TROZOS

Harley

2012-01-13T13:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday Harley :)

Happy Year of The Dragon

2012-01-04T18:11:00.001-08:00

Hard to believe another year came & went by ... Getting used to a new year , was faster than expected....already in 2012 .

Here are a few interesting links to start the year:

Rainy forest creatures short from Alienatio http://vimeo.com/34082328

Adventure Time Covers for a few laughs

Here is some Dancing Sushi animation to accompany the Adventure covers

The short film Gary , on Vimeo it's been around for a couple of years , but if you haven't seen it you might enjoy it.

Unfortunately with this new blogger format , unless you open this post , you may not be able to click on the links....

Happy holidays !

2011-12-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

2011 ,is almost over , 2011 lived so much & gone through much...

2011 saw the major world disaster trio happen in Japan - the Earthquake , the Tsunami & the Nuclear melt down -.
The Arab Spring protests & the revolution in Egypt , Muammar Gaddafi's death.
The birth of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Economical crisis hitting the roof all around the world -(With small glimmers of hope provided by countries such as Iceland...)
2011is time for you to go, but we will remember you ...

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday , and a new year 2012 were we can see all changes were for the best.

--

This saturday in San Francisco, Affordable art show :) 5 pm ~ 11 pm

2011-12-14T18:16:00.001-08:00

This saturday, Dec 17 , in San Francisco, Affordable art show :) 5 pm ~ 11 pm
Come by for a free drink & hands on T shirt screen printing experience :)

Lots of pretty little non expensive art pieces ~!
I'll have a few framed prints (perfect for Christmas gifts..**) & they are the only store with a couple of my hand bags still available ( Sold Out anywhere else )

63 Bluxome St

San Francisco, CA 94107

http://www.63bluxomestreetgallery.com/

Dany

2011-11-24T12:56:00.001-08:00

Happy Turkey Day ( us ), Thank you for your kindness & friendship to all my friends ~! ( world)

Wishing you an awesome & filling day!

My apologies for posting so little this past months , I will be better in the upcoming months

Little Red Riding Hood

2011-08-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Trickster Trickster

2011-08-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

The original is square , water color + gouache over wood panel,
This piece is included in the Trickster book , available ( if still left ) on
http://trickstertrickster.com/

The theme was Trickster ,a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior.
I went with the Japanese fox , kitsune ;)

Print Copies will be on sale on limited print run, along with my new "Alice " ( Blue Alice- will post as soon as I can ) what is left of the 100 - numbered prints -of each will go in to my store for a short window next week.

Red Lily

2011-07-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

6+ Days for SD Con + Trickster , here's a little sample of the new works ...
See ya in San Diego :)

Alice

2011-06-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Blackbird

2011-06-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

....Did Final Blackbird turn much stiffer than the pencil sketch?....Dang...

Sphynx Cat , work in progress (Cropped)

2011-06-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Wonder Woman

2011-06-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

And Chun -lee....Ink + marker , originals for sale soon..

Red Lily , work in progress

2011-05-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Pencil rough sketch + work in progress color crop :)

Have a great memorial weekend .

Inked , for Comics x Africa

2011-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

This are some of my pieces going to
Comics x Africa.

Comics x Africa is a benefit show and convention organized by Roberto Riccio in Italy to help build water wells and a Children's Hospital in Tanzania.

Last years participating artists included artists such as the awesome MILO MANARA, DAVID LlOYD (V for vendetta), FABRIZIO FIORENTINO (Batman), GIUSEPPE RICCIARDI (Brendon), PASQUALE QUALIANO (She Hulk) and many many more .

This 3 pieces are 13x19
in ink and marker.

The one of the left is an old drawing from ME2 , I am
parting ways with :)

If you are anywhere near
Beneveto , Italy , this summer , this may be a must go show :)

Check list of artists and events for 2011 convention & Tanzania here
http://comicsxafrica.org/

Rest in Peace, Jeffrey Catherine Jones

2011-05-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

In one of the highest compliments imaginable, illustrator Frank Frazetta called Jones “The greatest living painter.”

Legendary fantasy artist Jeffrey Catherine Jones died yesterday of complications from emphysema.
Sending my deepest condolences to the family and friends of this fantastic artist.

We are sad to let you go,
your wonderful art will stay with us .

Princess Leia's Troubles

2011-05-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is one of the pieces included in the book "Star Wars Visions"

The actual piece is rather large in size for me , at 33 x 22 , on acrylic, water color , inks and graphite.
Sadly not the best picture of the piece , but is the only one I have got.

The book includes 100 + well-known and promising artists to draw upon the entire Star Wars galaxy for inspiration.

Featuring pieces by awesome world renown comic , animation and film industry artists such as :

Yoshitaka Amano, Phillipe Druillet,
H. R. Giger, Daniel Greene,
Syd Mead, Julie Bell , Boris Vallejo,
Alex Ross, Enki Bilal...
Moebius ...and many many more

Dewback Riders , in acrylic, water color , inks and graphite.

2011-05-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is the second piece included in the book
"Star Wars Visions"

Same size as the last one , is pretty large ( for me), at 33 x 22 , on acrylic, water color , inks and graphite.

Sadly not the best picture of the piece , but is the only one I have got. I added tones , so it looks darker than in the book

The book includes 100 + well-known
and promising artists to draw upon the entire Star Wars galaxy for inspiration.

Featuring pieces by awesome world renown comic , animation and film industry artists such as :

Yoshitaka Amano, Phillipe Druillet,
H. R. Giger, Daniel Greene,
Syd Mead, Julie Bell , Boris Vallejo,
Alex Ross, Enki Bilal...
Moebius

...and many many more

"Nippon" :)

2011-05-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Expomanga artists in Madrid (Spain) , headed by organizer Emilio Gonzalo ,have offered a selection of original pieces to the Japanese ambassador in Spain , Fumiaki Takahashi, to show their support for the disasters afflicting Japan .
This is my piece , Spain is my country of adoption :)

The works will be showing at the "Jardin Botanico " in Madrid , at the end of the month and later
compiled in a book by Spanish publishing house Dibbuks.

More about this event here (spanish only...sorry..) : http://laguiadelcomic.blogspot.com/

May Give Away Winners Announced

2011-05-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Spring gift to my fb friends~!
This lovely Orange Red ,
Harajuku Girls Hand Bag goes to

CAROL LEANNE FOX

Signed set of 3 print winner s name is

ALE BURANO

Ale and Carol , if you would like to claim the gifts ,
send your postal address to my facebook account
and it'll be delivered promptly :)
Winners have til the end of the month to claim gifts
if no winners claim the items , the will be raffled again in June .

Sorry to all my friends who did not win
this time , there will be more give aways soon :)

#1 Congratulations to all Spectrum 18 artists

2011-04-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

The artists names for spectrum this year has been released here.

This book is a great source of inspiration for many artists .

Their mission is ::

To promote the fantastic arts and provide an annual showcase for contemporary artists.

And that's what they do :)

This is my second time in Spectrum , this year I got 2 pieces in it :)

Many awesome artists are included in this years book, amongst them , Bill Carman , who is also the artist of this call for entries postcard,( above the left) ,
my friend Patrick Awa - I am anticipating it's gonna be every bit as beautiful as his last books pieces....Like this awesome heartfelt piece , for the Toronto Artist Help Japan event (see above right)
There is also this cute sculpt made with a munny toy from Cassia Harries , a young talented sculptress.

Jim Mahfood , awesome comic artist, and writer , whose Beat Bee Toy was nominated for "Best Toy From A Comic" by the Designer Toy Awards recently .

and Joao Ruas , one of my favorite artists in this year's Spectrum , he is the artist of the more recent Fables covers

May Give Away = 3 prints set + Orange Handbag

2011-04-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

May Give Away !

