Michael Rex

I have a good job...

2012-02-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from a mother who said how much her son loved my book You Can Do Anything Daddy! He had found it in the library, but she wanted to get him his own copy. Sadly, it recently went out of print, and is no longer available. Anyway, I sent off a signed copy and today I received this photo. What a way to start the day.

A monster review...

2012-01-24T13:05:00.000-08:00

This review comes from a site called "Monsters and Critics" that reviews works that tend to have monsters in them. The site is well named.

From Monsters and Critics..."Eastwood Elementary has a new student, and he's nothing like the other kids in 3G. Fangbone is a barbarian warrior from another world! And he's been charged with the task of keeping a deadly weapon from Skullbania's vilest villain, Venomous Drool. Can Fangbone's new classmates team up to help him triumph over hound-snakes, lava-ferrets, and his first pop quiz?"

For the rest of the review, please visit Monsters and Critics

A review from a different perspective...

2012-01-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here's another good review from a blog. This time, it comes from Gail Gauthier who is also an author. I like they way she clearly states what works for her, and why. I always appreciate when someone puts this much thought into a review. It's much more satisfying than a little blurb written by committee.

From Gail's blog, Original Content..."In Fangbone's barbarian world, he isn't taken seriously as a warrior because he's a child. He's enthusiastic but treated as a servant. He's ambitious, though, and plans to one day have his own army. When his leader is ordered by the clan master to send someone to another land to hide the big toe of Drool (what that's about is slowly revealed--no info dump at the beginning of the story), the older barbarians feel they are all too adept at fighting to leave the battle. So Fangbone volunteers to become the protector of the toe."

For the rest of the review, please visit Original Content

Another Blog Review

2012-01-18T05:59:00.001-08:00

Here's another nice blog review, this time from BSCKIDS which covers all media aimed a teens and pre-teens. It's an interesting read, as I had no idea I had such big fans!

From BSC KIDS, "Hey wait, where is this package from? Hmm it is from someone’s home address, but it sure feels like a book. Return address – Michael Rex?? Oh come now, not Michael Rex New York Times Bestselling Author and favorite author of my children and wife? Why yes it is, and Fangbone! Third-Grade Barbarian has entered our house. So like I try to do I decided to let our 8-year-old son read the book first, but I was a close second finishing the book the day after he did."

For the rest of the review, please visit BSCKIDS

Fangbone Review

2012-01-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

I'd like to thank Jen Robinson for the very positive and thoughtful review she posted a few days ago. I agree with her that the "lesson" element might be a bit clunky, and I wish that I had been able to make it blend more smoothly into the flow of the story.

But I also agree with her that it is "pure, boy-friendly fun."

From Jen Robinson's Book Page..."Fangbone: Third-Grade Barbarian launches an entertaining new graphic novel series for early elementary school kids. The premise is that Fangbone, a young boy from a primitive planet (where they happen to speak English), is sent via a wormhole of sorts to our world. Fangbone is tasked with laying low while protecting the all-important Big Toe of Drool. Told to blend in and not attract attention, Fangbone ends up in room 3G, a classroom full of misfits. But his enemies are not far behind... '

For the rest of the review, please visit Jen's extensive children's books site.

Fangbone Book Trailer!

2012-01-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

I want to thank my good friend Harry Costner (costnermedia@yahoo.com) for the music.

2012! The Year of Fangbone!

2012-01-02T16:25:00.000-08:00

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and at the same time I'd like to announce the publication of my two new graphic novels for elementary readers. "Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian!" and "Fangbone! The Egg of Misery!" will be available to purchase on Jan. 5th. You can find them at local bookstores, national chains, and your favorite online bookseller. You can also ask for them at your public library.

I've been working on this project for a while, and looks like I'll be spending another year or so completing books #3 (Fall 2012) and book #4 (2013). I'm really happy with these books and feel that they could really make some young readers very happy. I'll be posting a lot more about Fangbone this year.

Here's to a great 2012!

TRUCK DUCK in TIME

2011-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Here’s an unexpected one. A wonderful former editor of mine sent me a scan of an article in TIME magazine that shows Jonah Hill reading a copy of my board book Truck Duck!

The article is a promo piece about Hill’s new movie, “The Sitter.” It’s written by Joel Stein and features Hill babysitting for the author’s son. The coolest part is that not only does is say that Hill read the boy Truck Duck, but that he also read The Cat in the Hat, and Knuffle Bunny. That’s pretty good company if you ask me.

The article was published in the November 28, 2011 issue.

The online version is here, but requires a membership

Not Attractive?

2011-11-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

I just got my first “industry” review for “Fangbone.” It’s an odd one. They seem to say many nice things about the book, but lead it off with some really negative comments. Dealing with reviews can be tough sometimes, but at this point in my career I don’t let them get to me. My book was reviewed on the “Kids Comics” page where every other book reviewed was full color. Perhaps the anonymous reviewer had certain expectations that “Fangbone” did not meet.

“Flat, primitive art in yellow and gray brings to mind “what if the Wimpy Kid was instead Conan’s kid?” The book’s not attractive, but it is easy to read and very expressive. It looks like something a classmate might have scribbled on notebook paper and passed around, providing a sense of “I could do this!” The familiar plot sends the young Fangbone, normally picked on by the bigger warriors, on a mystical quest that, if successful, will reward the clan with victory against the enemy army. The young fighter is surprised to find that his mission involves blending in at an elementary school, which leads to much culture-clash humor. It’s cute, funny, and will win over most readers with its commitment to its premise. It’s even heartwarming, as Bill (Fangbone’s friend, previously thought to be a loser) learns confidence, and Fangbone gains an appreciation for teamwork during a dodgeball-like game. The modern touches—such as hot wings and Bill’s ADD medicine—ground the book, while jabs at school philosophy through the character of the goofy principal will entertain adult readers. Ages 7–9. (Jan.)”

---Publisher’s Weekly

The Best Question Ever

2011-11-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

In October, I spent a week in the Norristown area of Pennsylvania doing five days of school visits. On the last day, during my last presentation, I had the single best question ever from a student. Now, I’m not talking about a cute, “out of the mouth of babes” type question, such as, “When did you go bald?” I’m talking about a smart, thoughtful question that made me pause, and took me out of my “performer” mode and really made the day memorable.

