You never think about it while watching a game show... but somebody has to make all those contestant name tags.
Guerilla Marketing
My daily web comic Para Abnormal turned one year old this week and I'll be very honest, I'm really proud of myself. I've been known to go off an a few "larks" and "follies" in my life. I had my doubts I'd actually keep it going after the first 2 days.
The fact that my visitor count has grown from zero to over 25,000 in a year, amazes and inspires me. Especially since I 've done very little to spread the word and advertise.
There was one afternoon however, while Christmas shopping at the mall with my brother, that we did some guerilla marketing. Moving fast, we brought Para Abnormal up on every computer possible at the Apple Store. Cheap shameless self publicity! The pages actually remained for a little while before an employee went around closing them. I got a good laugh seeing my brother, like a ninja, sneak behind the employee and bring the page back up on a few as she walked away.
The fact that my visitor count has grown from zero to over 25,000 in a year, amazes and inspires me. Especially since I 've done very little to spread the word and advertise.
There was one afternoon however, while Christmas shopping at the mall with my brother, that we did some guerilla marketing. Moving fast, we brought Para Abnormal up on every computer possible at the Apple Store. Cheap shameless self publicity! The pages actually remained for a little while before an employee went around closing them. I got a good laugh seeing my brother, like a ninja, sneak behind the employee and bring the page back up on a few as she walked away.
Sketchy Monstrosity
I've been having fun getting back to watercolors again. Here's a sketchbook page from over the weekend. Not great but I like where the character design could go with work.
Pirate Practice
Today it felt it like a million years since I've done anything in watercolor on illustration board. I want to get back to doing more work like my old days. Thought a pirate would be a fun subject to get warmed up with.
An Inspiring Halloween Moon Last Night
Rain has fallen upon Los Angeles. Late last night the clouds created a very October 31st feel. I indulged in some witching hour photography.
Coraline!
I saw Coraline this afternoon and really loved it. The lobby at the Sherman Oaks Arclight Cinema had a nice surprise, an original set piece and animation puppet of Coraline herself on display...
The best part though was seeing my brother in law Kirk's name scroll up the screen, 10 feet wide in 3-D!
The best part though was seeing my brother in law Kirk's name scroll up the screen, 10 feet wide in 3-D!
Re-Runs or Valid New Cartoons?
I want to explain myself. I've been feeling guilty. On my web comic Para Abnormal, besides not keeping a regular posting time, I often re-run old art with a new caption or gag. This sometimes includes minor additions/revisions to the original art.
Examples...
Although I do create original art most weeks, I do admit taking advantage of this cartooning cheat when my time is short. It's also very intentional. I want certain characters and situations to become familiar so I might expand on or play off in future Para Abnormal cartoons. Looking at the images above, I hope you notice that the similar cartoons usually separated by days or weeks apart once united in a row almost become a sequential gag.
I would love Para Abnormal to be a paying job one day and devote all my time to drawing completely original panels everyday. Until then, art will repeat once in awhile. I may be rationalizing, but I feel the written words do have thought behind them and makes the cartoon new.
I'm open to your opinion. Is this just re-running an old cartoon, no matter how different the joke or is it a valid new one? Be honest, I really want to know.
Examples...
Although I do create original art most weeks, I do admit taking advantage of this cartooning cheat when my time is short. It's also very intentional. I want certain characters and situations to become familiar so I might expand on or play off in future Para Abnormal cartoons. Looking at the images above, I hope you notice that the similar cartoons usually separated by days or weeks apart once united in a row almost become a sequential gag.
I would love Para Abnormal to be a paying job one day and devote all my time to drawing completely original panels everyday. Until then, art will repeat once in awhile. I may be rationalizing, but I feel the written words do have thought behind them and makes the cartoon new.
I'm open to your opinion. Is this just re-running an old cartoon, no matter how different the joke or is it a valid new one? Be honest, I really want to know.
Christmas Shackles for Halloween
My hope this year is to create at least one Halloween prop a month till the season gets closer and I get into full mode. Well, I can check January off thanks to my Mom and aunt Ellen. A little while back I talked about my family passing me the packing tubes that secured my aunt's Christmas gifts to all. Mom started it by saying I could probably make something out of them.
So I did...
Although my shackles are not technically accurate to real ones, they work visually and should look pretty good hanging somewhere come Oct. 31st. They where very fast and easy to make, being done while waiting for glue and paint to dry on another project I had going.
I split each tube open removing about a 1/4" creating a gap...
For the protruding... latch detail? Not sure what to call it, but I think you get what I mean, I used some beat up scrap foamcore. I cut pieces to fit and roughly curved the edges and made holes for the chain. The shackles are old and rusty so the imperfections in the cutting give it character and an aged feel. Then glued them on the tube...
I split the end links on a short length of black plastic chain and slipped over the latch and into the holes. I filled in some seams and finished giving it all a thick faux rust paint treatment...
Messy New Job
I've started prop work on a new TV kid's show. Take a wild guess what network it will be on from these photos...
By Crom's Will It Was Painted!
Age 14 - Conan the Barbarian -18" x 24" watercolor.In 1980 as a freshman in high school, I started to get serious about my "art". I worked to learn professional mediums like oils, pen and ink, pastels and watercolors. Yet, my subject matter remained not so serious. Much like today.
I was deep in my barbarian period then. I dreamed of being a comic artist like my favorite at the time, John Buscema. I even dared to imagine, being a fantasy illustrator rivaling Frazetta one day. My copy of "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" and all my "Art of Frazetta" books were falling apart. The bindings had deteriorated from compulsive repeated reading and referencing.
I have sense memory of working on the above - hunched over, carefully painting the blood drips and slowly building the color up in thin layers, like a real artist would. I felt great accomplishment once done. It was a bit of a milestone for me. I found a real love of watercolor which became my medium of choice. Sad to say though, these days, my paints remain very dusty being distracted by Photoshop. I really should find time for both. Maybe even take another stab at my favorite barbarian.
A few months ago, I discovered a fun Conan fan blog, CROM! Enough barbaric nostalgia there to fill all of Cimmeria.
The Tooth Fairy Cometh
Niece Devin is losing her baby teeth. Many conversations about the legend of the Tooth Fairy have been had. Just recently, there was a family artist's portfolio created of what she (or him) looks like.
By Devin...
By Aunt Monica...
Is My House Haunted? Is My Niece a Medium?
See anything odd in this picture taken tonight of my Dad and niece Devin at our house?
This is no photoshop trick on my part. The rational explanation is dust or light reflection on the lens, right? You have to admit though, the odds of it appearing exactly where is does are astronomical. It does weird me out a bit. My future sister in law claims to have seen ghosts in our house while visiting once. I've personally had a strange spooky encounter living elsewhere. I tend to believe in the possibility of paranormal events. I will not be sleeping easy tonight.
Look closer...
See it now?
This is no photoshop trick on my part. The rational explanation is dust or light reflection on the lens, right? You have to admit though, the odds of it appearing exactly where is does are astronomical. It does weird me out a bit. My future sister in law claims to have seen ghosts in our house while visiting once. I've personally had a strange spooky encounter living elsewhere. I tend to believe in the possibility of paranormal events. I will not be sleeping easy tonight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)