Pentire-Agram, Photos

It's been so goddamn cold out I've been staying in and trying not to leave my apartment for any reason. I've failed myserably every day. But still. I try. Today I hit the post office, so if I owe you some shit, it is indeed on it's way. I've only got maybe four or five copies of The Caveman Diaries Vol. 5 left, so if you want a copy, order it now.



I finally sat around and messed with a bunch of digital photos I took, some while my sister was in town a couple weekends ago. It was a good weekend, but it ate a lot of time that I should have spent working on things that need to get done. I can't blame that entirely on her though, she wasn't in town this past weekend and I didn't get anything done then either. Here's some photos:







I've got a shit ton of sketchbook shit to scan and post, so, stay tuned.

Pet Friends vs. Centuritron

This Saturday, Feb 3rd, C-Space is having an auction at Parish Hall Cleveland. I donated a piece that I ripped in half and made into two pieces. I had planned it in two pieces and had planned on getting it matted together, but didn't have the money to do that. So now it's just two pieces: "Pet Friends vs." and "vs. Centuritron".



Tonight I actually went down to the C-Space to drop off the artwork. It's on the corner of W. 44th and Clark, which is kind of a totally shitty neighborhood. It's a really cool space though. I guess it's mostly a community center, but they do all types of shit. The have this funny totally crummy makeshift ramp built onto the step to get in which made me endlessly happy. Structurally it's a total hazard, escpecially coupled with the dirty snow and sluch accumulated on and around it, but I'll give them an A for Effort. NOBODY ever goes through the effort of building a crummy makeshift ramp. A crummy makeshift ramp is ten bajillion-killion times better than a totally inaccesible place. So, if you're in or around Cleveland on Saturday, go to this auction and bid high.

February One

So this week's The Joint column in the Free Times is full color. I busted my ass on this and I'm still not sure about how I feel about it. The piece is good and about running into obstacles but not letting it stop you from achieving your goals. Even if your goal is to get butt ass wasted and stuff your face during the Superbowl. Here's the art, but go read: The Column!



Speaking of goals and acheiving them and not letting things stop you, it's February First and I am WAY THE FUCK BEHIND SCHEDULE ON MY BIG PROJECT and it's really freaking me out. I don't know what it is, but I can not seem to focus on anything. I had a pretty solid plan coming into this year, but it's all been blown to shit in the first month. I really need to get my shit back together and make some real headway on my works or nothing will get done and I'll be just another motherfucker talking about doing projects that never materialize. I fucking hate people like that. People like that drive me insane.

On another, more positive, note: I adopted a fierce little kitten and named him Rider. He's like a tiny lion. He's my new sidekick, my new bff.

ATALANTA

On a journey to learn photoshop better, and also keep my inking skills sharp, I drew this piece based on the sketch from my sketchbook I posted earlier here. I knew going in though, that I wanted to color it, so I sort of catered to that end with the thick outline of the figure and relegating the mess to outside the window.



Also, there used to be this space age bar in Lakewood called Capsule that was all white, except for the benches and seats that were all orange. It had these weird window shaped framed images of space shit that were backlit hanging on the walls. It also had giant windows that looked out onto Earth 2000 A.D. or whatever, so you knew you weren't ACTUALLY in outer space. I always liked that, looking out on Madison Ave. from a space ship bar. Truth be told, it wasn't that great of a bar, but I thought the idea was awesome. It's not there anymore, now it's a bar called Two Bucks, where everything is, oddly enough, $2. Anyway, I thought of Capsule when I drew this shit because as I was working on it I realized I love this character and added her to the cast of this space pirate comic I'm currently slowly writing as I work on other stuff of more importance. I name her Atalanta.



I went buckwild with that Zs poster last time so this time I decided to pull in back a little and shoot for monotone, but even that didn't work. I wanted to go full nasty blue, but then as I went along I decided to add orange to the pallet so I could pull the character out from the background better. Also, I thought of a wicked reason why, in the comic, she would be wearing orange gear. I like the way this came out, but it took way too long. I think the process needs a really strong decision making foundation and then to run with it from there sticking to the initial choices made. At least that's the impression I get right now, early on in my quest to color shit with pixels.

