Rankinstein: the blog.

Steampunk Poker: San Diego Comic-Con booth #1945

2011-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all! This is what I've been working tirelessly on for the last few months: Steampunk Poker! It's a complete artistic redesign of a deck of playing cards, all the way down to the smallest detail.

The cards have all been redesigned to reflect Victorian aesthetics, and the face cards all feature unique Jacks, Queens and Kings according to their respective houses. Hearts feature the adventurous types, Clubs represent everyday working stiffs, Diamonds are the posh aristocrats, and Spades are ornately detailed robots. Of course, all members of these houses have a steampunk twist.

As a special treat, I've designed a handful of deluxe boxes to unveil at Comic-Con and sell online thereafter. The deluxe kits include a deck of cards, 25 hand-crafted Steampunk Poker chips, a decorative insert that displays which hand trumps the other, and other decorative elements wrapped up quite fancily inside a finished wooden collector's case.

The deluxe kit contents:

The deluxe kits unopened:

Some gold chips available in the deluxe kit:

Steampunk Poker cards out of the box:

A random sample of some spade cards:

A few of the face cards:

A random hand featuring the queen of robots:

Visit the Rankinstein booth at #1945. We hope to see you there!
I'll post more details after the convention!
-Greg

Codename Hart 1

2011-02-10T11:32:00.001-08:00

Here's the first few pages from Codename Hart!
-Colors by Sara Jerzykowski-

About my abduction...

2011-01-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I've been away for so long!!!
I wish to offer Saint Blogulous (the Patron saint of blogs) this humble and crappy image of Judge Dredd as an offering.

And I vow to keep up with this thing more frequently, starting with pages from Codename Hart that I finished last... June. JUNE? REALLY?!

Fairly Odd Puppies gallery

2010-03-04T18:38:00.000-08:00

Wow... what's with all the dust, cobwebs and skeletons wearing Dharma Initiative jumpsuits?

OH YEAH! I haven't updated anything in... a long, long time. But it's all for a good reason - I'm busy working on Codename Hart. Out this summer! More details on THAT later.

But first, here's three pieces I put together for our crew (Fairly Oddparents/Tuff Puppy) art gallery at Nickelodeon.

"Justice ful-filled in Twinkstone"

"Warlock of Fudge Mountain"

"What cost, Cupcake?"

Yay, satire!

B-Movie Starlets #1

2009-07-20T14:39:00.000-07:00

The Comic Con starts Wednesday and the books are IN!! I'll be at booth D-8, so drop on in and say hi!

28 pages of full color mayhem! Head on over here for a description.

Hard 8 Volume 2 will be there as well - check out the Hard 8 blog or my store for more info!

I'll also be featuring prints (and original artwork I haven't done yet.) -

More details here.

For folks who won't be in San Diego this week, please visit rankinstein.com to catch up on all the goodness!

Two weeks!!

2009-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update -
B-Movie Starlets #1 is at the printers and will arrive in time for the Con!
I'll also be selling original artwork, T-shirts and prints.

Here's a rough of a print I'll have at the booth.

More to come!

Episode 4.5: Darth Vader hitches a ride

2009-06-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

This is a piece that'll appear in an upcoming tribute book called "100 Ways to the Dark Side".

Some panels-

2009-05-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

It always amazes me to see months of my life fly by so quickly on paper. And no, I haven't just been working on these five panels.

More stuff later!

I can't stop watching!!

2009-05-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

I originally saw this at YooouuuTuuube. Check out what they do with it:

Just amazing.

Moley-

2009-03-31T23:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple sketches out of the moleskine:

Creative use for duct tape #106...

...MacGyvering a pencil holder onto a sketchbook.

"Don't trick me, gypsy!"

2009-03-20T16:44:00.001-07:00

I had the privilege of attending Baxtale at the Bordello last week.
I brought my trusty Moleskine along, since tribal belly dancing isn't something I can sketch every day. For the record, drawing in dim red light is difficult. (Dead sexy, but difficult.)

Here's some footage of Se7en's performance:

I couldn't find footage of Petrojvic Blasting Company from that night, but here they are in broad daylight.

B-Movie Starlets is still rolling along! I'll post more stuff soon.
(Hotel reservations for the Con filled up in the first two hours of opening! :( But something always opens up later.)

Cheers!

