eriktjohnson blog

Lookout for Asteroids

2010-10-28T21:18:00.003-05:00

Aviva from the New York Times must have had a hunch that I love drawing asteroids when she called me to create an illustration for this Op Ed calling for more government money dedicated to early detection of deadly meteorites.

Undead, Yet Funded*

2010-10-28T21:03:00.006-05:00

I was lucky enough to get the call from Christine Carr and Joseph Hueron about creating a cover illustration that depicts the current (pre-Halloween) GOP news makers as zombies. It was a terrific assignment and they pushed my sketches until we had the concept locked up. My friend Erik Brandt saw some of my sketches and covered the process on his excellent blog GEOTYPOGRAPHIKA.

*thx to Thomas Fuchs for the headline!

Shanghai Jammies

2010-05-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

Created for NY Times about a recent crackdown on pajamas worn in public (a Shanghai tradition) in preparation for the upcoming World Expo. Link

The Haiti Poster Project

2010-02-28T09:48:00.007-06:00

Last week, I silkscreen printed this poster with the generous technical help of friends Lucas Richards MouseSaw and Jeff Johnson Spunk Design Machine. It is my contribution to The Haiti Poster Project, organized by a group of dedicated designers who organized the amazing Hurricane Poster Project, a few years ago.

THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT seeks limited edition sets of posters from artists, designers and design firms from around the world. The donated posters will be sold online to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. As designers, we have the collective ability to do what we love, AND to create a difference. THE HAITI POSTER PROJECT has been conceived as a collective effort by the design community to unite and effect change through our work. In order for this project to be successful, we are counting on designer participation. Our goal is to raise at least $1,000,000.

Thay are receiving numerous designs from designers around the world with the intention of selling the posters on-line beginning March 15, 2010.

Union Atlantic... Drawing (?)

2010-02-13T14:03:00.021-06:00

My previous illustration for Ordinary Thunderstorms did not run in the NY Times Book Review due to a crossed-line communication error, on my part, with the amazing art director Nicholas Blechman (tight deadline and lost e-mail!) That assignment had come to me at the end of several back-to-back and more detail-oriented magazine illustrations– so actually, I was happy to get a loose, expressive drawing that I really liked out of all the scramble.

A few days later, Nicholas was more than generous and extended me this Union Atlantic assignment and I thought I'd continue with the same loose drawing approach. Although self-editing is no strength of mine, the further I got into the drawing, the more I realized that some of the preliminary reference photos I took, when assembled in the composition, were much more dynamic than the artwork I was preparing– illustration fatigue maybe? Nicholas agreed so this is the one we ran.

It is terrific to have an art director who entertains your instincts, even when you present him/her with something that is 180° from what they might expect of you. This wouldn't fly in many situations (and in this industry, having one categorically defined style seems to make good business sense) but part of my joy in working with Nicholas over the years- at the New York Times and on Nozone- is that I always feel compelled to try something new while staying on topic. Based on the trust he extends me, I think he enjoys (expects?) the occasional surprise! Whew.

Ordinary Thunderstorms

2010-01-21T21:33:00.004-06:00

A new illustration for New York Times Book Review: "Ordinary Thunderstorms" a crime novel by William Boyd.

Ghosts of Old New England

2009-12-19T13:04:00.003-06:00

With a short over-night deadline, it's nice to have an art directer who trusts you! NY Times Book Review-- “Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town” (thanks Nicholas).

Artsplosion

2009-11-28T21:29:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, I really do like working in black and white. This is a really funny NY Times story about getting more men into museums. Thank you to Jennifer Daniels- another great illustrator and art director (common names unite!)- for bringing me in on this one.

Standard Exposure

2009-11-24T12:41:00.009-06:00

The High Line park opened earlier this year in NYC, and I've been lucky enough to visit it a few times, once in summer and more recently on a blustery, rainy November morning. A close friend of mine worked on it's landscape architecture, so it has been amazing to follow the park's historic development through his inside stories, as well as through the press. As a big fan of Modernist architecture, I've also been taken by the Standard Hotel, which was built as a landmark to tower over the southern end of the raised parkway.

