Figure Doodle Friday Pt.5

Spooky Creatures For Halloween! Pt.3

The art of Phillip Toledano, New York City

Phillip Toledano

Spooky Creatures For Halloween! Pt.2

Katamari and Cardboard Robots!

Halloween is nearly here - have you found the perfect costume? wtf costumes has an impressive archive of costume pics, including rare Katamari costumes!

And fun cardboard robots!

kudos wtfcostumes.com! Check them out.

Spooky Creatures For Halloween! Pt.1

Monster Sketch Monday Pt.4

Opticus & Gigawatt ...two monster I did back in the day that deserve better versions. Anyone up for the task?

Scribble Jam Cincinnati 2008

Graffiti artists from all over the country come to paint Annie's parking lot during the world's largest hip hop culture festival. Hip hop artists perform and battle at Annie's outdoor venue, and art shows and music events spring up all over town. On weekends during summer moths junk peddlers set up booths in the parking lot that remains adorned with graffiti all year long.

As a testament to what little 'scribble cred' I have, I actually asked the artist below his name - der. Regardless of the fact that I had taken a photo of his name, he fielded the question well, didn't even make me feel stupid, and gave me another name (probably his friend's). Lesson - you don't photograph a graffiti artist and then ask if you can publish his given name on the Internet...nice guy!

art history 102: sketchbook

join me, won't you, in taking a look back into my own sordid artistic history...

this is the best little sad hulk i've ever drawn.
if i could draw the hulk like that everytime i'd have a job at marvel, burning out emo hulk stories like nobody's business!

Awwww... Shucks!

Figure Doodle Friday Pt.4

toybot studios: Tokyo Day 5, Part 1: Akihabara!!!

toybot studios: Tokyo Day 5, Part 1: Akihabara!!!

Beautiful pics of what looks to be a great trip.

Where On Earth?

Miniature Adventure - 127 Yard Sale - Part I

The 127 Yard Sale is the world's longest yard sale, stretching more than 650 miles from Ohio to Alabama. It occurs in August every year, and winds through some of the best junk antiquing country there is. This is an unparallelled people watching extravaganza - one of the most unbelievable phenomenon known to man.

We hopped onto 127 around Florence, KY and almost immediately, as if meant to be, I stumbled upon a red picture hat that happened to perfectly compliment the flowers on my dress! Praise Jesus! Thank you, Jesus, for my red hat. And the hat, along with the sundress and the inability to purchase alcohol anywhere for two states, made me feel like the born again Southern Baptist I once was (a looooong time ago).

One memorable stop was a farm where tiny goats roamed about.

The owner approached us, "If you like those, you're gonna love what's in the barn. Follow me." He walked toward the barn. Okay. Of course we followed him.

Tiny horses. The teeny tiniest horses I've ever seen.

Also, on the yard sale table were these books. Hu.

Continued...

toybot studios: Paul Kaiju Custom RGB Evils!!!!

toybot studios: Paul Kaiju Custom RGB Evils!!!!

The paint job on these little guys is nothing short of amazing. If you're into low run kaiju, and understand that a paint job can either make or break a good piece... This post is for you. Check it out.

D-Rex Is Out In Stores!... Somewhere.

Mattel's D-Rex is now out and in stores! If you're near Cincinnati and spot one of these pet dinos at a Target or Wal-Mart, please reach me and tell me where it is! Everywhere I've been has sold out of them as soon as they hit the floor. Mattel, is supposed to send us a few, but I just can't wait! Please, Please, Please, help a D-Rex find a home!

above: Getting to hold a pre-production D-Rex at the SDCC! It was the first time I had gotten to see D-Rex since I had visited the Mattel LA Design Center, many months earlier.
I was a little excited. That little dino is so cool!

Meditate This...

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Here are some of the prints I created for my senior thesis at the Art Academy Of Cincinnati back in 2002 & 2003. I titled the project the 'Big 15' and acted as a study of the 15 'considerations' I take while tackling any artistic endeavor.

This was my 'timely' entry into the Big 15. Being 2002, and the happenings of 9/11 such a hot topic still, I thought it only right to include a mention. The 'Speak' print was my outlet. You can see the World Trade Center in the background with 2 jets swooping in.

