L.A.S.E.R.Catz_Aliens

I don't know if these are available yet, but what the heck. Here are some more character designs I did for L.A.S.E.R. Catz, the 99¢ iPhone app game that's sweeping the nation.

Fun facts: I was terrified of aliens when I was little AND I STILL AM.

Wish I could try out the game, but alas, I don't have anything i except for Tunes. Which is kinda brutal whenever I see people visiting this site with iPhones and iPads...

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L.A.S.E.R.Catz_Tapedecks

Some more character designs I did for L.A.S.E.R. Catz, the new 99¢ iPhone app game, which has recently been updated. More barrels of monkey-fun after the jump, man.

L.A.S.E.R.Catz_Elementalists

Yo dawgz, my iPhone game, L.A.S.E.R. Catz, just launched in the iTunes store thingy!

App store > Games > Alarmed Publishing > L.A.S.E.R. Catz.

Ok, it's not mine, but I did do villain character design (see the above Elementalists). I don't have iStuff so I don't know how it turned out, but I saw early gameplay footage a while ago and it looked face-punchingly cool.

WARNING! Rated ages 9+ for "Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence!"

Get some (for 99¢)!

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Com_DoubleA

 

An adorable commission.

 

Busy, busy, busy,

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Design_Namaste

These are some of the remaining shirt designs from that sketch session I did a couple years ago for French band Namaste. They gave me a lot of design freedom, but one specific concept they did ask for was a "cartoony" version of the band.

Since I don't know French, I could only rely on the general mood of the songs and my contact's translation. It's been a while so I can't remember the specifics we discussed, but I believe this design was inspired by his telling me that they contemplate the absurd, like how sand and snow can look so similar meanwhile representing totally different environments...

I believe this design came about because they had some sort of Buddhist or Eastern philosophy influences and wanted to do something with that anti-evil monkey trio concept. When I went to Japan, I got to see one of the original monkey trios carved into an ancient Shinto shrine!

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Com_Snowman

A snowy commission.

All the cool kids are doing it.

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Com_TheSagaSaga

I recently got terribly close to booking my hugest deal yet. This Danish company via a New York advertising agency wanted me to design a mascot (Saga) for them.

This latest brush with destiny came like my other nigh-pro experience, via a Yalie who noticed my work and passed it along. Thank you, T.P.!

The company ended up going with a video promotion rather than print, so I got the ax, but these were the brainstorming sketches I submitted to get the design process going.

They weren't too specific, but I kept getting notes about how the client is "Danish," which I thought was a polite way of asking me for a blonde/blue design, after a google-image of "Danish people" revealed mainly that.

The other bit of description was that they wanted the costuming to be Eskimo-y but at the same time for her to look like a "Vargas girl," which was mildly confusing since it's kinda like asking for hot ice...she's supposed to be bundled up, you know? Anyway, this audition was on really short notice, so no time for questions, just draw/color like the wind!

I don't like how this Katara-influenced Saga turned out...

This one's my favorite. We're fully incorporating the logo's colors, and I'm drawing the same way I drew the faces on my very first purely digital comic, which is my favorite way to digi-draw: with pressure-sensitive opacity, you get to really simulate pencil drawing; feels way more expressive, really fun.

They also talked about having a baby seal as Saga's companion, so these last two brought him into the mix. In my head, the first seal design was a burly little baby seal from the Bronx or something, while this second one is more of a realistic, cute baby seal.

I was marathonning these designs after finishing a comic, so I was super exhausted, and only had time to turn in these four designs, but it ended up looking pretty ok. I loved that I got to play with Oakland's colors, which is my home team, homie.

And so ends the Saga saga.

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Com_OCD

 

So my crack team of Bolivian lawyers and Canadian phrenologists advised me against premiering on a Wednesday, so please enjoy this commission instead.

This is actually a special favor for some d00ds in New Haven. But in any case, if you would like to help me out of a rough spot and commi$$ion a drawing, please let me know via email. Ask about the Yale Discount*!
*Bones pay double. Keys quadruple. Teehee.

