Star Wars cards

Yeah, I started these at some point last year with the idea of doing a set for each movie. I just finished the first set the other night. Whoops.

Medieval.

I am still peppering the challenges over at Toon Weekly. Here is my latest. The topic this time was anything Medieval, so I went with the executioner and his pet Dragon.

Indiana Overload

First let me just say...."wheeeew."
I can actually let out a short breath and attain some small moments of peace.



I just shipped off my 306 Indiana Jones sketch cards, and they were a blast to work on. I wish I could have dropped a lot more into them, but deadlines seem to always sneak in.




I was pressed for time on them, and in the midst of it all, I had Alan Narz and Lorne Mathre from Topps TV drop in to interview me for a short video (slated for March) on the Indiana Jones sketch cards and sketch cards in general. I tell ya it really does get hot under all those lights when you are performing. It was really a neat experience though.


Of course, thanks to God, I won't have down time for long. I just got word that my adventures with Indy are far from over. I will be participating in the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Topps set as well. I signed up for only 100 cards this go round as I am juggling other projects and haven't even seen the movie yet. But I am just as jazzed!

On top of that Megacon is looming on the horizon and I still have to prep 2 books, and pencil 8 pages and a cover for another one. More details on that soon.

But for now anyway, I'll enjoy the few minutes of relaxation.....

Stop the Press

Hee hee. So the sell sheet for Lord of the Rings Masterpieces II by Topps has hit. And lookee there, out of 102 artists they used one o mine as a sample. I think there were about 256 others I'd have gone with, but it's so cool and flattering nonetheless to see myself represented among such talented individuals.
Can you pick out mine?

This little piggie

I drew this tonight, on a gawdawful non moving bleh of a night. I HATE HATE HATE, having to clean up after others. I think I have become quasi obsessive compulsive. I just cannot handle messes anymore.
When I got into to work today, there was eraser dust all over the carpet at my stand, and my easel had paint all over it. I had to take 15 damn minutes out of my shift to go track down a broom, clean up the carpet, wipe down the board. UGH. How a person can live like a slob is beside me.
So nonetheless I illustrated this little piggie in the hope that the guilty culprit(s) might clean up after themselves, as this is NOT the first time this has happened.
I think if it happens again, I'll find out who it was, go in right before their shift, and crap all over their work place. That wouldn't be crossing a line would it?

Anyway, on a more positive note, I had a brief conversation with my best friend of 20 years now, and it was so convincingly refreshing. After my "rant" from before it was nice to hear from him. Un abridged Un forgiving and true. I miss hanging out with him. If only he lived closer.

Now if I could just find a little more of that here......

Oooh La la

Here is a preview of a book being worked on by myself, Thomas Florimonte, and Barry Gregory. It's a work in progress that we plan to have available just in time for Megacon!

You Can Have What's Left of Me.

