Popeye el Marinero

A good friend of mine couldn't make it up to Carol and John's Comics for Free Comic Book Eve and lamented not getting a sketch.  He said, "maybe next year I'll get you to do a Luchadore Popeye for me!"  Why wait till next year I say!!!

This sketch is brush pen and good ol' crayola marker.  enjoy!

Bal Ingenieux: 4th Annual poster

It's that time of year again to unveil the Bal Ingenieux poster!  Each year I try to pay some tribute to the Illustrators who came before me from Cleveland's own, Kokoon Arts Club.  They were a group of Artists of every discipline who band together from the late 19 teens into the 1960's.  Many, fabulously talented Artists exhibited together, studied together and once a year threw these amazing costume balls that quickly became the place to be in mid-century Cleveland.  

The Bal Ingenieux was brought back as a kind of tribute by Ingenuity Cleveland and for the last few years I've had the honor to create a poster for the event.  This year I decided to go a bit more jazz age and kinda Futurist for this piece and it all sprung from this dress.

This photo is from one of the Kokoon Art auctions from the 1930's.  Not exactly the style you think of when you imagine a dress from the Thirties.  It does however fit very comfortably in some of the art from that period.  See Viktor Schreckengost if you would like to see some of the best examples of that style ( proud Clevelander and someone I was EXTREMELY fortunate to meet when I was a student at CIA).   Check out his Jazz Bowl series:  

It's graphic, playful and just moves your eyes all over the place!  

Another inspiration for this piece that may be a bit out of left field but once you see the art I think you will understand, Laura Dumm is another fellow Clevelander who I've also been EXTREMELY fortunate to meet through our regular Drink and Draws. Her and her husband Gary Dumm (himself a GIANT in the Indie comic world) keep churning out some of the most lively art you can ever set your eyeballs on.  What struck me is their use of color and pattern, I frequented dummart.com for inspiration in the early phases of this piece (and you should to!).    She is certainly not a contemporary of the Kookoon Arts club but her and Gary certainly imbibe that spirit!

So there ya go another year's Bal Ingenieux on off the board on on the wall.  As you can see the event is this coming weekend and if you are able to go I would highly recommend it.  For more information check out balingenieux.com

And be sure to check out some of the in process drawings here!

Movin' on UP!

This weekend we pack up our paints, buckets and weird painting stools and head in to the heart of Cleveland to start a 2 year painting endeavor with our friends at Graffiti Heart.  Like our time working in Ben's family barn these first few pieces will be done away from our audience's eyes but this time IN A WAREHOUSE!  So in a way, we are movin' on up!  When these are done and available for public consumption we'll share as well as keep you up on further murals with Graffiti Heart  (big, BIG things coming!).  But until then here are some shots from our time in the Hale family barn working on the barn mural.  enjoy!

Garnet

"Garnet" from the show "Steven Universe". 
-Tim Switalski

Gauntlet Day 2 Collected

If you missed it the first time around, the Monsters recently ran a gauntlet...and ART gauntlet.  Here is Day 2 submissions by Time and Craig.  Enjoy.

Day 2: The Reckless     Marooned      Sensei

by Craig Worrell

Original Post

by Tim Switalski
Original Post

Take Matters Into Your Own Hands

...Or feet as the case my be. 

Your Pal, 

Randy Crider 

Calling A Big Ol' Soft Spot

With Valentines Day around the corner, it was a good time to celebrate my love...of wrestling. If you've been following my Instagram, you know how just how often a masked gentleman will make an appearance.  I'll take a wrestler over a superhero most days, but it might be because I don't own any capes. 

Since Valentines Day is right around the corner, I've released this as a print and a sticker in case you've got a special wrestling nerd/mask enthusiast in your life. Stay cool out there, friends. 

Your Pal,

Randy Crider 

Poor Lil' Guy

Hi all my buddies!  Here's something that's been floating around my studio for months. This fella started as a doodle in the cartooning class that I teach, and after weeks of making tiny lines in my free time, he's the crosshatched monstrosity that stands before you.  I'm pretty fond of him, especially since I based his hair on the "hairstyle" my newborn daughter had at the time. Good chance you'll see more of him, or in the very least some of his crosshatched brothers and sisters. 

Your pal, 

Randy Crider 

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Hey pals, Randy here with a recent spot illustration. I think we've all been here before, making what seems like a good decision at the time.  At least I hope so, I can't be the only one.