Friday, February 23, 2007

IT'S MY NEW BUSINESS CARD!!



Thought I'd post my new business card. I just got them back from the printer a few days ago. I'm already mulling over potential improvements in my mind. Hmmm... how fast can I burn through 250 business cards?

It incorporates my two favorite animals through the POP-MONKEY logo (the monkey head popping out of a banana) on the front and good old MAD MUSTARD himself on the back. Ya can't go wrong with a chainsaw-wielding octopus. Sure, octopi don't have anything to do with monkeys, but POP-OCTOPUS ILLUSTRATION just didn't have the same ring to it.

Monday, February 19, 2007

"OCTOKREEPS" ARE GO!



First in a series of wacky Octopus critters. My two favorite animals are Monkeys and Octopi -- very different animals, yet something very appealing about each. Monkeys... well, they're just plain cool. Octopi have this very alien, otherworldly quality about them, and, while their bodies are relatively simple, there's so much you can do with their tentacles as far as shape and design goes. Anyway, here's the first one. Mad Mustard is what he's called, and here's his story:

Ridiculed and bullied as a child due to his bright yellow coloration, this 8-armed cephalopod buried his fury until he developed the ability to emit low-level "anger-waves", which bolster his strength and confuse those closeby. Bullying also resulted in his fondness for cutting and striking tools, of which he can wield eight at a time with expert precision. Adopted his derogatory childhood nickname "Mustard", as a badge of honor shortly before sawing, stabbing, cutting and bludgeoning his bullies to death and deposting them in the dumpster behind the Thrift-E-Mart. Apprenticed with Dr. Hideous before joining forces with the Stilted Samurai and Jet-Pack Sumo. Last seen in Japan.

Pen & Ink drawing colored in Photoshop. Coming soon to a t-shirt near you. I liked him so much, that I featured him on the back of my business card! He's also featured over at Mojizu.com, so go vote on him right away!

PRESENTING... THE "GO-GO KREEPS"!!






Say hello to Astro-Gongg! He's the first of a series of li'l characters I'm doing called "Go-Go Kreeps". Basically, they're all bizarre or silly animals/ creatures paired with odd vehicles. I don't know why this turned out the way it did -- a quadriplegic gorilla in a motorized cart with boxing-glove mechanical arms IS pretty bizarre, but I just started doodling, and this is what came out. This guy is currently posted on Mojizu.com, so head over there and vote for him so he can be merchandised! Astro-Gongg's backstory is both tragic and silly.

Astro Gongg was one of the many secret test gorillas sent into space during the early days of the US space program. He was subjected to countless tests, simulations, experiments and enhancements. Severely injured during his last mission, Astro Gongg lost his arms and legs as a result. He was supposed to be put to sleep, but one of the scientists who felt responsible for his condition instead created a life-support system linked to a motorized cart which would keep him alive and help him get around. The rocket pack and boxing gloves are Astro Gonng's own addtions because he likes to go faster than his cart will allow sometimes, and... he just likes punching things. Needless to say, he has had quite enough of space, astronaut training and zero gravity, and wants nothing to do with the space program anymore. Still, sometimes at night, he'll look up into the night sky and remember with fondness his "glory days". Then he'll go punch something until the feeling goes away.

Pen & ink drawing colored in Photoshop!

IN SPACE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOUR STOMACH GROWL



I call this little number "Space Sammich". It's a self-portrait, basically, of myself in a space suit trying to enjoy a nice big sub sandwich whilst on a space walk. Damn those self-enclosed environment suits!! How's a guy supposed to chow down while surviving in the airless void of deep space? There should be some sort of flip-up visor on these things! Ah well... live and learn.

Pen and ink drawing on bristol board. I'll probably be coloring this one soon, though I'd like to keep it simple. We'll see what happens.

"HELL BELOW, STARS ABOVE", VERSION 3.0 (the final edit)



Okay, I was not entirely satisfied with my last attempt at this piece, so I thought I'd start from scratch and just begin from an entirely new pose and composition. I set aside the previous attempt and begin sketching out a new basic form for the main figure. I completely redesigned his suit and weapons, and decided to remove all the lighting suggestions in the inking stage, preffering to go back in and communicate all the lighting and shadows strictly in the color stage. Whew!

To be honest, I'm getting pretty sick of looking at this thing, so this is definitely going to be my last attempt at this. I may do a similarly themed piece at some point, but I'm going to set this one aside after I'm done coloring it. I'm about 75% finished with the coloring stage at this point, so I'll post that when I'm finished.