LASER BEAMS GO! ~ The Blog of Kevin Cross

Pitch Black Video - "The Bride"

2011-10-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

As I look towards the future in this new year, I found a relic from my past and thought I'd share. From the Autumn of 1999 to late 2005/early 2006 ( I can't remember the exact date when we officially called it a day), I was the guitarist and one of the vocalists for a band called Pitch Black. We started off as what I guess could be classified as a horror-punk band and ended up as a post-punk band. We always just claimed to play "The Modern Sound", which was a nod to the mod culture I am enamored with. Being in Pitch Black was one of the best times of my life! The band break-up was even amicable & we are all still friends. Something I've found to be rare in other bands I've been in. By the end of our run, we had recorded a split EP with The Enemies for Lookout! Records, 2 LPs for Revelation Records, and a 7" EP for Cheetah's Records. We also did a bunch of touring with a lot of great bands throughout North America.

This video is from a track off our self-titled debut LP on Revelation Records called "The Bride". This song also made it to a couple skateboard videos and clips of it were played on a couple skate contests that ran on ESPN at the time. The video was produced by a friend of mine, Mark Yang, in the motion picture department while we were both attending the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This video was part of a class project for him. I think that's why there are so many techniques used and why some of them come off as a bit silly, but I think he needed to show the teacher he had learned everything that was taught. Mark was a super rad guy who was as enthusiastic about Rock-n-Roll as I am. After we graduated, he had to go back to his native Tawain and I am sorry to say that we lost contact after that. I hope he's doing well! Lastly, I hope you all dig the video and maybe even get a chuckle out of what I used to do before becoming a cartoonist.

My friend Melissa just sent me this photo taken about 9 years ago. That's my old band, Pitch Black, playing a show on my old stomping grounds at 924 Gilman Street Project in Berkeley, CA.

UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION!

2011-07-07T00:03:00.001-07:00

After the recent mishap with Blogger losing a bunch of images, I have to reconstruct this blog. Its a complete bum out, but I'm going to take this forced opportunity to play around with it and get rid of some of the clutter I feel that I was beginning to accumulate. It may take a while to complete since I have very little time to spare right now. Thanks to everyone who follows the blog and for your patience!

Sometimes I'm a DJ...

2011-05-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

For those in Portland, OR, I will be DJing ( yep I hate the term “spinning” ) all the most awesome tunes from from my favorite era of skateboarding. I’ll be playing a cornucopia of hardcore punk rock, thrash, and anything else that was the perfect soundtrack for bombing a hill, doing a frontside boneless over a hip, doing slappy grinds at the local curb, and flipping up the bill on your hat.

Come get rad!

Sketch Card: Door-To-Door Salesman

2011-04-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here's another sketch card. This one was done using a Pentel Brush Pen, a Copic Sketch Marker, and Crayola Colored Pencils.

Sketch Card: Lewis in the City

2011-04-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a sketch card I did using the Pentel Brush Pen and a Copic Sketch Marker. I might do a mini-comic about this character sometime in the future.

The Happy Couple

2011-04-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished this illustration from a pencil sketch and thumbnail sketch, done on my iPhone, that I drew last week at an Illustration Club I'm involved with.

The sketches.

Garbage From Art School: Self Portrait on Skate Deck

2011-03-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another embarrassing piece from art school. I was obviously still way into the horror thing that comprised most of my early freelance gigs. In art school, students are asked to create self portrait after self portrait. (Hey... worked for Rembrandt!). So as I go through my student work, please excuse the amount of pictures you will be seeing of me. I'm not a narcissist, I swear!

This is acrylic & collage on a very water damaged 1980s Sword & Skull Skateboard Deck by Powell Peralta. Painted in 2002. This piece is now in the private collection of my Mother.

Old Salt - Final Version!

2011-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, I want to thank everyone who lent a critical eye to the first two versions of this illustration! I got a lot of great suggestions and you can see some of them employed in this version.

This is going to be my final pass at "Old Salt". I'm much happier with it than the previous versions which can be seen here and here. The water was originally a problem for me. I had to remind myself that the new style I'm working on is in a "Cartoon Modern" style. So, I took a design approach to the water. I think it fits the style I'm going for much better and gives the water much more life than it had previously.

At first I wasn't sold on the idea of putting anything additional into the background, but I thought I'd explore it anyway by putting land and a lighthouse in the distance (per the suggestion of a couple comments). I could always take it out if I didn't like it. As it turns out, this was a great suggestion and I think it really helped the piece come together.

I originally colored this illustration with a monochromatic, almost black & white, color scheme is because I wanted to it to feel older than a current illustration. After I had redone the water and added the background, I was fairly happy with the piece. But... it didn't feel "vintage" enough. So, I added a grungy paper texture to it. That sold this piece for me and now I feel confident calling it done.

Thanks again to everyone who helped out with critiques and suggestions! I totally appreciate it!!!

