Category: Animals

Happy Birthday Jack Davis!

One of my artistic heroes is the inimitable Jack Davis. Oh, many have tried to copy him artistically, but no one can come close to the master both artistically AND personally. While Jack’s art style is an island unto itself, his easy-going Southern gentleman personality sparkles as a rarity amongst cartoonists. When you first meet him you just want to be his friend instantly. That moment for me came in 1997 when I first met Jack at a Reuben Awards hosted by the National Cartoonists Society at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.

Many years have past since then, and I am privileged that our first handshake turned into an actual friendship. Back in 2006 when I was president of the Comic Art Professional Society (CAPS), we created an award called The Sergio (designed and named after Sergio Aragonès) to be given annually to a cartoonist whose body of work the cartooning community feels is invaluable and inspiring. Our very first recipient had to be no one other than Jack.

Today happens to be Jack Davis’ 89th birthday, yet somehow his work remains as youthful as the day he started. He is STILL showing us how it is done.

The art I share with you today was my tribute to Jack that appeared in the program book from that Sergio Award banquet. Many cartoonists created little pieces for Jack who not only took home a nice statue, but also a nice portfolio of all the original tribute art.

 

Jack Davis art
As a die hard Southerner, it has always been nice that Jack has overlooked the fact that I am a Yankee…unless he actually never realized that.

 

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jack Davis! And if you don’t know the work of this great man from MAD Magazine, movie poster illustration, TIME Magazine covers, TV Guide covers, books, advertising art, Wacky Packages, U.S. postage stamps, and just about anything else you can think of, please do yourself a favor and Google his name!

 

Categories
Animals Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Caricature Cartoons Illustrations Self Portrait

2013 Monster Month: Day 2 – Ball Point Terrors

Do you ever just get on a roll with sketching in your sketchbook? I do. This is what can happen when you combine an idle mind with a sheet of white paper and a ball point pen.

 

cute creature sketches
Sometimes it is the cute ones that are the most deadly.

 

Come back Monday to see what new nightmares await!

Categories
Animals Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles

2013 Monster Month: Day 1 – Wolfchad

What better way to get Monster Month kicked off than with a self-effacing interpretation of the Wolfman. This is a version of how I look before I’ve had my coffee in the morning.

 

Wolfman
This is how I really am. When a full moon appears, I become normal looking.

 

For those of you paying attention to my signature, I originally drew this one back in 2010. It was a sketch in my sketchbook that I inked, then scanned and colored in Photoshop. I was playing around with the idea of turning myself into the Wolfman for 2010’s Monster Month, when a funnier idea came to mind. I redrew myself a little less angry getting scolded by a police officer. CLICK HERE if you’d like to see THAT drawing which was inspired by THIS drawing!

The next installment of boogie monsters arrives here on Friday!

Categories
Animals Art: Inking Caricature Character Designs Monsters Random Doodles Self Portrait

Drawing Lines In the Sand

When the heavy heat visits us every summer, I light out for the beach to visit with family. Since the age of ten, I look forward to the start of every trip while each trip’s ending brings regret. This year my sister and brother-in-law dared to bring their two little sons to experience Uncle Chad. While I shall spare the details of teaching bad habits, the tale of indulging the curiosity of a two-year-old is in order.

Little Hudson is at that age where everything is a new discovery. Building things out of the ground we walked on was a novelty to him. We had some technicolor plastic molds that allowed us to create various sea creatures in the sand, all of which Hudson promptly destroyed like a mighty Godzilla rampaging Tokyo.

Hudson does have an affinity for Disney characters (he IS my nephew after all), so I set out to blow his mind. We started out piling up some sand together, and fetching water as needed. Two-year-olds being what they are, he soon lost interest in these technical aspects of beach building, and wandered off somewhere. I don’t know where. I was busy carving him a mouse.

 

Mickey Mouse sand sculpture
Oh Boy! Sand can do the neatest things!

 

When Hudson regained interest in what Uncle Chad was doing, he took one look at it and said, “Wreck it now?” His momma said no, and we posed for a picture. You can see his enthusiasm has no boundaries.

 

Mickey Mouse head
Hudson with Uncle Chad next to the giant dismembered Mickey Mouse head in the sand. Good times.

 

A few days later my sister’s family departed for their home, but Mickey remained intact. Hudson never did wreck it, but neither did anyone else. A week after his rise from the shadows of the sand, Mickey lived on. Sure, he was a little weathered as any 85-year-old mouse would be, and had become home to several sand crabs who must have been Disney fans. I like to think that after I made my way back to California, Mickey continued keeping his watch over our little spot on the beach waiting to enthrall the next two-year-old to come along….

