Merry Christmas to all!

Toon Weekly Christmas challenge.

They go by many names: The Three Kings, The Magi, The Three Wise Men. Call them what you will, they are my entry for this week's Toon Weekly challenge.

Shoutout to cousin Cassi in Iraq.

My cousin Cassi Durkin is currently in Iraq. Recently an article featured her on the D.O.D. website. The direct link is here: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48505 or check it out below.

Mail Handlers in Overdrive to Get Christmas Packages to Soldiers

By Spc. Ben Hutto, USASpecial to American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq, Dec. 21, 2007 – While most soldiers are tucked in their beds for the night, a mail handler with 461st Human Resource Battalion, out of Decatur, Ga., is waiting for the mail to arrive. Army Pfc. Cassie Durkin, from Whitewater, Wis., a human resource specialist for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, sorts packages at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, Dec. 14, 2007.

Photo by Spc. Ben Hutto, USA

“We started getting a spike in mail at the end of October,” explained Army Spc. Tony Rogers, from Tunnel Hill, Ga. “We went from getting four or five (shipping containers) of mail a week to over 10 a week. I try to be there when the trucks arrive to make sure everything goes smoothly. We don’t want any mix-ups that would cause a soldier not to get mail.”

The trucks normally arrive from Baghdad between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Four hours later, Rogers arrives to work at 6 a.m. to sort the mail. “I don’t mind,” he said. “These packages are a big morale boost for the soldiers. I know how important it is for soldiers to be able to stay in touch with their families back home. It is worth it to see a soldier get a package and get excited. The holidays are tough, and anything I can do to cheer these guys up is important.”

Army Pfc. Cassie Durkin, from Whitewater, Wis., a human resource specialist for 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, is a brigade staff mail handler. “It has really been busy here lately,” she said. “We used to get mail once or twice a week, but it has been coming in every day lately. People are trying to get their loved ones packages and cards for the holidays, but it’s a lot.” Durkin arrives at 6 a.m. with the other mail handlers to sort through each shipping container and separate letters and packages by unit. “We work for three hours straight normally,” she said. “There is a lot of detail that goes into it, because we have to read every address and make sure that each package gets put in with the right section.” Durkin explained that her first three hours of the day are just the beginning. “Official mail call starts at 9:30 and lasts until 2 p.m., but we haven’t been getting out until 6 or 7 p.m. most days,” she said. “We stay as late as we need to. We make sure that everyone has a chance to get their mail. A lot of people have missions that keep them from coming during official hours so we stay and help them out.” It is a demanding job, but Durkin said she enjoys it. “It can be very tiring, but I’m happy to help people out,” she said. “I personally try to help out people by hand delivering what I can, especially people that I know have a lot on their plate and can’t get down here. Someone else’s happiness really makes the job worth it. I really enjoy seeing people get something special from home. It’s tough when you see soldiers getting antsy because a package they are expecting hasn’t arrived yet. I try and get everyone their packages so they don’t have to go through that.” As Christmas gets closer, Durkin said, mail is a critical part of mission effectiveness. “It is the most important thing for the soldiers’ morale right now,” she said. “Presents, Christmas cards, homemade cookies and pictures are all pieces of home that soldiers out here need. If I can help with that, it’s a good thing.” (Army Spc. Ben Hutto is assigned to 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs.)

Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya...

This week's Toon Weekly challenge was to do an animated version of a 1980's era movie. There were no requirements beyond that, so in classic Kenny Durkin fashion, I chose to work under some self-imposed limitations and make things unreasonably more difficult for myself.

I decided I could not portray any movie that had already been adapted to animated form. This immediately decreased my options because in the '80's EVERYTHING was made into a cartoon. Movies, television shows even toys. There was a Rubik's Cube cartoon. RUBIK'S CUBE! I'm not kidding!

Turns out a lot of my favorite movies were made into cartoons. Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Ghostbusters, Karate Kid, The Never Ending Story, Police Academy, Rambo, Teen Wolf, Robocop, etc. Steve Silver recently re-imagined The Goonies perfectly, the Blues Brothers made a brief appearance in animated form, and there is a Spaceballs cartoon in the works.

So that left Star Wars (nah, too easy) Indiana Jones (ditto). I went to my DVD library for ideas and then it hit me. These guys...

If you don't know, they are from The Princess Bride. It's an unfortunately titled film in that it sounds like it's meant to be viewed by four year old girls. In reality it's charming, goofy and fun. By definition, a perfect '80's movie. These three had a great chemistry and look, so I decided to chose them for this week's submission.

In the end, the actual time spent executing the piece was less than the time planning it out. That's what I get for having obsessive-compulsive tendencies, I suppose. On to the next challenge!

