My Little Pony?!!!

I have no idea why I drew this.  Okay, I do have some idea.  I recently discovered the new My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon, and I have to say I was impressed.  Clever writing, cool design updates, and great characters that don't feel like an insult to girls looking for a cool show.

At any rate, here's Twilight Sparkle.  In my very limited knowledge of the show, I believe she is the main equine.  Hope you enjoy!

Cars 2: The Video Game Storyboards

Here's a few of the story sketches I created for Cars 2: The Video Game.  They're out of order and missing a lot of frames, so you'll still have to play the game to enjoy it to its fullest!

It was a fun project to work on.  The premise of the game was a sequel to the film, and it featured all the characters you'd expect a Cars franchise game to include.  Sadly, these boards do not feature my very favorite Cars character - Holley Shiftwell.

These images are copyright Disney/Pixar, so mind your manners!

Holiday Gift Ideas for the Animation Fanatic

I've had some requests for gift ideas for the animator.  In addition to the previous version I did a few years ago, here's some updated favorites of mine that I think would appeal to the animator and the animation enthusiast.

Halloweenies - Season Five

Shirt.Woot: Hipster Animals

This week's t-shirt design contest is "Hipster Animals", and here's my entry.  If you'd like to vote for it, here's the link.

Shaggy

Timon and Pumbaa

Hakuna Matata!

The Lion King's coming back to theaters in that new-fangled digital 3D format, so it's time for some Timon and Pumbaa fan art!  (Pumbaa's the one on the bottom, in case you aren't familiar.)

Busy Bee vs. Busy Beaver

The topic for this week's shirt.woot.com contest was "Chores", so I decided to see what would happen if nature's busiest creatures had a cleaning smack down.  When the dust settles, who will make a clean sweep? 

If my pun hasn't disgusted you, you can go vote for my shirt design here:

http://shirt.woot.com/Derby/Entry.aspx?id=56722

If enough people vote, they'll make an actual shirt!

She's No Webigail!

Here's the latest in my obsessive Darkwing Duck fan-art exercise.  It's everyone's favorite junior Mallard, Gosalyn!  While some have criticized her tomboy-ish penchant for mischief and a voice that rivals Bea Arthur in gravel, I've always found her to be the perfect counterpoint to Darkwing's ill-equipped fathering skills.

Wherever you fall on the Gosalyn issue, you have to admit it's a great character design and a fantastic color scheme.  Huey, Louie and Dewey...  The days of monotone ball caps are over.

Launchpad McQuack

Who could forget the world's worst avian aviator, Launchpad McQuack.  His meager talent doesn't seem to warrant a featured role in a television show, but he actually landed (pun intended) two.

The Fan Art That Flaps in the Night

It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Disney ducks, and Darkwing is at the top of the list.  Ever since the show debuted in 1991, I've been (what some have called) obsessed with the exploits of Drake Mallard and his sidekick, Launchpad McQuack.

I found myself with a little free time recently and I decided I'd draw up a couple of D.W. fan art pieces.  Here's the first, and I'll post the other next week.

My "Dog Days" Shirt Design on shirt.woot.com

I've been encouraged, and accepted the challenge, to post some shirt designs on shirt.woot.com.  Here's my first attempt for the theme of "Dog Days".  If you've ever purchased a shirt there, you can vote for me.  If not, you can sign up and buy awesome shirts.  It's a win-win situation, which is so much better than a maintain status quo-maintain status quo situation.

It's a Miracle They Ever Found Nemo

Little Golden Books were a staple of my childhood.  Who can forget the great, stylized illustrations for the Poky Little Puppy, The Tawny Scrawny Lion, or Scuffy the Tugboat?  With their re-tellings of classic Disney fare, I was treated to my first big dose of "artistic interpretation."

Finding Nemo, while not my favorite of the Pixar films, is still a fun and endearing treat for the eyes.  I'm especially fond of the illustration style that Pixar allowed for the licensed products.  I had a little free time so I decided to take a shot at creating an original, storybook-like illustration for a Little Golden Book in the Finding Nemo illustration style.

I'd ask Dory what her favorite Little Golden Book was, but I'm sure she's forgotten.

L'il Little Mermaid

Here's my second "L'il Princess" illustration, featuring Disney's least cannibalistic mermaid, Ariel.  I'm enjoying these...  It's a nice chance to revisit some old friends and analyze some great character design and color.

