MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS

Let There Be Light

2008-08-27T11:25:00.002-05:00

When it came to prepping final art, I thought I had it all figured out. I had a three step method. (See this old blog post where I lay it all out.) 1-Transfer approved sketches to good paper. 2-Ink the transfered sketches. 3-Finish out in Watercolor. This deal worked out good enough. No need to improve. So I thought.

Recently, I needed to make a single piece of art in layers and to do this I needed to see through several sheets of paper to get everything to line up. So, I bought a light box. It worked out swell. Then, as I went to get cracking on final art for the book I'm doing now, I had a light-box revelation. I could totally bypass that whole "transfer" nonsense (part 1) and use the light box to trace over approved sketches and ink at the same time. Hallelujah, boy, cause that transfer stuff was mind-numbing.

Thereby skipping step 1 altogether.

What I'm talking bout:

Take, for instance, this approved sketch.

I print out a laser print of said sketch, get a piece of sturdy hot pressed watercolor paper, and click on the light box.

Tape the laser print securely to the back of the watercolor paper (in at least two places, so there's no shifting between sheets).

Begin inking on top of the good stock. With the light shining through underneath, you got a good lead to follow.

Finish up and carefully pull the tape off with the laser print underneath. Right on.

Why wasn't I doing this all along?

Jam On It

2008-08-19T14:55:00.003-05:00

Last week, Julie and me and family were in Orlando, FL's Walt Disney World. It's crazy. Huge. Blown up. It was fun.

This week, I'm officially in finals for my much talked about (by me) first author/illo pic book. It's exciting. Intimidating, as well, but all quite, quite good. I'm jazzed.

Before we left for Dis. World, I got a full set of color proofs on a pic book I recently finished drawings for, called TOOT TOOT ZOOM. My first work with Candlewick on a great story written by Phyllis Root! As the book's designer, Pam Consolazio, said, there's gonna be some tweaks to the overall color for another set of proofs, but it's looking pretty sharp. Here's the cover (a bad crop, a little wonky on the color--apologies...):

And now I must jam. Gotta deadline, September 15.

Pig Droppings–You Can Win!

2008-08-06T12:32:00.005-05:00

Dear Readers,

Below is a sketch from a picture book I'm currently working on. A pig runs, and as he does so, several choice items fall out of the bag he's holding. I'm wondering how easily identifiable those items are. Can you identify them? I don't know. If you can (first one who does correctly via "comments"--include your name), I'll send this pencil sketch, signed, to your home. Not much incentive to comment, but 'tis what 'tis. (Disclaimer: it's on standard "copy" paper. Not high-dollar paper.) If you're right, I'll post it to "comments" and have you email me your mailing address. Watch out!

sincerely,

M.Cordell

(click on image to get a closer look...)

Color Me Badd

2008-08-01T15:23:00.004-05:00

I'm in the middle of sharpening sketches and sharpening text on one of my newest picture books. This will be my first offering as both illustrator AND author, so it holds a special, special place in me heart. I'm very fortunate to be working on this with Feiwel and Friends--the too awesome Liz Szabla, the too awesome Rich Deas, and the too awesome special guest editor Rebecca Davis. I'm in good hands here. So I just whipped up some color tests to see how the art will look with some different color scheme ideas. I'm diggin the idea of a limited color palette. I'm leaning toward the more monochrome ones--specifically the all purple/gray background right now for a few reasons. We shall see.

(click to zoom)

Sweet, sweet Comic-Con!

2008-07-25T16:55:00.005-05:00

I'm all sad cause Comic-Con is going on in San Diego right now and Julie and I aren't there. We went on our honeymoon in 2003 for the first time (serious, serious nerds). Then, several years later, we went again in '07. It's straight bliss for comics geeks like me. Totally overblown. Totally packed (actually completely sold out this year). Totally Hollywooded and pop-cultured out. Pepper in all the great indie publishers and tons of panel discussions and artist talks and seas of crazies dressed up in elaborate, weird, costume and that's Comic-Con. I grew up on the superhero stuff, but now my tastes run more towards the indie true-to-life books. Anyhow, Comic-Con is a rare place where you get the absolute best of both of those worlds. Not many places does the great Stan Lee walk the same halls at the great Lynda Barry! Aw, man! We're not there!

Maybe next year.

Dudes like this Boba Fett are everywhere. Snapped this guy at the end of the day, walking back to the hotels last year. Just like it was nuthin. (This photo doesn't do justice to the many freak, goofy, elaborate, or obscure costumers up in this thing. But the pic's all I had. And Boba was my main man when I was, like, 8.)

Sheep Sketches

2008-07-22T12:14:00.002-05:00

Some new pen sketches of pop and son sheep. Pre and post wool removal.

