The Jungle Calls!

My desk is piling up with busy-ness lately...I've not had much time to focus on the Beefcake. I'm hoping you'll be all right with a little peak at my loose pencils on page one of the first Rimah story! I got a big chunk of it done just before things started getting heavy and now, sadly, I have to shift my focus for a spell.

The rest of the is month and most of April has got to be all about the kids! I'll be attending the Toronto Comic Arts Festival this year, with the guys from Transmission-X. We're working on some fun stuff for the show, I'll be part of a little art exhibition and most likely be drawing throughout the day. It's a free event so don't be shy about dropping by!

best,
j.

Maniacal Toon!

Today, just a quick, fairly loosely inked sketch of Josh. Reference was a photo he took of himself. Oh, how I wish I could show you the photo :) It continues to haunt the baser quadrants of my brain. I went simple, graphic and red with the coloring just to suggest that animal quality. My preference is the half-tone screen, cropped image. It seems eve more feral!

You may (or may not) have noticed that I no longer have a Zazzle store. The Zaz shirts arrived and they were TERRIBLE!! Printing was blurry and the shirt quality was 'meh'. For the higher price I expected much better. So Zazzle is out! CafePress is still in. Every morning I enjoy my coffee in the original, very first, signed and numbered Vargas-Josh coffee mug (large sized, naturally).

Have a grrreat day, my friends!
best,
j.

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

It's Guy-a-Day in stunning color! I woke up one morning, checked my e-mail as does nearly everyone in the civilized world...and what appeared before my sleep-puffy eyes knocked me out of my slippers and woke me right up! Someone had sent me his colored up versions of some of my Guy-a-Day drawings. Not just any 'someone' but super-colorist Michael Wiggam!

I was and am beyond flattered. I think Michael brings an amazing, painterly quality to my drawings. He finishes them off so beautifully that the inker in me is jealous. And unnecessary.
Michael started a blog of his own, Niveous, to showcase his stunning work. Hopefully he'll be adding more than just my drawings to his blog. He's been coloring Dark Horse's Star Wars: Clone Wars comics for a while now and he just gets better and better with each issue. It certainly doesn't hurt that he's coloring the art of superstar Scott Hepburn though, does it!



Saving the best for last. I am so madly in love with this final image. The color of the beach, water and the tan on the guy's skin (and that adorable untanned butt). I need this on a t-shirt, throw pillow, coffee mug AND tattooed on my back!

You'll be seeing more of Mr. Wiggam here, I guarantee!

best,
j.

Sketchbook Doodles!

On Monday I met up with Josh for a coffee. On entering the shop I noticed a long and lean, very good looking guy stretched out over the chairs, working on his laptop. After getting my drink I intentionally took another long look at the guy and he stared right back. Why, you might wonder, was I checking out some other guy when the adorable Josh was sitting right across from me? A reasonable question. Though Josh is most definitely incredibly easy to look at, an artist finds that he needs variety :)

Regrettably I failed to say a word to the coffee-man, even though I was fully braced to do so as he was leaving. I chickened out at the last second. It's a lesson I'll remember next time I see a cute guy I want to chat with. I only want to draw him/them anyway. *wink-wink*
With variety in mind I present a few collected pages from my sketchbook. I carry around a small hard cover book with me pretty much at all times. It's just one of those that you'd find in any art supply store. I fill the pages with people I see out on the street, in the subway, at restaurants or just ones that I make up. I draw directly in marker so my "style" is different than what you're accustomed to. I've got several books full of these type of drawings so, no doubt, quite a few will be included in the sketchbook(s).


best,
j.

Through the Looking Glass Darkly!

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son! With jaws that bite and claws that catch. No Jabberwock here...just Josh and a pale reflection of his own self. We took some terrific looking photos in front of a mirror in one of our early sessions. Photos I'm still going back to and being inspired by. This one took a different turn when I thought more about how I see Josh. At this point I think I should let you all see what you want to see in images without the distraction of the "artist" :)

Interpret as you will the darker look of the reflected Josh, and the physical contact between the two. Sorry about the heavy shadow, boys. But at least you do get a nice view of drawn-Josh's rump.

In the comments section there has been a little discussion about the making of a sketchbook. I'd love to hear any and all input from you all about what you'd like to see. I'm considering one large sketchbook collecting as much as possible...but could also easily fill several smaller sized, themed books. Would one option be preferrable over the other? Smaller themed means being able to buy only those images that, shall we say, excite you most. More books means each would be less expensive, as well. Which is a plus.

Picture size is also an issue. Assuming the book is slightly larger than a standard comic book (roughly 6" x 10", 17cm x 26cm) would you prefer several smaller images per page with occasional focus on a larger finished piece? or large images throughout? I know I always prefer at least mid-sized images but sometimes there is that one piece that you just wish had been printed as a full page so you could enjoy it fully. On the other hand that large image that takes up a whole page isn't always the favourite piece and you wish room had been made for two more pictures for which the large image won't allow.

Such dilemmas. We should all have such easy problems to deal with :)

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Feel free to e-mail me (address in my profile) if you don't have a blogger account with which to post.

best,
j.
p.s. Welcome back, Josh!

Barely here!

Now, here's an inviting scene. There's nothing nicer on a cold winter's night than warming yourself by the fire and snuggling up in a bear skin rug. Perhaps a glass of Port or a spiced wine to warm the soul and life just couldn't be better.

In comic news, the latest issue of Madman has a back--up story written by me and drawn by the incomparable Darwyn Cooke! The cover is a super jam piece with a little bit of each of us all inked by the amazing Mike Allred and colored by the astounding Laura Allred!

stay warm, my friends.
j.

Bear in the Wood!

It was ruddy cold this weekend! We Torontonians (and most of Southern Ontario) had a little taste of some warmer weather last week. The sun shone bright and hot lifting us out of the February blahs! But Dame March roared in with snow and below freezing temperatures. Not really a blizzard or anything dastardly. Just COLD! I wonder if that counts as a Lion or have we got something more ferocious to look forward to come end of month.

James F. asked about some bears. I thought 'What better way to keep warm than sipping hot chocolate with a cuddly bear!' As long as this chilly weather persists I'll be drawing more bears. The week of loin cloths will have to wait a little longer. My guys will catch their death of cold if they go out in loin cloths today.

Stay warm, my friends.
j.