To thank all my friends for your year round support I am giving away :

1 set of 3 acid free archival 13x19 signed prints(Worth $105 online) ,
and
One exclusive HandBag (Worth $65)

To two randomly selected lucky winners
from my FB Artist Page:
http://www.facebook.com/Shomurase
or
If you have no Facebook account or prefer not to like the page
you can still enter the draw by emailing
the mailing address you would like your gift to be sent
-if you win-to infoATshomurase.com on or before May 3

Winners names will be posted on May 4 2011 :)

Tokyopop Closing & ME2

2011-04-19T20:58:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of Tokyopop , the publisher of the first of what was going to be at least 3 books of my graphic novel serie ME2 .

It has been sad to answer to the readers , whom after so many years , still ask me when the next volume is coming out. As a reader I feel entitled to have the option of buying the continuation of the first book I purchased.
As a writer /artist I wanted to oblige, but was unable to.

Post cancellation syndrome was no fun - and along with money spent on lawyers -(To attempt to negotiate to buy back rights to finish the series under a different publisher)-costly. It took me months and months just for TKP to get back to me . And when finally did , it was not realistic and definitely not positive.

As Debbie Aoki cites here in about.com , Tokyopop is closing it's LA Offices.

The closing does raise questions about the rights of the series they are currently publishing , and the ones left unfinished .
I do not think the closing of it's publishing branch will make much of a difference for the rights of the artists like me.

Tokyopop's media company is not closing it's doors.
The graphic novels are as we all know , good sources for IP .

Coming from the animation industry , I have nothing against the use of comics and manga IP for other media , however , I often wondered if those cancelled books may have sold more if Tokyopop would have done a little marketing on them .There was next to none for ME2 .

There were great things about woking on Me2.
Working with Troy Lewter was great . He is an awesome editor , and a good writer.
I did learn a lot about writing working with him.

At the time I was very busy with animation work and was already drawing Nancy Drew
( Now on volume 24 ? ) .If not for him ,I would have not completed ME2 vol 1.(?)

If not for ME2 I may not have sold original art pieces to Mr George Lucas .
( The pieces on Star Wars Visions )

Having to start and finish several pages a day did give me mileage .

Reading the book back , I can see where the writing could have been improved , what parts were unnecessary, what parts were over explained or unclear.

I m hoping that I 'll be able to write better in my next book.

ME2 was not meant to be a money maker for me , it was a labor of love ....turned nightmarish ( I can go in to details one of these days if anyone is interested )

I feel terrible for the readers , to whom I owe the continuation , ( Everyone who read the story arc agreed that the story gets much better from book 2) .
But all and all it has been a good learning experience for me .....specially on the business end of the publishing field.

Marvel 15Love Cover #1

2011-04-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

15 Love #1(mini series 1of 3)
is finally coming out this summer , in June, just before comic con! .

Here is my pencil drawing and the final color cover for issue #1

The interior pages are
drawn by Tommy Ohtsuka.

I worked on this covers, with Jordan White , a great editor to work with.

It's been about a year since I worked on those covers.
I was wondering if it may have been canceled , like many other series , before it's birth , but is finally coming out .

15 Love, being a rare Marvel girls sports comic, has been the subject of much talk since it's announcement, both positive and negative.

Personally I like seeing Marvel branching out and I love sports comics , Slam Dunk &Yawara are some of my all time favorites.

I still read it again from time to time .If this is anything like those series I 'll be the first one in the shop ;)

Written by Andi Watson (Skeleton Key, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) +, is the story of underdog Mill Collins and her quest to prove that she can make a name for herself doing the one thing she loves most of all—playing tennis.

I have not had a chance to read the whole story, but .....Fighting girls + sports + underdog winning through tough work ? Sounds good to me :)

More about the series here :
http://marvel.com/comic_books/issue/37254/15-love_2011_1

Katsuya Terada , Black Marker Show Opens Today

2011-04-07T18:01:00.000-07:00

Terada san has been the master of the masters as far as drawing and style goes for me.

For ages I have watched with awe animated movies such as Blood , the last vampire, where he designed most of the characters.

This solo show titled "Terra's BLACK MARKER" will be held at Compound Gallery in Portland OR from April 7th to May 1st.

Is his second show in the USA and a rare treat .

Many of his hand drawn originals including 6 new, giant "B1" size(about 28.66 x 40.55 inches) pieces are drawn with a singe black marker .....
when one is as good an artist as Terada san is, the medium is just another tool.

ONE , ひとつ - Big Success!

2011-04-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

One,ひとつ was a HUGE success.
We had a over-full house :)

All 50 pieces were sold ~!

Many thanks to all the donating artists, the volunteers and special thanks to Dice tsusumi, Vaughn Ross ,all the Maverix Members for their work and
Seiji Horibuchi of New People for letting us use Superfrog Gallery for the event.

Thank you also to the hundreds of people who came to the show.

...All together as ONE , we raised

$30,605

Thank you so much to everyone who made it to the ONE event .

Many of you donated precious art ,
donated generous cash ,
bought the awesome art , donated time and helping hands or bought things at the merchandising tables ,

we all together- as one- helped raise a good number of dollars , a lot of help , for Japan!

Yoriko talking about her very touching piece

Vaughn and Maverix pals enjoying a rare
break while organizing the show

Dice Tsusumi bidding on awesome Joey Chou painting.

Seiji Horibuchi-san next to his talented daughter
Mika Horibuchi s beautiful art

Patrick Awa next to his awesome piece ,
the best seller of the night ;)

Derek Thompson & Mike Murnane ,
live auctioning Dice Tsusumi's awesome piece.
(That's me in the background )

They were rocking the show auctioning
this cool Soosa Kim piece, best art auctioneers ~!

Photos by Tom Rubalcava
& BHPang

Thank you~!

2011-04-03T18:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who made it to the ONE event , we will announce the $$ amount soon , but so far looks like a really nice chunk !

Many of you donated precious art , donated generous cash , bought the awesome art , donated time and helping hands or bought things at the merchandising tables , we all together- as one- helped raise a good number of dollars , a lot of help , for Japan . I ll post event pics and update soon .

Here 's my piece , the pic is blurry , sorry, maybe I'll have to ask for a better pic to the buyer :)

Also thank you to everyone who stopped at my table this weekend at WONDERCON, having both events on the same weekend was exhausting but you guys and ladies made it an awesome con !
Thank you :)

ONE , ひとつ - Miya Ando

2011-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Title: 'Kuni' [Oinori 1]
'Country' [Prayer 1]

Size: 12" x 12"

Medium: steel

date 2011

This stunning piece comes from New York based Japanese and Russian artist Miya Ando.

Miya is a descendant of Bizen swordmaker Ando Yoshiro Masakatsu and was raised between two worlds: among sword smiths-turned Buddhist priests in a Buddhist temple in Okayama, Japan and Santa Cruz, California

In her work, Miya creates quiet, abstract & meditative environments with metal.
Miya is interested in the study of subtraction to the point of purity, simplicity and refinement.

ONE , ひとつ - Ed Bell

2011-04-01T15:33:00.001-07:00

Here is Ed Bell's wonderful piece. Always exploring shapes, line and tonality. Such a talent.

"A Bending"
Pencil and Marker
11" x 14"

Ed Bell is a filmmaker, director, animation artist and designer. A native of South Central Los Angeles, he went to California Institute of the Arts for their film and video program. Since that time he has been involved in bringing art to life in various forms. His directing and artistic credits include both film and commercials for clients such as HBO, Warner Brothers, Disney Features, Nike, Sony, and BBC Television. He is an affiliated commercial director with Special Agent Productions, and is currently collaborating on a graphic novel with comedic horror writer, Michael Boatman.
http://houseofmanycolors.blogspot.com/

ONE , ひとつ, Dice Tsutsumi

2011-03-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Dice Tsutsumi's work is always inspiring and this is no exception. A truly uplifting scenario.

"One --- Artists Help Japan"

14"X11"
Oil On Board

The original of this meaningful piece will be sold on april 2 @ the ONE , ひとつ
Maverix Art Auction Benefit for Japan Relief

Dice has been working at Pixar as the Art Director for movies such as Toy Story 3 .