Aliens vs. Predator done right:

2009-03-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is NOT MY ART. ...but I wish it was.
These pieces were done by an advertising agency called DDB for an AvP movie marathon in New Zealand.

http://www.ddb.co.nz/

I posted these because I watched Aliens vs. Predator 2 and it was just terrible. Thank goodness it was a rental.
But in its defense, the movie was ALMOST as ridiculously funny as these images.

Waiting for the Watchmen

2009-03-09T18:12:00.000-07:00

So I saw Watchmen this weekend. It was really fun and it stayed pretty true to the book (yeah, except for the ending).
I gotta say the slow motion brutality was overdone and the sex scenes were mini-pornos (really awkward mini-pornos) but it was, overall, a pretty good movie.
For the folks who detested it, I have to echo Patton Oswalt and say that there are FAR worse comic-adaptation movies out there (Daredevil, Elektra, Catwoman). So there.

I brought my moleskine sketchbook along with me for the wait beforehand.
Inspired by geekiness, I drew the same two blue dudes that Dave Gibbons drew. (Two, you say?) Most folks are now familiar with Dr. Manhattan, but unless they read 2000ad (the same birthplace as Judge Dredd) they've probably never heard of the Rogue Trooper. Blue's MY favorite color. I think Dave Gibbons has the same opinion.

More Starlets stuff in the works!

6 months to go!

2009-02-23T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Comic-con is coming up July 23, so I'm plugging away at B-Movie Starlets book one.
I though I'd show just a few panels before they get inked and colored.

What the card says:

2008-12-19T01:23:00.000-08:00

Under construction

2008-12-15T18:30:00.003-08:00

I haven't rebuilt my website in a while, so here's a new front page.

There's lots to do, but it'll be finished soon.
(I'm sorry to say that there aren't any exploding heads this time.)

Another quickie-

2008-12-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I'll put movies on while I'm drawing. It's pleasant white noise and it's also a good way to gauge breaks. Das Boot was my movie of choice last week.

There actually weren't any women on board. But maybe that's why they were so angry all the time.

The Machine Project at LACMA

2008-11-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

(There's art in this post but none of it is mine.)

I went to LACMA to see the Machine Project last Saturday (http://machineproject.com/). In a nutshell, it was a day filled with installations and performance art scattered throughout the museum.
By ten, my feet were sore and my camera was full. Here's just some of the cool stuff that was there:

Greeting you in the grand entrance was a huge cardboard model of the museum:

This was really cool to watch. I only wish I kept recording through Smoke On the Water and Hungarian Rhapsody. They're totally different songs when played on precision glass.

I couldn't watch this pair descend the stairs backward. I guess if you're going to die, it's best to have company.

Every hour on the hour, a speed metal guitarist emerged from this arch and played. At night, he wore a hooded cloak and red lights illuminated the smoke.

Here's the outside of one of Richard Serra's sculptures:

And here's the inside:

This telephone would randomly ring in the Ahmanson Building. But there was a catch...

The humble readers hid beneath a stairway below:

An early Iron Man prototype:

But it's best to see him in action:

There was a birdhouse workshop on the 3rd floor of the Art of the Americas Building. Any birdhouses made that day were attached to existing structures and branched out as the numbers increased. It was avian sprawl at its finest.

The houses were species-specific. I chose the chimney swift, whose house featured an oval door, mood lighting, and a hardwood floor.

But there was a bonus feature: a recessed area in the back for (I kid you not) a bat roost. (Those scratch marks are for the bats to cling to.) After the event, they bring the birdhouses to you and install them. So now I have to come up with a cool name for my pending pet bat.

This guy almost made it the whole day:

There were multiple video presentations at 8, but inbetween them were performances by Lasagna Cat (www.lasagnacat.com). I REALLY hope someone serves up Family Circus like this.

Anyway, cheers!

Fun with nightsticks

2008-10-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Busy-ness

2008-10-10T18:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a little business card.
Fresh out of the new sketchbook!

More to come!

Life is good.

2008-08-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Especially when you're drawing French maids:

I cruised Mulholland highway last weekend and it was awesome. Lots of beautiful scenery and interesting places. I'm DEFINITELY going back to the Rock Store (and if I'm dared enough, I'll try the haunted steak joint).

The highway ends at PCH, across from Leo Carrillo state beach. I had my board shorts, sunscreen and sketchbook ready. (Beach sketching could be habit-forming. Better get in as much as I can before summer's gone.)