During my presentation, I talk about how my boys, Declan and Gavin, give me lots of ideas. I explain that they are responsible for some of the more crazy and disgusting scenarios in an upcoming series I am working on. In short, I let the children know that my two boys are my biggest inspiration.

During the Q&A part of my presentation, I let the kids ask anything they want. Usually, they want to know how many books I’ve done, or which book is my favorite. But this one, wonderful, thoughtful and insightful fourth grade girl raised her hand, and calmly asked…wait for it…

“Before you had kids, what was your muse?”

Wow. Best question ever. Not only did she know, and understood, what a muse was, but figured out that I’d been making books long before my kids were born. I actually paused for a moment with a huge grin on my face. She completely made my day, and my week. It seems that the teachers were equally shocked and impressed.

My answer was, “My niece, nephews, and other kids that I have known,” had all inspired me in some way or another. Then I looked right at her, and said, “I also get very, very inspired by the kids I meet at school visits!”

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

My boys were zombies for Halloween this year. However, Halloween almost didn't happen. Half the town had no power (no doorbells or lights to see who's home), there were trees all over the streets and we had to navigate piles of snow and slush. We've only been in our new house in Leonia, NJ, for a week. For four of those days, we have had no power. The blackout ended this morning around 6:30 and we were happy to have heat and light again.

Fangbone Book #3

2011-11-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

The last two months have been very unproductive, yet I've been very busy. I'm not sure how that happens. Fangbone Book #1 and #2 come out in a few months. Right now, I'm working book #3. It will hit late summer/early fall. Here's the cover sketch done on an ipad.

School Visit Programs

2011-08-31T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello, and I hope you've all had a wonderful summer. Here's some updated information on the different programs I do when visiting schools. Each of my presentations can be tailored to fit a specific age group and the needs of a curriculum. If you are interested in having me visit your school, and if you have any questions about adapting any of these programs, please feel free to ask.

Contact me at mikerexbooks@gmail.com

Beginning, Middle, End: How Does a Book Get Made?
This is a very nuts and bolts presentation about the long, involved process of how a book is made. From the initial idea, to the printed book, I show the students all the steps in between. Notes, sketches, final art, revised art, and story revisions will be explored and analyzed. I will draw for the students, and, if time allows, have the children draw along. This is my "basic" program and is best for large assembly groups.

Story Cards!
Using a few random index cards with carefully selected words written on them, I show students how a story can quickly be created. The students can join in, create their own cards, and generate their own wild and unpredictable stories.

Parody This!
Drawing from my experience learning under Mad Magazine creator Harvey Kurtzman, I discuss my parody work (Goodnight Goon, Runaway Mummy, Furious George Goes Bananas) and lead the students through their own parody of a poplar song, TV show, book, or movie. Sticking to a theme, being satiric without being rude, and most of all, keeping it funny will be covered.

What Makes it Funny?
Using picture books, comic strips and gag panels, I work alongside the students to investigate why something is funny. Through discussions about timing, simplicity, expectations and opposite outcomes, students will learn how to inject more humor into their writing and drawing. Laughter guaranteed.

Listmania!
Writer's Block got you down? Try making a list. Students will be asked to generate a list of subjects, people, places, and activities that peak their interest and that are important to them. This list will then be used as a blueprint for their own original stories.

Parent's Night: Meet the Family!
In this evening presentation, I cover the basics of creating a well-rounded character. Using list-making techniques and interviews, students and their parents will learn more about each other, and then pick and choose the most interesting answers to build a new, fictional, member of their family.

Grades
K-5 is best. However, I have started to do Middle Schools, and have talked to an occasional High School group. With the older students, the process, not the content, of my writing is the main focus.

Length of Programs
All programs are about 45-50 minutes long. Shorter, 25 minute long presentations can be made for Kindergarten students if needed.

Audience Size
I'm comfortable with audiences of all sizes, and I will work to meet the needs of each individual school.

Gathering Ideas

2011-08-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

I’m back. I met my deadline and I’m on to the next one. Right now, I have to write the manuscript for my next “Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian!” graphic novel. This will be book #3 and is the last one I am contracted for. I hope to have the opportunity to do more. Books #1 and #2 will come out in January, with book three coming out in the Fall of 2012.

We decided for this project to write a script for the entire book before any drawing is done. That way the plot, character arcs, the jokes and the structure can all be worked out first. It’s very much like writing a screenplay for a film. The manuscript will run about 28 pages, and the completed book will be 128 pages of comics.

I’ve been thinking about this book for a while, and even did a rough draft back in March, but I’ve scrapped much of that. While it was very funny, it had way too many ideas and threads, so right now my job is to simplify and streamline. I’ve had to take out a character that I love, but it’s best for the story.

As I set out to write book #3 I have to get all of my notes and ideas in order. Above is a picture of all of my idea sources.

1. My Acer Netbook. I bought this a few years ago for Grad school, and it worked fine for what it was. The rough draft I mentioned above was written on this. That’s a printout in front of it. I’m going to go through that and grab the parts I like. My initial pitch of this project was also written on this, as well as summaries of the three books.

2. An early copy of “Fangbone!” #1 for reference. We recently changed the cover of Book #1 and as we completed book #2. I will be showing both of them very soon.

3. Sketchbooks. These have written ideas and drawings, usually all on the same page. I keep a few sketchbooks going at all times. One might be in my bedroom, one in the car, one in the living room. I want to have them available wherever I am. Some of these go back a few years to when I was first working on this concept. There are ideas that emerged during those initial brainstorming sessions that I still want to use.

4. Notebooks. These are the small sketchbooks I sometimes carry with me, or keep in my car. Again, notes and images sit side by side.

5. Index cards. This is the stack of index cards used for that first draft mentioned above. There’s stuff in there that might prove useful.

Deadline of Despair

2011-06-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

I am currently under the most insane deadline for art that I have ever been on in my entire career. I am either driving the kids to or from school, eating, sleeping or drawing. Nothing else. I didn't even shower the other day. The good news is that I love this project and that I think it should meet with some success. That being said, here's the art for the cover of the book I'm working on---"Fangbone! The Egg of Misery!"

More on dinosaurs...

2011-05-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

I had this one sitting around from a few years ago. His name is Pajamatops, of course.

