Hit-Girl

So, you wanna play?

Chloe Moretz's portrayal of Hit-Girl in the movie Kick-Ass was amazing. Because of her that movie is now in my top 10 all-time favorites.

Influence Map

As if I don't have enough on my plate right now a friend challenged me to create an Influence Map because he had seen them popping up quite a bit on various blogs. After much though here is my map. In hindsight I could have added much more earlier influences such as Disney and Bluth but maybe another day I will make modifications.

1. Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
2. Saturday Morning Cartoons
3. Retro video games
4. Little Golden Books
5. Vintage advertising
6. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
7. Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley
8. Pixar
9. Kei Acedera
10. Arthur de Pins
11. Peanuts by Charles Schulz
12. Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack)
13. Bruce Timm
14. Rhode Montijo
15. The World of Jim Henson
16. Dr. Seuss
17. Parker, one of my Boston Terrier's
18. Craig McCracken (Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

Candy Corn Girl and Friend

Phoenix Comicon 2010

This past weekend I had my own booth at the Phoenix Comicon and it was so much fun. Seen in the pictures above are my beautiful fiancee Nora wearing black and her friend Sara who flew in from Missouri to spend Memorial Day weekend with us. It was especially fun having them help me take care of the booth on Saturday or to watch them walk back to the booth to show me what they bought from other exhibitors. In the booth next to me is the super talented artist Brandon Dayton with whom I carpooled each day and had a blast hanging out with and talking to as he drew amazing commissioned sketches. Brandon will be exhibiting this coming weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Heroes Convention.

This was my very first solo experience and it was an absolute blast getting to meet everyone that stopped by the table to look, comment, or purchase my work. It was so much fun watching everyone point and smile as they called out Cute Noggins they recognized or commented on my original illustrations and characters. Even though I have lists of ideas for future sets of Cute Noggins visitors did not hesitate to tell me who I should do next or which was their favorites on display.

Again thank you so much to everyone that stopped by my booth to say hi and comment on my work, it was really great getting to meet all of you. As an artist I often times feel so disconnected from the outside world. I was able to meet so many fans that I otherwise never would have had the opportunity to meet and I was very touched and inspired by many of your comments. I can't express enough how great it was to see the smiles as people looked at my work and said ,"Oh how cute!" Thanks everyone for making my first solo experience so much fun and successful and I hope to see all of you again next year.

Please keep checking back to see new original illustrations and Cute Noggins as they develop. And please don't hesitate to stay in touch with me through my comments area or through Twitter at http://twitter.com/cutenoggins.

BT Sketchies

Torti Tortcake

LOST - The Island

I hope you are enjoying the final season as much as I am.

Day of the Dead Cupcake

For Christmas this year my girlfriend Nora requested that I make a design and paint a DIY Miss Cupcake by Olive 47 which can be bought in stores that sell vinyl toys.

Nora is really interested in the "Day of the Dead" and these are the designs I came up with that theme in mind . . .

And this is the end result after painting the blank vinyl toy. . .

Photos above taken by Rob Reed.

Ice Cream Boogie

This is an illustration of Boogie, the Boston Terrier
companion of the uber talented and inspiring Lili Chin.

Thanks Lili and Boogie!

Donut Time

Smile Time

More doodles

My good friend Rory told me a creepy story about owls at lunch so I doodled a little owl. I don't really do creepy too well so cutesy will have to suffice. Oh and a couple doodles inspired by the newest Where the Wild Things Are trailer.

Lunchtime Doodles

Lunchtime doodles in ink and Prisma markers.

Comic-Con 2009 haul

Here is the haul that Nora and I brought back
from Comic-Con 2009 this past weekend in San Diego.

The Boston Terrier drawing was sketched for us by the
awesome Ryan "Gnarfdeath" Hungerford (http://ryetoons.blogspot.com/),
thanks Ryan!

Where the Wild Things Are

I decided to step away from digital art and created this little illo of Max and Moishe from Maurice Sendak's children's book Where the Wild Things Are. Prismacolor marker and ink.
Also, check out the awesome Terrible Yellow Eyes blog to see other Wild Things illustrations contributed by amazing artists around the globe.

MegaMan 1

Another classic from my childhood. Yes I am so old that I actually

played MegaMan 1 before a sequel ever existed.

visit cutenoggins.blogspot.com

Dig Dug

One of my favorite arcade games growing up.

Love is in the Air

Hellnoceros

Pugs Bunny

Gotham Girls

This is a commission piece I just finished to ring in the new year.

Tiny Tim

Mathy Holidays

This is a little Addition character I created as a holiday card to
my Math team co-workers.

Holiday Gunner 2008

An illo of my girlfriend's Boston Terrier, Gunner,

exhibiting holiday cheer!

Christmas Card

This is a Christmas card I illustrated for the Art Department at work.

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.

Jabba the Happy

Squiddles

A quick character sketch done for a creative session. My inspiration was Kathie Olivas.

Kid Monsters

This is my submission over at Art Jumble where this week's topic was to take any kids drawing of a monster (or Halloween type drawing) and recreate it using my style. Since I have three nieces they of course ALL wanted drawings of their monsters so here are two of them. Candy Bat was drawn by Chandler (age 12), Scare Bear was by my niece Riley (age 9) and Candy Corn Monster was drawn by Bryce (age 15).

Pet Cemetery

Robot Dancing

Lil' Robo is a character for a future story I am working on.
He loves music and getting his groove on but what
would happen if one of his antennas was to break?...

Cute Overload 2

Many weeks ago I asked my girlfriend to name off some animals
and I finally got around to doing something with the list.
Nora, this is for you.

Pugbee

More fun with dogs in bee suits.

Happy Monster Girls

A commission piece I illustrated of two happy monster sisters.

BT plush

I don't normally post rough images but here is a quick doodle of a design for a Boston Terrier mini plush doll. New images coming soon now that the ComicCon and Ham Sandwich Show
at RHR in Phoenix have come to an end.

Monster Collage - Updated

This is my illustration for the Monster theme at Art Jumble. My idea was to have monsters in a photo booth and it just kind of steamrolled into this.

Ham Sandwich Show

Sorry I haven't been posting any new art lately, I have been gearing up for lots of shows. I have an art show this Saturday August 9th with my twin brother Gary and Scott Tolleson at Red Hot Robot so if you live in AZ please come by and say hello. I will have 7 prints for sale.

HAM SANDWICH SHOW
Gary Ham • Scott Tolleson • Greg Ham
August 9-September 13, 2008

OPENING PARTY
Saturday, August 9th - 7-10pm
• EXCLUSIVE Pre-release of Gary Ham's Carrot Shake Jake!!
• EXCLUSIVE Release of Scott Tolleson's grey variant Tricycle Terror!! (original version will also be available!)
• EXCLUSIVE Hand-made wooden toys by Gary Ham!!
• EXCLUSIVE Release of Scott Tolleson's Doc Von Block resin figure!!
• ORIGINAL ART by all 3 artists!!
• PLUS food + drink and much much more!! See you there!

Comic-Con 2008

San Diego Comic-Con 2008 has come and gone and I am left pondering all that I brought back home with me. As always, the Comic-Con is inspiring and very humbling. It is great getting the opportunity to meet many of the artists I am inspired by and bringing home loads of goodies to look at.

This year I went to the Comic-Con as part of the Art Jumble team that produced the art anthology CAKE Volume One. I had a good time drawing in the books of the attendees that purchased one and watching their responses as they flipped through the different stories.

Thanks for the memories and inspiration Comic-Con 2008.

Pa-cute-derm