This print contains Stephen Powers (Espo)... I worked with him through Artworks Cincinnati and was really inspired by his appreciation of handcrafted signs. So much so that it helped me determine this path for my thesis. I included him, because I needed to give credit where credit was due. ...It's a shame, but there's really nothing else good to say about the guy. For the most part the guys a dick and not worth much. Aside from belittling staff & workers, he also picked on local shop owners, and destroyed shit on a whim. And it's not in the cool sense either. ...It was more in the vein of: 'I hate my life. Fuck you. I don't care.' A great role model. ;)

For the record, the best guy Artworks ever hired to teach and instruct was Justin Green. I'll talk about him some other time. He's one hell of a good guy.

The older I get, the more true this is.

Might have been my favorite print...

This was widely considered the best print out of the 15, but due to the nefarious nature of the call to action, it never got the screen time it deserved.

Even the Big 15 had a 'hidden track'. This was the bonus 16th print that I created to add a touch of 'zing' to the set. Featuring the Transformers combiner: Devastator, this may be the only piece of Transformers fan art I've ever created.

This was the 'Fresh' design show and competition held at Northern Kentucky University. It placed in the competition, but I forgot what place it was.

Fun images! I hope this post wasn't too boring.

Guess What Kevin Said!...

Straight from the folks of Cincinnati's 'Cin Weekly' comes this captivating, Staff Question: Finish this line from Rapper's Delight: "Now what you hear is not a test, I'm rappin' to the beat..."

I've got Kevin Necessary's answer but before I can reveal it, you first need to guess what he's responded. Your only hint is the illustration I've provided that will give you a general tone to his response. Post as many guesses as you like, and good luck! ...I'll post his answer tomorrow.

Dino Damage!

These cards make me long for Chocolate Milk, Zap Comics, and a boombox weighed down with 6xD Batteries, blasting Ratt.

The new kid

Meet the new guy, Cool Kenicki. He's a 4 lb, 4 year old Papillon. He can jump into your arms, sit, shake, and stay. Kenicki was getting pushed around by a couple of bigger guys (6 lbs) at his previous home, and he needed a new place to stay. So now he's my little guy.

Staff Question Of The Week!

We at Kid Charm are friends with this guy named Kevin Necessary. Kevin's an awesome guy who seems to have a grasp on anything that is happening in the world at any given moment. No joke. He really knows his stuff. ...which is fortunate for his employer, the local Mega Paper: The Cincinnsti Enquirer / Cin Weekly. Kevin's the head editorial cartoonist over there. ...Anyhow, back to the original story... Every week Cin Weekly does a little thing called 'Staff Question Of The Week' where they do just as you'd think, ask a question and the staff answers it. Usually the answers are funny, sometimes they're snide, but they're always thought provoking. ;) Kevin in particular has obtained a ton of notoriaty in my office by us trying to guess his answer to the question every week. It's a fun game, and works a bit like 'horse shoes' in that, it's cool just to be close to the mark, if not dead-on. So tomorrow I will bring this game to Kid Charm. So everyone be ready and leave comment's with your guesses! I'll reveal his answer on the following Wednesdays. Awesome!

Monster Sketch Monday Pt.3

This is 'My Little Bony'

This little Mini-Monster is actually a concept sketch for a rubber sculpture I was interested in trying to create very recently. ...It was based on a cute rubber horse by 'The Edward Mobley Co.' Here's a pic of that original horse: What was interesting to me about the horse was that it's head was a roto-mold cast, and then the entire rest of the body was a separate roto-mold casting. Why that's interesting: When the body was pulled from the mold, the entire body had to be pulled through the neck. It's amazing to me that the body didn't tear. No word yet, if my little interpretation will get played with, but I'll keep you posted. ;)

Bob Clampett Rocked!

Some Samples of Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil! Great stuff from a great era.

Yeesh!

Muscles - the Teaser

My computer's been in critical condition of late. So after being in surgery for 16 hours, by some miracle, it's finally pulled through and is back up and running. There is so much to blog and so little time. I'm dying to post a Minature Adventure about the muscles I recently experienced, but have limited time today. So, for now, I give you....muscles....the teaser. More to come...

Figure Doodle Friday Pt.3

Turtles Are Just Great!

This is Pixel Tort'! Yet another turtle that will be getting some color very soon.

Turtle Art Saved My Soul

There for awhile I had grand plans of doing a line themed turtles drawings. I managed to scrap out a few but not nearly as many as I would have liked to. This little guy was the Crystal Tort'. I'll be coloring him soon... I may make a coloring tutorial out of it. Hmmm...

art history 101: sketchbook

so, i've been a terrible slack at getting newer art done here of late. but, i ripped through my space in the house and cleaned the hell out of it. the up-shot, other than not finding any dead bodies amid the debris, was unearthing some old sketchbooks.

join me, won't you, in taking a look back.
this was a quick nasty self portrait. quincy isn't a fan of the lumpy way i draw myself. but to that i say, "fah! this way is more fun!"
and i'm sticking to that.

