Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Horrible Post Title #954774: Two Heads Are Better Than One

Apparently I've been in a He-Man sort of mood? Here's Two Bad, another of Skeletor's minions:

click above for larger view

While Two-Bad was billed as a strategist, he was rarely played for anything but laughs. I think he has a lot of untapped potential, and if it were up to me, I would cast him in the role of a genius tactician, Skeletor's third-in-command (after Evil-Lyn).

Also posted on the He-Man.org fan-art forums. My post is here, the entire thread (including some of my previous sketches) is here.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Thursday, April 24, 2008

A Prickly Disposition

(Posting early, and you can't stop me!)

The subject today is Kactura, a Masters of the Universe fan character created by my pal Super-Munkyboy:
click above for larger view

A cactus woman with built in spikey tonfa, thigh-high platform boots, and an an elegantly crisp color scheme? I was instantly won over the first time I saw this character. Read about Kactura here, and then do yourself a favor and check out Super-MunkyBoy's art for yourself--right here.

Also posted on the He-Man.org fan-art forums. The thread is here and my post is here.

The Big Sleep!




I'm finishing a bunch of new paintings for my book which will be out in June! This is one that I'm currently working on, a parody from "The Big Sleep". I love Bogie as well as the look of his films, but mostly Bogart's expressions and physical appearance . . . this is still mostly a block in, a bit more work left before I'll call it finished.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I'm trying to be a less horrible person.

I finally caught up on responding to the comments on this blog, going all the way back to July. I know, I truly suck.

I genuinely appreciate every single comment, and even though I take forever to respond, they are all sent to my e-mail, so I read each and every one (usually within a day of receiving it). That said, I'm going to try and be better about responding more promptly.

Thanks again! We now return you to your regularly scheduled dorkiness.

GTA IV Leaked Map





Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Calgary Expo this weekend!

NYC was so much fun! Thank you to all who came by and showed your support--we sold out! It was one of our most memorable trips. We had the honor of being neighbors with the awesome illustrator Celia Calle, the great animator/film maker Bill Plympton and the legendary face of Playboy illustration, Doug Sneyd with his lovely companion, Heidi. We had the chance to hang out with Doug and Heidi after the convention and wow, the stories he told were priceless. This trip was indeed one of the most special ones we've had.


This coming weekend, we'll be in the Calgary Expo for another great adventure.
Here is a fun piece I did for their charity auction. It will be available as a 13 x 19 print, limited to one.



9 x 14 inches, gouache on paper

-Kei

WE'RE TWIIINS!

This will be my final post based on Horde Prime for the foreseeable future, promise.

I've seen two versions of Horde Prime as he appeared in comics in the UK, each with a different color scheme. I made each of them into new characters, Praetors of Hordak and Horde Prime's homeworld. Their weapons were my idea.

click above for larger view

I'll be honest, the drawing of these was a somewhat hasty process. I was trying to keep it fast and loose, but instead it got sloppy. I think the colors helped pull it together somewhat, and I'm glad I was able to tweak the original color schemes, while sticking pretty close to the source material. Here's the nerdy bio...

* * *

PROFILE: The harsh enforcers PRAETOR ALPHA and PRAETOR OMEGA are, in reality, genetically modified clones of Horde Prime. Horde Prime is over a thousand years old, and the biology of the Praetors matches that of Horde Prime as a young man--therefore, while Alpha and Omega are extremely skilled warriors with some knowledge of combat spells, they have not yet developed Horde Prime's advanced magic and shapeshifting abilities. Both of them are merciless in the performance of their duties, though an instinctive mutinous streak is gradually surfacing in both of them.

HISTORY: While it is widely known that Alpha and Omega were genetic experiments raised and trained by Horde Prime in secrecy, their secret genetic heritage is unknown to all but Horde Prime and his trusted follower Ifreet.

Disappointed in Hordak's failure to crush resistance on Etheria, and having placed Zed (the Crown Prince of the Horde) under house arrest for being a rebel sympathizer, Horde Prime is looking at the very real possibility of placing Alpha and Omega in the line of succession. Already, they are entrusted with the stewardship of Horde World, while the newly regenerated Horde Prime leads the Eternian invasion in person.

Hordak does not suspect the true origins of the Praetors, but he is very wary of them. Hordak is aware that his failures on Etheria put him in grave danger of losing favor with his brother, and he senses his brother's favoritism for Alpha and Omega. Away from the eyes of his all but his most trusted advisors, Hordak has begun to plan the execution of the Praetors of Horde World.


* * *

Also posted here on my variants thread on the He-Man.org fan-art forum.

Friday, April 18, 2008

NYCC new booth number: 1933

Hi everyone,

For everyone looking for us at the New York Comic-Con, we've moved from booth #2242 to BOOTH #1933! Come look for us there!

