James Baldwin

I was watching this historic Civil Rights discussion which was produced the day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech and, of course, I was struck by how weird James Baldwin looks. I've been drawing him for years so it's more of a reminder, like Steve Buscemi's unusual, distinct face. And I'm by no means a caricaturist, I just like weird faces.

Name that show!

James Randi says he just needs a bath. Gross.

Warming up for a project this morning, I did this guy above. Then I took off one of the layers I had created in Photoshop, and got this amazing zombie gem! Happy accidents! Nice.

I've been helping my little buddy Max (he's 9) make comics lately and he's made some cool, cool characters which inspired me to make a few of my own like I did when I was his age.

Here's my favorite:

Thanks Max!

Mark S. posted this video of a band called Slam Bamboo to Liz and I made the mistake of watching it and getting it stuck in my head for the past few days. The weirdness of it just washes over me in waves every time I watch it. Bolo ties, side-fros, electric drums played by a dude with an epic mullet, headless slap bass, and the lead singer looks like Andy Samberg! It doesn't help that the song is so cheesy-catchy either. Maybe the weirdest thing of all (and undoubtedly the reason it's on Youtube in the first place) is the keyboard player. Trent Reznor!? I guess everyone has skeletons in their closets like this. Even industrial rock King of Pain types. What a crazy world we live in...

Anyway, I had to draw the dude:

Now, if I could only get the song out of my head. Like Amy C. said, "watching you sleep while I'm fixing my hair-- TO BE WITH YOU!"

Dammit.

Here's a painting that was supposed to be part of an upcoming project I'm working on but I abandoned in favor of a very different direction. As much as I hate to see something I worked a few days on orphaned, at least it's here, for some kind of posterity. Whatever that means.

More Fun With Zipatone and Stanley

I can't help it! I love the effect the old toning art supply Zip-A-Tone/Letratone/Chartpak/Letraset gives and always have. Just that old, 50's clipart look.

When I worked at an art supply store many years ago, I went on an epic hunt for the stuff and emailed and called about a dozen art supply distributors who all told me I was out of luck. No one made the stuff anymore, since Photoshop did such a better job of toning and printing technology had advanced a great deal since it was popular. It was only when I spoke with a youngish silk screener who knew that in some areas of Japan they still make the wonderful tool that the trail grew hotter. Well, as luck would have it, after a few months, I finally got my hand on some (and some great Japanese self-inking brush pens that I still use a lot!) and have just about run out, almost ten years later. I'll admit, I was conserving it, but to be honest, what for? Since then, I've learned how to simulate it in (guess what) Photoshop and can print my own sheets of it whenever I want. It's fun breaking out the x-acto knife and playing around with it. I guess I've always had an abiding respect for the old ways and always will.

Cool stuff.

Self Portraits

Self portraits are the worst! Not only is it next-to-impossible to capture your own likeness, it feels kind of cheap and vain, in a way. After deciding I needed a new author picture for this here blog, I did the left one which makes me look like someone just slipped me some roofies and told me my dog died. So the one on the right happened instead and seems to be reacting to the same news but having had a huge amount of coffee instead of roofies. So there's that.