Mailbag
April 12th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you have any tips how to store original art? How do you store your drawings? How do you protect them against men, mice, bugs and time?¬¨‚Ć A: Everything on your list of things to protect against is quite easy to do after you have completed a piece of art… the exception is time. That you need to think about before you draw a single line. Protecting originals is pretty easy and straightforward. You simpy keep them dry, clean and contained so nothing can get to them. Container stores and places like Target or office supply stores cary a wide range of plastic tubs… READ MORE
April 5th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: If you couldn’t draw or work in art at all what do you see yourself doing for a living? Depends on what you mean by “art” under your restrictions. If, by your question’s rules,¬¨‚Ć I just could not draw but would still be allowed to work in the creative fields, I think I would have tried to be a writer. I’m not sure I could have pulled off a career in that field, but I think I would have given it a try. If my entire right-brain creativity center was short-circuited and I had no aptitude in the creative arts at all, I would… READ MORE
March 29th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
These are a couple of follow up questions I’ve gotten via Twitter or email on the subject of selling prints of copyrighted characters: You mention that making limited edition prints is allowed. I’ve never heard that before. Do you have any source for that? I would not say it’s “allowed”. I’d say it is better defensible under a First Amendment defense because “fine art” is better recognized as a traditional vehicle for free speech. That advice was imparted to me by lawyers I consulted in a Chicago based firm specializing in Right of Publicity and Copyright issues when researching an article I was writing. They… READ MORE
March 22nd, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: ¬¨‚ĆIn regards to recurring characters like Spy vs Spy, Melvin and Jenkins, and Monroe etc does mad own the rights to those characters (I’m assuming they DO own Spy vs Spy) or does the original artist/ writer still own them? A: Since it’s inception, all the work done for MAD is created as work-for-hire. That means MAD owns the copyright to the specific work and any and all characters or concepts created through that work. That means MAD owns “Spy vs. Spy”, “Melvin and Jenkins”, “Monroe”, concepts like “Celebrity Death Betting Odds”, “The MAD Fold-In”, “The Lighter Side of…” etc. MAD can reprint them… READ MORE
March 8th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I was wondering if you could give some information about drawing live retail caricatures (as in setting up on a sidewalk or in a busy tourist area.) I was curious about making things nice and legal. A: That’s a question that is too specific to answer in general. The legal necessities for do retail caricatures differ by state, venue, circumstance, etc. Most of my expertise in this area would be drawing at theme parks and tourist retail centers or malls. In almost all instances you would need to be licensed as a business in the spot you intend to draw at. If it’s a… READ MORE
March 1st, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: You did a lot of comic book conventions in 2014. Have there been any people coming to you, showing you their drawings and asking for your professional opinion? Could you give them some kind of advice? Did you like it to do?¬¨‚Ć A: Yes, that happens a lot. This can be an uncomfortable situation, especially when the work being shown is not very good. You hate to crush people’s dreams, but you also don’t want to give someone who is years (or maybe never) away from doing anything that might get them work in an industry they clearly love the idea they are “almost… READ MORE
February 22nd, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I have a question with regards on seeing Comics/Graphic Novels as Fine Arts. How do you view comic art? High Art? Low Art? I’m asking as I’m currently facing scorns and that “question mark” look from many of my “fine art” peers on me using comic inking style as a style to paint on canvas etc. And how do you draw the line between fine art and Fan art? or is there even a line to began with..¬¨‚Ć A: Ah… Comic art/illustration vs. “fine art”. Like discussions involving politics, religion and Mac vs. PC, This is a debate that has no winner and no… READ MORE
February 15th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I there any part of a project you DON’T like to draw? In other words do you find it anathema to draw anything mechanical or architectural or anything otherwise mundane. — such as animals or cars or trees, etc.? Similarly, do you have concerns when drawing perspectives, foreshortening, etc.? A: Not really. Drawing mechanical things like buildings or cars is a little different from drawing organic things like plants or people only because the latter requires more rigid order with the forms and the former is more fluid and…uh… “organic” is really the only adjective that applies. Both are just things that are are… READ MORE