A strange thing started happening though, the High Line news stories began to reference complaints made by neighbors regarding the goings-ons behind the highly visible, floor-to ceiling, picture windows of the Standard. Many guests seemed to be parading around nude, as if on stage. My friend confirmed the stories, and said the Standard is rumored to be encouraging the notoriety for their marketing.

On that blustery November morning, my (probably too) unfiltered imagination thought there might be a funny drawing in it-- of contrast between the quiet wintery park landscape below, a lively nudist colony above.

Pynchon’s Hippy Noir

2009-08-22T10:15:00.006-05:00

This was drawn for the NY Times Book Review about Thomas Pynchon’s new novel, “Inherent Vice.” It’s a hippie era twist of a detective novel set in LA in the early 70's. His private eye, Doc Sportello, unravels a crime without missing any opportunity to smoke dope and have long trippy conversations about the universe.

Thanks AD: Kim Bost

I generally like to sketch in brush and ink, and occasionally if one of those sketches works out, it makes it to the final art, and found it kind of funny drawing of a hand holding a doobie for the esteemed pages of the Grey Lady.

Short and Pulpy

2009-06-06T19:23:00.002-05:00

I think this taught little crime story kicks off the NY Times Summer Fiction Series on the Sunday Op-Ed page. A pleasure working with multi-talented AD Leanne Shapton, who I first worked with a few years ago for Canada's National Post.

Johnson & Johnson at the Howard Johnsons

2009-05-22T23:49:00.004-05:00

This is the art I did for the NY Times book review of Denis Johnson’s (Tree of Smoke) new novel
Nobody Move. It's supposedly great- and since I'm Johnson illustrating Johnson, this is probably some Californian road-side Howard Johnson's.

The Kirby Machine / Story Motel zine exhibit

2009-05-10T08:25:00.007-05:00

I am showing in a gallery exhibition at the Owl & Lion gallery in Edinburgh, Scotland, May 14 - June 12.

The show is titled Story Motel, and 50 artist from around the world were asked to create a "zine" in an edition of 25 copies of their zine to sell, produced just for the exhibition.

My piece is titled The Kirby Machine, and is a 2-sided fold-out poster, screen printed in an intentionally streaky punk style. And as a "fanzine" should be, its a throwback to my high school obsessions; Jack Kirby, comic books, cosmic technology and Zipatone shading film.

The artwork is screen printed on both sides with a random split-fountain technique. I had 2 editions printed; the folded text weight booklet version for sale at the show and a flat, heavyweight paper poster version (available for sale on my web site eriktjohnson.us)

All Bonds

2009-04-15T01:35:00.008-05:00

This illustration is running in Newsweek's business section this week with a story about the elevated value of bonds in the current stock market crisis. I went down several expected routes in depicting such a dry business subject (I got stuck on the idea of battling eagles) -- when at some point the editor, maxed out on months of endless financial stories, came up with this concept. I think it's a great one, and it sure was fun to draw! (Psychedelic vers was the first, but the yellow looked better on the page.)

Say “Uncle” - sketches

2009-04-07T08:52:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, Newsweek asked me to do an illustration for their business page. The topic was American business leaders who, during the Great Depression, did the right thing by accepted only $1 a year in pay. It is almost impossible to imaging the same thing happening now, but who knows.

Anyway, the final illustration has not run yet (shuffled by other stories), but I really like these other sketches based on an Uncle Sam theme that we moved away from. (They certainly allowed allowed me a therapeutic opportunity to vent on the topic- I also like that the first one kinda looks like Eisner's Spirit)

Rearranged Perception

2009-03-31T09:14:00.006-05:00

I usually avoid open-call design competitions but I saw on Facebook that my friend Erik Brandt was following an autism poster competition, a great cause, with some great judges. I became intrigued, and while I was reading my 3-1/2 year old was rearranging a wooden rainbow toy into the shape of a little person. I thought this was an apt metaphor for the way all children - but especially autistic children - perceive the world differently (plus, rainbows are made of perception, sunlight and rain.)

