Another Bernanke cartoon...

Click to enlarge

A new cartoon lampooning Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his economic policies...created for a regular client's news page: Merk Investments

(I love cars, and among the client projects on the drawing board this week were four that allowed me to draw cars in some way. --Nirvana! Will post more after they wrap up.)

On the drawing board: Cartoons in the Atlantic magazine

Just got word that the Twitter/Charlie Sheen cartoon page I created last week was published by The Atlantic Magazine.

 

 

-Update, (5/5) the cartoon humor page also garnered a brief appearance on NBC's The Today Show and The Today Show blog.

(Apparently it was a slow news week.)

A chance to do a Charlie Sheen caricature

Well, not that I've been itching to draw him. But a challenge like that is always fun.

A long-term client called last week asking me to create a cartoon humor page, (Hubspot, Inc., for their news and blog. World Without Twitter Cartoons)

I was asked to write and draw several 'Mad magazine-style' cartoons on the topic of 'where we would be without Twitter'.

Here's the end result: (Click to enlarge)

Naturally, getting to have fun drawing Charlie Sheen was the best part. Everyone thought that the first caricature (below) looked like him, but it seemed to me that he didn't look crazy enough, particularly in the context of his recent bizarre statements, media quotes and tweets.

I battled with how to make him seem bizarre and a bit nuts, (you know, like he sounds when he talks).  But the trouble was, there was no room for the dialogue I wrote for him.

 Then I tried drawing his eyes crossed. ...Problem solved!

(Maybe the small insect in his hair helps, too.)

Lobster Sculpture

Sketches for the original lobster sculpture

I've been working on a project in my spare time over the past few weeks that was a big step away from my usual two-dimensional drawing world.

The lobster couple, (prior to changing the eyes)

A few years back I sculpted some cartoon lobsters for a client on the East coast, as a wedding gift to her fiance. (Playing off the theme that "lobsters mate for life".) At the time, I was not really sure about taking on a project that involved 3D cartoon work...but the client talked me into it. I'm glad she did, as it turned out to be a lot of fun, and the gift to her fiance was apparently a big hit.

Flash-forward to today. The happily married couple now has two kids, and they decided that they wanted me to add some young lobster characters to the original beach scene, now showing the whole lobster family.

It's one of those processes that takes time, as I need to take photos of each step and email them to the client, and then waiting for a response with comments or requests for changes. (Not the quickest way to create a 3D piece of art, but hey, it seems to work in the end.) After adjusting the claws, eyes, antennas on the kid lobsters, everything seems to be coming into shape.

The now growing lobster family, (one 'kid' added at this point).

I started with a Sculpey-like commercial clay that can be fired to become hard. Then to protect it, each clay piece had to be coated with a clear plastic resin, which smells and is hard to get off my hands and any tools I used. I added one 'baby lobster' and then after that looked right to the client, I added a second.

The client is happy, I had fun, and it has been a nice diversion from drawing. The real challenge: packing the whole thing up and shipping it so that it would not be damaged when say, the Fed Ex man drops/throws/kicks it. (I used rubber bands, padding and supports inside the box the first time...and will do the same this time.)

Cartoon Caption Contest III

After working to meet a slew of cartoon and illustration deadlines, I got the itch for another cartoon caption contest...

Simply think of a caption for the featured cartoon above and submit it. (You can post it as a comment below or email it to me.) Anyone can enter, including everyone who entered the last two.

The winner's name will be posted here, along with the finished cartoon featuring their caption. He or she will also receive a copy of the cartoon, (with their name added to the signature line).

Political cartoons R.I.P.?

Many people say that political cartooning is a dying art form. With newspapers struggling, and nearly two thirds of all full-time political cartoonists losing their positions over the last 15-20 years, it is sadly declining.

At one time I did political cartoons through a syndicate, and before that I self syndicated them to papers in the Midwest...but I stopped doing them about 15 years ago, in favor of newspaper comic strips. Several political cartoonist friends have lost their jobs, all due to "budget cuts". The word is that newspapers generally no longer even have the budgets to pay well for freelance political cartoons. Editors feel that they can get by without a staff cartoonist, and instead, run something from a syndicate for a fraction of the cost.

The good news is that there are many other folks who do pay well for political cartoons. Online news services, political groups and corporate clients are all viable venues for political illustration and cartoons.

I create on average 4-5 political cartoons a month for such clients. Over the last two weeks I was commissioned to do some cartoons on Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, for a client in the financial industry. (Link to cartoon #One)

A government agency in Washington DC recently hired me to do a political cartoon on global warming, for their posters and literature. (Interestingly, the tone of the conversation indicated that they feel they are losing the propaganda war on that front. --Maybe for good reason. :)

And just recently, MoveOn.org, the large Liberal political action organization funded by George Soros, hired me to create a cartoon about Eric Cantor, for their advertising and fundraising efforts. (Below).

