it captivates generation after generation.

poster specs:
• 10-color screenprint on cougar offwhite 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• regular edition: 450
• variant edition: 100
• steel edition: 50

online sale info:
• thu, dec 1, 2011
• where: emovieposter.com
-------
• fri, dec 2
• where: dark hall mansion

peanuts: a charlie brown christmas

2011-11-27T19:14:00.000-05:00

i'm proud to have had the opportunity to create this "a charlie brown christmas" limited edition screenprint for the folks over at dark hall mansion as a companion piece to my "it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown" print.

this is, hands down, my favorite peanuts special. It invokes a quiet tone and humble demeanor that captures the true spirit of christmas so perfectly. i had this one in rotation early this year as i was working on the poster and not surprisingly, my son is enamored with it. nice to see it captivates generation after generation.

poster specs:
• 10-color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• regular edition: 450
• variant edition: 100
• steel edition: 50

online sale info:
• thu, dec 1, 2011
• where: emovieposter.com
-------
• fri, dec 2
• where: dark hall mansion

"the roost" variant poster

2011-11-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

so, here's the evil purple variant colorway of "the roost", my homage to the greatest of all decepticon communications experts.

again limited to 15 prints, i will be releasing a quantity of these in the strongstuff shop very early EST on black friday, nov 25, 2011.

in addition to "the roost", i'll be offering a bunch of new giclee prints and some never-before-released artist proof screenprints. i'll also be dishing out a few discount codes that'll save you a few bucks on your holiday shopping.

keep an eye on the following sites for updates on all of the festivities:

• strongstuff.net
• strongstuff deviantart page
• strongstuff twitter page

poster info
size: 10"x20"
medium: archival giclee on smooth fine art paper, 270 gsm, 15 mil
edition: limited, 15

mondo: the mad doctor

2011-11-03T19:29:00.008-04:00

next up in the disney poster series: 1933's insane (and frightening) "the mad doctor"!

this has got to be one of the most twisted of all the disney shorts. in it, pluto is captured and chained in a dungeon/laboratory by the titular mad doctor as part of an experiment to create a hybrid chicken/dog. seriously. you can check it out here.

poster specs:
• 4-color screenprint on french construction cement green 100# cover
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 370

online sale info:
• fri, nov 4
• time: random
• where: mondo

mondo: pinocchio

2011-11-03T19:25:00.001-04:00

here's the second disney feature film that i've tackled for mondo, the classic "pinocchio"!

this is, by far, my favorite of disney's classic era of films. from the lush, detailed backgrounds to the flowing animation style, to the inimitable jiminy cricket, this one has it all. i watched it a bunch when i was creating the poster and still have it in heavy rotation to enjoy with my son. fantastic!

poster specs:
• 6-color screenprint on french speckletone madero beach 100# cover
• size: 24" x 36"
• limited edition of 400

online sale info:
• fri, nov 4
• time: random
• where: mondo

2011-10-28T22:13:00.001-04:00

since it went on sale today, i'm finally able to show the variant for my monsters inc. poster.

produced through mondo and sideshow collectibles, this version sports a completely new colorway and a non-cloaked randall boggs.

poster specs:
• 5-color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 140

online sale info:
• fri, oct 28
• where: sideshow collectibles

"the roost" poster

2011-10-19T18:07:00.001-04:00

here's my entry for ltd. art gallery's inaugural show, "POP! the art of pop culture", which opens this friday, oct 21, 2011.

i've been a massive transformers fan since i was a kid, and with that badass, monotone voice, stoic personality, and his army of cassette minions, soundwave's always been one of my favorites.

i thought it'd be amusing to portray his massive frame be a resting spot for his loyal servant, lazerbeak, as well as a host of assorted small fowl.

"rumble, lazerbeak, ravage, eject, operation warfare."

show opening
friday, oct 21st, 2011
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 10"x20"
medium: archival giclee on smooth fine art paper, 270 gsm, 15 mil
edition: limited, 15

location
ltd. art gallery
307 e. pike street
seattle, WA 98122
ph: 206.457.2970
e-mail: info@ltdartgallery.com

robot earth 3009 t-shirt

2011-10-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

my "robot earth 3009" illustration is now available as a t-shirt over at teeblitz!

if you'd like one, don't dawdle, as it's on sale oct 18, 19 and 20 only!

mondo: steamboat willie variant

2011-10-13T22:14:00.003-04:00

the good news:
i can finally show off the variant version of my sold out steamboat willie poster, which was produced through mondo and released through sideshow collectibles today.

the bad news:
it sold out and is once again unavailable.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 60

peanuts: great pumpkin variant

2011-10-11T23:03:00.005-04:00

here's the variant edition of my peanuts: great pumpkin silkscreen poster, produced through dark hall mansion.

for anyone who missed the pre-order last week, there will be a few of each of the regular version, the variant and the steel edition available at at random time tomorrow, october 12, in the dark hall mansion store.

poster specs:
• 8-color screenprint on french cream speckletone 80# cover
• variant edition: 50
• steel edition: 20

sale info:
• wed, oct 12
• where: dark hall mansion store
• time: random
-------
• don't forget to register your email address at dark hall mansion for a chance to win a signed steel variant!

© 2011 Peanuts Worldwide, LLC

peanuts: great pumpkin

2011-10-05T22:33:00.002-04:00

i'm proud to unveil this super spooky silkscreen poster produced through the folks over at dark hall mansion… based on the inimitable 1966 classic, here's "it's the great pumpkin, charlie brown"!

it was fantastic to re-connect with the peanuts gang while watching "great pumpkin". i hadn't seen it in ages and it's refreshing to see that it retains the quirkiness, oddball characters and shulzian charm that make it so dear to so many folks.

needless to say, i am now fully stoked for halloween.

poster specs:
• 8-color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• regular edition: 280
• variant edition: 50
• steel edition: 20

sale info:
• pre-orders: thu, oct 6 - tues, oct 11
• where: emovieposter.com
-------
• general drop: wed, oct 12
• where: dark hall mansion
-------
• don't forget to register your email address at dark hall mansion for a chance to win a signed steel variant!

© 2011 Peanuts Worldwide, LLC

"everest to antarctica" poster

2011-09-26T17:33:00.004-04:00

my friends at the colonial theatre approached me earlier this asking me to design a limited edition silkscreen poster to celebrate their "everest to antarctica" film festival on october 1, 2011. through the concept process, i had the privilege of getting to know and work with everest summiteer paul deegan, the event's organizer and featured guest.

if the actual festival and accompanying lectures are half as interesting and engaging as our meetings were, attendees are in for a real treat.

posters will be on sale at the event. any that are left over will be available through the colonial theatre. i'll also have a stack of artist proofs going up in my online shop in the next few weeks.

event info:
saturday, october 1, 2011
9:30am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm
the colonial theatre, 227 bridge street, phoenixville pa 19460
info: 610.917.1228

poster specs:
• 3-color screenprint on french construction cement green 100# cover
• size: 12" x 18"
• limited edition of 90

global knowledge: power up

2011-09-21T22:29:00.002-04:00

global knowledge called on me once again, this time to create a custom promotional poster and logo that'll be featured in their training centers nationwide.

as with the series of movie posters that i illustrated for them last year, they handed me a theme (retro comic books) and let me run with it.

its awesome when a client lets you do your thang.

