It's not the most current, but this post over on John K's blog is pretty great. I really love reading that dude's words; his critical eye is unforgiving, but his observations are generally on point. I think that over the next few days I will be cocooning myself away in the guest room and poring over his and others' blogs. Or I'm bailing for the Starbucks wifi. The place is full of kids and dogs and I need sweet release that only the internet can give me...

So I guess we're going to get a mother of a storm starting tonight and tomorrow. F'in great; I was supposed to fly out tomorrow to NC to my aunt's. Um. I mean, I guess I am going to try to reschedule the flight, that's what I'm on the phone now trying to do but it seems to be taking a bit "longer than usual" to get through to someone.

Phone's on speaker at my side while I type.

Um.

Oh yeah so this is a pretty neat little cartoon resource a buddy showed me the other night at a sketch meet-up:



Staye Tooned! is a pretty comprehensive little magazine that's apparently published outta some dude's house down south. The guy, John Read, is just someone really into comics and cartoon art and put his own money into this project. There are a couple of pretty good interviews in the first two issues-- Berke Brethed! I mean, omg yay.

So yeah, I flipped through that; pretty damn decent. It made me want to draw. Or at least that there were more issues or that it was a more frequent thing. There aren't a lot of periodicals out there you know? Blogs, yes, magazines, no.

Hm.

So there's my endorsement of the day. Now to listen to some more muzak courtesy of Delta, and to make myself a sammich.

It was oddly warm yesterday here in New York. I don't get it; just last Sunday I was freezing my face off and darting in and out of storefronts, just trying to make it up 5th Ave to the Brooklyn Target. My nose was like a faucet. It sucked. And yesterday it was warm. 60 degrees. Next week it'll probably be cold again and the week after that, a hurricane.

I drew like 6 pages in my sketchbook yesterday.

Go into a studio Thursday for some photoshop freelance. It's mind numbingly boring but the day rate is pretty ka-ching so I can deal.

We need more hot girls drawing cartoons in the world.

Drawn! has a GREAT list of art books & comics from 2008 up right now; I've read maybe 40% of that list and I agree wholeheartedly with their sentiments. There are some books on there that are definitely not to be missed.

An early Christmas present to me just arrived from a pal in Michigan: 'Ojingogo'.



It's awesome. Read it.

a print a day just posted some scans of a vintage Babar book; I looked them over and immediately was transported back to 1987.

If only it were Christmas 1987 instead of 2008; 1987 was the year I got Mouse Trap and some badASS lego sets.

Christmas = The Muppets

A Christmas Muppets special starring Uma Thurman? It's like my biggest obsessions from when I was 6 and then 15 joined forces to blow my fucking mind.

Preoccupation of the hour: Owen Wilson

Dude. Owen Wilson: Don't you remember when you were pretty effing cool? Stop making movies with all those interchangeable romantic comedy broads. And dogs. Maybe Vince Vaughn too. Get back together with Wes Anderson, plz.


Remember this?



Wildcat..... Wiiiiiiild.... cat...

Glenn Barr

I think you should own this book.



Whenever I need inspiration, I flip through Glenn Barr's book, followed by a bit of JC Leyendecker, possibly followed by some Mary Blair and/or some random comic artist. And if none of that works, then I just drink, because I'm clearly not in the mindset to draw.

I was supposed to go Christmas shopping today. I was supposed to have gotten my client's check yesterday. Um. The former did not happen because the latter did not happen.

I hate being freelance.

JC Leyendecker

So, I know the question has been keeping you up nights. You toss and turn, unable to sleep, just wondering... "So who is Erik's favorite painter?"



Really, if I search the recesses of my mind I may be able to come up with artists I studied in school that really piqued my curiosity and such but for the time being, I gotta go with the late, great JC Leyendecker.

He's one of the 20th century's premier artists, known primarily for his commercial success with ads, like above, and his Saturday Evening Post covers. A lot of people think just Norman Rockwell had that gig. Leyendecker had it first! He was Rockwell's mentor.

I bought this book recently and I haven't gone to bed a single night since without flipping through it and just being all "OMG SO GOOD". It's a total must-have for any artist, whether you're into painting and such or not. Like, even if comic books are your life, it's worth your time to start to appreciate some of illustration's badass pioneers.

Word.

I need to learn screenprinting.

sick ink brah

So I'm in need of a new tattoo.

I'm strongly considering going to New York Adorned for my next one. Honestly, I would be hard pressed to do a lot better. They have a great roster of super-talented artists. My boy Jay recently got a half sleeve done by Stephanie Tamez, and it looks spectacular. There's a word I don't use too often!

She also is responsible for this awesome tattoo I unwittingly have admired on a waitress at this place in the East Village. She's got this effing sick peacock on her back, and I've always thought it was simultaneously mind blowingly hot and just a beautiful illustration. So I was pretty suprised when Jay and I went by and flipped through her portfolio to find it in there. Heck I'd know that peacock anywhere!

