The Cops are on Tour, RIGHT NOW

People paying attention may remember all those days ago, when I posted about The Fucking Cops' Fuck You Up With Some Truth record that comes with a magazine size booklet, which I did some art for, including a comic adaptation of their noir punk narrative, Gloria.

Here's the second two pages from GLORIA, Part II:





These two pages were a huge huge challenge, artistically. A lot going on and a lot to convey, including a mood and overall emotive tone that I think came across really well. If I had one qualm, I think it would be that my color is a little too ...much. Like, I just went a little bonkers with this one. I like it, but ...yeah. Anyway, I like that there's ways get paid to do comics without actually working in the comics industry.



Here's my homie Asbestos Breath's double page spread from Fuck You Up With Some Truth.

The Fucking Cops are on tour right now, ripping and thrashing their way across These United States of America. There's a Facebook Page for it.

5/19 – Phoenix, AZ – Sound Kontrol w/ Rumspringer
...5/20 – Riverside, CA – Back to the Grind w/ Ross Hughes (Tiltwheel)
5/21 - San Diego, CA - The Soda Bar w/ The Cut Offs
5/22 – Oakland, CA – Mama Buzz Cafe w/ Block Shot
5/24 – Portland, OR - Saratoga w/ Alas Alas, DMV
5/25 – Olympia, WA – the Voyeur w/ Sharkpact
5/26 – Seattle, WA – Galway Arms
5/27 - Helena, MT - Jesters
5/28 – Minot, ND – Pangea House
5/29 – Minneapolis, MN – Hexagon Bar
5/30 – Chicago, IL – Memories Bar (in Portage Park)
5/31 – Grand Rapids, MI- Mulligans Pub w/ Ridiculous Party Behavior
6/02 – Detroit, MI – the Trumbullplex
6/03 – Lansing, MI – The Slytherin House
6/04 – Toledo, OH – Frankies (Get Up Kids/Saves The Day after party)
6/05 – Cleveland, OH – Dag House w/ Worship This, the Credentials

http://www.thefuckingcops.com/
http://www.bigpurplerecords.com/
http://www.kindoflikerecords.com/

If you're in one of these cities on one of these dates, do yourself a favor and go see The Fucking Cops, buy Fuck You Up With Some Truth, say "Yo" to The Cops from your old pal John G, and feel free to feed them/buy them a beers. It will all be much appreciated.

If you're NOT in one of those cities, on those dates, but you still want to get Fucked Up on Some Truth, you can mail order the CD (only $8) or the vinyl LP (only $10) that shit HERE, and they will send it to you in the mail. OR, if you're not a big fan of getting mail and having physical objects that clutter up your shanty, BUT you love digital media and rocking out on your MP3 payer, you can download the Truth HERE for only $6. It's a wonderful record, no matter how you get it.

Say Anything

It's the second featured time of the month again, the second of May's Late Shift series at The Capitol Theatre, Say Anything, is screening this Saturday night. Melt bar & grilled is offering a special sandwich for the occasion, it's ridiculously verbose name is The I Gave Her My Heart, She Gave Me a Pen Melt. The sandwich has two sides, like the old McDLT, only not really because it's all on one sandwich. At any rate the ingredients are... THE HEART: Artichoke Hearts, Heart of Palm, Spinach and Garlic Strudel, THE PEN: Black Bean Hummus, Sweet Balsamic Reduction, THE CHEESE is Pepper Jack!



I stayed pretty close to the OG Say Anything poster. I just boosted up the Lloyed Dobler, but probably could have gone further. I'm not a huge fan of doing the likenesses, it's difficult as hell to nail the look and expression on a really recognizable face, but it is fun to try. I watched Say Anything while I was working on this, and I was pretty surprised at the Fishbone references and how much Fishbone music was in the movie.

I'm probably not going to the Midnight screening of Say Anything on Saturday, but I'm definitely planning on going to the Midnight screening of Pirates of The Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides tomorrow night. In 3D. I know, I know, pretty much everyone I know is totally sick of Pirates... well, NOT ME. Fountain of Youth? SOLD. Mermaids? SOLD. Ian McShane as Blackbeard? SOLD. 3D? At a movie theater in rolling distance from my house? SOLD. I'm taking the night off and going to watch that madness!

The Commodore, 50/50

This Friday is the 50/50 Show over at 78th Street Studios, in a gallery called smARTspace. You can get there off W. 80th just North of Lake Rd, which runs between Detroit and where Clifton enters the Shoreway. Follow the sirens and plumes of smoke.

Some of my favorite artists will have pieces in this show, I might add some links to this post later.



My piece in the show is this drawing of a tiger wearing a sweet coat and smoking a cigar. This is a Clevelyn stories character named Rafeeq, based n a real guy everybody knows who goes by R.A. Washington. I called it The Commodore because I gave the name tag "PERRY". It's 11" x 17", brush and ink on Bristol Board. Only fifty bones.

Den of The Volcano Cats

East Side Victory: Year One

I as going to wait until May 21st to post this, but I feel like jumping the gun a little and get it up online today. The East Side Melt bad and grilled opened a year ago, this month. To celebrate, I drew this poster featuring the return of the Dog Soldier from the East Side Invasion poster.



