My Portfolio - Blog Posts

One more BEETLEJUICE for the pile.. BJ shreds on a Tuesday Afternoon!

Haven't been drawing - inking - coloring (or Posting) in quite some time now.. So, here's BEETLEJUICE in one of his classic poses!

When I published my sketchbook in 2003, I was invited to table at a few local Toronto comic-book conventions. I had a standing offer that if a customer paid a bit extra, he/she could get a finished drawing from me. Chris C of Hamilton took up the offer and asked for "Hannah Dundee" after I told him that I'd worked on the Nelvana cartoon.. Last night, I fixed a copy of his drawing in Photoshop and added some digital color. The hair is clearly over-done, but overall I still like the drawing!

20 years ago, I self-published my sketchbook: “Wang-Dang-Doodle!” This was the drawing I used for the cover art.. Recently, I agreed to sell the drawing to a local Original Art collector/friend.. So, I thought I’d better make some decent scans of it, first. Hard for me to believe how quickly all of that time has passed!

Re-familiarizing myself with a couple of old acquaintances.. Traditional drawing, pen-and-ink finish, and digital coloring.

I’ve been busy creating new artwork for “JackTober 2022″, lately.. The Day 22 prompt, was: (you guessed it) “The HULK”!!! Added a bit of digital color to it, using Photoshop.. It’s based on one of Jack Kirby’s classic poses. But I played around with some of the character proportions and other details..

I had a half-finished pencil test or a HELLBOY rotation that I worked on, in 2000. Last night, I added and inked a few missing drawings, so that I could get it ready to post on HELLBOY Day! Congratulations to Mike Mignola for 25 Years of this iconic character!

JUST PAST MIDNIGHT..

Another in a series of sketchbook drawings based on panels found (and messed around with) in old 50′s-era Crime comic-books.. Again, these have been inspired by Charles Burns’ recent “LOVE NEST” book. Random noir-ish images without dialogue or sound balloons..

SUBWAY CREEP!!

Sketchbook composite of story panels found in an old 50′s-era Crime comic-book.. The original artist was Bill Draut. It was entitled “MASHER!”, about a sleazy creep that liked to proposition young women riding the subway. I’ve been inspired by Charles Burns’ “LOVE NEST” book. And he recontextualized parts of this same story, too..

15 years ago, I was commissioned by artist Leigh Young to draw a Pinup featuring one of her ‘LUCHABABES’ characters.. i chose to draw “Ambarina”. Shown here, facing off against “The Blue Demon”. I’d just come off working on "THE RIPPING FRIENDS” cartoon series, which (I think) may have informed the way I handled the overwrought anatomy of the Villain, here..

Digging through some old drawings last night, I found these.. After seeing a few examples of my Fan Art in the pages of AMAZING HEROES, I was approached by publisher Dave Goode to do cover art for his “SQUARED CIRCLE Comix”. I was very flattered, as the interior story was drawn by Bill Ward, a favorite artist of mine!

I was all of 25 years old in August of ‘88 when I drew this, so I can see a lot of things I’d definitely do differently now. I recall that Goode sent me a sampling of Steve Reeves photo reference for “Brad King”, the wrestler featured here.. I’m guessing I used a Marilyn Monroe photo book by Andre De Dienes, for the “Sugar Caine” bikini babe?

I was pretty obsessed (still am!) with Dave Stevens artwork, at this point. And while I like the Poses and Staging, the line weight on the inking is pretty sketchy. Even so, I recall mailing this and a number of other art samples to Dave Stevens. He wrote back a nice letter to me: “As for your drawing ability, you seem to have a good grasp on the Figure. So you shouldn’t have any trouble getting work. Based on the wrestling piece you did, I’d say you’re ready to try your stuff on a story..” 

You could have knocked me over with a feather, after that.

A 16 year-old pinup drawing that served as my entry into this week’s 'Illustration Friday' contest, themed around the word: “DOG”.. The initial layout sketch was provided by my good friend and fellow Layout buddy: David Pietila. “Soopermutt” was a character featured in issues of the “Animal Adventures” comic-book, published in the 1950′s by ‘Timor Publications’..

Back in August of ‘97, I was working at George Elliott’s first animation studio: 'PICTOR Entertainment'. I was likely working as either a Designer or a Layout artist, on one of the many series we did service work for. But one day George asked me if I could also pull Layout duties on a "Denny’s Restaurant” TV spot that local legend animator Chuck Gammage was working on, for ‘Colossal Pictures’? I’d never worked on a TV commercial before, but was certainly game to give it a try!

