Aw, Nuts!

Just released from HarperCollins my new book Aw, Nuts! this is the first children's book I have both written and illustrated. Aw, Nuts! is full of humor and perfect for teaching kids perseverance through trial and adversity. A fun bedtime read sure to keep the family giggling. You can find it in your local bookstore, BN or Amazon.  Be sure to check out the Aw, Nuts! book trailer below.

Zoo Birthday Party Pop-up card

Nothing says “Happy Birthday” like a bunch of half crazed zoo animals that have ransacked your home and are now about to eat your cake. This card was originally designed to fold open to reveal the pop-up but was changed to be a piece that would stand up so you could enjoy the pop-up magic at all times.

Mel Blanc: The Man of a Thousand Voices

Documentary about Mel Blanc the voice for so many great Looney Tunes characters.

Hot Potato Game

Who needs a boring ole' spud when you can have a musical potato! I had the opportunity to work on the repackaging of the classic game Hot Potato. This game is much like musical chairs except instead of running around the room you throw a potato at each other until the music stops. Not every potato plays music just these special Hot Potatoes so don't go to the produce section of the grocery store thinking you will find one. Your libel to get hauled away for putting potatoes to your ear claiming that your listening for the music.

Camelbak Information Graphics

When Camelbak created a new line of water bottles for kids, Elizabeth Cruz of I am tiny studio hired me to create fun info graphics for the water bottle packaging. This presented a challenge because my work is very stylized and the client wanted the water bottle to look exactly like the one they sell. In the end I love how the project turned out and though Elizabeth's fun design complemented my illustration style perfectly.

Pixar Tiki Packaging

Who doesn't love Pixar? I can't name anyone. So when Mattel asked me to illustrate several of the Pixar characters as tiki gods I jumped at the chance. I think I said "Yes!" before I realized the deadline was less than 24 hours away. Not that, that mattered. I was gonna do this job if it meant propping my eyes open with tooth picks and an i.v. drip of caffeine. The Mission - Mattel was making a special action figure/doll of John Lasseter to present to him at Toy Fair. The Theme - was centered around Mr. Lasseter's love of Hawaiian shirts. My Job - create the super hip tiki art for the packaging. Sketches, revisions and approval were all met on time.  I even managed to get in a few minutes of sleep. Mattel was excited about the art and I had visions of the John Lasseter action figure nestled among Woody and Buzz in Mr. Lasseter's office. Unfortunately, I am not able to show the action figure. I can tell you that it looks great and comes decked out in a Hawaiian shirt. This action figure doesn't have kun-fu grip but if you get real close he will give you a hug.

Comic Strip Poster art

I was going through some old files last night and came across a poster I did for a weekly comic strip that I used to produce.
The strip was birthed from an early comic strip in which Bottle Rocket was a character. The idea behind the Bottle Rocket Chronicles was all Dad's/Husbands want to be a hero in the eyes of their family.

Bottle Rocket was a great crime fighter but as hard as he tried he just always seemed to fall short at home. I still like the idea behind this comic and hope to pick it up again at some point. I will probably post some of the comics in the near future. Stay Tuned!

Object illustrations

Some of my favorite assignments include drawing all sorts of objects from bugs to toys to candy.
These are just a few to see more visit the objects page on my website.

Helpful Camping Tips

Here is a list of important items you may need when camping:
1. Ironing Board - you always wanna look your best.
2. Iron - helps with the ironing process plus it makes great toast
3. T.V. - always passes the time more quickly when ironing
4. Paint - good for marking trails so you don't get lost or just sprucing up nature
5. Wall Clock - for telling the time . . . silly.
6. Blender - for mixing up wild berries for a healthy smoothy.
7. Basket ball - Could serve as another seat around the campfire. Sure beats those hard rocks.
8. Tennis racket - For killing the giant mosquitos
9. Inflatable pool - Who wants to swim in the muddy river?
10. Paint Brush - Goes with number 4 unless you prefer to use your hands.
11. Bible - Great to have if you run into a revival tent meeting.
12. Telephone - Just incase you burn the hot dogs you can order pizza.

Things you don't really need when camping:
1. Sleeping bag and Pillow - Come on, your in the backyard go in and sleep in your nice comfy bed
2. Saw - You're camping not building a house
3. Flashlight - Have your dad turn on the flood lights
4. Canteen - You've got all the water you need from the inflatable pool.
5. Tent - Sleep in the car it's more comfortable.
6. Backpack - That's why you bring friends with you. Let them carry it all.