All of these organizations and companies have the ability to pay a decent, often ranging into several hundred dollars per cartoon.


When I was first starting out, I would submit cartoons to newspapers and if they chose to publish them I would be paid the typical fee of $50. As I became more familiar to the newspaper editors, that fee gradually grew to $100. But again, many of the cartoons were never used, and often I was not paid at all.

In recent years, as the newspaper industry has languished, those fees have actually become smaller...and the number of cartoons they publish has dwindled. --Adding proof of the problem is this: The staff editorial cartoonist for the Boulder Daily Camera, (the paper I worked for 20 years ago), recently quit, stating that he was not making enough money to support himself.

The newspaper editorial cartoonist is a rare breed now, with less than 50 employed in the world full-time. Fortunately, there are other ways for them to make a good living.

I have to say it is fun to draw in a black and white ink style that is unmistakably identifiable as 'editorial art'...

Tulip & Iris Cartoons

In January I was approached to do some work for a flower and bulb company in Holland. The company, Breck's is one of those firms that sends packets in the mail inviting you to buy bulbs for your garden.

Previously, they had hired cartoonist Ted Fine, the creator of the "Hazel" comic strip, as well as the Mr. Peabody & Sherman cartoon characters from the Rocky & Bullwinkle show, (characters I used to love as a kid.) Sadly, Ted passed away in 2008 after a long bout with cancer.

The company's main offices in the USA are in Indiana, but a design studio in Pennsylvania that had worked with Ted contacted me and served as my liaison with the company.

The trick of the cartoons is that they are personalized with the name of the addressee appearing in the caption of the cartoon, peering through the envelope window. (A very effective way to increase response rates from direct marketing.) I have done personalized cartoons for many clients, so it was old hat to write concepts for that purpose.

I was asked to create 4 concepts for their bulbs, (tulips or irises), and then after they selected their favorite, to finish it as a color cartoon.

Rough sketches of concepts, below: (click to take a closer look)

After seeing the concepts, they decided to do two personalized mailers rather than one...and asked me to create a second finished cartoon.

The second cartoon, (below), along with a sample mailer. (We decided to add the main characters' wife, with her expression of disbelief, to add to the humor.)

On the Drawing Board

We completed an addition to the house right before Christmas, and I moved back into my studio after it was carpeted, just in time to have things really break loose with work. (Timing is everything, right?)

With the beginning of the year brisk and furious, I have not had time to do much except draw, write, eat and sleep, (well, I did manage to ski a few times with Julia, but to me that's classified with eating and sleeping.)

I just sent off the last of some sketches and finished art that were due this afternoon, so I thought I'd take a breather and post a few things here, (including a new caption contest and maybe some new things for fun.)

First, a few of the more entertaining things that were on the board over the last few weeks:

(click to enlarge)

Art for Bayer Pharmaceuticals in New York. This was part of a presentation to management,
 depicting a new executive who is leading employees in a new direction. (Click to enlarge)

A corporate mascot, (one of several created this month). This one, a rough and tumble little bulldog, was created for a music industry client  in California. The second illustration is for their use at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music & film  festivals and conferences in Austin, Texas, March 11-20. (Illustration Link)
             

Packaging artwork for a new product designed to help toddlers wean themselves from using a pacifier. It apparently works quite well and includes a step-by-step mail-in project and a reward, (the child receives a teddy bear after successfully giving up the pacifier.) 

The illustration will go on the back of this package.
(I could use one of these, for when I suck on my pencils, etc.)

One of 12 cartoons commissioned by a financial services firm (E-MoneyAdvisor)

                                

Three examples of a series of a dozen greeting cards created for a company marketing

reminder cards for veterinarians, (to send to clients, telling it's time for 

Fido and Fifi to come in for their tests, or to say thank you for your business, etc.) 

Lots of fun -- it was an opportunity to write and draw a bit outside of my usual realm.  

                        
                                  

The first of six monthly comics appearing in magazine ads for a software company based in California.

                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------

Currently on the drawing board is more art for a new presentation for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, a corporate mascot for a California company, and a cartoon-based contest for Purina, (naturally, it will be a cartoon about a dog; it's in the early stages). Not quite as red hot and hectic as it has been over the last six weeks, but, (like the last bowl of porridge the Little Red Riding Hood tasted), just right. (Did I just mention Little red Riding Hood? I must be tired.)

Psych Central Profile - part two

The second part of an interview with Richard Zwolinski at Psych Central...
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/therapy-soup/2010/09/funny-on-demand-cartoonist-mark-hill/#more-1114

New Boneheaded Dog Cartoon

New cartoon from the pooch, here:
http://blog.hilltoons.com/

Interview

 (I intended to post this a few days ago, since it originally started running on Tuesday,  but it has been a blitz with clients this week.)

