Mailbag
December 26th, 2010 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Q: I read in your blog post about the increasing scarcity of original commercial art that you have never done a cover for MAD Magazine proper. I was wondering when we are going to see a Richmond cover? A: The post the question is referring to is here, if anyone is interested. The answer to your question is likely next door to never. MAD‘s covers are a different animal than the interior art, and most require a certain style of artwork that is not my fort?¬©: the realistic painting. MAD covers are singular and necessarily high impact gags that the editors and staff spend a… READ MORE
December 19th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Thanks for your blog and especially the tutorials. I refer to your blog weekly for inspiration and tips. While you mention your preferences for inking and drawing surfaces, I was wondering what types of pencil leads, holders, and paper you use for the “sketch of the week”? A: Thanks for the kind words about the blog. I’m very glad you enjoy it. As for the materials I use for the “Sketch o’the Week”- while I do occasionally experiment with things like inks, washes, etc., 95% of the sketches I post for SOTW are done in a basic Strathmore (or similar) sketchbook with a number… READ MORE
December 13th, 2010 | Posted in General
Just another friendly reminder that The Great MAD Art Sale ends one week from today, on Dec. 20th. Some of the artwork will be available after in the “Studio Store” but gone will be the insanely expensive cheap prices and they will be even more ridiculously overpriced than they are now. There are still a number of full parody pages from movies like “Traffic” (my first movie parody in MAD), “Behind Enemy Lines”, “The Royal Tennenbaums” and “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” , as well as TV shows like “Scrubs”, “Entourage”, “Dog the Bounty Hunter”, “The Bernie Mac Show”, “America’s Most Wanted” and… READ MORE
December 12th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: How do you choose the colors for your illustrations and parodies?¬¨‚Ć Do you use the colors you see in the DVD’s and photo boards, or do you just make them up?¬¨‚Ć I know the basics of color selection such as the color wheel etc, but do you have any special techniques? A: Occasionally I am asked the same or similar questions for the mailbag, and every once and awhile I will repost the answer to a commonly asked question for the benefit of those who are newer readers, although I often add things to them or expand on the original answer. This is such… READ MORE
December 5th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I’ve read on your blog that you have appeared at a couple of comic book conventions, especially San Diego Comic Con. I’m wondering why you don’t do more conventions like New York, Chicago or Atlanta? You should get your own booth. A: Realistically there are only two reasons to get a booth space at a comic book convention: either to directly sell something or to promote the later sale of something. I haven’t really had either to do before, so getting my own booth at multiple comic cons doesn’t make much sense financially. The promotion angle doesn’t fit for me because the only thing… READ MORE
November 28th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: How old do you have to be to read MAD Magazine? A: I could take that question one of two ways… either you are: A parent asking about MAD‘s age appropriate suitability as it pertains to allowing your kids to read the magazine, or A kid asking how old you have to be to read MAD. If it’s the former, then that is an impossible question to answer because all parents have different ideas what is appropriate for their kids. The best I can do is describe what kind of stuff you can expect to find in MAD and let you decide for yourself.… READ MORE
November 21st, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I’m a caricature artist and looking to make a profit by selling my work online of celebrities. Do I need permission, a contract, or can I just do it blindly? A: I get this question (or variations of it) quite often, so every once and a while I just answer it again for those you may be newer readers and who don’t slog through years of back posts. Standard Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and don’t even play on on TV. This article should not be mistaken for professional legal advice, and anyone with legal concerns over this or similar issues should seek… READ MORE
November 14th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Can you take us through your process for a typical illustration job, from start to finish? A: Fortuitous timing on that question, as the editor of an article in School Library Journal that I did an accompanying illustration for recently wrote a blog post describing some of the process. You can read her article here, but I will elaborate a bit more from my perspective using this recent job as an example of a typical project’s process. The basic anatomy of an illustration job: Initial communication with client & agreement Discussion of the project details with the Art Director Research Initial concept sketches Review… READ MORE