More art later!
Cheers!

Turning a wrench:

2008-08-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

With my show being on hiatus for two months, I've been taking some time to clean out the garage and fix up some things. Enjoy this little mechanical distraction from all things art-related:

I bought a cop bike from a public auction a LONG time ago. I ran around with all the police stuff on it (and re-wired the lights to flash - don't tell anyone) but I got bored with the look. So I've been changing it around over the years. It's been off the street for way too long (and my other bike is getting creeped out sharing garage space with a two-wheeled cadaver) so I'm getting the old cruiser back on her feet.

Here's a couple of greasy "before" pics of the carburetors that needed to be rebuilt. After sitting for so long, the gasoline just gelled the soft parts together and I had to replace LOTS of stuff.

Floats and Needles: (could almost be a kid's board game... well, I guess it was mine in a way.)

A tidier "after" pic of nice, clean carbs:

And here's where they go, right behind the engine:

I repainted the tank, fenders and body plastic and I'm pretty pleased with the look so far.

Next steps? Changing out that big-booty seat, headlight and mirrors. Think I'll surf over to ebay for a bit...

Comic-Con 2008

2008-08-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

It was a blast! Allow me to jump right into it-

Here's a couple shots of my booth; selling Hard 8 (volumes 1 & 2) and promoting the upcoming release of my graphic novel: B-Movie Starlets.

These are the concept pieces that were on display:

This is the rough version of the T-shirt (and cover for the "Art of" sketchbook)

These were some of the original sketches I drew at the booth. I've only got one of them left and there are others I didn't take pictures of before selling them.

My poor children are gone forever.

All in all, it was a great show! Thanks to everybody who came out and showed their support! B-Movie Starlets: Book 1 will be out next year along with Hard 8: Volume 3!

And finally, some stuff from the sketchbook:

...?

Hard 8 at the Con!

2008-07-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hard 8: Volume One & Two on sale!!

More Con details here:
http://www.comic-con.org

'nuff said!
(Oh, I'm gonna get sued.)

So stop on by, take off your stormtrooper helmet and say "Hi" to the guys (and gals) of Hard 8!

Derby Mayhem!

2008-05-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

I went to the Roller Derby for the first time last month and it was simply awesome! This is now my favorite sporting event. But not just because of the action on the track. The atmosphere - the VIBE - was the selling point.
It was a Punk/GenX/Psychobilly blend that made me feel like I was back in my Mom's house and all my old Smiths and Talking Heads cassettes were magically there again (but not in a horribly depressing way). The crowd was MY crowd. The track announcers were hilarious and at halftime, there was a live concert by a band who was obviously influenced by GWAR and Green Jello.
I had found my lost tribe. :P
I was so psyched by the event, I wanted to give more than the price of admission.
So here's a promotional poster I did for them. (derbydolls.com)

Go and be changed forever!

Public display of aggression

2008-03-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was international pillow fight day!
http://www.pillowfightlosangeles.com/
The plan was to sketch these folks in action, but on the way there, I was delayed by an enormous waterslide.
Fortunately, there was still plenty happening when I arrived.

Everybody had a great time and I'm happy to report that there weren't any casualties.

...well, except for the pillows.

After the feathery riot was over, our group walked to a smoothie place at the base of Angel's Flight. Here's the view from a comfortable shaded chair.

So about the slide. It was a commercial shoot for Dodge that involved well-dressed actors and an inflatable gorilla. I can't believe I'm saying it but I really want to see this commercial now.
Stumbling upon the waterslide was pretty surreal and I was really split with indecision.
'Do I stay and watch people slide down 4th street or do I travel on and watch an enormous pillow fight?'
Fortunately, I was able to choose both!

I wasn't kidding about the gorilla. This is the luckiest guy in the world.

And I noticed that people are really cool when you tell them you're Peter Parker from the Daily Bugle.

What am I going to do next weekend to top THIS?

Thursday warmup

2008-03-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie concept.

Random!

2008-03-18T14:08:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot going on lately, so I'll just dive right into it:

I went to Sierra Madre on Saturday to visit "Beantown". Had breakfast there and had a relaxing morning. There's live music in the evenings, so I'll definitely be going back! Like my other cafe sketches, I'll be doing the tone work in Photoshop.

