Little Bird House

digital entertainment

2009-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

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goofing off again, drew some faces. then scanned into photoshop and tried the paintbrush. i can see why people like painting digitally, it's fun. i rarely venture away from flat colors, unless i have a real brush in hand.

i try not to spend time drawing "pretty" things for a lot of reasons, but sometimes it's hard not to. i'll doodle stuff out until i'm done goofing off and my mind has settled down then i can work on stuff that's meaningful to me.

teen titans

things to look at

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comic lovin goofies

2009-06-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

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getting ready for san diego comic-con so have a lot on my mind right now and too much on the plate. stopped to write this entry though because there have been some fun and goofy moments in the interim.

the week before thien rummaged the morgue and found an old "new" teen titans comic with marv wolfman writing and george perez on pencils. i totally forgot i'd even read the teen titans as a kid, but this issue made it all come back in a horrifying and somewhat comical (i mean funny) wave of nostalgia. i remembered the cover of this issue because beast boy was a cute koala on the cover.

i plopped down on the couch and read through the issue. i laughed my ass off. the dialogue was (is) so creative and hilarious. i mean, i'd love to have my own computerized voodoo fetish that can sinc with people's cell structures, who wouldn't? it's a fetish that you can spray! wait, did i get that right?

so one thing leads to another, as they say. over to comic relief and bought a stubby stack of trade paperbacks. robin, batman, batwoman, gotham central. i didn't know anything about these books except for what i've seen in the movies. that and oh! a 45rpm book record of Batmam vs. ManBat that i used to listen to when i was, like, eight.

gotham central was so good i read it front to back twice without putting it down. everyone who worked on that series has mucho talent, and i'm now a big fan. a few years ago someone joked that if i had married michael lark my name would be lark lark. i never thought much of it since i didn't know his work, but now that i do, i think i'd be fine with that name. thien says he finds possibility of being thien lark also enticing. in an alternate reality, pham. you'll get your chance.

though the kid in me would love to draw superhero comics (for myself or otherwise), i can't afford trying it now. mostly, i'm not all that good at it, though i could practice and probably get into the style of super-art eventually. but also, and in turn, this would throw a monkey wrench in the comic projects that i've got going on now, they're not supposed to look superheroey at all.

so for now and probably a long while yet, i'll remain a fan, one who is cheered up by superheroes and outrageous dialogue and the occasional innovative storyline. thanks to the hubs and my friends who keep me up to date with all the Marvel, DC, Transformers and all other non-indy nonsense going on. it's all good fun.

in between drawing toughies wolverine and punisher
jerome opena draws a kookaburra for me!
(guess where it's going!)
art + diversity = a good thing

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mr. elephanter studies

2009-06-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

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this week

2009-06-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

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drawing bats, elephants, fishie dispensers, teen titans, apes. all for different projects. this is about half the actual list. too much going on right now. gah.

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6x6, 5x7 paintings in progress

2009-06-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

got back on the bat paintings, the finish line now in view

also a few more robots and animals

will be ready and for sale at san diego comic-con
if you want, holler before then

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long story, a few more sketches

2009-06-13T10:05:00.001-07:00

thien thought i was drawing Panthro

cool vessel heads at the MET

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East Coast trip

2009-06-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

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planes cabs friends kids and baby wine and beer
MoCCA business parties Mazzuchelli old friends posers offal fireball icecream
hotter buying college buds birthday books pico pico baseball product launch and logos
family rental cars new england chowder old lyme jamestown newport mystic marblehead newburyport sleepy after sundown burger the 9A vs the 9
coffee MET unlimited ride plane forever traveling
cat meowed many times

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sorry thien pham

2009-06-03T13:40:00.001-07:00

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dear Littlebird Newsletter recipients

photo by kozyshack

for the grave error in my last non-blinded CC June newsletter emailing, my sincerest apologies goes to mr. thien pham, who became the true victim of this unfortunate display. thank you concerned friends and clients who find it in your hearts to yet forgive us in this public proliferation of our personal affairs. continue to poke fun at your leisure.

all the best
lp

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Show! - MoCCA, nyc

2009-05-27T11:57:00.000-07:00

click and make bigger!

June 6th and 7th at the Lexington Avenue Armory
one of the best indy comics festivals ever
i'll be there, eating truffled eggs and sellin' comics

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Karapo!

2009-05-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

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brain is tired

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TCAF was fun!

