I've got my eye on you, Paul Briggs.

Paul.

Comic Con part 2: Swag

What's the best part of Comc Con? Loadin' up on bad ass books!

Pictured here are:
-Justin Parpan's "Gwango's Lonesome Trail", which i've been meaning to pick up since forever.
-Josh Parpan's "Eeks and Shrieks!" card set (not laid out)
-Emma's sketchbook
-Mike Mignola's sketchbook
-Chris Sander's sketchbook.
- Flight 5
- Who Is Rocket Johnson
- Ted Mathot's "Cora"
- Bill Pressing's "Bookplate Betties"
- Scott Morse's "Red Window: Summer 2008"
- Derek Thompson's Monster-a-Day
- Frank and Frank by Chris Applehans
PLUS the obligatory two books from Stuart Ng. I went into Stuart Ng expecting to make a B line for some Wenling, or an issue of Skydoll or Belladonne (my go-to titles for mind-blowingly appealing european comic book stylin's), but looking at them for the hundredth time i didn't find that i absolutely had to have them. Instead i tried to find something that i didn't already have, that i hadn't heard of and hadn't seen before. First i found 'Fennec' by Lewis Trondheim and Yoann. It's done in a really simple appealing style with equally simple and appealing watercolors. You don't need to read French to get the story. At the suggestion of some friends i also picked up a collection of the work of Sergio Toppi. His inking, crosshatching and color washes are refreshingly bold. I can see his influence in a lot people i've known who have come through CalArts, students and teachers alike, and it's nostalgic and refreshing to see the source.


FrankandFrank caught my eye with it's unusual shape. The awkwardness of trying to read such a long (not in the usual sense) book posed a humourous challenge. And the short, simple sequential strips it contained won me over (daaaaw!<3)

Videos of interest

First and foremost, our Princess and the Frog teaser is now up and online!
Check it out. It's 2-D, guys!

Secondly, a totally badass ad campaign from BBC Sports for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing featuring the cast of Chen Shi-zheng, Jamie Hewlett and Damon Albarn's Monkey: Journey to the West! The animation in this is way better than anything i saw in the show. I've gotta find a way to download this:


And lastly, just because this is so freakin' wierd.
At lunch today my friend Sarah told me about this video clip of a pelican eating a pigeon.

a PELICAN.
eating a PIGEON.

apparently this happens way more often than people think? Anyway, here's the video.
[EDIT] I now feel compelled to mention that the pelican video is not only totally weird but possibly also a little disturbing. Nothing graphic or gross, just ... a tad disturbing. Consider that a heads up.

Comic Con part 1: New Friends

So yeah, Comic Con! I'm lazy, and my computer has... problems, so i'm going to report it in chunks.
The first chunk is about new friends ("chunk"+"friends" in the same sentence = great).

Sills and a happy pea! Sills was made by Elizabeth Ito who was selling him and his mini monster kin complete with birth certificate and cozy PETA approved carrier!


The pea came from Conduct Happiness, and opened the door for pea jokes the rest of the day.
"I think I'll take a pea." (when i bought it)
"Look guys! There's pea in my bag!"
(when the pea ripped a seam)"My pea is leaking?"
"Claire, i hope your mom doesn't mind if i bring pea in her car."
"I kinda have to go to the bathroom, but it's okay, i can hold my pea."
The list goes on.




Happy pea!
















Sills making friends.

San Diego Comic-Con, guys!
It's totally on.

Be sure to pick up "Who is Rocket Johnson?" (goin' like hot cakes! booth #2302), "Afterworks 3" (booth #1534), and "Scrambled Ink" (at the Dark Horse booth, i think, #2615). Compilations from the talented folks at Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks respectively, proof positive that these dudes and ladies can totally rock the art-making in the off-hours. Flight 5 is looking to be a good time as well (booth #1228). All this with a slew of independent artists' booths that are totally worth checking out.
I've got my panel schedule, shopping list and generous spending budget all set.

Good times, fellows.

Tyger, tyger.... tyger.

Where the hell is Matt?

(Cross-posted from my livejournal. I figure it's good to post more than strictly art here.)

Have you guys seen this video? It's pretty incredible. I'd love to go to just half of the places this guy's danced in :)



The song in the video is called "Praan". It's available from iTunes and was adapted from one of these poems (i think? information on the song was difficult to come by) by Garry Schyman, who also did the score for Bioshock. Go figure.

If you go to the guy's official website ( www.wherethehellismatt.com ), one of the questions in the FAQ is what the message is in the videos that Matt makes. His answer was pretty simple: he doesn't know. it's up to you. Somehow that makes me like it even more. There's no pretention in it. The message (if there is one) is as simple as the video :)

The industrious and witty Kate Beaton posted an invitation to all her readers to post a conversation between them and their younger selves. I genuinely can't believe i haven't done this before. It's a good time.


(Trader Joe's sells candied hibuscus flowers that taste like fruit snacks. Little me would probably have really liked them if she would just try them!)

This was the first one i came up with, but the second one i drew. (the book is a total lie. i don't actually read.)

On frustration.