Dino update

2011-05-23T19:44:00.001-07:00

I went back in to see if I could improve the dino. It's a little stronger. I think that a different color as the base would have really helped.

More Cavemen

2011-05-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here's two more caveman sketches. I'm liking them more, but they just seem a bit stiff. And while I don't want to beat up on myself because they are only sketches, the hands are really amatuer hour. Jeez. I like the dino, but the colors are a bit flat. He can be much richer.

On the other hand, I think they are solid enough that I may use them to pitch the idea I have.

"You no eat me..."

2011-05-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

I had an idea for a picture book blast into my head the other day and I instantly wanted to see one of the characters. I am not going to say what the book is about, because I have yet to even pitch it to an editor, but it stars a few cavemen. Here's a first shot at one of these brutes. I like the line, but feel he's a bit stiff, and his hand gesture is not reading well. I drew this at the dinner table while my first grade son did his homework, so I was a bit distratcted.

I really want to push the cartoony elements of my drawing with this book, because it has potential to be a very, very funny, and a good read-aloud as well. It was drawn with marker, colored pencil and a sharpie. No computer at all. If this book goes forward, I plan to make it my first non-digital book.

My Dog Jack is Reviewed

2011-05-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a decent little review of my latest illustration project.

From Publishers Weekly---"When Carson takes his dog, Jack, to the vet, she informs them that Jack is too fat: "He needs less food and no snacks!" as well as a lot more exercise. Jack expresses his skepticism via thought bubble ("Fat chance"), though Carson dutifully starts Jack on a diet and exercise regimen. But Carson isn't practicing what he preaches: while Jack plays fetch, runs up stairs, and visits the gym, Carson is wolfing down junk food and lazing around. Throughout, readers are privy to Jack's snarky retorts: "You've got spaghetti sauce all over your face, pal," he tells Carson, who won't share his enormous dinner. A return visit to the vet means kudos for Jack--but not for Carson, who now needs help from Jack in the weight-loss department. Rex has a lot of fun with the details in his cartoon illustrations (Carson sits in the grass eating fried chicken and drinking soda while "playing" fetch with Jack), and the dog's-eye-view perspective (and Jack's evident sense of humor) help make a potentially heavy-handed message about child obesity easier to swallow. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)"

Meeting and Greeting

2011-05-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

I recently spent some time at the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association's Annual Conference. I had my own table all weekend and was able to really talk and interact with many fantastic people.

The enthusiasm and energy these educators had was wonderful and very inspiring. I was selling and signing books, but my main goal was talking about my school visits. It was much more fun than simply mailing out a pile of flyers. I will be attending similar shows in NJ and CT in the Fall.

Sketchbook boys

2011-05-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here are two more watercolor sketches that I think are pretty successful. The first one is from a story I’d still like to sell. Without giving away too much, one of the characters has an explosive sneeze during a show-and-tell type moment in front of his whole class. The story is really about how the kids react to this event, and how embarrassed and foolish he feels. The story is not like my other work, and is not “high-concept” at all. It’s just about kids and getting along in school.

The second one is from a book that never quite clicked. It’s about this one mean kid endlessly calling the other boy names until…well, until something happens that I want to hold in my folder of ideas. I kind of like this one, but there are some skin tone issues. Both of these were done a few years ago, and looking back on them I was getting close to something…

Little Creatures

2011-05-03T08:54:00.001-07:00

As an children's illustrator, I've never really set out to draw cute animals. I feel that there are many people out there who do that really well, and seem to enjoy it. However, I just found these sketches from a few years ago and think that they are really... um...cute. They are drawn with india ink/quill and colored with inks.

What Happens in Vegas...

2011-05-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

During the week of April 11 I had the wonderful opportunity to visit five excellent schools in Las Vegas. It was Nevada Reading Week, and the theme was “Reading Rocks!” I spoke to over 3,000 children and I had a wonderful time. Each school was friendly and prepared, and the kids were well behaved and very involved.

I have spoken to, and worked with, elementary students for years, and I taught High School for almost 4 years, but I don’t have much experience with Middle Schools. But I must say, my presentations at Sawyer Middle School were some of the best of the week. The kids seemed to enjoy and learn from my talk, and just like the little kids, they were very impressed by the drawing part of the show. And even when the one student asked, “Do you steal all of your ideas from other books?” he had a smile on his face!

I’d just like to thank the teachers, students and organizers at…

Lucille S. Bruner Elementary
Richard Bryan Elementary
J. M. Ullom Elementary
John F. Mendoza Elementary
Grant Sawyer Middle School

for a great week, and I hope to go back next year!

---Mike

More Nice Things...

2011-04-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Another nice note about my school visits...

"Michael was great!! He talked about the writing process in a way that kids (and teachers) could understand and appreciate. He held their interest all the way through. I would recommend him for any school function."

-Tiffani Stewart, Librarian/Media Specialist @ J.M. Ullom Elementary, Las Vegas NV

Another Dude!

2011-04-18T20:09:00.001-07:00

Why aren't there more children's books about rock? My boys, who are five, and six-and-a-half, love to jump around shirtless like little Iggy Pops swinging their Paper Jamz guitars. They like the music loud and fast. They love The Beatles, Weezer and The Ramones. Since no one else is doing it, I have decided that I am going to make it my business to write some books about rock.

This started as a joke, but as I think about it, picture books are like good rock singles. They're short, to the point, vivid, full of catchy hooks, memorable lines, have some sort of emotional resonance, and when they're over you want to experience them again.

"He is SO awesome!"

2011-04-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

This nice e-mail came in the other day...

"Michael Rex's presentation was perfect for our kindergarten and first grade students. He described the creative processes of writing and illustrating in a clear and entertaining fashion. The children had fun learning how to draw their own Furious Georges. Michael received rave reviews from teachers, the librarian, and the students. One child was overheard saying, "He is SO awesome!" We agree, and we highly recommend his school visits!"

--Melissa Azarian, Co-chair of PTO Visiting Authors Committee, Long Hill Township

Ta-Da!

2011-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a shot from a very fun school visit at The Gillette School in New Jersey. I don't post many photos from school visits because they usually have kids in them, and I want to respect everyone's privacy.

That being said, I have no idea what I'm doing in this photo. I'm sure it has something to do with adding motion and excitement to a drawing. Or maybe I was wrapping up the dance part of my presentation...