Okay, Friday's when spit gets real. See you then for an extra-packed comic.

By the way, hope you had a happy ODC, Yalies. Remember: only chumps and socially well-adjusted people eat at colleges on weekdays!

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Design_TheGathering

Comic Con is coming up.
Are you frightened yet?

Everything is riding on this.
Are you sweating yet?

You need to schmooze like insanity.
Are you hollow yet?

You need to settle on your two-bit card design.
Are you decisive yet?

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Design_moz.Maddie

This is Maddie the Hag, my version of the Wicked Witch of the West from my Wizard of Oz redesign project in my Literature for Young People class. She operates as a symbol for waste and general irresponsibility, which was actually kinda fun to think about since I'm usually quite self-conscious about being wasteful and all that.

Easter Eggs: Regina Spektor's hat and hair.

I feel like it's midterms--there's so much to do and it's all sorta due at the same time. I have to figure out what the highest priority is, but it's a really tough call since there's no clear cut distinctions. So I'm sorta paralyzed with what to do and when. Plus my little studio here is awful. I literally found cat pee on some of my stuff the other day because that's how our new cat rolls. Funnily enough he peed on my diploma case thingy.

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Design_moz.Kashi

This is my version of the Scarecrow for my redesign project for the Wizard of Oz. His name is Kashi and he is probably my all-around favorite character. The professor liked him the most, too, out of all the other designs.

Kashi is the unwitting brains of the bunch. After years of feeling ashamed of his carnie-roots, he resolves to run away from the circus to join an accounting school. Along the way, he accidentally ends up joining another circus. Eventually Kashi meets our heroes and they convince him to join them on their quest to find the mystical, mythical Mage of Z.

Everybody's looking for something. Sweet dreams,

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Design_moz.Onceproud

After three years of trying, I finally got into "Literature for Young People" last semester. For my final project, I re-imagined the Wizard of Oz as a Shonen-y title, the Mage of Z. This is my revision of the Winged Monkey. I see them as a clan of cursed Imps, who with fierce, blind loyalty obey the orders of whoever controls the Golden Cap that enslaves them. This is Onceproud the Felled Tyrant, Fallen King of the Imps. Other designs are here and here.

Easter Eggs: Andre, son, crown.

Fun Facts: Dog feet for loyalty, locks for slavery.

If you ever want to read the actual Wizard of Oz, don't. It's such an incredible let down from everything you imagine it to be, not only because of the implacable hype your imagination builds, but also from the text itself--Baum literally has all the cool stuff dangling right in front of you and then right as you're about to get to it he just moves on. I am not exaggerating--like, there's a scene of an impending battle with a deadly, giant spider, and it's dealt with in literally like one sentence. Another sequence that gets passed over is a series of attacks by waves of forty animals that are dealt with in just a few sentences. Those are just some of the battle-related glossing-overs.

There are many cool things promised in the book that just get completely passed over, like the guy had somewhere to be that night he was writing so he just stopped writing. So out of that frustration reading a so-shoulda-been-cool book, I put together this project, and hope to share some of my designs.

Go-go gadget Animorphs #4,

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Fun_PD.Boy

After hiding out in JE an extra day after a last minute flight-fiasco, I'm back in California, Internet's up, and I'm somewhat sad to announce that my book has SOLD OUT. Technically I just run out of copies, I haven't sold out of copies--it's a free Sudler-funded book after all. So if you didn't get a copy (or my word that you will receive yours in the fall), tough luck, buddy, that's it (sorry, Mom!).

Anyway, now that I'm in Yale-retirement and have the rest of my life to "look forward" to, I'm thinking of how to spend the rest of my days. It's weird. My first time waking up in California since Winter Break was this past Thursday, and it started to sink in that I was always just visiting Yale; I was never a resident. It's like it was only a dream. which I just now woke from, like it never really happened.