FaceBook Poster Design Contest _ Autism

http://www.diversamenteonlus.org/

Tinkering with Flying

2009-03-08T22:41:00.002-05:00

A new one for the New York Times Book Review’s piece on Flying by Eric Kraft.

Extreme Survival

2009-03-08T22:08:00.005-05:00

5280 is Denver's city magazine that, due to it's remarkable location, runs a lot of stories on outdoor sports. They have given me several great assignments including this one titled “Survival Stories,” which is a series of first-hand accounts of near-death experiences. I proposed we handle it with drawings in the 2-color style of the old Boy’s Life magazine testimonial comics.

UPDATE -- Oh BAMM Ah!

2009-02-21T20:00:00.005-06:00

A few weeks before the election, and just for fun, I quickly drew Obama in the style of the great comic book artist Jack Kirby (another hero of mine). My friends at the New York Times used the drawing in a small art show, which came to the attention of the editors of OBAMA The Historic Journey (a coffee table book published to commemorates the election/inauguration).

The drawing found a home next to an opinion piece by Bob Herbert, and it also humbly resides along side the work of great illustrators like Barry Blitt, Phillip Burke and Stephen Savage who were also included.

http://www.amazon.com/Obama-Historic-New-York-Times/dp/1594488932

(My previous post on this art): Guess I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about this whole election thing - at least enough to draw Mr. Obama in action... Kirby-style! (Bear with me: it just puts a few of my heroes together in one place).

“What Was I Thinking” Book Out - Cover on Today Show

2009-02-12T13:27:00.002-06:00

Today Show link

Big congrats to Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman for their Today Show appearance this AM in support of their book “What Was I Thinking?”!!!

(Who knew Billy Bush was such an enthusiast on dating stories!? He kind of man-handled my cover art, but it was nice to see it spin - TV news style - across the screen!)

Inauguration anticipation

2009-01-17T23:36:00.003-06:00

I had the privelege of illustrating the New York Times (Week on Review)“Viewers Guide to the Inauguration.” Link here (and click the illustrations towards the bottom of the page).

new web site

2008-11-26T10:48:00.003-06:00

check out my new site eriktjohnson.us, where I've been able to get my work indexed and somewhat organized.

Autophobia

2008-11-17T21:26:00.003-06:00

Who's afraid..?
NY Times Book Review; Autophobia

Yes, Nozone

2008-09-17T21:44:00.007-05:00

Nicholas Blechman began publishing Nozone as an underground 'zine that uses comics and design to speak up about the nation and world's most pressing issues. Now he publishes it with the prestigious Princeton Architectural Press, but it still retains a flavor that many would consider radical.

I would argue that it is not radical, but one of the truest voices you can find in this political climate - (actually more of a chorus of talented individuals finding their voice in print).

I've been lucky enough to contribute to the last several issues of Nozone, and here are a few pages of Weatherman from the latest issue.

It can be purchased now on Amazon and a book store near you.

Check out more work for this issue by Fuchswell and an interview with Nicholas with more art here.

A Poster Idea

2008-07-21T07:49:00.004-05:00

I posted this concept sketch to the official Barack Obama web site.

Hopeful Sketches

2008-07-18T21:35:00.001-05:00

a few Barack Obama drawings from the sketchbook.

Summer Fun

2008-07-18T16:08:00.006-05:00

Philladelphia magazine gave it's readers an instructional guide to having fun this summer. A few topics included go-carting, running through sprinklers and crashing weddings.
Thanks, Michael McCormick.

Chillin on a Hot Summer Day

2008-06-05T21:48:00.000-05:00

A fun one for Nick Mag (and another excuse to draw a penguin). Thanks Caitlin Keegan.

Gross Net

2008-06-04T08:02:00.000-05:00

A NY Times Op-Ed letters illustration about mosquito net donations to malaria ridden countries. (Link). Thanks to Kim Bost and Brian Rea.

