Tom's Mad Blog
December 6th, 2009 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: My question is about the application of color. I’ve already seen your tutorials about coloring, but I’d like to know how to use the right color for each kind of illustration you make. How do you make your color selections? How do you know what’s the right color to use? Do you do it intuitively or is it pre-meditated? A: I am definitely the wrong guy to ask this question. In my opinion my color use skills are not very good, and certainly not very thought out. What (very) little I know about color I picked up on my own and never studied any… READ MORE
December 5th, 2009 | Posted in MAD Magazine
If I was in New York City this upcoming Wednesday, this is where I would be at 8:00 pm: If you’ve ever laughed at Mad Magazine’s “Mad Fold-Ins” or “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions,” you’ve now got a rare opportunity to meet their creator, as comics legend Al Jaffee will be taking the stage with moderator Danny Fingeroth on December 9th at Columbia. A graduate of New York’s High School of Music and Art, Jaffee worked as an editor, writer and artist for Stan Lee at Timely (later Marvel) Comics during the 1940s. In 1955, Jaffee joined “the Usual Gang of Idiots” at Mad Magazine,… READ MORE
December 4th, 2009 | Posted in General
Nothing particularly interesting comes to mind to blog about today so here are the steps involved in a recent “workplace poster” job: 1. The assignment: 17 x 17 full color illustration showing a woman cutting off a man with an infant and a can of baby formula in a grocery store checkout line. Man should look surprised and a little annoyed but also dealing with it well. Lady has a cart full of groceries and will obviously be taking a lot of time checking out. The cashier is a trainee (must be young and labeled as a trainee) and looks confused/apprehensive. 2. Initial Pencils: (posted… READ MORE
December 3rd, 2009 | Posted in News
Wondering what that might be? Here you go: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk[/youtube] Content delivered wirelessly and automatically to a portable reading device… a next generation Kindle, Apple’s long rumored iPad or a Windows based tablet netbook. This kind of content with the flexibility, interaction and dynamics displayed in this demo and delivered to the user is something people will be willing to pay subscriptions for. READ MORE
December 3rd, 2009 | Posted in On the Drawing Board
I’ve got quite a few smaller jobs on the board right now: Penthouse Illustrations– some humorous spot illustrations for a Superbowl article (yes, Penthouse has articles) Animation Character Designs– Political caricatures to be used for some animated segments in a documentary Personal Commission– I was honored to be asked by a cartoonist I greatly respect to do a caricature of a famous friend of her’s as a birthday present. Looks like I’ll have to haul out the real paints. Movie Poster– A very simple design and illustration for previously mentioned documentary Workplace poster job– my usual monthly assignment Speaking of my usual monthly workplace poster… READ MORE
December 2nd, 2009 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Our subject this week is pro golfer and ?¬?ber shill Tiger Woods. Woods still refuses to talk with police or give any explanation as to why he was driving away from his Florida home at 2:30 a.m. in such a hurry that he ran into a fire hydrant AND a tree. That may be his right to privacy in action like any other citizen has but, as most people do not earn over $90 million a year thanks to endorsements based on the likability, trust and wholesomeness of their persona, I don’t blame anyone who thinks he should be a bit more forthcoming about the… READ MORE
December 1st, 2009 | Posted in MAD Magazine
I found out via the MadMumblings forum that Asterisk Animation is doing a series of short films featuring footage of interviews with MAD legends Sergio Aragon?¬©s and Al Jaffee. One might presume said shorts will be about MAD Magazine, but there is no official indication of that on the Asterix Animation Blog. However they were good enough to upload a clip to YouTube that will not be in any of the shorts featuring Sergio talking about some of the animation projects he’s worked on and how that process differs from doing comics. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPloDRqcUXk[/youtube] Unfortunately there are no subtitles… but that is English Sergio is speaking. READ MORE
November 30th, 2009 | Posted in General
EDIT- Well, that’s it! All my copies are now sold and I won’t be ordering any more to sign, draw in or otherwise sell here on The MAD Blog. Many thanks to all those who ordered the book. You can always order a copy through Amazon here. Christmas fast approaches and I have got exactly five… that’s right FIVE… copies of Bo Confidential: The Secret Files of America’s First Dog left. If you want one, now is the time to order. I will not be reordering any more nor offering them for sale with or without a signature, sketch or caricature of you after I… READ MORE
