New Comics Day - Everyday

This odd strip is from Everyday, a collection of comics written by my pal Chris Radtke. It, like all the others in the book, is an illustrated account of an entry on his fake blog. I'm not sure if it's still out there, but his real blog is, and it's absolutely hilarious. Prometheus!

EDIT: Let's hear it for old computers! I had the site bookmarked on the iBook, so here it is.

More Quickies

Just a hint of pencil!

Louise Brooks

Back in early 2005, a friend of mine approached me about doing a drawing to advertise a festival of the films of silent movie star and 20's icon Louise Brooks. I knew a little about Louise Brooks, but very little: I know that her freewheeling (for the time), flapper attitude has gained her quite a following, which thrives to this day. I know that she inspired hundreds of unfathomably gorgeous drawings by Shane Glines. But I've never seen one of her films (which is, really, no surprise. I'm a complete ignoramus when it comes to the classics. For instance, I've never taken the time to watch DOUBLE IDEMNITY, but I've seen UNDER SIEGE 2:DARK TERRITORY multiple times).

So, I began doing a few drawings, trying to glean what my friend was looking for via his descriptions and photos of Louise, which are pretty easy to find. Still, I seemed to keep missing the mark. In an effort to get back on track, we decided to go for more of a cowboy theme. I did a bunch of sketches, and once we'd tentatively settled on a look for the final, I pencilled the illustration. Then, real life got in the way, we both got horribly sidetracked, and nothing further ever happened with it.

Anyways, the pencilled version of this illo has been sitting in a stack of Bristol board next to my drawing table for the last four years...every now and then when I'd be shuffling through the stack looking for a blank sheet, I'd turn it over and there she'd be, looking up at me in all her incomplete glory. Finally, last week I decided to go ahead and ink it for some reason. I even went back and dug up some of the sketches, just to detail the process a bit. I'm still not sure if it captures her essence and actually feels like Louise Brooks in any way...someone more knowledgeable about the subject'll have to make that call. All's I know is, it's a cute girl in a cowboy hat with two six-guns. And that, my friends, is the kind of thing Atom-Bomb Bikini is all about!

Straight to Ink

I've been taking a tip from Jim Mahfood lately and trying to draw directly in ink in my sketchbook without pencilling anything first. It's tough...it humbles you pretty quickly, and makes you realize you're not half as good at drawing as you think you are. For this one, I cheated and put just a bit of graphite down first, just so's I'd know where the fingers go and whatnot. Kinda defeats the purpose, I s'pose, but at least it looks good enough that I don't feel too embarrassed putting it up on the ol' blog.

Over It

I was working my butt off all last weekend, on the cover and some interior spots for the Las Vegas Weekly's "Over It" issue, in which they detail a smattering of the more grating aspects of life in the Sin City. It was a lot of work getting the gig in on time, but I think the end results are pretty satisfying. Check the magazine's newly-updated website for a look at the actual cover, and to see the interior spots!

'Stache Bash

I can't believe I haven't posted this ridiculous piecebefore (unless I have, and forgot about it)...it's from an issue of SF Weekly, promoting the "'Stache Bash", an event which, if I've done my job at all, requires no explanation!

Dress for Success

Here's a bit of concept art, for a project that sadly never went anywhere. Whatev. I think it looks pretty nice, at least!

Give Her a Hand...

...'cause really, aside from the god-awful job I did on it, it's not too bad a drawing.

Super Dudes

Drawn/inked while waiting for carryout barbeque.

I Didn't Know He Was Going to be So Pale!

For Father's Day, my wife bought us a pair of tickets to the Jim Gaffigan show happening tonight here in Richmond. I wanted to post something having to do with paleness in honor for the great Mr. Gaffigan, but in searching through my archives, I couldn't find much of anything. This Virginia Living illo of an old-timey gent jumping into an empty YMCA pool, from back in the day when members swam naked, will have to do.

The Joy of (White) Sox

The South Siders are in first place and hanging tough!

The Roidin' Rocket

Since he's in the news again for all the wrong reasons, what better time to share this image of Roger "The Rocket" Clemens, voted "Most Unsexiest" by the Boston Phoenix for 2007?

Loser Alert

Listen to your mothers, girls!

Weekly Sketch 7/14

Inks

Carrots Are Bad for You

Now this is a weird one. This ran last spring in the Las Vegas Weekly...I never read the actual story, but it was described to me as being about women who avail themselves to wealthy men "like dangling carrots" in hopes of becoming trophy wives. Or something like that. Anyway, enjoy!

Drawing Jam

Over at The Drawing Board, they post a new batch of reference photos every month (usually of pretty ladies, 'natch), and any member who cares to take a whack at it is encouraged to share their interpretations of the photos with the rest of the members. I haven't participated in quite some time, but finding a little bit of extra time yesterday afternoon, I decided to give it a whirl. I'm mostly happy with the pencils, but there are a few little goofy things I'm gonna try to fix when I ink and color it one'a these days.

Computer Slave

It's sad how often I feel this way.

Eat your Greens

I'm getting to it a little late, but I'm going to try and gain back some of you readers' confidence by posting something new every day the rest of this month! First up is a spot for a suite of illos about "green" New England vacation destinations for the Boston Phoenix. I was coloring this very piece when Petr Sykora scored the OT goal in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Nightie-Night