I was the subject of a short interview with Psych Central, a top online psychiatric resource website. I've done a fair number of client projects that involved psychiatric-related cartoons, (including illustrating a recent book for two psychologists)...and a couple of those cartoons are featured.

It was flattering to be asked to do -- and fun to answer some rather creative questions. It's running in two parts, on successive Tuesdays.


http://blogs.psychcentral.com/therapy-soup/2010/09/the-cartoonist-is-in-therapy-soup-interviews-mark-hill/#comments

New Creative Outlet

Not that I need more to do, (as things are as busy as ever with clients and publishing deadlines), but I'm starting a new cartoon feature. For a while I've had the itch to play with something new and different.
 
I'm calling it "A Boneheaded Dog's Blog". It's intended to be the observations of an exuberant and small minded family dog. On most days the posts will be from the dog's perspective; on some others, it will be from the owner's perspective.

Please take a peek..let me know what you think. It's an experiment right now and comments/suggestions are welcome.

A Boneheaded Dog's Blog

Round-up of recent client projects

]]Well, it's been a while, but here's a little taste of what's been on the drawing board lately...


From a book on sleep apnea that I was hired to illustrate this summer...(Click to enlarge images)



A cartoon created for the two founders of Hubspot Inc.



A packaging illustration for a new iPhone protector..




An advertising piece created for a technology company in California...




Artwork for a dog treats company, to go on the product packaging. (Sold in mostly in Costco) This is merely the B&W preliminary art, each variety will have a different tasty item on the platter, (turkey, beef, salmon, chicken, etc.)

One of 30 cartoons created for a book on healthcare management.




A cartoon created for a financial company in Maryland:


A cartoon created for a magazine:




A cartoon for a large construction company in Seattle, (the client requested something that looked like an updated Lichtenstein cartoon.)

A marketing piece for a law firm in Minneapolis:



One of several cartoons created for a book on International Business negotiation:



An ad piece created for a dental products company in New York:




A comic strip that is currently running in some papers in Ontario & Toronto:


Some projects currently on the board over the next two weeks:
A poster and book cover for a long-term client.
A series of cartoon animal illustrations for a greeting card company.
12 illustrations for a Powerpoint presentation, commissioned by a company in New York.
A marketing cartoon for biotech corporation.
A ad cartoon for medical device manufacturer.
A humorous pen & ink illustration for an independent film maker.
A regular monthly cartoon for a Michigan school principals association newsletter.

Fire news: Much better finally

Friends and clients have been asking about the nearby fire and whether it has affected our family. A couple of folks said they checked here, so I thought I'd add a blurb to say that things are fine.

The fire started Labor Day morning, apparently after someone who lives in a mountain home let a barbecue fire pit get out of control. We noticed the cloud of smoke and saw it grow as the day went on, with shifting winds. The lack of rain, (less than a tenth of an inch in the past month), made it worse. The area in question is about 15 miles away from town.

In the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday, the smoke was fairly noticeable outdoors. (We were running the central A/C, and thus filtered the air, so we couldn't smell the smoke when indoors.) No morning walks with the pooch, though after the breeze got going, the smoke cleared out after noon. Julia was in school nearby with everything as usual; just no outdoor recess on Tues & Wed.

I feel very sorry for the people who are displaced and/or lost their homes. 169 homes were destroyed. I can't imagine what those people are going through. Miraculously, there has been no loss of life or even serious injury.

With the help of some much-needed rain on Wednesday night, the fire fighters made good progress over the last two days. It looks as if the fire is mostly contained. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16050812?source=rss

Caption Contest #2: And the Winner is...

Zack Collier.

Zack was clever and also persistent. (He entered in week 1, in a competitive group of entries), and this time had two good entries, in a group of 4 total entries.)

Congrats to Zack and thanks to everyone who entered!

Cartoon Caption Contest - Part deux

Click cartoon to enlarge


Well, it's time for another cartoon caption contest. (Anyone can enter, including everyone who entered the last one.)

Think of a caption for the featured cartoon above and submit it. You can simply post it as a comment below or email it to me. (Hill@comic.com).

The winner's name will be posted here, along with the finished cartoon featuring their caption. He or she will also receive a copy of the cartoon, (with their name added to the signature line).

Have fun! Be wildly creative! Deadline is Friday Sept. 3 (sorry, forgot that earlier.)

Book Signing Update

                                            
Well, as I had hoped, (being a happy introvert most of the time) the Barnes and Noble book signing was rather sedate. Other than a few dozen people strolling in to buy books and chat, it was never overwhelming in terms of a crowd. The store manager had a table for me, with chairs set up for an audience at the opening, (and a presentation.) But there was no need for the chairs, because I chose not to do an illustration presentation.

