Tom's Mad Blog
March 26th, 2017 | Posted in General
Q: You use a line art and color technique for a lot of your work. What method do you use to get the lines on their own layer in Photoshop (assuming you ink and scan rather than create the lines digitally)? A: For years I used the “multiply” method, which is simply putting your scanned lines, white paper and all, on its own layer and then setting that layer mode to “multiply”. Everything on that layer then gets “multiplied” with what is below it, sort of like printing the linework on a piece of clear acetate. White is inert so it becomes invisible. That works… READ MORE
March 24th, 2017 | Posted in News
For the next 17 hours or so (midnight U.S. Central DST) I’m having a 50% sale on any of the original “Sketch o’the Week” caricature sketches in the Studio Store. Get ’em while the getting’s good! READ MORE
March 24th, 2017 | Posted in News
It’s been years since I last had a space at Wondercon… in fact it was still in San Fransisco the last time I was there. This year I’ll be at space #DL-o2 with my usual set of garbage, including a big stack of Goodnight Batcave books, a few original MAD pages, My Mad Art of Caricature and Sketch o’the Week books, lots of copies of MAD, my limited edition prints, comic-con exclusive mini-prints, and of course lots of commissions and caricatures I draw on the spot! Come and see The Lovely Anna and me next weekend, Fri March 31 thorugh Sun April 2nd at the… READ MORE
March 23rd, 2017 | Posted in News
There are a number of spots available in my two upcoming Minnesota workshops, as well as the two summer ones in Pittsburgh and New York (Long Island City). The one in Munich is sold out! Here’s the inventory left: Eagan, MN: April 28-30th, 2017- 5 spots left! Eagan, MN: May 5-7th, 2017- 7 spots left! Pittsburgh PA: June 9-11th, 2017- 6 spots left! Munich, Germany: July 7-9th, 2017- SOLD OUT! Long Island City, NY: Aug 8-10 2017- 5 spots left! The MN ones are unique in that the Friday event takes place in my studio, which gives you the opportunity to have me demo my drawing,… READ MORE
March 22nd, 2017 | Posted in Classic Rock Sketch Series
This week’s sketch subject is “The Boss” himself, Bruce Springsteen! Pen and ink on paper. Original is available in the Studio Store. READ MORE
March 21st, 2017 | Posted in MAD Magazine
A week or so ago Bleeding Cool broke the news that MAD was apparently following the rest of DC Comics out to Burbank “soon”. Back in 2013 when DC announced they were moving out of NYC and to Burbank, I wrote this post speculating on what would happen with MAD. The short version is I saw four possible scenarios: Enough current MAD editors and art staff make the move that MAD remains the MAD we know and love. DC bankrolls a small, separate MAD office in NYC, and MAD remains the MAD we know and love. DC forms a new editorial and art staff to… READ MORE
March 20th, 2017 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Here’s a couple more sneak peeks (courtesy of Mashable) at some pages from MAD‘s Superman and the Miserable, Rotten, No Fun, Really Bad Day, coming out this fall. Words by Dave Croatto, art by me. On sale everywhere in October!… READ MORE
March 19th, 2017 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: It is essential, that your customers like your drawings. But whom else do you want to like your art (yourself, family, friends …)? A: Everyone has an opinion, but fortunately we can decide which ones actually matter. One of the things I try and teach rookie theme park artists is that the opinions of your customers are only important insofar as they are happy with the drawing and they purchase it. Beyond that, you should not take their opinion of your actual art with anything but a grain of salt. Many people are “visually illiterate” and cannot tell the difference between a good caricature… READ MORE