L'il Sleeping Beauty

I recently discovered Illustrator.  And by recently, I mean three days ago.  Here's the Briar Rose I created as my first test.  I'll probably do more art in this style, because drawing cute characters with big heads and small bodies is fun.

The Grasslands Counsel

Happy Father's Day

Cars 2 Reviews Start Rollin' In

It has been my absolute pleasure to work on the Cars 2 Video Game for the last two years.  Everything really just gelled and the final result is what I think it should have been...  A really fun multi-player kart game featuring the Cars cast.  The E3 Expo was last week, so we've started to get a lot of early reviews on the game.  Click on the links below to see what the critics are saying.  Cars 2:  The Video Game hits stores on June 21st.


GameSpot's Disney Booth Review (featuring Cars 2) 

VG Chartz Checks Out the Wii Version

Gamer Pops Review

IGN Review

By Odin's Beard! It's Sif!

Hey, look!  My blog's still here!  And I'm actually posting something!  Between finishing up the most awesome racing game ever and keeping things going on my daily comic strip, I haven't had much opportunity to post here.

Things are beginning to slow down, though, and I decided I'd better start posting again so I can get back in the habit.  (We'll see how many days fall between this post and the next...)  During the slow down, I've been hangin' at Disneyland, visiting family, and watching lots of movies.

Much to my surprise, I was really impressed with Thor.  I thought Kenneth Brannagh did a fantastic job adapting some heavy-handed mythology into a form modern audiences would enjoy.  In fact, the only issue I have with the film is that Thor's an idiot.

By the hoary hosts of Surtur, why would Thor ever give Jane Foster the time of day when it's clear his heart should belong to the heroic warrior goddess, Sif?  I ask you!  She's compassionate, beautiful, and a deadly foe in any melee.  Her only fault may be her utter disregard for the human race.  But nobody's perfect, for Loki's sake.

While I ponder the most pressing question of the Thor universe, enjoy this quick drawing I did of Sif.  Hopefully, the Warriors Three can knock some sense into the God of Thunder.

Unicorn City

I recently finished a little After Effects work for the new Unicorn City trailer.  This film's directed by the talented Bryan Lefler, and you really should check it out.

Have You Met Chim Chum Yet?

I haven't been updating this blog as much lately, but my comic Chim Chum and the Portly Samurai still updates every weekday and has over 100 entries now.  Check it out if you get a chance! 

Merry Christmas!

Halloweenies 2010 - Pets Edition!

This year, I decided I'd branch out a little and do some stand-ups of the Halloweenies' pets.  Print, cut out, and add to your collection.  And, above all, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Here's some links to the rest of the Halloweenies collection:

Year One
Year Two
Year Three

And, if you haven't checked it out yet, I've started a webcomic here.

Banjo Pig

A few months ago I was invited to participate on the blog Dueling Banjo Pigs.  As usual, I'm really late picking up the gauntlet, but here's what I finally came up with for my entry.  Click on the link above for over 400 other banjo pigs.  400?!!  That's a lot of bacon.

The Sad Little Boy - An Illustration Experiment

Here's an illustration I did for no reason other than to try out a few things I've been wanting to do for awhile.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks...  I injured my thumb in a freak textbook box moving incident.  (Perhaps the inspiration for the sad little boy?)  Thankfully, I had a three week back log of Chim Chum comics, because I haven't been able to hold a brush pen to ink.

I'm happy to report that the doctor was able to save the finger and I will be able to return to drawing by next week!  (The doctor kept claiming I wasn't in danger of losing the finger, but what does he know?)

Fun Fact: Stegosaurus

Pelican - Bird Rescue

I've been reading a lot lately about organizations that are helping to rehabilitate birds that have been injured (or rather, oiled) in the BP oil spill. One company that I've been impressed with is Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research.

I'm a big believer that part of what makes our planet a great place to live are the diverse and beautiful creatures that inhabit it. Beginning today, I'm featuring products with this pelican design at my Zazzle.com shop. All proceeds from sales of these items will be donated to TSBR&R. If you're so inclined or inspired, I invite you to either buy one of these items or donate to them directly.

Pelican - Bird Rescue Products

Thanks for stopping by!

Splashing in the Shallows

A quick rendering of a baby elephant to start out the week, even though it's Wednesday.