All caught up.

These are my remaining submissions for Toon Weekly's challenges. Whew, I'm all caught up now! The first is a female wrestler (challenge #3).

This is Snape, one of my favorite characters from Harry Potter (Challenge #2).

I'm having a lot of fun with these challenges. They're giving me the opportunity to try some new things, and grow as an artist. I've added Toon Weekly to my list of links. Be sure to check them out, and see what my friends and colleagues are submitting.

Frankenstein

Justin Cook and Mike Giblin are two amazing artists who are starting a new website for character design called Toon Weekly http://www.toonweekly.com/ . The site will feature news and articles well as weekly character design challenges. Their first challenge was Frankenstein. I wanted to get away from the normal flat-top, green-skinned, bolts-in-the-neck variety monster. I thought maybe Dr. Frankenstein, like many scientists tested his theories out on lab rats, producing something like this.

I'm still a few challenges behind, so keep checking in to make sure I'm getting caught up.

Wisconsinite

I'm heading up to Wisconsin again, from the 20th to the 27th of November. I'm sure I'll see plenty of folks that look just like this while I'm up there.

..P.S. Anyone interested in getting into trouble with me while I'm up there can give me a call, or communicate with me via the comments section of this blog. I won't have access to my email. I'll be back to Florida soon, have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

I can't explain this..

...just accept it for what it is.

301

I just recently saw the movie 300 for the first time. It's a visual feast, full of blood and violence and action and...uh, adult situations. It's basically "TESTOSTERONE: THE MOVIE".

The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller. 300 is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae in which Leonidas, King of the Spartans rallies 300 fierce and noble Spartans to fight to against the vast Persian Empire.

But why only 300 Spartans? Why not 301? Is there a reason one more man couldn't be included? Turns out it's because he's this guy:

Happy Halloween

DURKIN DONUTS

When my kids were learning to read, I always got a kick out of driving by Dunkin Donuts because every time they would shout "DURKIN DONUTS" from the back seat. Something as cute and brilliant as that always went uncorrected and to this day, although they both know the difference and are excellent readers, we still call it Durkin Donuts.


Several posts ago, I made a Durkin Donuts logo and, like 98 percent of what I say, made a joke. I thought it would be funny to have it on a t-shirt and even suggested for someone to give it to me for my birthday. Well, my birthday came and went and I forgot about the shirt until just a few days ago I got a pleasant surprise...

So thanks to my dear friends the Parhams for what could quite possibly be my favorite shirt in my vast t-shirt arsenal.

The Cheese Stands Alone.

I've been a Green Bay Packer fan my whole life. It's not my fault, I don't know any better. When you're raised in Wisconsin as I was, it is the law. You must be a Packer's fan or you will be kicked out of the state. I can't talk about what they do to you if you're a Chicago Bears fan.

They're having a phenomenal season this year, currently they are 5-1. Quarterback Brett Favre is breaking records all over the place. But the most intriguing element of the Green Bay Packers is the fans.

The Packers' fan base is famously dedicated, regardless of the team's performance. Every Packers game at Lambeau Field has been sold out since 1960. Despite the Packers having one of the smallest TV markets, the Packers have developed one of the largest fan bases in the NFL. The Packers have one of the longest waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports. The current wait time for season tickets is approximately 35 years. For this reason, it is not unusual for fans to designate a recipient of their season tickets in their wills or place newborn infants on the waiting list after receiving birth certificates.

Packers fans are often referred to as cheeseheads. The term is often used to refer to people from the state of Wisconsin in general (because of its cheese production), but is also used to refer to Green Bay Packers fans in particular. The name originated in 1987 as an insult from Chicago White Sox fans at a Milwaukee Brewers game. In years since and particularly beginning in 1994, the name and the hats called "cheeseheads" have also been embraced by Packers fans.

Here is a cheesehead, in all of his glory. Go Pack!!

It Came From The Food Court.

Here's another memory sketch of a lady (?) I saw at the food court. I call her Aunt Esther.

Geekline

I had this idea for a self-promotional piece. As a geek of sorts, I was thinking about how we the geeks always end up in lines. We line up for store openings when new merchandise hits. We line up at theaters when the latest blockbuster comes out. We line up for tickets at conventions and once we get there, we line up for convention exclusives, autographs, and food. So I drew a cross-section of geeks, notice the lanyards. I'm still goofing around with it, and there's always room in line for a few more. Click image for a larger view.

Me in about 5 years...

...if I don't watch out. Just having some fun. I saw a guy hanging out by the pool the other day and he inspired this.

Mousepile

This was fun. Lots of fun.