"Blues Guitarist" was the theme at Drawing Club last Thursday. The model was great and I was privileged to hear Led Zeppelin (mostly) non-stop. Some might call this torture, but only because I was singing along. These are my better sketches:

And finally, the last page of my "Summer 2007" sketchbook. It's filled up ALREADY! I figured a sunset would be appropriate.

Monday warmup

2008-03-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

So followin' good advice, I relaxed a bit this weekend and finished watchin' Firefly.
Quite an entertainin' series and I'm a mite 'plexed as ta why they'd pull the old plug. I'm supposin' the show had a way 'a getting into a person's mindset.

Maybe more than a just a little.

March!

2008-03-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

... and march quickly. February is spent.
I've been super busy lately with B-Movie Starlets, life drawing and extra classes. Here's a quick sampler of activity:

A lunchtime cafe sketch from two weeks ago. This is another visit to Romancing the Bean in downtown Burbank.

This is Java Joe's in Santa Barbara. The weather was gloomy, but there were people everywhere. ESPECIALLY in the coffee shops.

Tonal values pending on these. I want to give them a monochromatic Photoshop treatment.

Wednesday night life drawing at the Lynn Studio.
Eight bucks will get you three hours, coffee, and a very stiff drawing horse.
Mental note: Bring a cushion next time.

Cheers to another productive month!

Tuesday warmup

2008-02-26T18:21:00.001-08:00

Ooh! Look out!
The suspense is so thick you can cut it with... uh...

...a quasi-futuristic bayonet?

Mileage

2008-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

I put 300+ miles on the bike last weekend and there's more in store this Saturday! (Weather permitting)

This is a warmup sketch that went on for far too long:

Dr. Sketchy

2008-02-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

I tried out a new life drawing venue on Sunday.

Quote: "Dr. Sketchy's is what happens when burlesque meets art school."

http://www.myspace.com/dr_sketchy_losangeles

The session started late because the time slot was double-booked, so everybody did one minute warm-up sketches in the parking lot outside. When I showed up and saw artists sketching a burlesque dancer posing on the curb, I had a newfound appreciation for artistic courage.
Once inside, we listened to hobo bluegrass music followed immediately by a Megadeth medley. Not sure if my drawings are better or worse for it.

I was feeling inspired Monday morning so I went cafe sketching.
My skillz are rusty, so I'm going to do at least one of these every weekend.

The family in the background was adorable. I understand why folks enjoy people-watching so much.
But it always bugs when people change their behavior because they know you're drawing them. This guy in the foreground knew exactly what I was up to.
(Maybe I shouldn't have asked him to hold still?)

Who's worried?

2008-02-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

I try to do some warmup sketches every morning to shake the bad drawings out of the pencil (penmouse). This one's been ongoing for two days. Figured I'd call it done and put it up!

I think I'll join the Navy...

2008-02-11T23:31:00.000-08:00

The Drawing Club's theme last week was "Sailor Girl"
Here's some sketches:

Here's Audrey in a hurry:

And Zorn in a tizzy:
(SOMEBODY had to work all weekend)

Quickie:

2008-02-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

Took the bike for a cruise through Griffith Park last night. Guess I've got Ironhorse on the brain.
(But what's new about that?)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

2008-02-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

1, 2, ...

...600!
I nabbed this monster last week and I've got ALL kinds of schemes lined up for two-wheeled mayhem!

Ah, mayhem. It's been too long.

And I'll toss in this quick sketch of Amber in the throes of musical ecstasy. There's nothing like listening to great songs while you're drawing!

By the way, 2 Starlets pages down... 113 to go. :P

Sexy nails

2008-01-28T11:01:00.000-08:00

...I mean: sexy THUMBnails. I've finally finished (!) and the page count is 115.
This is the biggest project I've undertaken so far and it's pretty cool to just look at it in one shot.
Stare closely if you want to ruin the ending (and your vision).

Incidentally, all these thumbnail sheets are 11x17 Tabloid paper with 21 Comic size templates printed on them. A fine way to work for those who draw small:

On to the next hurdle!
Penciled pages on the way!

But first, a quick trip to Joshua Tree to celebrate:

A photographic update:

2008-01-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

Not many people can claim that they get ink done at the laundromat unless they're extremely poor or they're comic book artists (in many cases, both are true). Here's yours truly inking the new Rankinstein.com index page. If the exploding monster head brought you here, then you've already seen the color version. If not, go to rankinstein.com and put your arrow over the fresh part. ...