© 2011 Global Knowledge

"1985: 1up" and "1985: 2up" posters

2011-09-15T22:29:00.004-04:00

though my super mario bros. skills stink on ice, i love the iconography of the game, so here are my entries for gallery 1988's "the old school video game show" which opens friday, september 16th, at their venice location.

show opening
friday, sep 16th, 2011
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 10"x20"
medium: archival giclee on smooth fine art paper, 270 gsm, 15 mil
edition: 1up: 30, 2up: 15

location
gallery 1988: venice
214 pier avenue
santa monica, CA 90405
ph: 424.238.5988
hrs: weds-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988venice@gmail.com

mondo: dumbo

2011-09-08T20:51:00.005-04:00

here's "dumbo", the next release in the disney poster series from mondo!

the coolest part of these assignments is being able to re-connect with the classic source material. after hunting down a copy of the DVD through amazon (it's currently in the disney vault), i was amazed at how well this 70-year-old (!) film holds up. it still looks fantastic, carries a huge emotional punch and dazzles with the groundbreaking "pink elephants on parade" sequence. (woah.)

the posters will be released on friday, sep 9 at a random time. see below for all of the details.

poster specs:
• 6-color screenprint on french speckletone madero beach 100# cover stock
• size: 24" x 36"
• limited edition of 395

online sale info:
• fri, sep 9
• time: random
• where: mondotees

mondo: monsters inc.

2011-09-01T17:23:00.004-04:00

i'm so proud to officially kick off mondo's series of pixar posters with one of my all-time favorites, "monsters inc."!

i can't explain how cool it is to be able to work with a property that you have so much respect for. add in the fact that my son is a huge fan of the film as well (he's been watching this movie on a near-non-stop loop for the past year), and it's pretty much a dream come true.

the posters drops on friday, sep 2 at a random time. see below for details.

poster specs:
• 4-color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 365

online sale info:
• fri, sep 2
• time: random
• where: mondotees

mondo: DC super powers

2011-08-26T00:53:00.002-04:00

produced through mondo, this 6-color screenprint officially celebrates sideshow collectibles's recently-revealed DC license.

it was originally given to a select few (attendees of sideshow's san diego comic con party) and is now finally available to the general public.

this represents the most aggressive screenprint i've designed when it comes to colors and characters. all told, there are 35 heroes and villains from the classic toy line (the core 33 plus send-aways riddler and clark kent) represented.

as a lifelong comic book collector, the project was a challenge and a dream come true. so glad i can finally show it off.

poster specs:
• 6 color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover
• size: 36" x 24"
• edition: limited, 250

sale info:
• where: prints are currently available here

nicktoons: penguins of madagascar

2011-08-20T14:18:00.003-04:00

wrapping up my nicktoons calendar project, here's the last image that i haven't yet shown.

this penguins of madagascar page didn't make the final printed calandar, but is nonetheless one of my favorite pieces from the entire project. i'm pretty excited that i can still show it off here.

© 2011 Nicktoons

nicktoons: back to the barnyard

2011-08-14T11:12:00.003-04:00

here's another unused page from my nicktoons calendar project. as a result of the project spanning over a year, some finished images were eventually replaced with fresher shows.

© 2011 Nicktoons

"the many faces of patrick stewart" event poster

2011-08-08T17:23:00.004-04:00

to commemorate sir patrick stewart's appearance at their away mission: orlando star trek convention, vulcan events hired me to create a limited edition silkscreen poster for attendees.

we chose to celebrate the "many faces of patrick stewart" by illustrating the diverse roles he has undertaken over the course of his career with a hybrid jean-luc picard/professor x at the center of the composition.

posters are currently available as attendee pre-orders only, with any remaining copies to be released at the convention.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover
• size: 18" x 24"
• edition: limited, 125

mondo: cowboys & aliens

2011-07-28T19:55:00.003-04:00

i've been looking forward to seeing cowboys & aliens for quite a while now, so i was pretty excited when director jon favreau picked me from the mondo roster to design a poster for the upcoming flick.

the seed for my design was planted while reading an interview with favreau during the movie's production. i was excited when i heard that he intended it to play as a straight western... that just happened to have aliens in it. when i received the assignment to create a limited edition screenprint for the film, i remembered that intent and wanted to channel some of the incredible spaghetti western poster design that graced movie theaters in the 1960's. much like the tone of the film itself, i wanted my design to read as a western poster first and let the alien references throughout slowly reveal it to be something much more.

it was a great experience collaborating with the mondo crew and jon favreau to pull this thing together. now to see the film...

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on french cream speckletone 80# cover
• size: 24" x 36"
• edition: limited, 190

sale info:
• date: fri, july 29
• time: random
• where: mondo

kaiju pee wee

2011-07-25T22:43:00.005-04:00

here's my entry for gallery 1988's "i know you art, but what am i?" pee wee herman themed show, which opens this friday, july 29th, at their venice location.

ok, confession time: i've never seen "pee wee's big adventure".

*crickets.*

well, at least, not all of the way through. i have nothing against it, it's just one of those movies that wasn't on my radar (there are a lot more, but we won't get into that right now).

at any rate, one of the few factoids about this movie that i was very aware of is the fact that godzilla makes an impromptu (and illegal, according to his owner, toho) appearance in it... and that's all i needed to know when deciding what angle to play in my tribute.

if you're in LA, check out the show this friday. there are a ton of talented artists participating, including battery mates dave perillo and scott derby.

show opening
friday, july 29th, 2011
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 9"x24"
medium: 3-color screenprint, cougar off white 100# cover
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988: venice
214 pier avenue
santa monica, CA 90405
ph: 424.238.5988
hrs: weds-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

on sale info
prints are now available here.

mondo: star trek: let that be your last battlefield

2011-07-14T23:32:00.007-04:00

here's my second entry in mondo's series of limited edition star trek screenprints, "let that be your last battlefield".

the classic episode of star trek: the original series that the poster is based on seems tailor made for my style. it features two warring aliens, both with bilaterally split faces, one black on the left, white on the right, the other vice versa. no problem, right?

it was only after i had done a few rough layout sketches that i realized just how tricky illustrating these two aliens would be. showing them both in profile and facing each other would mean both aliens were showing the matching colored side of their faces to the viewer. not exactly visually exciting. showing them side by side and straight on would mean the like-colored side of their faces were very near to each other... again, not exactly conveying the diametrically opposing viewpoints that the aliens embrace so tightly.