Sneak Peek: Monkey Mod Comic Panel

2011-03-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

If you've been listening to Art & Story, you've no doubt heard Mark Rudolph and I talk about a story for a comic anthology (Tales of Hot Rod Horror Vol.2) that we are working on. The comic we are working on will feature one of Mark's characters and my character Monkey Mod. This is a story we've been kicking around for a little while now and, with this upcoming comic anthology, we've been presented with the opportunity to do it, use our own characters, get paid for it, and retain our rights as creators. Dream come true? You betcha!

Today I thought I'd share a sneak peek of one of the panels from this comic. Its a small sneak peek and doesn't give anything away. But, I wanted to show it to sneak peek the newer, more cartoony look of Monkey Mod. I had been wanting to redesign him for some time now and this anthology story gave me the opportunity to do that now too.

Introducing Artie Slammo!

2011-03-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen... I'd like to introduce you to Artie Slammo.

Artie Slammo is a pseudonym that I had planned to work under to do pretty girl pin-up illustration. What has happened is that Slammo is starting to take on a life of his own. Slammo is not only an artist, he is an Adventure-Illustrator, bon vivant, and world traveler.

Artie Slammo has his own website and updates will be starting soon. You can follow him through Google Connect, on his site, to see the updates as they happen or follow him on Twitter.

In closing, and in his own words, " I'm putting the needle on the Hi*Fi while laying down sweet inky lines to bring you the most way-out chicks ever committed to paper."

Garbage From Art School: Self Portrait

2011-03-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I found a treasure trove of old work I did in art school on a disc. I'm going to be going through it and posting many of those images for better or worse. It should be interesting to see where I was then as compared to where I am now.

For starters, here is a self portrait I did in a heads & hands class on black paper with a white CarbOthello pencil. I believe this is from 1999.

Check out the robustness of my hair. It wasn't showing signs of falling out yet.

Ah, those were the days...

Old Salt - Revisited

2011-03-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a repost of my illustration titled "Old Salt". I wasn't exactly happy with the way the water came out on the first version, so I decided to go back into it again. I'm hoping to make this piece portfolio worthy and the water seemed like it was holding it back. Constructive criticism is welcomed. Thanks!

Marvel's Super Hero Squad

2011-03-03T15:52:00.000-08:00

Now that the NDA is over, I thought I'd share a couple pieces I illustrated last year, for a children's card game, for The Marvel Super Hero Squad property. I played the role of the inker and/or colorist on most of the cards I had a hand in completing, but these two are all mine. I particularly had fun working on The Thing.

These images are © and ™ Marvel Entertainment.

Old Salt

2011-03-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

Here's another new illustration for my newly styled portfolio. For this one, I wanted to try to do two things I haven't done much of. The first thing was to do a subtle monochromatic color scheme, almost black & white. I'm fairly happy with how that turned out. The second thing I wanted to try was water. I think I did it well enough for the purpose of this illustration, but I probably have a lot more to learn about rendering water.

Big Illustration Party Time in iTunes Top 10!

2011-02-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

I'm usually not one to subscribe to popularity contests. However, I was sent an email today that pointed me to the iTunes list of top design podcasts and Big Illustration Party Time is number 9 in the top 10.

The biggest thing this highlights for me is that BIPT did in fact have awesome listeners and we never should have gone away in the first place. I missed doing the show and I missed interacting with all the listeners. I'm glad to be back!

Thanks everyone!!!

Big Illustration Party Time

2011-02-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

I'm stoked to announce that the podcast, Big Illustration Party Time, I used to co-host, with my friend Joshua Kemble, is coming back! Big Illustration Party Time has a new URL and we are redoing the show notes for past episodes to make them as current as possible. This will take some time to do, but that ain't gonna stop us from doing new episodes! As a matter of fact, we are hoping to have a new episode posted by February 22, 2011.

If you listened to the show in the past or might have just discovered it, you can contact us at www.illustrationparty@gmail.com with your questions or comments. We'll read them on the air, so please include your URL so we can give you proper credit. Heck... if you wanna send us an MP3, that'd be super cool! We'll play those too.

T.V. Party

2011-02-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

I'm still plugging away, working on a new style for my portfolio. So, I'm finding ways to create assignments for myself and this illustration came about from playing a bit of word association so to speak.

I ran across a photo of some punks sitting outside on an old couch watching as punks and riot cops were battling in the streets of Hanover, Germany. That image made me think of Black Flag's song T.V. Party since the punks in the photo looked as if they could be watching television.

The photo that inspired this illustration by timphotos24

I liked the idea of the punks watching T.V. outside, but I wanted to put them in a more positive setting than a riot. I'm currently living in the Pacific Northwest, so, a forest seemed like a good place to use as the back drop for this illustration. Plus, I felt that this would add interest to the piece as a forest doesn't seem like a common place to watch television.