Going propaganda can be tricky for a couple reasons. Firstly, while the source material was stronger than a Yeti, aping that style is the most cliché, overused, go-to for lazy designers, and can so easily fall face first into the deep end of the snooze-pool. Seriously, it's an epidemic of weaksauce out there, ripping off the propaganda poster style, especially of the Soviet kind. That's the other main reason to steer away from the aesthetic, it's so blatantly political, and not just in a good way. I avoided Soviet Propaganda, and specifically looked to the design leanings of the poster art from the WPA Program during the Depression and then World War II era in the United States. I know Melt still took some flak over these posters, being accused of warmongering and whatnot.



My initials sketch was super rugged rough, as I had an image in mind, but I wasn't really 100% on if it would work or not- just needed to get a better idea of what it would look like on paper. Some ideas are better than others- and even though by now I'm pretty good at gauging what works in my head, sometimes I'm still kinda way off. I think this one was good though. This is actually drawn really really small.



Second attempt was drawn a little bit bigger, with slightly more details, and quickly getting a better idea of where the text should go. Still really rough, but drawn about half the size of the final. After this I just blew this version up on my copier and then used a lightbox to redraw it on a piece of Bristol Board.



Here's the finished inks. I drew it mostly with a brush, then went it with pens to add the details and the cross hatching, then splattering the thing with ink using an old toothbrush and my fingers. I used to be really into flags, for a while. I feel like I used to incorporate them into my fliers and posters a lot more. Right now, hanging off the front of my house is the flag of Commodore Perry, most famously flown from the Lawrence and Niagra during the Battle of Lake Erie.



Here's the final again. I was just at the East Side Melt again last night, and had a blast. It's such a great spot to hang. We even got to slam that Banana Split Bread Pudding, which: DUDE... astronomical.



These posters are only available at the East Side Melt, but you can also order an archival print at the Shiner Comics Big Cartel Store, as well as archival prints of any of my posters, various original drawings, and my other zines and stuff.

Mas Gatitos

Space Monkey Banana Split

This month the Bread Pudding at Melt bar and grilled is a Banana Split Bread Pudding. I haven't had it yet, but I'm sure it's completely ridiculous. So this month for the table cards I drew a Space Monkey on the mission to hunt down at capture the ever evasive Enormous Martian Banana-nana.

I very very loosely based this little guy on an amalgam of this space monkey from this flier I drew a long ass time ago, HERE, and this even earlier flier I drew with a space-man piece that's based on Rick Remender's Fear Agent, HERE.



I'm selling the Original Drawing of this one, HERE, in the Shiner Comics Big Cartel Store, which I've also updated with some more stuff. The Original of the Bike Rider from last month's dessert cards is also still available.



Back to WORK!

PRIME TIME: Winner and Still Champion!

Melt bar and grilled's special for May is the Return to The Ring of the Flavorful Fan Favorite, the Bout Ya Can't Live Without, the Beef That's Got Beef, The Prime Time Prime Rib Melt.
The Prime Time Rib Melt!
Tender prime rib slow roasted with a cracked black peppercorn spice crust.
Sliced thin and stacked with cheesy roasted garlic mashed red skin potatoes and provolone cheese.
Zippy horseradish sauce and a deliciously rich au jus for dipping.
Vegetarian and vegan options!

With this poster, last year I kicked it off with a boxing fight style poster, juxtaposing a Bull versus a Rooster dressed as a Matador. This year, I decided to pay the ol' homage to one of the most famous boxing photos of all time. From when Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in the first round of their rematch (it's kind of a deceptive photo actually, watch this).



So this month, instead of a diptych I did a black and white version, as a further homage to the piece.



Here's the line art, brush and ink drawing on 11" x 17" Bristol Board:



Here's the finished colors of the piece:



I did a couple other posters and some other art for Melt this month, so look for blog postings about them later this week. I know I don't post nearly enough, or take the time to type up nearly as much about these projects as I wish I could, but there are things to be drawn and things to be printed.

MEGACHURCH Kickstarter, Still Time to Get Saved

MEGACHURCH has launched and already achieved a kickstarter fund drive to raise the loot to produce their new record.



This is the rough of what I'm working on for the album art for this new record, which will be a continuation, and actually somewhat of a prequel to, the art I did for their first record. Which, it's an incredible record and you can still buy HERE. I probably didn't hype that record enough when it came out, or since, but it's really great and it's some artwork that I'm really most proud of. Speaking of that artwork... even though they've met their goal, it would still help out a LOT if you're interested in pre-ordering their new record and getting some of the awesome incentives for their Kickstarter project. Namely, you could get the new record with the digital download version, the CD of the record too, this awesome version or their first record that's been converted to 8 Bit Nintendo style music by the band called MEGACHIP (Read about it HERE!), and a 16" x 26" poster of the art from their first record. You've still got about 38 hours left to get in on it!

The BELIEVER Package is still available! For a mere $500 you would be the one to get the original, huge, 17" x 28" black and white line art drawing of the preacher riding the dragon I drew for their first LP, which they will get custom matted and framed just for you!

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This is that line art, if you're curious I can provide higher resolution jpgs. Here's a photo I took with my phone:



Here's a quick color pass I took for the cover art for the new record. This will be the front an back of the record sleeve. I'll be posting the finished art as soon as it's done and be writing more about the process.