Sorry for the lack o' updates! And thanks to all that are following the ol'tine blog here too. I wanted to drop a few pieces of art, just so you all know I'm not dead. At least the mirror under my nose shows signs of life, lol.

I've been reading up on old folk lore and stumbled upon the story of the Beast of Gevaudan. A very interesting read, and I suggest checking it out.
I'll be back soon with some updates and thoughts, thanks again for swinging by!

Cheers,

Dapper

Happy Holidaze Everyone! Whatever you celebrate, there is one underlying similarity that we all should practice. That is spending time with the ones you love the most. So here is to you and yours!

All the best,

Dapper

P.S. Thanks for the crit Geoffrey! I used the words of wisdom and re did the layout :) Hope you digs!

The winter holidays are coming up quick it seems. So, I thought I had better post some holiday cheer. My family celebrates Christmas, but what is Christmas really? I'm not religious by any means, and I believe that everyone should practice whatever they feel is right for them. But why is there a tree in my place, and where did Rudolph come from? I suppose I should just research it, but I would like to hear what you think and feel.

First off is my yearly tradition, paying homage to one of my favorite films. A Christmas Story is one of those films you can easily define as classic. I think the thing that is so enjoyable about it is that it's completely sincere in what it is saying. Also, through Ralphie's eyes you see everything with that innocent perception adults seem to lose growing up. I've been itchin to do this scene for a year. Probably as much itching as you would do if you had to wear that Pink Bunny costume, lol.

Secondly, is another yearly pic. It's a humble homage to one of my favorite writers, Dr.Suess, and one of my favorite animators, Chuck Jones. The book is amazing and the cartoon is genius.
I felt last years pic suffered from poor composition. This year I'm trying to incorporate more tension and use of negative space. Plus, this is the first time I've tried my hand at Max. My daughter absolutely adores him, and I really hope she likes this pic when it's done. I'll be sure to post it when I'm done.

Thanks to all that are coming to the page to check out my work, it's very appreciated!

Cheers

Last week had an endless supply of Bond! I caught the trailer for Quantum, and thought it looked like it could be an exciting film to watch. I still hadn't seen Casino Royale and from other people's thoughts on the film, it was a must see. Thursday night a friend and I watched the film, and I have to say that I enjoyed it more than the Connery films, which were at the top prior to seeing this. I think it was the pacing of Casino that made it more successful. Also, I think Daniel Craig's Bond is right up there with Connery's. These two actors get "Bond". The attitude, the charisma and the ruthlessness. The intro for Casino is totally noteworthy, I really enjoyed the visuals and flow to it. Without getting into a full review of the film, I'll say that it's a sweet ride and highly recommended. My only quirp with the film was how Vespar died. That scene felt awkward and forced. I can understand that it was a huge turning point for Bond's character. However, I think her death (which was necessary) could have happened in another manner.

Friday night, I caught the 10:15 showing of Quantum. I will not say anything about the films plot points or scenes in particular, as I hate to ruin the surprise of films. It's rare I watch trailers even. I will tell you one thing I liked and one thing disliked. I did like the action, and what do you expect from a Bond film. They are classic for over the top action sequences. Unfortunately the camera work was REALLY hard to follow during fight scenes. It's like the director took his cues from Joel Schumacher's Batman daze. There is one scene that doesn't suffer from this though, and it's a good one. A lot of people are having mixed thoughts on this film. I think of it as a bridge to bring in the big guns, an action intermission if you will. I have a feeling the next installment will be the best of the 3, just have to be patient for 2 more years.

Hey everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been very busy lately, but I am making a New Year's resolution for January to post more often. I also plan to post more sketches and thoughts instead of final works. Some insight as to how I work and what the process is.


I just finished an illustration for a card set featuring the AVGN James Rolfe. I'm a big fan of both James and Mike Matei's work on the show, as well as their individual works. So, getting to do a card was a great opportunity.

On Octorber 31st I finished the "13 Ghosts of Hallowe'en." It features 13 of the spookiest haunts from the Ghostbusters universe. I would like to do a Ghostbusters comic book, so if any of you have connections let me know! Here are some samples below, you can find the rest of the ghouls here; Ghostbusters Gallery


I've also wrapped up the last of the Marvel Masterpieces 3 Artists Proof cards. These were so much fun to do, mainly because I used traditional mediums as opposed to my usual digtial work. Some of them turned out pretty swell. Here are some samples,

More art to come! Thanks for looking :)

Dapper

Hallowe'en is fast approaching! Anyone that has followed my blog here for a while knows that I think it's the cat's pajamas. Fall is easily my favorite time of the year.