He is the master mind behind Artist Help Japan
http://artistshelpjapan.blogspot.com/
and has actively been pursuing his illustration career outside of animation on the side.

His first big hit children’s book " I can Hear"was published in Japan 2009.

Dice s constant dedication to help others has been also shown at successful charity projects as The Totoro Forest Project and Sketchtravel .

www.sketchtravel.com/
www.simplestroke.com

ONE , ひとつ Pre Registration

2011-03-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

We are pre-registering all potential bidders for the Japan benefit auction this Saturday in order to cut down on the "waiting in line" time at the event.

If you plan to bid on some of the 50+ amazing pieces (http://maverixstudios.blogspot.com), please send the following info to Xiaojing at PUREXJ@GMAIL.COM

First & last name
Billing address
Email
Phone

Once you are registered, you will receive a BIDDER NUMBER to use for the auction. All information will remain CONFIDENTIAL.

Thanks!

ONE , ひとつ , Joey chou

2011-03-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

This pretty and fun piece Joey Chou is titled: New Blossoms
Media: Acrylic on watercolor paper
Size: 11 inches by 14.75 inches

Joey is an artist based in LA ,currently working at Nickelodeon.

http://joeyart.blogspot.com/
The original of this meaningful piece will be sold on april 2 @ the ONE , ひとつ
Maverix Art Auction Benefit for Japan Relief

ONE , ひとつ , Tooru Terada (From Saitama, Japan)

2011-03-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

This beautiful piece is coming from Saitama in Japan .

Tooru is living the effects of the earthquake in Japan as he send us this his contribution and those words :

"It's difficult to put my feelings about this disaster in "words"
A lot of thoughts went through my head during this days.

Japan is in a very tragic moment , but
your prayers are reaching us in Japan.

Thank you so much for your support"

in Japanese :

"Konkai no jishinn ni saishi, jibun no kimochi wo
kotoba de hyougen suruno ha totemo muzukashii desu.
Jishinn irai, watashi ha takusan kangaemashita.
Soshite kono e wo kakimashita.

Sorezore ni kanjite kudasai.
Nihon ha hukkou he mukai hajimemasu.

Sekai no hitobito no pray ha shikkari Japan ni todoite imasu.
Hontou ni arigatou."

Tooru Terada is a freelance illustrator, cartoonist, published in Japan and France
http://toruterada.exblog.jp/

The original of this awesome piece will be sold on april 2 @ the ONE , ひとつ

ONE , ひとつ , Derek Thompson

2011-03-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Here is our second piece , another meaningful piece by MonsterMaster , and Maverix member Derek Thompson.
Derek's works :
"I always loved GAMERA growing up...a daikaiju who represents hope and positivity..'Guardian of the Universe', 'Friend of the Children' and 'Earth Protector' . In this time of crisis in Japan, Gamera seemed to be a perfect icon for HOPE...and he's FUN to draw!"
This fun piece with our most beloved monster Gamera will be sold on april 2 @ the ONE , ひとつ Maverix Art Auction Benefit for Japan Relief

Derek is a Story Artist @ Pixar Animation Studios / Creature Designer and Concept Artist for Feature Films / Comic Book Artist and Painter
http://derekmonster.blogspot.com/

ONE , ひとつ , Patrick Awa

2011-03-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

The first pieces are coming , this beautiful piece by Patrick Awa is called

"Anonymous hug " .

This is what the artists says about this piece:
"The basic idea was to draw miscellaneous figures with their hands holding each other as tight as they could at the moment of reunion, making a sphere-like shape together, which I also hoped to represent connection and compassion I have received from all over the world. And even though this might be a little "one" to start with in front of massive damage, hopefully together we can become "ONE" to make a difference. "

The original of this meaningful piece will be sold on april 2 @ the ONE , ひとつ
Maverix Art Auction Benefit for Japan Relief

Limited number of prints of this wonderful piece is on sale here for a very short time :
http://1xrun.com/runs/Anonymous_Hug

All proceeds of the sales will be donated 100% to ArtistHelpJapan Fund

WONDERCON !

2011-03-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Is this time of the year again ~! I'll be attending WONDERCON at the artists alley , table AA-099
around the middle of the artist alley section

Will have the b/w sketchbooks a nice selection of Harajuku Girls and Heroine prints and a small batch of bags and a small batch of color pin up books .

I'll be at my table Saturday and Sunday.
I am going to try to make it towards the end of the first day of con . I will be helping on setting ONE , Maverix benefit show most of the day Friday.

I am trying to finish a illustration for an exclusive print , made for Japan , will be at wondercon if I finish it on time .All the proceeds of that particular print will be donated to Artist Help Japan. fund

O N E - ひとつ

2011-03-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Maverix Art Auction Benefit for Japan Relief
Together we can become "ONE" to make a difference.

Location : SuperFrog Gallery ,

1746 Post St , New People building , top floor,
San Francisco, CA 94115

Date APRIL 2 , 2011
Gallery doors open at noon

Bidding + Party starts 7 pm,

Silent Auction Bidding ends at 930 pm

Join us after WONDERCON for the upcoming silent auction party ,
for the rare chance to bring home original art
from celebrated artists in the animation & film industry
(Pixar, Lucas, Dreamworks, Nickelodeon to name a few ),
including:

Dice Tsusumi, Robert Valley,
Ronnie Del Carmen, Enrico Casarosa,
Scott Morse, Nate Stanton
Lou Romano,Cam De Leon, Tooru Terada,
Daniel Simon, John Wayshank,
Patrick Awa,Joey Chou, Ed Bell,
Todd Ueminami, Marcos Mateu,
Mari Inukai ,Yoriko Ito, Jackie Huang,
Soosa Kim, Jamie Baker, Alina Chou, Oren Haskins,
Sei Nakashima, Julia Lundman, Le Tang,
Ted Mathot ,Tom Rubalcava, Derek Thompson,
Sho Murase, Sergio Paez, Vaughn Ross...

... also critically acclaimed fine artists such as

Miya Ando ,
Kent Williams ....and many more !

SuperFrog , Maverix and ArtistsHelpJapan are donating 100% of all proceeds to Artists Help Japan Fund with Mercy Corps.

http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/artistshelpjapan

There will be appetizers and drinks , live DJ sets by DJ Dedan
(brothersandsisters.podomatic.com) and DJ Cecil
(http://www.djcecil.com/)

Gallery site http://www.newpeopleworld.com/visit/

Start Your local Fund Raising Event With Artists Help Japan + Give2Asia !

2011-03-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

With the imminent nuclear danger looming Japan , those are sad and painful days , but there are good things that are happening. Artists getting together to help shows how we can make a difference

As of Wednesday evening, 4 days after the launch, Artists Help Japan raised over $38,000. through just individual cash donations.

Now groups of artists, galleries and the art community is jumping on board creating their own Artists Help Japan Benefit shows and events

If you are interested in hosting/organizing a local event , please email
artistshelpjapan@gmail.com for more info on the initiative

http://artistshelpjapan.blogspot.com

Artists Help Japan

2011-03-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you or family/friends are in Japan ...I prey for you and your loved ones, to be safe in this catastrophic disaster.

I myself have family and many friends in Japan with whom I was finally able to reach after almost 24 hr of fear ......luckily my close ones are in good health but the news are disheartening for many in those affected regions.

The earthquake was the most powerful in the history and the outcome is devastating..... without showing any sign of calming down.

The threat the endangered nuclear plants are real , fires are raging while cars and houses are swept like doll houses, many are trapped and crying for help.

If like me you are willing to help but not sure where/how to , The Totoro Forest project , with my friend ( and art director extraordinaire @ Pixar ), Dice Tsusumi set a simple trust worthy fund called Artists Help Japan :

http://give2asia.org/artistshelp

Give2Asia helped Totoro Forest Project efficiently send fund to Japan to help preserve Sayama Forest back in 2008
and has a great reputation when it comes to humanitarian efforts in Asia as a part of Asian Foundation.