Flame Broiled Pork

As a companion piece to the Horde Prime redesign that I posted earlier in the week, here is a fan character that I created, Ifreet (named after the mythological entity):

click above for larger view

The idea here is that Horde Prime and Hordak's race have a symbiotic relationship with Imp's race. Ifreet is one of Imp's kind--but where Imp is still a mischievous adolescent, Ifreet is a fully matured specimen. Further explanation in the overly detailed bio:

* * *

PROFILE: Horde Prime is infrequently seen without the zealot IFREET at his side. And one can be certain that if Ifreet is absent, he is carrying out the orders of his master. Unquestioning in his loyalty, Ifreet plays a role for Horde Prime analagous to the role that Imp plays for Hordak--something of a cross between pet, valet, yes-man, messenger, and herald. But where Imp's diminuitive size gives him the added role of spy, Ifreet's imposing stature instead allows him to perform the function of bodyguard. He stands at close to nine feet tall, is capable of breathing hellfire, and has the natural shape-shifting abilities of his race (but unlike Imp, his shape-shifting is focused on combat rather than disguise). In addition to his innate abilities, consider that his regular armament includes a stun trident and an elite Horde bowcaster, and you will realize that there are few warriors in the galaxy who could prevent Ifreet from executing his master's will. However, Ifreet essentially has no identity outside of his servitude to Horde Prime.

HISTORY: Having been Horde Prime's trusted servant literally since before Hordak was born, Ifreet has a unique and envied position within the Horde, in spite of lacking "official" power within the Horde hierarchy. Even Hordak resents Ifreet, much in the way that Hordak's underlings resent Imp. Now, in the wake of Horde Prime's regeneration and rebirth, Horde Prime is himself leading the invasion of Eternia, which means that both he and Ifreet are more visible and present, resulting in further resentment amongst high-ranking Horde officers. All in all, Ifreet refrains from abusing his advantaged station, however, those foolish enough to defy his master earn Ifreet's eternal enmity.


* * *

Also posted on the He-Man.org fan-art forums. The thread is here.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My April Course is Almost Full!




There's only a few slots left in my April 29th class! For more info, or to register for the class click here.

The drawing is a sketch that I did of my friend Fred Harper, Fred does some cool art! I did this one with a ball point pen.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

NYCC, Subway Sketching post poned till May, Art of Street Fighter preview

When I was asked to be a guest artist for the Art of Street Fighter book, I jumped at the opportunity. Street Fighter was the first arcade game obsession for me. Though I can't show you the final image until the book comes out, I thought it'd be fun to post up some drawings of the characters I did.

The idea is to bring these Street Fighter characters back to the 'Streets'!






Kei and I will be at the NYC Comicon this weekend and Calgary the next weekend so subway sketching is postponed until May.


For those of you coming to the NY Comicon, We'll be sitting at the 'Sky Dog' tables with our buddies Silver and Alberto Ruiz! Booth 2242. Come say hi and check out our new works.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Big Brother Is Watching (Triple Post!)

(Posting early... )

For a re-design challenge at the He-Man.org fan-art forums. The thread is here, my post is here. The first round voting polls are here and here, and the final vote can be found here--I placed 4th out of the finalists.

The subject this time around is Horde Prime, Hordak's brother and leader.

click above for larger view

The scene in the center is a revision of my previous drawing of Horde Prime--in fact, the secondary head and the silhouette of Hordak on the platform were both directly lifted from the original piece. The figures on the left and right, however, are all new. The entire basis for my interpretation of Horde Prime is the theory that Horde Prime himself was the basis for the symbol of the Horde. The little guy on the left is based on an accessory that came with the original Hordak action figure. The throne room in the center piece is based on scenes from the cartoon. Finally, the Horde Prime on the right combines elements of Hordak's costume (cartoon version) and the UK comic book version. In-fiction descriptions follow...

* * *

Horde Prime's Throne Room (center): Centuries before the Horde invasion of Etheria, Horde Prime engaged the heroic champion Light Hope in a battle of apocalyptic proportions. The battle ended in a stalemate, both combatants having received near-fatal wounds. Light Hope sacrificed his wounded physical form to become caretaker of the Crystal Castle and protector of Etheria. His power was greatly increased but his new discorporate form was bound to the castle itself.

Meanwhile, suffering under the effects of Light Hope's powerful magic attacks, Horde Prime found himself crippled and trapped in his giant form, unable to shapeshift back. He retreated to his flagship, the
Velvet Glove, and there, with a combination of advanced Horde science and pirated Infinitan magic, his servants built a sarcophagus-like regeneration chamber. The chamber, combined with Horde Prime's shapeshifting abilities, allowed him to slowly form a new body, gestating within the colossal rotting husk of his old form. This embryonic body often manifested itself as a secondary head, sprouting from the eye socket of Horde Prime.

Horde Prime's twisted body renewed itself in a twisted mockery of life and birth over the course of centuries, and in the meantime he plotted revenge against Light Hope and Etheria (it was during this time that Horde Prime's younger brother and trusted disciple Hordak became the de facto leader of the Horde).

