Blue Moon Blog

I’ve been taking stabs at capturing actress Paulette Goddard for many, many years, and have yet to do her justice. Difficult and elusive to catch her personality, that light in her eye and sparkle in her smile…but I’ll have fun continuing to try….

I grabbed this from my Facebook Notes, an exercise/game using only song names from one artist/band to the answer the questions below. I chose my second favorite band to describe My Life According to XTC:

From Sleeveface; this one by Wolfgang Egberts and Antonia Jenner

Are you a male or female: The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul

Describe yourself: The Mayor of Simpleton

How do you feel: Burning With Optimism’s Flames

Describe where you currently live: Playground

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?: Desert Island

Your favorite form of transportation: That Wave

Your best friend?: Brainiac’s Daughter

You and your best friends are: Stupidly Happy

What’s the weather like: Season Cycle

Favorite time of day: Ballet For A Rainy Day

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Easter Theatre

What is life to you: We’re All Light

Your fear: Cynical Days

What is the best advice you have to give: Knuckle Down

Thought for the Day: Don’t Lose Your Temper

How I would like to die: In Another Life

My soul’s present condition: Train Running Low on Soul Coal

XTC 4ever!

Toth drew adaptations of many movies and TV during his Dell Comics period, including the 1959 flick, The FBI Story starring Jimmy Stewart (jimmy.org – how cool is that url?!) and Vera Miles. For me, it had been easy to overlook as slapdash and rushed, not one of his gems, but as with just about everything Toth, there’s much to appreciate. The more one looks, the more is found.

Four Color Comics #1069 cover (left); and Toth’s striking opening splash panel to the comic (right).

Some panels are not colored very well (which goes for the two facing frames below) – the colors are actually distracting to the art and tone,  so I greyed them out for a better read. The low angle in the first shot, Chief Dakins and the door effectively framing the two principals. The body language of Dakins is superb, telling us plenty about the character, Toth cropping most of the large man’s body out of frame. The facial expressions in both panels are very nice, especially that tilt of the head in frame 2.

Chief Dakins here reminds me of the characters types Orson Welles played during this period: as Will Varner in The Long, Hot Summer (1958); the Clarence Darrow-inspired lawyer in Compulsion (1959); or Hank Quinlan in his own Touch of Evil (1958). Dakins was actually played by the Mayor of Mayberry, actor Parley Baer.

Offset, asymmetrical compositions with these two panels: The imposing, Hoover-like new director enveloped in black; superb cropping and simple, knock-out coloring convey tone, focus our attentions and tell the story.

A straight-on establishing shot of the humble Hardesty home, the building not centered in the frame. Great patterns, textures, shapes. In the second frame (not an actual facing panel), the hands tell the tale.

I blew out the color for this wide scene featuring militia men, the Klu Klux Klan, a burning cross and chiaroscuro action -

Facing frames. The smoke from the burning cross holds the narration text. Asymmetrical composition again, much of the drawing enveloped in black, dark shadows cast by the flaming cross. I desaturated the second frame as the vehicle on the right was colored, inexplicably a distracting bright red. In this case, the center of interest is actually center-panel, interest added with dirty, crosshatched trash in the foreground left, the sloping sidewalk and cobblestone street, tilted telephone pole. All small bits and tiny details Toth adds to tell us of the neighborhood and to avoid a static layout.

Gotta love the sinks and tubs, littering the foreground! Toth takes what could be a boring panel and makes of it one the most interesting in the story, utilizing shapes, angles, shadow, depth and texture.

First frame: Negative space, solid black, ominous, dotted landscape. Second frame: folds and gesture.

Not facing frames. Great lighting in the first, bravura folds and shadows.

It’s apparent Dell or the studio did not place a high priority on likenesses (as do so many adaptations the last few decades). I find that kinda refreshing – Toth could tell the story and not worry about the main character looking like the actor. In the frame on the right we can read the gesture and pose as pure Jimmy Stewart, no doubt completely out of Toth’s head. Great shadows here, too, leading the eye to the dude opening the door.

Stewart/Hardesty makes his way into the dark offices. Nice compositions, framing, slight crops. Unassuming but superb panels.

Shadows, folds, dominating stance and positioning over the slumped doofus in the chair. Man, I could stare at those jacket folds all day…

…maybe all week, til the next Toth Tuesday when I’ll have more from The FBI Story.

More Adventure Time sketches, these done while at the MIX show last weekend.

