Monday, May 26, 2008

More Spongebob


I got back from the beach today and decided to take another whack at Spongebob. These are all studies from The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. I was looking for a variety of poses to feel out some of the range animators have already given to his expressions. Check out my previous post for a more detailed explanation of my motivation for doing these studies.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Getting Reacquainted with Spongebob

In preparation for a possible project, I took a couple hours this weekend to pop in some of my Spongebob DVDs to do some cartoon studies (similar to the ones i did watching Popeye a little while back).


I rarely draw existing cartoon characters. In fact, before now I think I'd only drawn Spongebob once. Most of my friends know I couldn't be a bigger fan of the series. I remember the first time I saw Spongebob...I think in early 2001; I was a junior in college. It came at a time when I was finally getting beyond the art school influences that were trying to beat cartooning out of me. I remember being a little confused about what was going on---who was Mr. Krabs, and what was a Krabby Patty (was it made of crab?). I was struck by intense joy, which only increased upon repeated viewings.

To this day, I am pretty confident in saying that Spongebob is the best cartoon character ever created. If not the best, definitely my favorite. He is a character who is designed to be expressive--his face is his entire body! He can morph into any shape. He is built for easy animation. He is both lovable and annoying, strange and appealing, and surprisingly complex...with a voice to die for. I dream of coming up with a character that hits these marks.

I can't think of a stronger influence on my work to date. For the direct impact, just check out my Jinx the Monkey cartoon from college (it is embarassingly indebted to the show). Bill Watterson was big for me in high school, but I think Spongebob surpasses that. Especially for establishing in me a desire to be cartoony in a way that doesn't feel generic or worn out. But I kind of forgot that, having grown accustomed to thinking of my style as "somewhat" unique. Which I have to say was the most interesting part of doing these studies. I found it incredibly easy to draw Spongebob and all the characters in the show. Of course, after being a fan for 7+ years I know them all very well. To get them on paper was extremely fulfilling.




Anyway, it's now obvious to me that I should have done this a long time ago. I think it's important to study your influences. I've absorbed most of what I learned by watching the show, but drawing the characters (poses and expressions) brings it to an entirely different level of appreciation. I'm not done yet. It's likely there'll be more to come on this topic.

Friday, May 16, 2008

More of the same

Thursday, May 01, 2008

New Comic in ARGH! #4


Here's my 2-pager for the current issue of ARGH! magazine. If you like what you see, head on over to the online store and purchase a one-of-a-kind quality 48-page edition sent directly from Spain. Only 5 euros (or about 8 dollars). Not only can you smell the fresh ink and see Pantone 354 in all it's green glory. You'll get to read comics by the other 13 amazing Spanish artists! Thanks, more comics to come.