More Sketchbook Goodness

One of my favorite parts of a project is designing characters. I'm currently working on a fairy tale princess idea (bringing the total number of stories competing for space in my brain to five) and thought I'd share some of my doodled ramblings!

Interesting fact: Even though I now draw exclusively on my Cintiq, I still seem to prefer a blue sketchy pencil brush in Photoshop. I guess you can only teach an old dog 50% of a new trick.

The Gryphon

Here's a quick piece I did last week for Toon Club's mythology topic. Unlike the characters in the movie Avatar, this rider and mount hug to form a bond, not wrestle. That's how Adrian rolls. Booyah!

Woodland Animal Sketches

It's been far too long since I've posted here, so I gathered together some of the recent forest creature doodles I've been drawing. Enjoy!

Illustration Friday: Crunchy

Nothing beats the crunchy taste of Cocoa Puffs, especially if you're a psychotically obsessed red bird.

My Interview in Imagine Magazine

Melanie Jordan, publisher of the on-line art magazine Imagine, contacted me earlier this year about doing an interview. I had a blast answering her questions, many of which gave me a golden opportunity to talk about the history behind some of the projects I've worked on. It's worth checking out her magazine site, not for my interview, but for the great, comprehensive interviews she's managed to gather.

Since I'm plugging things today, I'd like to send a shout-out to Heather Dixon and her wonderful blog. Heather's done a lot of work on projects I've been involved with, and I was recently editing some of her storyboards together... and laughing out loud. What a clever, funny, and talented writer and artist. If you haven't discovered her quirky blog, check it out!

Thanks for all the great comments and feedback. It keeps me goin'!

Everyone have their tickets for Princess and the Frog?

Halloweenies are Back!

Just in case you missed them, or don't know about the free printable content site I started, this year's Halloweenies have premiered over yonder. Take a look around there if you've got kiddies, otherwise enjoy this touching Halloweenies family portrait. (I found it in the attic at Halloweenie Manor. But that's a story for another time.)

Guardian of the Infinite Caverns

This is what they were trying to avoid.

The Bunny Princess and the Infinite Caverns

Why are they being so cautious? This is why.

Graphic Novel Sneak Preview

Okay, so some of you may be aware that I'm in the very slow process of producing a graphic novel. It's been in the works long enough now that I've decided to share a (tiny) taste with you.

Of course, as you may have expected, it features penguins. I've removed the dialogue from this half-page of art, as it contains key plot points. As it stands now, the graphic novel will consist of 120 page and a cast of about thirty, most of which aren't penguins. I'd originally planned this as an animated feature, but I think I have a much better chance of realizing this as a printed adventure first. Since I work on this in my free time, there is no telling when it will be finished. It's really a labor of love and I don't plan on rushing it.

Halloweenies 3 Preview

Here's a taste of the upcoming Halloweenies Series 3. The entire set, and a few special surprises, will be popping up through October on PrintaPenguin.com.

Watch for the full set on October 1st!

Alphabet Animals

I've created a separate blog for my printable stuff, so I thought I'd share some colored versions of the most recent batch of finished drawings. Be sure to go check out my printables blog at Print-a-Penguin. Happy coloring!

Attack Grizzly Ninja!

I haven't the foggiest clue where this idea comes from. I was just doodling on my Cintiq and it appeared.

S is for Seal Free Coloring Page

So, I'm pretty pleased with myself that I'm making my second post in about a week. At this rate, I may actually finish my coloring book before Christmas!

Hope you enjoy the seal. (Click on the pic, print, and color!) I've also been coloring these and posting them as merchandise at my zazzle.com shop, so let me know if you've got any requests for other letters.

Oh, and if you live the Salt Lake area, I highly recommend going to the Layton Barnes & Noble on Friday from 6-8 pm. My friend and personal comic strip hero Adam Koford will be signing copies of his hilarious book, "The Laugh-Out Loud Cats Sell Out". If you're a fan of humor, it's likely you'll be happy you did.

Showing Off Doesn't Work

If this was a reference to my personal experience, you'd see the giant ice pillar the penguin's about to run into.

I hope I'm back in the saddle again and going to be posting a lot more regularly. I already have this year's "Halloweenies" figured out, so you can at least expect something before October.

Thanks for sticking in there!

New Coloring Book Page

Thanks for all the great comments about the coloring pages. I've really enjoyed posting them here, and hope to keep it up for a while. (At any rate, it's nice to re-purpose artwork for my blog. I can be a little lazier and still post frequently.)

