Vinylmation Sea Creatures Series

Powder Blue Surgeon Fish

Raccoon Butterfly Fish

Freshwater Puffer Fish

Giant Octopus

Bottlenose Dolphin

Black Tip Reef Shark

Spotted Eagle Ray

Humpback Whale

Lion's Mane Jellyfish

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Brain Coral

Maine Lobster

It was about a year-and-a-half ago that I started designing this series for Disney's Vinylmation™ collectible figures. As an illustrator, it's tough to be working on a project that takes so long to come to market when you can't tell anyone about it. People like to know if you're actually working or if you're just looking at celebrity gossip blogs on the internet. I insist to my friends and potential clients that I'm working.

They ask, "What are you working on?"

I say, "I can't tell you."

They say, "C'mon, you can tell me. Who'm I gonna tell!"

I say, "No, seriously. I can't tell you."

Disbelief sets in. You see that foggy distant veil of doubt spreading across their faces.

See, I have too been working. So there.

I've got some more cool projects coming up.

But...I can't tell you about them.

Transplendent!

Another poster for Enzian Theater's Cult Classic Movies series.

Fresh Squeezed Indies

This drawing I did in collaboration with Jeff Matz at Lure Design has been accepted into Communication Arts Magazine's inaugural Typography issue.

SCREAM! SCREAM FOR YOUR LIVES! THE TINGLER IS LOOSE IN THE BUILDING!

One of the first horror movies I remember seeing was "The Tingler." For a week afterward, I couldn't sleep. I might have been the only third grader with bags under his eyes. My jitters made me look like a nine-year-old heroin addict going through withdrawal. Tough times for a nervous kid.

This scene in particular ruined me for bathing or brushing my teeth.

Anyway, here's my poster for Enzian's presentation of "The Tingler."

I love the DeSoto Theater (or is it Theatre?) in Rome, Georgia. It's a spectacular little French Art Deco style movie house with beautiful cameo-like plaster medallions on the vestibule ceiling and a simple, yet classic typographic charmer of a marquee.

I remember going to see "The Godfather" there - the town hippies sat in the balcony smoking weed. They seemed to enjoy the movie a lot more than I did. Then there was the time I went to see "A Christmas Story." This was the initial release before it became a 24-hour holiday marathon on television. There were four of us in the theater.

By the early 80s, movies were no longer shown there. The Rome Little Theater (or is it Theatre?), a community theater group, took it over and reconfigured it for theatrical purposes - they removed the movie screen, projector and a number of seats. They built a proper stage. Even though the RLT has been growing strong in this location for twenty-five years, time has taken its toll this little theater. There were water leaks which damaged the upstairs offices and the decorative plaster-work in the entryway. There are major cracks on the facade and the lovely wooden slat awnings are rotting away.

Luckily, the community realizes what a gem it has and is taking steps to restore the theater to former glory. Part of this effort is a benefit concert on October 23rd given by blues and rock musician Tinsley Ellis. I designed a poster for this event.

Every now and then a project comes up that you were born to do. This is that project. Jeff Matz at Lure Design buzzed and asked me, "Hey, wanna draw some robots?" Well, duh. His client, TinMen Creative Solutions - a full service music/video creative services company, was looking to refresh their brand. Now, I don't want to say the solution was obvious, but, the solution was obvious.

They should all be this fun.

Finally.

The Enzian Cult Classic Movies poster series now has a home. The good friends and movie poster collaborators at Lure Design have made the posters available for sale at their webstore. If you missed snagging them at the theater, hop on over to Lure's site and pick them up NOW. While you're there, check out examples of their fine design work. It'll make you weep. Well, maybe not weep. But appreciators of fine design will certainly be impressed.