Loose Teeth

2008-04-05T23:51:00.016-05:00

Congratulations to Toby Barlow and the release of his fantastic poem/novel Sharp Teeth. It is an ambitiously unusual book about werewolf packs at war in urban LA, and how they intersect with human civilization.

I had the chance to hear Toby read and speak about his book tonight - he was hilarious and enlightening, having put much thought and research into it. Coincidentally, his partner, graphic designer Keira Alexandra, is an old friend of mine from college.

Even more coincidentally, I was asked to sketch cover ideas for Sharp Teeth by the awesome Paul Sahre, who was designing the book a year or so ago (My drawing above). The book switched publishers in the process, and (unfortunately for me) they used great existing art from it's UK edition. The final book can be seen, and bought with high recommendation, here.

Sharp Teeth Updated and Animated

2008-04-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

This animation evolved out of the aborted book cover illustration for Sharp Teeth. Toby Barlow, the author, and I discussed an idea I had for the novel - to put a flip book of a beautiful woman transforming into a wolf in the corner of the book.

Toby thought it would be a great concept for an promo which may appear soon. This is an animation test of the idea, tying in the title illustration. Check out the Sharp Teeth web site which contains several amazing finished animations.

Papa-Zow

2008-04-03T08:51:00.000-05:00

Written by Brian Frazer, The Krazy Korner Fun Page is a very funny idea brought to me by LA Magazine (for their back page Hollywoodland feature). It includes all sorts of puzzles, mazes and activities that satirize headline-grabbing celebrities. A.D. Joe Kimberling let me throw in the portrait of K-Fed and a Range Rover full of kids, for kicks.

Space Junk

2008-03-17T08:25:00.005-05:00

A Week In Review spot to go with this story about arms escalation - and debris - in space.

Petroli-yuck

2008-02-22T20:15:00.006-06:00

I am excited to have a 6 page comic story Weatherman coming up in Nozone X: Forcast - the 10th edition of Nicholas Blechman's fantastic ongoing book series. I will save the comic for publication, but this is one version of a divider page I was asked to contribute at the last minute. I think we're calling it Maelstrom - (scary!)

Sopranos duet

2008-02-10T20:39:00.000-06:00

GQ needed an illustration to go with a story about the new crop of “slash” fiction - which I understand to be underground fan fiction that recasts male tv characters as gay lovers... and is usually written by women (?). I first heard about the genre as a Star Trek-related phenomenon, and it that it spawned a decade’s worth of graduate sociology theses.

Anyway, this article focused on fiction written about Tony Soprano and Pauly Walnuts. The idea was a little hard to stomache, so I thought a Lady and the Tramp reference might ad the right touch of amore’.

MORE dudes

2008-02-09T17:15:00.000-06:00

From a story called “Ten Guys I’m Glad I Didn’t Marry”

The Skinny

2007-11-21T20:46:00.001-06:00

Occasionally I make more work for myself under tight deadlines by providing one or more finished peices at the sketch phase. It's a gamble that works only sometimes.

In this NY Times week-in-review story - about the health contrasts between heavier and thinner people - I chose to follow through with 2 abstract directions (above) while the piece called for a more direct approach (below). I am happy with all though.

a couple MORE

2007-11-01T21:41:00.001-05:00

Disaster Date

When The Big One Comes

I was contacted by MORE Magazine, the magazine for women in their 40's. I was a little worried that I'd be too far out of my demographic element to do a good job (ok, I'm just one year and one gender away), then I read the stories, which were really fun and funny, so the ideas came easy. They seemed to enjoy a little rawness to the art, as well. Thanks to Maxine Davidowitz.

Slight Family Resemblance

2007-10-17T17:24:00.000-05:00

It must be the time of year, but every fall, I feel the need to do some extra-curricular drawing (maybe it’s a latent back-to-school feeling left over from childhood).

Anyway, this one was inspired by a family trip to PetSmart with our Boston. Watercolor is not something I know much about, but this sketch came together pretty well.

