Comic-Con is A-Comin!


I’ve made a last-minute decision to attend Comic-Con in San Diego July 20-23. I haven’t been there since ’03, and I miss it. I’m planning to do a lot of networking, as well as attending some great seminars. I’m especially looking forward to a panel discussion on “Designing Appealing Characters” that will include great talents such as Stephen Silver, Dean Yeagle, and Glen McIntosh. I’m also looking forward to hanging out with the guys from the Christian Comic Arts Society, who were kind enough to let me share a hotel room.

Hope to see you there!

New Blog: MAD Caricaturist Tom Richmond


Back around 1995 while still in art school, I took a summer job drawing caricatures at a local amusement park. It was the first job where I actually got paid to draw, and it was a tremendous learning and growing experience for me. Sort of an art boot camp. I was very shy and insecure (and frankly not very good at caricatures), but I learned how to draw fast and under pressure, and I also learned a great deal about dealing with people and building my artistic confidence. All of those things have been a tremendous help to me as a freelancer.

Why am I telling you this? Because my boss was Tom Richmond, an award-winning caricaturist and illustrator who has since become a leading artist at MAD Magazine. I just learned Tom has a new website to showcase his amazing work, complete with a blog. Tom is a seasoned professional with a lot of experience and insight, not to mention a boat load of talent and a fun drawing style. Had I been wiser, I would have used that summer in ’94 to get to know Tom and pick his brain a little. Instead I’m looking forward to following his blog and seeing what insights he has to share.

The Great White Hope of Indy Animators by Keith Lango


Animator Keith Lango (VeggieTales, Disney, Robots) has an excellent series on his blog discussing the problems facing independent animators who want to market their work on the internet. Keith also has some good insights into what’s wrong with the current system and what might be done to change things. “The Great White Hope of Indy Animators” is a must-read for any animator interested in what possibilities (and problems) the internet holds.

And while you’re there, check out some of Keith’s animation and tutorials. It’s delightful stuff!

New Blog: The Art of Glen Keane

Glen Keane is one of the true modern masters of animation drawing. Artist Raul Andres has started a new blog collecting many of Keane’s sketches into one place. Very inspiring stuff!

Some Long Overdue Artwork

I’ve been super busy lately, burning the candle at both ends to meet deadlines. It’s a good problem to have. Here’s a few illustrations I recently completed as part of a large project for a Sunday School publisher.