This one I did for a different look with marker and colored pencils on pastel paper…

…and this one with markers, the more traditional look of the show. I know, Lumpy Space Princess has a little crown rather than her forehead star – oh, well! And for some reason I gave Finn a curvy flaming sword.

Once I start drawing these characters, I can’t seem to stop or get enough – just like watching the show!

My artist pal, Brent Schoonover recently found this Halloween CD in his garage, recognizing the art…

…as the cover art I did in ’92 for a Look & Find Scary Monsters book.

I’ve not seen the CD package yet, so am not sure if the same publisher put both out. But more likely the art was appropriated by a third party without permission. In a way it’s a tad flattering, but mostly this kinda thing drives artists crazy. In this case the original publisher owns the copyright to the image as I did the book as work for hire. Otherwise…this Hulk would be mad.

Time for an Adventure Time sketch!

We sure love Finn and Jake & Co. here at our house. I wouldn’t have expected to like it as at first glance the character designs and drawing style are a bit crude and child-like. But watch one episode and it’s easy (nigh impossible not) to become hooked. The strange characters, odd stories, unexpected dialogue, wordplay and catchphrases are infectious and irresistible. It’s one weird show, working on many levels, suitable for kids but what’s not is no doubt over their heads. There are plenty of references, underpinnings and allusions to keep adults watching and laughing, but coming back for more. The usually-abrupt endings are to die for – they’ll crack you up, have you hitting the rewind button or have you scratching your head (Wh-wh-a-a-t?! Did they just end it like that?!). Fun stuff.

Cartoon Network has released a DVD, but it contains ten random episodes, not the full first season. What the math?! Also frustrating is that not all episodes are identified by title on our DVR, so we have over 80 15-minute episodes recorded and saved. We’ve watched many more than once.

There are some cool toys out, but they sure are expensive – even the little ones (2″ tall)! (Scroll down at the link: Chapter 4 for kids meeting creator, Pendleton Ward; Chapter 5 for toy pix.)

Oh, I’ll have this (8.5 x 11″) sketch for sale at the MIX show here in the Twin Cities this coming weekend. I’ll be at table #30. See you there!

Shmow-Zow!

I spent Saturday drawing with kids in the Children’s Pavilion at the Twin Cities Book Festival. Tried to teach ‘em a thing or two about cartooning, creating characters and stories. I learned from them, too. Always do.

All kids draw. Some don’t stop.

At the Festival, some kids drew known characters, some created their own. Some scribbled abstract shapes and textures. Some were off on their own, others wanted some pointers. Others called out ideas and suddenly I was taking requests. It was fun! I drew some cartoons versions of some kids who stayed by the table a while, gave ‘em a little memento.

It’s funny, at an early age, kids draw free ‘n’ easy. The sky’s the limit. There are no rules. In all my drawing sessions with kids, I try to encourage that. Sure, I offer tips, tricks, guidance and insight, but It seems a mistake to shackle young kids with too many boundaries and guidelines. There will be a time for that soon enough. At some point, if a kid keeps drawing, they’re gonna put in a lot of hours, learn the rules before they can break them again.

Lots more pix of the day and event viewable for anyone at my Facebook page.

On Saturday, October 15, I’ll be appearing as a featured author at Rain Taxi’s 11th annual Twin Cities Book Festival, a FREE event open to the public. Thousands of book lovers attend each year to meet their favorite local and international authors, for readings, panels, talks, and to snatch up a bunch of books, of course!

I’ll kick off the kid’s book events at the Children’s Pavilion with a reading of my Night of the Bedbugs at 10:30 AM, followed by an all-day drawing/cartooning workshop from 11AM-4PM. I’ll be on hand to show young artists how to draw features and expressions, create their own characters and start making their own book. Paper and drawing implements will be supplied; you just need to bring your curiosity and imagination. Drop by anytime!

Copies of Night of the Bedbugs will be available for purchase from The Red Balloon. I’ll be happy to sign and do a sketch in your copy. See you there!

Another great topic/challenge/assignment from Carsten Bradley for his daily Artist Sketch Challenge: DESIGN THE POSTER FOR CALVIN & HOBBES: THE MOVIE! Carsten set the standard with his entry, and everybody did such great drawings/concepts, it really raised the bar. I loved working on this. Spent too much time on it…and wish I had more.

Check out all the posters at Google+!

I thought I’d happened upon an original parody idea, but – nope! There’s some fan fiction pairing these characters, and another: What I Did On My Summer Vacation (scroll down). And a Comic Rumble. Enjoy!