Lastly, some of the lyrics from the Black Flag song are, " We've got nothing better to do, than watch T.V. and have a couple of brews..." One of the markets I plan on pursuing with my new portfolio is children's books. Therefore, I shouldn't have these young punks drinking beer... hmmm... ah yes! Juice boxes, healthy delicious juice! So, that was the final element to tie this illustration together.

Recycling - "Buzz and Franky"

2011-01-28T01:14:00.000-08:00

The new one.

The old one.

It pays to keep old work around. As I've been working on my new portfolio and following the new direction my illustration has taken, I've been creating assignments for myself. I want my new works to be super fun, so today I thought I'd take the opportunity to simply create in the spirit of play. That's when I came across a quick inked-sketch I did around this time last year. After seeing this sketch again, I thought, "Man, this'll be fun to redo." So, what you see here is the new version of that recycled sketch. For those who may not know, the subject is Buzz and Frankenstein Jr. from one of my favorite 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoons called Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles.

Dai Kaiju Rock City

2011-01-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

I've been diligently working on a new portfolio to reflect the new direction, influenced by the "cartoon modern" style, that my illustration has been taking. Here is a piece I just finished that may or may not make it to my portfolio. I'll know better after I've done some more.

Click the image for a larger view.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 30 !!!

2010-11-30T02:39:00.000-08:00

The nihilistic Nora smells like coffee and is here to remind us that "30 Characters in 30 Days 2010" has come to an end.

Congratulations to everyone who finished this challenge!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 29

2010-11-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

When the fun-loving ecologist, William Fowl, saved a family of ducks from the shotgun blasts of the super-villain Dick Cheney, an ancient Duck God rewarded Fowl by bestowing him with the powers of the duck. Mister Fowl was also given the power to shoot lasers from his eyes, because as the Duck God said, " I just think lasers are cool." William Fowl now fights for the powers of right and justice as Laser Bill!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 28

2010-11-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

Raquel is just as adept at hunting a gnarly saber-tooth as she is on the runway. Wow, man... she's the most!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 27

2010-11-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

I'd love to describe Ripper Shreds to you, but Suicidal Tendencies do such a good job in their lyrics to "Possessed to Skate" :

"Seemed like such an innocent toy
Got a skate at eight years old
He was the All-American boy
Now the story can be told

Beware he's possessed to skate!

Skating takes him up in height
He's a pilot on a modern flight
See him flying through the air

If he don't land then he don't care

When he skates-he skates
Cause he never hesitates
Cause he rips-he rips
Like a modern gladiator ain't got no fears
He's the wizard on the wheels
So skate

He shoots the pool like a launching pad
Skating is all that's on his mind
If it ain't insane then you can't get rad
He's skating radical all the time

Beware he's possessed to skate!

Six foot airiels inverts backside
Looks like a magic carpet ride

Optical illusion it must be
He redefines insanity

Doesn't understand why you'd wanna walk
Ain't got time to sit and talk
Used to be just like you and me

Now he's an outcast of society
Beware he's possessed to skate!"

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 26

2010-11-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

In the dead of night, The Oxoloxo strode into town. Some folks say that she is one of the legendary titans of the ancient world. Regardless, many believe she is the harbinger of humanity's doom. The truth is... The Oxoloxo just wants to party.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 25

2010-11-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

In 1954, Slammo Incorporated introduced the Proto-Serve 2000. A robot that they claimed to be the most important household appliance money could buy. A radio spot for this product boasted that the Proto-Serve "cooks, cleans, and crushes your enemies with ease". Production on the Proto-Serve 2000 models ended in early 1955 due to shoddy craftsmanship. In 2011, Slammo will reintroduce this product to the world as the Proto-Serve 3000. None of the specs have changed.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 24

2010-11-24T00:46:00.000-08:00

I'll tell ya... Persnickety Jones don't like nuthin'!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 23

2010-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Don't let that charismatic smile or calming Southern drawl fool you, Dickie Texas is nothing but a philandering scoundrel. Hide your wallets and women-folk when he comes to town.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 22

2010-11-22T02:14:00.000-08:00

The happy-go-lucky Leona Hopkins beat a murder wrap way back in '74 when she was accused of eating children at the daycare center she worked at. Miss Hopkins is currently working as a counselor at the Shady Water Summer Camp. Recently, campers have been found half eaten.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 21

2010-11-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

For centuries, Count Grimmy was the Scourge of Europe. Now a tad senile, his reign of terror has been reduced to nothing more than goosing the bottoms of unsuspecting passersby. Additionally, Count Grimmy, finds Matlock to be quite an enjoyable program.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 20

2010-11-20T22:51:00.000-08:00

Cindy delights in nothing more than flying through the evening sky bringing joy to sad children. She speaks very slowly in a breezy whisper. She totally creeps me out!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 19

2010-11-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

Mr. Bobbles, AKA The Fizz Whizz, is the spokesman for the Fizzie Soda Company. Some of his catch phrases that can be found on television commercials and radio jingles are "Where the Fizz izz!", "It's Fizz-tastic!", and the less imaginative "It tickles my nose!".

