Merry Quackmas from Duckie

Merry Christmas all.

Someone asked me yesterday where is the next Duckie?
This Duckie is out of sequence but you know, Merry Christmas :)

Dedicated to my devoted wife and amazing kids Maya and Quinn who are sick with a nasty cough. Get well soon wee ones.

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #9 A Re-Quack

Hey all. If you want to buy Duckie. He has been included in the last two New Zealand comics publications by Funtime Comics. Best way to touch base with them is via their facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/funtimecomics/

Anyway without further ado here's the next Duckie:

This Duckie is definitely a fan favorite. When back and forth a lot wondering if Duckie swearing was a good idea. I wondering what is the best word to go in the panel. "Shit" seems to be the best fit. Not having a panel boarder in the last frame also adds to the impact.

This really helped to define Duckie's personality and I was really glad how this turned out. I've seen ducks do this in real life and have always wondered why they did it.

Goodtimes :)

Lately....

After a short trip to Budapest. Here's what I've been up too:

3 Green Bars series 4 trailer:

I create a series called 3 Green Bars which looks at different fighting game communities around the world. Here's the trailer for this season.

My wife thinks "Just 99 more of these and I can start my new life" is funnier.

I actually love Disney franchises, they just have so many so I thought I'd poke a little fun

Between editing, parenting, teaching, drawing there's been a lot going on at the moment. I'll post some more updates next week.

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #8 A ReQuack

Sorry about the lack of updates been in Budapest. Here's Duckie 8

One of my top 3 Duckie's basically sums up the comic in on strip. Does an even better job than explaining the premise of the comic than the first Duckie in my opinion.

We used to walk past a duck pond to our fish and chips shop every week and I would get a lot of ideas from there. Ducks would randomly quack at you for no reason and seem to have a lot of intent behind their quacks which is what inspired this strip.

 This is the first Duckie strip to have humans in it and it took a couple of tries to get their style down. After this comic the stories came think and fast and the world seemed a bit more realised.

Book Week: International School Hamburg

This week I had a blast running illustration workshops for the International School Hamburg as part of their book week. 

Kids from grade 3 to grade 7 took part in a total of 12 sessions of 3 days! (over 200 kids!)

All the kids and I had a blast. A huge thanks to all the teachers and people who made it all possible. And of course a big shout out to all the kids who created some fantastic characters!

Here are some photos taken by the Junior School principal Suzan Weisolf, more photos coming soon.

Having a chat about illustration

After a few years of teaching you learn to draw upside down ;)

The kids all pitch in their ideas.

The character the kids came up with is complete! BEAUTIFUL!

We all draw together step by step

Checking out everyone's designs as we go

Doing some dental work.

Working on some angry eyes.

Putting pictures to prose part 1

The job I'm currently working on is a childrens book written by esteemed Irish author Terry McDonagh. It's a beautiful coming of age story set in Hamburg called: Michel the Merman. It explores some really interesting themes and doesn't patronize it's audience.

A month we had our first meeting, I read the book and did some mock up concepts.

Making a Merman

Michel starts off as an 8 year old boy, transforms to fish-boy and over the span of the book grows into a young Merman:

Here's the current version of Michel we are going with:

As you can see he's not your typical Merman. The book is a real epic! It has Michel finding joy and harmony in new underwater home while coming to terms with his new fishier self. I thought it would interesting to have him look more "fishy" than the classic one half man, one half fish look.

His design had to carry over from how he looked when he was human:

So he shares Mike's smile dimples nose eyes and face shape.

Took quite a few designs to finalise Mike's look. Here are a couple of the drafts:

I knew I was on the right track once I drew one of the key scenes from the book:

I won't spoil the story for you but the contrast of Michel's fish appearance really shows you that he has no choice but to leave his life on land behind him.

