Tom's Mad Blog
September 20th, 2009 | Posted in Mailbag
I get asked some questions a lot, so occasionally I will repost a mailbag question from some time ago that is of that nature. Since we spent this weekend in New York City and saw more Times Square caricaturist thievery, this often asked question seemed appropriate: Q: I recently saw a display for some caricaturists at the Sydney Easter Show that showed the caricature of you done by Mort Drucker. They were using it as a sample of work. I know your work itself is also always being used to promote others (placed on their displays meant to make potential customers think they did it… READ MORE
September 19th, 2009 | Posted in General
The Lovely Anna and I are in New York City this weekend to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary (actually that’s not officially until Wednesday) and to see the Brendt Toast Gang’s art show featuring the work of a long time and very good friend, Ed Steckley. Ed is a very talented illustrator and cartoonist, as well as being one of the best live caricaturists I have ever seen… and that’s saying something as I have seen some thousands of them. He does a lot of storyboard work for commercials that you have probably seen on TV, as well as publication work including a piece in… READ MORE
September 18th, 2009 | Posted in General
In an odd coincidence just hours before I learned of the passing of Ismael Roldan, I was reminded of his being instrumental in making it possible for me to visit Colombia last summer when Colombian television reporter and personality Cristina Valencia emailed me a link to the above video. The video features her story on the 15 Sal??n Internacional de Historietas y Caricaturas Calicomix 2009 (15th Annual International Exhibition of Cartoons and Caricatures Calicomix 2009) where I was a guest speaker back in June. It’s in spanish of course but my interview section is in English with Spanish subtitles at around minute 4:15. There are… READ MORE
September 16th, 2009 | Posted in General
Mi amigo Luis Edwardo Leon was kind enough to translate both my post about Ismael’s passing and the Exaggerated Features interview with him into Spanish: He recibido una noticia terrible hoy en d??a. Al parecer, la caricatura ilustrador Ismael Rold?¬?n, falleci?? hoy a los 45 a?¬±os en Nueva York, de acuerdo con su amigo y colega caricaturista colombiano Jorge Restrepo. Jorge confirm?? la noticia a trav?¬©s de uno de los primos de Ismael que a??n viven en Colombia. Ismael naci?? all??, pero ha vivido en los Estados Unidos por m?¬?s de 20 a?¬±os. Sin embargo, no hay m?¬?s detalles sobre la causa de su muerte.… READ MORE
September 16th, 2009 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
I often get requests from readers to post rougher sketches and doodles on the blog as opposed to more meticulously drawn out pieces. Those ridiculously rendered and worked up “sketches” you see on many an art blog aren’t really sketches or studies anyway… they are more like illustrations with all the thinking and exploring worked out of them. I’m guilty of that myself, and I can see the value of seeing something a lot looser with the thought process more evident. So, with that in mind here are a few rough studies I did for a job I am working on that includes a head… READ MORE
September 15th, 2009 | Posted in News
Self Caricature by Ismael Roldan I recieved some terrible news today. Apparently caricature illustrator Ismael Roldan died today at age 45 in New York, according to his friend and fellow Colombian caricaturist Jorge Restrepo. Jorge confirmed the news through one of Ismael’s cousins still living in Colombia. Ismael was born there but has lived in the United States for over 20 years. No further details yet on his cause of death. Besides being enormously talented, Ismael was a very generous man, giving of his time and advice to aspiring artists. He was the special guest of honor at the last convention of the International Society… READ MORE
September 15th, 2009 | Posted in News
Mort Drucker- Photo by Ruby Washington for the New York Times The Lovely Anna and I are headed to New York City on Thursday in part to attend the opening of the Long Island chapter (otherwise known as the Berndt Toast Gang) of the National Cartoonists Society‘s art show “Laugh Lines” at the Art-trium Gallery on Melville Park Road in Melville. The show is going to feature original art by the members of the Long Islad chapter including Mort Drucker, Ray Alma, John Reiner, Adrian Sinnott and my good buddy Ed Steckley. There are lots of other artists but those are the ones I am… READ MORE
September 14th, 2009 | Posted in News
I had several friends e-mail me to say that my illustrations of Brett Farve from the Star Tribune were featured on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” show with Chris Berman yesterday. I didn’t see it, and cannot find any reference to it on their website. Oh well, guess I missed it. Still that’s pretty cool. READ MORE
