Just wanted to tell you guys that my friend Alex Schumacher’s comic strip My World is Funnier is now on-line. It features the day to day life of a 20 year old named Miles and his family: his mom, brother, and aunt. Alex ‘s work features some beautiful brush inking and a fresh and simple design. I like it.

Alex Writes:

A new laugh for a new week! From here on in you can expect a new comic every week. I will not at this time give a specific day as to when the update will be (most likely Wednesdays starting next week) but this should hold you over until then.

and from his bio:

Alex Schumacher is a cartoonist living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Having been bitten by “the bug” when he was very young, Alex has worked tirelessly at honing his skills and perfecting the art of procrastination.

W.D.Berry, wild life illustrator

I have taken art classes at Merritt College in Oakland for years. By now I simple use it as a way to make sure I get my artwork done as well as the kind support of my fellow students.

On a cabinet in the storage room is this illustration by W.D.Berry:

Its such a wonderful illustration. A perfect combination of realism and fantasy brought together.

One day I found that is was going to be thrown away. So I happily rescued it from extinction. Here are some more details of the image.

William D. Berry was born on May 20, 1926, in San Mateo, California. His family soon moved to Arizona, where they lived for seven years. He spent countless hours outside studying everything that moved, reading animal books, and watching Disney films. He kept several small critters in his room and begin drawing animals as soon as he could hold a pencil. He completed his first book- on slugs- when he was five! As time went on, he became more known to the public. He wanted to work for Disney and even went to the Art Center in Los Angeles in 1943….

William was born in the Bay Area and wanted to work at Disney. Somehow it figures after seeing his cartoony work like the one I have above.

To read his Biography, visit HERE. A page created by a wildlife artist J.C.Amberlyn. The moose drawing on the top of the page is wonderfull. Note: most of his work seems to be more realistic, but equally amazing.

And at the site of University of Alaska Anchorage, you can purchase his children’s book: Deneki: An Alaskan Moose

If anyone knows any more about the artist, please comment. He is someone who should be better known by many of us.

_____________________________________
Visit http://www.atomicbearpress.com/comics/log/ to see my
production art for my comic book, Beyond the Great Chimney
as well as other art, sketches and drawings.

I wanted to pass on the word about Alexi E. Fajardo’s class being taught at the Cartoon Art Museum this month. I have had the pleasure to work with Alexi on his upcoming Anthology (see here), and he is both knowledgeable and approachable. I will be there, will you?

Here is the class information from Alexi:

Cartooning Workshop for Adults and Advanced Students
with Alexis Fajardo, creator of Plato’s Republic and Kid Beowulf

Saturday, March 26, 2005

1:00-4:00pm

Cost per individual class: $50; $40 for CAM members

Due to popular demand, the Cartoon Art Museum is offering an intensive monthly workshop for aspiring comic artists, writers and fans of the medium. Each class is taught by a professional cartoonist focusing on an area of his or her expertise, ranging from comic strip creation to inking to writing comic books and graphic novels.

Alexis Fajardo, creator of the comic strip Plato’s Republic and the graphic novel Kid Beowulf, will teach the second class, “Self-publishing: Sneaking Your Comic into the Mainstream.” Students will learn the ins and outs of self-publishing including:

-Choosing the right format for your work
(ie: comic book, zine, graphic novel)
-Finding the right (and affordable) printer
-Self-publishing resources: grants, distributors, etc
-Soliciting your book to Diamond Comics Distribution
-and much more!

Fajardo is the creator of the online comic strip Plato’s Republic and the graphic novel series Kid Beowulf. A founder of Ambition Studios, Alexis has married his love for comics and the classics and created a unique blend of the two. You can find his work at the following websites:
<http://www.ambitionstudios.com> and <http://www.kidbeowulf.com>

Dedicated students of all skill levels are welcome. Upcoming teachers include Judd Winick, creator of the graphic novel Pedro & Me and writer of Batman and Green Arrow for DC Comics and Keith Knight, creator of the syndicated comics the ‘K’ Chronicles and (th)ink. Jon “Bean” Hastings, creator of the Eisner-nominated Smith Brown Jones, Alien Accountant and editor of the comic anthology Spark Generators, is scheduled to teach the next workshop on April 30, 2005.

Class size is strictly limited to 20 students, and each class is filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Basic drawing materials will be provided, but students are encouraged to purchase sketchbooks and their own drawing implements. For more information ab! out the course, please contact Andrew Farago at (415) CAR-TOON, ext. 314, or via e-mail at gallery@cartoonart.org.

Museum Info:

Cartoon Art Museum € 655 Mission Street € San Francisco, CA 94105 € 415-CAR-TOON € www.cartoonart.org
Hours: Tues. Sun. 11:00 – 5:00, Closed Monday
General Admission:$6.00 € Student/Senior:$4.00 € Children 6-12:$2.00 € Members & Children under 6: Free

The Cartoon Art Museum is a tax-exempt, non-profit, educational organization dedicated to the collection, preservation,
study and exhibition of original cartoon art in all forms.

www.kidbeowulf.com
www.platosrepublic.com
www.ambitionstudios.com

_____________________________________
Visit http://www.atomicbearpress.com/comics/log/ to see my
production art for my comic book, Beyond the Great Chimney
as well as other art, sketches and drawings.

Here is a link to a complete set of postcards featuring sketches of Disneyland’s Bear Country Jamboree. They feature the art of master Imagineer and Animator Marc Davis (one of my favorites). I have a few postcards lying around the house here that I got when I was a kid in a vending machine in Bear Country (the area now called Critter Country). They also sold in the park a set of postcards of Pirates of the Caribbean. Please check them out.

The site is disneylandpostcards.com and it features a historical collection of postcards from “the Happiest Place on Earth.” Also check out the conceptual art postcards from the Disneyland Gallery.

It’s the official Star Wars Kid’s how to draw area on the OFFICIAL SITE. Nuff Said.