OBEY CATCHUM

Wound up with more free time than I'm comfortable with at work today. As I perused ffffound I stumbled across another one of the parody images of Shepard Fairey's Obama "HOPE" & "PROGRESS" propaganda posters. this time it was of Luke Skywalker and it read "A NEW HOPE."

So with nothing to do and with the art from my Taxi Driver piece still on my work mac, i decided I would do yet another homage to an artist I respect and enjoy, and mocked up this Diggup Catchum poster.

That's really about it. I've been designing an automobile for my comic over the past week. i don't usually draw cars let alone design them, so it's been a little slow-going and frustrating. But I've almost nailed it down and then i can finish Issue #3's cover.

-Karl

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Clean, Like My Conscience

Because I am primarily working on my daunting comic book miniseries while trying desperately to phase out my full time graphics job, I have little to no time left to continue what I was working on before I got the comics gig.

I bought the Collector's Edition DVD of Taxi Driver earlier this week, and loved the design of the dvd case so much that I decided to pay an homage to it with this piece from my "comic book maxi-series on hiatus" Diggup Catchum.

I really like Taxi Driver. It has a place in my heart. It was the film I identified the most with back in 1999. I was the lonely guy living in Altadena, CA while attending Art Center. Fresh out of high school, it was my first time away from home. I bought the film on VHS soon after the move. I identified with Travis Bickle's plight more than I thought I would. I was depressed and homesick, and found myself in socially awkward situations during my time in CA; similar themes that Travis experienced during his downward spiral of self-destruciton.

Fight Club was released shortly after that, and I quickly forgot about Taxi Driver as I became extremely intrigued about the concept of hitting bottom in a way Travis Bickle never did. Now, nearly 10 years later, I'm back out in SoCal, and I own the Collector's DVD and we've connected again. Pretty sweet.

Anyway, I drew the portrait and computer-colored it in about an hour and a half at work. I then finished it at home in illustrator and then voila! Promo completed.

I had a lot of fun hashing this thing out. Eddie's likeness is the closest I've ever drawn of him in comparison to how I see him in my mind's eye. I nailed the level of poofiness of his hair, which has always been a big struggle.

Now back to designing the vehicle that will be featured on the cover to Issue #3...

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Tie Symbolism and Ink Abuse

I just finished inking the cover for issue #2 of my as yet untitled comic project. I had a great time with this cover, and I only hit a speed bump when I was inking it. I just started making a lot of bad spur-of-the-moment freehand inking decisions. I won't take the time to go into detail (only because it's late and the details ARE boring), but suffice it to say, I pulled through with A LOT of white-out tape and now it's done and I'm very happy with the end result.

It'll be up here in full when it gets solicited!

On to cover #3!

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It's Time To Evolve Ideas

Ok, I haven't touched this blog in forever. I originally intended to post pre-established characters I've drawn on this blog. I haven't drawn any since Hellboy, and I'm so wrapped up in a new project right now that I don't know if I'll ever get to the next character on the slip of paper I picked out of the "character glass."

So it's time to evolve the idea of this blog. I will now use this blog to post new stuff I'm working on. Snippets of projects and finished pieces will be posted for your delight and benefit. Things that tickle my fancy will also be posted and commented upon.

It's a brand new, no-holds-barred ART BLAWG!

So let's get down to brass tacks. The two dudes in the image above are from the cover of the first issue of a currently untitled 5-issue limited series I am working on for a company I will not disclose right now. I won't be posting too much of this stuff before it actually sees print to keep the shroud of mystery intact.

But I think I'll post little scraps and morsels here and there.

And I will be posting more pre-established characters.

I need to draw a lot.

I need to be drawing right now.

So that's it.

-K

OH! And go buy the post-mortem Mitch Hedberg album, "Do You Believe In Gosh?" it's great and it came out yesterday. Great way to spend $10.