I'm REALLY picky about my animal drawings, so I haven't got any that are post-worthy. But here's a picture from the LA Zoo of a fanged asian deer. (Yes, those are fangs.)

And finally, the project that's been eating up prime Starlets time: the Hard 8 Gallery show at Nickelodeon. I've been going through all my concept material and original artwork from volumes 1 and 2, wanting DESPERATELY to re-draw some pages. But that would be cheating. :P
On a side note, get to Aaron Brothers and pick up some frames! The sale ends soon!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T16:21:00.000-08:00

Behind the Starlets...

2007-12-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Even though the graphic novel has been taking up most of my spare time, I LOVE getting out and drawing from life.
There was another competition at the LA equestrian center 2 weeks ago. This one featured jumping and I discovered that it's REAL tough for horses to hold a pose in mid-air. Luckily, I brought my camera along so I could do homework later. Here are the sketches and their respective photographs:

These (blurry) shots were taken in the warm-up area. The competition jumps were held in the arena and were quite a bit higher than these. It's really amazing to see these horses jump so high.

This week, the Drawing Club featured The Replicant (Pris) from Blade Runner.
Unfortunately, my camera wasn't welcome there. :P

The B-Movie Starlets thumbs have reached page 101, with about 20 more to go! After I finish the home stretch, I'll put up more stuff.

Cheers!

Halloween!

2007-11-03T00:09:00.000-07:00

Prepare yourself for the mother of all picture posts.

To start things off, these are pics of the Nickelodeon Halloween party. Every year, friends and family of Nick employees come to the studio and trick-or-treat at the various shows (always held the Friday before Halloween, because the place it TRASHED at the end of the night).
As you can see, each show decorates however they see fit.

We'll start with my new crew on Fairly Oddparents:

And on to Danny Phantom:

The Mighty B:

Ni Hao Kai Lan (chinese for "scary") :

Uhh... the... human resources... show? I bet you didn't realize it, but Jolly Ranchers provide excellent traction on rounded surfaces.

And as usual, Spongebob outdid themselves. This year, Plankton hits you with shrinking gas so you can help him steal the secret Krabby Patty formula.

A couple from Avatar:

This one was a real crowd pleaser. The Penguins crew made a kiddie pool and filled it with packing peanuts. I'm glad I took pictures before all the kids showed up and laid waste to it.

The Post Production department took me back to my childhood:

Friends in costume. Man, I love working here.
The party was kind of a dress rehearsal for the actual costume competition. (coming up later)

All in all, it was a great night. I can't wait till next year.

This year's costume competition was great! There were some really fantastic entries this time around.

And finally, the Carnaval. Always an awesome event. This year featured the explosive return of the teen pop sensation Hansen (not quite so teen anymore) and a performance by the tone-deaf little people known as Mini-Kiss. Hell, I'd have come down just for that.

As usual, that's just a tiny fraction of all the great costumes that were out there. Next year, I'll take more pictures AND dress as a character who doesn't wear motocross boots. My feet are still angry at me.

Speaking of neglect, here's a couple pics of the thumbnails I'm working on.

Phew... October's over. Now that the festivities are done, it's back to work on the Starlets.
Man, what a wild month!

Procrastinate more!!

2007-10-23T17:03:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know I SHOULD be working on Starlets stuff. But when that starts to get old, these things happen:

And here's some stuff from Edward Gorey night at the Drawing Club.

I haven't ink washed in a long time, so it was nice to get to do it again.

To the rescue!

2007-10-19T18:04:00.001-07:00

Here's an eyeful of Audrey:

And a work in progress for the Rankinstein.com index page:

Starlets thumbnails continue, more to come later!

Drawing Club goes punk

2007-10-12T09:41:00.001-07:00

At about 4 in the afternoon, I was mentally preparing for another evening of Starlets thumbnails when our BG supervisor came into my office and told me that the Drawing Club theme this week was punk biker chick.
I HAD to set the Starlets aside.
After two hastily consumed burritos and a beer, I sat down for three hours straight and drew this great model while listening to The Clash, Madness, the Ramones and (of course) the Sex Pistols.

Before leaving, I heard of ANOTHER place that had life drawing Wednesday nights. I'll post more info when I get it.

