TUFF Puppy: Sally Mander

This is one of the earliest designs I did when I was assigned to develop TUFF Puppy. I thought the receptionist for an organization like T.U.F.F. would have to be a real multitasker, so I put her prehensile tongue & tail to use. At the time I was gunning for a 60's look for the show, which explains the pillbox hat. This character seems to have disappeared after delivering one line in the pilot episode (which is why the model sheet was never refined & cleaned up). Ah well- it was fun while she lasted!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

HO! HO! HO!

Cactus + Ukulele = ?

So... I was approached by a ukulele group from Tucson AZ, to design a mascot/logo for their club- "The Saguaro Strummers". It was suggested that something involving a ukulele and a cactus would be in order (turns out a saguaro is a cactus), and since they sought me out in response to seeing my Tampa Bay Ukulele Society logo (which can be seen a few posts down), I guessed they would like something character-oriented rather than an abstract pairing of the two.
I have to say putting the two together was not as easy as I hoped, but I ultimately came up with this idea- going for a little bit of a retro-kitsch-Trader-Vics-Menu vibe, and they seem to be pleased with it. Hope you like it.

TUFF Puppy: Sally Mander

I thought this would be an interesting character in TUFF- the multitasking,

TUFF Puppy: The Chief

This might be my favorite of my Tuff Puppy designs- the Chief- the Flea who runs TUFF (Turbo Undercover Fighting Force). I wanted Danny Devito for his voice... I pictured him with a cigar, but we couldn't do that for obvious reasons, so I gave him a churro instead. I figured it was his substitute as he struggled to give up cigars. You even still get the falling ash effect from the cinnamon-sugar.

TUFF Puppy: The Chief

This might be my favorite of my Tuff Puppy designs- the Chief- the Flea who runs TUFF (Turbo Undercover Fighting Force). I wanted Danny Devito for his voice I pictured him with a cigar, but we couldn't do that for obvious reasons, so I gave him a churro instead. I figured it was his substitute as he struggled to give up cigars. You even still get the falling ash effect from the cinnamon-sugar.

TUFF Puppy: The Chameleon

Here is one of the villains I designed for the new show- Tuff Puppy. Included are some of the special poses & expressions from the Chameleon episode that has already hit the airwaves. I especially enjoy this character, with his Peter Lorre voice (Provided by Daran Norris), his wild, independent eyes, and his ability to transform into any and everything. Hope you like it!
The Chameleon

TUFF Puppy: Kitty Katswell

Well, the show I've been working on has finally aired, so I can share some of the work I've been doing more recently. I'm excited about this project because it's my first opportunity to design the main character line-up for a new show. The character of Dudley was designed by show creator Butch Hartman, but I was asked to design the balance of the lineup: Kitty Katswell, The Chief, Keswick, Snaptrap, Dudley's mom, etc. These characters were all initially designed over one weekend, although the turns, mouthcharts, and expressions were done later. Here is the first character I did for the show: Kitty Katswell.I tried to push for a mod sort of sexy/sophisticated 60's look. Her trenchcoat was later replaced with a jumpsuit, and her hair was made a little less graphic. Other than that- she remains pretty much the way you see her here.

Kitty Katswell

T.U.F.F. Puppy- Kitty Katswell

Well, the show I've been working on has aired at last, so I can finally share some of the work I've been doing. I'm excited about this project because it's my first opportunity to design the main character line-up for a show. (except for Dudley, who was designed by show creator Butch Hartman.

"Rockin' For The Arts" 2010

Just finished the poster for this years "Rockin' For the Arts" concert! This concert is a fundraiser for arts programs in our public elementary school. Through this and other fundraisers, we've added a dedicated art bungalow to our campus, with a full-time art teacher, music classes, dance, creative drama... and because we are raising the money for these programs ourselves, they haven't been decimated by the state budget cutbacks. I hope you like the posters (I'll include the designs for the past two years, too), and if you're in the Glendale area on Friday June 11th, come on by and rock with us! I'll have my electric, telecaster-style ukulele, and I'm not afraid to plug it in!