after a handful of digital sketches, i was no closer to a viable solution and i shelved the project for a few weeks to work on other assignments.

returning to the project with a fresh set of eyes, my idea was to have the aliens face each other in a yin and yang configuration where, no matter how you view it, one is always upside down. this allowed for both colors of their faces to be seen, but more importantly, it illustrated their antagonistic views of each other. with a massively helpful phone call from mondo art director rob jones, all of the details were hammered out (portions of type upside down) and the flippable poster you see before you was born.

hang it with either face right reading, bele and lokai's conflict (and the fate) of their shared planet is captured here for all eternity.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on offwhite stock
• size: 24" x 18"
• limited edition of 215

sale info:
• date: fri, jul 15
• time: random (follow @MondoNews for a hint!)
• where: mondo

kung fu panda

2011-07-12T17:59:00.006-04:00

through a partnership between the autumn society and the folks over at dreamworks animation fine art, i had the opportunity to create a limited edition print for the most excellent "kung fu panda".

i've been a huge fan of the movie since i first discovered it on DVD and i thoroughly enjoyed interpreting the main characters (especially the furious five) into my style.

"legend tells of a legendary warrior whose kung fu skills were the stuff of legend."

poster info
size: 10.125"x22.75"
medium: archival giclee on watercolor paper
edition: limited, 50
prints are now available here.

© 2011 Dreamworks

"room 237" poster

2011-07-07T01:07:00.004-04:00

now that this has been released into the wild by slashfilm, i can finally show it off... it's a brand-spankin'-new screenprint that will be part of this year's crazy4cult show at gallery 1988!

i've done a few shining-inspired pieces in the past and i wanted to revisit the film again this year. after doing (a lot) of research on the film and soaking it in a few times, i am fascinated by the layers of meaning and the depth of widely varied perceptions people walk away from this movie with. it's no wonder it is studied and analyzed the way it is over 30 years later.

at any rate, i've participated in the last two editions of crazy4cult and it gets bigger, crazier and more popular every year. it doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon and i can't wait to see all of the new pieces that will be dropping there later this week.

show opening
friday, july 8th, 2011
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 16.9"x22.5"
medium: 4-color screenprint, french madero beach speckletone 100# cover
edition: limited, 80

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988melrose@gmail.com

on sale info
prints are now available here.

thundergod A•31

2011-07-01T07:55:00.003-04:00

this new green colorway of my thundergod A•31 print will be available for the first time tonight at the opening of rockets robots and ray guns, a retro-themed sci-fi art show at jinxed philly.

thundergod A•31 is inspired by the bugnuts insane opening sequence of the 1960's tsuburaya-produced ultraman tv series. now, if only i could integrate that swanky song into a 2D piece of art...

anyway, if you're in the 'hood, check out the rockets robots and ray guns show, the lineup of artists is killer.

octodemon t-shirt

2011-06-24T08:05:00.004-04:00

so, from june 24-june 28 2011, this t-shirt design will be offered for sale on nowhere bad. and it's just $12.

so what're you waiting for?

herring in the library

2011-06-15T08:02:00.002-04:00

late last year, i partnered with pan macmillan to produce an illustrated cover for the herring on the nile, an entry in their series of "elsie and ethelred" line of mystery novels.

when one of the earlier books in the l. c. tyler-penned series, "the herring in the library", was going to be reprinted, they tapped me again to provide a new, matching cover illustration.

matching the same forced perspective of "nile", i adjusted the color palette slightly on this one while keeping it in the same family. i'm really pleased how both of these turned out. hoping i can continue the series in the future.

© 2011 Pan Macmillan

nicktoons: spongebob squarepants

2011-06-10T14:01:00.001-04:00

here's another illustration that was left out of the final nicktoons calendar. as i mentioned before, this project took over a year to complete, and some of the first images created were eventually scrapped because the shows they represented were no longer on the airo or in heavy rotation on nicktoons.

at any rate, it was cool to take a propaganda slant on ol' spongebob.

enjoy.

© 2011 Nicktoons

nicktoons: wolverine and the x-men

2011-06-05T13:03:00.002-04:00

with my enthusiasm for x-men: first class at an all-time high (i'm checking it out on tuesday, God willing), i figured it was time to post this illo of wolverine that i created for my nicktoons calendar project.

as a result of this project taking over a year to come to fruition, some images were created and then later scrapped because the shows were no longer on the air. sadly, this is one of those cases.

i'd only seen the pilot episode of this series, but it seemed to have generally good buzz.

and yes, i know that wolverine's not in x-men: first class... at least i don't think so...

© 2011 Nicktoons

nicktoons: voltron force

2011-06-01T09:36:00.002-04:00

here's my rendition of the new voltron for my nicktoons calendar project.

the initial draft for this page featured the old school, blocky voltron with all of the lions shown. i was later furnished the more rounded, streamlined look that the new cartoon sports and asked to crop in and just feature the torso for a more aggressive propaganda feel. i decided to have the background colors reflect the lions that got cropped out.

it evolved quite a bit from the initial draft, but i kinda dig where it wound up.

now if only the new cartoon can capture the magic of the 80's voltron...

© 2011 Nicktoons

mondo: mickey's service station

2011-05-27T00:22:00.002-04:00

here's the latest in my series of disney posters for mondotees, a 4-color silkscreen poster for "mickey's service station".

this short represents the first team-up of mickey mouse, donald duck and goofy and is also the last black and white short to feature mickey mouse.

the posters drops on friday, may 27 at a random time. see below for details.

poster specs:
• 4-color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 370

online sale info:
• fri, may 27
• time: random
• where: mondotees

cabinet of dr. caligari dvd cover

2011-05-24T16:43:00.004-04:00

november fire recently hired me to illustrate a dvd cover for their upcoming release of "the cabinet of dr. caligari". the disc will feature the classic silent expressionist horror film overlaid with a sinister soundtrack by hobgoblin.

i have to admit that my knowledge of "caligari" was limited (at best) when i began this project, but while doing my research i learned just how influential this film was to the horror films that followed it, especially the universal monster movies.

keep an eye on the november fire site for official release info.

nicktoons: iron man

2011-05-20T07:00:00.003-04:00

one of my favorite pages in the entire nicktoons calendar, here's the season 2 armor from "iron man: armored adventures"!

i haven't seen much of "armored adventures", but i've generally liked what i have seen... and it's always cool when you get a chance to draw any of tony's armors.