2009-05-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

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* didn't bring a camera so i have to borrow other people's photos. i've posted links to their blogs/websites/flickr pages, so please visit them when you've finished reading here.

jason shiga and derek kirk kim
(photo from derek kirk kim, link here)

i went to toronto to spend time with friends in comics, many who i only see because of comics. though i continue to miss being in the architectural practice, i am convinced that cartooning is now my work and life.

the toronto reference library
(photo from derek kirk kim, link here)

kept expecting a Truffaut moment to unfold but it never came. it was so frantic inside that i forgot to draw a picture of it. this is a reference photo derek took for me at the very end, once the tables and exhibits were all put away.

saturday evening was spent with a few first second guests, at sassafraz in townsville. later that evening a pianist wearing a t-shirt with screenprinted tux stepped up and played some incredibly bad music. if he was rolf the dog from the muppets i would have loved it, but he was not. over drinks artists doodled in one another's sketchbooks. i drew on emmanuel guibert's blotting paper, but got so into it i forgot about socializing. after a while he told me to keep the paper. i think i will send it back to him, now that i'm done. maybe he will draw something on top of it.

here is a well-known video featuring the chicanery of emmanuel guibert, but if you haven't seen it, you should:

sunday breakfast
(photo from derek kirk kim, link here)

took it a bit easy on sunday, went for a swim before returning to the library. gina gagliano looks very good in this photo. the fellow with the voluptuous beard is alec longstreth - i didn't recognise him practically the whole weekend. the beard confused me. the fellow in red is emmanuel guibert. the gal at the end of the table is writer cecil castellucci. she and i had an interesting conversation about candlewick and children's books.

sunday evening cohorts
(from the photos of joe lambert, link here)

was very happy to meet this group of people. we had dinner at a café together and had a grand time. (left to right: alexis frederick-frost, scott c., chuck, dustin, melissa, kristin). not in photo but at the dinner table: joe lambert, shiga, derek kk, graham annable)

an excerpt:
if the green goblin dropped my favorite van gogh painting and a baby from the brooklyn bridge
which one would i save? i said the painting and got a real bashing from my friends. ccs-lass suggested i use the painting to save the baby. i said if the baby went through the canvas it would be all for naught. the risk would be just too high.

not shown above is joe lambert, who was busy taking the photo. he wrote/drew a terrific story that featured cavemen and caveman lifestyle.

visit joe's website

the after party was fun too, filled with foosball and all other kinds of nonsense.

Magic did not interest many at TCAF, at least not my magic

doodles at the ROM gallery

inked them later during KidKoala's music jam monday night

spent a good portion of the following day in the company of kean soo and jason shiga, we ate some good quick and dirty chinese food. hadn't had that in a long while. there was enough time for me to stop by the Central for a Kid Koala jam in the evening. (it was a real pleasure to meet him. at the library we traded all our books and cds with one other.) he had four tet ready to play but i had to leave before then, alas. he did play fridge just as i walked in, a real treat. i look forward to when he tours here again on the west coast.

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Little Bird News - May June July

2009-05-05T15:10:00.001-07:00

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A. and C. - TCAF and comics

walk with me in the early spring rain

my new mini comic - you are i am magic is debuting at the Toronto Cartoon Arts Festival this weekend. if you want one, give me a holler! the first 50 are printed in color.

^

i'm excited about this!

totally into drawing at a live kid koala night, can't wait!!!!

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B. Lingering LTK

what happened to long tail kitty? the publisher changed their printer which pushed the release date back. i am hoping to see a copy of the book by june. let's hope hope hope. Amazon preorders are still available. for those of you who have ordered a copy thanks so much for your patience, and i'm sorry that the book is late in coming.

LONG TAIL KITTY
Reading level: Ages 4-8 (but really, any age i think)
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Blue Apple Books
Library Binding edition
ISBN-10: 1934706442
ISBN-13: 978-1934706442

what we look like while waiting
for the LTK book to come out

^
D. moahhhh stuff!

there are more shows in june and july! which i will be at!
MoCCA, nyc is June 6th/7th this year.
SDCC - san diego comic con is July 22nd to July 27th.
i'll also be showing work again at the Studios gallery for their summer Mischief show, July 15th to August 9th.

if anyone is wondering what happened to san francisco's APE show, it has moved from the spring season to the fall. this year it will be held in october.

visit my flickr pages for less writing, more pictures!

thanks for visiting!
xo
littlebird

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long story, a few more sketches

2009-04-25T14:23:00.000-07:00

there are several storylines running through this graphic novel. here are a few sneak peeks.

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miscellanies

2009-04-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

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juggling a lot of things at once, wishing i was back on that island. i can see why so many people run away there. didn't do many good drawings while on vacation, just noodled about. this was the only one i liked, mostly drawn on the planeride back home. couldn't sleep even though it was the middle of the night. of course.

a cardinal under an australian pine

a drunken sketch of a camel's head while
watching Planet Earth the first night.
on a side note, the chapter on caves is amazing.

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doodles for a three investigators fan in germany
it's been fun (and hard) writing in german!

this person wanted a comic or an illustration. when i first started the ideas i had were really dark - people getting murdered in all sorts of creative agatha christie kinds of ways. the ideas eventually lightened up, became more playful.

the three ??? eventually find an exotic vial
that causes them to grow some robust beards.

left to right: bob, jupiter, pete
beloved characters by Robert Arthur

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other projects include the FS graphic novel

the children's book with Candlewick:

another proposal for a giangantor book company

a new minicomic for TCAF:

and who knows when long tail kitty, the book will be out. i am going to stop guessing....