Kinetic grievance

2007-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

...or: "Zorn Whacks a Robot"

Another post-it post today. There's something I just LOVE about drawing really small.
I'm thumbnailing out the B-Movie Starlets book, so I'll update with cool snippets at they arrive.

Cheers!

New sketch, old mistake

2007-10-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

ALWAYS remember, kids. Leave enough room for the whole image.
Here's Cindy from her Lacrosse days:

Without being able to see the basket, though, she could be toting a rake, a flag, or a really long-handled plunger.
Maybe if I didn't hold the book sideways??

Hallo Oktober!

2007-10-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that time of year again! The air's a little crisper, the sky's a little clearer, and there's a little bit of magic in everything!

I sketched this one today. Still going to ink more and tone, but I figured I'd put it up as a work in progress.
I'm not sure what this little guy did to make Cindy so mad, but I'm sure he won't be doing it again!

Here's a freelance deal I've been working on for Evolution, a rock band. I was given carte blanche to give them a certain trademark that's easily remembered. I thought prehistoric skulls and bones would be cool.

(too bad about the copyrights everywhere, but you can't be too careful these days. Just ask that Diorio kid)

The Starlets script is almost done! Expect some pages to be up before the end of the month!

2007-09-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Instead of posting my haphazard B-Movie Starlets story notes, I'll have to settle for these besketched post-its. Enjoy!

www.rankinstein.com is up and running again, so if anybody missed the B-Movie Starlets teaser at the Con, it's posted on the site.
Thanks!

MAN, I love sketchin'!

2007-08-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

I actually love it more than working on my website!
So I better get THAT finished up now...

Rediscovered!

2007-08-10T21:55:00.000-07:00

After cleaning up my apartment a bit, I found my old black sketchbook!

I also revisited the Drawing Club after a five month hiatus. This week's theme was "The Gangster's Girlfriend"

In the meantime, the B-Movie Starlets script continues to gestate. More art next week!

The Post-Con post

2007-08-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

First of all, this is a detour for my website, which is undergoing a major overhaul. Thanks for your patience, it'll be back up mid-August.

I'll start with (most of) the Hard 8 guys. Proudly displayed are the movie posters for each of our volume 2 stories.

As usual, the exhibits were amazing. I love being surprised by what shows up.

I sold a bunch of B-Movie Starlets teaser books. Now I'm REALLY cracking the whip to get volume one out by next year. Thanks to everybody who bought a copy!
Here's a Starlets sketch I did in the car on the way to San Diego.

On a side note, I saw 'Wicked' on Tuesday. It was AMAZING!

The Pantages is amazing, too. The intricate architecture had me captivated. I was able to take some pictures outside and in the lobby, but there's no photographs allowed in the house (which was the best part).

So I had to rely on my cafe sketching skills. This is an extremely poor reproduction of the chandelier.

Maybe I can find some pictures somewhere else. I'm SURE I'll need the reference later.
I try to use reference whenever I need it, and magazines can be GREAT sources. Like this Pharaoh bust I used for the Mummy on the Starlets cover.

But there's a problem with magazines: those STUPID little inserts. Diagnose me with OCD, but I have to go through an entire magazine and rip them all out before I can relax and read. This time, I catalogued:

TEN of the little buggers. I ask you: do trees really need to die for THIS?

And lastly, an Audrey sketch from wednesday night.

Now I'm gonna work on the website!

Better Coverage

2007-07-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

This little number came into the world at 3:30 am pacific standard time.

Just a couple days to assemble...

Oh, get your copy at the San Diego Comic Con! I'll be at the Hard 8 Booth, #1034.

Coverage

2007-07-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

This is the pencil work for the cover. It's already inked and waiting for tone and color. I'll be done with THAT tonight. :)

Generation gap

2007-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

So I bought a new monitor on Saturday to replace my 17'' boat anchor that fizzled out months ago.
The new monitor is an 18'' LCD flatscreen, and it's NICE. What ISN'T nice is the power strip (circa 1993) and super loud clackety-clack keyboard that it now has to associate with. They just don't mix.

If I get a Mac later, I guess I won't have to bother with clashing components.
It's so nice to have others make coordination choices for me. :P
But here's how I put the new toy to work:

This is a 24x36 movie poster that'll be on display at the Con to promote Hard 8 volume 2's release in January.

More Starlets (colored on an 18'' flatscreen) in a week!

Ruff! Ruff!

