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).

Berlin: Androgyny

Berlin women do androgyny very well. Hot.

Berlin: Kissing

There was a lot of PDA in Berlin. As a Canadian, I really can't condone that...

Bats

For the Boston Globe, AD Greg Klee. Bats have weird proportions.

NYC Thoughts

I just flipped through this slideshow of photographer Jill Freedman's work on the NYTimes site. I love these old photos of the city and it makes me wonder, as a relative newcomer, if I would have been able to hack the NYC of the 70s and 80s.



Accompanying article.

Berlin: Bicycle-less Bicycle