On the Digital Drawing Board: Cisco Systems

It's been a crazy month with regard to business and family. Several fun and challenging projects were on the board...and with school out, my free time was ever more valuable. 

Here are a few highlights from over the past several weeks:

Another cartoon in a series of pieces commissioned by Cisco Systems in California. 
(I wrote the concept and drew the cartoon.)

A shirt design created for an elementary school in Florida. The shirts will be sold to raise money...The sketch below will become art for a shirt for the kids to wear in the actual race.

A simple cowboy riding a wild boar, (you see that at most rodeos, right?) Apparently Bluewater Thermal Solutions based in South Carolina has a water process they call "the boar"...and hence this piece was created for their advertising.

A cartoon depicting Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's recent comments about tapering bond buying. (For regular client, Merk Investments in California.)

A very large illustration commissioned by the CEO of Medicard, a medical company in Canada. (A long-time client who has hired me to create illustrations for corporate use, and for whom I've illustrated two books.) This illustration was 18" X 24" and was printed out on canvas and framed for an award presentation. (Click to enlarge).

A political piece drawn for a group of medical professionals in California that is fighting legislation before the State Senate. This piece was part of a half-page ad in the Sacramento Bee,  last week, just prior to a vote in the state capital. I just received a call tonight from them saying that they defeated the legislation. 

Lastly,  a cover illustration for a humorous book on love and romance. I created the artwork over a year ago -- but just received word that the book is now being published. 

The month of July has two large book illustration jobs, as well as several corporate projects. We'll try to fit some vacation in somewhere. Meanwhile, I hope your summer is going swimmingly -- and that you have a happy, safe 4th!

Drawing Board wrap-up - Recent Work: May

 A brief synopsis of the projects gracing my digital drawing board this past month...

A couple years back I was hired to write to create a series of cartoons for Bayer Pharmaceutical, Inc. --This past month, I was fortunate to have them com back for more.

This commission was for a presentation to Bayer's upper management, adding humor to an existing concept, and after approval, to illustrate it. In this case, the situation was to illustrate the propensity for Bayer's middle management to get caught up in the tasks of running day-to-day operations, while upper management appeared to be absent, (actually working off site or on unseen projects.) The client wanted me to do something with the idea rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic...

Two of the four illustrations created:

From what I understand the presentation went well.

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Akamai Inc. is one of those large companies that works in the background...I was not aware of them previously, but nearly everyone I know has used their services in some way. Akamai delivers thirty percent of all Web traffic, and over two trillion web requests each day, for companies such as Yahoo,  Time Warner, Verizon and Adobe. They hired me this past month to create a corporate mascot, as well as a series of pieces for corporate publications.

I got a call earlier this week from Akamai, for a new project...I created the following for an advertisement:

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This piece was created for a prominent Atlanta public relations firm, (Cookerly PR.) The owner of the firm and I worked together on the concept for this cartoon illustration for a full page ad in an Atlanta magazine. (It went through several iterations, changing the words on the screen to let them have just the right amount of casual disarray, without looking haphazard...also several changes to the make-up of the audience.)

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This was the one percent of Colorado-based work I do...and as it turns out, it was for a neighbor who is a corporate speech writer. His speech was making a point for his client that some advances in technology offer big jumps in terms of competitive balance. The metaphor we chose for this was the transition from the stone age to the bronze age. Imagine a stona age warrior with a fur hat and a stone axe meeting the first armored soldier with a long sword...it would not be a pretty result.

First draft:

Color art for the presentation:

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A political cartoon aimed at fighting some proposed legislation in California...(I was hired by a special interest group.)

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Another cartoon for an upcoming book on online dating, (working with a NY-based author):

Looking ahead to June, there are two new books to illustrate, (a children's book and a religious history book), along with some fun corporate projects.

Here's hoping your launch into the approaching summer brings at least a little relaxation. (I'll hope for some of that as well.)

Happy Birthday, Mr. Nelson

This post has nothing to with cartoons or humorous illustration...it's just something that I wanted to write in honor of my friend and neighbor, Delbert Nelson...and after doing so, thought I'd share it here.

"Mr. Nelson" as we call him,  just celebrated his 103rd birthday the other day. The man is amazing...sharp, terrific sense of humor, walks and exercises...he even drives his car to get a cup of coffee every morning!

He worked as a civil engineer and travelled around the world to work on bridge and canal projects, including Afghanistan, Africa, South America, Bali, the Panama Canal, (a repair job, not the original building/install). He retired 61 years ago! (Yes, you read that right.)

He never married, (contrary to conventional wisdom, maybe that explains his longevity -- ha ha), but has nephews and nieces who visit him often. I've known him for about 15 years and try to help him out with car and home repairs, shovelling his walk, etc. (As amazing as he is, he's not Superman -- and in recent years, finds it hard to do things like that.)