Let me Google that for ya.

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Fall Colors

The other day I was on my way home from running an errand when I saw these incredible fall colors. Unfortunatly I didn't have my camera so I took note of the time and the next day drove back and took this picture.

ipod paper

Paul Howalt has created a cool site ipodpaper.com for downloading fun, unique, cool wallpapers for your iphone or ipod touch. Best of all it's free. I just created 12 different original wallpapers for the site check them out at ipodpaper.com

Glazed Donut of Doom - Monster 1

She woos you with her seductive sweetness but don't be fooled she goes straight to the hips and keeps those jeans sprayed on tight.

Freddie Monster - Monster 2

Freddie was a child actor that played on the short lived but highly acclaimed 50's Sitcom "Monster in the House".
The show was about a normal family that brings home a baby monster after a hospital error. These days Freddie leads a good life going to conventions and reprising his role in his off broadway play. "Monster in the House the off broadway play". He also owns a chain of TV repair stores in Cleveland.

The floating hat - Monster 3

In 1853 Dr. Remus Van Shelton was experimenting with a formula that would turn him invisible. He worked tirelessly to come upon the right formula. During this process he invented many products we now enjoy like colorless tape, the door knob and the elastic wastband. The closest he ever got to the forumla that would turn him invisible was getting his derby to float several inches off his head.

Fiddler Crab Man - Monster 4

Uncle Butt Cut - Monster 5

Uncle Butt Cut started his life as a hair ball. Eventually he just started walking around and became part of the family.

Caw - The Black Crow - Monster 6

What's a group of monsters without a crow.

Yogle Snort - Monster 7

A prehistoric monster credited as the early vacuum.

Slarry - Monster 8

Slarry is really Slimy Larry. He sweats all the time so you think he's up to something even when he's not, but he usually is.

Bug Eyed Billy - Monster 9

Bug Eyed Billy can see real well in the dark.
This does him no good because he sleeps at night.

Kyle the Wolfman - Monster 10

You wouldn't know it to look at him but Kyle is actually a vegan.

Mr. Shrunken Head Park Ranger - Monster 11

Mr SHPR as we call him is the most mysterious of all the monsters. We know very little about him except that he is a park ranger that walks up to picnicers take a bite from their sandwich and then walks back into the woods.

Vince the Vampire - Monster 12

Vince really isn't a vampire, He's a cab driver but due to his pale appearance and long fangs people often mistake him for the prince of darkness.

Lloyd The Deadly Cricket - Monster 13

Lloyd works in a bait shop from which no fisherman has ever returned.

Lucky the Black Cat - Monster 14

The Gaussian Blur - Monster 15

Never successfully photographed all we have are fuzzy pictures of this furry beast.

FrankenFurry - Monster 16

As a P.R. stunt after the whole Frankenstein monster debacle Dr. Frankenstein created FrankenFurries.
Kids everywhere wanted one. People just loved these rejuvenated bunnies.
Once again Dr. Frankenstein was back in the good graces of his community. He expanded the FrankenFurries line to include Lamas, Aardvarks and Komodo Dragons but none had the appeal of the bunny. His good standing wasn't long lived. Other mad scientist got into the game of creating there own line of mutated beasts for kids. Foreseeing this outcome the Doctor had predisposed his FrankenFurries to destroy knockoff brands. When people carrying there Frankenfurries met up with someone walking the knockoff brand . . . well let's just say it wasn't pretty.

The Undead Cory Wade - Monster 17

Cory Wade was a real life notorious gunslinger.

Legend has it that lost his eye in a nasty game of Go Fish!
He replaced his eye with a solid gold eye that he called "Pearl".
When Wade passed away it didn't take long for grave robbers to dig him up and steal his golden eye.

To this day Wade's spirit wanders the grave site where he is buried looking for his beloved golden eye, Pearl.

Many years later his eye turned up in a bowl of soup.
Today you can see Wade's golden eye at The Smithsonian - Museum of American History.

Mud Guppy - Monster 18

Cragquarium - Monster 19

Part shellfish, part diver helmet, part fishbowl. Put those together with a monkey suit and you have CRAGQUARIUM the most outlandish B-Mobie monster of all time. Yes I said mobie thats no typo. Well it is, but it was on purpose. B-Mobies are even worse than B-movies, because they were filmed by people who accidently erased them before they could ever be show to audiences, who would have demanded their money back.

Cragquarium was the forerunner and inspiration for many of the slow lumbering monsters to appear in later sci-fi and horror movies of the 50's and 60's.