Astronaut #12

2011-03-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

My soon-to-be-five year old son came home from daycare with these great round watercolor paintings. I thought they were beautiful, and, naturally, I thought that they looked like planets. This one was my favorite.

Astronaut #11

2011-03-20T11:13:00.001-07:00

I haven't had the chance to get back to my astronauts for a while, but managed to squeeze this out the other night. It was done with marker and the polka-dot pattern was added digitally. Fun, but stiff.

Monster Drawing Rally at DAC

2011-03-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday I took part in the "Monster Drawing Rally" for the Dumbo Arts Center down in Brooklyn. It was a fun event with dozens of artists drawing in hour-long shifts. The works were offered for sale, with the money going to the Arts Center.

I didn't have to draw monsters, but I'd had this idea of a class picture floating around in my head for a while, and I wanted to get it down on paper.

The hour wasn't really long enough, and I could have gone another hour and added more details and richer values. But I like it, and it sold, so someone else must have liked it too.

If you click the drawing it will take you to the flickr stream with all of the other drawings made that day. Some are still for sale.

My Time in the Tower

2011-03-13T17:37:00.001-07:00

There are certain things that I agreed to not talk about in my contract concerning my appearance on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” but there are some things I can talk about, so here it goes.

When I showed up, I didn’t know which team I was working with until about 15 minutes before I met them, and I didn’t know how far into the season my episode was. As of this writing, I do not know which team won the challenge.

When I arrived for the shoot I brought a bunch of supplies with me, (such as swatch books, markers, and tracing paper) but I was not allowed to use any of them. They wanted the teams to have the exact same supplies, and since the other illustrator didn’t bring anything, I couldn’t use what I had brought. That was kind of odd to me because this is considered “reality TV” and in real life your chances at winning are better if you are prepared.

One of the things that surprised me was how little prep time we had the day of the shoot. We arrived early and checked out the computers and scanners to make sure they had everything working right. Soon we had mics put on us, and in a few minutes they said, “You’re on,” and sent us through the doors to meet the celebs on camera. Oddly, I wasn’t nervous about being in front of the cameras. I walked into the room, met the team, and was briefed on the task. If there’s one part of my life where I feel like a stone cold professional, it’s my illustration. I know what I’m doing, and I can work fast. I was able to tell them what I needed, and we got to work right away.

Yes, the Celebrities really did write the story by themselves. I was not allowed to help, or even guide them. In fact, they didn’t know that I was a writer. I desperately wanted them to make the story shorter, but I didn’t have a say in the matter. And, yes, I drew an entire 24-page book, in color, in about six hours. I did have help with scanning the images, and setting them up. In fact, I could not have completed the project if it weren’t for the amazing designer I worked with. He did most of the scanning, set the type, and prepared everything for the printer.

We had a hard deadline, and once it hit we had to stop no matter what. We finished with minutes to spare.

Most people really want me to dish on the celebrities, but there’s really nothing to say. Everyone was professional towards my work, everyone was very nice and they all seemed to respect what I was doing for them. In fact, at the end of the day, they all gathered around me and thanked me and shook my hand and made me feel quite appreciated.

While having Marlee Matlin buy me lunch ranks high on the day’s stand-out events, the real highlight was having a big long talk with LaToya about “bling,” and how she liked a lot of “bling,” and how much “bling” our character in the book should have. I have to say, while everyone was very friendly, LaToya was a real sweetheart.

Sadly I did not get to meet Gary Busey or Meatloaf.

I’m sitting down to watch the episode in 30 minutes. I think I’m more nervous now than I was on the day of the shoot. I know it’s kind of goofy, but I really hope my team wins!

Michael Rex on "The Celebrity Apprentice"

2011-03-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

From my official Press Release...

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR MICHAEL REX TO APPEAR ON
NBC’S “THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE”

MARCH 9, 2011 #1 Bestselling Author/Illustrator Michael Rex will be appearing in an episode of NBC's series, “The Celebrity Apprentice,” airing March 13th (9/10 PM ET/PT).

In the episode, the star-studded cast featuring celebrities such as Gary Busey and LaToya Jackson will split into two teams and engage themselves in one of the most prominent niches in the book publishing industry - children’s literature. Both teams will author an original children’s picture book to help raise money for charity. Their works will be evaluated by actress Robin Holly and by Marshall Cavendish Children’s Books publisher Margery Cuyler.

The winning celebrity team will present their charity with a check. Last season, “The Celebrity Apprentice” raised over $1.25 million dollars for charity.

Michael Rex, who has created over 20 books for children, joins one of the teams to provide illustrations for their book.

"The Celebrity Apprentice" is produced by Mark Burnett Productions in association with Trump Productions LLC. Mark Burnett, Donald Trump, Eden Gaha and Page Feldman are executive producers. Nancy Gunn is the co-executive producer.

My Dog Jack is Fat

2011-03-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

I also just received a copy of my other new title, “My Dog Jack is Fat.” It’s out right now from Marshall Cavendish. The mighty Eve Bunting, who has authored over 250 books, wrote this quirky little story. It’s the first title that I have illustrated for another author since 2006. Oddly, that book was called “Jack the Builder.” However, they are not the same Jacks.

“My Dog Jack is Fat” shows what happens when we neglect the health of our pets, and, eventually, our own health. It’s a laugh riot. Honest.

I’m not providing purchasing links to my books from this site because I feel that everyone has their own favorite place to shop, and I don’t want to favor any one retailer. I hope you get the chance to check it out, and share it with friends and family. Oh! Ask for it at your local public library too!

FANGBONE!

2011-03-01T19:39:00.001-08:00

Wow. It’s here. It’s finally here in my hands. My first graphic novel for kids. “Fangbone! Third Grade Barbarian,” will be published in April of 2012 by Putnam, the publishers of my last six picture books. It’s a 128 page full-on comic about a young barbarian who ends up in our world, and has to figure out how deal with school, hot-wings, and indoor plumbing, all while protecting a magic evil toe. Of course.

I started this about a while back, and it’s been a huge project. Today I received a copy of the bound galleys. Galleys are cheap, quick print runs that are sent out for reviews and used by the sales and marketing teams. While the cover is full color, the interior is black and white. The book will be in two colors, orange and black, when it goes to its first proper printing.