A Giant Transformer Dino!

This is cool! The next Masterpiece Transformer is going to be none other than a Generation 1 rendition of Grimlock! This is a 'way early' leaked image of him, so don't judge to harshly and don't expect to see him available before March of 2009. With an expected retail cost of about $150 he'll be in the same range as the dino I worked on: Mattel's D-Rex! Awesome!

For those not in the know... Takara Tomy's / Hasbro's Masterpiece line of Transformers is easily some of the best and most expensive (Worth It) 'non-electronic' toys to make it to the US. It started with a Large Optimus Prime, and was followed (in the US) by a beautiful Starscream. In Japan, there were additional characters made, but were mostly repaints of the previous Optimus (Truck), Startscream (Fighter Jet) molds. The onlly additional molds was a nifty trailer for Optimus, and a Stunning Megatron that, No Joke, transformed into a giant P-38 hand gun... Not the plane, but the gun version of the P-38. And if P-38 doesn't mean anything to you, just know that it's a Nazi hand gun. Really. Needless to say, you have to order this one off the internet. You may be able to find it at the Big Bad Toy Store.com. Anyhow, The Masterpiece line is amazing and continues to be. This Grimlock will probably measure over 12", feature diecast parts, and have a brain straining transformation that leaves you with a cartoon / comic accurate toy, no matter what mode he's in. ...And he's a GIANT ROBOT DINOSAUR!!!

Here's a Bonus Find! This is a Super Early Image of a Mickey Mouse version of Optimus Prime! Enjoy it while you can because the next time you see this it will probably have a ton of garish paint apps applied. ...yuck. I prefer these toys all grey.

Monster Sketch Monday Pt.2

This is 'Odoodem'!

I've always thought that a single Totem Pole could be a great source for creating a nightmare worthy creature. But what if it was a mountainous lump of a creature with many poles, with many twitching faces jutted out its back. With feet that more resembled the bristle teeth of a baleen whale, and an upper torso that looks like clumps of moist soil... Mix in some wings, and illegible Indian scribble and you have yourself one hell of a monster!

Our Fur Berries Inspire The Youth!

Back in the day Bang Zoom Design (Where I work) submitted a concept that was bought by the wonderful toy manufacturer, Spin Master. The concept was of a bear that could snap into or out of the shape of a ball. Once production started, the toy line became known as the 'Fur Berries' and sparked a firestorm of crazy YouTube videos inspired by the toys and their catchy commercial! Here's the original commercial, followed by some of the wonderfully strange fan made videos. Enjoy!









Okay, This one's not really strange but it is cute:

Figure Doodle Friday Pt.2

Random Image No.3

Turtle Art Continues!

Since the first turtle entry felt like a bit of a letdown I thought it only right to make this image special!...


Why is this turtle image so special? ...Well, it shows '3' special things: No. 1, There is a 'Turtle Car'! No. 2, This is a rare piece of 'Marker Art' from myself. No. 3, This may be the Fastest Rabbit Ever!

Vintage Toy Tuesday

One of the most beautiful toys ever made... 'Big Loo' by Marx.

During the holiday season of 1963 you could land this 3ft tall behemoth for a mere $10! A far cry from the nearly $600 you'll pay to get a rough one now.

Big Loo is a shining example of what I consider to be the start of the 1st Golden Era Of Toys. During the early 60s Plastic use was still fairly new and allowing for crazy huge toys with cog and crank insides that had them acting out complex, over-the-top actions. The sky really was the limit for this era of toys. There was no cap on the creativity behind the toys and all manner of plastic creatures were making their way to the shelves, and each with a price that would not leave most families squirming. A fact that might have had a lot to do with the markets not being over saturated by licensed properties that demand additional cost to manufacturers. Each toy could, and usually was, it's own character with a new and distinct identity! This unique and ultimately fleeting moment allowed for the likes of Big Loo, King Zor, Odd Ogg, Dandy The Lion, Smarty Bird, and The Great Garloo to take shape and become icons of 'Big Plastic'.



