Lost Labyrinth Picture.

This was the picture of Sir Diddymus that I was talking about in my previous post about Illustration Friday before I posted the paper-cut character.
I originally did this picture last year and thought I had a digital copy but it appears I don't. I think it sold. So I re-drew it this morning over breakfast.

The three original Ludo, Hoggle and SirDiddymus paper-cuts can be seen HERE.

SURRENDER!!!!

I asked my wife what springs to mind at hearing this weeks Illustration Friday topic word "Surrender" and to my shock and awe she said "Surrender Monkey". I thought she was just adding Monkey to any word I said (this is usually a complete winner with me) but I usually have heard of the term. This one I hadn't.Sounds derogatory and offensive doesn't it?

Turns out it is!

What was even more of a shock was that the phrase was coined in 2005 on The Simpsons. This is shocking as my wife has never seen an episode without switching it off.
The phrase first appeared in an episode of The Simpsons entitled "'Round Springfield" . Groundskeeper Willie, the school janitor, is teaching French due to budget cuts, dressed in a striped shirt and a beret. In a heavy Scottish accent, he greets the class with "Bonjourrr, yah cheese-eatin' surrender monkeys!" The "surrender" element of the phrase refers to the Anglo-American perception of the Battle of France as being virtually a "surrender" to Nazi Germany. The Cheese bit being self explanatory and the monkey bit being a comedy word.
This phrase was then picked up by other U.S. media outlets, such as the National Review Online, New York Post and commentator John Gibson of the Fox News Channel towards France who oppose the U.S. in international forums in particular, the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

(All of this info was stolen mercilessly from Wikipedia)

In short this was a huge turning point in my marriage. My wife gave me a an excuse to draw a monkey that was inspired by the Simpsons that might even raise a smile from my British ancestors. I have never been more in love.

ANYWAY - It's not really my thing to be posting stuff against the French so I went with my NO SURRENDER MONKEY. I hope I dodged the bullet of offending anyone.

I also had an idea for it but I had already done something similar before but here is Sir Diddymus from the movie Labyrinth done in paper cut -
Never Surrender!

HEY YOOOOOU GUYS!!!

The good, good people at Altered Esthetics (yes, that is spelt correctly) have accepted a new series of mine called "3G" for their FANBOI themed show in March. The FANBOI show will include art inspired by fandom and devotion to characters, stories, or icons in film, music, or gaming culture.

I have a series of three pieces themed around three movies from the 80's starting with the letter G, done in the same sort of style I did the Kiss My mASScot series in. The first one above is probably the most recognizable....if not then I may have to re-think the other two.


Opening Reception
Friday, March 4, 2011 - 7pm-10pm at the AE gallery in NE Minnesota inside the Qarma building.

DUSTY

"So what sounds better? Fairy dust or Angel dust?" I asked my wife, "Neither!" she said.

Apparently, despite my respectable gentlemen about town character, she thought I was talking about drugs. I went with Fairy in the end and the hard life a fairy has cleaning up all the magic dust she excretes throughout the day. A topic not covered in Peter Pan but possibly in one of the Tinkerbell spin-off animations. If it isn't covered it should be. Fairy dust is a b!tch.

The Nature of the Heart...or something.

Here is something I just finished last week to submit to a gallery in February for their Valentine's show. The theme was "Open Heart", then the gallery extended the submission date and changed the theme to "The Nature of The Heart" or something so the theme now fitted work they had selected. I wasn't selected.
Just goes to show that even in this day and age, some people still can't accept the love between a giant lizard and a building climbing gorilla. Maybe one day.

Maybe one day.

Nobody calls me CHICKEN.

I nearly got into a full blown fight before over what is the best movie trilogy. I said (quite correctly) that the best movie trilogy ever made was the Back To The Future saga. I stand by this. The other guy said Godfather. Can you believe some people?!

I am sure that like me this picture bugs you a little bit as it never actually happens this way. Marty McFly is not in his orange vest when Biff yells this at him. Actually he never yells this at him in the First movie at all. I am currently hanging my head in shame but thought it wouldn't be as recognizable otherwise.

Munny New Year!

Here are just a couple of fellas I've been working on at the tail end of last year. If you have never used a Mini Munny as your canvas...........then you should! I found that CItadel Color paint works well and doesn't thin on the vinyl. I got mine at Games Workshop (first time in there...orcs everywhere) which means that they come in such delightfully named colours as "ELF FLESH", "SKULL WHITE" and "CHAOS BLACK".






















These two and a few more of my past custom Munnys along with a load more from Minnesota artists of all ages will be on display throughout January at the Tomodachi store in Roseville, MN.