I’m currently working on book #2 and #3, and all will be out during 2012. I am so excited by this. I feel that it’s the funniest, warmest, goofiest and most appealing thing I’ve ever done. If I were in third grade, I’d go goofy over this book! I will be posting much, much more about Fangbone.

Crash City

2011-02-05T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a goofy little film I made with my boys. Gavin will be five in May, and Declan turned six in October. We were trying out a new video camera, and getting used to iMovie. As someone who went to film school, and actually shot and edited celluloid, a program like iMovie just amazes me. And what really blows my mind is that it was edited while sitting on a couch!

This video was shot in "Lego-Motion."

Dude Sketches!

2011-02-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Lately, I’ve been really interested in trying to change the way I draw the characters for my books. It’s not so much about the media in which I finish them, but more about the actual style of the drawings. While I do like my drawings, I feel that they sometimes fall into an area that’s a little undefined; they’re not quite real enough, and not quite cartoony enough. Since I don’t really have the interest in drawing more realistically, I’m trying to push the cartoon side of the equation.

I’ve been looking at Amid Amidi’s excellent “Cartoon Modern” as inspiration. It’s a history of animation from the 40s, 50s, and 60s that documents the influences of modern art on the animation industry. I’ve always been attracted to images that are simple and graphic, but feel that during some crucial parts of my artistic development, I thought that being an artist meant that you should be able to make things look “real.” I’ve had a hard time shaking that.

The shapes and proportions on few of these guys are copied straight from the book, with changes only made to the faces and clothes. On occasion, making a copy of a drawing is fine for learning purposes. However, if I’m getting paid for a piece of art, it’s a no-no.

I’m posting a few pages from my sketchbook showing my attempts at drawing simple, more graphic characters. The pages are unedited, because I think it’s important to see the work developing on the page. I could just show the good ones, and pretend the cruddy ones don’t exist, but that’s no fun.

International Primate Protection League, Pt. 2

2011-01-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

Back in December, I published the following post

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The International Primate Protection League is a “grassroots wildlife protection organization” that promotes “the conservation and protection of all nonhuman primates, great and small, around the world.” In other words, they’re good people.
Please, take a few moments to stop by their site and find out more about the IPPL and the great work that they do.

Their September 2010 issue of "IPPL News" features an entire page dedicated to “Furious George Goes Bananas!” There’s even a contest for children to draw George, and they can win a book signed by me! When it's announced, I'll make sure to post the winning entry.

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A few days ago I received the December 2010 issue with the results. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a piece that I drew a while ago and I really liked. The story, "The Teeny-Tiny Firefighter" never really came together, but I liked this image. I recently read that a film is being made about a Leprechaun fireman, and it made me think of my wee firefighter.

I wish I could tie the image into something meaningful about the New Year, and say that it's some sort of clever metaphor, but I can't, and it's not. Maybe that's my New Year's Resolution..."Stop looking for meaning and just enjoy!"

Here's to a great year!---Mike

PETA U.K. Furious George Contest

2010-12-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

The great people over at PETA U.K. are giving away two signed copies of "Furious George Goes Bananas" to anyone who can "take an existing book title and rename it with an animal twist." Go check it out.

PETA UK---Furious George Contest

I've also talked with the PETA U.S. people and they will hopefully be doing something similar soon. It's a good time of year to give to groups like this. Some people might enjoy having a donation made in their name, rather than getting another DVD or hoodie for the holidays.

Zombie Cat!

2010-12-10T15:09:00.001-08:00

Dudes!

2010-12-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Here's two dudes. A rocker dude, and a pirate dude. I like these dudes. I just may make my next book all about dudes.

Astronaut #10

2010-11-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a colored pencil drawing that I couldn't call anything other than "Bird Rogers."

International Primate Protection League

2010-11-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

The International Primate Protection League is a “grassroots wildlife protection organization” that promotes “the conservation and protection of all nonhuman primates, great and small, around the world.” In other words, they’re good people.
Please, take a few moments to stop by their site and find out more about the IPPL and the great work that they do.

Their September 2010 issue of "IPPL News" features an entire page dedicated to “Furious George Goes Bananas!” There’s even a contest for children to draw George, and they can win a book signed by me! When it's announced, I'll make sure to post the winning entry.

Markers and Colored Pencils

2010-11-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

For the first time in six years, I no longer have Grad school two nights a week, and I have been having a good time just drawing. I'm trying new materials and new approaches. Here's a few faces done with marker and colored pencils. I consider these sketches, because they are not really "done."

While these don't really fall into my watercolor attempts, they provide the same, non-digital, process, and satisfy my need to have a physical piece of artwork that I can show off without looking at a computer screen.

More Digital Work...

2010-11-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

This is a "sketch" that I made for some friends for an App. that they are creating. 100% digital. This is one of the first non-children's pieces I've done in a while.

Goon Sketches #6

2010-11-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Early on, I knew that Frankenstien's monster would appear in "Goodnight Goon." I did mess around with the idea of using watercolors for this book, but I didn't, and still don't, feel that I'm a very good painter. Above is the the watercolor test and the same image drawn with pen and ink, and rendered with pencil. One looks amatuer, and one looks professional. Easy decision on my part.

Park Luncheonette

2010-11-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here’s one last (I promise) pass at a black and white drawing colored using watercolor samples. The “Park Luncheonette” is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on the corner of Union and Driggs, if I remember it right. I lived on the south side McCarren Park from 1988 to 1999, and we used to eat hot dogs there in the summer. This drawing is very old. According to my sketchbook, I drew this in the summer of 1990. I like the color in this one, but the lack of a character makes it a bit flat.
It's also a bit too grubby looking for picture book art.

In the Martin Scorcese film, “The Departed,” there's a long scene where Leonardo DiCaprio beats the spit out of a bunch of guys and hurls them through some glass cases. That was shot at the luncheonette.

He Has a Fish In His Pocket!

2010-11-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

One more digital/hand drawn piece before I knuckle down and get to rewrites and fixes on my graphic novel. Man, I like this one.

Digital Dionsaur

2010-11-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

I liked that little sketchbook piece so much that I dedcided to try the same technique with a more traditional picture book style drawing. I'm very happy with this...As with all of my images, you can click it to get a closer look.