Over the three hours, I think I signed 30 books...more than I thought would sell, given that the book signing was only publicized in the Boulder newspaper, (and also considering that I was not the book's author, but simply the illustrator hired by the publisher.)

-----------------------
Update: (9/7) Pelican Publishing contacted me today, saying that the Colorado Springs Barnes & Noble would like me to do a book signing in December.  Barnes & Noble colorado-springs-co/signing The Denver Post and Rocky Moungtain News are running articles on the signingm and the book store is guessing it would have a more sizable audience  I initially turned it down, but the publisher convinced me to schedule a day in early December. It should be fun, and besides, Colorado Springs is beautiful in Dec...(I can take the family to the Broadmoor, ride the Pikes Peak Christmas train, etc.)

Barnes and Noble Book Signing

This past year I illustrated a book that is currently being published by Pelican Press and will be released this week. (The title is currently being changed by the author) This Saturday, (8/21), I’ll be doing a book signing at the Barnes and Noble store in Boulder. http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/event/3053496

I feel a little out of place doing the book signing, since it's not really my book. I feel that the author deserves full credit for the themes covered in it. But after some reassuring from the folks at Pelican Publishing and Barnes and Noble - that signings often feature book illustrators - I begrudgingly accepted their invitation.

My guess is that I'll be sitting there for three hours reading a book.

Thus far the book has stirred up some interest from a couple of newspapers. A local columnist called to interview me about the book and its illustrations while I was out of town this week, giving me a 24-hour window to talk with him...and I missed it.

So, enough babbling about promotional events...and back to the drawing board, where I am happiest.

We have a winner!

Thanks to the creative folks who submitted ideas for the first installment of the Cartoon Caption Contest. (For this first one we had four entries; three people emailed ideas and one submitted here.) All were surprisingly good, (and perhaps they should all consider trying their hand at this professionally.)

Drum roll... the winner is Kevin Gleeson, of Lyons, Illinois.

For his very funny caption, Kevin will receive a print of the finished cartoon, (as shown above).

The next contest will start soon...

Cartoon Caption Contest

Well, the long-promised and much-delayed Cartoon Caption Contest is under way.

Think of a caption for the featured cartoon above and submit it. You can simply post it as a comment below or email it to me. (Hill@comic.com).

The winner's name will be posted here, along with the finished cartoon featuring their caption. He or she will also receive a copy of the cartoon, (with their name added to the signature line).

Have fun! Be creative!

Deadline for entries: Friday July 16.

A much needed breather

Pant, pant, pant. --The sound of the caged animal, catching its breath.

After over two years of what seemed to be a constant back-logs of clients, working many weekends, taking artwork and computers with me on vacation, etc., things have finally calmed down a little. Over the past few weeks, work has entailed 7 or 8-hour days instead of 10-12. I don't know if it's summer break for some of my clients or just a lull, but I'll take it.

So, with that extra time, I have been able to devote a little more time to other things, (working in the yard, biking and swimming with my daughter, buying a new car & restoring an old one...and also creating a new website.)

Lastly, it was nice to take a vacation last week without having to work during some of it in the hotel room. My folks came out to Colorado for a visit, and then we went with them on a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks--an truly beautiful area where we boated, water skied, tubed, etc. In addition to being a chance to relax and spend time with a few generations of family, it was lots of fun. (Julia spent probably six hours of every day in the several pools, water slides, etc. at the resort...literally wrinkled like a raisin when I dragged her out to go to dinner, etc.)

I always come back from vacations feeling glad that I took them. I feel refreshed and ready to go, I'm more efficient, all of the things for which vacations are intended. But as silly as it sounds, I dread getting prepared to take them, as I do not want to interrupt my regular routine. It always seems like I have something to do here, and I feel like I'm behind schedule when I return. It's also hard to get into the 'vacation mindset' at first and let go of the magnetic grip that my work and studio have upon me. Same for you?

Fortunately this time I felt no guilt about going and came home with a broad smile on my face.

Which leads to one final note before signing off...

I have a powerful desire for a balanced life. (Most people I know share that pursuit.) Yet, everyone I know is busier now than they were five years ago or even two years ago...and much of that comes from technology and connectivity. I do not want my life reduced to a blizzard of snippets and snapshots on a blog, Twitter account or Facebook page. The maintenance of such things can be like walking against a gale force wind. You never get ahead of it and it is always there waiting for more.

And with that, my apologies for not making typical or regular blog or twitter posts, or Facebook entries for friends and family. Instead, I plan to start spending some more time here with two or three creative outlets purely designed for fun. (More on that soon.)