Artists Help Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Fund is responding to the immediate needs of survivors as well as short-term to long-term recovery projects undertaken by the affected communities.
This may be just a small help we can only provide from far away but I hope our prayers will reach people in Japan.

Comments in Fb

2011-03-02T15:40:00.001-08:00

Sorry my friends , I much loved and appreciated your comments but the spam was getting a bit crazy .
Hope u have an Fb account to give me your crits , (or forgive me if not)

Thank you for all who left your comments here , don't go away...posts will continue as usual :)

Emerald City Comic Con this weekend

2011-03-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

My first time exhibiting at this event, very excited to meet the folks in Seattle .

I 'm going to be @ the show , from start on Friday to close to closing on Sunday .Gotta head out a bit early to catch my flight back to San Francisco.

Bringing along my selection of heroines and harajuku girl , along with new hand bags and shoulder bags .

If you are around town , dont forget to visit the con , I'll be @ the artist alley F -22 along
with LordCheez
http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/

Lucas Films Benefit Show

2011-02-21T17:41:00.001-08:00

Lucas Films employees @ Black Rock are organizing what is becoming a yearly event , a benefit art show for the AIDS/Breast Cancer association.

The bidding will be this Thursday. Very nice pieces go up for grabs , for a very reasonable price , specially attractive to the many Star Wars fans.

Here 's my piece , Jedi Shaak Ti .
The original up for bidding is in liquid acrylic is on a 13x 19 acid free paper and looks just a tad little different ( I added a couple of quick highlights after scanning )

Sadly the show is mainly from and for Lucas Films employees and their invitees .

It is not open to the general public as it happens in the Lucas Animation Studios
but if you do have a friend working there , you may be able to be his/her guest to attend the event and if not but still interested in buying a piece , it may be possible to arrange a phone bidding for a particular piece contacting them through their blog.

http://lucasfilmbenefitauction.blogspot.com/

Beautiful Animated Shorts

2011-02-17T14:28:00.001-08:00

Le silence sous l'écorce , directed by Joanna Lurie , this short is nominated for the oscars

Tir Nan Og - animated short film directed by Fursy Teyssier

Enjoy

Happy Valentine Day to everyone ;)

2011-02-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Slow posting start of the year....tendinitis and 1/2 book done , another half to go .

Nancy Drew new case files Vol 3 , with guest characters , the Hardy Boys .
Cover by Paulo Henrique ( artist of the Hardy Boys gn series) Panel below , from page I just finished.

The Love Movement Show

2011-01-28T13:22:00.001-08:00

Finally I got a little extra breathing time between deadline and dealine, sorry is so late .

The Love Movement show was one of the most fun shows I have participated and attended . Shin Tanaka 's paper art was super sleek , beautiful designs .

Organized by Naoko Shimojo , the artists themselves and curated by Jeremy Brautman , the event was packed full with goodness art .
More pieces than I could count on display , beat boxing + violin concert , awesome inspiring live art by three of the artists coming from Japan , Satoshi Yoshioka , Hideki Shiroma and Chota, a very talented bunch ;)

More about the show

Youtube Clip by Shin & Nao
http://www.jeremyriad.com
The Toys/Art are on sale now here http://lovemovement.storenvy.com/

Artblocks for Ghana

2011-01-05T16:05:00.000-08:00

Here 's my block... from start sketch to final . Title " Going back home ~!"

It's been fun,bit challenging since I don't usually use blocks of wood .
Transferred the sketch on to wood with saral to get the basic shapes on and redraw/paint .
Looks a bit different from original sketch idea, but all the basics are there.

This process took me back to those college/ high school days when I used to draw with the ball paint pen .
Using a block of wood has it's perks, the wood grain / color itself is so pretty , does not need much background paint

This time is pigment , acrylics and graphite .
Check out the awesome selection on their site

http://artblocksghana.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays

2010-12-17T14:47:00.000-08:00

Delayed in posting CTN and Love movement details/pics....Sorry , this season is a bit hektik ;)
Meanwhile..... Wishing you a wonderful holidays season and a fantastic 2011 , where all your dreams come true ...or at least some ;)

CTN Expo 2010 Update

2010-11-29T18:25:00.000-08:00

The expo was undeniably a lot of fun, that was thanks to the many artists and friends attending the show, without the event we would not be there in one spot.

Is always very inspiring to hear and see Demo's from such awesome artists and friends
such as Tadahiro Uesugi ( and his lovely and equally talented wife Hiroko san ) Dice Tsusumi ( and his also equally talented jewelry designer wife Mei ) , and so many more...

Meeting so much talented folks under one roof was very inspiring, seeing Moebius walking down the hall is a rare treat.

The few speeches I was able to catch were awesome , but being able to hang with long time no see industry friends was definitely the highlight of the event for me.

...But.....As far as getting a table/booth in this event,
I am sad to say this is going to be probably my first and my last time .

The experience did not start too well....When I got to my table location the lights on my section were not even on , so I was not only in the furthest corner from the entry door to that room but it was also dark .

After asking several volunteers (they were nice and really trying to help) and two managers , the lights were finally on.

The placement would have been ok had this been the artists section...but I was in the commercial section.
I was placed in the "opportunity alley" , room with mainly big companies looking for potential new artists to bring in to the industry fold) .
Less than an ideal location for individual artists showcasing their work ( the opposite of what those companies were doing there) .

To top it off , I was placed right in front -side of the Disney Studios booth ( Even the nice person working at the Disney table came to say sorry , even though it was not his but CTN's fault)

This room was filled with companies offering portfolio reviews , so naturally I spent most of my time looking at portfolios myself.

I do like reviewing art and giving advice when I can help , and is fun and helpful to meet new artists , however having paid for my "artist" table , I felt it was unfair to be placed in a spot that roughly meant working for CTN when I wanted to attend as an artist showcasing work.

Being an individual artist , everyone was looking for me at the artists section and this part of the convention where I was located was in a completely different area of the hotel ( You needed to walk out twice to get from the artists alley section to this section)

To top it all , I was erroneously listed as Maverix instead of my name , even my friends looking for me were not able to locate me . ( I recall my friend Dice Tsusumi 's name was written "Tsunami" at some point ... wich is sort of cool but totally wrong)

The few who managed to find me, complained that was very hard to locate me.

I had talked to CTN about the issue before the show after seeing my location in the map , but they had assured me this was a great location for an individual artist .
I have been part of many conventions by now and I knew that was not going to be the case , but I trusted the person behind those words .... after all this was their convention.

Couple of other artists also placed in this odd location had the same issues , one of them was quickly moved to the artist alley on Saturday morning .

Knowing this , I talked to them once again during the show ...but sadly is not until a good friend, (she is like a real life super heroine, beautiful and fighting for good) of mine angry for the mistreating practically yelled at them that they agreed to change my table location. ( By then was sadly already Sunday , with only the last few hours left in the show )

During the convention I have talked with a few other bay area and Japanese guests invited by CTN , and they were also very unhappy about other organizational issues they have encountered with CTN , I was not alone . ( Amongst them my friend Tadahiro and his wife Hiroko san, left waiting at the airport to fend for themselves for hours , with promised picking up car not appearing)

CTN is very new , so I am assuming some mistakes are bound to happen....and is such a great event , bringing it so many animation industry talents under one roof ....I am just hoping it'll get better organized in the future.

CTN Animation Expo in Burbank LA

2010-11-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

CTN Animation Expo this weekend :)
This is the first time I am exhibiting in this event . I am listed as MAVERIX STUDIOS
I am pretty excited as so many of my friends are going to be attending/exhibiting/giving speeches .