24SEVEN, TACO GRANDE, HELLO GRITTY, WARPAINT, CHEST PIECE

I finally got some copies of 24seven, the Image Comics anthology put together by the NYC Mech crew. I have an 8 page story in it with Leland Pervis, and my old friend Becky Cloonan. I had seen copies at the comic shop, but never really had a chance to actually read some of the pieces. Holy fucking shit, this book is awesome! I haven't read all the stories yet, but so far my favorite is Drag by Ivan Brandon, and Eric Canete. Anyway, the list of contributors is like a who's who of comics muggs, so... yeah, I highly recommend this, especially now that it's been out for 7 months. There is a second volume planned for this summer to look forward to also!

Drawing in my sketchbook, kinda hard to find the time sometimes. Still, it's awesome just to draw and I really like the idea of having this book on me all the time. Here's some pages:

Zs, CAVE BEAR, X-BOLEX, HELLO HELLBOY

I don't know much about Zs, or X-Bolex for that matter, but goddamn this flyer was fun to draw. Cave Bear is still Cave Bear. Lou Muenz took a really sweet picture of myself and Brendan from Cave Bear SHREDDING while playing in Self Destruct Button on New Years Eve. That set was great and will hold me over till at least May. So here're the pencils, inks, and colors for this goddamn flyer. The colors were a lot of fun once I came to the conclusion that the best way to approach them was to just say "fuckit" and go haywire.





I don't know how good this coloring job is, it took forever. I like the way it turned out but wish I could figure out how to seperate elements better. I was trying to use channels with this one. I think I failed. However, I did get a lot done today inspite of wasting most of it on coloring this shit. I attribute that solely to the fact that I have started drinking coffee. I've never been able to drink coffee, really.



Firstly, it makes me bounce off the walls. I can drink any other kind of caffiene and take a NAP, but coffee, for whatever reason, I go bonkers. Secondly, I hate the way it makes your breath taste for hours after you drink it. Then my friend's moms gave me a buncha bags of gormet coffee grounds for christmas. Okay, cool... Then, I decided: why not? Why not get a coffe maker and drink coffee every morning? I think it's time I start living my life bouncing off the walls with bad breath.



That's where this story takes a swerve for the worse. My girl Maggie knew about this plan, and at Target saw a Hello Kitty coffee maker on sale. IT WAS ON SALE! Only $4.95!!! So, this is how I'm able to now get a lot of work done every day. I am bouncing off the walls after making coffee in a Hello Kitty coffee maker. I am the toughest man who has ever lived.



One more thing before I go lay down and read comics. I was at ASTOUND!, the very indie friendly awesome comic shop in Westlake, OH, and I got hooked the fuck up with a sweet HELLBOY ANIMATED t-shirt. Look upon my new shirt and be jealous, all those with no new Hellboy Animated t-shirts!

THE BOSS, BABY TO CHICKIN WING RATIO, SKETCHES

I'll have more to post tomorrow, plus dumb shit, plus an all new flyer. I'm just awake right now and it seems like as good a time as any to post these last few pages. I drew that sketch with the bunny headed woman conjuring the band names at the Laundry Dock in Avon Lake, Ohio as my drawls tumbled dry. I hate the laundry mat, but my cousin once drove her car through the front of it years and years ago, so now they have those big concrete pylon things in front so she can't do it again. Also, I stole an awesome months old TIME magazine with a huge piece about the journo that lost his hand in Iraq. It had all this stuff about amputations and new prosthesis that are now available so wounded soldiers can survive and become bionic people. Wheels started spinning.

COCKBLOCKER BUM, SKETCHES, CDs

Been drawing regularily in my sketchbook. It's fun and cathartic. I'm trying to keep it up and do at least a couple pages a day.





I've gotten two new CDs from people in Cleveland lately. The first is a CD of a shitload of songs by a group called Thumbs Up! The group consists of John Rodemann. It's feelgood digital videogame music; lots of beats and bumpivity. For the uninitiated, "bumpivity" is a term coined by the Cleveland hip hop group The Chop Shop Renegades. I don't really know what it means in spite of the fact that it's the name of the title track on the CD they put out like, 5 years ago. Thumbs Up!'s "Sightless Dendrochronology" is way way better than that CD. Actually, with the lack of lyrical content this CD makes for great writing music.



