A Sketchy History
The journal of cartoonist & illustrator Mark Hill
Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Tuesday, May 24, 2022
Friday, May 20, 2022
Friday, May 13, 2022
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Saturday, May 07, 2022
Thursday, May 05, 2022
Wednesday, May 04, 2022
Friday, April 29, 2022
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Wednesday, March 09, 2022
Abby & Bandit
(I will continue to post the newest page here on the Dancing Moose)
Friday, December 31, 2021
Happy New Year
For the first time in years we did not send out a custom family Christmas card. I was swamped with client projects, my wife and daughter equally busy with work and school...and just as we were catching our breath, unfortunately, our family dog passed away. I drew a card, but didn't have the heart, or the time to print it and mail it.
Without further pontificating, I'll share a few recent things.
First, some photos from a family Christmas trip to visit my Mom in Illinois..
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First, from the drawing board last month are two New Yorker cartoons.
The next project goes back to November. Most of my clients are out of state, and this was a rare local gig - a fun one at that. I was commissioned to write and draw five political cartoons to fight a well-funded initiative pushed by a group of real estate investment firms located outside Colorado.
Here are two of the five pieces...all were published in the Boulder Camera newspaper, and a in series of website pages, posters, mail pieces, etc.
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I just wrapped up a similar project for an executive at Golin Public Relations. Golin is a Fortune 500 company with 50 offices around the globe, (and I was admittedly unfamiliar with them.) Their HQ is in Chicago, where they occupy the 26th floor of the John Hancock Tower, one of my favorite buildings in the world.
The illustrations are a gift, commissioned to honor a career milestone for Fred Cook, the Chair Emeritus of Golin. I discussed the five scenes with two of Golin's management, via Microsoft Teams. Then I created sketches, and after approval, finished pen and ink drawings with watercolor washes. Everything was matted and framed in a horizontal layout of five scenes.
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I'm a car enthusiast and also a racing fan (Indy and CART series, not Nascar). The past two months worked out well, as I got a chance to draw several cars.
The first was for a 12-time winning CART series racing team. The owner of the team approached me about possibilities for a cartoon illustration the for his team's advertising, apparel and posters. The look he wanted was to be reminiscent of the old CAR-Toons hot rod magazines of the 70's and 80's. (I was familiar with them, having leafed through a few at the local drug store when I was a teen.)
This is a Sprint Racing series car, and to the casual observer, it looks odd with the plethora of wings & spoilers. Racing these is a blast, and many of the biggest names in Indy and Nacar (like Kyle Larson) also race these cars - simply because they are so much fun. 800 horsepower, light weight...magic.
Initial Sketch:
Monday, September 06, 2021
Books, bikes and back to college
Happy Labor Day! A day off for me, (hopefully for you as well) and a chance to catch up a bit here. It's hard to believe summer is nearly over.
This past month brought some fun writing and illustrating projects, and I'll share one that was a unique biography. The subject is a prominent businessman, investor (and as I found out while illustrating the book, also a friend of Warren Buffet). The project was commissioned by the authors, via my agent.
To begin, the editor and authors provided me with a manuscript, photos of the gentleman, and written material regarding his investment strategies.
The book is being published in October.
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A advertising illustration piece created last month.
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This is a political cartoon for a media outlet and magazine in Atlanta. I was asked to create two versions of this cartoon, one featuring Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden another featuring Nancy with Andrew Cuomo. The latter was published due to the timing of Cuomo resigning from office after his scandal. I was given the concept to draw by the publication editor, and I wasn't sure how many people would remember Jim And Tammy Faye Baker simply from their likenesses...but it is an interesting analogy.
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A blast from the past. I was recently contacted by the folks at Ted Talks, requesting permission to use an image for their marketing. (This is a scene from a Ted Talk being presented by bestselling author Daniel Pink, featuring an illustration I created for one of his books, below).
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We took a family trip two weeks ago, a last hurrah to summer, involving mountain bikes & horses. We biked along the Vail pass, 15 miles past Copper Mountain into Frisco, then on to Breckenridge. Incredible views and wildlife, including a bald eagle and bear.
A vibrantly colored lake near Copper Mountain Bald Eagle's Nest
Then, three days later, I flew to Nashville with my daughter, taking her back to college and helping her move in. (My wife stayed home with our elderly dog who needs extra care right now.) I flew to Nashville a few months ago and moved most of her dorm items into a storage facility downtown. So, the reverse this time.
After moving my daughter into her dorm.
Lots of exercise, we got her dorm suite set up. Afterward, we cleaned up, and I took Julia and her roommates to dinner....and weenjoyed some terrific Nashville music. Sunday, big hugs and goodbyes before flying back to Denver.
We all miss her greatly, the dog included.
It's back to the studio for me, where some book illustrations jobs, a project for Google, and a few political commissions await. Until next time, stay well and enjoy the autumn.