You know, the thing about him driving his car daily is maybe the most incredible of all. Along with his relatives, I was unsure about it after he turned 100, and when I tell people about it now, they are often concerned. I wouldn't want to see him navigate a high speed car chase, but he is very good. I see him out driving fairly often and he does not stick out -- no bad moves, doesn't drive slowly or too fast, he makes good decisions, (never drives in rain, snow or ice -- good thing snow usually melts here within 24 hours of falling), and uses his turn signals. His vision and reflexes somehow are just fine.

Last week, his regular parking spot in front of his house was taken, so he found a spot half a block down that was tiny...allowing maybe a foot of space in front and back, (not much, and less than I would try to handle while parallel parking.) He just deftly pulled his Buick in and made two adjustments ahead and back, never coming close to bumping into the other cars.

His driver's license expired a little over a year ago, (he missed the renewal date). When he went to the DMV to get it straightened out, the people there realized how old he was. They told him he would have to take vision tests, written tests and a full driving test if he wanted his license. He was a little worried, but agreed to try. --He passed them all.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Nelson!

New Animated Video for Intel Corporation

Here's the finished version of a new animated video for Intel Corporation, fresh from production. The voices and animation are complete and the video is approved by management at Intel.

This is the third one in a series, featuring a set of characters I created along with a NYC-based production company.  The two main characters returned; (Bob), the owner of a small technology retail company, and his mentor/advisor from Intel, (Michael), whose look and voice was modeled after veteran film actor Michael Caine....hence the English "Hullo, Bob" dialect you can hear from the voice actor they hired for all three videos.

This one was fun, though a great deal of drawing. As with the previous Intel videos, I did not do the animation; I was only involved with design & drawing of the characters, backgrounds and technology depicted. I worked with the animator in creating many of the movements, (but it's beyond my "training level" to piece it all those movements together!)

We just received word that there may be a fourth one coming soon.

(Click to play)

Intel Corporation "New World Retailing Video

Cartoon Caption Contest 5

(Your caption here)

It has been a few months since I've had a cartoon caption contest...and now seems a fine time to do it again.

Anyone can enter, including those who entered or won the last four caption contests. If you can think of a caption for the cartoon above, compose away! (Simply write it in the comment below or if you prefer, you can email it to me.)

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

On the Digital Drawing Board: March

Things are crazy busy right now in the studio, as I'm in the midst of sizable projects for Intel Corp., Cisco Systems and roughly a dozen other corporate clients. (No complaints; I'm very blessed and this is fun.)

A sample of a few things in process: (Click to enlarge)

Some animation frames for repeat client, Intel Corporation. (I design and illustrate the characters and scenes, and then work with an animator in NY to make everything "move".) This is the third in a series created for them over the last three years. A few of the 40+ illustrations thus far:

The execs at Intel decided that the building we modeled, (an actual convention center) did look large enough
 in front...so I pulled back, added second story and more glass.

After seeing that, we felt that something was still not right. We agreed that the problem was the drive-up
 valet area which made the building look like a hotel. Thus, I redrew the front,
removing that area and further enlarging the outer wall. Success! They loved it.

A line of people forms, and our main characters enter the technology show.

Sketches for an overhead walking sequence.

Some of the weekly political and financial cartoons created for Merk Investments:

One of several cartoons in process for Cisco Systems Inc., (this one in the sketch stage):

A few cartoons for an online dating humor book for an author in NY:

Back to the drawing board...

On the Digital Drawing Board: Book Illustration

My apologies for neglecting the blog for a few weeks. The year has started off with a sizable bang. No need to go into detail, other than to say there has been a good number of fun projects thus far. So without further delay, here is a small taste of the book illustration work on the board thus far this year...(corporate projects in a post to follow.)

An illustration for a biography...(more details later)

Two of 36 cartoon illustrations created for a book called
"Overage Dating: The Adventures of Aunt Frieda"

One of over 20 illustrations created thus far for a humor book about online dating.

A cartoon for a school textbook 

On the Drawing Board: Corporate Clients

Continued...some of the cartoons and illustrations created for corporate clients recently....

Two cartoons for Chicago based Straight North, Inc. They were written by Brad Shorr,
 a collaborator and client going back several years.

A cartoon for long-time client CGNet, announcing Microsoft 360. B&W here, color added below.

A follow-up illustration to accompany an article for family-friendly Cozi.

One of several gift card holder/greeting cards intended to be marketed in Home Depot.

A cartoon commissioned by MoveOn.org. They called me this week and asked me to create
 two cartoons that take aim at the NRA. In this one, I went after NRA chief Wayne LaPierre.

A cartoon for regular client Merk Investments...regarding the Fiscal Cliff

Another of the weekly cartoons created for Merk Investments; this one depicting the battle of the currencies.

A piece for "Leadership Review", which involved drawing the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

A package illustration for a waterproof iPhone protector, (created and designed by an old college roommate!)

On the digital drawing board in the next few weeks are two book illustration projects and several corporate client jobs, including an animated video for Intel Corporation. (The third in a series for them.) Some long days and nights ahead.