The second of the CDs I've gotten lately is GAY EROTICA, a noisy punky raw spazzy three piece. It's only three songs, but they're all pretty badass, and they sound awesome. I only listened to this CD once so far so I don't have a lot to say about it, but my girl Hannah was in this band and that makes me happy. However, the other members both moved away, and they broke up and that makes me sad.

HANDS, RANT, SKETCHES

I painted this based on a photo. I had just come in from outside and was still wearing my hat and scarf. I set up the digital camera my dude Billy Delfs let me barrow, and took some shots for this image that I've had in mind for a while now. It took a long ass time to get it right. It was fun though. Anyway...



Been going batshit up and around lately. That's all over as of yesterday. I'm going to stick to the Cave from now until this project for my dude is finished. I have been slacking on it for decades and I'm ready to throw down. I think there may be many benifits to staying home and not going out. Firstly, I'm trying to stay healthy and clean and not get sick and die. This has been a problem almost every spring for the past 6 years, with the exception of the one where I was unemployed. So, my hypothesis is that I spend all winter running around and dealing with the Cleveland weather, usually ice and snow, and I just grind myself down into a sick susceptible dude. Then BAM! Something happens that takes me out for months. NOT THIS YEAR. I'm trying to eat regular meals and sleep regular hours, and not waste thousands of hours watching DVDs and going to shows every other night and hanging around in bars. I'm kind of excited to just WORK. Get ready for this healthy healthy summer of comics and madness.

Also, I'm going to draw in my sketchbook:

CAVEMAN DIARIES VOL. 5!

CAVEMAN DIARIES VOL. 5



Now Available! Caveman Diaries Vol. 5, at 8.5" x 11" with 60 ridiculous interior pages, is by far the biggest and most fool heartedly insane Caveman Diaries yet. This issue boasts over 40 rock art flyers including two in full color AND a full color poster sized centerfold (graciously colored by the mighty comic artist Nick Filardi), a wicked killer sketchbook section chock full of not only Skullface but also a handful of beautifully seductive femme fatales, and page after page of more than the usual black and white electrostatic artworks and rantings that make this 'zine unmistakably the leader in Cave Culture. The issue is $10, plus $2 shipping. I'll post details at the end of this blog as to how to order.



The cover is a variation on a photo of the Inimitable Zippy. You may remember Zippy's arm as the original inspiration for the arm in the Parts + Labor flyer. He's my main model right now. That's really really WEIRD. I chose the lion's head because it was the moswt pimp of all. The King of The Jungle n' all.





I'll be at the Beachland Ballroom this Saturday from 12 to 4 for the Rock and Roll Flea Market. I'll be selling these zines and a LOT of the original artwork from the flyers and art. I've also been really into the X-Mas Spirit this year fort some goddamn reason. I'm usually the most meanest and last human on earth to get Christmas-y, but this year I'm retarded for X-mas. So I've been doing a series of paintings that I'll also be selling on Saturday.

So if you would like to order a copy of CAVEMAN DIARIES VOL. 5 by mail you can send cash, check or money order made out to John Greiner, to 373 Lear #52 Avon Lake, OH 44012 or paypal to jgritty@hotmail.com. I'll ship it out immediately and you will have just spent the best $12 of your life.

Here are some of those paintings!

Parts + Labor, Jerk, Clan of the Cave Bear, Ohm's Law, Child Bite

Been really busy both being sick as shit, and working and reworking The Caveman Diaries #5, which I blew my self imposed deadline of 11/10. Now I'll be lucky if I can get it out by the December 9th Rock & Roll Flea Market at The Beachland Ballroom. Anyway, so... on with the art. This show is gonna be pretty awesome. Parts + Labor is on this insane tour at the moment, which apparently Todd from Suckapants is with them. I haven't seen Clan of The Cave Bear since John moved away to NYC, and he's been back for like, 5 months. I swore off going to shows, but I'll definitely be at this one.