Digital Sketchbook

2010-11-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a little sketch I did this afternoon while killing a few minutes before seeing "Monsters" at the Sunshine Cinema in Manhattan. I added all of the color with scans of ink smears and patterned paper. 50% hand drawn, 50% digital. I like this one.

Goon Sketches #5

2010-11-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

Once I was working on the dummy for the book, I also spent some time working out the style I wanted to use for the final art in this book. I knew that I wanted to use a hard black line, but I wasn't sure how it would look with the pencil rendering. I was very happy with this first test piece.

Goon Sketches #4

2010-11-01T07:22:00.001-07:00

Two more goon sketches. The one on the bottom was the one that I used for the dummy. It was just about there.

Career on hold...

2010-10-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hello. Sorry that I haven’t posted in a bit, but I’ve been very busy, and, at the same time very frustrated. First off, a very big, 3 book project that I have been working on all year, and most of next year, got pushed back to 2012. The first of the three books was set to come out this spring, but the publishers want to launch in 2012 with all three books ready to go.

It’s not bad news, but I’m very excited about this project, and I wanted to start talking about it. Now I have to wait another 12 months before I start hyping it. Oh well...

The second thing that has made me a bit frustrated, is that on Thursday, Oct 21, I spent the day taping an episode of a show for a major network. But, I can’t talk about it until it airs in late January! All I can say is that I was on camera for most of the day, and that I was drawing most of the time. It was really quite fun, and I look forward to announcing the details.

In the meantime, to cheer me up, I’m posting a picture of a kid with a watermelon on his head.

New Jersey Book Signings

2010-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hi. I'll be doing two signings this weekend in New Jersey---

Saturday, October 16, 11:00 to 1:00
Hooray For Toys
396 Springfield Ave, Berkeley Heights NJ, 07922

Sunday, October 17, 12:00 to 2:00
Booktowne
171 Main Street, Manasquan NJ, 08736

Hope to see you there!---Mike

Goon Sketches #3

2010-10-06T11:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a page full of small goon sketches. The shape that I eventually used for my final design appeared here for the first time. He's on the top right, marked by the yellow arrow.

Goon Sketches #2

2010-09-30T09:26:00.001-07:00

Here's another take on the older, skinny, weirdo type goon. I kinda like the shape of his head and the big scar up there.

Goon Sketches #1

2010-09-29T18:19:00.001-07:00

What exactly is a goon? I really wasn’t sure a few years ago when I pitched “Goodnight Goon” to Putnam. They loved the idea, and thought that the manuscript was very funny. However, no one was sure about this goon and what it was going to look like, not even me. Over the next few days I’m going to post some of the sketches that lead up to his design.

I think that this was one of the first attempts. Originally I pictured him as an older, skinnier, lurking human-like character, almost a zombie, but not quite. Maybe he’s a bit dopey, and slow, but creepy as well. I think this drawing nailed the small, sunken eyes, and large ears idea, but the rest was jettisoned.

Scholastic, Oct. 2010

2010-09-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Heads up! "The Runaway Mummy" is front and center on this month's Scholastic SeeSaw Flyer. You can also get it with "Goodnight Goon" in the "Petrifying Parody Pack." Both are paperback.

Time to Draw!

2010-09-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

One of my promises to myself once grad school was over, was that I was going to take more time to draw. This morning I sat outside for two hours and worked on this drawing of the burnt out Kimball Theater in Yonkers.

When I first went there, it was no longer a theater, and had become a huge used furniture store. A few years later the junk stuffed store caught fire and now, as if it were on a movie set, it's just a facade.

I'm happy with the drawing, but I see lots of room for changes...

Astronaut #9.5

2010-09-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

Here's a new version of the caveman. Better, but I like the face on the first one. I think I should move on.

Astronaut #9

2010-09-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

"Now me just have to invent fire!"

Finally, another astronaut. I like the idea of a caveman going into space, but I didn't push this far enough. I'm going to do this one again.

Ninja Peanuts!

2010-09-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

Ho! Ha! Ya! That's all I've got today!

Interview and Pirates!

2010-09-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

Last October I was still teaching full-time and some things slipped through the cracks. Author Michael P. Spradlin interviewed me for his blog, and I never linked to it. Today I shall make amends!

Interview

Michael’s most recent book is the very salty Pirate Haiku

And, here's a drawing of a pirate I did. He's stealing a pickle. Because that's what pirates do. They steal.

I'm Back

2010-09-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has it really been so long since I last posted? Where did the summer go?

Honestly, I know exactly where the summer went. I drew an entire 112 page graphic novel that I hope to show soon. I was either at the draft board drawing or with my family doing fun things like going to Ocean City (NJ), visiting the USS Intrepid and every nature center within an hour’s drive.

In the meantime, the Goon is still saying goodnight…

The Mummy is still running away…

And George is still furious…

"Furious George Goes Bananas!" Live! Behind The Scenes!

2010-07-07T18:20:00.001-07:00

As promised, today we wander deep into the black-box jungle for a behind the scenes peek at the talent swinging onto stage in this season’s simian smash, “Furious George Goes Bananas!” Live!

Produced by The Chatham Community Players, it featured the primal playacting of performer Chris Furlong. His hair-raising rendition of the hirsute hero moved the audience to laughter, tears, and eventually further from the stage. His chest-beating bravura brought the house down in a furry and ferocious tour–de-furiousness!

As writer/director/illustrator/producer/stage technician, Michael Rex, said of his star “He monkeyed around real good! He’s a top-shelf trooper!” On the flip side, Rex denies having said, “He got the part because he had the suit!” while stepping out for an early morning donut break.

More on the fur suited Furlong! He’s been swinging around on stage for many, many years and is now goes bananas as a Teaching Assistant at the NJ FILM SCHOOL!

This pic shows the massive sets that Rex and co. slaved over for their two show run of “Furious George Goes Bananas!” Live! In the inset, is thesp Furlong having a rare, out-of-mask experience.

"Furious George Goes Bananas" Live! The Opposite of Avatar!

2010-06-22T21:40:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, June 12th, I had a dream come true. With some fantastic help, I put on a play of one of my books at The Chatham Playhouse, home of the Chatham Community Players, in New Jersey. I had done many shows there as a child, and cut my acting teeth on that very stage!