Horde Familiar (left): Through the use of his shapeshifting and magical abilities, Horde Prime can focus his life force to temporarily create a small demonic familiar to act as a spy or messenger. Horde Prime can see through the eyes of these creatures, and act through them. These extensions of Horde Prime were generally reserved for the gravest situations, such as delivering critical information to Hordak without risk of interception. Many rebels have made the fatal mistake of judging Horde Familiars by their relatively small size, failing to realize that a creature with even just a fraction of Horde Prime's cosmic power is still a formidable foe.

Horde Prime Reborn (right): With the revelation that the two most powerful beings on Eternia (He-Man and Skeletor) had disappeared from the planet, Horde Prime realized that it was the time to strike. Forcing an acceleration of his regeneration, through arcane lore and untested science, Horde Prime is reborn! The cruel leader of the Horde is still regaining his god-like levels of power, but even still he is perhaps the most feared being in the universe. While Hordak holds the Etherian front, Horde Prime leads the invasion of Eternia. Horde Prime seeks nothing less than the utter subjugation of He-Man's homeworld, after which he will return to Etheria to crush his old enemy Light Hope.


* * *

If this were a toy, I would see Horde Prime's throne room as a playset, with his giant form being molded into the facade of the regeneration chamber, and his giant arm being a spring-loaded capture claw. Of course, the highly sought-after Horde Prime Reborn action figure would be packed in exclusively with the playset.

Friday, April 11, 2008

I'm in MAD magazine . . . Big Whoop!





MAD 489, on stands now! I can finally share this with the world . . . I painted this a year ago, so it's great to finally see it in print! Been a dream of mine since I was 9 or 10, to draw for MAD, so it feels great to finally look through an issue with my work in it. My favorite part about the whole thing was working with art director Sam Vivano, he's a great art director, and I hope to work with MAD more in the future just so I can continue to learn from Sam. It's a fantastic issue, has great work in it from Hermann Mejia . . . worth the whole $4.99 just for his stuff!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Pardon Our Dust...

(Posting early)

Today's post is still under construction! Or, at least what was today's post is still under construction. So instead, you get this quickie:


Two manifestations of my raging ego in one week. WHAT A TREAT.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Quick Cafe Sketch Video! (Jason Seiler)



Hello everyone, wanted to share something a bit different, thought it would be fun to watch. These are some sketches I did really quick while sitting at Pollo Loco, Chipotles and the Emergency Room . . . . my daughter was really sick last week, was at the doctors quite a bit, she's much better now! These are really fun to do because the people I'm sketching don't even consider that I may be drawing them. They see a laptop and think I'm typing or something of the sort . . . even still, people do not sit still for any great length of time, the first two I drew got up and left in the middle of me sketching . . . I know, rude right? The music is Wilco, enjoy!

Upcoming Book: Water Worlds


A close cousin of the seahorse, sea elephants live in shallows and feed on algae growing on rocks. They grip onto kelp with their trunks to keep from being washed out to sea on the tide.


The above image is a progressional pic I did from our upcoming book - Water Worlds. Due out end of May 2008.

After that our next book is featuring Imaginism's newest artist "Caricature - The Art of Jason Seiler" coming late June 2008.

Monday, April 7, 2008

I Know How To Party.

(Posting early, why not?)

This is how the weekend was spent. For those who don't live in the 'States, 1040's, W-2's, and 1099's are various super-fun tax forms.

click above for larger view

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Domo Arigato Mr. Mugato

(Posting early... )

No flashback for this Friday, as promised! Instead, you get the Mugato from the original Star Trek series--the version on the left is based on the creature's original appearance, and the version on the right is based on the inexplicably innacurate vintage action figure produced by Mego:

click above for larger view

I like to think of the clothed version as what the Mugato species would look like after evolving increased intelligence and developing culture and tools. Maybe in another couple of thousand years, the Mugato will evolve a better sense of fashion. Ha!

*Sound of nerd being mauled by highly-evolved Mugato*

Pogo The Monkey Game

He's got fur and a tail, he gets in lots of trouble, but he's a bouncy little fellow. Because he's got springs for legs! Pogo the Monkey is the best new videogame for the whole family.

Help Pogo escape from the evil research laboratory, where the mean old scientists genetically altered him!

You'll guide Pogo through tons of adventures, including saving Timmy, who fell down the well.

Help Pogo to his final mission, destroying the White House with his friends, and become President of the United States!

Pogo the Monkey's the game kids are sure to stare at for hours! Everyone loves Pogo! Idiot Gamer called Pogo the best spring and simian game since Bouncing Bananas! Play the game Pogo the Monkey today.

Life drawings and interviews.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the good people at Lines and Colors featured me on their blog.

Also, 'It's art magazine' posted up an interview I did with them. The interview was from a while back but hasn't been posted until now. Check it out HERE

Here's some quick and loose digital paintings from life drawing class this week. 2 more weeks of school at Sheridan college... I'm sure going to miss this class :(