Amongst friends :
Patrick Awa ( Check here his fantastic Artblocks for Ghana block and new book), Jamie Baker, Sergio Paez , Dice Tsusumi , Enrico Casarosa and Tadahiro Uesugi will be exhibiting/giving speeches this year, dont miss it .This is going to be a very fun event ;)

If you haven't got your ticket yet, you can buy your tix online here @ CTN Registration

Love Movement @ New People

2010-11-02T14:20:00.001-07:00

Painting two toys for Love Movement Show December 11th @ SuperFrog , NEW PEOPLE GALLERY in Jp Town

Come by the party ,opening will be fun ;) Many Japanese and Us artists , Satoshi Yoshioka is coming from Japan for the show;)

Alma and The Happets , the spanyards are killing it !

2010-11-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

The past soccer world cup and now in animation ;)

My friend Rodrigo Blaas from one side , with "Alma" his short film being produced by Guillermo del Toro at Dreamworks as a feature film and from the other side my friend Alex Colls in Spain with the release of his new 3d theatrical feature for kids " Tropa de Trapo" (The Happets) In real 3d , is a double strike in animation ;)

http://www.thehappets.com/

The spanyards , they've done it again ~!

Felicidades a los dos

Very proud of having such talented friends ;)

http://almashortfilm.com/

Nancy volume 23, in larger format

2010-10-27T16:25:00.001-07:00

Nancy Drew -(The graphic novel serie I have been working on)- is going from Manga size to regular comic size (almost) both in Paperback and HardCover versions , starting volume 23 .

It comes out with a spumky cool new name NANCY DREW NEW CASE FILES - all new stories~! ;)

Sailor Moon

2010-10-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Commission sketches for -now dead- project

APE this weekend

2010-10-12T17:55:00.001-07:00

HI ..... just a reminder that APE is going to be THIS WEEKEND October 16-17 at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco CA.

APE is a small press, self-publishing and art convention, and it's tons of fun

Come by and say hi , I'll be on table 205

Sally test design

2010-10-08T19:51:00.001-07:00

she likes to eat cookies....chocolate chip

Animated Movies : RedLine and Summer Wars

2010-10-06T15:39:00.000-07:00

Summer Wars > (MadHouse)

I usually don't write movie reviews , but saw this one at the San Francisco children's animated festival and had to share it with you ;)

Personally I fell for this movie when I saw the trailer and Murakami's designs for Oz , the virtual world . They are just beautiful .

Just going by the title one may not expect much as far as story/plot goes , but this movie , directed by Mamoru Hoshoda ( The girl who leapt throught time- click name to read interview in Wilgrouds ) with scriptwriter Satoko Okudera ( I have not seen her other works but seem to be popular live action series/movies in Japan) has a strong story and is well structured.

This film is very well paced, is very entertaining and engaging from start to finish . Talks about issues close to everyone, like the nuclear family, generational gaps...and so much more ....( Don't want to tell u too much , to not spoil it for you)

Summer Wars manages to include beautiful action sequences along with great character development ( has many characters! ) in a strong story plot, making it all look effortless .

Rare treat ( at least for me ) Highly recommended ;)

Summer wars trailer in youtube

Red line >

It has been in production for 7 years , not sure how the plot /story is , since I have not seen it yet , but the animation - Directed by Takeshi Koike ( Party of 7 , Animatrix) promises to be stunning.

http://red-line.jp/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/REDLINEofficial

Alias Sketchbook Pro Test Sketch

2010-09-29T16:05:00.001-07:00

This is an Alias Sketch Book Pro line test sketch....

I always have a lot of issues trying to get my comp drawing line to look as good as hand drawn , never been able to with Photoshop nor Tv Paint ( I don't know how to use illustrator and my comp does not like painter for some reason) Sketchbook Pro seems so far the best at line drawing, lines look smooth and the tip sensitivity is very good...lines taper as drawn (almost)sadly lacks a lot of the photoshop tools...no selection tool for instance...The search continues....

43

2010-09-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

Code name 43, she is searching.....

Anticipating winter....

2010-09-24T17:43:00.001-07:00

CTN X ANIMATION EXPO 2010

2010-09-16T15:36:00.001-07:00

This is my first year participating in this show , and I am very excited.

This year's CTN X 2010 ANIMATION EXPO looks superb , with the participation of Moebius and Tadahiro Uesugi (Beautiful illustration on your right ) plus many many more awesome industry artists around the world , including our friends

Daisuke Tsutsumi, Enrico Casarosa , Patrick Awa , Jamie Baker and Sergio Paez ~!

(click in their names to visit their site)

Don't miss it if you are in LA or near - the dates are november 19-21 , Burbank Marriot Conference Center

If you have not registered yet , here 's our discount code , MAVSX10

enter it when booking your general ticket and will get a few dollars off your ticket ;)

Click here to register http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/

Miho

2010-09-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

In lack of time for new personal art , here's a Miho drawing I did a little ago....

"Chico y Rita" an unusual animated film

2010-09-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

Estudios Mariscal, ( The animation studios I had the most fun working with, located in Barcelona - awesome work spot where one can go to the beach on lunch break) just finished "Chico y Rita "

Directed by Javier Mariscal and Oscar winner spanish director Fernando Trueba ( Belle Epoque)

An homage to Jazz music and musicians , Chico and Rita is a love story happening between Cuba and NY.

http://www.peliculas.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/chico-rita.jpg

Dragon Tattoo

2010-08-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Back on Nancee deadline crunch mode....

No time for personal drawings for the next two weeks :*(

Beee

2010-08-13T15:28:00.001-07:00

Heroine # 5

2010-08-03T14:26:00.001-07:00

.....Dark and sexy ;)

Back from SDCC

2010-07-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Back from SDCC & recovering...... (pic , my friend JJ Kirby's awesome Alice maquette)

Awesome con this year , great times with awesome folks , met a ton of cool people and reconnected with many friends I have not seen in ages.

Seen a ton of inspiring works from so many artists ~! So much fun :)

Thank you to all the awesome people who came to see me at the show. Much Love & Art!

San Diego Comic Con 2010

2010-07-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

New HandBags & purses, New Heroine book, and

Special Comicon prices on prints = $20.(Regular price $35)

Only for the people that buy prints at SDCC 2010 :)

Come visit me @ AA GG 24 &

Booth 1215

Heroine Book Cover and BackCover

2010-07-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Heroines # 4 Scarlett Witch

2010-07-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

Smokin' Girls , their names TBD....

2010-07-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Pink , new addition for Harajuku Girls

2010-07-01T12:05:00.001-07:00

Heroines # 3 Storm

2010-06-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

Heroines #2 SpiderWoman

2010-06-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

Heroines # 1 Psylocke

2010-06-24T16:18:00.001-07:00

Finally done with Nancy Drew New Case Files #1 ...
So glad is done, the book had a incredible crazy schedule (phew!!)
Now on to my next up book ~! I am preparing another pin up book , this time with
mostly b/w + 1 heroines and fantasy characters .

Here is the first one on the list for this years Con , Psylocke ( I may add gray midtones)

New Style HANDBAGS ~!

2010-06-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

Comic Con 2010 approaching , here are the new hand bags I'll have on sale ;)

SpotLight

2010-06-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of redoing my blog , sorry if the appearance keeps changing .

It's been long since I posted what others say about my works , wanted to share a couple of the coolest blogs with you this week :)

22 Zine Blog

http://blog.twenty2wo.com/2008/02/sho-murase.html

RuebensRamblings , new fun blog from NiceGirlsTv writer Rueben

http://ruebensramblings.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/artists-spotlight-sho-murase/

http://nicegirlstv.com/2010/03/30/having-a-supernatural-weekend/

Etsy Treasury page from SavvySilver

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c20bc76bad18eef7ae6cc23/awesome-red-black-illustrations-of

Maqet Blog

http://dido-web-en.blogspot.com/2009/06/sho-murase-participates-in-dido26-her.html

Dido

http://dido-web-en.blogspot.com/2009/06/sho-murase-participates-in-dido26-her.html

And for last ...Nancy Drew vol 20 ( yes 20~!) review from Ray Tate @

Silver Bullet

http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/127593598957667.htm

Elektra Daredevil Pin Up for Marvel Girl Comics #3

2010-05-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

My take on Elektra -Dd , b/w ink and final cg color.