Ok, so I'll be posting the exclusive recolorings and some of the printings hitherto only available in my book, the first (cough) of which was actually featured last time, but this is the first color job, a revamp of one of my very first pieces ever for the Penny Dreadful.

I made a To Do list on the plane, and here's a bit of it:
-Lose weight, maybe via exercise for a change?
-Re-read my Animorphs collection
-(Re)-read the Everworld Series
-Clear my Fiverr Waitlist
-Project DF
-Project SHS
-Project BRB
-Project ZLM:A

So now we get to see who the real fans are, since Yale's been done for a while now, and now it's just me and you, Removal. None of those pesky fair-weather fans. And heaps of Animorphs to tear through (I've got books 1-39, 3 Megamorphs, all the Chronicles books, an Alternamophs, and even the "Meet the Stars of Animorphs" book about the TV show...). Removal book club, anyone? Animorphs #2, you're up next, kid.

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Fun_NobodyKnows

It is with great pride and joy I officially announce:

Nobody Knows Who The Funk Reuxben Is.
Advance copies are OUT NOW for people on the reserve list from the class of 2010 only, since it's a more time-sensitive case to get them their books. So if you are 2010, you should be getting your book soon. Just be sure--if you haven't already--to email or call with details on how/when/where to make the delivery! And preferably don't be in a crowded place for the delivery, I get sheepish(er) like that.

Anyway, this was a huge undertaking and I literally lived in the JE computer lab for a couple of weeks hurrying to get this and my other final Yale projects wrapped. When the proofs came in Wednesday, that was the first night in a good while that I slept in my room and on a bed, rather than at my library desk or on two library chairs facing each other.

There are still some unreserved copies left for anyone who wants them and you are certainly still welcome to write me for your free copy, but the volumes that are in at present are kinda limited to just 2010s, unless it's a spontaneous sorta thing, or if you will not be here in the fall. The non-2010 copies will be in on Monday and while I can deliver them until Tuesday, after the 25th you can pick up your copy at the JE Dean's office starting this fall.

Special thanks to the great and powerful Loide for her help with the book design. And thank you for helping make this possible! And ironic!

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Fun_EscapeAgain

Sup, gangstas!

Aww, naw, we ain't done, son, whatchu think? Naw, playa--
Comics Club Presents ESCAPE!, Spring 2010, ya heard?
The hot new single drops soon, like I drop dimes, rhymes, and mad dope zip lines.

Look for all yo favorite G-thangs includin':
Slightly On Center
Zero Like Me
Small Talk
The Bear Truth
Generically Untitled
Dead Squirrel Shenanigans

Plus phat, original beats by the freshest MCs in tha game:
Jinjin
Annika
Sarno
Chika

And we rap wit da gran' master,
Kazu Kibuishi,
creator/editor of tha Flight Anthology

No snitchin'; but it's aight if you hype dis spit.

Peace easy,

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YDN_Scene.WPSIATWIN

And now the big coming out announcement: I am a hipster.

Sigh.

You see, I did a three piece gig for Scene. Yes, Scene. I feel like I should feel guilty...I am the enemy of all things hipster, right? Yet here I am not only contributing, but doing the cover, right in the thick of enemy territory! AND as a result I couldn't bring the final Herald comic of my life to its full potential for print. Sounds all around horrific, but turns out this was a highlight of my Yale/life and a heck of a way to wind my year down (not that we're done yet!)

It was a lot of fun, the early reviews were quite positive, and the Scene crew is comprised of some of the best people at Yale, and thus by extension, on Earth. So everything's coming up Milhouse. The only real downside is that I was/am exhausted from squeezing this cover plus two interiors into my regular schedule...more on why being exhausted is bad when the Herald Comic post pops up later today...

So the cover is the Woolsey-esque Radcliffe Camera at Oxford. I got into this foreign entanglement after a couple of the Scene editors stopped me in the YDN office and tag-team proposed I do a cover. They mentioned there was some sort of British one in the works, so I thought it would be good times since that first Scene editor is British...or Greek...or Switzerlandese...or something.