As everyone knows, D is for Duckling. It's also for Dog, Dolphin, Deer, Donkey, Dove, Dormouse, and Dinosaur. But I drew a duckling, so deal with it.

You know the drill... Click on the pic and print. Color with your box of 64 Crayolas. Stick on fridge. Repeat.

Illustration Friday: Craving

This week's IF topic is "Craving". In my mind, nothing says craving like a leopard seal hunting penguins.

One of the things I love to do is come up with a story for the pictures I draw. Whether or not I share the story, I feel it adds a dimension to the finished scene. (Plus, it's an easy way to visualize a film that's stuck in my head.)

If you haven't seen my previous penguin entries, here's a few of my favorites:

Springtime for Penguins
Penguin Halloween
Antarctic Romance

Springtime for Penguins and Antarctica

If you've been coming to my blog for a long time, you know I have a special place in my heart for penguins. It's been a little while since I've shown the little tuxedo-ed swimmers some love, so I decided to incorporate them in to the "Springtime" topic at Toon Club.

This premise caused some problems, as penguins, especially the chilly willies I like to draw, don't typically find themselves locales that experience a "Springtime". So, ever the optimist, I decided to work in global warming and show what would happen if the antarctic circle melted enough for a nice pansy to bloom. (I'm going to get google search results for "nice pansy", aren't I? Sigh...)

Contest Winner and New Free Coloring Page

Congrats to FLASHFOX for winning the "Name the X Animal" Contest. (Contact me through the email account on my profile with your address info so I can send your original drawing.)

As you can see, the winning idea was Xenops, which is a species of South American bird.

Thanks, Flashfox, for the great idea. And thanks to everyone else's great entries. I'll be holding another contest soon for a different letter, so stay tuned!

Click on the image to enlarge and print!

W is for Whale - Free Coloring Book Page & CONTEST

I had a lot of fun posting the last free coloring page, so here's a new one for you to enjoy! Click on the image and print!

I'm officially announcing the "Name the X Animal Contest". Since I'm having a heck of a time choosing a good animal to represent "X" in my alphabet coloring book, I'm leaving it up to you.

Here's how it's going to work:
1. Post your comments here with the name ideas. (I'll also count the ones on the previous post.)
2. On May 23rd, I'll pick my favorite. (If multiple people suggest the same animal, I'll put the entries in a hat and draw one.)
3. The winner will receive the original artwork for the "X" animal and my eternal gratitude.

O is for Otter - Free Coloring Book Page

I'm making a coloring book for my nieces and nephews. The theme is "Alphabet Animals". I just finished this page, so I decided I'd upload it here in case you have little ones who like to color. Click on the image to go to a print quality image, and enjoy!

P.S. Any good suggestions for X? Xylophone is NOT an animal.

Ric Estrada 1928-2009

I just received some very sad news. Ric Estrada, one of the most prolific comic book and animation artists in the industry, and a man that I consider both a friend and a mentor, has passed away.

I worked with Ric on a never-released direct-to-video series as his assistant director in the early 2000's, but he had previously worked on such classics as Johnny Quest, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Wacky Races, Captain Planet, and a plethora of others.

What I learned later is that he'd also had a profound impact on the comic book industry. Using his AMBIDEXTROUS DRAWING SKILLS, he cranked out literally thousands of pages for war comics such as Sgt. Rock, romance titles, and even brief stints on Batman, Wonder Woman, and the daily Spider-Man comic strip. At DC, Ric co-created the characters of Power Girl and Amethyst, among others. He received an Eisner Inkpot Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2000 San Diego Comic Con.

Ric also had a rich personal history. A native of Cuba, he attended college at the same time as Fidel Castro. He moved to the United States on a sponsorship from Ernest Hemmingway! After traveling around the globe on many amazing adventures, Ric and his family finally settled in Utah for the remainder of his years.

By far the best legacy Ric leaves is his sweet, caring nature, his sincere concern and guidance toward those who needed it, and the lesson that life can be whatever you make of it. Thank you, Ric, for enriching me both personally and professionally. The things you taught me will never be forgotten, and I promise to follow the advice you once gave me: "Learn everything you can and pass it on."

When I go to Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you.

Read more about Ric:
Wikipedia
Ponytailers
TwoMorrows
Comicyclopedia
Ric Estrada Movie