© 2011 Nicktoons

penguin: nerdist book cover

2011-05-12T12:34:00.000-04:00

after designing this gig poster for chris hardwick, (comedian/actor/host of the insanely popular nerdist podcast, penguin books hired me to adapt it for the cover of chris' new nerd self help book "the nerdist way".

even though they had me take this image through to final, they eventually decided to go with a photo cover for the book.

at any rate, it was a fun assignment to work on, i got paid for it, and i got to draw a giant tin robot. not too shabby.

betelgeuse poster

2011-05-05T17:23:00.003-04:00

here's my contribution for the 3B show (which opens tonight at gallery 1988: venice) , "betelgeuse: the afterlife's leading bio-exorcist".

the show is curated by chogrin and features autumn society members' tributes to beetlejuice, back to the future and bill and ted. the show is a sequel to last fall's 3G show.

for this go-round, partners in crime montygog, nakedderby and i (jointly known as the STD collective; *snicker*) chose to silkscreen a series of three posters (one by each of us) celebrating an advertisement from each movie. i went for beetlejuice's yellow pages ad, montygog (a.k.a. dave perillo) created a gig poster for the the battle of the bands from bill and ted's bogus journey and nakedderby (a.k.a. scott derby) fashioned an event poster for back to the future's "enchantment under the sea" dance. we kept color scheme, border depth and signing protocol identical, so they really hang together as a set.

if you're in LA tonite, make sure to check out the show...there are a ton of talented artist contributing to this event!

show opening
thursday, may 5th
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 12"x24"
medium: 3-color screenprint, cougar natural 100# cover
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988: venice
214 pier avenue
santa monica, CA 90405
ph: 424.238.5988
hrs: weds-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

on sale info
prints will be available at the show. any left after the opening will be available online here within a day or two.

mondo: wise little hen

2011-05-03T23:29:00.003-04:00

here's my latest project for mondotees, a 5-color silkscreen celebrating the first appearance of donald duck in "the wise little hen"!

i've been really, really excited to show this one off. watching these old shorts (in the name of research) with my son has been incredible. the fact that he responds to them the way that he does speaks to their long-lasting quality. i am consistently amazed by the craftsmanship of early disney animation and love that he and i can share these amazing cartoons together.

even though donald is a major character in "the wise little hen", he's hardly the star. we chose, however to spotlight him on this poster because of the timeless character that he'd become in so many disney productions that followed this one.

poster specs:
• 5 color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 325

in-store sale info:
• wed, may 4
• time: 5 pm CST
• where: mondotees store, austin, TX

online sale info:
• thu, may 5
• time: random
• where: mondotees

west wars boba fett

2011-05-02T16:50:00.001-04:00

this is a (long overdue) trade that i just completed for the incredible sillof.

his unbelievable customs have wowed me for quite a while, so when he reached out to me last year asking if i wanted to trade an illustrated poster for one of his custom figures, i jumped on the opportunity.

after a year of me dancing around my schedule, i finally pulled myself together and knocked out this illustration of boba fett from his west wars line of customs.

in exchange, he created this mindblowingly awesome steampunk optimus prime for me.

sillof has such a great knack for taking characters and re-imagining them in different eras and themes. i'm so pumped to have one of his original works gracing my transformers shelf. can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

scientific american: earthquake forecasting

2011-04-22T07:47:00.002-04:00

this is a two page spread that i illustrated for the april 2011 issue of scientific american.

i'll let the words of richard allen (the author) explain the story better than i ever could:

Within seconds of an earthquake’s first subtle motions, scientists can now predict with some certainty how strong and widespread the shaking will be. By integrating new science with modern communication technologies, we could get a few tens of seconds’ warning, or perhaps a half minute, to those in harm’s way. That may not sound like much, but it’s enough to send shutdown warnings to power plants and rail networks, automatically open elevator doors and alert fire fighters.

pretty amazing stuff.

in order to visually convey all of that, i chose to mesh a seismograph line with a city skyline with the arm on the seismograph doubling as the second hand of a clock.

the war of the worlds

2011-04-15T07:09:00.001-04:00

aaaaaaaand here's the second of my two screenprints that'll be debuting at gallery 1988's "required reading"show. based on the prints that have been shown so far, this event (curated by OMG posters and rob jones) is going to be unbelievable.

though most people have a vision of the RGB-eyed aliens from the 1953 film, h.g. well's novel was actually written in 1898 and is set in victorian london. that provides the unique opportunity to do a steampunk-ish take on the alien tripods, which i happily took. it was also cool to be able to work with period-specific fonts and effects for the typography.

as with the adventures of sherlock holmes poster, this one was printed at D&L and looks amazing.

show opening
friday, april 15th
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 18"x14"
medium: 2-color screenprint, french speckletone 100# cover
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

on sale info
prints will be available at the show. any left after the opening will be available online here within a day or two.

the adventures of sherlock holmes

2011-04-12T16:38:00.006-04:00

so, here's the first of two screenprints that i'll be debuting at gallery 1988's "required reading" show. it'll feature a diverse selection of limited edition prints inspired by classic literary novels. the artist lineup for this one is killer, thanks (in no small part) to the show being curated by OMG posters and rob jones.

this poster is a rework of a sherlock/watson design that i did last year. i'm really pleased with how it translated to a silkscreen. as always, the jpeg i'm posting here does no justice to the actual print, which was pulled by D&L.

i'll be yapping about my other "required reading" entry later this week. in the meantime, here's the show info:

show opening
friday, april 15th
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 18"x14"
medium: 2-color screenprint, french speckletone 100# cover
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

on sale info
prints will be available at the show. any left after the opening will be available online here within a day or two.

mondo: roger rabbit

2011-04-08T10:37:00.002-04:00

here's my latest silkscreen poster for mondotees, the one and only "who framed roger rabbit?"!

i feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on a print for this amazing film. i remember how much buzz it produced when this joint came out it in 1988. revolutionary for not only its meshing of live action and animation, it also featured disney and warner brothers characters side-by-side for the first time. check out the wikipedia page for all of the interesting details.

at any rate, the poster drops at a random time today. all of the gory details follow.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on cougar natural 100# cover stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 210

sale info:
• date: fri, apr 8
• time: random (follow @MondoNews for a hint!)
• where: mondotees

maniac poster

2011-04-05T00:40:00.001-04:00

up next in the colonial theatre's first friday fright night series: william lustig's slasher classic, "maniac"!

admittedly, i hadn't even heard of this film until i saw it was going to be featured as one of the late night horror films at the colonial. a buddy of mine graciously lent me a bootleg DVD (thanks, brendan), i eagerly popped it into my computer, and any remaining shred of innocence that i had left evaporated sometime just after the infamous shotgun decapitation scene. i can't wait to see that on the big screen.

what's really going to set this screening apart (aside from the insane nature of the flick) is the fact that the film's director, william lustig, will be making an appearance at the theatre for the screening...he's agreed to do a Q&A the night of the showing. very cool.

we're hoping horror fans will really show up for this one...it should make for an electric atmosphere!

nicktoons: avatar

2011-04-03T15:33:00.000-04:00

it's nicktoons calendar time again! here's my take on aang from "avatar: the last airbender".

i'm kinda embarrassed to admit that i've never seen this show. everyone tells me how awesome it is. at any rate, it took a few passes for me to nail aang's youthful intensity. truth be told, i think i like my initial take better, but this is what we ended up going with.

ya win some, ya lose some.