Playing with flat colors and yellow/red tones

“Cuter Than Stranger”

2010-05-18T15:49:00.000-07:00

Gallery1988 San Francisco is excited to announce their new show, “Cuter Than Stranger” featuring three awesome bay area artists in the animation and video game industry: friends Dice Tsutsumi, Soosa Kim and Lou Romano.

The exhibition will feature the artists’ fun personal work.
http://cuterthanstranger.blogspot.com/

Maqet Toy Designs

2010-05-12T10:57:00.001-07:00

Few designs for a MAQET toy-(Check Website , is pretty cool)
Maqet is a new toy brand that lets you order your collectible toys online
in the size , pose and color you choose. Awesome?

Emo Girl is graphic and stylized. I designed a few, last year all in different styles . I can't wait to see them all in 3d - sculpts :) Goth Girl and Sporty pants coming soon.

Check out the super cool selection of toys designed for Maqet by our friends @ at GHOSTBOT(Below final models in 3D)
..... And the works of the always* design- awesome* artist Mr ED BELL . Check out his Beastie Series below... Can't wait to see them all come to* life*!

You can check all designs/ order online here
http://maqet.com

Wondercon San Francisco this weekend

2010-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Wondercon San Francisco , in the artists alley section from tomorrow friday late afternoon to sunday , if you are around , don't forget to stop by and say Hi ~!

I will have a selection of my prints and a new limited edition bags , only a few left of this model - and on sale , I will have more bags in the future , but not of this kind .

I will also have a few originals , no new personal books til Comic Con but will have samples of the latest Nancy Books and my pin up books

The one in this post is the under drawing of the final original sold at the Totoro Forest Show last year :)

COMIX AFRICA

2010-03-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

COMIXAFRICA ,is an initiative organized by italian architect Roberto Riccio, to help African villages in Tanzania providing dwells for their water supplies.

The benefit show in Italy earlier this month included artists such as Stan Lee, Ryan Benjamin, CarlosD'Anda, Bruno Bozzetto, the fantastic Milo Manara , me and many many other awesome artists.

Wish I could have been there ~!

http://www.i-italy.org/13574/comics-africa-arte-e-aiuti-umanitari
http://www.comicsxafrica.org/

MTV Japan Shorts : Usavi-chi & Yan Yan Machiko

2010-03-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

These are two short Series for MTV Japan , check em out :)

Made by Kanaban http://kanaban.com/work/work.html
http://yanyan-machiko.com
http://www.mtvjapan.com/video/shorts/292?playlist_id=191

1979 Chinese Animation, NeZha Riots the Seas

2010-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Beautiful chinese animated film, with classic chinese art influences

Browstones Postcard art

2010-02-05T14:05:00.001-08:00

My piece for the Brownstones benefit show , this is made in a small cute wood postcard with inks and gouache , check out all the pieces from the different artists / bid on them in the Brownstones blog

Brownstones To Red Dirt Postcard Art Benefit

2010-01-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

Two artists at Blue Sky Studios, David LaMattina and Chad Walker, created a feature-length documentary about a pen pal program between a group of at-risk sixth graders living in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn and orphans from the war living in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

This Postcard Art project is an extension of the the film in a fundraising effort to build a school for the orphans in Freetown, Sierra Leone and create a library for the youth at their school in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

Art from many awesome artists and Animation Industry veterans , such as Dice Tsutsumi, Vicky Saulls , Vaughn Ross and me ;)

http://btorpostcards.blogspot.com/
http://www.brownstonestoreddirt.com/

ND 22 COVER

2010-01-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

It often happens in our industry that they need things extremely last minute
(If possible for today or even better yesterday? Sometimes we are lucky and the last minute
is like a couple of days ) ....
Sadly artists can never use lack of time as an excuse to readers/viewers .

.....We always do as well as we can with the time given , don't we ?
After all we love working ;)

The top half of this new format ND book cover will be filled with titles/txt .
I will fix and show her right arm and her face , before final print, to make her as cute as a buttom...(now she looks a bit scary and older in the colored version)
The hanging guy behind is , yes , a vampire , lol .

I have not read the script yet , but this plot sounds very intriguing !

Sneak Peek StarWars Visionaries

2010-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a little crop of one of my 3 pieces for the Star Wars Visionaries show/Coffe table Book , out this fall .
This piece is colored digitally over inked in the old ME2 style.

The other two pieces are pencils with gouache and acrylics , and I am going back to the old animation drawing , painting over it , so they look pretty different in style.
I always loved the look of the rough animation drawings , and wanted to make finished pieces of them . Will post them soon :)

Happy Holidays~!

2009-12-15T21:45:00.001-08:00

Holiday Art Show #2

2009-12-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

If you (like me) haven't done your Christmas shopping yet and are still looking....this may be your spot to find more cool affordable art @

THE AFFORDABLE ARTSHOW

63 BLUXOME STREET GALLERY
is ready to ROCK OFF!! HOLIDAY ART SHOW, FRIDAY DEC. 18TH -7PM-11PM

> ARTISTS ::

Roque Ballesteros, Frank Kozik
Aaron Castro, Clam Lynch
David Choong Lee, Erena Shimoda
Charlene Kelly, Patrick Ma
Jenna Colby, Sho Murase
Sheri DeBow, Isabel Samaras
Erica Steiner, Missy Feigum
Jennie Taylor, Michael Fleming
Kelly Thompson, Lisa Mei Ling Fong
Lil Tuffy Tuffington, Gabriela Halsey,
etc

Maverix Studios Root Branch Winter Exhibit is this THURSDAY!

2009-12-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

If you are in town come join us for food, music, friends, and $pending at our annual Maverix Winter Art Exhibit.

Art : Sneak Peek Crop of Patrick Awa's " Searching the door in to summer"

Contributing Artists:

Patrick Awa, Ed Bell, Enrico Casarosa, Cj Guzman, John Hays, Jackie Huang, Mike Judge (Lord Cheez), Ted Mathot, Sho Murase, Bosco Ng, Sergio Paez, Octavio Rodriguez, Vaughn Ross, Tom Rubalcava, Derek Thompson, Dice Tsutsumi, and Robert Valley

MAVERIX STUDIOS
1717 17th st , SF CA 94103
DEC 10, 8PM-11PM

Maverix Studios Studios Root Branch Exhibit ** Artists Profiles : DEREK THOMPSON & JACKIE HUANG

2009-12-05T18:26:00.001-08:00

MVSRB PROFILE : DEREK THOMPSON

I don't know how he does it but our star of the day churns out one peculiar monster after another. He even sells a book filled with 365 monsters, to satisfy your monster cravings for every day of the year. (The monster we have bids his time, hiding in the kitchen behind a giant lamp, just waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting stranger).

Better start bidding now on Derek's 7+ monsters in the exhibit. They are always in high demand and I know of one person in particular (hint: redhead) who is trying to fill out her already substantial collection. I've spied Derek hard at work, painting away in the backroom recesses of Maverix Studios and they look awesome!

BIO

Story Artist
Pixar Animation Studios

Derek Thompson received a BFA in Illustration from Otis/Parsons, and landed his first job for Dark Horse Comics while still attending college. He has worked professionally for over 14 years for a number of studios, including Rhythm & Hues, Lucasfilm and Electronic Arts. Derek has worked in a variety of disciplines, including storyboarding, visual development and creature design. He has contributed to numerous film projects, including Men in Black, The Mummy films, Star Wars: Episode 3 and WALL-E. In his free time, Derek paints abstract art and continues to self-publish collections of his monster drawings and comics. Derek is currently employed as a Story Artist for Pixar Animation Studios.

When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?
i've been drawing since i was a little kid...i've always felt a deep rooted passion for monsters, dinosaurs, robots and more. movies, comics and books have been steady and important inspirations for me.

