This and That

29 May This and That

I’m still swamped with freelance work. Besides putting in long (but fun!) hours on a summer-long animation project, I’m designing toys for one client and designing a mascot for another. I’ve got a few other possible projects in the works as well. But I want to make sure I still post regular updates to this here blog.

I’ve recently finished up some artwork for a few other projects but have to wait until the clients give the OK before I can post any. I’m hoping that will be sooner rather than later. There’s some fun stuff to show!

In the mean time, here’s some misc. odds and ends:

Congrats to the NCS Award Winners — Three cartoonists I happen to know won divisional awards recently at the National Cartoonists Society annual awards dinner in New Orleans. Tom Richmond won for his advertising illustrations (Tom has a great blog you should check out). Hallmark artist David Mowder won an award for his greeting card work (check out David’s Flickr gallery). Stephen Silver won an animation award for his character design work on Disney’s Kim Possible. (Silver also teaches a fantastic character design course online at Schoolism.com). Kudos guys!

Harvey Korman R.I.P. — The Emmy-winning comic actor from The Carol Burnett Show has passed away. I was just a little kid when The Carol Burnett Show was on prime time, but I have fond memories of giggling at their antics. The skits were performed live and I’ve since learned that it was always one of Tim Conway’s goals to try and crack up Harvey in front of the audience. There’s nothing like watching two comic geniuses trying to keep straight faces as the wheels come off. My sympathies to Korman’s family and friends.

The Freeloader’s Toolbelt — If you are pinching pennies or just like to get stuff free, you might be interested in this long list of resources for snagging freebies.

Stuff I’m Reading — I picked up a couple of books recently under the delusion that one day I’ll actually have time to relax and read them.

Hey Whipple, Squeeze This (3rd Edition) (Amazon.com link) is a best-selling book on advertising by Luke Sullivan. I saw Mr. Sullivan give a presentation recently in the Minneapolis area and really enjoyed it. He talked about the challenges of producing above-average creative work in advertising while still meeting the strict needs and limited budgets of un-creative clients. Hey Whipple is a great read for anyone interested in the creative side of the advertising industry.

Sit, Ubu, Sit by Gary David Goldberg (Amazon.com link) is a new autobiography-slash-instruction manual from one of the big names in 1980’s television. Goldberg’s long list of credits includes The Bob Newhart Show, Lou Grant, M*A*S*H and Brooklyn Bridge, but he is best-known as the creator of Family Ties. The dust jacket includes accolades from none other than Stephen Spielberg. I’m fascinated by books that give insights into behind-the-scenes Hollywood and I’m really looking forward to this one.