It's been a rough damn week. I was laid out for most of it with all kinds of sick. But a lot of things happened this week that pissed me off as well. And now that I am in recovery phase it seems like I've hit a stride of clarity.
There is a big realization I see, and that has a lot to do with how I have started to sign my name. Michael "Locoduck" Duron.
I think since certain fucked up events have transpired in my life, I've grown two separate sides of my personality. Disclaimer: Please do not confuse a mental disease with that of an analogy. Because I am clearly not one with multiple personalities.
But there are two sides to every coin. Locoduck is what I once was. Completely carefree, happy, full of life, laughter and love. Michael Duron is the side of me that is bitter, angry, cynical and generally pissed off at the world and the cards he has been dealt. But Loco is that side helping me to deal with the crap that is out there.
Of course we can put the whole personal life aside, because that in itself is what caused the split. What seemingly sent me into the deep end of the darkside.
But you know I have seen a lot of other things professionally and from an observers standpoint in others and in myself that I DO NOT LIKE. I am beginning to see entirely too much fakery and fantasy out there in people and their actions. And to a degree in mine.
One of the biggest roadblocks I have set for myself is in what I am trying to do artistically. I seem to be more and more trying to impress others and not enough of doing it for me. There was a passion there that made me pick up a pencil, and a gingerly flow that followed suite as a result. What I once drew, I drew for me, and if others wanted to partake in it, to enjoy or appreciate it, then all the better.
But now I seem to be doing it first in the hopes that others will take notice.
That shit stops now.
I have decided I am going to fall back into the flow and draw in a way that makes me happy. That helps set the nature of the beast back in order. If you'd like to look at it and even comment, please do so. If not well I could give two damns less.
Placating egos is another thing that I refuse to do any longer. Whilst some of it is genuine and well deserved, lately I find myself pushing the playback button on the praise player.
That shit stops now.
If I have something genuine to say to you, I will, and I will do it until the angels sing Hosannas on high. Because dammit you deserve it, and I'll be the first to polish your knob over it. But don't expect any fake fucking praise any more. Not clients, not friends, not family, not Mr insert your name here.
I just tire of hearing audible meaningless comments waterfall out of my mouth and fingertips (if I'm typing of course.)
I'm trying to find my inner peace once again. To re-align Michael "Locoduck" Duron into one upstanding joyous individual. Please be patient while this merger takes place.
Believe it or not, I had a pretty good day. I'll have some cool photos and stories to share next time. But for tonight that bitter pill had to vent. The good news is he feels much better now. The bad news is he drew his toon weekly entry while he wasn't doing so good.
I love you all . I really do. You know that's honest. Remember, I said I wasn't going to placate egos and bullshit for the sake of bullshitting anymore.
Have a nice week.

Cory was in da house

I wish I had some artwork to post, but unfortunately cold/flu/allergy season has knocked me on collective arse. I'm struggling to get some work on the Indy cards because my deadline is looming. I found out that I'll be spotlighted in a video short for Topps focusing on sketch card artists and the Indy set at some point in the near future. So I really need to get better so I I don't look like ass run over twice.
Right before the sick kicked in, we spent the day at Disney. Cool enough was at the end of our night we bumped into a vacationing Kyle Massey from Disney Channel's That's So Raven and Cory in the House. He was gracious enough to pose for a picture with my daughter Hailey.
Okay back to work.
cough Maybe cough.....where's the advil.

PS. I bet no one else has the cool and caring bosses I do.

You decide

I need input from my friends and readers who don't frequent the forums I do.
I'll be doing a mix of styles for the upcoming Indy set. I have been given the okay to show my first three cards, and I'd like input on which of the three styles you like the best.

So please, even you lurkers, drop an opinion. It'd be greatly appreciated.

Puffer and His Jelly Samich

The theme this week at Toon Weekly was Under the Sea. I liked this challenge a lot because it forced me to think outside the mermaid box. My buddy Keelan talks about how tiring drawing mermaids can get at work, and he was right. So I wanted to go somewhere else under the sea.
I thought of the types and new I wanted a little fat fish. No more perfect candidate than the puffer. It occurred to me that the stereotypical "fat kids" like to eat paste. But that didn't work for me, so I decided he needed a sandwich. And at a young age all kids seem to love PB&J. So I figured I'd stick a jelly fish in that bread and wa-la! I give you Puffer and his "Jelly" sandwich.

BTW, all my Lord of the RIngs cards are done and on their way to Topps. Action and adventure await, as I can hear that box of Indiana Jones cards calling.

Have a great week everyone.

Indiana Jones Heritage. It's official.

