Today Media

Happy Juneteenth

Delaware Today, Penguin, Today Media

Been a few weeks since my last posting. I’ve been working hard on finishing up the sketches for one ‘Who Was’ project, and doing finished illustrations for another one on the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ (a few teaser samples below, I usually save the whole project for a few years past the publication date, which is hard, because I’m so happy with how so many in this book turned out). I’ve also been working on another animation project, which will probably not see the light of day for another month or more. I’m also happy to announce I’ve got another book project lined up for a new client over the next couple of months. So hopefully things are slowly looking hopeful again after several months of stress. The above illustration was a quick one this morning for Delaware Today.

Cheerleading

Delaware Today, Today Media

Hunkered down at home like everyone else. A lot of my friends are having a hard time coping with the solitary lifestyle, the isolation, the face-to-face daily interactions of their co-workers. I feel for them, but let’s face it, I’ve had decades of practice at this. During the first twenty years, before I started playing music in a band, I rarely left the house and socialized with anyone other than parents at my son’s school functions.

The one thing I AM feeling, however, is the dread and the uncertainty for the future. Above is an illustration for Delaware Today, one of two that I’m working on this week. I am so grateful for their continued patronage in these difficult times. It has been a difficult year so far, slower than any in the past thirty, and this was before the pandemic hit. I had a few book projects lined up, but now I’m not sure they are still in the works, considering the impending recession. I am still open for business, and trying to keep focused and busy with ‘self generated’ projects. Stay healthy everyone, and best of luck weathering the storm.

Work and Play

Delaware Today, Hudson Valley, Today Media

Above and below are a few assignments for Today Media this past week. A portrait (above) for Delaware Today, and a piece on educational paths to employment (below) for Hudson Valley. The one below ended up having a lot of editorial fingers in the pie (I generally dislike “labelling” in my illustrations, but…), but that’s the nature of the job.

In the meantime, I want to put in a plug for Lynda Barry’s wonderful book “Making Comics”, which I discovered over the holidays, and have since been pushing on everyone I know. The book is influenced by a college course that Ms. Barry teaches, and is full of inspiring activities mostly involving very disposable art materials, like crayons, flair markers and cheap manuscript books. I threw an “Art Jam” party for a number of friends on Friday, and we experimented with a few of the assignments, and since then, I’ve been doing many of the activities on my own, which has helped loosen me up a bit, even on my day to day illustration projects. Below are a few samples from my ‘comics diary’.

Healthy Change of Pace

Hudson Valley, Llewellyn, Today Media

Today I caught up on a few additional assignments that have come in around the margins of the ‘big project’ this past month. It felt good to be doing something different than what I’ve been doing non-stop for the past three weeks. The above assignment was a two page spread for Hudson Valley, and below is a book cover for Llewellyn. I may take the weekend off, but then will diving into another book project at the beginning of the week.