We performed an awesome, amazing, and exhilarating version of my latest book, “Furious George Goes Bananas!” It was as if the illustrations walked right off the page and onto center stage!

We went all out on the production! No prop was too intricate! No costume was too outlandish! No spectacle was too elaborate! The following shots are from the first of two packed performances.

Which is the book?

Which is the stage show?

I dare you to tell the difference!

Here, in an early pivotal scene, the Man in the Funny Hat lures George with a pile of bananas! Such authenticity!

Midway through the story, the drama heats up, and George gets furious at a construction site! Such vision!

In the penultimate scene, George is taken advantage of by a scientist! Such pathos!

Laughs! Heartache! Whimsy! Histrionics! It had it all!

Stay tuned for more!

Live Action Preview...

2010-06-14T18:59:00.001-07:00

Here's a shot from the past weekend. The "Live Action Furious George Goes Bananas" went over very well, and was lots of fun. I'll more pics in a few days, as I have to get them sorted. We had a full gorilla costume, and made a few additions to it to make it look more like George in the book.

Today I'm banging out a cover for my next book, which I hope to announce soon.

Furious George Live!

2010-06-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

Heads up! I am doing a "live" version of "Furious George Goes Bananas" this Saturday at the Chatham Community Players in my home town, Chatham NJ. The show is coming together very quickly and will be a little rough around the edges, but I do know that we've got a guy in a gorilla suit! What could be better? Shows are at 11:30 and 1:30. I'll also be doing a "live" reading my first book, 1997's "The Painting Gorilla." (Sadly, it went out of print about two years ago.)

Please stop by for the show and to say hello. I'll also be siging copies of "Furious George."

Furious George Review #4

2010-06-07T06:16:00.001-07:00

Betsy Bird, who Forbes Magazine called “the most powerful blogger in kids’ books,” wrote an incredible review of “Furious George Goes Bananas” back in January. I was waiting for the book to come out to post the review, however, Betsy’s gigantic Blog is migrating, and the review is not currently available. However, she kindly put up a copy at Amazon.

“There is no feeling in the world quite like returning to a picture book you loved as a kid, only to discover how weird or disturbing that book was all along. A lot of adults experience this when they first have kids of their own and want to read them the books they used to love. The green elephant in Babar. The unapologetic nudist in In the Night Kitchen. And then there's Curious George. That happy little monkey has long since had his adventures adapted into movies, television shows, spin-offs, and even iPod apps. But when you go back and reread the original stories you may find yourself more than a little perturbed by what he experiences. Michael Rex sure was…”

Read the rest here…

Thanks Betsy!

Forbes

Betsy’s Blog

This old man...

2010-06-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

More watercolor work. I'm getting there...

More Peaches...

2010-06-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

Here's another drawing of my caveman character, Peaches. He just got some new sneakers and he loves them! Just a goofy watercolor/ink with brush test.

BookPage Interview

2010-06-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by BookPage, which is a free review journal with a circulation of 400,000. As you can see, they inteview the author/illustrators in a really fun way. It was great to be asked to do this, as it shows strong support for Furious George. This is a scan from the actual paper, you can click it to see it larger. I think the link will be up soon.

Astronaut #8

2010-05-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

Here's another mixed-media/digital creation. The thing I don't really like about working on the computer is that work never seems to be "done." One can keep tweaking and changing things forever.

Astronaut #7

2010-05-18T19:11:00.001-07:00

A little change of pace here. This is a brush drawing, pencil overlay, scan of finger-painted construction paper, and topped off with digital color.

Furious George in Parenting Magazine

2010-05-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a tiny review of "Furious George" in Parenting Magazine (School Years)

Furious George Review#2

2010-05-13T08:32:00.001-07:00

Here's another nice review, this time from Kirkus Reviews...

"George, a very large ape, lives happily in the jungle until a man in a funny hat traps him. The man in the funny hat sells George to a zoo, but George doesn’t like being locked up. George goes bananas. The man in the funny hat finds him only to sell him to a construction crew. George works hard, but the foreman doesn’t give him water. When a brick falls on George’s head, George goes ape! Next the man in the funny hat sells George to a Broadway director. When the audiences laugh at him. George gets furious again. When the man in the funny hat sells George to a scientist who wants to shoot him into space, George finally uses his brain for a little creative revenge and a quick trip back to his beautiful jungle. Rex’s latest parody of a classic (Runaway Mummy, 2009, etc.) will tickle the funny bone with its mix of slapstick and deadpan silliness. The bright, digitally colored pencil illustrations hit just the right note of goofy mayhem to please fans of that OTHER George, especially those with an eye for detail. (Picture book. 4-7)"

—Kirkus, 4/1/10

Signing, May 15!

2010-05-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Furious George Goes Bananas will be in stores on May 13!

I'm doing a reading and signing on Saturday, May 15 at "The Voracious Reader," located at 1997 Palmer Ave, Larchmont. NY. I'll be there from 2:00 to 3:00.
The Voracious Reader

Here's a review of "Furious George" from Publisher's Weekly!

Furious George Goes Bananas: A Primate ParodyMichael Rex, Putnam, $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25433-8
Rex, creator of the Margaret Wise Brown parodies The Runaway Mummy and Goodnight Goon, takes on the Rey franchise in this escapade. His protagonist’s resemblance to Curious George is only in the details, since Furious George is a huge purple gorilla captured by an opportunist in a pith helmet. The “man in the funny hat,” a craven alter ego to Rey’s fatherly Man in the Yellow Hat, does not care for his captive. He peddles George to a zoo, construction site, Broadway show, and lab, growing richer by the sale. In a running gag that takes aim at the Rey books, he repeatedly refers to Furious George as a monkey, something each buyer attempts to correct. “[H]e ain’t a monkey, he’s an ape,” notes the construction foreman. “A monkey got a tail.” (Like Curious George, Furious doesn’t have one.) Enraged at being locked up, having to lay bricks, etc., Furious George “goes bananas” several times, though Rex makes it clear he’s not destructive by nature--he just wants to get home, which he eventually accomplishes. Rex preserves Rey’s comic-strip palette and earnest tone, while humorously delivering a message about avarice. Ages 5–8. (May)

Halloween, maybe 1972

2010-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, "Furious George Goes Bananas" will be out in a few weeks. It seems like just yesterday that I was drawing it, but it was really this time last year. I'm swamped with work right now, moving along on a 112 page Graphic Novel dummy, and wrapping up my Grad School thesis. They're both due on the same day. Anyway, here's a picture of me dressed up for Halloween. Like the title said, it might have been '72. I really don't remember.