Soft Targets

2007-09-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

Daniel Kiss (a great rockstar name), from the Chicago band Soft Targets, contacted me about doing a poster. He liked the Thempire comic I did for Nozone X. It's been a while since I've had any art silkscreened and I thought it would be fun. Plus their band name suggested lots of possibilities (this one selected from several concepts). The poster should be printing right now, and if your in Chicago next month-- check out their show. No Cover!

Emmy in a Box

2007-09-17T20:14:00.000-05:00

When he is not design director of NYTimes.com, Khoi Vinh, runs a great design-related web site called Subtraction.com. He's also launched abriefmessage.com which features a short, weekly, 200 word essay on design/culture paired with an illustration or photo. He was kind enough to ask me to contribute to a story about SNL's Dick in a Box video winning it's well deserved Emmy.

On the Road– again

2007-09-17T19:04:00.000-05:00

Getting the cover assignment for this week’s NYTimes Book Review was thrilling, especially since it’s subjects are Jack Kerouac and the 50th anniversary of ”On the Road.” I'd seen JK's original scrolled manuscript in a Beat artist exhibit - It helped inform the drawn type on the cover. We kept this one simple, although for added drama, we knocked the masthead out of his shock of black hair. The second illustration is from a related interior article about Kerouac’s continued relevance.

Unlocking the Code

2007-09-02T01:47:00.001-05:00

This was for a great story in Business Week about DNA tests exonerating innocent convicts. It casts a pretty amazing and hopeful light on the modern world.

Marathon Drawing

2007-08-13T21:55:00.000-05:00

The good folks at Runners World magazine have given me several great assignments recently, but this drawing may be the most complicated assignment I’ve ever tried to pull off!

For their magazine opener, Design Director Kory Kennedy and his editors envisioned a Where's Waldo-type dissection of a marathon race day. They had 40 specific scenarios for me to draw in the spread, everything from porta-potty etiquette to photo-finishes. After a few style explorations, we decided to go with a clear, almost European comic style (I even threw a grown-up Tin Tin into the race for fun)

Collapse

2007-08-11T00:27:00.000-05:00

August 1st was a horrible day here in Minneapolis. The 35 W bridge was a main artery through town, driven by everyone. It's collapse was a shocking reminder of how fragile even the most massive structure can be. Sadly, news of the victims continues to emerge. As well, stories of the survivors and rescue workers make me proud to live in such a great city.

I attempted to put my feelings about that day into a graphic narrative.

* this has become a work in progress with color added 11/07, maybe a finished version will see the light of day sometime.

Good... Times

2007-08-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

Aviva Michelov is someone I'd enjoyed working with when she’d freelance art direct at the Times. I was happy to hear she'd been given the Week in Review post permanently. These are a few drawings and Timeline illustrations I have done with her.

More Good... Times

2007-08-10T15:39:00.000-05:00

A few more for Brian Rea and the Op Ed page: Mr. Oh (below) is the all-time greatest home run hitter in professional baseball, with or without steroids. He just happened to play in Japan, so he's not a household name stateside.

(Above) a mood peice about Antiqua for the Times's Summer Scapes series.

...and a bottle of Rum

2007-07-22T11:58:00.000-05:00

A.D. Adam Levine from Prologue asked me for some loose sketch art to use in an animated opening sequence of Cane: the Sopranos meets Miami Vice television show starring Bail Organa-- I mean Jimmy Smitts!

Prologue is the motion graphics house founded by the amazing Kyle Cooper.

Outdoor Adventures

2007-06-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I gotten several assignments from outdoors magazines - which is great because they really let me play with kinetic action, such a great part of comic art.

Last winter, outside Magazine's John McCauley asked me to cover their Oscars angle (above). Along with Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, there were several outdoor documentaries up for awards.

5420 is Denver’s regional magazine. While not specifically an outdoors magazine, it’s about, well... Colorado! These are illustrations of white-water fly fishing and burro racing (above) - 2 extreme sports available in the area. Art director Mike Leister, put this one together.

