Hinkley Hills Gazette: Our Tribute To The ‘Burbs

It’s actually our second tribute to the 1989 Tom Hanks cult classic, The ‘Burbs, if you count that diorama we did a few weeks ago. But this one is of a 2D nature. And it’s part of Gallery1988’s latest show.

The concept is a ’80s-era newspaper comics page (something that was prevalent when the movie came out, but not so much now) that tells the story of The ‘Burbs through re-imagined classic comic strips.

The illustration was done digitally, using Clip Studio Paint (for the inks) and Affinity Photo (for colors). The reason I switched from Clip Studio to Affinity Photo is because Affinity Photo is one of the few digital illustration apps out there (Photoshop, being another) that has a true CMYK color space. And since this image would eventually go to the printers, we wanted a true CMYK profile. Plus, I just like working in those nice, desaturated CMYK colors.

It worked out well, too, because the print sold out at the show immediately. We’re talking to the printer about getting more, but don’t let our lack of foresight take any fun away from visiting the show online and viewing all the amazing ‘Burbs-themed artwork.

And If you want to see how we put the piece together, the link to this week’s video is right here.

So, Frankenstein Walks Into an Art Gallery…

And thank goodness the reception he got in Glendale was warmer than the one he received back in Austria in 1939. Maybe it’s that sunny California weather.

The Monster Walks is a mixed-media diorama that Michelle and I put together for Gallery1988’s latest show, The Golden Age of Hollywood. The show features all kinds of artwork celebrating the films of Hollywood’s most storied era, 1915 to 1963. Michelle and I chose 1939’s Son of Frankenstein as inspiration.

We kept a lot of the elements you see in the film — Karloff’s neck-bolts, the scar on the forehead, even the furry vest he wore. But was also added our own storytelling elements. Most notably, this terrified little rat who shares a dungeon space with the monster, and is startled by his sudden appearance.

We were happy to see the piece sold on the first day, but you can still see images of it and all the other amazing art at Gallery1988’s site. Maybe there’s something there you want to pick up! And if you haven’t seen our process video on making this monster, it’s posted down below.

I’ll be at NYCC This Weekend

If you’re headed to New York Comic Con this week, you’ll spot me sitting in with the National Cartoonists Society (Booth #304) on a couple days:

• Saturday, October 6th  1 – 4

• Sunday, October 7th  10 – 1:30

I’ll have the new Untold Tales of Bigfoot: Fall Special with me, as well as my other books. And if I can manage to get him onto a crowded train without starting a riot, then lug him to Javits Convention Center, I may also have my furry buddy, Puppet Bigfoot (he’s a long shot, though. It’s like lugging around an unconscious badger around the city).

Anyway, stop by and say hi. I’ll be sharing the table with some really talented cartoonists. -v

Out and About: Upcoming Shows and Events

Hey, I’m emerging from the cave for a few upcoming events in the next month or two. Here’s a short list (more to be added):

April 7th & 8th: MoCCA Festival This Weekend in NYC

If you’re in New York this weekend and plan to attend MoCCA (Manhattan’s largest independent comics, cartoon, and animation festival) I will be sitting in at the National Cartoonists Society table on Saturday (3:45 to 7) and Sunday (3:45 to 6). MoCCA is a 2-day event with all kinds of cool stuff, and there will be other cartoonists at the NCS table throughout the weekend. Admission is only $7 a day!

“Held at the luxurious and modern Metropolitan West located on West 46th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, MoCCA’s host venue will encompass two floors of exhibitor tables, a gallery of original art showcasing the work of special guests, and pop-up cafés throughout the space.” CLICK FOR DETAILS!