****I ran the below blog on December 18th but had to pull it the same day after I found out that word had not been made official yet that I was approved by Lucasfilm. SO for the last 3 weeks I have been sweating it out, waiting for word. But it's official now. I'm in like flynn. I'm also doing 150 more cards than previously expected. Like Indy said, I finally found my "fotune and glory"*****








You know it always sucks when you are awakened by a doorbell and have to answer the door looking like crap. But when it rang, I just knew. I knew it was the Fed Ex guy. And while he's been round my door plenty of times before, THIS, was potentially the most important doorbell ring in my career.
So I darted over, bad breath and all, and there he was. Like a sparkling star he smiled and laughed at my stupid "I just woke up" joke, handed me my package and wished me a happy holiday.
I knew this box would make it so.
I walked into my kitchen with my seven year old daughter in tow. And like Ralphie in A Christmas Story, I tore through the fed ex box. My smile slowly grew larger as I read what was inside. The anticipation was building even in my daughter. She was anxious, like she too knew what was inside. So I began to hum outloud, that adventurous tune I'd heard in a theater and on DVD so many times. The tune that graces my cell phone anytime a call comes.
And just like that, I pulled out one of my blank Topps Indiana Jones Heritage Sketch Cards!!!!
Hailey and I were jumping up and down dancing in the kitchen. Our screams awoke even my three year old.
After almost two long grueling months of waiting, I was officially a Lucasfilm Ltd. approved artist.
I'll be drawing 156 Indy cards over the next month or so, and I couldn't be happier. Indiana Jones as a property is my Holy Grail. My childhood and heart lay within the universes of Indy and Star Wars, and now my artistic career gets to voyage there as well.

Lucasfilm Ltd approved artist.... Merry Christmas to me!

I'm so EMO.

The weekly topic over at toon weekly this round was a rock star. Most of what I have been hearing lately, and the concerts I have been to, have involved a lot of screaming. Now it's not that I don't like the music, because most of it is REALLY good. And it's not even that every single song is about something depressing, it's just the screaming. Some of these rock stars have really good voices but they choose to hide them behind completely incomprehensible shouting.
So here is my entry this week. An emo rocker in all his shouting, depressing, 2 size too small jeans glory.
I wish I had more time to have done a little better, but here he is nonetheless.

Lord of the Rings Masterpieces 2 Preview

I still have a little over one hundred to go, but nonetheless, here is a nine card preview of my cards for the upcoming Topps release.

08 please be great.

Happy New year to my three readers. It's always nice to bring in a new year. Kind of dust off the crap the manifested itself in 07. So of course, I have promised my self some changes, resolutions etc for 2008. I really need it to be a good year! And I hope it brings good fortune to you as well.

There will be some new projects, and a new web overhaul in the next month or two, but for now, here is my latest entry to Toon Weekly's challenges. The theme was CYBORGS. One of my favorite cyborgs has always been Gizmo Duck from duck tales. I always thought he should have his own series. So I decided to humanize him up a bit and add a few modifications. Here he is in action.

It's getting harder to complete these though. Especially when I have 300 sketch cards still waiting to be finished....So back to work on those.

Merry Christmas

I have to admit, I haven't been in much of a holiday spirit lately. I guess as you grow older, some of the wonder fades, and you live for the moments that you can live within your kids eyes. See the magic through them.
Well on this the beginning of Christmas Eve, it's starting to set in.
So I plan on just reveling in the moment with them. It's going to be a beautiful couple of days.
And for all of you whom read this blog, to my friends, family and lurkers. Much love and magical Christmas wonder to those of you who celebrate, and those whom don't. Happy Holidays, and God Bless.

Marvel Masterpieces 2

Talk about coolness. Over the past year I have had the opportunity to work on sketch cards of some of my favorite properties around. Lord of the Rings, Heroes, and now Marvel Masterpieces from UpperDeck. When I was a kid I remember collecting these gorgeously painted cards of my favorite super heroes. And now, some 12 years later, I will be contributing 100 sketch cards to the set.
Somewhat of a lifelong dream really. Getting a chance to draw Spidey, Cap and all the rest of the Marvel Universe professionally.
Heck 100 cards might not be enough to cover all the characters I want to draw. But this should be a blast.
Anyway, now back to the 200 or so remaining cards I have to tackle, and then onto another box of cards that are sitting on my shelf calling out to be drawn on. Of course I can't officially say what they are yet, but it's another one of those boyhood dream projects.

