Tom's Mad Blog
April 27th, 2009 | Posted in General
Clockwise from bottom left: Jeff Keane, Mike Luckovich, Michael Ramirez, Dan Piraro, Stephen Pastis, Dave Coverly, Steve Moore, Eric Goldberg, Drew Struzan and Cathy Guisewite. Click image for a closer look... For the last 6 years I have been honored to do an illustration for the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Awards Weekend that they use on the official T-Shirt and sometimes on the tote bags, programs, in the Reuben Journal, etc. Usually it has involved the guest speakers and some scene related to that year’s event location. This year the Reubens will be in Los Angeles, AKA “Hollywood”, so I went with a movie set… READ MORE
April 26th, 2009 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: While in Syracuse, we listened to a pretty cool artist who complained of unfair standards in the publishing industry. She¬¨‚Ć ranted about doing something for Playboy then finding out that Proctor and Gamble discovered it and banned her from their list of preferred illustrators. Do you fear backlash after doing something for Penthouse? A: That thought did cross my mind. I do work for some kid orientated publications and having work in an “adult” magazine might be viewed by some as unacceptable to then be allowed bylines in their publications. That’s partly why I used a pseudonym on the last job I did for… READ MORE
April 25th, 2009 | Posted in General
One of the best things about running theme park caricature operations is getting to work with a lot of young, talented artists. Theme park artists often get a bad rap because there are a fair number of them that employ “cookie cutter” type techniques where everyone looks the same and the art quality isn’t very good. However there are just as many who do an outstanding job and who are very good, and in some cases incredible, artists. I’ve worked with artists who have gone on to success in comics, animation, fine art, illustration, design, publishing, etc. It’s always cool to see one of my… READ MORE
April 24th, 2009 | Posted in Freelancing
This is a job I did a few months back for Penthouse, now on the stands. The assignment was an unusual one, and one I had to briefly consider if I wanted to do or not. Although I do not have a problem working for Penthouse (nor would I for Playboy) those would be the only two “adult” magazines I would agree to do work for… they have a certain mainstream acceptability that Hustler, etc. does not. Additionally, I would not accept a job even from them drawing nude women or a sexually explicit subject. I have zero problem with anyone’s right or willingness to… READ MORE
April 23rd, 2009 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Promo art by Peter “PG” Gustafsson “The MAD Generation” is an exhibition of MAD inspired artwork showing at The Gallery at East Atlanta Tattoo in Atlanta, GA. It only runs for two weeks and the final three days are today, tomorrow and Saturday. The artwork in the show are tributes to MAD and the visual images that made it successful as seen through the eyes of about 50 different artists. This looks like a fun show and I wish it was nearby. I don’t get to Atlanta anymore after having closed up my Underground Atlanta caricature location over a year ago… not that I would… READ MORE
April 22nd, 2009 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
This week’s sketch is of recent media sensation and “Britain’s Got Talent” phenom Susan Boyle. Just in case you have been living under a rock for the last 11 days, she is a contestant in a UK talent show who created a media storm with her performance on the show on Saturday the 11th. All of England was buzzing about her during our trip to London. She is this dowdy, frumpy sort of middle aged woman who acted very “cheeky” and goofy before her number, and everyone watching was expecting the second coming of William Hung. Instead she belted out a flawless and spine tingling… READ MORE
April 21st, 2009 | Posted in MAD Magazine
It took a little over 57 years, but this week MAD Magazine‘s 500th issue hits the stands… thereby officially thumbing their noses at TIME Magazine‘s famous critical opinion of the publication as a “short lived satirical pulp”. MAD might not be doing well in this age of dying print publications, but lasting 57 years and 500 issues is no mean feat. Upon my gently broaching the subject of whether or not I’d have a piece in #500, art director Sam Viviano told me he was being asked the sames thing by a staggering number of current and former MAD contributors. The editors and staff wanted… READ MORE
April 20th, 2009 | Posted in MAD Magazine
This is it!! Big number 500 is in comic book stores this week and on news stands April 28th: MAD # 500 (June 2009) Cover (Mark Frederickson) The Fundalini Pages (Jeff Kruse & Liz Lomax, Garth Gerhart, Duck Edwing, Tom Cheney, Jeff Kruse & Scott Bricher, Sam Sisco, Michael Grinspan & Bob Clarke, Peter Paul Porges, Al Jaffee, Stan Sinberg & Bob Staake, The Notorious A.I.G. (Scott Bricher) The Fundalini Pages, con’t (Scott Maiko & Leonardo Rodriguez, Desmond Devlin & Kevin Pope, Peter Bagge, Anthony Barbieri & Tom Fowler & Carl Peterson & Rob Liegh, Jeff Kruse & Jos?¬© Garibaldi, Jacob Lambert, Jeff Kruse &… READ MORE