5 on the floor

2008-07-15T11:35:00.004-05:00

I had a minute to clean up and reorganize the studio yesterday. It was in another sad state after a couple of months of working and not cleaning. It seemed to me then, a lot could be learned from an illustrator's stuff that's strewn about the floor (or just the messy ones, I guess). So I scanned 5 random objects and here goes:

This is a little 6" x 6" picture book Julie and I picked up on a recent trip to Toronto. Sweet, cool little colored pencil drawings of these two lil' sisses that are moles. One of a series by Roslyn Schwartz. They also sell these awesome little finger puppets too, which we didn't buy.

A sheet of shiny, foil Canada stickers bought on same Toronto trip–meant for our suitcase that has sticks of our various travel locales. As you can see, the stick hasn't made it to the case. In fact, til yesterday, this was still in a studio pile of Canadian souvenirs.

A copy of some songs by FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS (one of the best done shows on TV of recent times). This is not their newest album, but a bunch of songs (from a bootleg or something, I think?) that Julie's library assistant, Katie, was so nice to make for us. Hilarious.

A little work out I did with the pen one day. Always easy to whip up a round of hand drawings (immediate subject matter). Being a righty, I have to draw all left ones.

Phaidon's doing a beautiful suite of Jean-Jacques Sempé books in English translation. This is the first of the series of "Nicholas" books written by René Goscinny with drawings by Sempé. Nice cloth bound volumes with little metallic Nicholas characters inset right into the cover. Very fine, toothy, uncoated papers inside. (Only thing that puts me off is the huge PHAIDON logotype they gotta put on the cover of all their books!) Good stuff. Good times. I even joined Phaidon's "Nicholas Club" but I reckon I'll talk about that some other time.

The Steig Ball, Dropped.

2008-07-08T20:04:00.004-05:00

Earlier this week, I noticed three original William Steig single panel cartoon drawings were up for auction on ebay (this is pretty rare). Two were kinda ragged. There were areas cut out and painted out--both, I assume, corrections made by Steig himself. But because of that, I didn't feel like paying up. Though the third was in, what appeared to be, good shape.

It's not an image I was loving, but hey... it's Steig!

Well. I totally forgot to bid on the dang thing, and it just got sold for the one and only bid of 149 bucks! (Last Steig cartoon I tracked on ebay sold for $800.) I'm kicking myself. Really.

Better luck next time.

Dang!

2008-06-30T11:19:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading the best interview from Tom Spurgeon (The Comics Reporter) with Julie's and my favorite cartoonist, Lynda Barry. If you're not a fan, well, you gotta be!

Her newest book, WHAT IT IS, was recently published by Drawn and Quarterly. Much of the interview focuses on this, but, there's lots of stuff about her history in comics and recent hardships due to the downsizing and/or selling of the many alt weekly newspapers her comic strip has ran in over these many years. She's awesome. Read this and more here.

How to Ollie in 8 Simple Steps

2008-06-24T10:30:00.004-05:00

Here's two more finished pages of my ongoing (currently online-published) graphic novel, VILLAGE PARK. This is the first of a handful of "trick tips" sections/pages that will serve as major breaks throughout the book. And this one kicks off chapter one. Once I get the full first chapter finished, I'll publish it to the official VP webpage. Til then, there's just the prologue for readin'.

(click to zoom)

P.S., R.I.P.

2008-06-20T14:50:00.005-05:00

Today, my old Boston electric pencil sharpener died. I got it when I was in the eleventh grade (1991).

Therefore, it gave a good, solid 17 years of service. I felt it going for the last month or so. The motor was wheezing and wouldn't start sometimes when I put a pencil in. Today, I got more of that, then the motor stalled for good. They don't make this old model anymore, but I got the next best thing.

Guess X-acto's teamed up with Boston to make the new ones. A lot sure has changed in the last 17 years. I went with the hideous tan, or "putty", version (bypassing the sleek, all-black one) for old time's sake.

Funny thing. It died with me sharpening charcoal pencils I'm using to draw a graphic novel that's loosely based on my eleventh grade year of high school. Wicked.

Village Park Prologue

2008-06-10T09:33:00.004-05:00

Well, here's the beginning of my ongoing graphic novel, VILLAGE PARK. I've set up a new page from my website where you can click-thru and read what's done, when it's done. So far, the very first section, the prologue, is complete. This means, I'm about 1/40th done! Holy mother. Baby steps. Check it out here:

http://www.matthewcordell.com/VP_index.html

To any of my picture book aged readers, there's some PG-13-ish language. Written for teens and up.