I have also done a few series’ for Skiing magazine’s Dave Allen. We've had a lot of fun with the category, this series being a life list of things to do - on a mountain, like ski naked (below).

Flaming Death Rainbow

2007-06-02T17:51:00.001-05:00

A New York Times Book Review piece for the new Chuck Palahniuk novel Rant. I had been working on a very cute, manga-style wedding present for a friend (see my comics blog) when I got this assignment. I wondered if I could do something anti-cute in the same style. After turning it in, I told my wife that Death Rainbow would be a great band name. She said “sure, for a bunch of thirteen year old girls.”

Note: this one unfortunately ran b/w at the last minute. This here's your color exclusive.

Gentlemen’s Quarterly

2007-05-22T00:13:00.000-05:00

Christopher Buckley

Russell Simmons

50 Cent

Drue Wagner at GQ called for a portrait of satire novelist Christopher Buckley. I didn't know much about him at, but you'd hope he'd have a sense of humor with a dad like William F--! I used the pen to reference his well regarded book (and movie) Thank You For Smoking.

A month later Drue called and they wanted a portrait of Russell Simmons. He had just written a book about hip-hop and his Macchiavellian approach to power-building. I thought we should draw him as Macchiavelli and we finalized the above drawing. Soon afterwards Drue let me know the story was being held for the next issue and expanded. A few weeks later we got the story, a humor piece and it referenced 50 Cent and a lot more bling - so this is the one that ran.

Seasonal Concepts (not just a store at the mall)

2007-05-10T20:11:00.000-05:00

Pilgrim’s Crossing

Leaf Lookers

Anywhere But...

Egg Coloring

Sometimes it is nice to just draw. These concepts are cover pitches and/or postcard promotions for an intended season - with bigger canvases, broader concepts and a self-imposed deadlines (amazing they got finished).

New Yorker - Goings on About Town

2007-05-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

Kim Basinger, Danny Devito in Even Money

Jeremy Piven in Smoking Aces

Fritz Lang’s Fury

Pamela Sneed, Monologist

Merce Cunningham

District B-13

Wassup Rockers

Crank

Grant McLennan, Musician

On Deadly Ground

Over the last year or so, it’s been a blast working with Maximilian Bode, New Yorker art director and Illustrator (also - the least boring name in contemporary illustration). He's sent me lots of great action and noir movies to tackle as well as a French made Hong Kong style sci-fi thriller. Who knew?

Prior to working with Max, I created several illustrations (below) for Owen Phillips over the years. Owen’s distinguished art directing tenure at the New Yorker (and frequent restaurant reviews) led him to an editorship position at Men's Vogue.

Infernal Affairs - Tony Leung Film Festival

Downtown Show art opening

Edgar J. Ulmer, American Film Noir / Yiddish Cinema pioneer
Kiss Me Deadly
the band Afghan Whigs (second drawing ran)

New York Times Op-Ed

2007-05-07T01:02:00.000-05:00

The Sky is Falling, Really

OK Corral

Gratuitus Disaster Coverage

Death of MGM

I have drawn several New York Times Op Ed spots for Brian Rea, who - in the tradition of Op Ed page art directors - is a terrific illustrator. Sometimes I try to get painterly with the black and greys, although the immediacy of the ink drawings can be a refreshing change from color work.

New York Times Book Review - Continued

2007-05-03T09:02:00.000-05:00

Returning to Earth by Jim Harrison

Lay of the Land by Richard Ford

Nature Girl by Carl Haissan

I had long aspired to illustrate for the New York Times Book Review, which Steven Heller built into a venerable institution of art and design. When the reigns passed to Nicholas Blechman last year, I got the opportunity.

It can be an interesting challenge to boil a whole novel down to one image - especially when you only have a short review to work from.

Philadelphia Magazine

2007-05-03T07:32:00.000-05:00

David Senior and Michael McCormick (who I'd worked with at Indianapolis magazine) called me in for this story in Philadelphia Magazine. Apparently the state fund raising chairs for both campaigns work in the same Philly law firm. We used the Liberty Bell to keep it local, but I think this drawing might sum up a lot of stories before 2008. (It also reminds me of a joke my dad used to tell about an animal that was a bear on one end and a rabbit on the other... can't remember the punch line though).