As memory serves, I got the storyboards from Chuck on a Friday,-- and completed the layouts over a long weekend. There weren’t any designs for the 30-second “Skillet Breakfasts” spot. But Chuck mentioned that he wanted the BG’s to be styled after the classic “Tom & Jerry” cartoons of the 1940′s..

Before I even got started, I got word that 2 of the 6 BG’s were being cut for time. Less work for me.. YAY!!  For the remaining 4, I tried to follw the staging that appeared in the storyboards, as closely as possible.. As you can see from the final ad,-- although many of the design elements were retained, all of my Layouts got changed at the Paint stage. Which if my memory serves, were beautifully painted by: Branislav Perkovic.

The only other initial instruction I recall getting from Chuck, was that he’d wanted the dog to chase the cat repeatedly around the Kitchen, at the start. He’d asked for a few extreme Foreground elements in silhouette, which weren’t in the board panels..  I chose to forego that idea, because I couldn’t think of way to make it work..  Chuck Gammage had worked as an animator on Richard Williams’ 1988 “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” feature. And I think he may have wanted to try and recreate some of the crazy chase elements that appeared in that Kitchen? As you can see by the screengrabs, the pair only run thru it once, without doing any of the elaborate laps in the storyboard..

In the end,-- I think everyone’s contributions helped create a fantastic-looking classic 90′s-era animated commercial, that still holds up to repeated viewing.. You can watch it (and judge for yourself), by clicking here!

“Scarilyn” chills on a Neitherworld beach.. A 29 year-old layout from the 12th episode in Season One of “Beetlejuice”, entitled: "Quit While You're a Head".. This was my first real Animation job, back in 1989. 

The other day, I unearthed 3 pages of Storyboard Cleanup, which I had zero memory of. Not only couldn’t I identify the series, but the time period escaped me, as well. After posting it to my Instagram, a few kind souls volunteered that it was actually from: “My Dad The Rockstar”, which aired in 2003..

The only thing I knew for sure, was that I did the Storyboard Cleanup job for my friend: Rob Walton. I’ve only ever done cleanup for him. Usually, at times of extreme deadline crisis.. I thought it’d be fun to lookup the episode online and make a few screengrabs to compare the finished broadcast shots to the initial storyboards..

The episode was entitled: “High Infidelity”, and was the 4th show of the 1st Season. I recall making the storyboard panel grid myself, and the underlying blue rough drawings were mine too, based on pencil roughs Rob provided. Looking at the finished shots, I was a bit surprised to how graphic the interpretations were.. I didn’t have any model sheets to work from. And simply did my best to glean volumes and construction of the characters, from Rob’s roughs..

This was a Nelvana cartoon series, co-produced with Gene Simmons of KISS fame. The Layout Supervisor was my late friend from Sheridan College: Kevin Klis.. I recall that some of the layout work was also farmed-out to George Elliott’s studio. But I don’t know the extent of that arrangement..

A keen eye will spot a few bad Layout tangents that managed to slip thru.. On the 2nd page of screengrabs, the first few shots almost appear to have the kid bully (“Buzz” Sawchuck) reaching into the van. Who’s arm is it?  it’s really supposed to be the arm of the bald tropical shirt dude, leaning on the van window.. On the 3rd screengrab sheet, you can see that there is a bad leveling error of that same bald dude, sandwiching the bulk of his body BEHIND the actual van seat he’s supposed to be sitting in?!.. I think the unfinished rough of the bald dude falling out of the van was simply a gag that Rob suggested, that was not even in the script..

Like I say, I can’t recall. But it was a fun job to work on. Thanks!

Anime Mermaid from 2004, that I digitally colored for "MerMay 2108"..

Been a long while, but I’m finally back with an update.. I was digging thru some old work files on my HD, and thought I’d put together a brief post..

Back in 2015, I worked at Nelvana on Nick Jr.’s  “Fresh Beat Band of Spies” cartoon series. A lot of the front-end creative work was directed by ‘6 Point Harness’ in L.A., including some of the Design work; usually establishing the look and style of: characters, props, and locations. Full turnarounds and additional views of those designs though, were done at Nelvana in Toronto.

Early in the production, I spent most of my time creating rotations and additional views of Props. I didn’t have any real experience drawing directly with vector lines. So, I was allowed to draw them in Photoshop on a cintiq, using very clean bitmap lines. I'm guessing another artist may have converted my finished work, later on?..

One of my favorite episodes to work on was: “Band Of Pirates” (ep.14).. There were a lot of very nice design elements in that one. Plus, a fun storyline that featured “Captain Arrrgh” stealing half of a Treasure Map. He does so, using a flying robot and a Steampunk-inspired JetSki. For which, I drew some of the additional views..