Cartoonists=Crazy

2008-06-05T10:53:00.003-05:00

So, while I was waiting on some notes for my next picture book, I tooled around and finally wrapped the first section (the prologue) of a graphic novel I'm writing/drawing. Like I said in my last post, my plan is to just work on this as time allows, not going super crazy yet about trying to get it published. And, for now, I'll set up a page on my website and just start publishing it there. Soon.

Here's four sample panels from some of the pages I just finished. (click it to zoom.)

I have to say, this work is frickin insane. It's obsessive and it's tedious. It's terribly difficult. And it's no end in sight. I think full-time cartoonists must have a bit of crazy in their brains. OR, they are completely relaxed. I have a LOT left to go on this, and that's where most of the crazy comes in. I've been trying to lean on what I know about zen and meditation. The whole "mindfulness" and living in the present (not the future or past) idea. It's hard.

But, I think, it's worth it. It's kinda fun.

Check with me in a year or two.

Now... back to picture bookin'.

Anatomy of a Nose

2008-05-27T12:26:00.002-05:00

I've been tooling around with this graphic novel idea of mine for a while now. Several months or so. I've shopped it around to a few of my pubs, but haven't had much luck. I think it's good (I'm biased), so I think it'll find a home someday. In the meantime, I've decided to soldier on with it. Drawing it still, and just begin publishing it to my website somewhere (more on this later). Right now, I've got a click-thru of some finished pages here, in the "WORK" section of my website. And character sketches here, also in "WORK".

As I'm digging back in, I found this sketch I did for the main character's nose. It took a while to get the formula just right.

Loosey Goosey

2008-05-23T09:20:00.002-05:00

Here's another one of my scratch pieces of paper I scanned. Sort of, doodles in the margin. But I love the way this looks. Someday I want to be able to make a whole book that embodies the looseness and spontaneity of this here drawing. Somehow, it's hard to get to that point, for me.

(click and zoom)

Pigs in Dogtown

2008-05-16T13:31:00.003-05:00

Here's a few new drawings that combine two of my favorite things--pigs and old skateboarding. Always wanted to skate an abandoned pool in southern California. {sigh}

(click and view bigger.)

1980

2008-05-13T14:21:00.002-05:00

Trying to stay in shape with the pen while in between final art. Also, occasionally, trying to draw without sketching in pencil first. Mixed results.

In 1980, I was in the first grade.

Slight Change of Plans

2008-05-09T11:56:00.002-05:00

What I'm talkin bout.

Simon James makes good books.

2008-05-07T12:10:00.003-05:00

In a recent visit to the local library, combing through the picture books section, I plucked a handful of books by UK-based author/illustrator Simon James. Julie and I already own a copy of his wildly popular BABY BRAINS, but it's some of his older stuff that I really respond to. Not that the BABY BRAINS books ain't great, they're just a little wackier than a few of the cooler, quieter titles from several years back.

I really dig these two: LEON AND BOB and THE BIRDWATCHERS. In general, though, SJ's got a real, real sweet style. Loose pen and ink lines accompanied by very painterly and classically loose watercolors. He's got a great sense of color and his design and composition skills are top notch too.

I found this UK gallery website that, looks like, represents his original art sales. At first glance I thought the prices were extremely reasonable. Then, I remembered how the dollar's in the toilet and it'd take almost two bucks to make a Brit's pound. Still, tho, some good prices. Someday, maybe.

New Jack and Back

2008-05-03T11:49:00.002-05:00

We just got back from the quickest plane trip I've ever taken. Julie and I went to New York, care of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-NYC Metro), so Julie and her book, GET WELL SOON, could be awarded this year's Ken Book Award (with four other authors and their books at this year's celebration). For anyone who hasn't read my previous bloggings about this award, it's given annually to books that have something unique to say or offer on topics of mental illness. Previous winners include memoirs by Jane Pauley and Rick Moody on their battles with Bipolar disorder and depression, respectively. Many winners are more on the scientific side of things. Julie's win was the first given to a young adult book, so it's extra special.

Got in Wednesday afternoon. Took a nap. Hit a Spanish restaurant, for dinner, to rub elbows with this year's winners and an assortment of NAMI officials. Patricia Cliff was there. She established the Ken Book Award and set up the Kenneth Johnson Memorial Research Library at NAMI-NYC on behalf of her late son who suffered from Bipolar disorder. And Jay Neugeboren was also there--who, on behalf of NAMI, called and told Julie she was one of this year's winners. Liz Noland, Julie's publicist at Feiwel and Friends also came out for good moral support.