What is your favorite color and why?
aaagh..that's a hard one! i'll have to say GREEN , because i remember that was my FIRST favorite color. the color of forests and emeralds and dragon scales...

What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

i listen to all kinds of music while i work. i find movie soundtrack music very helpful when i'm storyboarding, and GODZILLA music is great for when i'm painting monsters. generally, though, i prefer an eclectic range of music, everything from Blues to Reggae, Industrial and Trance, from Jazz to Bluegrass... i like it all!

MVSRB PROFILE : JACKIE HUANG

For anyone who attended this year's ComiCon, you will recognize Jackie Huang by the throngs of enthralled fangirls and boys gathered around his table, oooo'in and awwww'in over his wool creations. Jackie hand-makes these magical creatures by painstakingly poking at pieces of wool until he creates their distinct shapes and features. He is a one-man sweatshop. Sadly I say this because I just can't see how

(the amount he charges for wool buddies) - (the amount of time he spends on wood buddies X decent hourly wage) = a positive dollar figure.

For his day job, Jackie is the second Lucas Story Artist in a row to grace this blog.

BIO

Jackie was born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, and currently lives in the Bay Area USA. He works in the Animation industry as a 3D story artist. In 2009, Jackie started the WoolBuddy project, creating unique needle felted wool characters. They are so creative, cute, and hilarious all at the same time.

When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?
I started making wool buddies about a year ago because my daughter (2 years old) needed toys and I couldn't find any non-plastic ones.

What is your favorite color and why?

Any earth tone color, and I don't know why.

What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

I don't listen to any music especially when I am working (can't focus). The only time I listen to music is when I'm driving alone... keeps me awake.

I can't wait to see which wool buddies Jackie brings to the show. I admit I own two - a mini totoro and a dobbit (i.e. a genetically engineered dog crossed with rabbit). Check out these photos of Jackie in a GIANT totoro wool buddy outfit for Halloween!

Xj Wang via
http://maverixstudios.blogspot.com/

Maverix Studios Root Branch Exhibit ** Artist Profiles : CJ GUZMAN & OCTAVIO RODRIGUEZ

2009-12-03T15:51:00.000-08:00

MSRB PROFILE ::: > CJ GUZMAN

I love Cj 's work , as you may know he's been my co pilot for many projects for the last few years.

Master colorist , an awesome all round artist and even an awesome-er friend!

Bio

FUNCTION: AIR COMMANDER 
"Conquest is made of the ashes of one's enemies."

Seeks to replace Megatron as leader. Ruthless, coldblooded, cruel… considers himself the most sophisticated and handsome of the Decepticons. Believes Decepticons should rely more on guile and speed rather than brute force to defeat Autobots. Fastest flyer of group, can reach Mach 2.8 and an altitude of 52 miles. Shoots cluster bombs and null-rays which disrupts flow of electricity. Very good at what he does, but sometimes overrates himself.

Um... ok. C. J. forgets to add that he has legions of fangirls and boys due to his brilliant backgrounds and color work on the Nancy Drew (girl detective) graphic novel series. He is also a veteran of the video game industry and has worked with Maverix for many years on projects for National Geographic and Scion, among others. C. J. is also on the team for the animated short-film-in-progress, Oasis.

・When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?

I started the minute my baby hands could hold a writing tool.

・What is your favorite color and why?

Hmmm ... I really don't have one. I like bright and happy colors tho.

・What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?
When I'm in crunch mode I will have "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" movie playing in an endless loop till my project is done.

When working on personal stuff I listen to Phantasy Star online episode 1 and 2 soundtrack..... it's quite choice!

He's a funny one, this Mr. Carlos Jose Guzman.

MSRB PROFILE ::: > OCTAVIO RODRIGUEZ

Our star profilee today is the recent Bay Area arrival and veteran story artist Octavio Rodriguez. And I say veteran not because he's old (really!!) but because Octavio's been a part of so many animation institutions and choice projects (see his bio below). His own books, which you can purchase on his blog, are full of poignant stories narrated through the cutest illustrations. Octavio is one hard working dude!

Bio
Octavio Rodriguez is a story artist who has been in the animation industry for over 14 years where he has also helped with the development of characters and show ideas. Octavio has worked for Nickelodeon, Sony, Warner Brothers, Disney, Cartoon Network, Starz/IDT, Rough Draft, Titmouse, Epoch Ink, and is currently employed by Lucasfilm where he's working on the TV series "Clone Wars." Octavio has self-published his own line of sketchbooks, comics, and short stories as well as co-created cartoonmojo.com, a website that celebrates the world of animation by showcasing the best films and the talented people who create them.

When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?
It all started in junior high, I couldn't get enough of reading French comics and Mangas. I grew to admire the draftsmanship from my favorite comic and graphic novel artists. Before I knew it, I found myself creating extensive bios of my own characters. Those drawings and bios eventually became comics that I would sell to other kids in school. I was, and still am, completely fascinated with being able to tell a story through sequential art.

What is your favorite color and why?

Red-orange, especially in my art. I love the feel of it popping on the page. It just seems natural.

What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

Can't live without my iTunes radio. My favorite station hands down is- "Secret Agent: The soundtrack for your stylish, mysterious, dangerous life." I love drawing to it, it breathes life in me. The music meshes with my style, and it inspires my line work.

... so I have to sign off this post by congratulating Mr. Rodriguez on his recent nuptials to the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Quintero Rodriguez. I will refrain from further embarrassing Octavio by posting a picture of him on his wedding day, looking as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs (I've always wanted to use that cliche!)

Xj Wang via
http://maverixstudios.blogspot.com/

Maverix Studios Root Branch Exhibit ** Artists Profiles : DICE TSUTSUMI & SERGIO PAEZ

2009-12-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Dear faithful readers, my apologies for settling into a deep Thanksharing food sleep and neglecting this blog. To make up for my laziness, we shall have 2 (yes TWO) profiles per day this week.

MSRB PROFILE ::: > DICE TSUSUMI

Dice is also the brain train behind the hugely successful Totoro Forest Project, an art auction and exhibition that raised almost $200,000 for the Totoro Forest Foundation and the equally famous Sketchtravel Project ( Ongoing)
The image below is his contribution to the Totoro exhibit, while a work in progress.

Bio

Born and raised in Tokyo, Dice moved to NY in ‘93. After graduating from School of Visual Arts in 98, he started his career as a staff illustrator for Lucas Learning Ltd. in San Fransisco. Two years later, Dice moved back to NY to work for Blue Sky Studios as a visual development/color key artist on their blockbuster film projects such as Ice Age, Robots and upcoming Horton Hears A Who. After his long adventurous 7 year run at Blue Sky Studios, he has recently accepted the new challenge to join as an art director at Pixar Animation Studios.

Dice has actively been pursuing his illustration career outside of animation as well. His graphic novel, Noche y Dia is a part of critically acclaimed anthology Out of Picture. He is currently working on this second graphic novel, Dream of Kyosuke for Out of Picture issue #2. He also has been involved with a few potential children’s book projects.

Meanwhile, Dice continues to create his plein air oil paintings that have been featured in numerous gallery exhibitions. His oil paintings are expected to be featured in this 3 man show next June with Soosa Kim and Lou Romano.

Dice currently lives in San Francisco.

Impressive, no? Here are Dice's answers to our 3 questions:

・When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?

I only took a drawing class because I couldn't speak English when I first came to the States but then my old classmates complimented my work which lead me to innocently believe I was good.

・What is your favorite color and why?

I don't know~~

・What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

It really depends. I love all sorts of music but I tend to focus better when I listen to Jazz.

Can't wait to see Dice's contribution to the Root Branch Exhibit!

