Tom's Mad Blog
June 3rd, 2007 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: A friend of mine who does the party caricatures for a living told me “zones out” a lot while drawing a big crowd. He said that he gets in a rythm of drawing where he’s so comfortable and routine he goes on automatic pilot to the point where he’s actually floated above himself watching himself draw and entertain for a couple subjects. My friend says it happens almost every gig. Sometimes its out of boredom too. Its very surreal. He said watching himself draw and talk was freaky. He doesn’t do drugs and has a couple beers to unwind only after the gig. Have… READ MORE
June 2nd, 2007 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Never one to rest on their laurels when a fatter wallet is more comfortable to rest on, MAD puts out collections in book form now and again. Some are “themed”, like the terrific MAD about the Mob and MAD about Superheroes, and some are compilations of decades like MAD about the 70’s. For a while there I was very unlucky about not being included in these collections. MAD about the Mob, a collection of features about gangsters, was ending production just as my two page “MAD look Behind the Scenes of the Sopranos” was published. Likewise my “Spider-Sham” parody missed MAD about Superheroes by a… READ MORE
June 1st, 2007 | Posted in News
Deadlines conquered!! Due to my hectic summer schedule I will once again have to pass attending the San Diego Comic Con this year. I had a lot of fun going back in 2005, but the last two years have been impossible at that time of year. Maybe in 2008. Instead, I’m excited about attending the 2007 Festival of Cartoon Art in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State University manages a Cartoon Research Library that is truly a one-of-a-kind storehouse of cartoon history, original art and knowledge about the art form. Every three years they hold a festival full of speakers and event, and in October of this… READ MORE
May 31st, 2007 | Posted in General
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May 30th, 2007 | Posted in On the Drawing Board
Time to pay for my playtime away. I have a ton of stuff going right now: MAD Movie Parody- Crunch time for the finals, due on Friday. Sorry, can’t share that stuff for a while, but I’ll post it as soon as the issue hits the stands. Scholastic- Two jobs going right now for them, including some small caricatures of historical leaders like Peter the Great, Nicholas I, Stalin and a few others. Here’s a few of the initial studies: They like simple, cartoony style caricatures for their publication so I downplay the illustration and rendering a bit and do a MAD like job on… READ MORE
May 29th, 2007 | Posted in News
I’m back from another terrific time at the NCS Reuben awards. The board members and officers really work hard to make this event fun, entertaining and relaxing every year. They secure the sponsorship of the major syndicates like United Media, King Features and others to pay for lavish dinners, parties and gatherings throughout the weekend, which also includes a number of guest speakers and plenty of time left over to hang out with friends and colleagues. Sleep is often an afterthought, with parties going until the wee hours every day. Festivities kicked off this year on Friday with two guest speakers, Jerry Van Amerongen and… READ MORE
May 28th, 2007 | Posted in News
MAD art director Sam Viviano can’t believe I actually won an award. No time to blog right now, as we are on our way back home from the NCS Reuben weekend. I will write a comprehensive synopsis of the event tomorrow. I just thought I’d say I am pleased to announce I did win one of the two divisional Reubens I was nominated for on Saturday night. I won for Advertising Illustration. It is a huge honor and it’s quite moving to be recognized by a group full of legends, inspirations and incredible talents such as the NCS. I am humbled and honored. READ MORE
May 27th, 2007 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you believe a person can learn to be a great artist? Meaning a person that shows a little talent, do you believe that person can be developed into a great artist? I have viewed studies of “historically” great artists such as Picaso and such and viewed the transformation of the level of his drawing (not very good at first) and then 5 years later after intense study the splendidness of his drawing. I am just starting to pursue my dream of being a great artist (enter the college of art here in the fall) and I think I am above average compared to… READ MORE
