Supe du Jour VI: Jok-Er

4 days...

Supe du Jour V: Red Son Day

5 days...

Supe du Jour IV: Ceyeborg Superman

Has anyone seen the design of the new Cyborg Superman? Personally, I don't think they went far enough. Here's my take on The Man of Mostly Steel:

 
6 days...

Supe du Jour III: It's a Bird, On a Plane!

 
To Superman, everything has a thin candy shell.

7 days...

Fryd-Day 9: Bad Gas

Part 9 in a weekly series exploring the adaptation of a childhood creation into a new comic for TR!CKSTER's 2013 volume, Childhood Heroes.

Next Week: TurboCrop!

7 days...

Supe du Jour II: The Man of Twomorrow

Day two of my Superman sketch-a-day was a no-brainer: Two-Face. My Harvey Dent will always be Billy Dee Williams.

I'm kind of surprised nobody's done this gettup for ol' Dent Head.

8 days...

Supe du Jour I: Three Point Stance

With just over a week before Man of Steel comes out, I think it's time to do a Superman sketch-a-day countdown, or "Supe du Jour."

A lot of people give superheroes grief for constantly landing in a three-point stance. To them, I say you try plummeting from the sky at supersonic speeds and landing on two feet!

9 days...

Sephilina

A fellow Pixarian story artist, Jamie Baker, had a stroke late last year and we're hosting an art auction to raise money for Jamie's recovery. The auction is Jamie-themed, so my piece includes two of his most beloved art subjects: pachyderms and his own character, Sephilina the Nautigirl.

You can also help Jamie by donating here. Thanks!

"Reflection at the Waterhole"
8.5''x11''
Ink and Pastel on Paper

10 days...

How Does He Shave? (Theory II)

How does Superman shave? The "active volcano" theory:

Pro: it gives Clark Kent an excuse to visit Hawaii every morning.
Con: he has to draw on his eyebrows. 


11 days...

Formal Robes

Robe fashion is a very subtle thing.

13 days...

Fryd-Day 8: The Chase!

Part 8 in a weekly series exploring the adaptation of a childhood creation into a new comic for TR!CKSTER's 2013 volume, Childhood Heroes.

Next Week: "Bad Gas"

14 days...

How Does He Shave?

The Man of Steel trailer shows a bearded Clark Kent and a clean-shaven Superman, which has caused quite a stir. Conan O'brien, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the folks at Gillette are all abuzz with the question, "How does Superman shave his Kryptonian beard?" I think the answer is clear:

Talk about some serious gazer burn.

15 days...

Fantasy Football, Hockey Edition: Sharks vs Kings

I'll admit, I'm a bit biased on this one. GO SHARKS!

Look for more Fantasy Football artwork coming soon, including prints from last season which will be on sale at San Diego Comic Con. Any requests for favorite FF illustrations that you'd like to see as prints?

17 days...

Let's Give Him a Hand, Folks!

Why kill an opponent, when you can simply disarm them?

17 days...

Camp Grizzly Wins "Best Game by a Publisher at the Show"

This weekend, Ameritrash Games unleashed the horror that is CAMP GRIZZLY on unsuspecting gamers at KublaCon in San Francisco. He are excited to announce that the game was met with great enthusiasm and was voted by con-goers "Best Game by a Publisher at the Show."

I'm sure it didn't hurt that I had a Camp Grizzly advert strategically placed near the ballot box.

The convention was sponsored by our friends at Zombiesmith, whose mascot ensured their would be no cheating during playtests.

We at Camp Grizzly brought our own mascot, Otis Jr, complete with Ameritrash Games onesie.

Game designer, Jason Topolski, and I spent the entire weekend at this table, running game after game. The body count by the end of Sunday was quite high.

Knowing we'd be in playtest lockdown, Jason and I stocked up on Ameritrash-brand lip balm. Gotta stay hydrated.

In honor of our big debut, we decided to include an extra playable character based on the designer.

Here's Jason, with our very first buyers!

We also had blank counselor cards available for any buyers who wanted a commissioned sketch so that they could play as themself.

This was such a popular feature, Jason and I have decided to add it as one of the pledge levels in our upcoming Kickstarter campaign (look for us to launch in July).