Ukulele Mascot/Logo

Well, I just finished designing (the first incarnation of) a mascot & logo for The Tampa Bay Ukulele Society. Steve Boisen, of The Barnkickers is the organizer, and while I'm on the subject, I highly recommend the CD "Square Pegs & Round Holes". It was produced by Steve, and all the profits from it's sale go to benefit the American Aspergers Association. Plus- it's a great CD!

Well, here's to the TBUS!

My Volunteer Life

I think it's important to give back to the community, and I spend a lot of time volunteering for various local organizations... the theatre group that I spend a lot of time with is currently producing one of my favorite stage comedies: The Foreigner, by Larry Shue. I agreed to do the graphic for the program, and for publicity, etc... and here is what I came up with. The play centers around an Englishman, who winds up at a fishing lodge in the American south. His only desire is to be left alone, but he inadvertently becomes privy to some pretty nasty plans by less-than-savory locals, and finds himself at the heart of a sinister plot, and at a personal crossroads. The play balances some pretty serious subject matter with a great deal of hilarity. The result is definitely worthwhile. If you have an opportunity to see a production, I highly recommend it!

Incidental Thugs

I'm in the slightly awkward position of working on a show that hasn't aired yet, which makes it difficult to find anything current to post. Here are a couple of drawings I did a few weeks ago, and I just learned this sequence was cut, so here you go! These kinds of crowds can be intimidating to start, but with our production schedule racing along at locomotive speed, there's only one viable approach for me- one pass to rough it out, and one pass to tie it down. There's no time for agonizing, so there's always the desire for more time to go back & finesse, but on the other hand it's a great exercise in hitting the ground running, & following your first impulse. In the first image, the thugs are surrounding a character who is too small for us to see... in the second he blasts out of their midst...

Baby Poof and Foop Comic-Con Posters

Here's something a little different. I haven't been posting much, partly because I figure people are likely getting tired of seeing Fairly Oddparents posts, and the show I'm currently working on hasn't aired, so there's not much I can show from that.
Here are two posters I did as a promotion for last years Comic-Con in San Diego. One is of Baby Poof, and the other, his anti-fairy nemesis- Foop. What was different about the assignment is that I got to do everything, from concept to design, to the rough drawing, to clean-up, to final color. These are obviously very simple in concept, but they were very gratifying nonetheless.

Making up for lost time...

Here's another model for an episode of FOP- Meet Bob the clown...

Dirtybeard

Well, again, in the usual tradition, I have to apologize for posting so infrequently, and thank anyone with the stamina to check back once in a while. Here's a drawing from some time ago. Hope you be likin' it, matey!! AAAAARRRRRRRRGH!

Foster's Home...

While we were all on hiatus from Fairly Oddparents last year, I had the privilege of working on a couple episodes of Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends. What a treat for me! Here are some of the characters I did during that time.

Tango Music & Parlor Guitars

I love old turn-of-the-century American parlor guitars.... my favorite guitar design. When I was asked to design some Tango musicians recently, I gave them... what else? It may have nothing to do with authentic tango music instrument selection, but what the hey? I knew they would be on screen for 6 frames anyway, and you gotta have some fun! I figured I couldn't get away with giving them ukuleles...

Cosmo, Preggers!

This is also from the "Fairly Odd Baby" episode. Some drawings to guide the animators, as they laid out the sequence where a pregnant Cosmo dances joyously through a bucolic landscape, celebrating his impending motherh...er...fatherhood.

Unfortunately the animation of this sequence was really disappointing, and what should have been a very funny animated segment blows by almost before you have time to notice it. That's what happens when you export art to the lowest bidder.

BABY POOF!

Well, Here I am back on FOP (The Fairly Oddparents), and my first assignment when I got back last June was to develop this character that was to be introduced in the season premiere. Cosmo & Wanda were slated to (gasp!) have a baby, and of course the details were all tightly kept under lock and key. Who was having a baby?... is it a boy or girl??... what will it's name be???...

Well, as of last night, the cat is officially out of the bag. Our season premiere, entitled "Fairly Odd Baby" aired, and Baby Poof (a boy), has been introduced to the Nickelodeon viewing world with enormous success!

This was not only my first assignment when I came back to Nick, but also my introduction to drawing on the Cintiq! Here are a few exploration pages- the earliest development of baby Poof. I hope you like 'em!