Astronaut #6

2010-04-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

I'm not too sure what this guy's all about, but I'm happy with some of the murky, layered colors.

The Great Escape

2010-04-15T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here's the last piece from my 1995 portfolio. I've put up all of this work because I never am able to see the work that gets an illustrator his or her first professional job. Once someone has publsihed a book or two, that becomes the current portfolio. I hope that these drawings will be helpful for someone who is just starting out.

The train in this drawing is based on a steam engine that had been abandoned on waterside of Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was there in 1988 when I moved there, and was dismantled and carted away a few years later.

Someone's behind you...

2010-04-15T13:59:00.001-07:00

Here's a lesser work from the 1995 portfolio. Funny enough, but not laugh out loud. I'm not sure why this one feels off to me, perhaps it's that the bear doesn't look very bearish. Anyway, you can't win them all.

Up All Night

2010-04-15T13:54:00.001-07:00

This was the proposed cover of the first book that I ALMOST sold. It was called "Up All Night" and was about a young boy who stays up all night and finds out that it's kind of boring late at night. He finally falls asleep and misses all of the excitement of the next day, even the martians landing. Like all of these pieces, I really like the very limted color scheme.

Alien with glasses

2010-04-14T21:16:00.001-07:00

Now here's one that works! Great gag, good composition, nice atmosphere. While the joke may be a bit subtle for children, I felt that editors would find it funny, so I went with it. I wish I had found a story for this one.

Mummy Snake

2010-04-14T21:12:00.001-07:00

Here's a piece from my 1995 portfolio that I consider a total failure. Sure the pith helmet on the camel is cute, and I like the mummy snake, but the drawing is a bore. If the camel had been running, or even walking, this image would have been 10 times better. Or maybe 12 time better. I'm not sure. I've never been good at math.

Astronaut #5

2010-04-14T20:23:00.001-07:00

I've been reading books about the Royal Geographical Society lately. This guy is a David Livingstone/Percy Fawcett type. I really like the porter.

Astronaut #4

2010-04-14T20:19:00.001-07:00

Again, this one started with a giant shape, with the concept for the details added later. I really like the texture on the suit, and the movement. He's my favorite so far.

Astronaut #3

2010-04-14T20:16:00.001-07:00

This one was started with a very bold shape, which worked out well, but I don't like the lack of movement.

Astronaut #2

2010-04-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

The "astronaut" series quickly turned into "Astronauts and Aliens" with my second drawing. But he/she/it could be an astronaut too, right? Markers and colored pencil.

Astronaut #1

2010-04-11T20:01:00.001-07:00

It seems that most of my drawing is geared toward stuff that gets published, and I don't really ever have time to draw for myself. That being said, I've actually been finding a bit of time lately, and have started doing a series of Astronauts. I'd like to do 50 of them, as a lesson in creativity and idea-generation. However, I don't think that I'll be too hard on myslef if I don't do that many. Either way, I'm having fun trying out new materials and trying to work more freely. This is done with markers and colored pencil.

Space Whale!

2010-04-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is the image that actually got me my first book illustration job in 1995. While I don't think it's the best of the bunch, the art directors were looking for someone who could illustrate a book about the space shuttle, and bring a bit of humor to it. Somehow they saw my work as being appropriate for their book, which had many elements of non-fiction. I remember that day vividly. At the time I had never even had a full color drawing published, and here I was being asked to do a 40 page picture book.

The book, "Floating Home" was written by David Getz, and publsihed in 1997 by Henry Holt. It is still in print.

My Dog Jack is Done

2010-04-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

While I'm sure there will be changes, because there are always changes, I've completed the drawings for My Dog Jack is Fat, written by Eve Bunting. It will be published in 2011.

Squid and treasure

2010-04-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a good one, dramatic and immediate. When I look at this one I instantly feel that it's part of a story, and not just a nice drawing. I'm amused at how crooked my boarders were in 1995, but I like them.

White Alligator

2010-03-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

Here's an image that works well for a portfolio. It immediatly gives the viewer a character, and a situation. This was inspired by some real albino alligators that I had heard about back in 1995. I imagined what it would be like for the poor guy the first time he figures out that he doesn't look like everyone else.

Look what I found!

2010-03-24T05:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite's from my 1995 portfolio. Simple, funny, clear. I really like this little girl, and she's just so pleased with herself. If they could all be this pure.

Nice costume, but...

2010-03-21T18:29:00.001-07:00

He's a drawing that, while I like it, is a total failure as a portfolio piece. It's a nice character design, but that's about it. There's no hint of a story or a struggle, and, while the gesture works, it seems to be very static, conveying no movement at all. Eh...can't win them all.

What are you looking at?

2010-03-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

More from my 1995 portfolio. Originally, I wanted this to look as if he was hiding behind the mailbox, and peeking out a bit. However, it ended up looking as if he was trying to blend in with the mailbox and not be noticed. I liked either one, but felt I should have been more in control of the image.

You've got something on your face...

2010-03-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here's another from my 1995 illustration portfolio. One thing I like to think about when I create an image, is to wonder what part of the story it's from. Is this the beginning of a story, the middle, or the end? Who nose? Get it?

Sinking Ship

2010-03-11T17:24:00.001-08:00

Here's an image from my old illustration portfolio. I am going to be posting all of the work that I showed to publishers when I first began to look for illustration work in 1995. I hadn't seen these in a while, and I'm really stuck at how bold and simple they are. If I remember correctly, they were drawn with a grease pencil on heavy watercolor paper. These drawings were all from ideas that I created myself, my goal being that they would seem as if they were pulled from dramatic, exciting books.

Looking out the window

2010-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

This one was drawn one summer night while the family was eating a relaxed dinner. I remember the boys leaving the table and returning a few times while waiting for something to cool down. I don't do enough life drawing, but I really enjoy it when I get the chance. I know it's a bit ironic, but I can't wait for Grad School (Visual Arts Education) to be done in May so that I will have more time to make art.