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 18

2010-11-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

Ever since the recession hit,
Mildred has been quite a malcontent.
She's been sad for so long,
That her back got bent.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 17

2010-11-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

Furthering my experimentation with a "Cartoon Modern" style:

Tustin, California native, Billy Goatkisser, has a dark pit for a soul, a heart covered in permafrost, and a spring in his step as the lead guitar player for Black Gorgon. When Billy isn't shredding on stage, he works as a "cast member" operating Splash Mountain at Disneyland. His transfer to the Haunted Mansion is still pending.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 16

2010-11-16T04:45:00.000-08:00

Small arms expert, Panther Williams, saved the life of fellow crime-fighter, Monkey Mod, during the now infamous Spider-Shark Caper. Monkey Mod found himself stuck in a fate worse than death when the insidious Dr. Proboscis was torturing him with a copy of "Frampton Comes Alive" played on repeat. Monkey Mod and Panther have been best friends ever since.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 15

2010-11-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

If people looked more closely at the goings-on in their gardens, they might notice a primeval society still ruled by sword and sorcery. They also might notice one of its champions, Steve the Snail Barbarian. Unfortunately, no one notices. So, Steve's heroic deeds are only sung in gastropod halls.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 14

2010-11-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

Here's another experimental character influenced by Cartoon Modern:

The fun-loving Lily is deathly afraid of boiling water, steam, and drawn butter because she fears that they will make her arms delicious.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 13

2010-11-13T02:14:00.000-08:00

The reanimated mummy of an ancient pharoah, Ramses the Rad, is now the lead singer of a thrash band called Skateboard Holocaust. He also has a huge crush on Roxie Riot.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 12

2010-11-12T04:19:00.000-08:00

Special Agent, CODENAME: Roxie Riot, is an occasional crime-fighting partner of the infamous Monkey Mod. A former freelance illustrator, Roxie has discovered that the spy game actually pays the bills. She has fantastic taste in music and a way cooler record collection than almost everyone. When she's not thwarting the bad guys, she works on mini-comics and is a sometimes contributor to the zine, RADIO.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 11

2010-11-11T00:22:00.000-08:00

Another quickie today...

Despite a birth defect that gave him a devilish appearance, the gregarious Milton Johnson, was quite a successful used car salesman and a beloved big band leader during The Great Depression. This is the only known photo of Mr. Johnson.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 10

2010-11-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

The daughter of an elder god, Lulu Cthulu, has lived a pretty charmed life so far. Even though she is often only photographed from waist up, Lulu remains a very poplar teen fashion model whose photos can be seen regularly in the Delia's catalog.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 9

2010-11-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Kip Wilson would be your average every day American nineteen year old if it wasn't for that damn tail. As a matter of fact, he has tried to sever his tail several times. Much to his disappointment, it always grows back. Kip would rather not receive the attention his tail commands.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 8

2010-11-08T02:16:00.000-08:00

Missus Fanny Funlumps, who often says, "I'd rather be a lord below than a slave above.", loves to worship The Dark Lord at The Altar of Sacrifice and knitting. Her favorite bands are Possessed and The Spice Girls. She's such a rascal.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 7

2010-11-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

I had to bust out a quickie today. Here it is...

Hambone the Barbarian sleeps, eats, fights, and plays checkers. 'Nuff said!

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 6

2010-11-06T04:10:00.000-07:00

Lt. Crystal Caliente of the Moon Base Bureau of Investigations is not only a decorated agent, but also an accomplished drummer for the mod-punk band Robot Knife Fight. Even though she loves her job on the Moon, she misses the dance parties back on Earth.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 5

2010-11-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

The nefarious Nigel Hendricks, a former child-star, was previously known generically as Manny Monotreme on the hit children's television series "The Manny Monotreme & Friends Show". After Mr. Hendricks' celebrity faded, it is presumed that he started his life of crime due to the bitterness that it caused. Despite his short stature, Nigel Hendricks is a dangerous master with poisons and quite a whiz with the Chinese throwing star.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 4

2010-11-04T03:28:00.000-07:00

Today's character is an experiment in capturing a "cartoon modern" style.

Here's the description:

Japanese foreign-exchange student, Koko, was delighted to discover that she is one-sixteenth dragon on her father's side. Her temper is as fiery and dangerous as her breath.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 3

2010-11-03T02:43:00.000-07:00

War hero, Sgt. Gruber, honorably retired from the Xanthian Command after he saved Sector 10 from the Zorthlok menace almost single-handed. Today, Sgt. Gruber resides on the lush moon of Golomulon with his beautiful wife and 3 children where he is a tenured professor of botany at Kalgorth University.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 2

2010-11-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

When go-go-dancer, Candy Caine, met a tragic demise at the Mods Vs. Rockers Rally of '67, she was surprised to find her spirit trapped on this mortal plane. Always one to make the best of a bad situation, Candy currently solves mysteries under codename: The Go-Go-Ghost. She has been known to occasionally work with the simian crime-fighting rockstar, Monkey Mod.