I'm still thinking it over while I get closer and closer to specifically what I want done, but she's a great artist. Hell, Adorned is run by the GREAT Chris O'Donnell (not the actor) so you know everyone's an amazing artist. I've also heard a lot of good things about Shinji.

So there you have it, folks. Erik is thinking about doing this thing and maybe having someone do it, but he's not sure who. What an insightful post!

Social Calendar

On December 6th Dr. Sketchy's presents rockstars Lady J and Nik Syn in a tribute to heavy metal. NEW VENUE- the Slipper Room. NEW TIME- 4-7 pm.

Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School

Ah! Tribute to heavy metal? Maybe I'll stop being wishy washy and just go this time...

For the bunnyfish lover on your list:

Bunnyfish on sale @ Kozy n Dan's!



I honestly don't know how the bunnyfish made it onto Sara's radar-- I have been an admirer of their work for awhile so maybe it was osmosis that she discovered them. But then she started emailing me funny pictures of the bunnyfish's travels around the globe a year or so ago. She's freaking obsessed. I don't mind if she knows from me posting it here that I am getting her one for Christmas. That's right Sara. So don't go buy yourself one, dammit.

Steve Brodner

O hai guys.

I would like to school you on something.

An artist by the name of Steve Brodner.


He fucking rules.

Hey, not to be crass! Not to be vulgar! But it's just true. He rules SO much that there's no other possible adjective strong enough to describe how much he DOES rule.

He's basically the reigning king of editoral cartooning at the moment. His book, 'Freedom Fries' is something I happened upon in Borders a couple of years back and nearly yelped with glee. It was embarassing, and I quickly snatched it up and brought it home. As an artist, I definitely pick it up from time to time and thumb through it. He's an amazing artist, one you should definitely study if you are at all interested in caricaturing, cartooning, editorial work, satire, whatever.

Freedom Fries on Amazon







All images copyright- Steve Brodner, obviously

A tale of tragedy

I'm the worst blogger ever.


But last night, guyz, I just want to tell you about last night.

Last night was my esteemed colleague Johanna's birthday. She just turned the ripe old age of 28.

It was pretty sweet. Would you like to know why?

It was the night that somebody stole my fucking wallet out of my back pocket of my jeans. While I wore them. SERIOUSLY. HOW THE HELL?? I wasn't drinking, friends. I wasn't drunk. And I am a pretty aware guy. And the jeans were kinda tight due to an embarassing issue with my building's dryer-- I discovered this when I put them on last night but having no other jeans handy (that were clean) I just sucked it up and squeeeezed my way into them. I am bewildered, perplexed, at a LOSS as to how somebody lifted my wallet. Like, how the hell could they get it out? I could barely pull it out at the bar. I know for a fact it went back IN the pocket-- it was so tight I had to reach back with both hands to shove it on in there.

Lame+

My unlimited metrocard was in there too. $81 down the drain. Thank God for Johanna demanding a birthday shot from me, because when i went to pay, suddenly I discovered the wallet was missing. The culprit maybe only had like an hour TOPS ahead of me so I made like Johnny on the Spot and called the credit card companies to cancel. By sheer dumb luck I had left my Chase debit at home. So that's good, I guess. Grezi lent me a few bucks so I could get the train back home.

What a lame night. For me. Not Johanna. Her birthday was oodles of awesome. Congrats, Johanna. You do not suck, although getting my wallet stolen on your birthday does. But that's not your fault.

Sweet animation to promote an upcoming caricature book I'm kinda excited about--



It's a book concieved and illustrated by the great Jan Op De Beeck. I'm looking forward to it.

OK


OK


What the FUCK is that clanging?

I've been the worst kind of loser as of late, since the Curious project wrapped up. See I had budgeted plenty of time to be working there... 6 weeks, which is what they had, y'know, told me. Well it only ended up being 4 weeks. So, guys, that leaves 2 weeks unaccounted for. 2 weeks that I had available, but no work to fill those weeks with.

What does this mean for our hero?

Does it mean that he immediately went on Craigslist and secured some sort of meager short-term gig, just so he can appear to be a valid member of society? And make a bit o'pay in the meantime?

Well no, no he did not do that.

So what DOES this mean for our hero??

1. sleeping until noon.

2. bedtime at 5am

3. Barcade on weeknights

4. Pencil Factory on weeknights

5. Wii tournaments with tha homeeez

Yeah so seriously: worst kind of loser. By that I mean, a loser who has the opportunity to do something with himself for a couple of weeks but elects instead to just be a complete laze. Sloth is a deadly sin! Although you know, I do work pretty damn hard when I have something in front of me. 80 hour weeks, we're talking. So maybe I'm too hard on myself.

Excuse me, please. I have approximately 3 more days left before I have a job again. I need to go play some Guitar Hero or sleep or drink something.

Human Giant

Going to their 24 hour takeover of MTV last spring is maybe one of the highlights of my liiiife.

....Jesus, worst template ever.


Blogspot, you lose.

I like a whole shit load of things.


I cannot think of what those things are at the moment.