2007-07-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Here's some rough pages of the B-Movie Starlets teaser!
3 weeks 'till the con!

And inbetween those, I put together some Audrey sketches:

More rough stuff in a week or so!

Drop & Go

2007-06-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

Busy busy! -huff, huff-
B-movie Starlets,
Grinn & Berrett,
portfolio,
-huff, huff-

Here's 2 sketches rolled into one!

See you in a week!

1 month later...

2007-05-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

I've been REAL busy scribing the B-Movie Starlets book, so there.
But Hard 8's done so here's page one:

And here's a couple Audrey sketches followed by explorations of Amber and Frankenstein's Monster.

Dreddful days

2007-04-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

I spend my work day in terror as this grim lawman stares into my soul:

Maybe some sketches will cheer him up!

Well, it was worth a shot.

Gleeful anticipation

2007-03-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's a B-Movie Starlets update! I'll be selling the B-Movie Starlets teaser book at the Comic-Con this summer! It's just a slice of the volume to be released next year. The script is now done, so here are a few pre-turnaround sketches.

Wondercon = Wunderbar!

2007-03-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

It was an EXCELLENT weekend at the Wondercon! Thanks to everybody who came out to show their support! The book sold well, the Hard 8 crew had a fun time hanging out in San Fran (or 'Frisco, however you like), and all without a single traffic accident or decapitation! Here's some of my pictures. Check out the Hard 8 folks I'm linked to to see it from their POV.

Moscone Center South: Awesome architecture. (I think I took more pics of buildings than anything else on this trip!)

Here's the Hard 8 booth, complete with attention-grabbing casino chips. The volume 2 flyers are pin-ups donated to us by some amazing artists in France. They'll appear sans text in the pin-up section of the book.

Luckily, there was a Chinese New Year parade happening! Unluckily, all my other pictures are awful. But we were able to watch the festivities as we stood in line for a GREAT chinese place. When we got inside, the waiter knew what we wanted more than we ever could. When Matt tried to order some chicken fried rice, the waiter dismissively waved his hand and shook his head in a way that said: "Don't worry: I'll hook you guys up." I've never had chinese food that tasted so good.

(we did NOT eat at the Kraft tent)

While at the booth, I managed to bring over some traffic by sketching. I didn't take any pictures of the freebies I did for folks, but this is the stuff I worked on to bring 'em over in the first place. They're all works in progress, so I'll be putting them up again as I finish them.

The ratio of costumed to casual attendees was rather close up there. Here's a few spirited conventioneers:

And some faces I see every day at work:

And here's the highlight of the entire trip. Arthur Adams, my favorite comic artist of all time, made a very rare appearance. I stood in line for 3 HOURS to ask him for a sketch (he took at LEAST 20 minutes for each sketch and asked for no money). When it was my turn, I asked if he'd mind drawing one of my characters. To my surprise, he agreed.

Audrey by Arthur Adams.
For almost 20 years, I've stared in wonder at this guy's craftsmanship and there he was, sketching something of mine. Surreal doesn't even BEGIN to describe what it felt like. After he was done, I carried it off like the Declaration of Independence and spent the rest of the trip in a blissful haze.

More Hard 8 stuff to come as I finish it off! Thanks for looking!

Road Warrior(s)

2007-02-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Hard 8 crew is taking a road trip to San Francisco for Wondercon!
Mark your calendars: March 2-4 at Moscone South. We'll be in Artist's Alley, booth AA76.
Hope to see you there!

...And here's some other stuff I've been up to:
Sunday horses...

And a sketch of my website's new front page (if I don't change my mind in a month).

Artist's Block

2007-02-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

I don't know if anybody else gets this, but whenever I'm working on something that NEEDS to be DONE, I'll distract myself by drawing something else. I don't think I'll ever understand why, but here's a couple distractions that hit me this weekend.
First up: the latest incarnation of the horse phase I'm going through. I just don't know what to call it. Motohorsey? Equicycle? I dunno.

And Panic the cat. A character I've been distraction drawing for YEARS now. You couldn't open any of my college notebooks without seeing THIS guy lurking around in there. Waiting to beat somebody over the head.

Now back to Hard 8! No distractions!