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went to an island

2009-04-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

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went to kauai with thien, stayed on the north shore, first couple of days without wi-fi or cable.
to put it plainly, it was nice, thinking about nothing. played an arthur lyman CD over and over again.

on easter i asked to go to a church to see a sermon and watch people gather. enjoyed listening to people sing in hawaiian. not knowing the words made it interesting, pretty.

doodle during

it was strange to be in a room full of people all fearing death - i wondered if this is what easter is really about. the preacher decided on the particular homily, so maybe not. anyway, it reinforced my queasiness towards large group gatherings, especially one where everyone is freaked out about dying.

found a cute easy reader, one with instructions. i hope books stay in people's lives forever.

back at home and ready for making more comics. have fun at Stumptown everyone.
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long story finally

2009-04-06T01:43:00.000-07:00

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working on the long story, while still on the children's book. size of this project is daunting, but i'm really starting to get into it now. still pretty difficult to draw thumbnails without drawing completely, but will probably start making sense to the editor soon, thank her for being patient. LTK release date is set back again to June, due to a change in printer. in the hands of the publisher now, i don't get all this scheduling stuff.

some thumbnails

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SHOW! - Custom Vinyl Pushers at Munkey King, LA

2009-03-12T22:37:00.000-07:00

visit munkey king for the real thing

lil bat body, lil crow face

they're also carrying puppile posters so if you want one, here's where you can get it!

18x22, 5-color silkscreen

xo
lp

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new start

2009-03-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

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got a new sketchbook and am so, so happy about it. writing a new story but it gets pushed to the side for other umpteen million things. looking forward to showing it to everyone when it finally comes together.

the story of my best friend

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6x6 bats

2009-02-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

underpaintings

sketches

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SHOW! - I LOVE YOU (a little) at STUDIOS GALLERY

2009-02-05T12:54:00.001-08:00

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this is a big show with lots and lots of small things - 4x4 paintings, peruvian ink watercolors, and art by friends and me. visit my flickr page for more artwork previews, and please come to the opening and support to your local artists and galleries.

you were tall then

in these quiet times

it was a dream

the Neighbors Project is one which artists pick a 4x4 painting by me and do their own take on it. artists in this gallery show are jen wang, joey sayers, vanessa davis, thien pham, mark miyake, paul maes, andrice arp, trevor alixopulos, brian kaas, jesse reklaw, and rina ayuyang.

sneak peeks at the Neighbors Project:

(upright - joey sayers
botright - vanessa davis)

collaborative by jesse reklaw and andrice arp

god and shrine sculpture Blum by paul maes

peruvian ink pieces (approx 5 x 7 inches)

i love you a little

where've you been all my life?

These pieces and more will be up February 11th to March 8th.

Studios Gallery
New Location! 1815 Polk Street
between Washington and Jackson Streets
Reception Sunday February 15th, 2pm to 6pm

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long project

2009-01-28T21:25:00.000-08:00

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painting like crazy for the gallery show next month, but at the same time have to keep deadlines for the book projects. meeting deadlines has been really tough, and i have to blame it on my inability to stop multitasking. this nervous tick has got to go.

i know that the next step to this stage is to work on something bigger, and actually be spontaneous about it, rather than create the illusion of spontaneity - which i think is what has carried me along thus far.

visually spontaeous, but technically very calculated

recently i have been visualizing a fist unclenching, gradually opening to show the flat of the palm, and this has helped me to relax my mind and reorient myself for the next upcoming task. sometimes i rotate the disconnected arm in my head, inspecting it slowly as it turns. this seems to work too. generally any slow shape transformation will refresh my mind. this kind of relaxation benefits me more than sleeping, which - though i get enough of - is always sort of dissatisfying.

sketches for the graphic novel
thumbnails have been okay/easy
anything after that is really hard to do

okay, well i'll post again very soon to announce the "i love you a little" show at studios gallery. bye for now...!

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stuff for you, stuff for me

2009-01-22T02:00:00.001-08:00

carolyn commissions

scones for me

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5x7s

2009-01-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

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doodles

2009-01-05T22:31:00.000-08:00

at gaylord's for about an hour tonight, brainstorming with thien

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jotting down ideas

2008-12-30T03:30:00.001-08:00

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haven't had time to complete anything but commissions lately, but have got a lot of new ideas. these are some sketches for a long tail kitty minicomic, with all his neighborhood friends.

typically, i draw wherever it feels comfortable on the page, then go back and number the drawings so as not to forget the sequence. sometimes i draw in the dark, to prevent becoming fussy with details. in this case, the light was on, but there are examples of sketches done in the dark on my flickr page.

drawn in a pretty dark room
most of the time around 3 or 4 in the morning

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