Snuffy Belagos...

...when he was cool.

Promo Art from '91...

Who shot the better Jessica Rabbit?

I've always liked this Playboy cover from '88. But the recent portrait by Ryan Astamendi is really something else.


The difference between these two images is like night and day. The Playboy cover merely places the subject, as if to say that all the model had to do was 'show up'. No storytelling or emotion at all. And the blank expression on the model's face is more like a catalogue
photo than an impression of a character as iconic as Jessica Rabbit. In short, they phoned it in. It seems the only details they have gotten right are the gown and gloves. But they too fall short as they're too slavishly an echo of the film.
Plus the perspective of her bustline is off!
Ryan's shot, on the other hand is a great piece of storytelling. Jessica looks like the torch song siren she is in the film. And the sideways glance she gives at the audience is engaging and sensual. The bare stage setting frames the figure perfectly and the old-fashioned microphone, that Ryan bought especially for the shoot brings it
all together perfectly.
Check out Ry's photography by using the link in the 'Link-O-Rama' section on the right, there's lots of great portrait work there, and even a few Disney Princesses that I think you'll find enchanting.

In the Garden of Good and Cheap!--

WB chair design...

Here's a photo from '98, taken at the then-new Warner Brothers Studio Stores HQ in Burbank. My Creative VP, Chris Hacker asked me to design two chairs for the reception area. One was based on Pepe Le Pew, as shown here, and the other one was based on Bugs Bunny. I'd forgotten about this assignment until last friday, when I visited some friends at WB Consumer Products. I was happy to see that they're still in use in their main reception area, and they still look new!

Storyboard frames...

I found these storyboard frames from a late '80s Chrysler pitch while cleaning out my files today. The only reason they remain in good condition is because I used them as portfolio pieces. I was responsible for the layout, pencils and inks. And my then GEM Studio co-worker, Tom Fluharty handled the color rendering. I'm glad these images survived, I always felt proud of this project, and I was very happy with the outcome of this collaboration.
Update: After looking at these frames for a while I've come to the conclusion that these are not the original boards that Tom and I produced together. They're sample frames that I made for my portfolio based on the originals. We never had artwork returned to us from Ad Agencies, unless it was for revisions.

something old...

When I was in my teens cartooning and music were my passions. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I'd be able to combine the two. This is a caricature I made of my friend Peter De Stefano. Peter was an amazing songwriter and guitarist, and still is. I made this sketch straight onto the paper with a cheap felt pen in '71. If you look hard you can see the beginnings of a pencil sketch of a fist and arm of another run-of-the-mill Superhero. I'm glad I used this sheet of paper for a drawing of Peter instead.

the thinker...

red, black & white sketchbook...

1969... Blind Faith

What began as the most anticipated 'super-group' of all time fizzled to an end quickly. Clapton, Winwood, Baker and Gretsch just couldn't pull it all together. They made a lackluster LP and played some concerts, but in-fighting and ego's tore them apart within a year. More was less.
This one is more of an abstract cartoon than the rest of the '69 sketches, which is probably a reflection of my feelings about this group. Plus the fact that the likenesses were drawn from memory. I've heard Clapton perform "Presence of the Lord" a few times and prefer his vocal on it over the wailing Steve Winwood original recording.
I hope to get one more piece done for this series.

(click on '1969' in the labels tab below to see the whole series)

Nose all--sneeze all...

more stupidity...

Admittedly this is the weakest strip so far, but I didn't want to break my stride on this project and posted it anyway... warts and all.

Face Front!

I'm still of two minds about Facebook. It's a nice way to keep in touch with people, but I think it is an intrusion on our private lives.

What do you think?




This one is for Rebecca

yet another strip... about paint stripping!

What can I tell you, I feel like telling stories, okay?

This one's for Ryan

another strip...

Drawn from life. Or at least the one I'm living...


This one's for Schroeder

Oh, boy...

After saying how I probably wouldn't post anything new for a while, here it is... a post created especially for the blog.

When I was in my late teens and early twenties I'd create comic strips and stories that would reflect what was going on in my life. Both the realistic and the exaggerated. Usually on a daily basis.
For the first time in a long, long time I felt the need to re-visit that approach. I hope you enjoy it. At the time I first started exploring this type of storytelling I was very much influenced by Robert Crumb. I still am.

Classic "Iron Man"!

Here's the final, finally done...
Nothing precious here, just straight away sketching like in the old days when I'd fill up notebooks originally meant for schoolwork.


Here it is in various stages, from the bottom up. I've always loved Jack Kirby's original design. So nice and clunky!

Holiday Gift Guide...

Well, the Holidays are breathing down our necks again. So I thought I'd perform a Public Service and make a few gift suggestions of the graphic narrative kind. These books will be gladly accepted by anyone interested in comic books and graphic novels and good, clear stotytelling.

First up is "Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1" edited by Blake Bell and designed by Adam Grano. It is in my opinion one of the most beautiful reprint books I've ever read. This first volume starts off with Mr. Ditko's very first comic book stories, with crisp clear reproductions on every page of every story.

Next up is David Mazzuchelli's graphic novel "Asterios Polyp". Every visual aspect in this book is as abstract as I've ever seen in a graphic novel, quite different from any previous work I've ever seen by Mr. Mazzuchelli as well. But it reads in a beautifully flowing way. Graphic language is tailored to each individual character's motivations and morphs along to compliment the content and setting of every scene.

My next suggestion is Darwyn Cooke's "Parker" pot-boiler. A gritty crime story that is served up in elegant illustrations and biting prose. This is an adaptation of novelist Richard Stark's early '60s novel "The Hunter". If you're familiar with Mr. Cooke's comic book and graphic novel work you already have an idea of what you're in for. If you've never seen his work before this is a perfect book to be initiated with.

We end with what I think is the greatest collection of comic book stories aimed at children that you'll ever find in one place. "The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics" compiled by Art Spiegelman & Francoise Mouly is an amazing collection of stories. It's an all-ages assortment that entertains on many levels. Don't miss it.

The joy of childhood...

Here's a shot of my granddaughter Ashley joining the Circus!