By '69 Hot Wheels hit the scene and the Golden Era of 'Big Plastic' was coming to an end. I like to think the Big Loo's out there were much like dinosaurs being over taken by the nimble mammals, who in this case were simply smaller, less costly toys. Indeed, by this time the cost of materials for such large, and extravagant toys made the prices impractical and ultimately doomed 'Big Plastic' toys. Soon our toy markets would be over run with smaller, more affordable variations of toys based on native and foreign licenses... A situation we might never see ourselves get out of thanks to the ever entertaining Disney & Star Wars-esque properties of the world.

Random Image No.2

Monster Sketch Monday Pt.1

So this is our first official 'Monster Monday' so I thought I might start it off with a bang! Thus, you see before you the majestic monster: 'Six-Dix'! ...Or 'Twelve-Knuts', depending on what you want to count. It should be known, he's generally a very shy, gentle creature until provoked by his cantankerous counterpart: 'Mrs. MooshMitten'.

Stay tuned for some 'Mrs. MooshMitten' fun in the Monster Mondays to come.

Random Image No.1

Turtle Art Starts!

I know! I know! This is a bit of a week start for 'Turtle Art'. Especially from a guy who loves turtles as much as I do. All I can say is, "Deal with it!" At least for now. ;) I promise there's some fun stuff coming in the days to come.

...Here's a thought: If you can send me your turtle art, I'll post it and it will allow me some slack. Awesome! Email 'em! ...and if you need help on drawing shells, just copy mine. I'm an F-ing pro at shells! And by 'F-ing Pro' I simply mean that I'm freaking awesome and better than you at drawing turtles! ...Oh yeah, you don't think so? Prove me wrong, Green Horn!

Figure Doodle Friday Pt.1

Red Bull Soapbox Race Is Upon Us!

That's right kids, the Soapbox race is upon us! Come Saturday Cincinnati's Mt. Adam's will be turned into a garden of broken-bones, busted up fridge boxes on wheels, and drunken sun seekers. If you've yet to get the skinny on this road-rash-tastic event, you should checkout the Red Bull Site, Here. Some of the rides are mondo loco! At work we were even humoring entering the races ourselves but had to opt out due to a fellow teammate not wanting to do all the prep work. ...BOO HOO! If only I were a guy willing to break a nail.

Anyhow, this first sketch was the thumbnail I created to get a rough idea how things may look. We were interested in the group name: 'The Bang Zoom Butchers' ...For those who are not aware, Cincinnati is famous for pork slaughter. Cha-Ching! So yeah, the ride was going to look like a meat grinder. Complete with flesh hunks, and over-the-top gooey blood drips. ...And a kicking pig.

This was the final design drawing. ...It's really to bad this ship never sailed. If you see the typical entries, I think this thing could have really worked out. ...and it would've been awesome to say I designed a rolling gore machine! Oh well... Fun drawing, no matter.

Chronicle of Miniature Adventures: The Salvage Yard

This adventure is completely legal - surprisingly. In this car yard of death, imminent physical injury, and destruction, no one cares if you climb atop teetering towers of twisted steal and shattered glass; leap from rooftop to crumpled rooftop; or squeeze through rabbit holes that magically appear throughout the whole unstable mess.

On this recent adventure, we found lots of interesting lost/abandon objects, including:

• an abundance of baby pictures
• trash from the car's last fast food stop (Popeye's Chicken, Wendy's were popular stops)
• a matted, decaying Furby
• a bowling ball
• plastic hats (a hard hat and a child's toy army helmet)
• nasty old clothes
• one overly dramatic pink baby shoe
• Coke and Diet Coke can and box collections (particularly in floor boards and trunks)

Ironically, hurses also come here to die. I believe I may have squealed out loud when we spotted this gem.

So, what's left to show, besides...a hopeful little weed making the most out of a rough situation?

The End.

Oops! I almost forgot...

Another thing about Nathan... He likes Portman. A lot.

A Chronicle of Miniature Adventures

It truly is amazing what you can find on a Sunday afternoon; also when you're willing to do a few things that maybe aren't exactly 100% permissible in the eyes of the law.

A Chronicle of Miniature Adventures aspires to be a regular post about tiny adventures and mischief illustrated primarily by unflattering, poor quality pictures taken with a Blackberry camera. Come along...

Nathan has joined the ranks of KidCharm! My friends, this is a big day and we should expect many great things from him. From smut filled sketches, to muses on life in the littlest BIG city this country has to offer; this guy can deliver! To celebrate, here's a sketch of his furry forearms, & marvelous fro!