Blue Moon Blog

I recently received my copies of the Fractured Fables anthology published by Jim Valentino at Image/Silverline Books. My contribution with Len Strazewski (script) and my wife, Mary (fellow colorist) is a twist on Washington Irving’s Rip van Winkle called Pippi van Wrinkles. I’m very pleased by the printing and presentation, as well as the company we’re in. It was reviewed very favorably in the Washington Times, as well as at Ain’t It Cool News, so check out those if you need convincing.

Fractured Fables cover by Mike and Laura Allred

The artist skimming through the book

Pippi Van Wrinkles, page 1

The book is currently available in comic shops and on Amazon, and in fine bookstores everywhere in October.

A couple weeks back I spent some time with some great kids at a Commonbond Housing site called Yorkdale Townhomes in Edina as a guest visitor for their summer program. I shared my story of life as an artist, taught some cartooning - how to create facial features and build/design characters - and how to find and pursue your dreams.

I also covered my creative process for writing and illustrating my children’s book, Night of the Bedbugs. So, we all drew together, and they came up with some great stuff, which you can see below. Thanks to Sue Gahan for invitation, whom I met at the 2-day comic convention here in Minneapolis in May.

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Keep drawing, kids!

The Blue Moon Crew were featured in the July issue of the Four Estates Guardian magazine, which focuses on neighborhood news and one family in our area per issue. Below are reduced images from the sections in which we were featured, as well as the text of the article.

Mind Your Neighbor’s Business: the Fricke Family of Artists

Art has a way of keeping people young at heart, and so it is with the Fricke family. Paul, Mary, Laura, 14, and Emily, 10, are a family of artists who live in Silverthorne subdivision. Despite humble beginnings, they show that following one’s dreams and inborn talent can take a person farther than any college degree.

Though none of their four parents were artists, Paul and Mary were encouraged to draw at a young age. By age 12, Paul knew he wanted to be an artist. In the early 80s, Paul and Mary took classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago (though neither knew of each other at the time). By age 22, Paul had co-created and independently published the comic book Trollords with his former high school pal Scott Beaderstadt. It was Paul’s first breakthrough into the comic book industry, a success that led to a decade of work with other comic book companies in Chicago and New York, such as DC, Topps, First and Image Comics.

Paul and Mary met in 1985–not at the Academy, but on a trip to Florida–and quickly discovered they had much in common. While dating, they took more classes at the American Academy of Art, though neither of them ever graduated with degrees. They began collaborating on projects together in 1986. Meanwhile, Paul had quit his non-artistic job to become fully self-employed in freelancing. They were married in 1989 and celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary this June. Paul has been in professional artistry for 25 years.

In 1993, they moved from Chicago to Plymouth and settled into their newly built home in Silverthorne subdivision in 2001. They are the owners of Blue Moon Studios that specializes in cartooning, comics, storyboards, and illustration, “a one-stop-shop from concept to final digital art.”

Through his art, Paul helps companies, both large and small, to communicate ideas and to educate. He has done a variety of projects, specializing in historical, religious, and educational comics for companies such as Microsoft, Scholastic, and the National Kidney Foundation.

Another facet of Blue Moon Studios is storyboards, which are preliminary, rough sketches for broadcast or online commercials or print ads. These storyboards are for a company’s internal use. Paul’s hand has been behind a majority of Best Buy commercials, and has drawn comps for ads featuring such popular characters as the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Inspired in their art by countless painters, book illustrators and comic book artists, Paul adds that inspiration comes from the fact that, “To make a living doing what we love – on our worst work day, we’re drawing.” Cartooning keeps Paul “a kid at heart,” he says. “It’s fun, expressive and nearly everyone can enjoy and relate to it.”

Mary’s passions are painting and drawing, and she has exhibited her portraits and landscapes at local art fairs.

Working from home is a delight for them. The whole family contributes to Blue Moon Studios in one way or another. Mary colors a majority of her husband’s comics and illustration drawings. Paul says she is a “reliable sounding board with good creative instincts.” While their daughters have helped with art and lettering on a few projects, they are also a constant inspiration to their parents.

Laura and Emily have inherited a double-portion of their parents’ creative genes and entrepreneur spirit. Emily runs her own cookie business called “Emily’s Funky Munky Kookies.” The girls hobbies include art, music, gymnastics, swimming, sculpting and reading. And as a family, they all enjoy drawing and painting together, playing music, and gathering around the table for a board or a card game.

At work or at play, the Fricke family finds inspiration to keep their art alive and their hearts young. They say to their neighbors, “Thanks for all the happy hellos, waves and chats, and your support during times good and difficult.”

