Monday, December 28, 2009

Whiskey Is The Key/Devil Doll/Lovely Sparrows/Astronaut Blood (Update/Preview Part1)

Basically, I've been at work on twelve things at once, and though I've managed to keep my hair, it's been a frantic period of hard won productivity. Sometimes having to decide on which project to work on might ruin the entire day for me. There's also the day job that holds everything back a few paces. A transition into storyboarding is also on the horizon and that portfolio also cuts into things, but in a good way. I've definately learned plenty from books on the profession and I think it'll help improve my other work subconciously.

The work I've been delivering for Mome has been getting more and more intensive as there's the need to improve with every artwork delivery. Below are more panels from part three. Part one was a difficult start, the characters really come alive in the next two parts, and that is mostly due to my being more familiar with their facial and bodily quirks. I've also done more work from life in the newer chapters.












































The Lovely Sparrows book is also still in progress. Below are two more pages- click the images to see enlargements. Shawn Jones, head Sparrow says the album is progessing nicely. While this song isn't on the album, it was cut during the sessions and animated by the very talented Eric Power, who's also working on the new album/book/mixed media animated project.












































There's also the first issue of Whiskey Is The Key Says Me, a 100 page comics magazine that houses a variety of different stories of mine that haven't appeared in Mome. Below are a couple pages from a self parody also starring Michael Jada. I gave myself a David Nivens style moustache because I feel weird drawing self portraits.


Whiskey/Sparrows/Devil Doll/Astronaut Blood (Preview part two)

The third book in the series of short fiction/art monographs (Enough Astronaut Blood To Last The Winter) will also be coming out this coming year. At last count I had around sixty short stories to edit from and a wild assortment of drawings of various types. Copies of the second book- Journey By Ferry To Celibate City or Thigh Town are still available from me directly or through Bergen Street Comics (Park Slope), and Desert Island Books (Williamsburg). Printed Matter, Quimby's and St. Marks Books are all out of stock unfortunately. Some of the original artwork is available via Etsy.

Below are a couple art samples- click on them for enlargements.









































































































If some of that seems a bit too out there, you can cool down with some of my rejected New Yorker cartoons down at the Fantagraphics Books website.
At least one of those should turn a frown upside down and around and over and back again.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Journey By Ferry To Celibate City Or Thigh Town

Slowly but surely, I've been compiling stories and art for the follow-up to my second book-Journey By Ferry. It will also be about 192 pages long but the size of the book may change. More on that later, but it occurred to me that I haven't made Journey By Ferry available for purchase in any real capacity lately. In an effort to correct that blunder, I'll be readjusting the shop on my website, but for now, I'll simply announce that copies of Journey By Ferry To Celibate City Or Thigh Town are available from me directly for $14postage paid each (domestic).Send checks to Derek Van Gieson, 341 St. Johns Place Apt1R, Brooklyn, NY, 11238. If you haven't heard about it or seen it, here's a peek at what you're missing.








Thursday, December 10, 2009

Save For A Rainy Day


While putting together another batch of drawings for the House of No, I came across this.....um..ah..anyway, I Thought I'd spare Mike Baehr this one as the pain generated from it might be enough to cause shy, bald, buddhists to reflect and plan a mass murder. Oh yes, I dare invoke the Smiths.

Where Was Rachel?
























We were stuck at a party. An early 90's hardcore tribute band was playing. Maybe it wasn't a tribute. Maybe they just didn't know how old fashioned they were. We needed whiskey. Where was Rachel?

Friday, November 27, 2009

A Boozy Yet Productive Summer

A look at what lay behind the scenes of Mome's Devil Doll segments as they went down last summer. Copious amounts of various fluids were consumed and many, many, movies were viewed. All three Creature From The Black Lagoon movies for example. Keep scrolling for an ultra rare color picture of Devil Doll Writer Michael Jada!









Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Beautiful Language, This

Misheard lyric of the day: "you got me on my knees like a unicorn"


December Means jdsfhkjh@#%$^!!























This coming month will see the completion of The Lovely Sparrows recording sessions, and 134 page book as written by Sparrow Shawn Jones and drawn by yours truly. The above image is from the book, which is proceeding smoothly. This summer will see the Lovely Sparrows joined by myself for a west coast tour of music venues and bookshops to promote the s/t album & book along with my solo book Journey By Ferry as well as copies of Mome. Should be a hoot.