Is it art?

Or is it just a shaky shutter hand?

Hoffman-inspired heads...

'30s style Bjorn...

The original design (bottom).

crescent...

...last night's moon. A Venus moon.

Here's an image from 'sumoetx's photostream' on flickr™...

Cartoon Cocktail Napkins...

From 2004, a fun assignment from 30 Sixty Design
for "Lou & Mickey's" restaurant in San Diego.
I was responsible for pencils and inks,
as well as a bit of copy edits.








Thanks to my buddy, creative director Dave Fuscellaro.

I've started another blog--

--dedicated to story books.

Here are a few cover previews.
Just click on the link "Vintage Story Books"
to go there.

Potter's three-headed pooch--

This is the only Harry Potter piece I created while at WBSS.

thanks to "feets" for the iphone shot.

Best 'SPIRIT' image in a while --

by Paul Rivoche

a nice late afternoon...

Sometimes I like to crack open a book and copy some of the art contained therein. Just a quick remix or two of artwork by artists I admire.
In this case the book is 'Masters of American Comics'.
I can't say I'm crazy about this whole collection but there are some nice images in it.
I spent some time in the yard sketching from it late this afternoon and I had some fun.

the day...



the book...



the sketches...







Do you ever do this type of thing?

"Think of the nose as a rudder."

Sketches from Bob Kato's
'Drawing the Human Head' workshop...

foggy and windy...

Just a silly sketch made on the Cintiq at work, during a very quiet day.

Happy New Year!!!

Image TM & © Curtis Publishing

Love to all of you who have left comments in this past year!

Go to curtispublishing.com to order J.C. Leyndecker prints.

A little Christmas "SPIRIT"!

I unintentionally lied in the last post.
I said that the first fan letter I'd written was to Dave Stevens. It wasn't. The first one was to Will Eisner, during the Kitchen Sink Spirit magazine days. In fact that's where my first fan art was published. A short time later I had the chance to meet Mr. Eisner at a book signing at Forbidden Planet in NYC. I showed him my published sketch of Popeye coming to the aid of a dazed Spirit and Will graciously signed it for me, along with a few other items I'd purchased.

A few years later I was publishing the Honeymooners comic book and since one of the issues featured Ralph and Ed coming up against gangsters my partner Norm Abramoff suggested we interview Will Eisner. Our books always featured an interview with either a cast member from the TV show or a personality that would suit the theme. After talking with Will and getting clearances to use art from his latest graphic novel "The Dreamer" and permission to use his distinctive signature logo on the cover art we began a correspondence that lasted for many years.

In the early '90s I began sculpting figurines of obscure vintage characters from animation and comic strips, as well as maquettes of original characters. I sent one of the sculpts I made to Will, based on his character "Kilroy", shown in strip detail below. Will was kind enough to send this greeting card.


Kilroy is the little guy with the peppermint stick in his mouth.
And yes, he's throwing a snowball at Santa!

Here's a quote from Will Eisner that I find inspiring, especially when you consider the year he said it...


Happy Holidays!