30 Characters in 30 Days: Day 1

2010-11-01T23:55:00.000-07:00

I just recently found out about the 30 Characters in 30 Days challenge. Unfortunately, I decided to take on this challenge too late and missed the deadline to be an official participant. Luckily, this challenge is also taking place over at the troll-free Art & Story Supreme forum, which is part of the premium content Mark Rudolph, Jerzy Drozd, and I offer in conjunction with the Art & Story Podcast. Therefore, I will be participating in this challenge on that forum as well as documenting my progress here. Wish me luck.

As I understand, all participants are not only asked to illustrate a character, but to also write a short description of that character. So here is mine for day 1:

This is Cecil. He pronounces it "THEE' THILL" since he is the proud owner of a very wet lisp. Cecil is a good natured youth... albeit somewhat annoying as he is somewhat of a know-it-all. Despite being the target of schoolyard bullying, Cecil has managed to maintain his status as an extraordinary Dungeon Master.

"Dead Kennedys" Original Art For Sale

2010-09-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

8.5” x 11” ink, pen, and brush on bristol.

SOLD!

"Wally" - Print and Original Art for Sale

2010-09-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

The original painting is acrylic on a hand made masonite and wood box frame. This painting measures approximately 8"x8". The print image is approximately 7"x 7" printed with archival ink on 8.5"x 11" fine velvet art paper. Every print is signed and numbered.

Buy the "WALLY" print -

Buy the "WALLY" original painting -

"Bruce" - Print and Original Art for Sale

2010-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

Buy the "BRUCE" original painting -

"My Steps To A Finished Illustration" Video

2010-09-24T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Bird & The Monster

2010-09-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

I think birds are cool and that monsters are rad! So, I just finished this illustration for a series of video tutorials for the subscribers of Art & Story Supreme.

Click on the image for a larger view.

Enemies/ Pitch Black Split

2010-09-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Excerpt taken from the Lookout catalog:
"In 2001, Lookout released an all-new classic punk rock split record in the spirit of the Code Of Honor / Sick Pleasure split, the Faith / Void split and "The Shit Split" featuring Blatz and Filth (originally released on Lookout Records in 1991). This time around it was The Enemies and Pitch Black, two incredible East Bay bands. The Enemies are a dark yet melodic trio that successfully balances pop melody with hardcore sensibilities. The Enemies also features Dave Edwardson from Neurosis on bass. Pitch Black are an awesome broodingly brutal threesome that literally blew up stages throughout the Bay Area with pyrotechnics, blood spitting, and smoke machines."

This was the first release for Pitch Black and The Enemies. Both bands were friends and we wanted to do a classic split record in the old punk tradition. I played guitar and vocals, Martin Munroe played bass and vocals, and Jamie Morrison played drums for Pitch Black. This was the first of the three lineups for Pitch Black. This core group of members would remain the same despite the addition or subtraction of a band member in future lineups.

Click Here to listen to "3016 Adeline St." by Pitch Black

Purchase this release at Amazon.com
Purchase this release at Interpunk.com
Purchase this release as a digital download

Barbarian Riot Squad - Bootleg T-Shirt

2010-09-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Harper brought this bootleg Barbarian Riot Squad t-shirt to my attention. The offending party has been notified and have been forced to take it off of their website and out of their cookie cutter mall stores. Doesn't this company have any scruples?

Real Barbarian Riot Squad merchandise will only be available here at Laser Beams!

Dead Kennedys in Color!

2010-09-07T15:54:00.000-07:00

Color version of an illustration from the Fall 2010 issue of RADIO.

Lux Interior in Color!

2010-09-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Color version of an illustration from the Fall 2010 issue of RADIO.

Before and After

2010-09-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Color version of a couple spot illustrations from the Fall 2010 issue of RADIO.

RADIO - Fall 2010 Issue

2010-08-23T15:24:00.001-07:00

RADIO: Truly Crucial Rock n Roll (Fall 2010)
5.5×7″ 24-pages with cardstock cover.
Features essays on Entombed, Dead Kennedys, and Mark & Kevin’s personal music journeys. Also packed to the gills with original illustrations, Rock n Roll Haikus and much more. The only zine that covers all truly crucial rock n roll!
Limited to 30 copies online.

PDX Zine Symposium 2010

2010-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be at the PDX Zine Symposium on both days this year. The admission is free! So, if you're in Portland and you like rad stuff, please stop by and say, "Hello." That Sunday is also my birthday, so there's no better way to wish me a happy one than by getting one of my zines or mini-comics.