I did have some big things planned, but had to hold back on them due to some other matters of importance. As always though, there will be a Ghostbusters piece, maybe even two...or three more. Above you will see Vinz, who just possessed Louis Tully. Apparently many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you. Here is also a detail of one of the upcoming pieces.


I did a pin up for Udon's Street Fighter Tribute book, which came out at the San Diego Con this past summer. I was humbled to be asked to participate, as I have always had a soft spot for the first few SF games on the SNES. Had to roll with Blanka on this one. Never liked Ken, so he got the brunt of the electric attack. I'm also selling official prints of this. Each print is 8x10, and comes with a quick sketch of your favorite SF character. All that for only $15!


I cannot express enough how important this next subject is to not only me, but to every person on this planet. Consider for a moment, a "Revolution of consciousness." I have a firm belief in the good of humanity, and the endless possibilities of the human spirit. I'm not a religious person, or a person that is quick to accept any given knowledge. I question everything. I recommend everyone who reads this to take some time out from whatever you are doing right now, and watch this video; Zeitgeist: Addendum Part 1. Please watch all 13 videos, and sincerely question what is important to you as a human, and what you want out of life. There is so much more than what we have now, and all we need to do is remember who we are. I'm sure you have heard the news about the US economy, and it will only get worse. Once the US falls into possibly the worst depression in the known history, it will send aftershocks throughout the world, affecting everyone. John Lennon's lyrics in these songs describe two things. 1) What we are now, and 2) What we can aspire to be if we truly believe in ourselves. It's time to wake up

Sincerely,

Dapper

I think it's about time for a new post! First off, I'd like to mention that I'm now selling my Artist Proof Sketch Cards from the Marvel Masterpieces 2 collection. I have 7 cards left! If you are interested in these rarities, let me know in this post, and I'll contact you. I'm also offering some on E Bay for those of you that are auction savy, Auction 1 & Auction2 .

Secondly, I'm way over due for a Teen Wolf picture. I'm not ashamed to say that I loved this movie when I was younger.

I was hoping to get one of my Nintendo pics in this years Iam 8-Bit, but alas I never heard back. Perhaps next year the Metroid pic will garner a place on the wall. Above is the finished Punch Out piece.

Hopefully I'll be postin some more goodies soon! Thanks again to everyone for the feedback, it's awesome!

Cheers

Dapper

Getting ready for the new Batman film coming out this week? I don't normally get very excited about seeing a film, but this one looks to be a great take on the dark knight. I like the direction, in that it isn't a complete take off from the books, at least as far as the Joker is concerned. At first, I wasn't sold on the look for Mr.J. However, I know that being an artist, making something your own is the most important thing when you are adapting something. It makes it unique and sometimes better. After watching the 4 or so min long sneak peek, with Joker robbing a mob bank, I was hooked. The way that he is portrayed is much more disturbed than that of the prankster Nicholson brought to the table. I'll always enjoy Jack's version, and Cesar's as well. Both completely different, but great. I've been enjoying James Rolfe's reviews of Batman in film. His take is smart, funny and rings true. Swing by and watch them on Spike TV here. Feel free to share your fav and least fav Batman moments in cinema. I'd like to hear what you all think :)

Cheers,

Dan

I had the pleasure of doing up the cover for issue 4 of Cereal:Geek magazine. I have only tried my hand at the cartoon version of Peter once before, so this was a great opportunity to try the other guys. This issue will go on sale early next month. It's a Horror issue as well, so get ready for some haunted Saturday morning insight!

Swing by Graham Crackers if you want a copy :)

Cheers!

Dan

I have many art traditions that I like to keep on top of every year. One of them being the annual Ghostbusters pic, the Christmas Story art and last but not least...my homage to the Nintendo Entertainment System (It really spans all of Nintendo's systems, but the 8-Bit is still king!). First it was Super Mario Bros, then The Legend of Zelda. This year I actually started two games, and decided to truck forward with one that has a little more "punch." I'd say this is about half done so far, with another handful of characters to join such as Doc, Dragon Chan, Mr.Sandman and Bear Hugger. It's nice to switch up styles once and a while so things stay fresh. When working in this style I really try to focus on the flow of lines. How they go into each other and overlap with color. I'm pushing the colors more this time as well, giving each character a larger palette than in the two previous NES pics. Let me know your thoughts! Aside from this, there are a few other cool things on the horizon. I'll keep you posted :)

Cheers,

Dan

In lieu of the new Indy movie due out in a few weeks, I've done up a few sketches. There are really so many scenes in the movies that make for great interpretation but I settled with these three. I'll do a fourth one after I see the movie and post that up too. Cheers!

