Ghost World silk screen poster

The final piece, the process shots below.

(Note: I actually wish I had drawn Thora Birch in profile as below, but for some reason kept bringing back to a three-quarter view.  I also think Scarlett Johansson's sweater could use an aqua pattern to break up the pink like the sketch below.  Funny, sometimes it's better to stay with the first instinct!)

The Buffy piece was eventually finished - I'll shot that one soon as well.

One of my amazing customers was able to meet the director, Terry Zwigoff, and get his copy signed!

Ghost World is close to my heart for a few reasons, 1. the comic book was one of the first indie graphic novels I had read and really resonated with me as an art student.  2. The film is one of my all time favorite comic-book adaptions, and I truly think is an excellent piece of cinema.

And what a great soundtrack!

"The Fatal Push" Magic the Gathering X Marvel Card art

  Last year I was asked to illustrate a card for Magic The Gathering; the Marvel edition, and was very fortunate to get such a big card.   Many thanks to the art director Sarah Wassell and everybody at Wizards of the Coast for asking me.

 When I worked at a comic shop in my teens, we sold many packs of Magic cards every day, but never really learned how to play it well.  I think we managed a few duels once in a while with friends but I can't even really remember the rules.

   However, the game still retains its popularity, and this is one of a few cards Wizards of the Coast has commissioned. Below is the reference from the scene in the original comic.  I tried a few different camera angles before the art director settled on the above shot.

I hope I get to see one in person someday, I've never seen my art on a Magic card before! 

Shelly / Twin Peaks commission

 

A commission I'm quite happy with.  Time for a Twin Peaks rewatch since David Lynch is gone...

 

"Beetlejuice" poster process work

 I've been hired by different groups throughout the years to take on alternative movie posters, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to make them, especially when the printers used by these groups are so good they make the art sing much more than if it just sat in a digital space.  I can't stress enough how wonderful the quality is on these silk-screens, and I can't recommend printers like VG Kids or Ben Ashton enough - and more companies too, that I will look up and credit here. 

I like when risks can be taken in these kinds of posters, and the decision to make Beetlejuice implied rather than seen was one of those chances.  I think it turned out well, thanks to the group for letting me do that.

I gotta say, it looks stellar in black light!

"Beetlejuice" remains one of my all-time favorite films, for a number of reasons.  

1. I have so much respect for writers who go out on a limb and create an original script with unique characters, that takes real creativity.  

2. The art direction and overall style of the film is so brilliant.  

  Every character speaks dialogue that is so suited to them, you couldn't switch the lines and have the scenes work.  The costuming, lighting, makeup is also specifically made to enhance each scene so well you can understand where the story is even without the sound on.  

3. The foundation of the story and what really brings the film together is the idea of family, and in the end, it's better to try to get along than to despise each other.

And the soundtrack! I wish it came with everything, but some of the most atmospheric Danny Elfman tracks aren't included.  Thankfully some nice internet person makes them available with some minor digging.

♪ Here is a link to a-difficult-to-find track: The Afterlife

"Grim" cover art process: The End / The Tower

  I've decided to put more effort into keeping up with this blog.  Why?  I don't know!  But here we are.  I had saved in a desktop folder progress shots of many illustrations, and now it's been long enough these have been published for a while.  Nevertheless, it's fun to go back and see how everything went.

  BOOM! Studios asked me to create a series of tarot themed covers for their popular series, "Grim", after one that I had done as a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive turned out well, and they were hoping to continue the theme.

  I had a tarot card deck when I was a teen, most likely inspired by visits to a local magic/spell shop in Connecticut and seeing "The Craft" in theaters.  Here is a take on "The Tower" card, since the theme of this issue was serious chaos and destruction:

The End!

the inspiration

The little sketch.  Did this on some scrap paper found at my grandparent's retirement home.

The finished piece inked on bristol board, 11"x17" with pen and some brush.

  I work digitally so much it's a pleasure to go back to hand-drawn, and yet sometimes not having a consistent set of tools makes inking by hand difficult again.  It's probably smarter to stick with a small set of art tools that are mastered, but that requires a level of focus maybe I just don't have!

TimeCop x Rifftrax Live! poster

The nice folks at Rifftrax asked if I could create a poster for their TIMECOP x Rifftrax Live! simulcast - which is showing tonight August 14th at 7pm EST!  (There is also a rebroadcast, you can catch it again on Tuesday, August 19th.)

JCVD is famous for doing his signature splits; exhibit A:

The first sketches:

I totally forgot that Mia Sara and Bruce McGill are in this movie!   Thanks again to Rifftrax for asking me to do another illustration, it's always super fun.