If you say the phrase that pays, "LASER BEAMS IS GO!", I will give you a dollar off each item you purchase at my table at the show. Additionally, if anyone brings me a barbarian related comic book or paperback, I will give you one of each of the zines/mini-comics for sale at my table for free.

Hope to see you there!

Lux Interior

2010-08-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

8.5” x 11” ink, pen, and brush on bristol.

SOLD!

BRS logo designed by Harper Jaten

2010-07-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

BRS logo designed by Harper Jaten. Circa 1980-83.

Barbarian Riot Squad - UK Bootleg '85

2010-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Harper just sent me this email with photo attached:

"Dude, a guy my wife went to high school with in New York heard about the buzz on BRS and sent an iphone snapshot of this LP he got from his older brother in '85!"

I almost forgot this thing even existed. Thankfully, this was a pretty rare UK released bootleg of Barbarian Riot Squad's first EP with some really poorly recorded live tracks from a few shows in and around London on the B side. I've been told that this bootleg can go for upwards of $200 on eBay.

Please don't waste your money on this shoddy bootleg! Laser Beams Records will be releasing an official copy of the first BRS EP later in 2010.

The Nerve Agents "Kill Your Idols/ Nerve Agents Split EP"

2010-07-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an out of print gem from my old band, The Nerve Agents, that I'm making available for free download now. This was the last recording I did with the band.

The cover of The Nerve Agents side of the split.

This split EP was the result of a friendship we gained with Kill Your Idols after doing a short tour on the East Coast with them in the Summer of 1999. The idea was for each band to do two original songs and one cover song each. Kill Your Idols covered "Goodbye to You" by Scandal and we covered "Suffragette City" by David Bowie. For obvious reasons I can't post the Kill Your Idols side for download, but their side is fantastic! As a matter of fact, all their stuff is great and I recommend it highly!

Insert

Listen to "Planet Frankenstein"

Download The Nerve Agents side of the split

The Nerve Agents in Falls Church, VA 1999

Old Punk Rock Show Flyers

2010-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

The Humble Beginning of Barbarian Riot Squad

2010-07-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

Barbarian Riot Squad started simply out of a necessity to create some original punk rock music to score an animated short I'm planning to work on in the future. As I was starting to write the songs, I realized just how much I've missed playing , especially hardcore punk rock! That's my roots and despite the fact that I've gotten older and don't necessarily look that punk very much anymore, I've always considered myself a punk for life! Thus, Barbarian Riot Squad was born.

This is my first foray into being a solo musician. I hope to get a band together so I can play live shows with this stuff. In any case, I'll be releasing Barbarian Riot Squad music and records from time to time. Right now, I'm working on a 5 song EP that I hope to have out before the end of the year.

Below are some sample clips of what I have recorded so far. These clips are works in progress. They have not been mixed or mastered and I still need to record the vocal tracks. I'm posting these now so that you can get an idea of the direction I'm taking with Barbarian Riot Squad.

"Raise the Black Flag" in progress audio sample.

"Crom" in progress audio sample.

Untitled Work 1 in progress audio sample.

Untitled Work 2 in progress audio sample.


I might use the design pictured above for a t-shirt or a patch or both.


Using some of the influence I've taken from some of the "Cartoon Modern" art style I've been really into, I made this illustration for Barbarian Riot Squad. I also, made 3 wallpapers using this image for anyone interested.

Click below to get the wallpaper:

16:10 aspect ratio
16:9 aspect ratio
4:3 aspect ratio

See you in the pit!

The Nerve Agents "Self-Titled"

2010-07-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

This record is still in print and can be purchased cheaply through Revelation Records. I played bass and guitar on this one respectively as Kevin C. and K.Cross, Eric Ozenne did vocals, Tim Presely also played guitar, and Andy Granelli played Drums.

Listen to "Carpe Diem" by clicking here.

GOODFELLAS "E.B.S.R."

2010-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here's an out-of-print recording from one of my old bands for you to download. This time its GOODFELLAS, one of the lesser known groups I was part of. We hailed from Oakland, CA from about 1995- 1998. During the lifetime of the band, we recorded one full length LP and one 7" EP. Personally, I don't mind if the LP is lost to time and remains hidden, but I'm still pretty happy with the "E.B.S.R." EP we did. Its really when the band was coming into a sound and direction that I preferred. Friends of ours in other bands, such as Screw 32 and A.F.I., were calling their style of punk rock E.B.H.C. for East Bay Hard Core. So, being the cheeky skate punks that we were, we decided to call our style of punk rock E.B.S.R. for East Bay Skate Rock.

The first lineup for GOODFELLAS was Shawn Chatelain on guitar, Will Thompson on bass, Tom Landon on guitar, Jude Ramirez on drums, and I did vocals. By the time we recorded "E.B.S.R.", Brian Hood had replaced Tom on guitar. Soon after that recording, Will left the band and I played bass as well as did vocals for the remainder of the band's existence.

