The Bachelorette

The Neighbors

So I think I'm going to start playing with short comics that illustrate some of Amanda's and my adventures with suburban life.  I have a few ideas jotted down, and they're all based on true events.... so they probably won't actually be that funny or exciting.  But I think this will be a nice challenge for me.

Here's a situation that inspired me to actually put one down on (digital) paper.

Yeah, I guess I'm creepy... or haven't quite figured out the rules of the suburbs.  Sorry kids.

And yes, we adopted a dog.  But there's been some drama in the house with the cats.  So the future is totally up in the air.

 

Warm Ups 2

Sorry bout the gratuitous "winks".  I thought I was on to something...  but in the end, I wasn't.

And what's with that guy's hair?  Weird.. I think i was on the phone... I should've put the pen down.

Warm Ups 1

Here are some warm up drawings that I did before a freelance assignment.  I have some more that I'll probably post over the next few days.

Self Indulgent Post Lunchtime Scribble Nonsense

It's all pretty self indulgent... down to the signature. I've been thinking a lot about who I am as an artist and who I want to be. I've been trying to give myself small goals, most of which i don't meet. I'm totally bogged with freelance, so I can't really put the time into my personal work that I would like... but maybe I'm taking on the freelance because I'm just too terrified to really dive in to my own work and develop some of my own ideas. I don't know.... but I do feel like I'm about ready to just go for it... once I get all of this freelance finished.

I showed Jim this drawing and he said "You fill a page like water curling around rocks." Wow. I thought that was a great compliment, and it really describes how I feel when I'm scribbling out a page like this. It becomes a very soothing meditative process for me. I just let things happen and I go with them. What I find interesting about this process for me is that I'm not really thinking about any one big idea or image. The page just seems to grow organically. My dilemma is that I wish I could put the same type of loose energy and spontaneity into something that I've planned for myself, controlling the "flow of the water" around "rocks" that I've planned out. Or maybe I don't have to, maybe I should be happy that these images can just flow out. It's definitely a stress reliever for me.

Justin Wright

We received really sad news two nights ago about the passing of our friend Justin Wright. Justin is a very close friend of Amanda's and he will be missed.

Before I met Justin, I only knew him as Amanda's friend from Calarts that could compose novellas of text messages in record time and that he was working at Pixar and really really really loved it. We took a trip up to Pixar to see a bunch of friends, Justin being one. We were sitting in the Pixar cafeteria and Amanda smiled brightly as Justin approached to sit down with us. I looked over my shoulder looking for Justin, whom I had never met, and it was plain as day who he was. He approached us and had huge smile and was wearing a Pixar cap, Pixar jacket, Pixar sweatshirt, Pixar basketball sneakers with Pixar shoe lace clips. He did really love being there, and I couldn't help but smile.

And speaking of fashion, the last time I got to really speak to Justin was at Ant and Mich's wedding. Justin had chosen to wear his shoes sans socks. We discussed in quite a lot of detail the pros and cons of going sockless and we came to the conclusion that Justin was just that much more fashion forward than sock clad me.

Any way... Amanda is really the one who should be writing about Justin. They shared a closeness that only the best of friends can have. So the following is from Amanda.

For Justin,

It is so hard for me to put into words how much you
mean to me. Your excitement, energy, numerous artistic
talents and witty sense of humor are only a few of
many wonderful qualities that draws people to you, but
what I learned from you and admire most is the way you
care for those who are important to you. You are
someone who truly understands the meaning of
friendship, and you made that clear to me time after
time. You selflessly helped me through some of my
darkest times and somehow always knew when and how to
make me feel good when I needed it most. You even
lifted my spirits in simple e-mail just a few short
days ago and you probably didn't even know it.

Sometimes I felt like we could communicate without
even having to say a word. (Even though sometimes we
probably shared too many thru the world of text
messaging... haha) We shared a unique bond that only
a few might understand. You are probably the only person
that can make me so angry, yet make me laugh so
happily all in one given moment. I have loved to hate
you and loved to love you since the first time we met.
You have made a true mark on me and as my friend and I
don't know how to begin to show thanks for all the
amazing memories we created. You will always hold a
very special and distinct place in my heart. I love
you my friend, and will miss you here tremendously.

Love,
Amanda

Report from the Trenches @ SVA Feb 21st

In just a few weeks I'll be sitting on a panel at the School of Visual Arts talking about working in Animation. I'll be joined by Rick Lacy, Albert Pardo, Mike Carlo, and Maudy Tuseth.

I'm sure we'll be talking a lot about our own experiences in and out of SVA. It should be a pretty good event. I don't think it's open to the public, but if you're reading this and are not an SVA student/ alumnus, I'm sure you could find more info about attending the event through SVA's office of career development, 212.592.2370.