Night of the Bedbugs is Paul Fricke’s colorful, rhyming story book published this year by Image/Silverline Books. The book tells the story of how a little girl’s nighttime fears are calmed when a friendly bedbug and his pals join her for a pajama party and sing her to sleep. To learn more, visit www.bluemoonstudios.com and www.bedbugsmania.com.

Had fun at the Minnesota 2-day SpringCon this past weekend. Sold Bedbugs books, sketches, buttons, etc. Heard some wonderful stories of kids who’ve already grown attached to the Night of the Bedbugs book.

Also saw some fun folks in costumes and caught up with tons of friends and artists.

Here are a couple fave pics. See more at my Convention Photo Album at Facebook.

Super Kiddie Friends Flash, Wonder Woman and The Huntress

Scott Beaderstadt (Uncle Picklehead), Emily and our new Totoro plush

The family has been listening to ’70s rock the last couple weeks, especially during games of the card game, Pounce. While playing what is essentially a face-paced version of solitaire for four, there’s a tendency for people to chatter, sing, whistle and make noises. If we have background music, it helps a bit towards getting everyone in sync and on the same page. Steely Dan is one of those groups we’ve been listening to, and one of our favorites to sing along with is their Get Along, Sweet Chinaman, which some have apparently misnamed as Kid Charlemagne. In honor of the tune, I did this sketch:

Other than my fave tune of theirs, Reelin’ in the Years, I’ve never loved their music, finding it a bit long, rambling and esoteric, the vocals an acquired taste. But listening lately to their best, I’ve found I know and like most of their tunes - they must’ve played the heck out of these tunes on the radio in the 70’s and ’80s. By chance over the weekend, I saw a commercial for a Midnight Special DVD, including a quick snippet of the band doing Reelin’. Gosh, that Walter Becker was not an attractive man - a face for radio!

Walter Becker, center top; Donald Fagen, 2nd from left

He’s improved with age, though, a much better look:

Fagen & Becker, circa 2007

After disbanding in 1981, they regrouped for concerts in 1993, and released two studio albums, in 2000 and 2003, respectively. I’ve gotta check those out, ’cause they don’t seem to have missed a beat.

These are a few of my favorite fives -

Let’s Sing a Song of Fives from Sesame Street:

Johnny Bench, catcher of the Big Red Machine from the 1970s Cincinnati Reds. I wore his number on my uniform on every softball team on which I played.

Ben Folds Five:

Schoolhouse Rock - Ready or Not, Here I Come (5s):

The Five Fingers of my right hand, without which I couldn’t draw or play piano:

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Laura and I messin’ around with the iMac Photo Booth:

Joe has gone to that Big Comic Shop in the Sky.

This picture (sent to me last night by my ol’ Trollords pal, Scott Beaderstadt) sums up Joe’s character so well. We’ll miss you, Joe. Thanks for everything.

I’ve written plenty about it here on this blog in previous posts, but it feels important to mark the day, as it’s been one year since I slid sideways on a snowmobile into a tree. T’was a life changing event, and while I was aware of that fact mere moments after impact, even while I was trying to begin to breathe again, it’s become clear a year later now I didn’t really know the full extent of what I was in for.

I’m no spring chicken at 46, so my bones are healing a lot more slowly than docs expected and I hoped. On certain days, I still experience sharp pains along my sternum and ribs below my left chest, some days my nerves are raw, feeling nearly nearly exposed on the surface. Now, that may be because I slept in a certain position; or ’cause it’s damp or due to the barometric pressure; it may be because I exerted myself during light exercise or picked up a kid when I probably shouldn’t have. And sometimes it’s just ’cause.

At times the physical pain triggers anxiety, or vice versa. I can be panicky whether I got a good night of sleep or not. Even though I’m getting better and am on a general upwards trajectory, there are moments I wish a could take a mulligan, have a do-over. It doesn’t happen often and I don’t let those thoughts linger - what’s the point? But it’s apparent the ramifications for me and my family will be felt for a while yet, perhaps for years or the rest of my life.

Knowing that, it’s a blessing to be reminded by friends and family that they’re glad I’m still here. One friend on Facebook pointed out to me that those in the military who’ve had close calls acknowledge it with what they call Alive Day. Upon reading more about it, I’ve discovered it extends beyond the military, so there’s no reason it can’t apply to me. We’ll see if it helps me in future years to be that aware, or better to just let it pass and fade. Either way, I try to remember each day my good fortune and blessings.

It’s good to be alive.