Happy Grandparent's Day.

Mecha-Rex

My 11 year old son Alex and I were driving around the other day talking about his story idea, DINOBOY. We were trying to come up with some villian concepts, and thought of a Tyrannosaurus Rex with big robotic arms controlled by his stubby little arms. I came up with this design, just for fun.

A few days off.

Heading up to my home state of Wisconsin for a few days. I need a break and I miss my family. Expect me to come back refreshed and focused. I'm leaving CaveDuck here to watch things for me while I'm gone. It is unwise to provoke CaveDuck. You have been warned.

Only slackers post once a month.

Guess that shows you what I am. But I have been busy, with fun and profitable results. At least I have a few things to share with you; just some more random stuff.

The reluctant grandpa. A recent sighting at one of the resorts. Someone please help him.Staying true to my Irish heritage. One of my distant relatives

Gator.


I want this on a T-shirt. My birthday is September 27th. I wear a large.

Yikes! I gotta post something in April!

Jeez, it's been a month since I've posted something. Where has April gone? I've been real busy this month. Good news is, I'm getting a lot of work. Bad news is, I don't have much to post lately. But I do have a few things:

First is a gentleman I drew at a recent gig. It's on my camera phone, so the photo quality isn't great, but you get the idea.Second is a viking, just for fun.

More stuff.

Just some more random goofy stuff. And when I say random, I mean random.

...and goofy.

Check out the horrible perspective on the chair.

The great thing about coloring in dinosaurs is that no one can tell you their colors are inaccurate.

Here's a study for a B.B. King painting I'm doing.

"Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?"

Mr. Greystoke.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Press "Play". It's magically delicious!

Miscellany...

I can't really post any Black Cat Bone stuff right now, everything I have is in various stages of completion and I'd rather show you finished artwork. But I do want to post SOMETHING, so here's some miscellaneous sketchbook stuff.

Some cat having lunch. What's with the cats? I don't even LIKE cats. Oh well, they're fun to draw.

Some handsome devil.

Megacon Orlando '07 wrapup

Had a great time at Megacon this year. I was very inspired by the artwork I saw and I'm excited to finish issue one. I didn't take too many pictures, and have only a few appropriate enough to show here. When I wasn't walking around talking myself out of buying EVERYTHING, and looking at the artists in artist's alley, I was helping Michael Duron watch his table and visiting with the gang at Ka-Blam and Indyplanet.

This is their booth, I took this from reaaaalllllllly far away, but that's Jenny and Barry Gregory and Rene and Thomas Florimonte. They're going to publish Black Cat Bone for me, the first issue coming out some time in the year 2015 or so.

MegaCon Orlando 2007

This weekend is MegaCon. I'll be there Saturday and Sunday supporting my friends Barry and Jenni Gregory and Thomas Florimonte and Mike "Locoduck" Duron. Come geek out with us. www.megaconvention.com I'll have a full report on Monday. (by Monday I mean Wednesday.)

Black Cat Bone- Chapter 1, Page 1

Okay, here it is. The beginning of the beginning. I have pages in various stages of completion, but I thought I'd finish page one and share it with you. Let me know what you think, but please be gentle, it's my first time.

Tyler melts down.

This is a common occurance where I work. I see (and hear) this happen on a regular basis.

Gets funnier every time.

Lewis Black caricature

This guy cracks me up. He's a white hot ball of nervous/irritated energy.

Rex

Here's a dinosaur because, er..dinosaurs are cool.

Christmas 2006: The gifts

The kids got everything they wanted and more this year. They have been successfully spoiled rotten by all parties involved. Above are shots of Alex and Kathy Christmas Eve, opening presents from the family.

Below is Christmas Day; Santa was a complete lunatic this year.

I got everything I wanted as well. In an attempt to keep this blog semi art related, I'll share with you some of my more blog-relevant gifts.

Got some great books this year:Great book featuring a ton of artwork for Gorillaz, of whom I am a huge fan.

Never seen the movie, but the character design is excellent. Unique packaging and presentation as well. I love "The art of:" books. Sometimes the concepts are better than the finished result.

I've been waiting a long time for this book to come out, and I'm actually reading it instead of just looking at the pictures!

I got a lot of other stuff as well, and I appreciate everyone who thought of me this Christmas. I, on the other hand really dropped the ball. I got home made cookies from people, cards, photos and other gifts, but beyond my family I didn't GIVE much at all and I'm very disappointed in my performance. I have an amazing circle of friends who I love and adore, I need to treat them that way. So here it is, 2007 and I have a list of resolutions as long as my arm including being more giving, not just at Christmas, but all year. And update this blog more often...