MSRB PROFILE ::: > SERGIO PAEZ :

Most people who've met his acquaintance, particularly at this year's ComiCon, know that Sergio is the ultimate hustler. And we mean that as a giant compliment.
The man has skillz!
He is also a talented artist and storyboard extraordinaire who hosts an online community for storytelling and sequential art, and teaches a storyboard series at Maverix Studios. Can we add that Sergio is a committed libertarian (check out his painting of Ron Paul above... perhaps Rep. Paul will use it for his next presidential campaign, a la Shepard Fairey & Prez Obama).

Bio

Sergio is a San Francisco artist specializing in storyboards, animation, and visual development for TV, Feature film, and games. His animation credits in the United States and Europe include projects for Lucasfilm, Pixar, Sony, and Sega. As an independent filmmaker Sergio's work has been shown at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, the North Hampton Film Festival, and Microcinefest in Baltimore. Most recently Sergio's work was featured in "The Art of Darkwatch" published by Design Studio Press.

・When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?

I was probably about 3 years old playing with crayons and copying my brother's drawings. I still remember dividing my paper into squares and coloring in the shapes with different crayons. Not much has changed since then. Except now the shapes get more complicated and our egos fill the squares instead of simple color.

・What is your favorite color and why?

Blue. because it can make you feel blue. But if you look deeper it might be bluegreen or blueviolet. Then you're not blue at all. Your more in the clouds flying around or playing in the water with the fishes. If you turn that blue upside down you might get orange. I love orange juice.

・What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

None. Don't you know what Milt Kahl said about playing music while you work? Shut that hippie music off and concentrate on making some art. The only Nirvana you should hear is the sound of your soul reaching heaven when you focus your chi and CREATE!

Haha! I think we must now request some extra hippie music for the Root Branch show in Sergio's honor.

Xj Wang from MAVERIX STUDIOS

http://maverixstudios.blogspot.com/

Rough Sketches

2009-11-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been slacking on posting my work
lately....
I have been crazy bz, working mainly non digitally , in preparation for a few upcoming shows , one of them ,the ROOT BRANCH EXHIBIT at our Studio... but there are a few more and very good ones ;)

It's been pretty challenging , but a lot of fun !

I will be posting pics of the pieces as soon as I am allowed, and get a breather to snap shoot the pieces,,,,,,(I know .I can be lame) but for now...

Here are some old really rough preliminary sketches I did for
cover concepts a while back....

Maverix Studios Root Branch Exhibit** Artist Profile : ED BELL

2009-11-24T14:33:00.001-08:00

(Art by EdBell)

Friend , coworker and studio mate , Ed's unique style and flow has been always an ongoing source of inspiration for me .

Here are his free flow answers to our 3 questions.

・When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?

I can't remember, but imagine I have always enjoyed the pencil and paper somehow. It's always been important to be making things with my hands. drawing, sculpting, carpentry, set building and photography. If I could have grown up to be D'angelo or Andre 3000, I'd be doing it the way they do, but I learned early on to stick with images and ideas. One day, I'll be good enough to express that "soul" through things I create.

・What is your favorite color and why?

Okay, speaking just for the moment, my favorite color is rust red. It's my son's hue. The perfect color!

・What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

The art going into this exhibit was created in a musical cocoon of mixes by our usual crew: CASAMENA, DEDAN, Cecil, dj Hanif... as well as Chebi Saba and some Prince.

...This man has very good taste y'all! Check out Ed's blog to peruse more of his beautiful artwork.

Bio
Ed Bell is a filmmaker, director, animation artist, and a modern day griot. His TV work includes “Big City” for MTV’s Emmy-winning Liquid Television, contributing director on HBO's “Good Night Moon & Other Sleepy time Tales”, which garnered the 1999-00 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Program, and directing HBO’s Cable Ace award-winning series “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child”. Film credits include work on the animated features “Roger Rabbit”, “Bebe’s Kids” and “FernGully”. Ed was the Producing Director and Writer of “The John Henry Story”, an HBO co-production with BBC Wales, which was awarded two Primetime Emmys. He also directed the Emmy nominated live-action documentary “Unchained Memories” for HBO. He has worked as a Development Director and Consultant to studios such as Wild Brain Inc, Nickelodeon and Disney Features. His unique hip-hop/anime style — often punctuated with live action, cel animation, stock footage and textile and fabric manipulation — can be seen in the inspired commercial campaigns he has directed for Nike, Sony, Sprite, and the spot Urban Hip Hopper for the Wrigley’s Winterfresh campaign.

http://maverixstudios.blogspot.com/

Maverix Studios Root Branch Exhibit** Artist Profile : PATRICK AWA

2009-11-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Maverix Studios blog is running a series of profiles with interviews showcasing the artists for their coming Root Branch exhibit....fun short read and very inspiring ;)

The first one up is Patrick Awa .
Born in Santa Monica, California, Patrick grew up in Tokyo and began his career working for a Japanese CGI production studio where he rose through the ranks to direct various commercials and short films. He moved to California in 2001 and has worked as a character/concept designer for major movies such as "Valiant "(Walt Disney Pictures) and "9" (Focus Features), as well as the upcoming "Guardians of Ga'Hoole"(Warner Bros). Patrick is currently designing characters for the CGI feature "Gatchaman" for Imagi.

Artist extraordinaire and master character designer ...I gotta say, his responses are just as cool as his art.... and the artist himself : Enjoy:

Interview by Xiao Jing Wang ,Maverix Studios :

We asked Patrick the same 3 questions posed to all the artists contributing to this exhibit. Here are his answers.

Maverix: When did you first start to draw/create and what inspired you to do it?

Patrick : "I don't remember, but I was just one of those average infants with clayola making mess on mom's favorite kitchen wall. I think usually people will find other interesting things to do like playing baseball, or jumping on skateboards as they get older, and only a few uncelebrated ones still left behind with clayola. Thats' me."

Maverix : What is your favorite color and why?

Patrick :I like all colors, but I think I specially like "black" because there is something very certain and deliberate about it amongst all other seamless spectrum. "Black" is a dictator.

Maverix : What kind of music (or other aural environments) do you listen to when you work and why?

I don't know exactly why, but I cannot listen to any music when I am drawing lines. But I turn my iPod (or whatever around me could provide music) on soon as it turn into painting/coloring phase. It's funny how they could (or could not) relate to each other.

Art by Patrick Awa http://www.patrickawa.net/

Via Maverixstudios Blog

N.A.S.A. feat>Tom Waits + Kool Keith: "Spacious Thoughts"

2009-11-18T14:50:00.000-08:00

NASA, short for "North America South America," is a music collaboration project assembled by Squeak E. Clean (aka Sam Spiegel, brother of film director Spike Jonze) and DJ Zegon (Ze Gonzales, professional skateboarder).

The music video embedded above was created by Montreal-based Fluorescent Hill

MAVERIX STUDIOS ROOT BRANCH Winter Art Exhibit 09

2009-11-17T12:20:00.001-08:00

If you are in town come join us for food, music, friends, and $pending at our annual Maverix Winter Art Exhibit.

Contributing Artists:

Patrick Awa, Ed Bell, Enrico Casarosa, Cj Guzman, John Hays, Jackie Huang, Mike Judge (Lord Cheez), Ted Mathot, Sho Murase, Bosco Ng, Sergio Paez, Octavio Rodriguez, Vaughn Ross, Tom Rubalcava, Derek Thompson, Dice Tsutsumi, and Robert Valley

MAVERIX STUDIOS
1717 17th st , SF CA 94103
DEC 10, 8PM-11PM
(Flyer : Ed Bell -Illustration, Vaughn Ross -Graphic Design)

Sheila , short story for " Deep Fried Satellites" Compilation

2009-10-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

This is "Sheila" she is the character in my mini story.
The story is 17 pages long, and is my take of a twisted adult (no is not erotic) childrens book, product of not getting enough sleep ( Written in one morning and drawn in one looong night)

"Sheila" is included in the "Deep Fried Sattelites" Compilation book , along with Mike Judge (LordCheez) Cj Guzman, Tom Rubalcava and Vaughn Ross 's works, available soon in my online shop

ND21 COVER

2009-09-23T15:35:00.001-07:00