Tom's Mad Blog
November 9th, 2009 | Posted in General
EDIT– Apple reconsidered its decision and approved the Bobble Rep app after a media storm of protest was set off by this innocent little rant on my insignificant little blog. Below is the original blog post: Just yesterday I was complaining about how Apple sometimes treats its customers as if they were stupid. I had no idea how right I was. Back in the late summer movie director/entrepreneur Ray Griggs, for whom I did all that art for his movie “Super Capers“, approached me with an idea for an iPhone app. The concept was a database of all the members of the United States Congress… READ MORE
November 8th, 2009 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I’ve been following your blog for quite some time and on the last few months I can see that you’re trying to use more and more your new “no black lines” style, it looks pretty cool by the way.¬¨‚ĆMy question is related to “style”, how do you feel about the need for an commercial artist to establish a style and stick to it for years and years? Isn’t it something that ends up slowing the artist progress as he ends up stuck in a “comfort zone”? A:¬¨‚ĆThis is a concept that does see a fair amount of debate: whether or not a freelance illustrator… READ MORE
November 7th, 2009 | Posted in It's All Geek to Me!
Whenever I get a new techie toy that I use in conjunction with my work I try and post a review of it from a visual artist’s perspective… in other words how does it affect my work on the computer or in business? You can read my reviews of the Cintiq 12wx,¬¨‚ĆOS X Leopard and the iPhone from previous posts. I wanted to review the new Apple Magic Mouse from such a perspective, but to be honest it’s still just a mouse, and has no real impact positively or negatively on my illustration/graphic work on the computer. It is a cool new toy, though. Thus… READ MORE
November 6th, 2009 | Posted in General
It was a great and inspiring time as always. Here is a caricature of me by the brilliant Hermann Mejia done as we sat about a table in the main room: More later. READ MORE
November 5th, 2009 | Posted in Surf's Up Dept.
You would think that an innocent, unsuspecting lobster would be safe in a place like Sandusky, OH… but that is far from the case. Especially if they are unlucky enough to be kidnapped by a vending machine company!!! [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RahH2oU0Tvw[/youtube] READ MORE
November 5th, 2009 | Posted in General
Hermann Mejia, me, Mark Fredrickson and Sam Viviano For the past two days I’ve been having fun at the annual International Society of Caricature Artists‘s convention, held this year in Sandusky, Ohio at the Kalahari Waterpark Resort. Every year this convention is something special, but this year they had four guests of honor/speakers, all from MAD Magazine. They included MAD art director and longtime MAD artist Sam Viviano, MAD cover artist Mark Fredrickson, MAD illustrator Hermann Mejia and myself. I was greatly looking forward to not only seeing my good friend Sam and many other friends for the ISCA, but as I had never met… READ MORE
November 4th, 2009 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
This week’s sketch(es) are coming live from the International Society of Caricature Artists‘s annual convention. As I mentioned before, I am one of four guest speakers from MAD Magazine at the event being held this week in Sandusky, OH, the others being Sam Viviano, Mark Fredrickson and Hermann Mejia. Often times the guest speakers catch “the bug” (and I’m not talking about H1N1) when at the convention and start drawing like the 220 plus other artists do all day and all night. So last night we found ourselves drawing each other in the main competition hall: At the table clockwise from left: Sam Viviano, Mark… READ MORE
November 3rd, 2009 | Posted in News
I’m speaking today at 1:00 pm at the International Society of Caricature Artists‘ annual convntion and competition, held this year in beautiful downtown Sandusky, Ohio. I’ll be followed by former airbrush legend and current digital painting master Mark Frederickson. Tomorrow’s speakers are MAD art director and long-time MAD artist Sam Viviano and w?¬?nderkind Hermann Mejia. Tomorrow evening there will be a panel of all of us answering questions as well. I’m greatly looking forward to this, in part because I have never had occasion to meet either Mark or Hermann. Funny we’ve been mainstays in MAD for over a decade each and yet never had… READ MORE
