New Blog

So I guess it's time to join the cool kids over at Tumblr.

I'll start posting all my new stuff there and I promise to put things up more regularly. I've been making an effort to carry my sketchbook around at work and doodle more, so I have lots of good stuff to scan in. Go check it out.

And we recorded the pilot today! It went really well! Next step is animatic and artwork. I've got a busy two months ahead, which is good because I need a distraction to keep me occupied until Skyrim comes out.

R.I.P. Cartman

My red rainbow fish Cartman passed away yesterday. He lived a good long life - nearly 10 years, which is apparently double the life expectancy of his breed. I don't get emotionally attached to fish, but looking at the now empty tank fills me with a little loneliness. His fat ass took up a good chunk of space in there. In fact, he had grown too big for the scooper net so I had to put a Ziploc bag over my hand and grab his slippery corpse. It was the first time I had really touched him other than the occasional finger brush when I would clean the tank. He had an unceremonious burial on the hillside. Some raccoon has probably dug him up by now... blech.

When my wife (then girlfriend) first met him, she asked me what his name was. I didn't really get into a habit of naming my fish, but he was a big red asshole who bullied the other fish and ate all their food, so "Cartman" seemed appropriate.

Cartman, I hope you're out there swimming in the great blue beyond.

Pilot Update

After a year and a half, Nickelodeon finally gave the go-ahead for my pilot to get animated. Other than a long wait, the process has been really smooth and positive! Having the extra time let me figure out a lot of good stuff about the characters. It's hard to know exactly who they are until you start playing with them. They have a pretty different dynamic than the characters on Chowder.

This is the exciting part of the process. It's all potential. I'm finishing board revisions and casting voices. Next step will be to assemble all the production art, then ship it to the animation studio. By January we should have a fully functioning 11-minute pilot!

Here's a sneak peek at the art.

Piggy VS. the Outdoor Pillow

Well at least she doesn't eat the stuffing like Batman does.

Work Doodles

Where's the body?

I'm getting more used to Sketchbook Pro. This doodle is kind of different for me, but not really. I've drawn lots of surly-looking superhero types over the years. Because I'm lazy and untrained, I can't do much beyond the head. Plus my costumes suck. Hell, all the characters in my first cartoon strip were just disembodied heads and hands. That should've been a sign I needed to work harder.

This is why I always tell aspiring artists to not be like me - draw your ass off and get good at everything. Don't limit yourself to a particular style or theme. Hone those basics and you'll be able to draw anything your mind imagines. I get really frustrated because I often hit the wall of my drawing ability. Luckily I like storytelling more than I like pure drawing. Doodling is a fun outlet, but when I have to do a drawing for real, I get terribly self-comscious about it. That's why I'll probably never be a fine artist. Drawing has always been a way for me to tell a joke or bring a character to life.

Luckily I've been able to work with people who can draw much better than me. It keeps me humble about my skills.

Dacker the Tracker

You woke up in a pile of dirty clothes and puke. Someone shaved a smiley face in your pubes. Grandma! The last thing you remember about last night was playing strip Mancala with the old bitch. It looks like she slipped you something and ran off with your last twenty credits. But not before she pissed in your mouth. Always with the mouth pissing. At least she's consistent.

Given her head start, she could be anywhere in the Craplands. But it's too dangerous to go out there alone. You learned that the last time.

There are only five people who can find her.

The other four are previously booked.

Looks like it's time to hire Dacker. He charges more than you like and he smells like cabbage farts. But what choice do you have?

Just be prepared - he may find more than what you were looking for.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Doodle

I dunno what the hell this is. I suppose it's what I get for listening to the new Lady Gaga album while I draw.

Sketchbook Pro

I just got a copy of Sketchbook Pro on sale on Amazon for $30. So far it seems pretty easy to use but my drawings still look crappy. I like how quickly you can get to drawing and how uncluttered it is.

Drawing on the computer makes me realize I like the drag paper gives. It seems to help me control my line better. The Cintiq screen is just so baby-butt smooth. And jumping from program to program all the time is messing up my macro skills. (My keyboard hand keeps wanting to do all the buttons for Storyboard Pro.) I prefer to board on the computer now for the flexibility and speed, but for drawing and doodling I still prefer a paper sketchpad.

Here's an incredible one I found in Japan. For some reason it jumped out at me... I can't really put my finger on why.


Actually, the FO refers to the paper size. I'll really be sad when I use it up. I should've grabbed a few. Oh yeah, and the paper is nice too. It's thick and textured... hmm, with the context of the name, maybe that's not the best way to describe it.

Batman vs The KONG Bone

Usually there are only two toys Batman can't destroy: Kong and Nylabones.
Apparently this Kong bone was a little too thin. Too bad. He loved it. LOVED IT TO DEATH!!

Winner: BATMAN!

I saw Sucker Punch.

This review pretty much sums up how I felt.

PIGGY!

We've been wanting Batman to have a little buddy so he could get some socialization. So last weekend we adopted a 5 month-old puppy from the pound. She's a Boxer/Pit mix and had her front leg amputated only 3 weeks ago, but she's running around like a champ.

At first we thought we were going to name her Robyn. But the more we thought about it, we really wanted her to be her own dog and not sound like a sidekick. She came with the name Princess, but that wasn't gonna fly. She makes this snorting sound like a grunting pig, and when Danni called her a little piggy, we knew we had her name. Welcome to the family, Piggy! I hope Batman doesn't eat you.

Cutie Patootie

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been busy working on a pilot board in addition to the day job. But never mind all that. Let's enjoy my favorite video of 2011 so far!

Batman vs the FRONT WINDOW!

Everyday, Batman gazes patiently out the tall window next to the front door. He bides his time, waiting for another dog or a jogger to pass by. Then he unleashes what I can only guess are a stream of expletives in dog language. It's pretty explosive. One time he was jumping so hard at the window, he scraped the area next to his right eye, losing a chunk of skin. I didn't figure out how he done this to himself until I found the patch of skin still stuck to the wall!








Winner: FRONT WINDOW!!

... but don't worry. Batman would soon have his revenge.

Chowder Finale

The last new Chowder episode finally airs this Saturday night! There's an all-day marathon leading up to the 7:30 pm premiere (Pacific). Set your DVRs or be old-fashioned and watch as it airs. I had always wanted to jump the series ahead in time at some point (like Dragonball Z) and follow Chowder as the master chef with an apprentice of his own. This would have been the bridge to that adventure. It's a nice way to wrap up a series that meant a lot to me. And I even got to voice grown-up Chowder.

Thanks to the crew for all their great work, to the voice actors for bringing the characters to life, and to the people at the network who championed the show! But most of all, thanks to the fans for watching! This episode is for you!