Michel is so much fun to draw, as are all of the characters Terry has lovingly crafted into the book. You can check out Terry's work on his website:

http://www.terry-mcdonagh.com/

More updates coming soon :)

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #7 A ReQuack

Here's Duckie 7

I remember this one going through several versions, trying different setups and punchlines. The idea was since Rock could talk Duckie assumed most things could talk. It was going be a story arch where Duckie would try chatting to various things. One thing that's never really explained his how Rock moves. You see in later Duckies, Duckie carries Rock. Here Rock appears behind the tree, how he got there is anyones guess. 

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #6 A ReQuack

Here's the last in the get to know Rock arc:

Easily in my top 10 Duckie's of all time. Duckie puts Rock in his place not even meaning to hurt his feelings. 

Let's make Crappers Classy Part 2 Dieter Sanchez Edition

The people at Dieter Sanchez Restaurant in Langerhorner Chaussee, Hamburg Kick Ass!

I got to draw on their toilet doors and in return they feed not just me, but my Wife, 3 year old Daughter, 8 month old Son and both my Parents in law and a bit of cash to say thanks (which they totally didn't have to do but they insisted :) )

Here's what I drew over the course of the day:

Ladies room

Mens room

So you should totally go there and eat, make merry and enjoy the Bathroom view. Here's their details:

Langenhorner Chaussee 174, Hamburg, DE.040/98234744
http://www.facebook.com/DieterSanchez


Here are the drafts for all those interested:

THANK YOU DIETER SANCHEZ YOU ROCK!!!

If you want art in your toilet for a meal or barter, learn more about or submit art to the "Let's make Crappers Classy Campaign"

More info here:http://pavementart.blogspot.de/2012/10/lets-make-crappers-classy.html

or check out my site: www.pavementart.co.nz which has my contact details.

Duckie The Self-Aware Duck #5 A ReQuack

Here's Duckie 5:

These Rock comics read best close together in a series. But like most story arcs  I made sure each little strip can stand on it's own.

Duckie The Self-Aware Duck #4 A ReQuack

Here's Duckie 4:

Rock starts to show his personality. I've always liked how polite Duckie is :)

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #3 A Requack

Rock makes his first appearance. Duckie needed someone to talk too. Duckie comics explores is about being misunderstood and isolated and having a Rock as the only "person" who communicates with Duckie further explores these themes.
Also talking Rocks are funny.

Let's make Crappers Classy

Let's face it. Art in toilets isn't the best, sometimes the poetry is good but basically it's a pretty crappy place to crap (pun intended) 

After having the unprofessional urge to graffiti after seeing Europe's amazing graffscapes. I decided to put the urge to good use in a little project I like to call:

"Make Crappers Classy"

I will draw a work of art on your toilet doors of your club or restaurant and in return.... Barter.

A meal for me and family, small bar tab, materials, Nothing major.

Just contact me HERE if you manage or own a restaurant, bar or any place with loos in Hamburg and I will come and create something for you.

If you are an artist into this idea, go for it! Send me a link to your results and I'll post them online. No rules let's just make Crappers Classy!

Here's the first series:

Jim Burritos Mexican Restaurant Shulterblatt 12, 20357 Hamburg

Inside door of the Men's Room

Outside door of Men's room, people had trouble telling the Men's and Woman's toilets apart. Probelm Solved!

Woman's room inside

Woman's Room Outside

Kids CAT logo Design

Not that often is logo design this much fun. I designed a few logos back when I was Creative Consultant/Graphic Design when I worked for the Ad Agency LAB Ltd. 

This Logo is for a research project being conducted to assess the Quality of Life for kids with chronic illnesses. There is a program they use called Kids CAT, which is an computer questionnaire for kids. It was just finished a couple of weeks ago.

The first sketches looked like this.

Then the render:

The Eyes represent graphs  on a screen and the mouth a keyboard and the cat looking at the mouse.

Needed a bit of softening up so I ended with this, the final client approved image:

The eyes are now pie graphs and it is inspired by the classic imac design. A lot softer and the client was very happy with it. The colours could also changed out, mmmmm different flavours.

