Tom's Mad Blog
September 15th, 2018 | Posted in MAD Magazine
MAD has started posting sneak peeks of issue #4 on their Instragram, including this close up of a panel from the feature I worked on. It’s their “Halloween” issue, so many of the features will have a horror theme. I did the art on a six page parody that includes references to several classic horror films. It’s a departure from the typical MAD parody, a little like the “Xander and Kam’s Sneaky Previews” piece from MAD #2, with multiple films and TV shows being referenced. Can’t really say much more without giving it all away. MAD #4 hits newsstands Oct 17th. READ MORE
September 14th, 2018 | Posted in General
I am a member of an organization called the International Society of Caricature Artists (which, incidentally, I heartily recommend to anyone doing caricature professionally at any level). Right now there is a lively discussion going on on their members-only Facebook page about the trials and tribulations of what many call “cookie cutter caricature” and what I call “generic caricature”. I thought it would make a good topic for an article here. Briefly, “generic” caricature is when a caricature artist draws the same features over and over again on everyone, regardless of what that subject actually looks like, and is often seen in live caricature done… READ MORE
September 13th, 2018 | Posted in Illustration Throwback Thursday
Back in 2006 the Minnesota Twins pro baseball team hired me to design this “Little Piranha” character for them, including doing some illustrations for various T-Shirts and other merchandise. Why piranhas? Earlier that year White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was being interviewed about a series with the Twins and called them “Little Piranhas” because while they didn’t kills you with big bites like a shark, they took all these little chomps out of you with their “small ball” style of playing and the next thing you know you are dead. It was a compliment… I think. Anyway the Twins loved that and they made a… READ MORE
September 12th, 2018 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Still working on deadlines… here’s a flashback “sketch” of Edward Norton from his (brief) role as Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk. This was actually done as an example for the wall at one of my theme caricature booths, so it is an example of my “live” caricature style. 4B pencil and freehand airbrush. READ MORE
September 11th, 2018 | Posted in General
Too much travel and not enough studio time. READ MORE
September 10th, 2018 | Posted in General
I was a guest at Rose City Comic Con this past weekend. One of the things I do at these shows are full color “sketch covers” done on one of the blank cover variants of MAD. Sadly it was not a very busy convention for us, but I did this sketch cover as a sample for the booth. Done using brush pens, copic parkers and a touch of colored pencil. READ MORE
September 9th, 2018 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: When are you going to video your workshop and/or offer an online version of your workshop? A: Probably not for a long time, if ever. I know that’s not an answer most people in the internet age want to hear, but I prefer to keep these workshops in person and of limited size. It makes them a very personal and focused sort of experience, and while it makes the expense of doing one (cost of the workshop and travel expenses if necessary) prohibitive for some, it also provides those who do it a much greater value and experience than some video series. I’ve got… READ MORE
September 7th, 2018 | Posted in General
This is an article I wrote a number of years ago, that I repost here every couple of years. I often get emails from people asking “are there any “intellectual’ copyright laws preventing an artist from drawing/painting a caricature of a celebrity/sports person, then selling the original artwork and artist’s prints of the original drawing?” Yes, there are. They are called the “right of publicity”. The information is still very relevant. Here’s the article: Caricature and the Right of Publicity A few years ago a colleague of mine who does party caricatures in southern California was contacted by comedian Jay Leno about an ad the… READ MORE
