Mailbag
February 9th, 2014 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: If you are doing a commission like your James Bond commission, which copyrights does your customer get? Does the customer, who gets the James Bond original also get all copyrights? In this case he could use your art for instance as a book cover or scan it and use it on his homepage etc.. And what about the original MAD art you are also selling: I think you wrote on your blog, that MAD has all copyrights but does not bother about the originals so you can sell them. But doesn’t the owner of the original art also get all copyrights? A: The answers… READ MORE
February 2nd, 2014 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Have you seen the recent lawsuit against Andrew Zimmerman over copyright infringement with his painting of the Florida lawyer who prosecuted him in the Trayvon Martin case? Is that what you mean by a “right of publicity” issue? A: The lawsuit in question is over these images: The top is an Associated Press photo of of Florida State Attorney Angela Corey from April 2012, taken at the Trayvon Martin trial. The bottom is a painting by George Zimmerman entitled “Angie”. Just in case you have been living under a rock the last few years, Zimmerman was acquitted this past July of the murder of… READ MORE
January 26th, 2014 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I’ve seen you address the question of ape-ing the style of another artist previously, but I wanted to ask it from a different angle: at what point did you begin to shape your own style of art? It’s my opinion that there is no shame in being influenced by superior and more famous artists when you are finding your own lines. In fact, it’s probably silly to assume that it’s even possible to not mock someone (even if it’s your elementary school art teacher) when you’re first introduced to a given medium. But what measures did you take to draw features YOUR way, when… READ MORE
January 19th, 2014 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: My question is how does one get into freelance illustration without a formal art school education and when is it too late? Okay it’s a long winded two part question… A little back story on myself. I always liked to draw as long as I can remember, and I was pretty good at it. I remember getting in trouble in middle school for not paying attention in class and doodling in my notebook. My guidance counselor looked through the pictures I drew told me he could offer me a scholarship to art school then and there if I would just do my real school… READ MORE
January 5th, 2014 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: When you are putting together panels for a tv or movie spoof, do you cement the basics first and add the “chicken fat” in the background later, or do you do everything at once? Do the background gags come to you on the spot? A: Certainly I am concerned with the basic layouts, storytelling, caricatures and the scripted gags first, and the “chicken fat” comes second. For those who don’t know what the term “chicken fat” refers to, it was coined by MAD great Will Elder and meant all the background gags he crammed into his panels. From my post after Elder’s passing away:… READ MORE
December 29th, 2013 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Just curious how long you spend on the concept stage of an illustration. I am thinking about the piece you did “Abysmal House” for MAD. would think the conceiving of who will go where and what they will be doing has got to take a huge amount of time for something like that. Are there “super roughs” we don’t see that work out design, body position, etc. and then submitted for approval before proceeding or do you go right to what we are privileged to see as a sketch? Can you describe your process of conceptualizing an illustration? And somewhat related, any tips on… READ MORE
December 22nd, 2013 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: What is your most and least favorite pieces you’ve done for MAD? A: Whew, that’s a tough one. My stock answer on the former question is “the last one I did”, which is actually not a bad answer. I always put 110% into anything I do, especially for MAD, so naturally I like my most recent work the most. However some projects, be they because of the subject matter or just a happy set of circumstances and dumb luck, end up being a favorite. I guess if I had to choose I think MAD’s 519’s “The Dork Knight Repises” is my favorite piece I’ve… READ MORE
December 15th, 2013 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: My question is around developing caricature skills. How would you guide someone who would like to be a caricaturist? Would you suggest to start practicing with portraits to then jump into caricature? What skills the aspiring caricaturist should go in deep to obtain expertise necessary? A: I think the answer to that question would be a little different for each individual, but in general I would say most aspiring caricaturists would benefit greatly from a solid foundation in portraiture. I say that mainly for two reasons: First, strong drawing skills are important in caricature and becoming good in traditional realistic drawing will always be… READ MORE