Horseplay

2007-02-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Living a half-hour's walk from the LA equestrian center has it's benefits! This Sunday was a.. well, competition of sorts. In the big arena, group after group of riders came out and strutted their stuff in front of the judges. There wasn't any dressage or rodeo antics (that I saw), just a lot a walking. Which is perfect for life drawing! These are the better horse sketches I did.
*Some of these depictions may not have happened.

More sketchin'

2007-02-09T14:03:00.000-08:00

These are just some random bits inbetween the big projects. First is a concept sketch for "Squirrel and Sparrow": a 7-page jaunt full of magic and swordplay that'll be bundled with my sketchbook this year.

Then some more miscellaneous Audrey/Zorn explorations (with a Fallout sketch mixed in).

I'll post some Hard 8 volume 2 stuff NEXT time!

To heck with postage!

2006-12-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Quickie

2006-12-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

I'm re-acquainting myself with an old PMC sketchbook. I forgot how much I LOVE the paper!

Non-epic busywork

2006-11-29T11:06:00.000-08:00

Just a few sketches this time.
Audrey vs. Rockslug and some life drawing.
All other projects are moving right along! I'll post more of that stuff later!

A catch-update

2006-09-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a mishmash of the stuff I've been up to lately:
1. Hard 8 volume 2! It's a 70's theme with Leprechauns thrown in! The script is 90% done, so I'm on to the thumbnails.

2. The Drawing Club! Meets every Thursday night for life drawing. The sessions are really fun and the models are great. There's also a place downtown I'm going to on Tuesdays that doesn't close up till 2am.

3. And last but not least: the Bike! It actually used to be a police cruiser, but I've been modifying it every couple of years. This time around will feature a whole new paint scheme, light array, and smaller (Moto Guzzi-esque) seats.

Back to work!!

2006-07-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Comic-Con was a roaring success! We sold tons of books, spent lots of money, and had an all around rockin' time! Now as I jump headfirst into the next thing, I'd just like to pause and reflect on one person who had so much influence on the man I am today. -Sniff- I miss you, Doomguy!

2006-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hard 8 is HERE!!!
Like the pictures say, Booth 1032 at the San Diego Comic Con!
(If you can't make the con, just ask nicely for one. I'm flexible.)

B-Movie Starlets in production!

2006-05-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

When I was nearly done with Hard 8, I was stricken with an idea I HAD to develop. After finishing Hard 8, I dived straight into it. So far, there's 20 pages thumbed and 10 roughed out. Not much time for sleeping, but I can do that AFTER the con! Right now I'll post bits and pieces, with much more to follow later!

Hard 8 page 1

2006-05-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

The first page of my Hard 8 story. More to come!

Weekend work

2006-04-01T18:59:00.000-08:00

May Day!

2006-03-24T23:00:00.000-08:00

Rogue Trooper is coming out in May! It looks to be a GREAT game that stays very true to the comic. A wise man once told me "...we HAVE to put in our homages, people". So here I go, paying homage to a great series.

Vegas on my mind

2006-01-15T00:10:00.000-08:00

This thumbnail looked alright so I made it bigger. Should have page 1 of the comic done by next weekend.

From the Library

2006-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

No, this didn't happen in the library.
I bought a bazaar magazine a year ago for the great photos and possible reference but never used it. I dug it back up and found the cool safari section that made me buy it in the first place.

Radiation Resistance

2006-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

I experienced an uncontrollable urge to reinstall Fallout on my computer this weekend. To fight the temptation, I fabricated this Fallout fanart.

Oh, Blog, how I missed you!

2005-12-29T22:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have DSL that behaves like a feral house pet? Here one moment, gone the next and ALWAYS unpredictable? If you'd like to have nail-biting adventure waiting for YOUR internet to work, call SBC today! You'll hate it! And you'll despise ME for suggesting it!

2005-12-19T21:43:00.000-08:00

Just a quick Audrey/Zorn sketch

Enter: Holiday Madness

2005-12-18T00:57:00.000-08:00

Did okay knocking 4 people off of my shopping list today, but what about the legion of loved ones left? Well, that's what next weekend and my Louisville Slugger are for. It's gonna be hell out there, people. So remember to use patience, self-control, and short, controlled bursts.

2005-11-16T22:50:00.000-08:00

I've been super busy doing tests, so the uploading's been REAL thin.
But enjoy this one! More to follow!

2005-10-08T23:16:00.001-07:00

first sketches

2005-10-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

first sketches

First post, post haste.

2005-10-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Just setting up the blog here, folks.