By pure coincidence, David Levy has just posted an interesting op-ed about the differences between the NY animation industry and the LA industry. This has really made me think a lot about my experiences on both coasts and how I can communicate some of what I've learned at the discussion panel at SVA. It should be an interesting discussion.

-Phil

wow

I lost my voice in a matter of minutes and I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It was worth it.

another pinky

Heading back to NYC...

I'll be heading back to New York for a week in late February. Myself and a bunch of the jokers I went to school with are going to be doing a "Report from the Trenches" panel at SVA. I'll post more details as the date gets a little closer.

I attached the following image to an email I sent a bunch of friends back east. I was trying to illustrate the joys of letting Amanda and I crash on a couch for a few days.

*Note* Greg is a real person that in the past has thwarted muggers with a bottle of Arizona iced tea, and during college he did wake me up nearly every weekend before going on his weekly breakfast bagel run.

Sorry about the gratuitous use of bg patterns. But I liked how this one emphasized my yelling. Thanks to the Animation Archive, which is where I grabbed the texture from.

it's been a while

Happy Halloween!

CHOWDER this Friday.... Watch it... my job depends on it.

...'been real busy. be back soon.

A scene I had to add into a Clay Morrow board.

Rod Scribner draws "Rowdy Runner"

Sorry that the last post was so ranty folks. I had to get that out of the system. And it's out.

I got some good news yesterday that I'd like to share... I WON A PRIMETIME EMMY!!! HO-LY SHIT! Someone count the hanging chads!!!

It's for (I believe) Outstanding Achievement in Character Design for The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure.

Wow, I just can't believe it. Big thanks to Maxwell Atoms for forcing me to submit designs from the B&M Movie (I didn't want to). Thanks to Marc Perry for kicking my ass and pushing me in new directions, whether I liked it or not. Seriapio Calm, for enduring the ass kicking along with me. And Frank (i'm butchering your last name) Homiski and Brian Smith for making my designs looks so damned pretty on the screen.

Wowoooowoow! This guy's gotta get a tuxedo.

And without further adieu,

Rod Scribner's "Rowdy Runner"




I hope you enjoyed.
-p

Comic-Condescension

I went down to the Comic Con for a couple of days last week. It was a pretty sweet trip, in hindsight, I wish I had stayed the whole weekend.

I saw some old friends that I hadn't seen in a while and I got to meet some new friends from the good 'ol blogs. But I didn't get to see everyone that I wanted to, so that kinda sucked.

One thing that I did find a little disheartening was the now standard over abundance of artist "sketchbooks". I don't know about you, but this guy's a little tired of them. Don't get me wrong, there are some really talented people putting these together, but I just feel like they could be concentrating that energy into a story, or something of equivalent entertainment value. Bravo to the people that put some care into making their own silkscreen prints, or even nice high quality ink-jet ones. Even when the art may not be something I'm necessarily a fan of, I applaud the effort. I'd gladly spend 20 bucks on a nice print than 10 bucks on a mediocre "sketchbook".

The other thing about these "sketchbooks" that particularly got to me this year was the content. When you study drawings by Bruce Timm, Mike Mignola, Travis Charest, Adam Hughes, Shane Glines, Jim Lee, please do us all a favor and keep those drawings to yourself. I'm all for studying artists that you may admire, but when I can recognize an entire drawing (minus the now unclothed chest) as a study (*read copy), please don't put that drawing into your "sketchbook" and sell it as your own. I couldn't believe it, but I actually saw a few incredibly familiar drawings... drawings I knew as my own, but were processed through someone else's hand and brain. Sort of frankensteined with other parts.

Or maybe it's just amazing coincidence.

Or maybe that means that I've finally arrived. Awesome..... I thought it would feel a little better.... probably just coincidence.

Oh well.

...sorry for the rant,
p

p.s. Potter is done. Now I have no excuse for not updating my links.

more junk

Here's a page testing out a brush i made in sketchbook pro. Seems to be a pretty slick program.

I just realized that I haven't updated my links in forever. I'll get to it in about another 600 pages.

-up

another drawing

some self indulgent drawing for a monday.

cya
-p

last 20 at work

I spent the last 20 minutes at work doing some sketching.

Here's the layer that survived the process. I have no explanation.

booty

Drawn by me, Uncle P.
Painted by the incredibly tall, Daniel Krall.

extremes

I've been damn busy. It happens. And it's good.

Since my last post, I bought a house, so that's nuts. I thought about putting a paypal donate button on my blog, I figure it couldn't hurt.

Works been busy, so I don't have any of my own stuff that's worth posting, but here are two drawings of Truffles from an episode of Chowder boarded by Bill Reiss.

I hope you like.




I'll post more eventually.
Phil