Blue Moon Blog

This Bedbugs sketch and many other will be available for purchase at the Wild Rumpus event tomorrow, Saturday, March 5 at 1 PM. Bring the kids for storytime as I read my Night of the Bedbugs (ages 2-10), juggle a bit, and teach the kids how to draw expressions and create their own characters in a cartoon workshop. I’ll also debut a new Bedbugs music video, and we’ll do a sing-a-long. Wild Rumpus will have the books for sale, and I’ll have other Bedbugs stuff: buttons, kid’s tattoos, ABC mini-comics and marbles.

Sketches of another kind beginning Monday, as Sketchbook Month continues…

The girl-with-no-name with Buster Bug McGee, from Night of the Bedbugs, in another Bedbugs sketch. Another on the morrow…

As I prepare for an event at Wild Rumpus on Saturday, my contributions to Sketchbook Month will prob’ly be a little Bedbugs heavy.

Til tomorrow…

Friend and fellow illustrator, Cedric Hohnstadt has pronounced March, 2011 to be Sketchbook Month. So, I’ll be joining the throng of artists in posting a new sketch each week day all month.

This first is a quick layout rough of a title card for a Bedbugs Lullaby music video I’m completing this week to debut Saturday.

I’m not sure whether I’ll be executing the final art digitally and adding pastel or other effects, or drawing traditionally. Either way, I’ll post that art here this weekend. I recorded a couple weeks back the lullaby I wrote, my daughters and I recording helium-induced Bedbugs vocals last Saturday. The video edit is coming along very well. I can’t wait for everyone to see it!

Drop by the blog tomorrow for another sketch…

Merry Christmas from the Bedbugs!

Although we all like the feel of a book in hands, and there’s nothing like a nice hardcover book for kids, digital books and comics are not only probably the way of the future, they’re already here. And my Night of the Bedbugs childrens book is catching that wave, thanks to Image Comics and the fine folks at Comixology.

Available as of today for the iPad, iPhone and iTouch for only two bucks.

This sketch done for a fan who won a prize package for “liking” the Bedbugs Facebook page, less a sketch and more a performance, a recitation of something like a nonsense poem taught to me by my grammar school pal, Rick Berning (who remains a friend to this day, and lives about five minutes away here in MN, though we grew up in Chicago).

I’ve been reciting this poem to friends and kids ever since, as best I could remember it. After a small bit of research online, I was able to fill in gaps, and made a couple changes of my own for fun.

During research, I came across several versions, varying slightly or wildly, like so:

‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Hobos and Tramps, Cross-eyed mosquitoes and bowlegged ants. I come before you, to stand before you, to tell you a story I know nothing about. One bright morning in the middle of the night two dead fellows stood up to fight. They stood back to back, facing each other, drew their swords and shot each other. If you don’t believe my lie, it’s true, ask the blind lady on the corner, she saw it too.’

There are many variants, which include references to a dummy referee, a paralyzed donkey, a mute psychotic, ladies and jellyspoons (or jellybeans), bald-headed babies and a guy with a pancake stuck to his bum – LOL! All these I found at the best and comprehensive collection at this folklore site. Check ‘em out! Have you ever heard the version close to the one I recall, or any of the others?

The more people who LIKE the Bedbugs Facebook page, the more prize packages I send out. The prize now includes a 7″ x 7″ color Bedbugs sketch and a Bedbugs button of your choice. Two prizes are awarded every 50 new people, the first to one from the latest 50, the other to another lucky winner who’s been aboard from the beginning. Below are a few of the latest sketches sent to winners…

So go sign up if you haven’t already, and/or spread the word! More cool Bedbugs stuff is in the works, so the packages will be changing soon, to include some nifty things. And don’t forget to visit the Bedbugs web site for free games, music videos, desktop wallpaper, and more!

I had a lotta hot fun at the Minneapolis Indie Xpo, doing sketches, chatting with fans, friends and fellow artists, and selling lotsa comics, minis, books, buttons and marbles. I expected the crowd to be 20-something hipsters, of which there were plenty, but a lotta families showed up, too, so it was a good cross section and MIX of people.

A view from near my table of one of the three rooms/areas of the show. This was taken in the morning as the show began. A short time later and most of the rest of the day, these rooms were pretty packed.

It was a hot and humid day, and the small fan I brought along was little comfort, but somehow I did a buncha sketches, even if my sweaty arm occasionally stuck to the paper:

A quick Hellboy drawing I did in a collector’s sketchbook.

I know, I’m weird. Big fan of spatulas. Never took any drugs, ladies and gentleman!

Many kids, parents and grandparents were drawn to my Night of the Bedbugs book, ABC minis, buttons and juggling beanbags, which was nice to see. A lotta new Bedbugs fans were made at this show, who I hope will follow up and LIKE the Bedbugs Facebook page or visit the bedbugsmania.com web site for games, vids and more.

Taking a break from doing a Micronauts’ Baron Karza sketch for a photo by new acquaintance, and MCAD Artist in Residence, Jim Keefe.

Special thanks to MIX organizers Sarah Morean and Andy Krueger for doing a fine job kicking off this event. I’m already looking forward to next year.

I did these couple of small Bedbugs sketches at the MN SpringCon last weekend, keeping them in hand, probably for sale at etsy.com or at the Bebdugs site. I’ll update here and at the Bebdugs Facebook fan page.

If you haven’t seen the latest Bedbugs video, check it out at the YouTube bedbugsfun channel. It’s been a big hit at school appearances so far.