The Fresh Beat crew makes a quick pursuit using their elaborate Tour Bus, which could conveniently transform into a kind of hydrofoil speedboat! The Bus was  based loosely on the handful of Art Deco “Futurliner” trucks that GM produced in the 40′s. And I felt like the speedboat itself, also gave off a bit of “Thunderbirds 2″ vibe? Creating the fuller rotation, was something of a drawing challenge, as I had to make hard decisions about the overall dimensionality and how each of the surfaces and corners attached to each other..

About halfway thru the production, I took over the Layout Supervision from my friend: Terry Lenko. This may be the only show that I’ve ever worked on, where my End Credit designation changes across the episodes arc?! Again, I have zero experience (or interest) in vector-based art. So thankfully, all I had to do was “direct” a very talented Layout crew, rather than contribute to the production art directly..

But there were always Layout issues with the storyboard animatics, that would require attention. And Terry taught me the valuable lesson of creating quick Layout thumbnails for each entire episode. Not only did these drawings allow me to identify where the Master and Reuse BGs existed.. But I could also spot and correct all of the continuity, cutting, and staging problems, too!

Enjoy.

Toon Talk Sessions - Rich Dannys

Welcome to the first episode of Toon Talk Sessions, a Toon Talk Weekly interview series!

Listen above of download the MP3 (67.4mb).

For some time now, we’ve wanted to sit down and interview the people that work behind the scenes on bringing our favorite cartoons to life. It’s no secret that animation is no small task and it requires a large team to create these awesome shows.

On this episode of Toon Talk Sessions Jake had the chance to talk with Canadian artist Rich Dannys about his work in cartoons.

Rich Dannys is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist, based in Oshawa, Ontario. He is an experienced Layout/Design artist, that has worked at many of Toronto’s finest animation studios. His style ranges from work featuring: animated cartoon & comic-book sensibilities – to vintage/retro motifs, with occasional ‘classical’ overtones.

Here are some of the topics covered in this episode:

How he got into the cartoon industry

His early work on Beetlejuice and the time he fired himself

Stories and the coolest scene from the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs series

Rich’s education and teaching experience in Canada

The extraordinary pipeline on his latest project, Welcome to the Wayne

His love of comics and where he finds inspiration

His advice for getting into the cartoon industry and improving your art

For more about Rich Dannys and his work you can find him at the following:

Tumblr - richdannys.tumblr.com/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/richdannys/ Portfolio - www.coroflot.com/Attezarf IMDb - www.imdb.com/name/nm2147403/

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In exactly 20 days, the new Nickelodeon cartoon series I’ve finished working on, will make it’s TV debut. I’m very eager to see/hear the reactions to (what I can only describe as) the most extraordinary animation project I’ve had the good pleasure to work on!

Seen above, are a small handful of the Layouts I completed, for the premier episode.. The show had a stellar cast of "Yowza Animation” talent, working magic on all aspects of the show. And the production pipeline was unique and innovative, in more ways than I can accurately describe.. Suffice to say, it’s highly unusual to have all of the environments “built” as 3D models first, that were then turned into specifically “hand-drawn” 2D location backgrounds!

It was a unique experience for me especially, as I’d also worked Layout on the short digital web-series on which this show was based, back in 2014. But I think that fans of the original web shorts will be even more amazed at the amplified depth and detail of the worlds, as now presented in “Welcome To The Wayne” TV series.. Hope you’ll all enjoy watching it!

Took almost a year, but I'm finally back with an update..Thanks to all, for your kind patience!

Since February 2016, I’d been working Layout on Nickelodeon’s upcoming “Welcome To The Wayne” cartoon series. But now, I’ve chosen to take some well-deserved time off. I was feeling pretty burnt out, and wanted to take my body/mind off of any kind of clock or schedule, to try and recharge my creative batteries.. Been spending a lot of time thinking about things I’ve already done in my career, and what I still hope to get done? During one of these moments of reflection, I was surfing YouTube and stumbled across something I’d once worked on here..

In 2000, I did Layout and Design work on a rather dodgy Christmas Special entitled: “Timothy Tweedle: The First Christmas Elf”.. It was done thru a small Toronto boutique studio called: 'Animation House'. But I think at that time, they'd just been bought up by ‘Evening Sky Productions’..

That was 17 years ago, and a lot has changed.. Chris Hayes, was a friend I worked Layout with. He passed away suddenly, this past January. Fred Wilmot was the principal animator on the sequence I worked on, and he passed away in November 2013. Our Production Manager was a young Morghan Fortier, who now co-owns her own Toronto studio!