© 2011 Nicktoons

herring on the nile

2011-03-25T15:08:00.001-04:00

late in 2010, i was contacted by the UK's pan macmillan and asked to illustrate the jacket for "the herring on the nile", the latest in l. c. tyler's series of "elsie and ethelred" mystery novels.

i was given a fairly detailed description from my art director detailing the general theme and tone of the piece and then i was allowed to run free. the look evolved quite a bit from the initial sketch and i'm really pleased with where we ended up. i've even had the opportunity to re-work one of the covers for an earlier book in the series. more on that later.

"the herring on the nile" will be released july 1, 2011.

© 2011 Pan Macmillan

nicktoons: the mighty B

2011-03-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

here's my rendition of "the mighty B", the next page in my nicktoons calendar.

this is another cartoon that i didn't know much about until i received the calendar assignment. from the few clips i watched while doing research, it's pretty swell.

© 2011 Nicktoons

paleyfest: glee poster

2011-03-14T21:53:00.001-04:00

so, here's my limited edition glee poster, produced through gallery 1988 in honor of the 2011 paleyfest lineup.

this assignment was a bit out of my comfort zone, as glee doesn't regularly feature robots, aliens, axe-wielding maniacs, or 1980's saturday-morning action heroes. it does, however feature one of the best villains on television, sue sylvester, the acid-tongued, subtle-as-a-freight-train cheerleading coach who's obsessed with making show protagonist and glee club director will schuester's life a living hell. so that's what i chose to focus on for my poster.

it really was a breath of fresh air working on something a bit different and i'm thrilled to have been asked to participate in this project.

posters will be available at the glee paleyfest panel on march 17th and then will be available through gallery 1988 shortly thereafter. i'll also have a small run of artist proofs available if anyone's interested.

and yes, i watch the show regularly.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on 100# cougar natural stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 250

event info:
• date: wed, mar 16
• where: paleyfest / saban theatre / LA, CA

nicktoons: speed racer

2011-03-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

what's the next page in my nicktoons calendar? why, it's"speed racer: the next generation"!

i'm not that familiar with the new animated incarnation of speed, but how can you go wrong when asked to illustrate one of the coolest cars ever, the mach 5?!

er... i mean the mach 6.

anyway, i had a blast working on this one. i think it turned out as one of the best in the whole calendar.

© 2011 Nicktoons

mondo: paul

2011-03-06T22:52:00.003-05:00

here's my latest limited edition print for mondotees, a poster for the upcoming simon pegg/nick frost sci-fi comedy, paul!

i'm pretty excited about this one, as it's officially licensed through universal studios and will debut at the US premiere of paul at the SXSW festival next week!

it was a challenging assignment in that i haven't seen the film yet and had to rely internet research to pull the look of the characters together. at any rate, nick frost tweeted me that he digs it, so i'm pretty stoked.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on 100# cougar natural stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 225

sale info:
• date: sun, mar 13
• where: SXSW festival / paramount theatre / austin, TX
• any posters left over from the premiere will be available at mondotees.com

topps: stromtroopers

2011-03-01T17:15:00.006-05:00

i just received the green light to show my base card for the upcoming star wars: galaxy 6 card set from topps. what makes this series of cards so damn cool (in my opinion) is the fact that topps commissions artists with insanely varied styles to illustrate their takes on all corners of the star wars universe.

i am a massive star wars fan, and topps cards were a huge part of my childhood ('87 wood-border baseball set, anyone?) so it goes without saying that my inclusion in this set is a big deal.

i was pretty much given free reign to tackle any character(s) in the star wars universe for this. resisting the urge to go the bounty hunter route, i instead chose to create a collage of original trilogy stromtrooper designs, complete with a badass AT-AT pilot.

© 2011 Topps

mondo: steamboat willie

2011-02-24T23:30:00.003-05:00

here's my latest project for the insanely cool mondotees: officially licensed through Disney, it's a limited edition, 4-color screenprint featuring mickey mouse's formative years as steamboat willie!

i'm so honored to have been asked to design this poster, which is the product of a partnership between mondotees and sideshow collectibles.

sideshow will be releasing a variant edition with a completely new colorway in the future.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on light grey stock with metallic inks
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 200

sale info:
• date: fri, feb 25
• time: random
• where: mondotees

nicktoons: invader zim

2011-02-20T14:47:00.001-05:00

yet another page from my nicktoons calendar, this time it's "invader zim"!

here's another show that i've never seen an episode of, but hear great things about.

this is actually the second draft of the illustration. the first was rejected because the composition wasn't "in-your-face" enough. i'm glad the art directors pushed me... i feel like this version turned out much stronger.

© 2011 Nicktoons

"nerdist" gig poster

2011-02-11T15:59:00.008-05:00

i was contacted by chris hardwick a little while back to design a gig poster for his comedy tour.

you may recognize chris for his stint as co-host (with jenny mccarthy) of "MTV's singled out" in the late 90's, but it seems like nowadays, everywhere you turn, there he is.

from movies ("house of 1000 corpses"), to TV ("attack of the show", "chelsea lately", "the late late show", "the batman") to the internet
(nerdist.com, homebase to his insanely popular podcast), he literally
seems to do it all.

on top of all of that, he's also is part of an ongoing nerdist comedy tour. that's where this image comes into play; the illustration serves as a customizable gig poster that he can adjust when new shows come up.

chris was awesome to work with and basically let me run with my initial idea of having him dressed as a retro astronaut about to defend a distant planet against an invading force of insect aliens. how's that for trust?

terminator poster

2011-02-04T06:37:00.005-05:00

when i heard that the colonial theatre would be screening "the terminator" in april as part of their first friday fright night series , i knew i had to do attack it... it's one of my favorite movies of all time!

i'll never forget watching "the terminator" for the first time at a sleepover sometime around 1984-1985. i was at matt sobolewski's house and i distinctly remember my 4th grade mind being blown by the time travel aspect of the film and my 4th grade heart pumping a mile a minute as i witnessed the relentless nature of arnold's path of destruction through LA. top all of that off with stan winston's endoskeleton (which, along with his "predator" design will go down as some of my favorite movie monsters ever), and you have a movie that would leave an indelible mark on me as a kid and would inspire me for the rest of my life.

"sarah connor?"

nicktoons: dragon ball Z kai

2011-02-01T07:05:00.003-05:00

continuing the series of pages from my nicktoons calendar, here's "dragon ball Z kai"!

i have to admit, i've never seen an entire episode of dragon ball in any of its incarnations, so i had to do a bit of research when tasked with illustrating goku. i find working on characters like this liberating, as it allows me to start from scratch with no preconceived notions. as it turns out, it's one of my favorites in the whole calendar.

