Tom's Mad Blog
June 26th, 2008 | Posted in General
Hard to believe it’s been two years already since the first post on The MAD Blog. Thanks to leap year and a (very) few multiple post days, this is post #791. Just when trying to come up with something new to write about or when writing a post begins to seem like a chore, I get another e-mail from someone telling me how much they love the blog and how much they get out of it, and they thank me for doing it. As I’ve said before, it’s a kind of therapy for me to put down the drawing pen and write for a little… READ MORE
June 25th, 2008 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
Still trying to nail this deadline so this week’s sketch will have to be a “blast from the past” from an old sketchbook. This was a quick study of director Steven Spielberg that I eventually redrew and painted up as a theme park sample circa 2002 (see park sample below). I was making fun of his cashing in on the anniversary of E.T. READ MORE
June 24th, 2008 | Posted in General
Every once and awhile a freelancer finds themselves working on a project that is a long way out of their usual type of work. This year that project for me has been working on “Super Capers“, a super-hero comedy by writer/director Ray Griggs. The great thing about working “outside the box” is that it is challenging and fresh. This job has certainly been that. What would a cartoonist have to do with a motion picture production? Good question. That’s exactly what I wondered. Ray had his own ideas, and he wanted some comic book/MAD Magazine cartoon imagery to go along with his live action film.… READ MORE
June 23rd, 2008 | Posted in On the Drawing Board
I’m extremely busy with a tough deadline for Wednesday morning, but hope to keep the “Dreaded Deadline Demon” at bay on The MAD Blog if possible. Here’s a quick piece I wrapped up last week for the client I do the workplace posters for… pencil, ink and final color stages. Click each image for a close up look: Pencil roughs. The client wanted me to tone down the “anger” in the old lady driver, and make her look more annoyed than fuming. The also asked me to make one of the two onlooker ladies heavier. Final inks reflecting those changes. Final color. In the case… READ MORE
June 22nd, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: The pencil sketches you make before the final drawing are so detailed and clean, where are the lines of the very beginning rough roughs???ᬨ‚Ć I know there’s the non-reproducing blue pencil approach but I suspect it’s something to do with the automated drawing system you use. A: I confess I have no idea what you mean by “automated drawing system”. I hope you do not think I somehow use a computer program to do any actual drawing or manipulation of drawings. That is very far from the case. I draw everything I do traditionally with pencil on paper/bristol, and later erase the lines after… READ MORE
June 21st, 2008 | Posted in Surf's Up Dept.
Our usual sm??⬨?rg??⬨‚Ä¢sbord of cartoon, caricature and MAD related website, links, news articles and announcements! I Like Both Kinds of Music: Country AND Western Dept.- MAD artist Grey Blackwell and MAD scribe David Shayne collaborated with David’s brother Jon on this animated music video where “Merle Hazard” laments losing his girl for someone who is more “environmentally sensitive” and trys going green to lure her back. I’m Smarter than This 5th Grader Dept.– Smithson with the offensive drawing… 10 year old 5th grader Cullen Smithson got into a little hot water recently when his teacher, Karen Boudreau, 44, filed criminal charges against him over a… READ MORE
June 20th, 2008 | Posted in General
The National Cartoonists Society and the National Cartoonist Society Foundation has been working with “Broadside” (Naval Times) cartoonist Jeff Bacon and the USO on a great program that brings cartoonists from various areas to military hospitals and medical centers for them to meet, talk with and draw for U.S. veterans who are convalescing from injuries sustained in defense of our nation. It’s an inspired and inspiring program, and many cartoonists have visited injured veterans in many U.S. military hospitals around the country. This fall the NCS and the USO are sponsoring their first cartoonist trip outside the U.S. for this purpose. Organized by Jeff and… READ MORE
June 19th, 2008 | Posted in MAD Magazine
The St. Louis Artist’s Guild has apparently hit rock bottom, as they are stooping to an exhibit of artwork from MAD Magazine and as a result will no doubt lose all credibility as a patron of the arts. Worse yet, they aren’t even making any money off of it as it is free to the public!! What are they thinking? The show opening this Sunday with a reception from 1:00- 3:00 pm at the Guild’s gallery, and runs through Sept. 6th. I do not believe that there is any of my artwork in it, unless it’s from some private collection. All the more reason to… READ MORE