May 5th: Free Comic Book Day at Phantom of the Attic, Oakland

I’ve done Free Comic Book Day at this amazing comic shop before and had a blast meeting people, selling books, and doing quick commission sketches. It’s a wonderful shop with a great staff and it’s stocked floor to ceiling with fun. I’ll be sharing a table with Jim Rugg (Street Angel, Afrodisiac) so stop by and say hi. PHANTOM FB PAGE

May 19th & 20th: 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh

I did this con last year, had a great time, and so I’m doing it again this year. Saturday and Sunday, May 19-20, I’ll be at my own table at 3 Rivers Comicon in Pittsburgh. There’s always a great guest list of talented artists at this con. CLICK FOR DETAILS

I’ll add a few more notable events as the details shore up, but this is a good start for now. Hope to see you out there! -v

Up And Away! A Collaborative Art Project

It’s the 1930s. Big City has become a place where greed trumps goodness, a city in desperate need of a hero. A hero like no other. The very first superhero.

Planning The Caper

This year, The Pittsburgh CLO invited members of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators to attend rehearsals of the CLO musical Up And Away, as a collaborative effort to produce artwork inspired by the show.

In this post, I’m going to break down my basic illustration process and ramble on a little about the show (because it’s really fun and you should go see it if you can).

Assembling The Team

I think there were six of us invited to attend early rehearsals for the show. We were there to get a feel for the show, and then create anything we wanted. Some of us illustrated scenes, some of us did renderings of the rehearsals, some did portraits of the cast. But from the very start, I knew I wanted to create a fictional comic book cover that featured the characters from the superhero-themed musical. Here’s the thumbnail I sketched out during that first rehearsal:

Clip Studio Paint To The Rescue

I used Clip Studio Paint to set up my image. As usual, the perspective rulers were invaluable in helping me redraw the background architecture over my sketch (the show is set in “Big City”). I used the blue drafting pencil to sketch in characters based on reference sketches I did at rehearsal, and a G-Pen to ink them in. These aren’t caricatures of the cast as much as representations of the archetypes the actors portray in the show.

About The Show

Up And Away is jam-packed with references to comic book culture. The two brothers (who leave their farm to find adventure in Big City) are Jerry and Joe Jessup (a nod to Superman creators, Siegel and Shuster). There’s a fast-talking lady-reporter, a mysterious billionaire, a tough but doting mother, and a host of costumed kooks running rampant in the city.

One of the most interesting things about this project was seeing director Marlo Hunter, creators Kevin Hammonds and Kristin Bair, and the cast members hammer the show into shape during rehearsals; changing blocking and choreography, editing scenes, working out the props and stagecraft. Process. It’s fun to watch things unfold, piece by piece, whether it’s an illustration or a comedy-musical.

Kevin Hammonds (Book and Lyrics) and Kristin Bair (Music) put together a catchy bunch of tunes. I must have heard “New Kind Of Hero” two dozen times that first day. Anyone who’s ever rehearsed a live musical performance knows you’re going to go over and over and over the songs. But that was fine, because when I saw the show opening week, I could practically sing along.

The performers are fantastic too.  It’s one of those shows that employs a small cast (just five) who have to race through backstage quick-changes to play a series of alternate roles (with those roles sometimes possessing alter-egos themselves).

And, in keeping with the stripped-down feel of a small cast, Up And Away employs classic, lo-fi stagecraft to achieve its own brand of special effects. Think “standing on one leg and bending at the waist with your arms forward to simulate flying over a collapsible MDF cityscape.” I don’t know how you’re picturing that, but trust me, it works.

As the little corner box intimates, Up And Away made it’s premiere here in Pittsburgh in January. But it’ll be running at the CLO Cabaret at Theater Square through Sunday, April 22nd. If you’re in Pittsburgh during that time, and you want to spend a fun couple of hours at a musical comedy made for comic fans, try to get tickets.

Art Show And Sale

And, as of this Wednesday, March 14, the Cabaret Gallery will have the Pittsburgh Illustrators’ Up And Away art on display and for sale, with 20% going to the Pittsburgh CLO. I’ll have two pieces there — the comic book cover (signed & numbered prints) and an ink and marker rendering of the villains in the show (based on brief descriptions in an early draft of the script). This was a fun project, a nice way to spend a few weeks with some talented creators and performers, and I got to see a superhero musical for free! Whooooosh! (that was me, flying away, in case you didn’t catch it) -v

And here, just for fun, the fictional comic book cover: