Survey - Which one of these hideous things is your favorite?

Use voting buttons at top right to select your answer. 

Wombats

Santa is fired...

Who needs Santa when you can have  Sinta!!! 

This is Sinta...

Sinta is way better than Santa. For one thing, he's dressed in a hot pink suit. Furthermore, he's way creepier than Santa, but in a fun way. 

Sinta actually inspired my Christmas decor theme this year...

Hot pink trees, clip on mushroom ornaments, and of course, SINTA!!! (You can't buy Sinta online, I looked. I found him at Newbury Comics.)

Worcester Magazine - Comic Art Edition

I was really excited to participate with many talented colleagues in Worcester Magazine's Comic Art Edition.
It's on newsstands now! Pick up a copy - it's free!

Here's a close-up of Andy Fish's dynamic and hilarious cover art...

And a sneak preview of my strip...

Many thanks to Andy for coordinating all of us artists!

Have you seen me?

I took this photo of a paper mache sculpture I saw recently. I love the eyes and how it looks like he went berserk with the lipstick. The artist is a good friend of mine but prefers to remain anonymous. 

What up yo?

Art by Theo Rosen, age 8

I'll tell you what's up. These butternuts are hacked off. I ran into them this weekend at my friend Eve's house and they totally cornered me and gave me an earful. Despite this, I found them oddly charming.

Oh and guess what - here's a follow up to my previous blog post. I read this Gangsta Baby "product description" at Amazon and HAD to share it with you, because it's so helpful in explaining why they exist:

Big babies with big poppas! The blingin'-est kids in daycare!

They spend more on accessories than you do on your cars! 

Babies be trippin', man!

Dear Disappointed New Parent,

I think I know what's wrong. That new baby of yours didn't turn out as "gangsta" as you had hoped. Well, your suffering ends NOW, because 'Gangsta Babies' are here! One of these handsome fellows will serve as a role model and style consultant to your un-gangsta baby, 24/7...

PLUS, if you act now, you can purchase IN BULK...This CASE of 8 assorted Gangsta Babies is available for only $59.99!

Survey Results - Which one of these appliances do you urgently need in order to cook food at your desk?

As tempting as fresh, warm, cupcakes sound, the thought of eating cold beans at one's desk was so utterly soul-destroying that it rocketed this appliance to first place. Personally, I like the fact that it plugs into a USB port. Also, for some really important reason, it appears to offer 5 settings.

Survey - Which one of these appliances do you urgently need in order to cook food at your desk?

Use survey buttons at top right! Thank you.

Survey Result! Which mannequin head should be the president of everything?

YES! The results of my 10/06/10 survey are in and Blake won!

He'll be sworn in tomorrow as the President of EVERYTHING!

Every country, organization, institution, school, club...you name it!

The complete results:

A special honorable mention goes out to Cupcake.

A great candidate, and a great race...

Gettin' my mello smello on...

Finally! Pickle scented scratch and smell stickers!! I found them at Michael's Craft Store of all places. I scratch, take a deep whiff, and, 'Aaaaah! Mello smello, take me away!'

Congratulations Andy and Veronica!

Two of my favorite people and BFFs are getting married today! And as luck would have it, they're marrying EACH OTHER!!! I created this collage card with images inspired by their pending nuptial celebration on the beach, with cake and dancing to follow!

Andy and Veronica, I love youz guyses!

Get yourselves in the mood to dance with THIS awesome, festive tune!

Progress Update

Hot Donut Salad draft cover art extreme close up... The drawing is done! It took forever to get right. Now I "just" have to ink and color it.

Also, I decided to re-ink this 2-page piece, because I was unhappy with my original execution of it. It's not quite done. I still have to color it...

Survey - Which mannequin head should be the president of everything?

Let's streamline things a bit and just pick one of these to be the president of everything - every country, company, organization, school, etc.

Use voting buttons at top right to make your selection.

My Sketchbook

My sketchbook right now is a pad of lined paper. I like it because it's less intimidating. When I feel free to make a mess, that's when I'm the most creative. If my sketchbook is too fancy, I freeze. Here's a glimpse...

Survey Result! Which do you most want to smash with a baseball bat?

I have to say, I'm not surprised. This coffee table is so very smashable!

I also wouldn't mind roof testing it.

Here are all of the results:

I'm surprised that the Cinderella Egg and My Pretty Pony Cake escaped unsmashed, though many people commented that they wanted to smash them all. So I think the party pinata will soon be getting some competition....

Dudes that Could Play Dracula

Inspired by the work of the amazing Andy Fish in his Dracula graphic novel series, I'm starting to work on a piece - my own rendition of Dracula. So I've been thinking about actors who evoke Dracula as well as the historical figure he's based on, Vlad the Impaler.

My first choice is circled, Hugues Quester. He has all the qualities I'm looking for in a Drac/Vlad. He's reasonably hideous, his manner is somewhat stiff and formal yet he also seems capable of homicide. Plus he looks like he just rolled out of a coffin. In addition, there's something mildly dashing about him, in a greasy, creepy, spit-up-in-your-mouth-a-little-bit kind of way. It turns out that he actually was in a vampire movie, The Iron Rose, which I've never seen. I know him from another film, Tale of Springtime.

The runners-up are, clockwise from top left: Anthony Perkins (too obvious of a choice maybe), Peter Lorre, Roschdy Zem, Malcolm McDowell, Jonathan Zaccai (he was much creepier and greasier looking in a movie I saw recently).

Too hot to handle!

I recently knitted this smokin' hot beachwear for myself and my man, and we totally ROCKED our new looks this weekend!!! PLUS, we were the envy of all the other beachgoers, who stared at us the whole time!!

Survey - Which do you most want to smash with a baseball bat?

Please use buttons at top right to respond. Thank you!

They're taking over the world!

A sea of pumpkins!

Huge vats of mutant squash!

Get ready...

And my favorites, Zinnias, finish summer strong and bright...

I took these photos at my favorite local farm,

Gove Farm in Leominster, MA.

Love Hurts...

Hey Y'all!!! Guess what?!!

I won the 'Love Hurts' giveaway on Veronica's blog

and scored this amazing, beeau-ti-ful print!

Thank you Veronica!

This is me right now...

I'm psyched!!! :)

My Studio Essentials...

1. Entertainment

2. Light box

3. Supplies

4. Drawing table/eating surface

5. Comfy mat for person and cat to sit/lie on

6. Tissue paper (for cat to lie on/play in)

7. Banana (cat toy)

8. Cat (cuteness)

Buying in bulk

I recently checked out a nearby wholesale food club to see if it would be worthwhile to join. I walked around the aisles to get an idea of products and prices. I decided not to join, at least not now. I just didn't think the savings could possibly offset the cost of equipment like this crane, which I'd need in order to maneuver the ridiculously gigantic, unwieldy containers that stuff is sold in there.

Survey Results - Who's Got What It Takes?

Wow! Mayor McCheese won by a landslide!

He CLEARLY has what it takes!

Are you surprised?

Psyched Guy was psyched to come in a respectable second.

He would've been more psyched to win. But he's still psyched.

Complete results of my 8/29/10 survey:

No more fighting...

...over who gets the biggest slice. These ceramic serving platters, called "plats diviseurs," are kind of genius. The perimeter is marked with numbers so if you have 7 people, you can cut at all of the 7's to make 7 equally sized portions. No more bar room-like brawls when you serve pie. Crisis averted.

Husk cherries

In the tomato family, husk cherries grow on a bush.

When they fall to the ground, they are ready to eat!

Look what's inside...yum!

Tinier than a grape, the fruit is very sweet -

like banana + passion fruit, with the slightest hint of tomato.

It's tough to eat them though because they're so pretty...

...like little lanterns!

Survey - Who's Got What it Takes?

Only YOU can decide...

Use survey buttons at top right to select you answer.

Run

My new fave song, Run, by the band AIR. Click to hear a sample.

It's on the soundtrack to the film, Lila Says, and plays in the scene pictured here, where the two main characters cruise on a moped through an industrial neighborhood full of beautiful old dilapidated buildings.

Groovin' and Shakin'

I needed to get my groove on, so I downloaded some new tunes this week...

Nothing from this album, however I do love the aesthetic...

I don't agree with everything she does, but this compilation of Bardot tunes from 1963-1970 (published in 2004) has some rather psychedelic, snazz-tastic tunes. Check out: Tu veux ou tu veux pas, Moi je jou, and Nue ou soleil...

Then I spiced things up with a couple of French rapper MC Solaar's toe tappers: Non Merci and Carpe Diem...

As well as Oxmo Puccino's song, 365 Jours, which I think is my fave...

But I'm always looking to expand my music library, so please tell me some of YOUR favorites!

:)