New York Observer - New Yorkerators

2007-05-03T00:28:00.000-05:00

Rufus Wainright

Matthew Modine, Mark Forster, DJ Spooky at the Soho Apple Store

Elvis Costello concert and record reissues

McSweeny's Earth Explained

Bloggers from Baghdad

Whacked Sopranos - Panel Discussion

Explosions in the Sky

Andy Warhol / David Lynch

Jack Bauer Power Hour (drink special)

The Hazzards

Art Director Nancy Butkus invited me to illustrate the NY Observer’s “New Yorkerator” page on the eve of the paper’s major redesign. She and the editors have been very positive towards the work. It's become a regular gig with a lots of drawings and tight deadlines - and yielding many good results.

Los Angeles Magazine - Ed Note Drawings

2007-05-03T00:15:00.000-05:00

As the regular illustrator for the Los Angeles Magazine Ed Note page (Joe Kimberling AD) or several years, I got to learn a lot about Tinsel Town. The gig ended last fall with a redesign of the magazine. I miss drawing their palm trees on cold winter days.

New York Times Book Review - America at War

2007-05-02T21:47:00.000-05:00

Nicholas Blechman of the New York Tims Book Review called thinking that I might be able to pull together six book reviews on the topic of America at war.

Luckily Nicholas gave me a few weeks to research and render the look of each battle. When in doubt, I drew lots of fire-- (leading him to conclude that I just like drawing fire). I've had the pleasure of working with Nicholas his self-published magazine Nozone. This carried on the spirit of some of those earlier collaborations.

ReadyMade Hipster or Homeless

2007-05-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

Recently George McCalman moved from art directing Mother Jones to the top AD spot at ReadyMade. We've done many projects together and he asked me if I knew someone who could handle a little cross hatching. I assured him that I, myself, could pull it off, since I used to cross-hatch a lot in middle school! It was a great change of pace, and a learning curve since Geo and I had to consult many RM staffers - all 10 years younger than we are - to get the style details right.

Mother Jones - Not Easy Being Green

2007-05-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

This was a series for Mother Jones about companies’ success, or lack of success, at running a “green” business. Art Director extraordinaire George McCalman pushed me to keep it loose on these.

2 Bob Morris covers, and one that got away

2007-05-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

For an illustrator, landing a hardcover book jacket is a real thrill - Steve Snider from St.Martins Press had seen my Fresh profile in Communication Arts magazine a few years ago and decided I might be a good fit for the debut novel by Bob Morris, Bahamarama, a neo-noir mystery novel that follows a tough-guy hero based in the Florida Keys. The pulpy cover came together quickly with Steve’s Zen-like direction and it stood out nicely on the New Fiction shelves.

Bahamarama was a big success, garnering Mr. Morris a well deserved Edgar nomination for his two-fisted prose, and me a call for the sequel, Jamaica Me Dead. It also came together well although it had a little more pressure on it due to the first novel's success.

When the third book came along, the editors said they really wanted to do something “special” with this cover (read new direction). I have to hand it to Steve and AD Jerry Todd for sticking by me as we tried to maintain a series look - but I knew I was sunk when the editor requested something less “low-brow”-- ouch!

Anyway, here are several low-brow sketches for Bermuda Schwartz. (You can see the finished books on Amazon).

Escapist illustrated

2007-05-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

I love comic books and I loved Michael Chabon’s The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, a novel about the American comic’s earlier and scrappier days. His comic-within-a-novel concept, The Escapist was dead-on and I thought it begged to be illustrated in the style of the day (late 1930's). This was my take on the first comic page described in the book. (Of course, Dark Horse comics realized the Escapist’s potential too - they already had a comic series in the works as I drew this.)

I sent a print of this art to Mr. Chabon, which he says he posted above his desk.