They were also going to have me update the actual questionnaire, This was the quick animation sample I created:

Virgil the Ferocious Vegetarian: The Complete works

There are many great reasons for becoming vegetarian or vegan, I was even semiveg for quite a few years. Virgil's reasons are somewhat...... unique.

Virgil has been published by Funtime Comics and the gig guide the package from time to time.

This is the very first Virgil comic created at the turn of century 2000!

The stories while simple were a lot of fun with a bunch of easter eggs in each comic.

Here's Virgil the Ferocious Vegetarian number 1

Was first published in the Package in 2000. A few Easter eggs were: 

Panel 1: My band at the time (Maestro Cooltones and the Phantasmacies) Logo on the calendar

Panel 3: Portrait of Micheal from the comic Valin I was drawing at the time.

VFV 2 further expanded on the Virgil's quest to save the world:

The Boss in this comic was fun to draw, his head is never actually attached to his neck and kind of floats there. If you read the blah blahs there's a subliminal message in there.

VFV 3 

I thought I had lost this comic forever having lost the original was happy to see it published in Funtime Comics years later since I forgot I even submitted it. Like finding money in your couch! Looking back I probably would have spent more time on the background in the last panel.

Clockwork Orange Logo for the Title Panel. 
Pak n' Cheap is a play on New Zealand's Cheapest Supermarket Pak n' Save
Floaty head bosses are back!
That Pesky Cooltones logo is back on the coffee mug.

Virgil 4 2004

Page 1

Page 2

4 years later I finally draw another VFV. My girlfriend's (now Wife) favourite character of mine at the time and wanted to see another Virgil.

The Virgil I'm most proud of. I really wanted to step up the detail. The sign slogans were fun to come up with. My favourite is the cow saying "MEAT MAKES US MOOOODY!"

Tons of Street Fighter and Jojo's characters with cameos in the crowd shots. Even my friend Mike D makes an appearance in the black baseball cap.

The stoner in the last panel was cool to draw. "The truth is out of it"

Virgil is a fun character to draw and I still have a backlog of ideas. Maybe I'll revisit this character sometime and see what he's been up to.

Don't let this stay panel fool you. Chances are we'll see Virgil's return one day. Who else is going to save us when Veges rise up to take over the world?

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #2 a ReQuack

Here's Duckie number 2

This comic was a ton of fun. It kind of introduces you to the trusting naivete of Duckie. At this stage I realized I'm going to need someone for Duckie to talk to. You'll see that character in part 3 :)

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck #1 a ReQuack

This is comic series of mine currently being published by Funtime Comics in my hometown of Christchurch New Zealand.

Duckie the Self-Aware Duck and a cult Internet following back when I was pumping these out once or twice a week. I stopped Duckie after about 64 comics when work commitments interfered.

I don't think there has ever been a complete Duckie collection posted anywhere so I'll put it all in this site for people to see.

I'll try to remember to post a Duckie here a few times per week and provide commentary about each one.

Here's the very first cartoon.

The first sketch of the Duckie character was drawn on a long bus ride in Mexico. As soon as I returned to New Zealand I attended a Arts Festival in Tauranga where I hosted pavement workshops for kids. To introduce people to the sidewalk gallery The kids were creating I drew Duckie with his trademark beret.

Looking at him throughout the week I thought: What if this Duck knew he was a Duck but Duck's shouldn't be able even think these thoughts? And so the first Duckie was born.

Looking back, the duck here is too smart and seems to be reacting to Duckie which is part of the joke. If I had to redraw it I'd make the other duck more brain dead like how the other ducks are portrayed later in the series.

Street Fighter fanart tweetin': Old Zangief fanart :-)

Sf retweet Yahee! Zangief fanart :-)

Was stoked to see my fanart of video game street fighter Zangief appear on the official @StreetFighter twitter account today. Also retweeted my website and Ryu 3D pic to all their followers. Hooray for the digital age! Thanks Capcom!

https://twitter.com/StreetFighter/status/249969645656866817