I gave this one a whirl at coloring, mostly for practice. I didn't invest a whole lot of time on this. Still, I think I like it. If I were more diligent I'd have varied the blacks of the words on the arm to a deep red, and then spent more time on giving the flesh more dimension. Finally, I would have also done more to deepen the background and give the splattered areas some dark colors.



This flyer is based on the clever idea by John Delzoppo, the drummy half of Cave Bear. I wanted to go with a more RISK: 2210 based idea, but John's original was screaming to be redone with brush and ink.

UPDATE, Free Times Piece, Fuckin' Snow

I can't believe I haven't been posting any updates, but I haven't really been doing any flyers and all the art I've been doing has either been for Caveman Diaries #5 or for that column "The Joint" for the Free Times. So, I'll post a piece that I did for that which I'm actually proud of. The piece is about the health care faculties that the Ohio prison system provide. Here's the link: The Joint. This was a particularily good column and I'm glad I did a good piece for it. People always ask if the column is real or fake and who actually writes it. It IS real. The author, Lidge, is in prison right now. I've never written him and he's never written me. I deal strictly with the Free Times Art Director, Ron Kretsch. I have seen the hand written unedited versions of the columns though, so I know they're real.

There's a totally shitty blizzard outside right now. It hit kinda hard, and now it's totally shitty. Hopefully it will be gone by tomorrow morning.

P.S. I have given myself the deadline of having Caveman Diaries #5 done by next Friday, the 10th, my 28th birthday. It's going to be a much bigger zine, filled mostly with the 35+ flyers I've done since issue 3. I'm going to print it full zined at 8.5 x 11, with both a full color centerpiece and full color cover. I'll post again with further details when I'm done.

Town Meeting, Church, Pelican, Some Bands

I can't think because apparently there's an unscheduled TOWN FUCKING MEETING going on at the coffee shop. These dumb motherfuckers are standing AT MY TABLE and talking about the dumbest fucking shit. From going to Macy's to trash talk about some woman who was on an Angelo's Pizza flyer. My christ. Oh, and I realized the reason why nobody ever leaves any comments on my blog was that I never fucking approved anyy comments in the "moderate comments" section of my blog control thingy. So, if you left a comment and it never appeared, sorry. I approved them all so they're now there. Feel free to leave more. Please.

I really like doing flyers for The Church. I like the ability to both use the uniform look of using my standard "Church" text, with the xeroxed all to hell type. Also, I like robots, and pterodactyl, and bombs.



This Pelican flyer is a totally different direction from my usual dirty style. I wanted to branch out a little, and try and clean up my act. I used a photo ref and didn't deviate almost at all. I'm not sure if the cross hatch worked too well or not. I'm glad I lettered it by hand though, even if it doesn't look as pro as it could. Kinda roughens it up a little. SunGod is a pretty new Cleveland band. I'm excited to hear them, as I've been a fan of all the bands the members have been in and I generally approve of Sun Gods.



This last flyer for the Grog Shop was a total fucking BITCH to do. I didn't plan it out at all, but I kinda figured I would just get it off the ground as I drew it. I had a really small rough sketch in an old sketch book that was of a girl pirate riding over a sea of skulls on a giant spider. It was supposed to be a painting for my friend Sarah, who I lost a bet to last winter. I'm still gonna do the painting but I'm gonna plan it out a hell of a lot better than this flyer. So I did the art and used references all to hell for both the girl and tarantula. I opted to leave the skulls line art and not fill in the blacks like I usually would. Then scanned it and tried to letter it but nothing looked right. I had to wait to get online to download that goddamn font. Then nothing I tried looked anywhere near right. Man, Fuck this flyer. The one redeeming factor is the art itself. I think it came out fucking great and that chick came out better than I expected. I may even color it.

Finally- NEW ART

This was kind of a rush job, being that the show is a week from tomorrow. I still wish I had taken the time to hand letter it, but whatever. It's CHILD ABUSE. This show is gonna be so awesome. I wanted to do something with all this recent talk about torture and treatment of "detainees" and "compliance" with "Geneva" "Conventions". I still didn't want to do anything too overtly political. There's a fine line between commentary and preachiness.

I've got a bunch more flyers to do on my desk now, so hopefully I won't have a huge slump in posts again anytime soon.

Got My Hair Cut

And Lauren kissed me.