Failed Comic Game

So Sam and I were going to play a game where I drew the panels and he filled in the word balloons. But then I did this and it just seemed better left ambiguous. Click for a larger version.

SPD

Hey, I won this thing(!):*



*A Society of Publication Designers Gold Medal! For this piece. Thanks to Leo and Arem at the New York Times Magazine.

Dinnertime

NYTimes Health Illustration

Speaking of colour, here's a piece I did for this week's Health section of the NYTimes. It printed fabulously, probably due to the very saturated and bright colour scheme (images on newsprint are automatically dulled down quite a bit). Something to remember for next time.

Colour Schemes

Contractual Ne'er-do-wells

There is a lot of buzz in the comics blogs about the evil Tokyopop contract. Contracts and business stuff are the boring, unglamorous side of commercial art-making and, frankly, sort of exists as a grey area when it comes to some illustration stuff. But I think linking to some of the commentaries surrounding this particular case is useful, especially since I know a lot of you are probably art students. Maintaining high standards for your work not only benefits you, but the entire community.

Sunburn

Dog

Procrastination Sketch: Figures 2

Procrastination Sketch: Figures

Some of you might be able to tell that I was watching Whisper of the Heart while doing this. But, uh, not from the penis-guy. Because Studio Ghibli doesn't roll that way. But anyway, I love that movie and you should see it.

Procrastination Sketch: Tones

Greenpoint Wildlife

Stevie Wonder

Test your knowledge of Stevie Wonder.

Greenpoint Music

I think I prefer the black outlines.

Carrie for Entertainment Weekly

Here are sketches and the finished illustration I did for Entertainment Weekly's Sex and the City issue (out tomorrow). I did four, but this is the lede illustration. Here's John Hendrix's contribution to the mag.

The sketches started out as depicting a SATC writer, but eventually they requested that it be Carrie herself.

AD William Hooks.

Shadowy figure

Procrastination Sketch: Greeks & Romans

Would Skim have blogged?

Here is a Slate slideshow about the idea of technology in children's books. Most of it concerns technology depicted through illustration. Personally I kind of hate drawing computers and cell phones (I find laptops the least obnoxious). I think it probably comes down to simple nostalgia, but I also think that there's a weird "micro-dating" thing that goes on with the newer technology... in my mind a clunky cell with an antenna looks more dated than a rotary dial telephone.

P.S. Sorry for the occasional crappy grammar on this blog.

Remembering Nana on Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day and our comic is out! Read the posted comic or look at/download a .pdf version for a closer look.

Mother's Day Comic

New Yorkers: Mariko and I have a one-page comic running on the Times Op-Ed page this Sunday. It's a Mother's Day comic about our grandmother, Nana Tamaki. Although, Relatives, PLEASE be aware that I have made little effort to make any of the characters look like you in any way. So please no hate mail.

I'll post the comic here on Sunday.

Greenpoint Misunderstanding

Blondie

Orphan Works Bill

I've gotten an email 3 times now concerning the Orphan Works Bill. Might as well post it here: if you are an image-maker (and I'm assuming you are), this legislation involves you and your creative rights.

Here is an easy way to send a pre-written statement to your representatives. Non-US citizens can take action here.

Here is a podcast of Brad Holland talking about the bill. Even if you discount half of it as alarmism, it's still some scary shit.

Berlin: Citizens

Can you spot the graphic designer?

Vivienne Flesher

Vivienne Flesher is one of my favourite illustrators.

Read this interview.

End.

Berlin: Unicycles

Unicycles are strangely popular amongst Berlin children! We saw a kid on stilts too. German youth are clearly more advanced than their North American counterparts (with whom BigWheels are the choice mode of transport).

Greenpoint Anguish

Yoshitaka Amano and Pingmag

This dude I know is really obsessed with Amano and so he's grown on me too. Here's an interview with him at Pingmag (if only to look at the pretty pictures). This is a good Amano book, if you're interested.

Pingmag posts some pretty cool stuff so poke around. I like Pingmag MAKE, which profiles Japanese craftsmen and artisans.

El Mirage

I'm illustrating an article by Michael Musto, Village Voice columnist, for Entertainment Weekly right now. It reminded me of this old illustration I did for his column a while back. It's about El Mirage, which he deems the dullest sex club in New York. I enjoy the boy in the sling.

It's crazy looking back at old work and seeing how things change (and how you come back to some things too!).

Risk

Here's an illustration for Planadviser magazine, AD SooJin Buzelli.

The concept is "great risk for great gain". I prefer the last sketch, but we agreed it might be a bit obtuse. I'll have to finish it on my own (or find an assignment for it).