Anyway, both eds were ridiculously nice people and I had a lot of fun marathoning this after sprinting to get my Friday comic turned in a record 24 hours earlier and then immediately gunning the cover (huge thanks to Stavros for the insanely nice paper!!) and as a result, my entire arm was shot with piercing pain, and that was just after finishing the cover! I still had these two interiors to do as well and then my Herald finale, and I was already an hour behind the YDN deadline!

Anyway it all seemed to work out in the end, and I cannot believe I pulled off this YDN assignment! Unfortunately I had to rely on Monster, which is something I really, really, really don't like to do cuz it jacks up your sleep pattern.

Final Art Coming Soon. Also, Fun Facts: this is the biggest drawing I've ever done for publication--I had to scan it in pieces, but since it was just the pencils and time was of the ess, I rushed the stitching. And I also had to fight my OCD desires and not use a ruler...ugh. Well, ok, I used it on the guitar.

So huge thanks to Nicolas (Easter Egg'd "thx Stavros" in grass, plus random Britishisms), Jay, and Harrison for all their support and/or patience during this endeavor and thanks to the Paul for the hall pass from Wednesday's activities and the extension. And big bonus thanks to Scene for the absolutely heartwarming salute on page 2! Gosh...!

Baa: I'm trying to be more accessible before graduation, so if you'd like a drawing, please contact me and I would prolly be happy to do it. My Good-Will Slash Dining Hall Farewell World tour continues with Saybrook for dinner, where I will be drawing the final regular edition of Zero Like Me (the big finale is a bit specialer in format and will run Thursday).

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Fiverr_AttractiveToday

A super special double Fiverr job to close my first Fiverr marathon.
I am quite booked up with gigs and I have to go back to school now, so I will not be able to keep the same production pace as before so I have suspended my gig, but again, if you are willing to wait patiently, I would be happy to draw for you: just send me a note over Fiverr with "ARCHIVE [x]" in the subject heading where "[x]" is your Fiverr name. This will allow me to archive and track your order over a longer period of time, and I will get back to you as soon as possible (I will send a confirmation that you are on my list, but please forgive me if I am not as prompt as usual). Click here for more information on ordering!

Thanks for your patience and support.

As always, this is what I listen to after every gig! And with that, you now know what the past few days were like!

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Fiverr_Mo

A drawing for Fiverr.

I'm totally booked on gigs!
If you would still like a drawing, please understand there will be a long wait time.

To reserve a spot on my wait list, please send me a message over Fiverr with "ARCHIVE ___" in the subject heading and fill in the blank with your Fiverr name (and please include details on your picture in the message part of the note). This way I will know to keep your letter UNREAD so I can archive it and get back to you when my schedule frees up. I will reply with a confirmation that you're on my list, but please accept my apologies if I do not respond as promptly as usual--I am a full-time student before a Fiverr artist [update: now a busy graduate].

COMMON CONCERNS (FAQ):
Last updated Jan. 2011.

The intended scope of the "gig" is a "nice, little drawing."

One person (approximately chest and up) or general figure per gig, shades are an additional gig, backgrounds are an additional gig, full bodies are an additional gig. Color is an additional gig per each preceding item. We can combine multiple gigs.

I send files via Fiverr mail as jpegs, unless notified otherwise. I can now snail mail originals via Fiverr shipping. The pictures are roughly the size of my hand and 1.2MB. I must be able to put the image on my site--see my samples.

Please have clear instructions for me when you Fiverr-mail a request. If there is a photo reference, attach it via Fiverr mail as a JPEG, please.

If outside the scope of the gig, or if you do not want to wait as long, I do take official freelance work via gmail.

Thank you for your support and patience!

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Fiverr_CEO

Gosh!

The CEO of Fiverr
commissioned a drawing!

Cool!

This is the first non-Yale CEO I've drawn for!

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Fiverr_Sleepy

You are getting
very,
very
sleepy.

When I count the three,
go to Fiverr.

1...

2...

3...

Fiverr!

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