Woke up early Thursday morning for the awards breakfast that started at 8am. Julie's top editor (and mine!), Liz Szabla, came as well as Liz Noland again. The two Lizzes (F+F is known for it's many Lizzes). A Nobel Prize winner, Eric Kandel, gave the key note speech and then the authors came up one by one to receive her/his award. Each award was introduced first by a previous winner. Julie's was presented by Elizabeth Swados who won one year previously for a picture book. Ms. Swados gave a very sweet, moving intro to Julie and GET WELL SOON. I then got misty-eyed. And Julie gave a cute and humble acceptance to that room full of big brains. It was really great. So proud.

After the ceremony wrapped, we packed our stuff, boarded a plane, and jetted back home. Exhausted. I feel for people who have to fly constantly for business. It tears you down, man.

A few pics to document the trip:

Patricia Cliff, first thing in the morning.

Elizabeth Swados saying great things about my wifey! Swados has great hair, man!

Julie in mid-speech. Rocked it.

Left to right: The lovely Liz Szabla, the lovely Julie Halpern, the lovely Liz Noland.

Froggy Went a Courtin'

2008-04-28T12:08:00.002-05:00

I'm in the middle of my editing process with this sketch dummy I'm working hard on getting out this week (hopefully by tomorrow). In the interim, I'd like to show, here, some drawings I did recently pitching myself for a forthcoming picture book title at Simon and Schuster (by a kickin' author, I'll not yet name). Here's what I came up with. And happy to say, these sealed the deal! Very psyched about it. My awesome agent, Rosemary Stimola, was way instrumental. Thanks, Ro!

You asked for it, You got it!

2008-04-23T11:15:00.004-05:00

Another video of the inimitable Bob Dylan, again at his best. Just kidding, actually, about the "asking for it" part. No one here has asked for more Dylan, but I found this on YouTube and thought you should see it. (A favorite song, a timeless performance, and a rather disgusting look.) Vids are a quick blog post. Besides, things are kinda hectic right now. Julie and I are prepping to go to New York, where she'll receive a top award for GET WELL SOON (read where I blogged about it back here). I'm in full throes of sketches for my first picture book offering as illustrator AND author. And a couple of Euonymus shrubs in our front yard have been all but devoured by an annoying parasite called "scale". Trying to figure that out.

So ride this out with me and feast your eyes and your ears on some "Idiot Wind."

Dupuy and Berberian on the cheap

2008-04-19T15:18:00.003-05:00

I just picked up this book from a seller on ebay. Though the picture above shows the overseas cover, I, of course, bought the English language edition. (I couldn't find a quality image of the English language version. It's the exact same, it just says "The Complete Universe of Dupuy Berberian" instead of "Tout L'Univers de Dupuy Berberian".) THE COMPLETE UNIVERSE OF DUPUY AND BERBERIAN is a showcase of the full spectrum of two of my favorite cartoonist/illustrator collaborators, Phillipe Dupuy and Charles Berberian. Talks about how they got started working together and walks you through all the amazing illo and cartooning they've done over these 20+ years. They're huge in France (they're French) and have gained acclaim over here in the last few years with recent editions of their books in English translation--particularly with Montreal-based comics publisher, Drawn and Quarterly. I love the books D+Q have put out of theirs. The cartooning is so bright and fresh and stylish. Their writing is very light-hearted. And it's honest without being terribly pessimistic.

I've been eyeing this book for about a year now since it came out. It's hard to find here cause it was pubbed in the Netherlands, and usually goes for anywhere between $35 and $50 when you can find it (I think cover's $55). This seller on ebay's got 11 copies up for only $8.99, buy it now price! Well, there's 10 now cause I just bought one. What a steal!

No, I'm not getting any kickbacks.

Blog-o-rific!

2008-04-17T23:04:00.004-05:00

Holy Mother! After a solid week of fightin' the Great Blog War, there has come a cure. A fellow burned user on the Blogger Help Group discussion boards figured this all out. This is really bringing out the geek in me. So, I'm posting this piece here not just to celebrate, but also to validate that this thing is back in bizness!

Amen, y'all!

p.s. Second most boring blog post. But humor me this one.

Blogged Down

2008-04-17T11:24:00.003-05:00

This may be the most boring post I've ever published here to the ol' blog. But here goes. For over a week, my blog host (Blogger, aka Blogspot) has had issues with publishing to my FTP server. In simpler terms, in order to have my blog show up at http://www.matthewcordell.com/blog, I have to publish it to my FTP server which is over at Yahoo. Well, there's a bug up in there somewhere and nobody seems interested enough to fix it. It's a hot topic with Blogger users in my situation right now. White hot.

Cutting to the chase, my blog will be, for the time being, published on the Blogger (aka Blogspot) website and found here:

http://matthewcordell.blogspot.com

If you go to the old address (matthewcordell.com/blog) there should be a page there that I made with a link that sends you to the right place.

If you made it this far, thanks for following me here!