Of course, I had to do a complimentary sketch for first customer, Jenny:

As for the play-testing, each game went remarkably smoothly.

Each group gave us at least two thumbs up.

Some even gave us four thumbs up, plus an index and middle finger up! Now that's an endorsement!

 Of course, it's all thumbs up till you draw an "Otis Strikes!" card. Then it's "heads up!"

Jason spent all day at the table, running game after game and explaining the rules over and over to each group. It was a true feat of gaming fortitude!

I did my best to help Jason run the games in a dignified manner...

Our only real competition in the horror game genre, was this RPG that simulates the horrifying experience of watching Episode I for the first time.

Our grisly camp marathon was only interrupted momentarily when the convention hall was stormed by a horde of barbarian nerdlings. Man, this things can give a good war cry.

Of course, nerdlings are trained in the art of war at a young age.

The one game that I can't believe I missed: Jurassic friggin Park. I want this in my house.

All in all, it was a mighty fine convention, and we came away with a few new friends and a lot of great notes on how to make Camp Grizzly an even better for our major release later this year on Kickstarter. So stay tuned!

18 days...

Fryd-Day 8: Bank Haul-iday

Part 7 in a weekly series exploring the adaptation of a childhood creation into a new comic for TR!CKSTER's 2013 volume, Childhood Heroes. 

Next Week: The Chase!

21 days...

Amateur Armature

The beta version of my horror-themed boardgame, Camp Grizzly, is coming to Kubla Con this weekend. Our masked killer, Otis, is doing a little pre-show killing to warm-up for his debut. Knock 'em dead, big guy!

If you'd like to create your own horrific clay-mation, Here's a handy how-to:

It's helpful to keep a toolbox full of clays and armatures so you're ready to animate at a moment's notice. I recommend an oil-based modelling clay like Plastilina.

Next, twist yourself up an armature with soft aluminum modelling wire and prep some "guts." Guts are used to build up the form around your armature without wasting valuable colored clay. I usually recycle Plastilina from old animation to form the guts (hence the cool, swirly colors).

Once your figure is formed, it's time to create a color palette. I wanted a muted, grungy palette, so I mixed a lot of brown and grey into my colors.

Finally, you sculpt up your character! I'd recommend not adding too much detail, because once you start animating, your fingers are only going to smash it away. I'm still pretty new to stop-motion, so let me know if you have any other clay modelling tips. 

Have a bloody good time!

23 days...

Camp Grizzly This Weekend at Kubla Con

THE SCARIEST BOARDGAME OF ALL TIME IS FINALLY HERE.

Camp Grizzly, the debut title of Ameritrash Games, is a horror/survival boardgame for 1-6 players. The objective is to survive a night at camp with a supernatural serial killer on the loose! If this appeals to you: first seek help, then seek us out this weekend at Kubla Con in the Hyatt Regency SFO where we'll be selling beta versions of the game!

Ameritrash is a partner of Zombiesmith Games, one of the sponsors of Kubla Con. My co-creator, Jason Topolski, and I will both be available at the Zombiesmith Games booth Saturday-Monday, running games, doing drawings, and generally indulging in all manners of mischief and debauchery!

Ameritrash Games can be round at AmeritrashGames.com and here on Facebook.

25 days...

Chades Challenge LXXX: Klingons!

In anticipation for Star Trek Into Darkness (which was UH-MAZING), a few of us at work did a character design challenge. The subject: KLINGONS! The three sketches below are my take on the galactic mongols.

"Who ate the last slice of cake??"

To the Bat'lethmobile!

Which end goes up?

If you have any Dino-Riding designs of your own, let me know and I'll post them below, along with my coworkers' designs. Everyone is invited to contribute! Otherwise, you can join in May 31st for...

CHADES CHALLENGE LXXXI:

PULCHRITUDINOUS WHALERS

Louise "Bagel Monday" Smythe

Jeff "Lens Flare" Pidgeon

And my personal favorite from Christian Roman: "Cameo?"

26 days...

Fryd-Day 7: High Heist

Part 7 in a weekly series exploring the adaptation of a childhood creation into a new comic for TR!CKSTER's 2013 volume, Childhood Heroes.

Next Week: Bank Haul-iday

27 days...