TOON WEEKLY CHALLENGES

Between all the sketch cards I have to do, I'm amazed I can squeeze these cool challenges in. Every week the gauntlet is thrown and some amazing artists participate with inspiring results!
SO here are my three answers to the last three challenges. The first was to draw Harry Potter, which was good, because I had a commission going out of our boy anywho, so I killed two birds with one stone.
The next was to design a female wrestler. I went for the Diva approach. The American Diva needed a sidekick to run interference for her, and what better than a cute little Chihuahua named US.
Lastly was to design an 80's movie property into a cartoon. I chose one of my all time favorites. GREMLINS!
Anyway, you should try your hand at these challenges, or at least see the other great entries! You can click on the link to Toon Weekly on your right.
....now back to work. I only have 248 more cards to go...for now.

Blast from the Past

I was going through a few recent and not so recent pieces and decided to gather them all together and make sure that they give a decent example of my more "comic book action" side of the pencil. This is usually the style I choose to use when voyaging into the world of Super Heroes. As you can see I am partial to Marvel but there are a handful of DC characters I adore as well. There is this little set of Sketch Cards called Marvel Masterpieces I would love to be on! SO I crammed as many samples of what I would do with these cards if I got my grubby little hands on. So Enjoy, and cross your fingers for me!

Giddy Like a Schoolgirl

Frankie

I was doodling these out. It looks like I may be participating in a few drawing/design challenges with a handful of talented artists over at toonweekly.com
The first challenge that I'll jump on is Frankenstein.
The most important thing I thought to focus on was how to keep that brain in his head. In the first drawing he has some steel supports flapped right over the exposed brain. And in the second, a nice padlock keeping the lid shut.
I also played with the idea in the second piece that he'd be somewhat of a walking vegetable and not have a lot of control over his facial functions. Hence the hanging drooling lip.
Anyway, that's that for now.

Mucho Stuff

So Thanksgiving was a blast. Mom visited from El Paso, and we ate like it was going out of style. It was fun to ride Revenge of the Mummy with her too. One of the coolest aspects came when we picked her up at the airport. We noticed a super tall guy in the crowd coming off her plane. Low and behold it was Former San Antonio Spurs superstar The General David Robinson. I figured since I wasn't at Disney working, where it's a no-no to approach celebs, I'd ask him for a picture. Boy was he tall, and very humble. Made me really miss Texas.
I was also able to catch up on some commission work, and I just wrapped up 103 more Heroes cards for Topps. They are coming out soon....I hope. Here are a few of the commissions I sent out.
And of course some of the coolest news, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hits theaters in May! And LFL has released a few promo images. I cannot wait for this flick.
Anyway, that's the news for now.

Enchanted

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Mine was quite pleasant and I'll drop you some more info on it shortly. For now we should give note to a movie I saw on Thanksgiving day. Walt Disney's Enchanted.
There are so many wonderful things about this movie. The most important in my opinion is the return of the hand drawn animation to a feature film. There has been so much computer animation out there, some good, and some really bad. But this movie brings us back to the roots, and does it well. Another thing Disney movies seem to be lacking is music. Alan Menken, one of the musical geniuses behind The Little Mermaid and a host of other Disney classics returns with pizzaz! As I left the theater humming the tunes, and still have them stuck in my head.
Of course there is comedy and Amy Adams does a great job as Princess Giselle.
I have always been somewhat of a romantic and this is one of those fairy tale movies that re-established that hope for magic in me.
Below is a clip of one of the movies musical numbers. It like a live action version of "Be Our Guest" and "Under the Sea"
Check this out!

Work work work

I'll be drowning in sketch cards for the next 30 days or so. Topps asked me to add 103 more HEROES Sketch cards to my bunch bringing me to a total of 350+ cards. On top of that the news of a third visit to Middle Earth working on 206 Sketch cards for the upcoming Lord of the Rings Masterpieces 2 set.
So needless to say my fingers will be getting a workout.
Now I'm just crossing my fingers on a third project that would be an absolute Holy Grail of projects for me to work on. It's all in Lucasfilm LTD hands now.