Much of the production work was farmed out to Ottawa’s ‘Dynomight Cartoons’. It was my job to check their Layout work. And to complete Layouts (with Chris) for a big song sequence (featuring “Fabulous Flo”) which would be animated by Fred Wilmot, in-house..

Overall, it was a fun experience. But as is often the case, the project was a low-budget affair with short deadlines. Designs too, were largely non-existent,-- and I had to invent most of that stuff myself, as I was laying out the scenes. I’m relatively happy with the end results, but was frustrated that many of the Staging details we included in the layouts were either ignored, or used sparingly. I think the final animation comes off as pretty rushed, too. Fred probably realized it was not his strongest work, as I noticed he chose to use the name:“Marcello Wilmot” in the end credits!! haha  

Last month, we held a “Post-Its Art Show” at work.. All the artists in the studio were invited to participate. The organizer asked me to do a series of promotional ones, to help get things started.. Sharp-eyed comic nerds will recognize my riffs on the art styles of: Dan Clowes, Jack Davis, and Wally Wood?.. These were a lot of fun to do, and the show turned out really great!

I was up ‘til about 3am coloring an OLD pen-and-ink drawing for the upcoming “Summer Art Show”, held at the studio I work at.. Today, I’m physically wiped, as a result. I tried to use a color palette that conjures up the feeling of an old 50′s-era comic-book cover.. Perhaps a nod to the ‘MARS ATTACKS’ cards, too? It still feels rushed, but I do like the way his leather boots turned out!

Recently, I’ve been enjoying the nostalgia of a Facebook page dedicated to 'The Drawing Board' message board: an original Internet meeting place that is long gone. At the time, it was a great place to post your artwork, learn drawing tips, or just talk shop with like-minded creatives.. The long-running monthly “Drawing Jam” has been recreated on the FB page, though. And this was my most recent effort, working from a photo of actress: Chloe Sevigny.. Tried to work in a kind of Robert McGinnis approach to her legs and feet. Not sure how successful I was.. But it certainly was fun to try drawing it!

A Belated HAPPY HALLOWE’EN !!

They recently staged a "Hallowe'en" -themed Art Show at the studio I work at.. I decided to contribute a couple of old EC Fanzine illustrations that I did many years ago.. Sadly, I no longer own the pen-and-ink originals.. But I'd always wanted to color these; and the Art Show finally gave me the chance to do so!  Both images feature all 3 of EC Comics' famed "GhouLunatics" characters, along with a lot of other creepy and gory stuff!

Just saw that Lauren Bacall passed away at the age of 89.. One of the grand dames of Cinema, and a genuine favorite of mine! Back when I published my sketchbook in 2003, I included an illo featuring Ms. Bacall that was intended as an homage to Milt Caniff's late-great "MISS LACE" comic-strip.. Seeing as Lauren was a legitimate Pin-Up Queen back during WW2, it seemed completely appropriate?..

This is a logo design that I did for a family friend living out in Strathmore, Alberta.. I was asked to try and incorporate a Warthog (their club mascot) into the artwork.. So I thought the project would be a perfect opportunity for creating a kind-of Hank Porter -esque emblem, along the lines of his amazing WW2 Squadron insignia? I'm still not entirely sure about all of my color choices. But I'm pretty happy with the overall result..

Happy Holidays to all my Internet friends!!  Here's what this year's version of the Christmas card ended up looking like.. It was my meager attempt to ape the stylings of Eyvind Earle.. I had plans to model more shadows onto the limbs of the foreground tree,-- but I simply ran outta creative steam before the deadline crashed down onto me..

I recently bought the new book on Maurice Noble: "The Noble Approach", covering his thoughts on Animation Design & Layout.. It's an excellent read! Put me in a nostalgic mood,-- so I thought I'd post up an old 'BEETLEJUICE' Layout of mine..  Back in January of '91, I did 14 scenes for the episode entitled: "Fast Food".. Can't recall too much about it. But I'm amused that I felt the need to use a half-size Field for this specific shot!

An 'IRON MAN' illo I did back in 2002.. Based (of course) on the beautiful renderings of this character by genius comic-book artist: Jack Kirby! A man who never said "No!" to foreshortening!!

Back in 2007, I had the inclination to try drawing a Don Martin -type character.. I was digging thru some old issues of MAD Magazine and found a series of 'SPIDER-MAN' spoofs he'd done. Invented a new pose and (of course) hadda add one of his signature "SHPLORT" sound effects, too!