© 2011 Nicktoons

"back to space-con" dvd cover

2011-01-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

i was recently hired by november fire to create this piece of art, which will serve as a dvd cover art and poster for a new documentary entitled "back to space-con: the story of the 1970's sci-fi conventions".

i had the chance to preview the film while creating the artwork and it's a fascinating look at the early days of sci-fi conventions. there was a definite homespun charm to geek culture in the 70's that has all but been forgotten by today's mega cons. also of note is how "do-it-yourself" fandom began to wither with the rise to power of the george lucas/star wars merchandising machine. pretty interesting stuff.

the feature length documentary will be premiering on march 12, 2011 in alameda, CA. you can find event info and purchase tickets here.

scientific american: language shapes thought

2011-01-23T08:58:00.001-05:00

here's a full page illo that appears in the current issue (february 2011) of scientific american.

the story details how people in different areas of the world have different spatial relationships with their environments because of the ways that their languages shape their thought processes. pretty wild stuff.

it was a last-minute assignment (so i had to turn it around pretty quickly), but i'm really happy with the result. and as always, i get a charge out of wandering into a bookstore and finding something i helped to create on the magazine rack.

© 2011 Scientific American

"1981" donkey kong poster

2011-01-16T20:09:00.000-05:00

here's my donky kong tribute piece for gallery 1988's "multiplayer" group show, which happens to be the first show at their new venice beach location!

when asked, to choose a video game to illustrate, donkey kong was an immediate finalist. even though i always found the game waaaay too challenging, i couldn't pass up the chance to draw a giant ape. and that was before i saw "the king of kong: a fistful of quarters".

the limited edition prints are now available. click here to purchase.

poster info
size: 11"x17"
medium: giclee on archival paper
edition: limited, 30

gallery info
gallery 1988
214 pier avenue
santa monica, CA 90405
ph: 424.238.5988
hrs: weds-sun 11am-6pm

obi-wan kenobi commission

2011-01-12T22:50:00.000-05:00

this was my final commission of 2010, the pimp daddy of OT coolness, obi-wan kenobi!

i love this character in every period of the star wars saga, so i was psyched to have been commissioned to illustrate him.

the client asked for a straight up body shot and i chose to depict "old ben kenobi" just before the fateful duel with his former apprentice. much like the old jedi himself, i wanted to keep the pose calm, confident and understated rather than go extreme with the action.

"you can't win, darth. if you strike me down, i shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."

nicktoons: fanboy + chum chum

2011-01-11T01:22:00.003-05:00

here's the next page from my nicktoons calendar: "fanboy and chum chum"!

every time i catch this show, i love it. the writers are definitely from my generation, liberally sprinkling 80's and comic book references throughout the scripts. to top it off, the animation style is fantastic.

© 2011 Nicktoons

mork poster

2011-01-07T06:43:00.004-05:00

here's my entry for gallery 1988's massive stand-up-comedian-themed"is this thing on?" show, which opens tonight!

this is one yet another of the gallery's infamous group shows and promises to showcase over 100 artists uniquely interpreting their favorite stand up legends such as andy kaufman, richard pryor, redd foxx, and steve martin.

when the show invite went out way back in june, i had a hard time picking which comedian i'd like to illustrate. eventually i chose robin williams because of his huge body of work that i would have to draw from. after an abandoned (yet exploratory) first draft, this mork-based propaganda design just seemed to make the most sense for a poster.

make sure to check out the gallery 1988 website to see (and/or buy) all of the art once the show has opened.

"nanu-nanu!"

show opening
friday, january 7th
7-10 pm

poster info
size: 11"x17"
medium: 4-color screenprint, off white stock
edition: limited, 50

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail: gallery1988@aol.com

fifth element poster

2011-01-02T22:03:00.002-05:00

kicking off my 2011 series of first friday fright night posters for the colonial theatre, here's "the fifth element"!

i know it's not every one's cup of tea, but i think the blend of action, sci-fi and humor work perfectly in this kick-ass flick. i remember being blown away when i saw it waaaay back in may of 1997 and i can't wait to check it out on the big screen again.

"leeloo dallas multi-pass!"

nicktoons: rush zone

2010-12-27T17:29:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-23T08:39:00.001-05:00

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"

2010-12-20T22:38:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-17T08:31:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-15T21:19:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-12T21:56:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-07T23:37:00.001-05:00

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

2010-12-04T21:59:00.004-05:00

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!

orange: "social network mayor"

2010-11-30T16:53:00.004-05:00

here's a full page illo created through john brown media for orange, a mobile network operator and internet service provider in the UK.

the image appears in the current issue of "together", orange's in-store magazine. the feature article discusses social networking games such as foursquare and gowalla where players "check in" with mobile devices at participating locations, collecting cool badges and passport stamps.

© 2010 Orange

gi joe covers: issues 26 + 27

2010-11-24T19:35:00.005-05:00

it was always a thrill checking underneath the old blotter that sat in the last booth (secret drop off spot) of my grandmother's candy store. she'd generously set aside each and every issue of the books i loved as they were released. the treasures included issues of the official handbook of the marvel universe, transformers, and most importantly, gi joe. as a kid, i'd check under that blotter religiously when i walked into the store, always sure to find some piece of 4-color gold.

as much as i loved comics and toys and animation as a child, it was the comics that had toys that had an animated series that spoke (yelled) the loudest to me. and none of those properties was more exciting than gi joe. the basic concept of military superheroes who fought a "ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world" was too much for my adolescent brain to handle. the endless hours spent reading those comics, playing with those toys and watching those animated episodes (sometimes simultaneously) had a profound effect on my imagination.

so why the sappy backstory? to illustrate what an amazingly big deal it is to me that i had the opportunity to create two covers for IDW's current ongoing gi joe series.

through a bit of misfortune on the part of trevor hutchinson, (whose laptop was hijacked, preventing him from finishing the series of five interlocking covers that he had started) i received a call from IDW's carlos guzman (with a referral from trev...thanks!) asking me to complete the series of retailer incentive covers with illustrations for issues 26 (january 2011) and 27 (february 2011). it made the deal all that much sweeter that i was allowed to draw snake eyes, my all-time favoritest 'joe.

i'm so thankful for the opportunity to revisit something that meant (means) so much to me.

yo, joe!

© 2010 IDW Publishing

PC world: "multiple sign-in"

2010-11-16T16:41:00.003-05:00

here's a small spot illustration that i created for PC World's october 2010 issue.

the column detailed how google is going to allow sign-in to multiple accounts with one password.

that is all.

