In the private collection of . . .

So I got word a few days ago (and already posted this on Facebook - but blogs are forever) but my Peter Sellers was purchased from the Gallery1988 "Is This Thing On? 2: The Weird Year" Show by none other than "40 Year Old Virgin" writer/director and "Freaks and Geeks" co-creator and executive producer Judd Apatow.  Hope he wasn't planning to give it a gift and I'm stealing his thunder but hey - I gotta name drop when I can!

It's Sweater Time!!

8" x 10" Gouache and ink on Rieves BFK
Fun to do some .005 micron work:)

Portrait of author, funny-man, and super nice fella Lucas Klauss.  My lovely sister-in-law commissioned the piece to commemorate Lucas' first novel - Everything You Need To Survive The Apocalypse, which you should buy.  I had a good time splicing together some facts from Lucas' personal life: his childhood cats - Johnson and Johnson, harmonica enthusiasm, his love of killing white things (watch out honkies!), and of course his amazing knowledge pertaining to when it is, and when it is not sweater time.  Jealous of his success? As well you should be, but you should know, success lives in his hometown in Gwinett County, Georgia - a county so great it has moved beyond the need for punctuation.  Gwinett is great.  Period.  So no period.  Congrats Lucas, and hope you like it.

Funtown USA!!!

Have you been to Funtown USA? All you need is a passport, driver's license, 34 dollars, a penchant for skeeball,  and you may want a grown up diaper.  Happy Birthday to me!  Thanks Michelle!  Funtown is way better than Snacktown!

PS - That's me on the left hand seat.  You are not able to hear me scream, yet I assure you, I did.

TNG

For whatever reason I've been in the mood to watch Star Trek: Next Generation for a few months.  Maybe it's the appeal of cold space to contrast with the heat, or maybe a bit of summer nostalgia but whatever the case, it was pretty sweet when all seven seasons showed up on Netflix's watch it now.  I always considered myself a Kirk man - but I'm swaying . . .

Medieval Times - Savior of Sports Entertainment Dining or Harbinger of the End of Human Civilization? . . . yess . . .

Recently wed Wes and Kiersten whisked Michelle and I away to a undisclosed secret location veiled in the shadow of the Pulaski Skyway, beyond the swamps of Hoboken, and past the black gates of the New Jersey Turnpike to the magical fiefdom of Lydenhurst.  There the secret revealed itself in the form of a towering parapet (as large as the local zoning board would allow at least) made of authentic poorly reproduced stone - alas, we gazed upon the castle of the Lyndenhurst franchise of Medieval Times!  Much merriment was had as the local king regaled us with his alternating basso/falsetto voice about the location of fire exits.  The lord chamberlain explained in the best king's english the castle smoking policy. . . It was as if time itself had peeled back the curtain of reality!

OK - enough snark - it was super fun.  If you love cheering for staged sporting events, if you love eating with only your hands in almost complete darkness, if you love regional theater rejects spouting utter nonsense in poorly imitated British accents . . . and I do . . . Get thee to New Jersey!  (Or check their web site for a location near you!)  It was an AWESOME surprise.  Nice one W + K.

Doodle Dog

The THING

Was up last night watchin' some netflix and got a-doodlin' on one of my favorite Jack Kirby characters, the Thing. Man made out of orange rock. Brilliant.

Matchbooks! America's Design Library!

Michelle picked me up a sweet matchbook collection at the Brimfield (MA) Antique Show for 5$! This is but a taste. I hate to be one of those illustrators who moons over when overthing was illustrated but uh . . . I'll draw Mister Pancake! I love the processed color palettes too and the hand drawn type - especially the PROX logo.