Once upon a time, I separated this blog into two, so that I can keep everything art related here, and travel related stuff there, at The Travelling 'Toonist. That got to be too much work so the other blog went on hiatus... until now! My recent trip was so big, I just had to talk about it!
You might find it interesting if you've been following the Knight and Day vacation storyline, since this trip is more research and inspiration for the nearly complete storyline.
I'm planning something special with this story, so am adding a lot more material to it right now. More about that later, but for now, check out The Travelling 'Toonist for Part 1 of my 10 states in 10 days journey, from the top of North America to the bottom.
JOHN :0)
If you know me as a cartoonist, you may not be aware that I spend much of my time as an illustrator as well. In fact, I've spent almost as much time illustrating for clients as I have creating cartoons like Knight and Day and The Inquiring Minds. My illustration work has earned me some praise, and has given me several very proud moments, such as having one of my magazine covers turned into a poster, and seeing my work hanging in corporate offices.
The problem is, much of that work is in the shipping industry, so if
you're not involved with shipping, you may not be familiar with some of
my best work, and that needs to change. I'm not giving up on
cartooning, but I do want to take that cartooning a step forward
artistically, and also to expand my illustration horizons.
So, I'm getting my work out there to be noticed, and will be
looking for venues, and additional work, to expand my skills, and my
portfolio.
And speaking of portfolios, I've decided to begin showcasing my work at Deviant Art, a site where I can post my work in a gallery, talk about the work and ideas that went into each peace, and even sell some of the art in various formats.
The link to my new Deviant Art gallery is http://steventon.deviantart.com/. Please take a look at this other side of my life, as well as some of the cartoon related work I have posted alongside my illustration. And best of all, you can comment on the art, and let me know what you think of each piece.
You can still see some of this at my facebook page, but the Deviant Art site focuses on the art alone, which is nice. I've added over a dozen pieces already, so don't hesitate to check it out.
There seem to be a lot of good movies out lately, from Hunger Games, to MIB3, and of course... Dark Shadows!
What's that? You haven't seen Dark Shadows yet? Have you been cursed? Or perhaps you've read the reviews?
Sadly, those who make it a career criticising movies, and art, believe that being critical is what they must do. I've read the reviews for Dark Shadows, and have found them all.... lacking. They all seem to say pretty much the same things, and they don't even say those well. Fortunately for me, I saw the trailers, ignored the reviews, and saw the movie... twice. In one weekend!
Being budget conscious, I rarely see a movie until it hits the two dollar theater, or even dvd. To pay full price, twice, in one weekend just shows how much I really enjoyed this film. I could have seen The Avengers that weekend, or several other movies that got good reviews, but I'm glad I saw this one twice. And I'm not alone. So many people laughed out loud throughout this movie, and at the second viewing I could tell there were others who had already seen it, and, like me, were waiting for their favorite scenes to appear.
I did get to see Men in Black 3, which was also an awesome movie, as well as the above-mentioned Hunger Games, which was well done. But something keeps calling me back... back to 1972, and Collinwood, and an awesome sound track that starts out with Nights in White Satin.
Yes, I do want to see the movie again, on the big screen, as soon as I can. It has nothing to do with the original soap opera, and a lot to do with a laugh filled movie that's just fun to experience.
I feel bad for critics who can't just sit back and enjoy a film without finding a need to nitpick. Movies, like art, should be enjoyed on different levels... and I enjoyed this one just for the fun of it. :0)
Lots more comics and art coming soon, with two big projects in the works right now, so stay tooned! And if it gets too hot out there, go get yourself a seat in an air conditioned theater somewhere, and get away from it all for a few hours. See ya there! JOHN :0)
A sketch from my notebook. Please keep in mind it was done in pen, while sitting in the sun. :0)
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