Although, this wasn't one of the more successful bands I was in, I miss this time incredibly as well as all the guys in the band. Unfortunately, I've lost contact with a couple of them and I only get to see the others on very rare occasions.

Enough rambling. Here's the GOODFELLAS "E.B.S.R." EP...

Click here to listen to "TOMBSTONE DISASTER"

Click here to download GOODFELLAS "E.B.S.R."

BIG RIG "Expansive Heart + Demo"

2010-07-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Excerpt taken from the Lookout Records catalog:

"Originally released in 1994, this EP was recorded by a short-lived San Francisco bay are supergroup of sorts that featured vocalist Jesse Michaels’ (Common Rider, Classics Of Love) return to music after the seminal punk/ska band Operation Ivy broke up in 1989. Big Rig also included members of Screw 32 and Pitch Black. These four songs are unique melodic punk with Jesse’s trademark vocal style. This record has become a sought-after classic because of its memorable music, emotional power and passionate lyrics. Original packaging artwork by Jesse Michaels."

Purchase this release at Amazon.com
Purchase this release as a digital download

BIG RIG wasn't around for long. We only recorded one 7"/CD EP and a demo. The band started with me on guitar and two friends from high school, Brandon Riggen on drums and Doug Sangalang on guitar. We soon got Jeremy Goody, who would later play keyboard for Pitch Black, on bass and Jesse Michaels on vocals. In 1994, Lookout Records put out the "Expansive Heart" EP:

Track List:
1. Expansive Heart
2.Will Alone
3. New Fist
4. Persistance

Liner notes in the insert of the vinyl release of "Expansive Heart" say, "BIG RIG was a short term musical project. We played for a couple of months this year (1993) and then went onto other things. We decided to put out this record simply because we developed a liking for some of our songs and thought it would suck if nobody heard them."

Before we had decided to make it a "short term musical project" we recorded a demo in 1993:
On the demo are different versions for three of the songs that would wind up on "Expansive Heart" and three songs that have never been released before now.

Track List:
1. Escape From The Freezing Ice Hut
2. Our Secret Hours
3. Mr. Down and Out
4. Will Alone
5. Expansive Heart
6. New Fist

Click below to download the demo. The last track I've included in this download is a work in progress that never got finished. Its added here for posterity. The sound quality for the work in progress and the demo version of "New Fist" has some crackle, but they were transferred from an old cassette tape.

Click to download the BIG RIG "Demo"

The Origin of "Monsters Are Go!" & my Dad

2010-07-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

"Monsters Are Go!" is an all ages comic story I've had kicking around in my head for a few years now. I've been pretty lax in doing much work on it because of my freelance work and a ton of other lame excuses. The fire to complete the first "Monsters Are Go!" book has been re-stoked hotter than it has ever been since the initial excitement of finishing the first draft. I have my Dad to thank for that.

In the Spring of 2006, my Dad got sick and was hospitalized. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease a year or two earlier and was not reacting very favorably to his medication. Initially, his stay in the hospital didn't seem like it would be too serious . Everyone, including my Dad, thought he wouldn't be in for too long, the doctor would find a better medication, and everything would be cool. In fact, I talked to him on the phone and he seemed optimistic and in relatively good spirits.

I can't remember exactly when, only how I felt, that I got a call from my Dad's wife telling me it was important that I came to the hospital right away. What had originally been thought to be complications with the Parkinson's medication was actually a rare kidney disease that I can't spell and can barely pronounce. Over the course of the next couple months, my Dad was hooked up to a dialysis machine a million times and I was traveling from San Francisco, CA to Woodland, CA a lot. Some days my Dad was alright, but mostly, they were either bad or worse.

My Dad's doctor ended up calling a meeting with the family. I really wanted good news, but knew it would be the contrary. To sum up what she said, "We've done everything we can. Your Dad is dying." I think my Dad was being told at the same time because, when I returned to his room, the look on his face was the saddest and most fearful expression I have ever seen first hand. My heart ripped apart. Perhaps its needless to say, I was destroyed. I'll never forget the look in his eyes.

In between tears, my Dad wanted to hear everything that was going on with me. I told him that I was thinking about moving to Portland and about my new girlfriend Laura (Now, my wife). When I had run out of the important life stuff to tell him, I told him about "a dumb little story" that I was thinking about doing as a comic book. He wanted to hear the whole story. I mean, all of it. In detail. This wasn't too surprising. My Dad was usually pretty supportive and interested in the things that interested me. For Example, when I was a teenager, I became a punk rocker and started a band. So, my Dad sound proofed the garage and pretended the songs we wrote were awesome. But I digress...

There was a dry erase board, in my Dad's hospital room, that I used to illustrate the characters and some scenes from my "dumb little story" I was thinking about calling "Monsters Are Go!". On the same day we found out my Dad would be dead soon, my story made him smile and it got some genuine laughs out of him. At the end of the story, his eyes saddened again. He quietly said, " I wish I could see it."