© 2010 PC World magazine

global knowledge: spy

2010-11-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

this is the fifth (and final) in my series of promotional posters for global knowledge, the worldwide leader in IT and business skills training.

i have to admit that when i was given the "scripts" explaining what the client wanted out of each of these posters, this is the one that had me the least fired up to work on. as such, i pushed it to the very end of the series. as is always the case, it's my favorite of the five and the poster that i'm the most proud of. go figure.

you can check out the rest of the series here:
• sci-fi poster
• romance poster
• horror poster
• adventure poster

© 2010 Global Knowledge

batman returns poster

2010-11-05T07:09:00.000-04:00

...aaaaaaand here's the final first friday fright night poster of 2010, the one and only "batman returns"!

christopher walken in a wig. michelle pfeiffer resuscitated by a gang of cats. danny devito noshing on a raw fish. emperor penguins. with rockets. this movie is delightfully unhinged and is my favorite of the 80s/90s batman series.

the colonial theatre in phoenixville, PA has had an amazing FFFN lineup this year, and i've been lucky enough to do posters for most of the shows. i've taken a peek at next year's list of films and i'm elated; two of my top ten favorite movies of all time are on there.

can. not. wait. for. 2011.

global knowledge: adventure

2010-10-31T17:21:00.002-04:00

pack your bags. next stop: adventure!

this is the fourth in my series of five promotional posters for global knowledge, the worldwide leader in IT and business skills training.

there are a lot of separate elements on this one, but i think i'm most happy with the snake/type/jewels treatment in the upper left corner and the chalice/treasure pile in the lower left. at any rate, it was a blast rendering this pulp adventurer!

you can check out the rest of the series here:
• sci-fi poster
• romance poster
• horror poster

next up: the spy!

© 2010 Global Knowledge

star wars: jabba's palace

2010-10-21T21:58:00.004-04:00

picking myself up off of the floor after being asked to illustrate a jabba the hutt poster for mondotees' star wars series, i immediately popped return of the jedi in my dvd player and traveled back in time to 1983. i remember my parents informing me on a particularly warm saturday afternoon that, once yard chores were finished, we'd be going to the theater to see the final chapter of the star wars trilogy.

that saturday evening would stay with me the rest of my life.

the the scenes in jabba's palace perfectly encapsulate the dense, alien-rich texture of star wars that completely hooked me as a kid and continue to inspire my work today.

i remember sitting in the theater as a 9 year-old and being completely blown away by the sheer variety of spectacles in the palace; the jade-skinned slave girl, the tiny scavenger turned fan-boy, the worm-like translator, one of our heroes hung as a trophy, and, of course the bloated slug crime lord and his twisted pet.

i envision my poster as a family portrait of this collection of miscreants taken shortly before meeting their ultimate demise.

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on offwhite stock
• size: 26" x 17.5"
• limited edition of 260

sale info:
• date: fri, oct 22
• time: random (follow @MondoNews for a hint!)
• where: mondotees

star trek: journey to babel

2010-10-21T21:56:00.003-04:00

when mondotees contacted me to illustrate a poster for the journey to babel episode of star trek: the original series, i wanted to bring to it a vibrant, clean design sense that evoked the retro/future vision of the show. from the gallery of alien delegates to the hierarchy of mr. spock's family, the classic episode provided me an abundance of visuals to work with.

when i began this project, i had only seen a hand full of ST:TOS episodes, and most of those were when i was a kid. having watched a few to get me in the right frame of mind to design this poster, i can finally see why this franchise has so many rabid fans. it truly was an amazing, thought provoking, progressive show. i can't wait to go back and watch more episodes!

poster specs:
• 4 color screenprint on offwhite stock
• size: 18" x 24"
• limited edition of 260

sale info:
• date: fri, oct 22
• time: random (follow @MondoNews for a hint!)
• where: mondotees

global knowledge: horror

2010-10-15T12:07:00.003-04:00

oh, the horror!

this is the third in my series of five promotional posters for global knowledge, the worldwide leader in IT and business skills training.

i couldn't wait to try my hand at illustrating a schlocky, 1950's style B-movie poster. as a self-confessed monster nerd, this is the poster that i was looking the most forward to creating!

you can check out the rest of the series here:
• sci-fi poster
• romance poster

next up: adventure!

© 2010 Global Knowledge

cobra industries poster

2010-10-10T15:48:00.003-04:00

having been a huge GI Joe fan since i was a kid, i was thrilled when i heard the hub (the new hasbro/discovery animated network that launched today, 10/10/10) would be rolling out a brand new 'toon called GI Joe: renegades!

I was even more thrilled when i received an e-mail from the hub's VP of creative services commissioning me to design a promotional propaganda poster featuring the show's mysterious cobra industries! i was instructed to keep it "subtly evil". hope that shows through in the final.

the poster has not yet been used, but if you happen to see it or any other materials in the near future urging you to join cobra industries, please think twice...those cats are eeeeeevil!

© 2010 the hub

trick 'r treat poster

2010-10-06T22:37:00.002-04:00

up next in my first friday fright night series for the colonial theatre:
the amazing "trick 'r treat"!

this has quickly become one of my must-see-yearly halloween flicks. often described as the "pulp fiction of horror", the movie consists of four small vignettes that are elegantly intertwined, highly stylized and imminently satisfying. while i don't think the film ever specifically states when it takes place, it has a definite 1980's vibe...which i love. and that's where i drew the inspiration for this poster. i had to have one of those cheapo halloween costumes in-a-box every year. i'll always remember the garish colors of the godzilla one.

at any rate, it still blows my mind that this awesome little flick never found a proper theatrical release. relegated to DVD, it has nonetheless found a cult following and i couldn't have been more excited when i heard the colonial would be screening this...i'll finally get to see it on the big screen where it belongs!

gallery update!

2010-10-04T21:28:00.011-04:00

i've neglected the poster/illustration/logo galleries over to the left for
waaaaaaay too long. so i finally forced myself to sit down tonight, resize
some recent work, and add some fresh images to all three areas.

enjoy!

© 2010 Merion Publications, Inc.

global knowledge: romance

2010-09-30T18:10:00.003-04:00

here's the second in my series of five promotional posters for global knowledge, the worldwide leader in IT and business skills training.

changing things up a bit from the sci-fi themed poster that kicked off the series,
this one instead recalls a globetrotting romance from the 1950's.

when i initially received the list of five posters to illustrate,
this concept was the one that i had the least passion for. as it turns out,
the final product is one of my favorites.

next up: the horror poster!

