Tom's Mad Blog
May 5th, 2008 | Posted in It's All Geek to Me!
I try hard to time my workflow around any traveling I have to do so I do not need to do coloring or any computer work on projects while “on the road”. I much prefer the familiar settings and equipment of my studio and my Cintiq 21UX for that kind of thing, and can much more easily draw and ink in hotel rooms or in less accommodating environments than to do the coloring or painting on a job. Still, sometimes it’s unavoidable, and I bring my Macbook Pro and Wacom Intuos tablet along to work on the finishes for a project. On my last road… READ MORE
May 5th, 2008 | Posted in Freelancing
“I’ve got the great idea for a <product-book-comic-property> and I need an illustrator like you to get onboard and share the wealth! This is guaranteed to be the Next Big Thing! You’re artwork is perfect and together this will be HUGE!!!” Sound familiar? I’ll bet not a few of you are nodding your heads right about now. How about this?: “I can’t pay anything right now, but I’ll give you a share in the profits!!!” Uh huh. Get rich quick schemes are a side product of the American Dream. Sometimes it seems like everyone wants to believe they have the next million dollar idea and… READ MORE
May 4th, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: When is your birthday, what do you want for your birthday and how will you celebrate your birthday? A: What a timely question! My birthday is, in fact, TODAY! I’m 42 and feel no older than 68, give or take a torn rotator cuff or two. What do I want for my birthday? I’d like world peace, The Lord of the Rings, The Extended Versions to finally come out on Blu-Ray and a World Series title for my Minnesota Twins. Of the three, “world peace” is looking the most likely right now and that isn’t saying much. How am I going to celebrate? The… READ MORE
May 3rd, 2008 | Posted in News
Huzzah! It’s Free Comic Book Day! Whaddya mean, “What is Free Comic Book Day”???? D’OH! “Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores”, that’s what it is! It’s a great promotion and encourages people to read and experience comics. There is a wide range of different kinds of titles, from popular superhero fare (Superman and the X-Men have special FCBD issues this year) as well as some less mainstream stuff (Hellboy and Alex Ross‘s Project Superpowers, among others) and some… READ MORE
May 2nd, 2008 | Posted in On the Drawing Board
A number of jobs going right now. First, here’s a look at that workplace poster I did last week: Click for a Closer Look… Other jobs- “Super Capers” Movie Job– Continuing to work on this big project. Hope to have it wrapped up this month MAD– Just got word about a new project for MAD #492. Movie… that’s all I can say! Online Gaming Website– Designing and illustrating player characters and environments for a new game website. Ongoing, but when it’s on-line I will certainly share the URL. Scholastic– Quick spot illustration, election related. Gotta get back to work! READ MORE
May 1st, 2008 | Posted in General
… just watched tonight’s episode with some LOST obsessed neighbors. In the latest round of “flash forwards” Hurley is claiming that the “Oceanic Six” never made it off the island, and they are in fact dead. Meanwhile on the island in present time (maybe?) Julia has to do an emergency appendectomy on Jack, which is successful. During the operation something occured to me, so through the magic of TIVO I went back to the beginning of the episode during the first of the flash forwards. Jack is shown waking up and getting out of bed and parading around shirtless in a bath towel…. … no… READ MORE
April 30th, 2008 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
A quick study of Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg. He’s got this incredibly thick neck and small cranial mass. An interesting face to draw. READ MORE
April 29th, 2008 | Posted in General
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) is the term for any strategy intended to make a company’s customers insecure about future product plans with the purpose of discouraging them from adopting competitors’ products. FUD is also an internet term for rumors or emotional responses to issues that are passed off as facts. In the last week or so the term “FUD” has been bandied about over the reactions to the proposed and recently released Orphan Works Act of 2008, with many people accusing folks like me of emotional reactions to imaginary issues. While some of that has been going on, there is plenty about the actual… READ MORE