That was the last time I saw him.

For some unrecognized reason, this morning as I sat down to work, this memory came in and clobbered me from out of nowhere. Damn, I miss him.

After the waterworks chilled out a bit, "Monsters Are Go!" became extremely important for me to finish. So... Dad. "Monsters Are Go!" is for you. And because... I wish I could see it too.

******

"Monsters Are Go!" has gotten derailed a few times since its inception. There were large gaps of time where I just couldn't seem to get to it because of wedding planning, getting married out of state, the honeymoon, freelance work, my need to generate income was causing me to work some extremely ungodly hours, and, honestly, a little fear. Also, I created a comic character named Monkey Mod. The response to this character initially over-shadowed any images or rumblings I ever made about "Monsters Are Go!". Therefore, it only made sense to direct my focus on Monkey Mod.

Despite everything, I haven't stopped thinking about "Monsters Are Go!". In fact, there have been a couple false starts, re-writes, and format changes. I still believe in this story, so I'm switching gears and putting Monkey Mod on hiatus until I finish a "Monsters Are Go!" book.

******

Below is some of the art I have made for "Monsters Are Go!" over the past few years. I hope this will not only show the past work that I have done on this project that will never get used, but also show my progression as I wrap my head around this cartooning thing.

This is the piece of art that got the idea for this story rolling. Originally, it was just a rainy afternoon drawing. Later, I started to have ideas for this character, who is now called Gordon the Muck Monster, in my scripts.

This image was going to appear as on the title page of the first version of the book. The guitar chord that runs off the page was going to continue underneath the dedication and publishing/copyright information pages.

The guitar chord would eventually lead to this page, which is the page right before the first page of the story in the original version. Its making me cringe to look back at some of this stuff, as I think my skills have grown quite a bit.
Anyway, this is the first character design I settled on for the character called Miles the Mystery Ape.

This next image is from page 1 of the first version of the comic.

Page 2 of version 1. At the time I liked the characters here in this angry mob, but that is one boring page. Not dynamic at all. But hey, I did this page years ago. I think I fixed it in version 2 of this same scene thankfully.

Page 3 of version 1. There are a few things I see wrong with this image, but I still like certain aspects of it. For example, the look on Gordon's face and the telephone poles & wires behind him.

Page 4 of version 1. Oh man is right! Its hard to look back a few years at this stuff and see some of the bad choices made. On the upside, I am thankful that I see the progression I've made, as an illustrator, by looking at these old things.

Page 5 of version 1. This page was intended to be a full bleed page and kind of mimic Miles' introduction in a similar way that Gordon had.

Page 1 of version 2. I know the image says its page 9, but I was counting all the pages including dedication pages, etc. that were leading up to this. It is however the first page of the next version of the story. I obviously changed the format and had done another re-write at this point. I wanted to change the format to be released the same size as a 7" inch record since the story is basically about little monsters in a rock and roll band.

Page 2 of version 2.

Page 3 of version 2. Pages 1-3 of this second version are my retelling of the action in page 1 of version 1. After reviewing version 1, I didn't think that the storytelling was nearly clear enough & I added some silly dialogue to these newer pages to give Gordon some instant character development the first version lacked. Some of the dialogue I wrote for this version has made it to my latest draft.

Page 4 of version 2. Here I made the scene from page 2 of version 1 much more dynamic. After this page, I ran out of steam on this version. This page was created right before I had to start traveling back and forth from Oregon to California to deal with my wedding planning. I also got slammed with illustration work at the same time.

Right when I got back from my honeymoon, I made these images for some 1" buttons I was going to produce. I thought better of that idea when I reminded myself that I only had finished 4 pages of the 96 I had planned for the final book, and I had better just concentrate on that instead of merchandising right away. I guess I was a just excited and over zealous. My thought when it came to picking the color scheme for these characters was that of the colors of an ice crean shop.
From left to right, these are the faces of Gordon, Miles, and (for the first time outside of my sketchbook) Kalliope Kaiju.

At the very end of the December of 2008, I started to get frustrated with how long this project was taking to get off the ground. So, I began flirting with the idea of making "Monsters Are Go!" a children's picture book. I created this image not only to see what coloring style I might use for the comic, should I continue along that path, but more to see what a page of the picture book might look like.

This is the last "Monsters Are Go!" illustration I have produced to date. I had to hastily make this for the inclusion in an art book that the Emerald City Comic Con put together to benefit the Seattle Children's Hospital in April 2009.
This illustration also shows the first time I've drawn Kalliope's full body outside of my sketchbook.

*****

So there you have it. The idea began in 2005, while I was just finishing up art school, and has been kicking around in my head ever since. I've been working on a new draft of the story and, so far, it is my favorite one. I'm currently working on a re-vamp of the character designs as well. Its probably obvious though, as I feel that I have become a better writer and illustrator over these past few years. I'll be posting all of my progress as soon as possible.