Groucho on my Birthday!

"Before I speak, I have something important to say."

"I must confess, I was born at a very early age."

Yes, it is my birthday, and no, I'm not going to continually quote Groucho Marx for the rest of the year...

However, here's a piece I did recently as an in-class brush and ink demo, featuring the great Groucho:



Now, before I go eat some cake, I'm going to end with two more appropriate Groucho quotes:

"Getting older is no problem. You just have to live long enough."

And on a more serious note: "I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. "

Best,
Rich

PS: "Go, and never darken my towels again." Ok, ok, I'll stop now...

Kids Love Comics! Baltimore Comic-con Wrap

I just realized that I never posted the wrap of the Baltimore Comic-Con that I promised. Actually, it WAS in fact posted. Just not here. You see, for those that don't know, I'm a charter member of a group called Kids Love Comics! KLC is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting all-ages comics, and advocating literacy through the medium of comics and graphic novels. Click the above link to find out more about us!

Anyway, I happen to be one of the two people (the other being my cohort, John Gallagher) responsible for updating the KLC Blog. So, if you're interested in learning what we were up to in Baltimore, you can read all about it here!

Here's a picture from the show:



I'll be posting some more new art soon, so please check back often!

Best,
Rich

Philadelphia Dragonboats!

I want to let people know about a cool event with which I've been fortunate to be associated. But first, a little background: Almost two years ago, I had a bad case of tendinitis in my left elbow, and my wife urged me to go see an orthopedic surgeon she had profiled in her career as a television producer. It turns out that Dr. Nick DiNubile is the Orthopaedic Consultant to the Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Team and Pennsylvania Ballet, so you'd figure he's a pretty good doctor (and you'd be right)! Well, as I do a lot of sports illustration work, and ever the enterprising businessman, I figured I would bring my portfolio to show him after my appointment, if he had time to look. Hey, one never knows where one's next client work might come from, and in this case, it was from a most unexpected source...

After he diagnosed the tendinitis, and ordered me to rehab for my elbow (a story for another time), Dr. Nick took a look at my work, and gave me a few contacts that he knew. And since he was so nice to me, I feel I owe it to him to mention Dr. Nick's book, "Framework," as it will give you a brand new perspective on taking care of yourself and your body through exercise.

So, while Nick and his staff were looking through my portfolio, unbeknownst to me, there in the waiting room was a very nice lady who was not only a patient and friend of Dr. Nick, but who also happens to be the director of the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival. And as luck would have it, she was looking for an Illustrator! So, when I arrived home from my doctor's visit, I was pleasantly surprised to find a message on my voicemail from Carol Lee Lindner, the Executive Director and Founder of the festival. Well, Carol Lee, my new client (and now friend), was looking for someone who could bring a new vision to the Festival and thought I'd be right for the job, based on Dr. Nick's enthusiasm for my work! She hired me to do the artwork for the Festival, and here it is:


It was a very ambitious project. The piece was done in pencil, and then colored digitally. All told, it took me about 120 hours to complete, easily the most time I've put into any one project in my career! All that hard work was worth it though, as I feel the end result really captures Carol Lee's vision. You'll soon see it available on the Festival's website for purchase. I'll follow up with info on that, as it becomes available.

The Philadelphia International Dragonboat Festival is this Saturday, October 6th, and takes place along Philadelphia's beautiful Boathouse Row (depicted in the illustration). If you're in the area, be sure to come by for this terrific event!

Best,
Rich

Philadelphia Sketch Club - The Award!

As mentioned in my previous post, I recently entered and won first prize (Sequential Category) in the Philadelphia Sketch Club's "Phillustration '07" juried exhibition. Well, the opening was a lot of fun, and it was great to have my wife, and a few of my friends there. The range of work was very exciting, and it was cool to see my work displayed among so many talented Illustrators' work. Thanks go out to my colleague Rich Harrington, who invited me to be a part of the exhibition he organized, as well as to Bill Brown, the exhibition's juror, who selected my work. I thought the award certificate itself was pretty interesting, as it features an illustration of King Kong, by the very talented Joe DeVito. The work was included in the show, and it is actually the cover for a new King Kong comic book from Markosia Enterprises. Here's a scan of the award with the art:



And here are a few pictures from the event:


Me, along with my illustration of Salvador Dali.


Rich Harrington presenting me with the award.


The Roboy Red sequence that won. I was also able to put out copies of the actual "Buzz and the 'Bot" comic for people to take. There were a number of kids who were there and took copies, so that was a real highlight for me!


My Philly Phriends! Left to right: Echo, Mike Manley, Jamar Nicholas, and me!

This was a lot of fun, and I hope to enter next year's show too!

Special thanks to my lovely wife Traci, who took all the photos.

Best,
Rich