© 2010 Global Knowledge

scientific american: crowdsourcing

2010-09-26T22:39:00.002-04:00

here's an illustration that i created for the current issue (october 2010) of scientific american.

the feature article discusses web services such as chacha, and aardvark that "crowdsource", or deliver targeted answers to your questions by passing them on to a sea of strangers.

as is usually the case, it was a trill to find the issue on stands. this one was especially sweet, however, as i found the issue in the notre dame campus bookstore while on my annual football pilgrimage. cheer, cheer.

global knowledge: sci-fi

2010-09-21T22:15:00.003-04:00

this is the first in a series of five promotional posters for global knowledge
the worldwide leader in IT and business skills training.

global knowledge's creative director/brand manager came across some of
my online poster art last year and remembered me when this project came up.

each poster in the series is rendered in a different retro movie style and
highlights a specific strength of the training curriculum. this was the first
poster that i illustrated and is meant to recall a 1960's sci-fi flick.

the posters have just been printed and are currently hanging in global
knowledge's training centers nationwide. i had an absolute blast designing
these and i'm thrilled that a.) they're well received and b.) i can finally
post them on my sites!

stay tuned to my page for the next one in the series...

© 2010 Global Knowledge

return of the dapper men pinup

2010-09-15T17:36:00.003-04:00

i had the pleasure of being invited to contribute a pinup for jim mccann (hawkeye & mockingbird) and janet k. lee's upcoming original graphic novel, "return of the dapper men".

published by archaia press and set to be released this november, the hardcover "is a visually stunning fairy tale that combines steampunk with fantasy and science fiction with renaissance style." very cool stuff.

after agreeing to contribute the pinup, i was given a rather large folder of wordless comic pages to peruse and see what caught my eye. while all of janet’s character designs would have been fun to interpret, the clockwork angel called out the loudest. a blend of robot and human forms with victorian sensibilities (holding roman numerals—perfect design elements!), i couldn’t resist taking a stab at envisioning her in my style. i hope i did janet and jim proud!

check out the full press release featuring all of the amazing pinups here.

© 2010 jim mccann/janet k. lee

PC World: "e-readers"

2010-09-13T20:33:00.005-04:00

i recently was contracted by PC World to create two spot illustrations for their october issue (on stands now!).

for the first one, i was asked to come up with a concept that visually conveyed the intense marketplace battle currently raging between all of the major e-readers. i chose to illustrate a fight poster, complete with a "main event" and an undercard. the image runs about 1/3 page.

it was a thrill to snag the issue off of the stands in the grocery store yesterday and see my work inside, but my two-year old was far less impressed. he was a tad too focused on a bambi book on a nearby children's rack to share in dad's moment. can't win 'em all.

© 2010 PC World Magazine

big bad wolf miniprint

2010-09-07T21:39:00.002-04:00

here's the second in my series of literary-characters-turned-design-experiments: the big bad wolf (and red riding hood)!

as i mentioned in the post for my sherlock holmes print, i'll be sliding these in between other jobs to keep myself busy while having a bit of fun.

once the first four are completed, i'm going to release a print set. stay tuned.

sherlock holmes minpirint

2010-08-31T23:41:00.000-04:00

this is the first in a series of small design exercises that i'll be filtering in between larger jobs.

i wanted to take a bit of a break from my normal movie/super hero/pulp themed work, so i decided to envision literary characters (no doubt inspired by the robert downey jr./jude law "sherlock holmes") in my style.

i've been having a blast with them so far. they're quick, fun and keep me inspired while working on other projects.

i plan to make a print set out of them when i have a few more finished.

monster squad poster

2010-08-29T22:56:00.000-04:00

fittingly, "the monster squad" is october's first friday fright night selection at the colonial theatre!

due to very limited distribution and no VHS release, this movie was completely off my radar when it came out. i only discovered it a few years ago when a great DVD edition came out. i was pleasantly surprised to find a movie unabashedly reflective of the 80's that re-envisioned the classic universal monsters. fun stuff.

i wanted to take a bit of an abstract approach to the poster. i'm hoping fans of the movie will get (and dig) it. not sure how it'll be received by folks who've never seen it. i'm very curious, so let me know...

3G: show poster

2010-08-20T17:26:00.001-04:00

here's the show poster for next month's 3G show at the infamous gallery 1988. the exhibit will be a showcase for members of the illustration collective known as the autumn society, and will feature artwork inspired by the 80's classics "ghostbusters", "goonies" and "gremlins".

show opening
friday, september 3rd
7-10 pm

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail:gallery1988@aol.com

3G: ghostbusters poster

2010-08-15T21:16:00.002-04:00

...and here's my third and final poster created for gallery 1988's upcoming
3G show. (you can check out my gremlins and goonies posters here.)

the exhibit will be a showcase for members of the illustration collective known
as the autumn society, and will feature artwork inspired by the 80's classics "ghostbusters", "goonies" and "gremlins".

in preparation for designing this poster, i sat down with "ghostbusters" for the first time in a looooong while. it was a staple of my childhood movie watching diet, and it's amazing how well it holds up. perfect comic timing, an original story (almost non-existent in movies today), and awesome special effects make for a true classic. oh, and rick moranis rules.

listen... do you smell something?

show opening
friday, september 3rd
7-10 pm

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail:gallery1988@aol.com

3G: goonies poster

2010-08-08T21:33:00.004-04:00

here's my second poster created for gallery 1988's upcoming 3G show.
(you can check out my gremlins poster here.)

the exhibit will be a showcase for members of the illustration collective
known as the autumn society, and will feature artwork inspired by the 80's classics "ghostbusters", "goonies" and "gremlins".

combining action, horror and comedy, "goonies" is a perfect example of a kids'
movie from the 80's. (and sloth still creeps me out.)

goonies never say die!

show opening
friday, september 3rd
7-10 pm

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail:gallery1988@aol.com

3G: gremlins poster

2010-08-01T22:47:00.003-04:00

here's the first of my 3 posters created for gallery 1988's upcoming 3G show!

the exhibit will be a showcase for members of the illustration collective known as the autumn society, and will feature artwork inspired by the 80's classics "ghostbusters", "goonies" and "gremlins".

"gremlins" was one of those flicks i adored as a kid. i watched it over and over and over as a kid and i'm thrilled to have had an excuse to illustrate a piece of art inspired by it.

bright light! bright light!

show opening
friday, september 3rd
7-10 pm

location
gallery 1988
7020 melrose avenue
los angeles, CA 90038
ph: 323.937.7088
hrs: tues-sun 11am-6pm
e-mail:gallery1988@aol.com

WIRED "engaged" illustration

2010-07-21T22:13:00.001-04:00

following the full page illustration that i created for the july 2010 issue of WIRED magazine, i was asked to contribute a spot for the august issue.

the illustration appears in the "release notes" section of the mag where behind the scenes stories are told about each issue.

my image accompanies a story about a WIRED contributing editor who visited the doctor complaining of back pain. the doctor asked the editor if he was engaged. the editor said "no" and asked why. the doctor replied by telling him that the most common trigger he sees in men complaining of back pain is the wedding process. the anecdote inspired the editor to research how stress causes physical discomfort, which led to him writing a feature titled "under pressure" in the issue.