It's been a while since the last post. Not too much to report though, keepin busy and enjoying the fact that the sunny weather has finally decided to make an appearance this year. Perhaps that image above can help keep ya cool in the heat? It's a detail of a larger pic, and will hopefully have that done within a few months. I'm hoping to start up another Nintendo piece, similar to the Zelda and Mario ones. I'll post some roughs of that soon.



Also, the Power Girl animation that I did for DC is up and on their myspace page. Swing by here:

Power Girl Animation

Let me know what you think :)

Cheers

Dapper

Hey everyone, thanks again for the comments on the work here. Greatly appreciated it is! Just thought I'd toss down some work so that you all know I'm alive. I don't have much to say art wise though. I'm in a process of re-new, and it's time I hit up the ol' life drawing again. I'm finding that my work isn't at a lvl I'd like it at, so I need to push it further. Also recently watched Bill Melendez's "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." I remember watching this as a youngin'. My daughter loved it too. You can say that the animation isn't the best draftsmanship, but the story and acting here make it shine. You could say that about his work on the peanuts. Sure he was confined to the comic strip models, but the story's and heart in all of them show that he is a brilliant storyteller. Something in today's day and age is hard to find.

Long time no see! Here's a piece for Illustration Friday titled, "Leavem' In Stitches". The Joker always knows how to dropem dead ;) Alas, I had no time to color it, perhaps in the future. I've been super busy, and this month is no exception. There are lots of cool things coming up, and 2008 is gonna be one heck of a ride!

Here's a fun pic I did for Illo Friday! "Superstition" is the theme. Unfortunately, lucky human feet just don't work the same...

Cheers,

Dan

Who ya gonna call? Four years and counting, here's this years Ghostbusters pic! Thought I'd show some love for #2 and a villain with possibly the best hair ever, Vigo.

Happy Haunts!

Who ya gonna call?

Ghostbusters...2!

This year I'm gonna pay respects to the sequel that may not have topped the first movie, but was fun in it's own right. Plus who can beat a floating Vigo the Carpathian head? This here is the rough, and I'll have the final posted on October 24 th :)

Well I thought I'd post some stuff on my blog here that I wouldn't normally post. I like to consider the blog here as a place to showcase things I don't put up anywhere else, as I think I have a very small amount of visitors checkin' this page out. I dig that, it's like going to a pub and sharing some work with a few buds. I have been a little out of the loop from art as of lately, but I do have some prior commitments that always need tending. Here's a smackerel of things that I've been working on. Feel free to leave some comments or feedback. And yes...even critique is welcome! Actually, I encourage it. No time like the present to get better at what you do. Hope you all digs!


Here's a pic that I colab' with Mike Jungbluth on. After reading the Sinestro Corps I was mused to doodle them up. Mike took my pencils, inked them and then popped down some sweet colors. After that I added some efx and viola! We had this as a print during the Chicago Con and it sold rather well if I do say so myself.



Last but not least, is this here Power Girl. Why Power Girl? And why did I draw her chest so small? Well, the latter question first. Her chest is smaller, as I hate drawing big boobs. Seriously, sometimes they get drawn a little over the top, but that is my personal preference I guess. I'm more of an ass guy anyway. But that is another story. Power Girl was chosen as the next DC animation that I'll be doing. Under the color model you will see some cleaned up stills from the animatic. At this stage, after the timing is down and the keys are done, I'll start to color the characters, and get them ready for animation. I finished up a Batman animation, that should be up mid October on the DC Comics Site, just in time for Hallowe'en. Good fit for the Bats I say. And using that prelude to All Hallows Eve, there is currently a new Ghostbusters pic in the works. I'll post the roughs for that next week ;)

Well the Chicago Con from the 9th to 13th of August has come and gone. Some great memories, and new faces made this one to remember. To all the people that I met, it was a pleasure, and I hope to repeat it next June. Here's a little synopsis of what my travels were.

