Tom's Mad Blog
March 28th, 2010 | Posted in General
Q: I’m just wondering if there are any special consideration you need to take in your illustrations, colour wise, that you know are going to be printed?¬¨‚Ć I know in animation, when a background is being painted in Photoshop, there’s a filter that checks if the colours will show up on TV, but is there similar issues with colouring for print? A: There are a few things you need to keep in mind about colors in print, especially when it comes to digitally created art. First off, and probably the most immediate concern, is the difference between the colors you see on the screen and… READ MORE
March 27th, 2010 | Posted in News
©????- (ok… ©Marvel Comics until further notice) Marvel Comic’s superheroes are famous for being different than the typical type because they are written as having to deal with personal and human issues and problems as often as they do the superhuman kind. Apparently Marvel itself is no different. A legal battle is shaping up pitting Marvel Comics and its new parent the Walt Disney Company against the heirs of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, who are arguing that a portion of the copyrights to many of Marvel’s most marketable characters belong to their late father and his estate. This is similar in some respects… READ MORE
March 26th, 2010 | Posted in News
Before… March 19th, 2008 four months after surgery… Did you think I was kidding??? It has officially been one year and a handful of days since I got my left rotator cuff repaired via arthroscopic surgery. So, here is the latest update.. I am pleased to say I am back in the gym and near 100% again. I still have a lack of strength and stability when my shoulder is in certain positions, but steady rehab and a slow progression into real weightlifting has me doing most exercises pain free as long as I don’t overdo the weight. I am gradually building strength and size… READ MORE
March 25th, 2010 | Posted in Wall of Shame
Technically, since I redid my studio the “Wall of Shame” that previously existed on the walls outside my studio now reside inside the studio on several walls… the concept still lives, however. To wit, the newest addition to the “Wall of Shame” just arrived the other day and is on it’s way to the frame shop. After said framing it will proudly hang in the studio as a member of the WOS. In the most recent issue of MAD, I did the art for the parody of the TV show “The Big Bang Theory”. The TV show’s producer, Chuck Lorre, is a fan of MAD… READ MORE
March 24th, 2010 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
This week we continue our ink-wash sketches of the characters of the TV show “LOST” with Terry O’Quinn AKA John Locke AKA Smokey the Monster. READ MORE
March 23rd, 2010 | Posted in General
Hermann at work I just got back last night from a quick weekend trip to NYC where illustrators Ed Steckley, Ray Alma and I got the rare opportunity to work with the fantastic Hermann Mejia while he shared some of his watercolor expertise with us at Ed’s pad in Sunnyside (Queens). I haven’t really worked much with watercolor before (took a class once a million years ago), so this was a pretty new experience for me. I loved getting a chance to hang out with these talented artists, experiment with a new medium and especially to watch a true master of watercolor work his magic.… READ MORE
March 21st, 2010 | Posted in General
Last week my good friend, illustrator and caricaturist Ed Steckley, called me to chat and told me about a cool painting get together he and some fellow pals had planned for the weekend. Ed was going to host a watercolor mini-class by MAD illustrator Hermann Mejia for just he and another MAD artist, Ray Alma. He invited me to tag along. Hello frequent flyer mile awards. I cashed in a few of those frequent flyer miles and spent the weekend in NYC. On Saturday we bummed around Brooklyn, and checked out Hermann’s show at RocketShip comics on Smith St. See pics of the show below.… READ MORE
March 21st, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Norman Rockwell writes in his book Norman Rockwell, artist and illustrator )by Norman Rockwell & Thomas S. Buechner) how people would constantly write in to the Saturday Evening Post about the mistakes he made in his references. Do you get any of that kind of feedback? If so what is the biggest mistake you have made, if any? A: I believe you are talking about “bloopers” like drawing six fingers on a hand or something similar, as opposed to mistakes in perspective or similar mechanical flaws… because if it’s the latter this will be a very long post. Oh, I’ve made my share of… READ MORE