 

Disney Sand Sculpture
Here he is a week after being built. Nothing was going to end his existence except a “cease and desist” from Disney lawyers.

 

….who promptly wrecked it.

Categories
Animals Chad About Town Disney

The Dog Walker

Have you ever noticed how pet owners and their dogs can look alike? I don’t think that owners actually morph into the shape of their pet, but rather in a subconscious act of narcissism, they purchase the pet that looks good to them. They buy themselves a Mini-Me.

I’m not the first to make this observation, but I AM the latest to poke fun at it.

 

Dog Walker
An owner and his pet enjoying some rarefied air.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Character Designs

Disney Legends Awards 2013

Two weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the Walt Disney Company’s Legends award ceremony held in Anaheim, CA. First awarded in the late 1980s, the award is given to those folks, whether creative or otherwise, who have meant much to the success of the company over the years. The award was bestowed annually for many years on the Disney studio lot in Burbank, CA which I attended many times while working there. Now they seem to be awarded every other year at the D23 Expo, Disney’s own fan convention, where thousands of fans may also attend.

I had such a great time this year seeing folks like animator Glen Keane, actors Billy Crystal & John Goodman, and Imagineer Tony Baxter accept their special trophy. Others were awarded posthumously to TV personality Dick Clark, Apple & Pixar’s Steve Jobs, actor Ed Wynn, and Imagineer Collin Campbell whose awards were accepted by family members and friends.

I’m sure if you searched the web, you will find official photos and videos of the event and more wordy descriptions of the ceremony. What those accounts may not say is that a respectable showing of past Legends were in attendance as well. I was surrounded by folks like Paige O’Hara (voice of Belle), Floyd Norman (animation), Burny Mattinson (animation), Marty Sklar (Imagineering), Mary Costa (voice of Sleeping Beauty), Anika Noni Rose (voice of Princess Tiana), David Stollery (Marty of “Spin & Marty”), Kathryn Beaumont (voice of Alice and Wendy), Alice Davis (designer of costumes for Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean rides), Bob Gurr (Imagineer who famously designed the monorail), Bill Farmer (voice of Goofy), and many others.

(If you wish to see a photo, my friend Rick Law posted one that I’m in on Facebook. I reposted it to my FB page and you can CLICK HERE to go there now.)

It was such a special time that I felt inspired the next day to do a little watercolor sketch of Mickey holding a Disney Legend award.

 

Mickey Mouse holding a trophy of his dismembered hand known as the Disney Legends award.

 

These awards truly are special. Many people work for many years at a desk isolated from the world doing what they love to do. The fact that their efforts can go on to bring joy and inspiration to millions of people they will never meet is a reward in its own way, but a pat on the back from the CEO in front of an audience is also swell. In a day where there is much cynicism and insincerity in corporate America, it is nice to see that the Walt Disney Company continues this tradition of honoring people who are a big part of the in-front-of and behind-the-scenes of the memories many of you have today.

Categories
Animals Art: Watercolor Chad's Editorials Disney

The Force of Comic-Con

Well, this is Comic-Con week. While many of my friends and colleagues will be congregating in San Diego for the grand daddy of all comic conventions, I shall remain in Los Angeles working on the Lalaloopsy TV show.

Comic-Con is a crazy time with 150,000+ swarming the hotels, restaurants, streets and convention center all looking to get their nerd on. I won’t be missing it one bit, but I do share an affection with the crowd for the great geeky experiences to be had there in excess. So, I thought I’d throw my hat in the ring by posting a pretty nerdy sketch today.

If a mouse had Jedi powers, what would he use the Force for? Why, liberating cheese from traps of course. Enjoy!

 

Star Wars Mouse
“This IS the cheese you are looking for.”
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Photoshop Character Designs Random Doodles Sketchbook

The Giggle Bunny

Yeah, yeah, I know – the title is a bit cute and sappy. Well, I LIKE drawing cute and sappy sometimes!

In this case, the cute and sappy was just what the doctor ordered. A friend of mine has been in the hospital for many weeks, and I thought it was high time to send her a little encouragement. Nothing can be more bleak than having four hospital walls to stare at in between bouts of sleep. Short of having a pharmaceutical degree, a giggling bunny seemed like the best medicine I could mix together.

Hopefully the bunny’s presence has made your day a bit brighter, too!

 

Cute Bunny Rabbit
Flowers can be ticklish.
Categories
Animals Art: Colored Pencil Art: Painting Art: Watercolor Character Designs Illustrations