August 9th, alarm goes off at 3:40, after only going to bed about 4 hours prior. I rush out the door and drive out to the Victoria International Airport. Little did I know, I left my alarm on, so the neighbor downstairs was awoken every morning at 3:40 to blaring music for what I believe to be 15 mins. Flight to Vancouver was smooth, usually about a half hour. Then it was off to Chicago after a layover of and hour. I was unfortunately treated to "Shrek 3" as the in flight film. Now, I don't think Shrek is the worst looking animated film, besides the boring design, but this film was so horrendous...let's just say they murdered my love for "The Immigrant Song," by Zeppelin. Bonham is turning in his grave. I arrived at O'Hare at about 2:30, ahead of schedule. Called the Chairman and Matt, and I met them with little probs. After that, Mike arrived at vestibule 3d. We snatched him up and began our drive to the acclaimed Motel 6. Did I mention we got lost? After driving through 5 towns, and asking for directions 2 tines, we found it. Then it was off to the Con to meet up with Tim and Ian at the Ape booth. Hilarity ensued, as the rest of the weekend was filled with sketches, finally meeting Hen, more sketches and cardboard pizza.
Although the trip to that one deep dish place was good tines. Also something about Megaman glowing and DK not tossing barrels. I was blessed to meet up with some new and old faces alike. Matt from DA who did some wicked colored art to show me. Von Toten, who is as cool as they come, not to mention talented like a beast. Shapestrong, who handed me an amazing maquette she did, Jessica "Animator Xtreme" Plummer, and Joe Bluhm, the best caricature artist I've ever seen! Jon Riggle, Superdookie, Spagetti016, AgentBill, Chip14, uber talented Jeff "Chamba" Cruz, Kweli, Bender, Robb Mommaerts, Yoni Limor, Mike Kasinger, Lucian X and slew of other cool peeps. Hopefully I didn't leave anyone out, I'm sure I have, so please take no offense. My brain has been reduced to mush since arriving back. Kinda like this overview of my trip...so without further ado, the pictures to fill in the gaps! Thanks again to all that swung by, look forward to doing this again in June!

Cheers

Dapper

I wanted to announce a contest we're holding to celebrate the release of Cereal & Pajama's . Here's the low down;

CEREAL AND PAJAMAS ‘BACK OF THE BOX’ Pin-up Contest!

Saturday morning cartoon comics sharing the fun!

Ape Entertainment is pleased to announce the CEREAL AND PAJAMAS ‘Back of the Box’ Pin-up Contest!

Give us your interpretation of any character or characters from the variety of stories packed into the CEREAL AND PAJAMAS Anthology. The three best pin-ups (as judged by the Cereal and Pajamas creators) will be published in the CEREAL AND PAJAMAS anthology! Entries are due June 10th and the winners will be announced June 15th.

"This book has given all of us involved a chance to show our interpretations of the type of shows we loved as a kid," says contributor/ co-editor Mike Jungbluth. "What we hope with this contest is to give 3 more artists a chance to show the world their own unique take on our characters."

Ape Entertainment co-publisher, David Hedgecock added, “CEREAL AND PAJAMAS is a unique anthology that is giving voice to some of the most incredibly talented ‘up-and-coming’ creators of this decade. With this contest, now there are even more opportunities for new talent to shine.”

CEREAL AND PAJAMAS is a collection of original stories meant to evoke the nostalgia of Saturday mornings with a grown-up twist. The stories compile the talents of up-and-comers such as Ray-Anthony Height (Noble Causes, Darkstorm), Jeffrey Cruz (10th Muse, Sinbad: Rogue of Mars), Dan Schoening (Invincible Handbook Vol. 2, DC Online) and Israel Cruz (Atomik Mike), as well a slew of artists from the fields of television and games. The book features a cover by Jack Lawrence (Lions, Tigers and Bears, GoGo-Gorilla and the Jungle Crew, A.T.O.M.)

Inspired in style and execution by fond memories and fueled by mature storytelling, the creators of CEREAL & PAJAMAS bring you endless worlds of adventure: faraway galaxies, zombified tomorrows, fantastic landscapes, crime-ridden cities and many more. Saturday morning grows up with 11 original tales by industry veterans and newcomers alike.

CEREAL AND PAJAMAS currently contains over 128 full-color pages of completed stories and will be released in August. You can see more at APE Comics or Cereal & Pajamas @ ComicSpace

Prizes

1st Place
- Your artwork printed in the Cereal and Pajamas anthology
- A free Collector's Edition copy of Cereal and Pajamas.

2nd and 3rd Place
- Your artwork printed in the Cereal and Pajamas anthology
- A free copy of Cereal and Pajamas.

Cheers

Dapper