Monkeyshines!

I suppose this piece could also have been titled: "My Brain Threw Up On Paper." But that's a little too verbose, isn't it? Either way, this is a random assortment of any and everything floating around up there in that watery noggin of mine. Notice there's no math depicted here.

"I Am Dracula"

Ok, so here's something new to my blog: music! You'd think it would be enough for me to constantly draw pictures of monsters; but no, it seems I must also write songs about them. I suppose this is the ultimate indicator of a hopeless, and perhaps unhealthy, obsession. Anyway, I'm still new to recording my music, so the sound quality isn't so great but I hope you get what I was going for. If ever Dracula danced, I hope he would be pleased to cut a Transylvanian rug to this little ditty. So without further delay, behold my musical ode to the Count! I Am Dracula by blalock

Universal Monster Party!

Happy Halloween time, everyone! Yes, it's that special time of year when monster costumes occupy every store; when little plastic skeletons and fake spider webs cover every window; when your favorite variety of candy seems to spontaneously become wrapped in orange and black. And in my particular case, it's that time of year when constantly drawing pictures of monsters doesn't seem quite so odd. So to celebrate this fact, here's a new monster drawing!


















 Now to be fair, this picture isn't completely new. It's actually an alternate take on something I posted last year for a Wolfman themed art contest online. I added ink and water to this version, and I think it gives it more of a spooky feel. Hope you agree.

Anyway, have a great Halloween everybody, and save me some Reese's if you have any left over.

Transylvania Postcard!

Ever wonder what a postcard sent from the far eastern land of Dracula's birthplace would look like? Let your heart be at rest and wonder no more!













I most enjoyed creating the little vampire boy. He just seems so joyous and content to be a blood-sucking aberration of nature. And what exactly are the contents of his red "ice cream" cone? I shudder to imagine.

Monstrous Rubber Ducks!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but the summer has kept me pretty busy. However, since it is nearing that very special time of year when I hit my "sweet spot" and my various monster drawings are momentarily in style, I thought I would post some new stuff. First up, some bath toys with a Universal Monsters influence.


















Growing up, I would have loved to have had little guys like this to play with in the tub. They would have made the daily drudgery of bath time much more enjoyable. Alas, I had to settle for a rubber duck who was just plain ol' dull yellow. At least I had a plastic shark to liven things up.

Monster Love

I like how this one turned out. And nothing says "love" to me like a shambling green monster and a pasty woman with bee hive hair.

Revenge of the Creature!

Here's a new Creature drawing I created recently. First, black and white. . .













Then color. . .














And just for kicks, here's a color-only experiment. . .















Now some folks might misinterpret the Gill Man's outstretched arms as a sign of hostility; on the contrary, I like to think he is reaching out for love and acceptance. Can't you see the hint of a shimmering tear in his glazed, bulbous fish eyes? Maybe throughout all three Creature films, all he needed was a hug. That's what all that kidnapping of females must have been about! Yeah, that's it.

Wolf Man and Friends

I drew this one for a Wolf Man-themed art contest on ain'titcoolnews.com.

















Alas, I did not win. I didn't even place as a finalist! I guess mine wasn't "photoshoppy" enough. Oh well. Do not mourn for me! I will carry on and live to fight (or draw) another day.

Some of the finalists were pretty good though. You can view them all here.

Frankenstein, Collected!

If you've spent any time on my blog at all, it's probably become excruciatingly apparent to you that I tend to draw Frankenstein alot. It seems that when I pick up a pen or pencil and decide to doodle, the first thing to always spring forth from my hand is some goofy version of Frankie. So looking back through some of my drawings, I decide to collect the best ones from the past few years and throw them together in this sweet little collage.


















I've got a soft spot for that stupid Frankenquack in the bottom left.

Frankenstein

A new picture of Frankie. 'Cause no one can ever get enough of that green monster goodness!

Creature Memorabilia

So I decided to try my hand at some photography and layout with Creature From the Black Lagoon memorabilia as the subject. Nerdy enough for you? Oh it gets better, my friend.


















True Creature collectors will recognize the 1997 Burger King Creature figure in the upper left hand corner. I also shot the picture of Neca's Creature bobblehead on the right. My personal favorite item is the beach towel at the bottom left. I unearthed this little treasure one day when I discovered it in the back of my grandpa's linen closet!



















As a teenager, my grandpa saw the Creature films during their original theatrical run. I suppose he liked them enough that he decided to purchase this beach towel whenever he came upon it. I guess the real lesson to be learned here is that you never know what amazing or bizarre things you might dig out of a closet at your grandparents' house.

There is also a very cool post about all things Creature related over at Random Acts Of Geekery, and he features this same beach towel.

Monsters in Technicolor - Part Deux

More colorful monster goodness. I think the Mummy picture is more closely related to a pulp magazine cover than any Universal movie. Oh well, I had fun making it.

Universal Monsters in Frightening Technicolor!

Just in time for the holidays! Because of course whenever you think of Christmas, sweet thoughts of Frankenstein, Wolfman, and Creature from the Black Lagoon immediately spring to mind.

The Li'l Sketchbook - Part 1

This is a tiny 4 1/2"x 3 1/4" memo notebook (affectionately dubbed "Li'l Sketchbook") that I decided to start carrying around with me and filling up with nonsense from my brain whenever I feel like it. Sometimes a guy just has the urge to draw a bunch of ducks, a honky-tonk robot, a diaper-clad monkey, and maybe even a gentleman zombie or two. Am I right, fellas? So I'm pretty much keeping a diary of my thoughts, without all the frilly words and pensive brooding.























The book is 160 pages, so I'll keep uploading my "entries" a little at a time.

Frankie

I don't usually draw in this style, but it's good to try new things, right?

Monstrous Pencil Sketches

Wolfman, Frankenstein, and The Phantom of the Opera. These are all pencil sketches and I just changed the color saturation in photoshop. Yes, they are a little scary so if you are under the age of 13, avert your eyes!

Duck Dracula vs Frankenquack!

Here's an absolutely terrifying new comic I created. Warning: the following comic is not intended for the faint of heart; this includes young children, pregnant women (or women who may become pregnant), and the elderly. Sensitive ducks may also wish to avoid the comic, as they may be offended by the blatant portrayal of their species as evil monsters. To everyone else: enjoy!

The Creature Goes Green!

. . . literally. I made the original black and white picture a couple of years ago. I just recently decided to experiment with it and add some color. I thought it turned out pretty cool. Like some sort of freaky black light poster.

The Various Looks of the Bride

We all know how particular women can be when it comes to how they look. Undoubtedly, Mrs. Frankenstein must have suffered from the same indecisiveness concerning her appearance as many women do today. Which leads us to wonder, was she nervous before her wedding? How long did it take to perm that hair? Is the lightning-bolt streak natural, or just a punk rock fashion statement? And how many designer dresses did she try on before settling on that famous "white-bed-sheet-and-bandages" look? We'll probably never know.

Anyway, to celebrate the Bride's diversity of style, here are several new pictures depicting her in various shading styles. From top to bottom: pencil sketch, inking, line shading, inkwash, halftone (you might have to look close to see the difference), and sepia color saturation. The last one is my favorite.

Monster Mash

I recently found a copy of Del Rey's Monsters at a local bookstore. The book is now out of print (although you can find it through various sellers here) so you can imagine my outpouring of nerd-like glee when I discovered it. The lavish photos of classic Universal monsters contained within its precious pages inspired me to create my own little montage.















It kinda reminds me of the Brady Bunch. Can you imagine a 60's sitcom about all these guys living in one house together? I bet Creature would be the "Alice" of the group.