Malice Underground

Let's face it, I've never been very prolific, and the situation is worse at a time like this, when I am working on a film. So anyone waiting around for me to post something finished will grow bored pretty quickly. To break the tedium and perhaps give the illusion of actually accomplishing something, I'll show some sketches I've been doing on the train lately.
Nowhere on earth is there more a wealth of characters needing to be drawn than in the subways of New York City.

Mathilda is off to a great start!

Within just a few days, Randall's new book, Mathilda and the Orange Balloon (or here) is garnering great reviews! Naturally, I'm biased but it's a great little story and if you get a chance, take a look.

Kirkus Reviews
Refusing to follow the boring herd mentality of her grazing companions, a visionary little sheep uses her imagination to achieve the impossible. Mathilda’s world of grass, sky, stones and lots of other sheep seems small until a magnificent orange balloon catches her eye. Enchanted, Mathilda immediately proclaims she, too, is an orange balloon. The other sheep laugh, warning Mathilda she’ll never be anything but a gray sheep since she’s not round, can’t fly and isn’t orange like the balloon. Undaunted, Mathilda happily proceeds to creatively visualize herself into a round, flying, orange balloon proving “anything was possible.” Relying on black outlines, simple shapes and effective use of white space, Corace’s precise watercolor-and-ink illustrations reinforce the upbeat message of possibility. She artfully contrasts the dull gray-and-green existence of the sheep with the alluring bright orange balloon as it floats across the pages to spark Mathilda’s exuberant, imaginative and infectious flight of fancy. The unflappable Mathilda will tickle and inspire. (Picture book. 3-6)

TimeOut NY Kids
MATHILDA AND THE ORANGE BALLOON
Refusing to follow the boring herd mentality of her grazing companions, a visionary little sheep uses her imagination to achieve the impossible. Mathilda’s world of grass, sky, stones and lots of other sheep seems small until a magnificent orange balloon catches her eye. Enchanted, Mathilda immediately proclaims she, too, is an orange balloon. The other sheep laugh, warning Mathilda she’ll never be anything but a gray sheep since she’s not round, can’t fly and isn’t orange like the balloon. Undaunted, Mathilda happily proceeds to creatively visualize herself into a round, flying, orange balloon proving “anything was possible.” Relying on black outlines, simple shapes and effective use of white space, Corace’s precise watercolor-and-ink illustrations reinforce the upbeat message of possibility. She artfully contrasts the dull gray-and-green existence of the sheep with the alluring bright orange balloon as it floats across the pages to spark Mathilda’s exuberant, imaginative and infectious flight of fancy. The unflappable Mathilda will tickle and inspire. (Picture book. 3-6)

Ohdeedoh/ Apartment Therapy
It's natural to want to keep reading your favorite childhood books to your kids, but there are wonderful books for kids coming out all the time worthy of a shot at becoming your family's next favorite book. Mathilda and the Orange Balloon is a contender to put on your list. We're always charmed by artist/illustrator Jen Corace's work (see our post on Hansel and Gretel) and her imagery here is among the friendliest, happiest we've seen it (orange has that effect on people). The affirming story by Randall de Sève is charming as she convinces the reader that, indeed, a sheep can be an orange balloon. You'll just have to read it to see what we mean.

VES Award nomination for work on Buck in Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs!

The Visual Effects Society will be holding their annual gala this weekend to celebrate nominees for best work done in film and television. I'm very happy to say that I will be sharing a nomination with Simon Pegg (he once played a famous Scottish Engineer I mentioned recently-hint, hint) for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture for our work on Buck, the deranged weasel from Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
Also nominated under the animation category are my amazingly talented Blue Sky chums :
Galen Chu, Supervising Animator
Jeff Gabor, Senior Animator
Anthony Nisi, Animation Production Supervisor
Melvin Tan, Senior Animator

As they say, it's an honor just to be nominated and it's particularly gratifying since Ice Age, DOTD, didn't quite garner the kudos I had expected from the industry despite it's colossal success at the box office. I believe Blue Sky really delivered their best work on this one so I can only chalk this up to the curse of the sequel.
Oh well.

Curses...!

Only a couple of you fell into my trap. My last Frazetta post was meant to teach you the same lesson I got taught, but without costing you $1800. That drawing was also a fake, a fact I was blissfully unaware of for the five years it proudly hung in my studio. The only excuse I can offer for that blunder is that the only reproduction I had ever seen of the piece was in a yellowed Ace paperback circa 1965 and printed on low quality newsprint paper.
Still, when you actually get a good look at the both of them together, the truth of the matter becomes painfully obvious.
To quote a famous Scottish engineer: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Randall has published another book!

Mathilda and the Orange Balloon, was officially released yesterday by Balzer and Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins! It is the third book written by my wife, Randall and is charmingly illustrated by Jen Corace, of Little Pea fame. Mathilda, is the story of a sheep who doesn't think like one and uses her power of imagination to become anything she chooses to be. I think this is a wonderful message for a child to to take from a story and consistent with Randall's other two great books- The Duchess of Whimsy (gorgeously illustrated) and Toy Boat. All of her books have something worthwhile to say to children without them realizing that something worthwhile is being said to them. It's the gift of a good children's book author and makes sense coming from someone who was also an excellent lower school teacher for several years. All I can say is thank goodness one of us is smart or our own kids would be in big trouble.
Congratulations, Honey-Pie!

Easy for you to say.

But yes, every one of you is absolutely right. The second one is the real deal. I must say in my defense though, that it's much easier to see
how wrong the fake is when it's seen next to the real Mccoy.
Anyway to wrap up the Frazetta chapter , I'll end with the last piece in my collection, before moving on to the other stuff on my walls.

Oh, yes, I'm QUITE the Frazetta expert...

How hilarious, that only days after crowing about my most fabulous Frazetta collection,I should discover that I am the proud owner of a Frazetta Fake.
As you might have gleaned, I consider myself somewhat of an authority on the guy's work, so imagine my surprise this afternoon, while trolling for other possible purchases that I can ill afford, when I discovered this little beauty:




Uh, wait. Or was it this one?



You tell me.

Signed with Drawings- A Sketchy Past! UPDATED!

The Society of Illustrators in New York City is the best place right now to pick up copies of my book, A Sketchy Past. To keep them moving I've signed a bunch with drawings, all comparable to the one above. At last count, there were a dozen left. If you happen to be in NYC, stop by the museum and get one. It's located at 128 East 63rd, between Park and Lexington. And of course, make sure to visit the main gallery where the annual exhibition of some of this years best Book and Editorial work is now on view.

~I've just added another dozen copies signed with drawings.~